THE BLUES
Once again the lads follow up a home defeat against a top club with a very important win that keeps us in the hunt. Whether we have the squad to keep this up time will eventually tell but you can't fault the character, personified with Barrett and Clarke's outstanding performances.
Less than 17,000 there on Saturday is down on the 20,000 plus averages they are used to, a big game as well, shows the City faithful are growing restless. A goaless first half hour and they might start turning against the team, certainly manager Calderwood, and who knows, three points from a breakaway goal may be on the cards.
Should the now fit Richards help take on the heavyweight double act of Agogo and Tyson? I would say yes, hard as it may be to mess up a winning side. We could play him as a sweeper, or even Clarke in that role, a 1-4-4-1. Moussa, Gower or Hooper being sacrifised for a game that could sum up the rest of our season. It's a tough one, we don't want to give them too much respect, a goaless draw at home to
Alan McCormack plays his final game before starting another one game suspension so we will see if Captain Ken and the boy Bailey can do the business together in Saturday's cup tie v
THE OPPOSITION
Nottingham is one of my favourite cities in the
We will be up against old friend Junior Agogo who I would never have minded seeing wearing a Blues shirt but now knocks in the odd one for Forest, he's always a danger from the penalty spot, accept against us of course, when he just hits the bar! Tyson's no slouch up front as well. Whether we see Neil Lennon or not I don't think even the
Smith, Chambers, Wilson, Breckin, Bennett, Davies (Morgan 87), McGugan, Clingan, Cohen, Agogo, Commons (Tyson 60).
Subs Not Used: Roberts, Sinclair, Thornhill. Booked: Clingan, McGugan Goals: Agogo 50 pen, Tyson 78.
THE MATCHES
Only 9 matches in total, over a period of 80 years though, so let's show them all. We've won 3, lost 5 and drawn 1. Freddie's winner in the last home fixture was our record 8th win on the trot shown live to the nation on Sky; I still haven't seen the tape!
THE GROUND
Nottingham Forest play their home games at The City Ground, which has been their home, directly across the Trent from city rivals, Notts County, since 1898. Before they settled at The City Ground, which is located on the south bank of the Trent, they played at the Forest Recreation Ground, from which the team takes its name.
The ground from a distance looks quite picturesque sitting on the banks of the River Trent. Both ends have been re-developed during the 1990's, much improving the overall appearance. At one end, the Bridgford Stand houses away fans in the lower tier; it is odd because one third of this stand was built lower then the rest, due to a local Council planning requirement to allow sunlight through to the houses in nearby Colwick Road. Opposite, the Trent End, is the most recent addition to the ground. It is a large two tiered stand that looks quite smart. One unusual feature of the stand, is that running across the middle are a number of rows of seating enclosed within a covered shaded glass area. On one side there is a similarly impressive two tiered stand, with executive boxes in between, which was built in 1980. Once called the Executive Stand, it was recently renamed the Brian Clough Stand in honour of their greatest manager. Facing this is a smaller and much older Main Stand that now looks quite tired in the company of its shiny new neighbours.
Up to 4,750 away fans can be accommodated in the lower tier of the Bridgford Stand, where the facilities and view of the action are good. I personally did not have any problems at the City Ground, but I have heard of away fans getting some hassle; for example it has not been unknown for the odd object to be thrown down on away fans from so called Forest fans seated above. Don't be surprised also if the stewards keep asking you to sit down if you stand in the seated areas, which can get annoying. There are also an element of Forest supporters in the 'A' Block of the Main Stand nearest to the away supporters, who feel it is their duty to continually berate away fans during the game, which can be unsavoury. It is also advised to keep colours covered around the ground, though the good news is that away fans can really make some noise from this stand, so make the most of it!
THE CAR
Leave the M1 at Junction 24 and take the A453 towards Nottingham. Then take the A52 East towards Grantham and then onto the A6011 into Nottingham. The ground is situated by the A6011.
There is an alternative routes to the ground from the South; Leave the M1 at Junction 21a (Leicester East) and follow the A46 dual carriageway towards Newark. After around 20 miles take the A606 towards Nottingham. At the first roundabout that is the junction with the A52, take the 4th exit onto the A52, signposted towards Grantham. At the next roundabout turn left onto the A6011 towards Nottingham. The ground is about a mile down this road.
When leaving after the game you can head for the M1 via Junction 25 . Follow the A52 (Derby) signs and join the motorway at J25 . This applies to fans who are heading either North or South on the M1 . Although the route planners and Sat Navs say head for M1 Junction 24 , the A453 is notoriously bad for traffic and it can take up to an hour to get to Junction 24 . Although a slightly longer journey, when travelling south, getting to Junction 25 will take 20 minutes at the most and it is only five minutes down to Junction 24 once on the motorway.
There is a large car park at the ground, otherwise there is some street parking to be had. Regarding the parking at Forest, the council operate a car park on match days on the Victoria Embankment, located near to the cricket ground. They charge £3 but it is only a two minute walk to the stadium. Bear in mind that as the one end of the ground backs onto the River Trent, you cannot drive around it, so it is probably best to park at first available opportunity, or you may find yourself crossing the River Trent and having to comeback on yourself again'.
