Nottingham forest glory years

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Wasn't even born in the late 70s when they won the league and 2 European cups and various other trophys so have a lot of questions for our older posters after watching the documentary I believe in miracles

1) it was interesting to note when Clough took over Forest they were mid table in the second division.... Sunderland were 2nd to a little team by the name of Manchester United. But my question was why would Clough join a mid table 2nd division team when he had just left a huge team in Leeds and had won the title with Derby via brighton.... I can only think he was still living in the Midlands but surely most top clubs would have been after him.

2) Who were actually a better team in the late 70s Liverpool or Forest? Both had amazing teams but the Liverpool players are still more household names.

3) Give me a rundown of some forest players... I can't believe Ian bowyer didn't get an England cap and Larry Lloyd only got 4 as they feature heavily on the documentary.

Every forest player talks about John Robertson as being one of the best wingers in the world was he really that good. Clough called him Picasso and John mcgovern said he was superior to Ryan Giggs

Who else in the team stood out.

4) I hear about Clough taking little forest to 2 European cups with little money and a team of journeyman... But that isn't true is it.... He signed England's top goalkeeper in Shilton and paid double the British Transfer Record to buy Trevor Francis.... Still a great achievement nevertheless.
 


Wasn't even born in the late 70s when they won the league and 2 European cups and various other trophys so have a lot of questions for our older posters after watching the documentary I believe in miracles

1) it was interesting to note when Clough took over Forest they were mid table in the second division.... Sunderland were 2nd to a little team by the name of Manchester United. But my question was why would Clough join a mid table 2nd division team when he had just left a huge team in Leeds and had won the title with Derby via brighton.... I can only think he was still living in the Midlands but surely most top clubs would have been after him.

2) Who were actually a better team in the late 70s Liverpool or Forest? Both had amazing teams but the Liverpool players are still more household names.

3) Give me a rundown of some forest players... I can't believe Ian bowyer didn't get an England cap and Larry Lloyd only got 4 as they feature heavily on the documentary.

Every forest player talks about John Robertson as being one of the best wingers in the world was he really that good. Clough called him Picasso and John mcgovern said he was superior to Ryan Giggs

Who else in the team stood out.

4) I hear about Clough taking little forest to 2 European cups with little money and a team of journeyman... But that isn't true is it.... He signed England's top goalkeeper in Shilton and paid double the British Transfer Record to buy Trevor Francis.... Still a great achievement nevertheless.
He had two consecutive failures at Brighton and Leeds, after he left Derby in acrimonious circumstances.
Maybe he was seen as damaged goods, but also in those days clubs tended to show a lot more loyalty to managers and so wouldn’t be looking to hire as often.
At that stage, the legend that was Brian Clough, wasn’t anything like what it became .
Some clubs, including us, had directors that were scared off by his personality and reputation.
Clough was at his best when spotting a bargain and making a silk purse out of a pigs ear. He bought Garry Birtles for£2000 and turned him into an international worth £1.5m
If only we’d taken a punt in 1979
 
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Wasn't even born in the late 70s when they won the league and 2 European cups and various other trophys so have a lot of questions for our older posters after watching the documentary I believe in miracles

1) it was interesting to note when Clough took over Forest they were mid table in the second division.... Sunderland were 2nd to a little team by the name of Manchester United. But my question was why would Clough join a mid table 2nd division team when he had just left a huge team in Leeds and had won the title with Derby via brighton.... I can only think he was still living in the Midlands but surely most top clubs would have been after him.

2) Who were actually a better team in the late 70s Liverpool or Forest? Both had amazing teams but the Liverpool players are still more household names.

3) Give me a rundown of some forest players... I can't believe Ian bowyer didn't get an England cap and Larry Lloyd only got 4 as they feature heavily on the documentary.

Every forest player talks about John Robertson as being one of the best wingers in the world was he really that good. Clough called him Picasso and John mcgovern said he was superior to Ryan Giggs

Who else in the team stood out.

4) I hear about Clough taking little forest to 2 European cups with little money and a team of journeyman... But that isn't true is it.... He signed England's top goalkeeper in Shilton and paid double the British Transfer Record to buy Trevor Francis.... Still a great achievement nevertheless.


Forest had some very good players but they were brilliantly coached and managed and made the absolute most of their ability. Many of their players were good but wouldn't have been sought by top teams. Bowyer, McGovern, O'Neill were decent functional players and they had older players that seemed washed up prior such as Larry Lloyd, Frank Clark and to some extent Kenny Burns who has a converted centre back. However they played great stuff and were superbly coached. Were defensively excellent and in Shilton and Robertson had two world class players and Woodcock was also superb. It was when they started to spend big money that it started to unravel a bit.
 
He had two consecutive failures at Brighton and Leeds, after he left Derby in acrimonious circumstances.
Maybe he was seen as damaged goods, but also in those days clubs tended to show a lot more loyalty to managers and so wouldn’t be looking to hire as often.
At that stage, the legend that was Brian Clough, wasn’t anything like what it became .
Some clubs, including us, had directors that were scared off by his personality and reputation.
Clough was at his best when spotting a bargain and making a silk purse out of a pigs ear. He bought Garry Birtles for£2000 and turned him into an international worth £1.5m
If only we’d taken a punt in 1979
Would of ended in tears
Cloughie had baggage from his time at Sunderland that he would of used to play his mind games and boards don't like cheeky manager mind games
right person at the right time for Forest
 
There are several brilliant resources to learn all about Clough.

