The Nottingham Forest Miscellany E-Book

John Shipley

• Herausgeber: The History Press
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 177

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2017

Beschreibung

The Nottingham Forest Miscellany – a book on the Reds like no other, packed with facts, stats, trivia, stories and legend. Delve deep to find out all about the events and people who have shaped the club into what it is today. Featured here are a plethora of stories on the this charismatic football club ranging from how the club was formed, to little-known facts about players and managers. Here you will find player feats, individual records and plenty of weird and wonderful tales from a club that is inextricably linked with the enigmatic Brain Clough. Rivalry with Notts County, favourite managers, quotes ranging from the profound to the downright bizarre and cult heroes from yesteryear – a book no true Forest fan should be without.

Leseprobe

This book is dedicated to all supporters of Nottingham Forest, wherever they may be, and to the memory of the great Brian Clough.

First published 2011

The History Press

The Mill, Brimscombe Port

Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 2QG

www.thehistorypress.co.uk

This ebook edition first published in 2017

© John Shipley, 2011

The right of John Shipley to be identified as the Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyrights, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

This ebook is copyright material and must not be copied, reproduced, transferred, distributed, leased, licensed or publicly performed or used in any way except as specifically permitted in writing by the publishers, as allowed under the terms and conditions under which it was purchased or as strictly permitted by applicable copyright law. Any unauthorised distribution or use of this text may be a direct infringement of the author’s and publisher’s rights, and those responsible may be liable in law accordingly.

EPUB ISBN 978 0 7509 8390 7

Typesetting and origination by The History Press

eBook converted by Geethik Technologies

INTRODUCTION

Nottingham Forest Football Club is unique in many ways, with achievements such as winning two consecutive European Cups, and winning the First Division title in their first season after promotion to the top tier of English football. Forest have also been associated with the introduction of historic improvements in the game of football such as shin-pads, goal nets and elliptical goalposts and crossbars, as well as the use of whistles by referees. The football club embodied the true amateur Corinthian spirit that put the most honourable ideals of the founding fathers of the Forest Football Club above the pursuit of the professional line being taken by other football clubs.

This book ‘does what it says on the tin’; it is a miscellany of information about Nottingham Forest – facts and statistics, stories and legend, including memories of those wonderful nights of floodlit football at the City Ground. A diarised history of all competitive games played in European competitions, the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, the UEFA Cup, and of course, the European Cup, are all distilled into one book.

Over the years, Nottingham Forest have been graced with an abundance of wonderful footballers; however this book is not long enough to include them all. Instead, I have included a select few, recommending the many websites and other books to any reader who wishes to know more about a specific player. Also, I hope readers will not object, but I have deliberately avoided restating the full and detailed history of the Reds as there are numerous excellent histories already in existence.

Success should not always be measured solely by the number of trophies won, but in the case of Nottingham Forest – it’s not a bad one. I sincerely hope that you will enjoy reading this book.

John Shipley, Summer 2011

ABANDONED GAME

One game stands out for its marvellous sportsmanship in the cut-throat world of modern football. On Tuesday evening 28 August 2007, Forest’s League Cup tie against their other rival Leicester City was abandoned at half time with Forest winning 1–0, after Leicester’s on-loan defender, 27-year-old Clive Clarke, suffered heart failure and collapsed during the interval. The game was eventually replayed on Tuesday 18 September 2007 and in a demonstration of heart-warming sportsmanship, the Leicester players invited Forest’s goalkeeper Paul Smith to score a goal at the start of the game to reinstate Forest’s lead from the first game. Leicester’s gallant gesture was greeted warmly by fans of both teams, and widely praised by newspapers throughout the world. Unfortunately for Forest fans, victory went to the Foxes by 3 goals to 2. Amazingly Leicester had a different manager for the two games: Martin Allen left the club by mutual consent the day after the first game (only his fourth game in charge), while for the second game Gary Megson was City manager, having been appointed on 13 September. The sporting gesture had been arranged by Megson and Forest manager Colin Calderwood. The other notorious abandoned game was on 24 August 1968 when the main stand burnt down (see p. 67).