THE TRAIN
Seeing as you will miss the end of the game to even get back to London this time around I don't see too many of you taking this route, however for those scrounging a lift back or even staying overnight…….. the ground is walkable from Nottingham railway station (20mins). As you come out of the main station entrance, turn left and then left again. Follow the road down to the dual carriageway and then turn right. The ground is about 3/4's of a mile down the dual carriageway on the left, just over Trent Bridge.
THE PUB
We have all heard how the away fans favourite the Larwood & Voce has now become a home fans only pub as have most other pubs within the vicinity of the City Ground.
If you are arriving by train and have a bit of time on your hands, then I would suggest that you check out the 'Olde Trip To Jerusalem'. This historic pub dates, one of the many that claim 'first pub in England', (and you never know), back to the 12th century and some of the rooms are 'cave like' having been carved out of the rock that Nottingham Castle is situated upon. Add real ale, food and a small beer garden, then it is certainly worth a visit. It is about a five minute walk away from the train station. As you come out of the station turn right. At the top of the road turn left and then take the second right into Castle Road. Just tucked away on the left is the pub. However, I've been warned that there is a new brewery involved and that the choice of beers is not what it was. Usually my first start.
There is also the Waterfront complex of bars (including a Wetherspoons outlet) which is a short walk from the train station. As you come out of the station turn right. At the top of the road turn right again and the Waterfront complex is just down on the right, located behind the buildings on the main road.
All is not lost though. I salute the new king of Notts pubs, the excellent Vat & Fiddle owned by the Castle Rock Brewery on Queens Bridge Road. A veritable gold mine of available ales with ten hand pumps offering an ever-changing selection including up to four beers from the Castle Rock brewery next door such as Castle Rock Elsie Mo, Harvest Pale, Hemlock, Meadows Gold, (excellent), and up to 6 guests including a mild. Named after the nearby Inland Revenue offices, there is also a selection of German and Belgium beers, traditional cider and approximately seventy whiskies for your delight. From Nottingham railway station cross the main road outside the station. Heading to your left, fork right down the hill (Queens Bridge Road) and the Vat and Fiddle and brewery are less than 200 yards on your right.
THE HISTORY
The club has an illustrious history which encompasses winning two consecutive European Cups, along with the domestic title, two FA Cups and four League Cups.
Nottingham Forest takes its name from the Forest Recreation Ground just north of the city centre which is where the team first played and is now the site of the annual Nottingham Goose Fair. The club is often referred to simply as Forest (not to be confused with the entirely unrelated older amateur side, Forest F.C., which is better known as The Wanderers F.C.), the name the club carries on its badge.
Notts is the correct abbreviation of Nottinghamshire (hence Notts County), but not of Nottingham itself. The appropriate abbreviation of Nottingham Forest is Nott'm Forest.
Relegation to English football's third tier made Forest the first European Cup-winning club ever to fall into its country's third division. Many of today's footballing rules and features, including floodlighting, shinpads, and even lettering on the stands have been pioneered by Forest
Forest were founded in 1865 by a group of shinty players shortly after their famous neighbours Notts County, (the world's oldest surviving professional football club), in 1862. The club's committee decided that Forest's colours should be Garibaldi Red, named after the Italian patriot who headed the Redshirts party. They joined the Football Alliance in 1888, and won the competition in 1892, which allowed them entry to the Football League.
Forest claimed their first major honour when they won the 1898 FA Cup, beating Derby County 3-1 at Crystal Palace. However, for much of the first half of the 20th century the club spent life in the Second Division (and had to seek re-election in 1914 after finishing bottom). In 1949 the club were relegated to the Third Division, but bounced back two years later as champions of the Second. A brief period of glory followed at the end of the 1950s, as they regained First Division status in 1957 and won the FA Cup for a second time in 1959, despite losing Roy Dwight { who was the uncle of pop icon Elton John- real name Reg Dwight } through a broken leg and becoming the first team to defeat the Wembley 'hoodoo'. By this time Forest had become the biggest team in Nottingham, overtaking Notts County. But after reaching the high of runners-up spot and cup semi-finalists in 1967, Forest were relegated from the First Division in 1972.
Nottingham Forest became one of the few teams (and the last team to date) to win the English First Division Championship 1977-78 season, a year after winning promotion from the English Second Division. In 1978-79, Forest went on to win the European Cup by beating Malmö FF [1-0] in Munich's Olympic Stadium and retained the trophy in 1979-80, beating Hamburger SV [1-0] in Madrid thanks to an outstanding performance by goalkeeper Peter Shilton. They also won the European Super Cup and two League Cups. Beside Shilton, key players of that era included right-back Viv Anderson (the first black player to wear the England jersey), midfielder Martin O'Neill, striker Trevor Francis and a trio of Scottish International stars: winger John Robertson, midfielder Archie Gemmill and defender Kenny Burns. The club reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup in 1983-84 but were knocked out by Anderlecht in dishonest circumstances in which a Forest goal was controversially disallowed. It later emerged that in the second leg, the Belgian club had bribed the referee.
