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Kit from each player will be signed and auctioned off at the start of next week to raise money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association.
Darby was diagnosed with the life-limiting disease earlier this month, forcing his retirement from football.
Bolton’s assistant manager Steve Parkin, who also worked with the defender at his former club Bradford City, admitted news of his illness had hit staff and players hard.
“There’s no getting around the fact when we got the sad news about Stephen it was heart-breaking for everybody,” he told The Bolton News. “We’ve known him for the best part of five or six years and the staff were definitely affected by it.
“And because of the character he is, even though he hasn’t played a load of games at Bolton, he’s an outstanding professional on and off the pitch. It definitely had an effect on the dressing room.
“The lads think the world of him but now their focus is on what they can do to help him. That’s what we have all got to be like.
“A win at the weekend, a show of respect, would be lovely for Stephen and hopefully give everyone a lift.”
Wanderers have had to deal with more off-the-field issues hitting the headlines this week as a payment row between three former players – Karl Henry, Jem Karacan and Derik Osede – and owner Ken Anderson has prompted intervention by the PFA, and potentially, the EFL.
Parkin says both he and Phil Parkinson have tried to filter out the distraction.
“The football side puts it to one side and let the people who have to deal with it, deal with it,” he said.
“There’s a slight distraction at times. I don’t read any of it, to be honest, but there’s always chitter-chatter going about. The key thing is that we are prepared for a tough game on Saturday."
Parkin will be looking for a "full-blooded" performance against Frank Lampard's Rams, who beat Manchester United on penalties at Old Trafford under the watchful gaze of Phil Parkinson in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
"We know we have got to step it up at home," he said.
“If you perform well, you’ve got a chance of a result, it’s as simple as that.
“It doesn’t matter what shape you put out there, if we go out and perform poorly it doesn’t give us a chance to win the game."
Wanderers skipper David Wheater says wearing the shirts as the teams line-up before the game is a show of solidarity to one of the dressing room's nice guys.
He said: "Following the news of Darbs' diagnosis, we as a team want to show our support for him in any way we can.
"He is without doubt one of the nicest people you will ever meet and is a hugely popular figure around the club.
"One thing about him though is that he's very strong mentally - he's extremely tough and he will, with all of our backing, stand tall against this horrible disease.
"And these special shirts will hopefully go some way to helping to raise a considerable amount of money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association."
Source
Darby was diagnosed with the life-limiting disease earlier this month, forcing his retirement from football.
Bolton’s assistant manager Steve Parkin, who also worked with the defender at his former club Bradford City, admitted news of his illness had hit staff and players hard.
“There’s no getting around the fact when we got the sad news about Stephen it was heart-breaking for everybody,” he told The Bolton News. “We’ve known him for the best part of five or six years and the staff were definitely affected by it.
“And because of the character he is, even though he hasn’t played a load of games at Bolton, he’s an outstanding professional on and off the pitch. It definitely had an effect on the dressing room.
“The lads think the world of him but now their focus is on what they can do to help him. That’s what we have all got to be like.
“A win at the weekend, a show of respect, would be lovely for Stephen and hopefully give everyone a lift.”
Wanderers have had to deal with more off-the-field issues hitting the headlines this week as a payment row between three former players – Karl Henry, Jem Karacan and Derik Osede – and owner Ken Anderson has prompted intervention by the PFA, and potentially, the EFL.
Parkin says both he and Phil Parkinson have tried to filter out the distraction.
“The football side puts it to one side and let the people who have to deal with it, deal with it,” he said.
“There’s a slight distraction at times. I don’t read any of it, to be honest, but there’s always chitter-chatter going about. The key thing is that we are prepared for a tough game on Saturday."
Parkin will be looking for a "full-blooded" performance against Frank Lampard's Rams, who beat Manchester United on penalties at Old Trafford under the watchful gaze of Phil Parkinson in the Carabao Cup in midweek.
"We know we have got to step it up at home," he said.
“If you perform well, you’ve got a chance of a result, it’s as simple as that.
“It doesn’t matter what shape you put out there, if we go out and perform poorly it doesn’t give us a chance to win the game."
Wanderers skipper David Wheater says wearing the shirts as the teams line-up before the game is a show of solidarity to one of the dressing room's nice guys.
He said: "Following the news of Darbs' diagnosis, we as a team want to show our support for him in any way we can.
"He is without doubt one of the nicest people you will ever meet and is a hugely popular figure around the club.
"One thing about him though is that he's very strong mentally - he's extremely tough and he will, with all of our backing, stand tall against this horrible disease.
"And these special shirts will hopefully go some way to helping to raise a considerable amount of money for the Motor Neurone Disease Association."
Source