FOREST LEGEND – ALEXANDER ‘SANDY’ HIGGINS

Born on 7 November 1863 in Kilmarnock, Sandy Higgins played for the Ayrshire club before joining Derby County in 1888. Two years later Sandy moved to Forest, where he stayed until his retirement in 1894. Sandy Higgins famously scored Forest’s first-ever League goals. Forest’s first game in the Football League was versus Everton at Goodison Park on 3 September 1892. The historic match finished 2–2, Higgins scoring both goals for the Reds. The Forest team for that milestone game was Brown; Earp, Scott; Hamilton, A. Smith, McCracken; McCallum, W. Smith, Higgins, Pike, McInnes. Higgins scored a hat-trick in his only Scottish International, an 8–2 victory over Ireland. He died on 17 April 1920. Sandy Higgins’ son Alex, also known as Sandy, followed his father into football, playing for Kilmarnock, Newcastle United, and briefly for Nottingham Forest in the 1920s.

ANGLO-SCOTTISH CUP

Winning the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1976/77 was Nottingham Forest’s first trophy under Brian Clough’s tutelage, beating Leyton Orient 5–1 on aggregate. Forest drew the away leg 1–1 on 12 December 1976 courtesy of a John Robertson penalty, and destroyed their lowly opponents 4–0 at the City Ground on 15 December 1976 with 2 goals from Colin Barrett, plus one each from Sammy Chapman and Ian Bowyer.

FOREST LEGEND – ARCHIE GEMMILL

Archie Gemmill was born in Paisley on 24 March 1947. He joined St Mirren, before moving to Preston North End and Derby County, where he became one of Clough and Taylor’s key players in the title-winning Rams side of the mid-1970s. Eventually Clough got his man for Forest in September 1977, Archie making his debut for the Reds against Norwich City on 1 October 1977, and going on to make 58 League appearances for Forest, including 2 as substitute, scoring 4 goals. The dynamic skills of midfielder Archie Gemmill graced many stadiums all over the world. He won 43 Scottish caps, scoring 8 goals, his greatest accolade being when he scored that fantastic goal for Scotland against eventual runners-up Holland in the 3–2 group stage victory during the 1978 World Cup in Argentina. Cloughie left Archie out of the 1979 European Cup-winning team, obviously upsetting the wee man to the extent that Gemmill was sold to Birmingham City in August 1979. Many believe that Archie Gemmill was discarded far too soon by Cloughie. After Birmingham, Gemmill spent a little time with Jacksonville before signing for Wigan Athletic, and subsequently for a second spell at Derby County, where he again teamed up with manager Peter Taylor.

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS’ CUP/FOOTBALL LEAGUE TROPHY

Nottingham Forest have competed in this competition three times: in 2005/06, 2006/07 and 2007/08. The competition began in the 1983/84 season (replacing the short-lived Football League Group Cup), but from 1992 the competition was renamed the Football League Trophy. Since its second season the competition has attracted a sponsor, becoming better known as the Freight Rover Trophy from 1984 to 1987, Sherpa Van Trophy from 1987 to 1989, Leyland DAF Cup from 1989 to 1991, Autoglass Trophy from 1991 to 1994, Auto Windscreens Shields Trophy from 1994 to 2000, LDV Vans Trophy from 2000 to 2006 and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy from 2007 to today. Forest’s record in this competition is:

2005/06

lost the Southern first round 3–2 away to Woking

2006/07

lost the Southern quarter-final on penalties at home to Bristol City after the game had ended 2–2

2007/08

lost the Southern first round 3–2 at home to Peterborough United

BILBAO TROPHY 1979/80

At the end of their 1979/80 pre-season tour, Forest took part in a four-team tournament in Bilbao and won it. The other competing teams were Athletic Bilbao, Dinamo Bucharest and Botafogo of Rio de Janeiro. In their first game Forest beat Botafogo 2–1 with goals from Birtles and Woodcock, then in the final played Dinamo Bucharest who had beaten the host team. Forest won 2–1 courtesy of two goals from Robertson, one a penalty.