Nottingham Forest's next significant trophy came in 1989 when they beat Luton Town in the League Cup final. For most of the season they had been hopeful of completing a unique domestic treble, but were beaten into third place in the League by champions Arsenal and runners-up Liverpool and lost to Liverpool in the replay of the FA Cup semi-final, originally held at Hillsborough, where 96 Liverpool fans were crushed to death on terracing, the match was abandoned after 6 minutes. Clough's side retained the League Cup in 1990 when they beat Oldham Athletic. There was chance for more success in 1991 when Forest reached their only FA Cup final under Brian Clough and went ahead after scoring an early goal (Stuart Pearce free kick) against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, but ended up losing 2-1 in extra time after an own goal by Des Walker.
Forest reached their third League Cup final in four seasons in 1992, but lost to Manchester United, and in this successful period also won the Full Members Cup twice (1989 and 1992).
Brian Clough's 18-year reign as manager ended in May 1993 when Forest were relegated from the Premier League after 16 illustrious years of top flight football which had seen one league title, two European Cups and four League Cups.
Frank Clark, who had been a left-back in Nottingham Forest's 1979 European Cup winning team, returned to the club in May 1993 to succeed Brian Clough as manager. His management career had previously been uneventful, although he had won the Fourth Division promotion playoffs with Leyton Orient in 1989. Having inherited most of the players from the Clough era, Clark was able to achieve an instant return to the Premiership when the club finished Division One runners-up at the end of the 1993-94 season. Forest's return to the Premiership was impressive as they finished third in 1994-95 and qualified for the UEFA Cup - their first entry to European competition in the post-Heysel era. (There should be some thanks for a certain Mr. Collymore here I think?) The 1996-97 season became a relegation battle and Clark was sacked in December. 34-year-old captain Stuart Pearce was installed as player-manager on a temporary basis and he inspired a brieve upturn in the club's fortunes. He was tipped to become manager on a permanent basis, but the Forest directors wanted someone more experienced so in March 1997 they turned to Crystal Palace manager Dave Bassett. Forest were unable to avoid relegation and finished the season in bottom place. They won promotion back to the Premiership at the first attempt, being crowned Division One champions in 1997-98.
Bassett was sacked in January 1999 after a terrible start to the Premiership with Ron Atkinson replacing him. However, he was unable to prevent them from once again slipping back into the Football League with a succession of poor results, most noticeably the 8-1 thrashing to Manchester United.
David Platt was installed as the Forest boss who is famous to Forest fans for wasting approximately 12m on poor players, most notably the Trio of Italians. Platt could only manage two mid-table finishes before quitting for the England U-21s leaving Forest on the brink of bankruptcy.
Paul Hart became The Reds boss just two hours after the departure of Platt and had a difficult two and a half years as Forest manager. They finished 16th in his first season in charge with a very young team as the collapse of ITV Digital put Forest in massive debt. However, following the sales of key players, Forest did much better in the 2002-03 season finishing 6th place and in the play-offs. However, Forest's dream of returning to the Premiership was blown away by Sheffield United in the semi-finals. Forest then collapsed next season and Hart was sacked in February 2004 as The Reds hovered near the foot of Division One.
Joe Kinnear was the next manager of Forest and did a fine job by bringing out the best of his inherited side to move up to 14th place in the final league table. The next season was an utter disaster for Forest as they plummeted into the relegation zone with Kinnear resigning in December 2004 with The Reds in the relegation zone. Following a brief spell from Mick Harford, Gary Megson took charge of struggling Forest in January 2005 but could not prevent them finishing second-bottom of the league, and slipping down into the third tier (League One) for the first time in 54 years.
With the Forest fans expecting the team to walk back into the Championship first time of asking, they suffered a blow as Forest stayed mid-table and the last straw for Megson was a 3-0 defeat at Oldham. Megson departed by 'mutual consent' in February 2006, with the Reds just four points above the relegation zone. However, Frank Barlow and Ian McParland took over as joint caretaker managers and got Forest motoring with a 6 game winning run in a 10 game unbeaten run, the most notable result a 7-1 win over Swindon Town. Forest took 28 points from a possible 39 under the two but it was too late as they finished in 7th place.
Colin Calderwood became the twelfth manager in thirteen years for The Reds in May 2006. He got off to a perfect start as he led Forest to a 7 point lead at the top of League One in November 2006, with a seven game winning run helping them there. However, Forest collapsed from the top and just a month later fell out of the automatic promotion places and into the play-offs. Forest remained just outside the automatic promotion places for the majority of the second part of the season as they only lost three times in seventeen games. The Reds finished 4th and entered the play-offs where they faced Yeovil Town. After beating them 2-0 in the first-leg, Forest drastically collapsed in an humiliating 5-2 defeat.
In the 2007-08 campaign, Forest were yet again named as title favourites for the third consecutive year. After failing to win in their first six competitive games, Forest then hit an eight-game unbeaten run in the league (including five wins), scoring 17 goals in the process. The Reds then lost 2-1 at Luton Town and were then held 0-0 at home to Oldham, pushing them down to sixth in the league table.
(Thanks to the usual suspects in their help in creating this article)