DERBY COUNTY BLOG: Why free transfer star Chris Martin has helped Rams to reduce losses, explains Andy Buckley-Taylor

Johnny Russell, Patrick Bamford and Chris Martin provided the goals - with the latter edging towards 20 goals for the season.

His 19th strike came after he glanced a corner in from the near post.

Martin was signed in the summer on a free transfer and has so far proved to be one of the captures of the season.

He had spent a short time on loan towards the end of last season and since his full time move to the Rams he’s played a big part in our success.

Yet another free transfer has helped Derby County to return a reduction in losses as the club’s financial accounts for last season were revealed.

Our losses for 2012/13 were £7.1m which although it sounds a lot, is expected to be among the lowest in the Championship.

Our neighbours Nottingham Forest returned a figure of £17m losses and Leicester £31m.

Leicester have finally seen the rewards for their big spending as they are running away with the Championship title. Forest are within reach of the play offs and unless Derby press the self destruct button, they should be in the top six too.

It’s this season’s accounts that will count come next January. They will be required in December and the results should be known by the new year.

Unless a lot of clubs get their finances in order, they face serious consequences.

Any club that records losses above £8m this current season will face a fine or transfer embargo. That is the punishment that is being introduced in January.

There has been some questioning the legality of the Financial Fair Play regulations, however on the 20th March 2012, UEFA and the European Commission signed a joint agreement to prevent the EU legal system being used to challenge the legality of FFP.

We won’t know until nearer the time whether the Football League will stick to its guns and punish the big spenders. I’m not totally convinced by these regulations, but I don’t agree with every law of the land, however I stick to them.

There has been ample notice for clubs to comply and it would be totally unfair to those who have tried to play by the rules for the League to back down now.

I’d say obey them and speak to other clubs and try and gain support for an alternative rule.

Finally it was good to read that the only debt owed by Derby County is the £15m mortgage on the stadium. So much better to read than the days of massive debts under the ‘Three Amigos’.