Forest started 1978 with a top of the table clash at home to our closest rivals, Everton, where they had started the season. The 3-1 win at Goodison Park signalled something special was going to happen and the great form had pretty much continued unabated ever since. This was Forest's fourth game in seven days (a Boxing draw with Liverpool and away wins at Newcastle and Bristol City.) This was a true four pointer - a win would put them 7 points clear, a defeat would bring Everton back to 3 points.
More on the game later, but first I want to give Everton's great history more credit than I did for the first blog for the Goodison Park clash.
Everton's great league history
This was Everton's first match in their centenary year. Formed in 1878 (13 years after Forest) as St Domingo (a club for church goers). They changed their name the next season to Everton F.C. after the suburb in Liverpool where they were formed.
As we saw earlier, Everton's history is closely intertwined with that of their neighbors, Liverpool. They originally played at Anfield and Liverpool FC were only formed when Everton left that ground when the land owner started charging exorbitant rents.
Everton were original members of the football league and their league record was, in 1978, still the best in England. Only 4 of their 120 seasons in the football league were spent outside the top flight and they've been there continually since 1954 - 63 seasons . Only Arsenal have been in the top flight for more consecutive seasons (102, since 1904) but as they were formed later, weren't original league members, and spent their first 11 seasons in the second division, Arsenal are still, even today, quite a way behind Everton in terms of seasons spent in the top flight.
As 1978 started, Everton had easily the best league record of all the English clubs, having 291 points more than second placed Aston Villa.
All time record of First Division as of start of 1977-78 season
Despite this great consistency at playing in the top flight, Everton had not actually won the title more than any other club. They were nonetheless in joint 3rd place in that table too.
League Title wins as of 1976-77
Of all the teams in the first division that season, Everton's league record, compared with Forest, season by season, was better than any other club. In the 79 seasons of the football league at this time, Forest had only finished above Everton on 9 occasions.
It would be another 13 years until Everton won their 3rd title in 1927-28. This was the team made famous by the Merseyside legend, Dixie Dean.
Incredibly, he scored 60 (sixty) league goals in that championship winning season for Everton.
He started his career in Birkenhead for Tranmere Rovers as a 16 year old, scoring 27 goals in just 30 appearances before moving across the Mersey to Everton.
He made just one short of 400 appearances for Everton scoring an amazing 349 goals between 1925 and 1937.
Between 1927 and 1932 Dean also won 16 caps for England and scored 18 goals.
Dean ended his English playing career at Notts County in 1939. Although he only made 9 appearances, he still managed to score 3 goals.
Dean at Notts - not so happy
Everton's 3rd title win in 1928 - 60 of those 102 goals scored by Dixie Dean
Just two seasons later, Everton would suffer relegation for the first time (of only two) in their history. This broke a sequence of 38 successive seasons in the top flight. Of the original 12 league members only Aston Villa and Blackburn Rovers would remain in the top flight longer. Both got relegated at the end of 1935-36 at the same time, after 44 seasons.
Everton Relegated
Every cloud has its silver lining though and Everton would bounce straight back the season after, winning the second division comfortably (scoring 127 goals, Dixie Dean bagging 39 of them) and then win the First Division again at the first attempt.
Everton's 4th Title - at the first attempt
Dixie Dean wins the title with Everton again in 1932
Dixie Dean only scored 45 of the 116 goals Everton piled in that season!
In the late 1930s Everton went into a bit of a decline along with Liverpool and for two seasons running, 1935-36 and 1936-37, the two Liverpool clubs averaged their lowest combined position in league history, both struggling (but succeeding) to avoid relegation.
The worst (combined) season for Everton and Liverpool in league history
This nadir wouldn't last long though and Everton won their fifth title a couple of years later, before the second world war. They no longer had Dixie Dean but Everton's forward line now included Tommy Lawton who would go on to play for Chelsea and then, incredibly, Notts County after the war.
Everton League Champions for the 5th time - Tommy Lawton scored 34 of their 88 goals
Champions again 1939 - can you spot Lawton?
Tommy Lawton
After the war Everton, a bit like Liverpool, went through their "dark ages" and were relegated for the second (and last) time in 1951.
Relegation in 1951
They spent all of three seasons in the second tier (doesn't it make you feel sorry for those poor Evertonians, having to watch second tier football for so long!) and Everton reached their all-time low point in 1953 when they finished an unspeakably low 16th in the second division, just five points above relegated Southampton.
Everton's all-time lowest point
Of course, next season they won promotion back to the First Division where they'd remain until this day.
Only Arsenal can better Everton for consecutive seasons in the top flight. As of 1977-78 these were the rankings in terms of longest running seasons at the top (labelled SucS - Successive Seasons) ...
1977-78 First Division Teams Sorted by (SucS) how long they'd been there.
After a few years of mid table drifting and one season on the rise, Everton appointed Harry Catterick as manager in 1961 and the days of success soon returned. Catterick had been part of the squad that won Everton's last title just before the second world war.
He managed Everton for 12 years until 1973, they also won the F.A. Cup and the league again in 1970 under him.
It was around this time that Everton started their bizarre tradition of playing the theme to "Z-Cars" at Goodison Park. The reasons for this are a bit obscure but apparently one of the cast was an Everton fan and he invited his fellow actors down to watch a game and managed to get the theme tune played over the tannoy as the teams ran out. It's still used today even though it can't be compared with Gerry & the Pacemakers.
