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Nottingham Forest: Whatever Happened?

PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 5:09 am
by SE13
Just something I wrote for somewhere else, but for those who follow English football, maybe something to discuss?


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Whatever really happened? The team everyone used to hate now attempting to regain entry into the second flight of English football.

The now sadly departed Brian Clough managed the club through the glory days, so maybe only he would know.

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I will go back to the mid seventies when football was a supporters game, people could afford it. You know the score, proper terraces, muddy pitches and managers with passion. None more so than Brian Clough who left local rivals Derby County, with whom he had just made Champions of England, to take on a little known club called Nottingham Forest. History was made almost instantly, when he turned a team of almost no-ones into a team challenging for promotion.

Suddenly, Brian Clough had brought not only himself to the fore, but the name of Nottingham Forest. Not only were the team being an utter nuisance to the "so-called" elite of the time, they were beating them as well. Beyond all expectations, Forest clinched the title, and went on to emulate Liverpool by competing in The European Cup and actually win it. Now imagine the scenario now, a dozen hardened drinkers and smokers from the low leagues mixed in with a couple of decent names actually winning the ultimate accolade. Not much chance these days, but it really happened.

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Not only did they initially win it, but actually successfully defended it, something which few teams in Europe can boast. Suddenly from zero, Nottingham Forest were a household name, and the ultimate team to beat. Those "Tricky Trees" were everywhere, The City Ground was the most buzzing place in The Land, and Cloughie was being touted as the next manager of England.

Where did it all go wrong? Well it is something I can never work out, and doubtless the now mass-departing supporters of Nottingham Forest can possibly never answer. The Trent End still sings for the days of glory, although even the most die-hard would agree that the glory days will never return.

Sadly, Forest now ply their trade playing little teams, and struggling to fit half their ground with supporters, and leave people such as myself scratching my head as to where it all went wrong

PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:34 am
by Libertine
A good mate of mine (Chelsea fan) has always maintained that the best performance by an away team, that he's seen at Stamford Bridge, was Forest back in around 1978.

They played somre brilliant football back in the late 70's and right through the 80's.
A really good counter attacking team, the really bombed forward at pace.
They always tried to play football.

Forest was always a good away trip too.
Get bevvied up in The Cricketers and then walk across the bridge to the ground.

PostPosted: Sun Jul 29, 2007 8:54 am
by REG
It's sad that Clough never won the cup he always wanted, the FA cup in which as we know lost to Spurs
Every dog has it's day & this is gonna be the case soon with Chelsea etc
I think the prem was not the same for Ol Clough as players came & went like ours now in haveing the best team in 2004 to what we have become off

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 8:21 am
by rvtheace
Show what a great manager can bring. It's a pity we have fewer teams with such a pure footballing philosophy.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:36 am
by CLS
same as leeds

big clubs can fall

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:37 am
by She_Gunner_Wales
bigger they come the harder they fall, sad in some cases, not so sad in others.

PostPosted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:42 am
by mikey_gooner
Libertine wrote:A good mate of mine (Chelsea fan) has always maintained that the best performance by an away team, that he's seen at Stamford Bridge, was Forest back in around 1978.

They played somre brilliant football back in the late 70's and right through the 80's.
A really good counter attacking team, the really bombed forward at pace.
They always tried to play football.

Forest was always a good away trip too.
Get bevvied up in The Cricketers and then walk across the bridge to the ground.


a few run ins with the locals on the way ;)

EIE