The Pat Murphy biography, the Peter Taylor book With Clough, The Damned United, Bloody Southerners, to name but a few.

Take your time, it is a rich tale. The Jonathan Wilson book is very good - Nobody ever says Thank You.

With Clough, his upbringing, his time at Boro, his poor treatment by the Safc board and the joyride car crash of the Derby/Leeds years are all riveting, at times, sensational real life stuff.

Enjoy.
 
European Cup was a bit easier to win back then with a kind draw tbf.

Liverpool were consistently good for 2 decades and re-invented teams seamlessly when the life cycle of one was coming to an end. Forest had a couple of years fighting for the league title then just seemed to win the League Cup every other year.

Robertson was inconsistent. For every good game he had a couple of crap ones. Smoked 40 tabs a day or summat anarl.

Forest have still been champions of Europe more times than all the big London clubs combined though.
 
European Cup was a bit easier to win back then with a kind draw tbf.

Liverpool were consistently good for 2 decades and re-invented teams seamlessly when the life cycle of one was coming to an end. Forest had a couple of years fighting for the league title then just seemed to win the League Cup every other year.

Robertson was inconsistent. For every good game he had a couple of crap ones. Smoked 40 tabs a day or summat anarl.

Forest have still been champions of Europe more times than all the big London clubs combined though.

Don't agree with that like :lol: I mean wingers are dependent on others to some degree but in that 3 or 4 year period he had more assists than anyone. I doubt there was a player around that was involved in a higher percentage of his teams goals than Robertson. He was a fantastic player.

With regards to wining it being easier I would agree however England were all dominant at the time and Forest not only won the league to qualify they beat Liverpool over two legs and Hamburg who were as good as anyone in the final.
 
I too am too young to remember but I’ve always been fascinated by Brian Clough so have read tonnes of books about that period. Viv Anderson man, what a player.

Must have been great to be a football fan back then when you seen provincial clubs like Forest rise from the 2nd Division to European powerhouse within a few years. You could dream that one day your club would follow suit.

Alas those days are gone.
 
European Cup was a bit easier to win back then with a kind draw tbf.

Liverpool were consistently good for 2 decades and re-invented teams seamlessly when the life cycle of one was coming to an end. Forest had a couple of years fighting for the league title then just seemed to win the League Cup every other year.

Robertson was inconsistent. For every good game he had a couple of crap ones. Smoked 40 tabs a day or summat anarl.

Forest have still been champions of Europe more times than all the big London clubs combined though.
good point re. London clubs and the European cup
Not sure if it was easier to win then mind as you did have all the league champions from the previous year taking part and straight knockout
How often does a league champion from a previous season now win the european cup
Has a team won it who have never been champions of their country
 
As Clough famously said of himself:
"I wouldn't say I was the best manager in the business. But I was in the top one."
Some people laughed at his arrogance, others disliked it greatly. But he was a fantastic character to have in the game and he did the business, winning the League title and European Cup more than once.
I remember how disappointed I was as a youngster when he signed Colin Todd from us, still one of the best defenders I've seen play for Sunderland.
 
He had two consecutive failures at Brighton and Leeds, after he left Derby in acrimonious circumstances.
Maybe he was seen as damaged goods, but also in those days clubs tended to show a lot more loyalty to managers and so wouldn’t be looking to hire as often.
At that stage, the legend that was Brian Clough, wasn’t anything like what it became .
Some clubs, including us, had directors that were scared off by his personality and reputation.
Clough was at his best when spotting a bargain and making a silk purse out of a pigs ear. He bought Garry Birtles for£2000 and turned him into an international worth £1.5m
If only we’d taken a punt in 1979

That was Taylor's department.
By his own admission "He was the front window, and Taylor was the goods in the back".
Did the hard yards on wet Tuesday nights; none of this taking players on the strength of video sent in by agents.
As you say, if only we had; I have no doubt he would have taken us to great things. :cry:
I too am too young to remember but I’ve always been fascinated by Brian Clough so have read tonnes of books about that period. Viv Anderson man, what a player.

Must have been great to be a football fan back then when you seen provincial clubs like Forest rise from the 2nd Division to European powerhouse within a few years. You could dream that one day your club would follow suit.

Alas those days are gone.

Replaced by "the best league in the world"!! :lol::lol::(
 
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good point re. London clubs and the European cup
Not sure if it was easier to win then mind as you did have all the league champions from the previous year taking part and straight knockout
How often does a league champion from a previous season now win the european cup
Has a team won it who have never been champions of their country

Liverpool 2005 and 2019?
 
By the time forest got relegated in 93 it was pretty much accepted he was finished due to ill health ie drink problem. Yet they still won a couple of cups in the early 90s.

Was it widely known over a period of time that the drink was bringing him down or was it something that came on quite suddenly? I was a bit young to remember.
 
By the time forest got relegated in 93 it was pretty much accepted he was finished due to ill health ie drink problem. Yet they still won a couple of cups in the early 90s.

Was it widely known over a period of time that the drink was bringing him down or was it something that came on quite suddenly? I was a bit young to remember.

Wasn't it alluded to in The Damned United, albeit it's a factional account of his time at Leeds.
I know, I embarrassingly had a Liverpool top around 78, and Micky Burrell, remember him? He had the Scotland top as he loved Archie Gemmell :)

Did he live over near the Pennywell Inn? The name Burrell rings a bell.

I had a Liverpool away one that they wore in the 77 FA Cup Final. Canny top tbf.
 
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