Derby County fan's superstitious beard to be shaved off after a decade

A Derby County fan is shaving off his superstitious beard after a decade.

Buoyed by his team's 5-0 win over bitter rivals Nottingham Forest in March 2014, Richard Scott made a pledge not to shave again until Derby made it out of the Championship.

At the time, they were among the favourites for automatic promotion to the Premier League.

Ten years later, he will instead reach for the razor after the Rams secured a promotion campaign to the Championship.

Mr Scott, who lives in the city centre, will shave his beard to raise funds for charity Mental Health Matters.

He told the BBC: "I enjoy my horse racing and I'd been down to Cheltenham Festival, so I'd got myself all smart, shaved, suit, tie, what have you.

"So when Derby played Forest, I'd had a clean shave and they won 5-0. We were all ecstatic so I said I'd not have a shave until we got promoted.

"At the time I was thinking we'd get the second promotion slot, but play-offs it was. I thought we'd easily beat QPR but then up popped Bobby Zamora.

"I didn't think I'd have to wait 10 years. We got into the play-offs a couple of times, it became a bit of a joke that the beard was in danger.

"I actually quite like the beard now - I might grow one again, but not as wild and woolly as this one."

After more than a decade, Mr Scott's beard will go for good on 24 May at the Dandy Gent barbers in Derby.

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