MANAGER – BILLY DAVIES

It’s fair to say that not all Forest fans cheered the appointment of Billy Davies to the post of manager of Nottingham Forest in January 2009. He arrived as a Premier League failure, steering rivals Derby County to an embarrassing relegation. As a player he made a total of 331 appearances, scoring 26 goals, mostly for clubs north of the border, including Rangers, St Mirren, Dunfermline and Motherwell. He also made 18 appearances for IF Elfsborg in Sweden, and 6 for Derby County. In 1998, after hanging up his boots at Motherwell, he was appointed manager, staying until 2001 when he joined Preston North End as assistant to manager Craig Brown. Brown left in 2004 and Billy Davies was appointed caretaker manager before becoming manager, twice guiding Preston to the Championship play-offs – in 2004/05, and again in 2005/06. In June 2006 Davies was appointed manager of Derby County, steering them into third place in the Championship in his first season with the club, and on to the Premier League, beating West Bromwich Albion in the play-off final. He signed a one-year extension to his contract, but after a dismal start in 2006/07, which saw the Rams accumulate only 6 points from 14 games, Davies left by mutual consent in November 2007. He had spent a reported £15 million on new players, but claimed not to have had the backing of the Derby board. Nottingham Forest named Billy Davies as their new manager shortly after Christmas 2008, taking over from caretaker John Pemberton on 1 January 2009. Over the summer of 2009 Davies spent a reported sum of around £4 million to strengthen his squad, which in September 2009 embarked on a fantastic 18-game unbeaten run, including 10 victories – 5 of these in consecutive matches – ending the season in third spot in the Championship. Sadly, Billy’s Midas touch didn’t make an appearance in the play-offs and Forest were beaten by sixth-placed Blackpool – not really fair, but them’s the rules! Unfortunately Forest’s 2010/11 season ended in disappointment. Once again reaching the play-offs, courtesy this time of a sixth-place finish, they eventually lost to Swansea City 3–0 over the two legs.

On Sunday 12 June 2011 Forest announced the termination of Billy Davies’ contract with immediate effect. One day later the club announced the appointment of 50-year-old Steve McLaren as their new manager on a three-year contract.

FOREST LEGEND – BILLY WALKER

A giant in the history of Nottingham Forest, Black Country lad William Henry ‘Billy’ Walker managed Nottingham Forest between 1939 and 1960, steering Forest to two promotions in his 21-year reign; the first as champions of the old Third Division South in 1950/51, and then from the old Second Division to the top flight, as runners-up in 1956/57. Billy Walker was born in Wednesbury on 29 October 1897, signing professional forms with Aston Villa in 1915, staying until 1933. He had 18 great years at Villa, many as captain, in which time they won the FA Cup in 1920, were runners-up in 1924, runners-up in the old First Division in 1930/31 and then again in 1932/33. In the process he won 18 caps for England, scoring 9 goals. His first cap came on 23 October 1920 when England beat Ireland 2–0 at Roker Park, Sunderland – Billy scoring on his England debut. His last cap was earned 12 years later when England beat Austria 4–3 at Stamford Bridge, although Billy hadn’t played for England since February 1927. He did, however, captain England on three occasions.

Walker cut his managerial teeth with Sheffield Wednesday, guiding them to FA Cup final success in 1935. The highlight of Billy Walker’s reign at Nottingham Forest was winning the 1959 FA Cup, his ten-man team beating Luton Town 3–1 after goalscoring winger Roy Dwight had broken his leg – no substitutes in those days. Despite Forest being relegated to the Third Division South at the end of the 1948/49 season, to their credit the committee decided to retain Walker’s services. They must have been glad they did considering the success that was to come. One good reason for that success was the goalscoring feats of legendary centre-forward Wally Ardron. At the end of the 1959/60 season, with Forest finishing third from bottom of the old First Division, and only a year after his FA Cup triumph, Billy Walker made the decision to end his managerial career, accepting a place on the Nottingham Forest club committee. In 1963 Billy Walker suffered a stroke, and sadly his health deteriorated such that he passed away in Sheffield on 28 November 1964 at the relatively young age of 67, four short years after resigning as manager of Nottingham Forest.

