Cricket poet Alfred Cochrane made his debut, sharing his appearances with Oxford University over the following years.
The season saw the retirement of two originals of the first Derbyshire side in 1871 - Robert Smith and John Platts.
These players were CC Marshall, Haydn Morley, WB Woodforde, A Jourdain, William Turnley, F C Newton, D Bostock, Johnstone and Giffard.
to highlight the link, though the Derbyshire FA, formed in 1883, objected on the grounds it was too long and therefore would not have been understood by the fans.
The club's first competitive match came in the 1885 FA Cup, where they lost 7–0 at home to Walsall Town.