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Derby County's Jermaine Johnson hooks up with wrong club for loan move

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Rob Parker
 @ September 10th, 2009

Confused youngster tries to loan himself to different team

Derby County defender Jermaine Johnson joined up with the wrong team as he attempted to begin a loan spell at Stafford Rangers. The 19-year-old introduced himself to his new ‘team-mates’ from Tamworth at a motorway service station and began the settling in process when a call to his mobile alerted him to his error.

The Rams youngster was forced to leave the Lambs squad immediately looking a bit sheepish.

Probably to Johnson’s great embarrassment, Tamworth’s Bradley Pritchard tells the story in his latest BBC column. Pritchard and his team-mates had met at a service station on the M6 for a pre-match meal.

He writes: “While in the car park a lad dressed in Derby County gear came up and introduced himself to us as JJ. Apparently he was just starting a month’s loan from the Rams, so we just assumed the gaffer had brought in someone. He then joined us in the canteen.

“A bit of small talk and couple of slices of toast later he felt a bit more acquainted with everyone. Even the gaffer came over and introduced himself but he thought it was a friend of one of the players so didn’t question it too much.

“Then JJ [Jermaine Johnson] got a call, “Yeah I’m here with the guys…”, he paused then realised that he was with the wrong team. He got up quietly, took his bags and left without a word.

“Apparently he was in fact on loan at Stafford Rangers, and when he saw us he assumed that’s who we were. Whether he just fancied a free meal or didn’t see the large Tamworth Football Club badges on our tracksuits I’m not sure. It’s a shame because I think he and big Trev [Trevor Benjamin] really hit it off.”

Who said footballers are thick? I don’t think he can use the fact that they both have the Staffordshire knot on their badges as an excuse since he probably doesn’t have a clue what the Staffordshire knot is!

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