FOREST LEGEND – BOB MCKINLAY

A stalwart of many Forest teams, Bob McKinlay made a club record 611 league appearances for the Reds – plus 3 as substitute, 53 FA Cup appearances, 11 in the League Cup and 7 in other competitions, making a grand total of 682 + 3. One-club man McKinlay was born on 10 October 1932 in Lochgelly, Fife. A nephew of Billy McKinlay (who played right-half for Forest between the wars), the centre-half made his first-team debut in 1954 and never looked back, helping Forest win promotion from the Second Division in 1956/57 and FA Cup glory in 1959.

FOOTBALL LEGEND – BRIAN CLOUGH

‘He walks on water,’ a claim made about only a handful of people since those early days of Christianity in Galilee; Brian Howard Clough was one of those few! This great, goalscoring centre-forward, whose playing career was sadly cut short through injury in 1964, moved into football management at Hartlepool United, staying until 1967 when he took over the reins of struggling Second Division outfit Derby County. By the end of the following season, Derby fans were celebrating the Rams’ Division Two championship win. Then, in 1971/72 Derby were crowned champions of the First Division, Leeds having been denied the ‘double’ that season, courtesy of a last-game defeat at the hands of Wolverhampton Wanderers amid allegations of attempted match-fixing. Never short of an opinion, Clough outraged the FA after criticising them for not taking the severest action possible against Leeds United over their poor disciplinary record, and then upset some of his own players at Derby, calling them cheats and claiming they hadn’t given their all in a game because they had one eye on the forthcoming England World Cup qualifying game against Poland. Derby chairman Sam Longson told his manager to shut up. Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor resigned, reputedly hoping that the Derby board would back down; they didn’t – instead they appointed Dave Mackay as manager.

Next port of call for Clough and Taylor was Third Division Brighton and Hove Albion, although Cloughie left to join Leeds in July 1974 after only 8 months in charge. Brighton chairman Mike Bamber was furious that Clough had decided to desert his club after such a short time. There were accusations and counter accusations, with writs and threats of more writs, and broken compensation agreements. The whole episode was a sad indictment on the shenanigans that went on in English football. However, compared to the great man’s next appointment, the Brighton saga was tame to say the least. Brian Clough’s 44 stormy days at Leeds United ended in his sacking by chairman Manny Cussins and the United board. Upon his arrival at Elland Road, where he was seen by many at the club to be the ideal man to continue the great days enjoyed under the tutelage of Don Revie, Clough ran into a set of established stars who appeared not to appreciate his appointment one little bit, a claim subsequently strongly refuted by the Leeds players. Reputedly Cloughie told the Leeds players to chuck all their medals into the bin as they had been won by cheating. He then introduced a number of unpopular disciplinary measures considered by many to be Draconian and ill-conceived, at the same time placing some of the senior players on the transfer list. A run of six defeats in the league saw United (a not at all accurate term to describe the prevailing situation at the football club – disunited would be more accurate), slip to nineteenth in the table. Obviously, the Leeds fans were not too impressed. They turned on Clough, barracking him at every opportunity.

This must have been an awful time for Brian Clough. Leeds United were a giant among English football clubs, and had he been allowed to get on with the job in his own way, there is no doubt that he would have brought Leeds the European Cup success they hungered for. Still, their loss was Forest’s gain.

One of the few managers to have won the League Championship with two different football clubs, Brian Clough strode through three decades of English football – the greatest manager never to manage the England football team, despite being overwhelmingly the people’s choice. And he was a man of the people, a hero of the working classes who seemed to court controversy and thrive on it.

Born in Middlesbrough on 21 March 1935, Brian Clough made his name as a centre-forward with Middlesbrough and Sunderland, becoming famous for his phenomenal goalscoring prowess. Playing for Second Division Middlesbrough, Clough was the leading goalscorer in 1958/59. In 1959/60, on the back of his scoring feats for Boro, he was selected for the Football League side to play the Irish League in Belfast on 23 September 1959, making an indelible mark on the game by scoring all 5 goals in a 5–0 victory. Obviously everyone was impressed, particularly the England selectors. He was chosen at centre-forward for England’s Home International Championship game against Wales at Ninian Park in Cardiff on 17 October 1959 – England’s first game following the retirement of Billy Wright. Sadly for Clough, he failed to shine in a 1–1 draw, England’s only goal being scored by Jimmy Greaves. Eleven days later, on 28 October, Clough won his second and last England cap against Sweden at Wembley. England lost 3–2, their goals coming from John Connelly and Bobby Charlton. The selectors felt that there was little mileage in the Clough and Greaves partnership, and for the next England game, poor Brian was dropped, Hibernian’s future Forest favourite Joe Baker being selected in his place. Clough still went on to score 39 league goals for Middlesbrough that season. With a centre-forward as prolific as him, Boro really should have won promotion to the top flight. The team’s problems stemmed from their inability to plug the holes in their leaky defence and the best they achieved was two fifth place finishes in Cloughie’s last two seasons with them.

At the start of the 1961/62 season, Clough moved to Sunderland for a reported fee of £42,000. Again, and somewhat surprisingly, they were a Second Division outfit. He had scored 197 goals in 213 league games for Boro; 204 goals in 222 games in all competitions. In his first season at Roker Park Clough hit 29 goals in 34 league games for the Black Cats, missing out on promotion to Division One by one point. In all competitions that season, he netted 34 times in 43 games.

Brian Clough was a goalscoring sensation, of that there was no doubt. In 274 league appearances, he scored 251 goals, almost a goal a game, before being cruelly cut down with a serious knee injury on Boxing Day 1962 in Sunderland’s 3–2 defeat by Bury at Roker Park. After missing the entire 1963/64 season, at the end of which Sunderland won promotion to Division One, he was ready to make his comeback at the start of the following campaign. Unfortunately, Clough only managed 3 games and 1 goal before being forced to retire from the playing side of the game at the age of 29. And yes, we know it was a different game in his playing days, slower and more thoughtful, but you still had to put the ball in the back of the net, with some of the world’s best and hardest trying to stop you. Clough’s overall playing record in all competitions is 267 goals in 296 appearances – an average of one goal every 1.1 games!

After one disappointing season following a glittering managerial career between 1965 and 1993, Brian Clough retired from football on 26 April 1993. Two League Championships, two European Cups, four League Cups and countless other trophies was not a bad haul. Unpredictable, confident to the extreme, focussed, concentrated and passionate, he was undoubtedly one of the finest strikers and managers the game of football has ever known; a truly great man.

Brian Clough’s full managerial record in 18 years at Nottingham Forest:

European Cup winners, 1978/79 & 1979/80

Competed in the European Cup, 1980/81

Division One champions, 1977/78

Division One runners-up, 1978/79

Third place, 1983/84, 1987/88 & 1988/89

Fifth place, 1979/80 & 1982/83

Seventh place, 1980/81

Eighth place, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1990/91 & 1991/92

Ninth place, 1984/85 & 1989/90

Twelfth place, 1981/82

Twenty-second place, 1992/93

League Cup winners, 1978, 1979, 1989 & 1990

League Cup runners-up, 1980 & 1992

FA Cup runners-up, 1991

FA Charity Shield winners, 1978

European Super Cup winners, 1979/80

European Super Cup runners-up, 1980/81

World Club Championship runners-up, 1981

Anglo-Scottish Cup winners, 1976/77

Simod Cup winners, 1989

Zenith Data Systems Cup winners, 1992

Competed in the UEFA Cup, 1983/84 & 1984/85

For five seasons of Clough’s reign at Forest, 1985 to 1990, English clubs were banned from competing in European competitions following the Heysel Stadium disaster. Forest would have qualified for the UEFA Cup in two of those seasons. Brian Clough OBE, MA, sadly passed away on 20 September 2004.

CLOUGHISMS