Everton's 6th title win
Harry Catterick and his Championship winning side
The 1966-67 Quarter Final
It was during the Catterick years that Forest had their all-too-brief (and sadly completely missed by me) period of (almost) glory, finishing second in the league and getting to the semi-final of the F.A. Cup. This was a team managed by Johnny Carey, the underrated boss who had preceded Catterick at Everton. He'd been sacked (apparently in the back of a taxi) by their owner John Moores despite taking them to 5th place in 1960-61, their highest since the war. Carey then managed Leyton Orient and incredibly took them up to the first division for their one and only season in the top flight (promoted alongside Liverpool in 1961-62) before coming to Nottingham.
This was a great team full of Forest heroes... Grummitt, Hindley, Winfield, Hennessey, McKinley, Newton, Lyons, Barnwell, Baker, Wignall and Storey-Moore.
Johnny Carey's great Forest's side of 1966-67
Anyway, I have to mention one of the all-time great matches at the City Ground which was the quarter final against the current cup holders Everton. Forest won 3-2 to clinch a place at Hillsborough against eventual winners, Spurs. Forest lost 2-1.
Here are the highlights of the quarter final, played in front of 47,510 on April 8th 1967, the second biggest ever at the City Ground. Although the game started slowly, it reached a tremendous climax as Ian Storey-Moore grabbed an incredible winner in the dying moments to complete his hat-trick. Note too, the performances of Alan Ball for Everton and Alan Hinton, then of Nottingham Forest.
After this, of course, Forest started their decline while Everton returned to glory, winning the league for the 7th time, still under Harry Catterick, in 1970.
Everton's last title win in 1970
Everton's League Winning squad 1970
So, although Everton had the best league record in England in 1978 (not any more, they were superseded by Liverpool in 1999 and by Arsenal in 2004) they'd "only" won the F.A. Cup three times and never won the League Cup. They've never done well in Europe either.
As I started going to football matches in 1970, though, Everton were at the very pinnacle of English football.
Duncan McKenzie
As I will never tire of telling people, the reason I am a Nottingham Forest supporter is simple: Duncan McKenzie.
At the beginning of Saturday, January 26th 1974 I was a Mansfield Town fan. By the end of it I was a Forest fan.
That was the day of the F. A. Cup 6th Round tie at the City Ground between second division Forest and high flying Manchester City.
From the Bridgeford End I witnessed one of the most brilliant individual performances I would ever see. Unfortunately it wasn't televised but these words, written by Richard Pulk in his book "Forest Rambles" (1999) beautifully describe what happened (sorry for repeating this text, but I just love it)...
Duncan McKenzie simply tore Man City's star studded team to shreds in a one man show that had the match finished by half time and the packed, swaying terraces delirious with adulation. ...... his act was flawless, a once in a lifetime virtuoso display of every trick in the Football book. He could do no wrong, shredding their shell shocked defence with an array of impudent flicks, feints, dummies, twists and turns, leaving opponents spinning like tops in his wake.
His set up for Ian Bowyer's first ... was sensational. On the halfway line, tight against the Main Stand touchline, he drew gasps as he contrived to kill an impossible, overhit ball (from George Lyall if I remember rightly), simultaneously swivel through 180 degrees and set off down the line, all in an instant, leaving a baffled marker flat footed.
Duncan McKenzie
He danced a tightrope along the line, shimmied past another defender, and wound up, in typical McKenzie fashion with nowhere to go, and defenders snapping at his heals, in the Bridgford corner. (Just in front of where I was standing!) He cut inside, performed an exquisite nutmeg, and suddenly his wiry frame was bearing down on the near post. (I have goose pimples writing this now!) As the keeper closed down the angles McKenzie made the most difficult part look absurdly easy. He glanced up, before nonchalantly rolling the ball back across the box for the incoming Bowyer to joyously sidefoot home. The City Ground exploded and Forest went on to wollop one of the country's top teams 4-1, McKenzie adding his name to the scoresheet for good measure.
Duncan McKenzie was born in Grimsby on 10th June 1950. His first club was Forest and he went on to make 111 appearances for us (more than any other club), scoring 41 goals. He made his debut for Forest at Sunderland on September 20th 1969, playing No 10 alongside Ian Storey-Moore and Henry Newton. Forest lost that day, 2-1. The following year he made 5 full appearances and 3 subs, scoring his first two goals for the club in a 3-1 win at Manchester City. I saw him play in his 4th full appearance against Liverpool at the City Ground.
McKenzie
He was sent out on loan, ironically to Mansfield Town, twice (in 1969-70 and again 1972-73) and scored 10 goals in 16 games for them.
His best season for Forest was 1973-74 when he finished up top scorer with 28 (26 in the league) goals but he wasn't just a goal scorer. He was at his best creating havoc in opposing defences. Sticking the ball in the net just seemed to put them out of their misery and end the fun.
Of course, with Forest being a second division side not even close to promotion, it was only a matter of time before a big club came in for him and that happened at the end of of the 1973-74 season.
McKenzie at Wembley
It was none other than Brian Clough who took away our jewel and bought him for Leeds United during his miserable 54 (or was it 44?) days there.
Although the Leeds fans quickly hated Brian Clough for daring to think about dismantling their beloved team built by equally revered Don Revie, they soon warmed to Duncan McKenzie and in two years he made 66 appearances and scored 27 goals.
He was a maverick and had a reputation for various tricks like being able to jump over mini cars and being able to throw a golf ball from one end of the pitch to the other.
Leaping over a mini, woy wuncha?
Wanting something a little more orthodox, Jimmy Armfield decided to sell him to the Belgian club Anderlecht (yes, the club that bribed a referee to beat us in a UEFA Cup semi final years later) but McKenzie had a torrid time and only made 9 appearances for them (scoring 2 goals.) McKenzie soon returned to England and joined - and here at last is the link - Everton.
I think it's true to say he was loved by all the fans he played for, if not their managers. And he formed a special relationship with Evertonians and said he became one himself after his time there. It still makes me feel jilted that he established such a close relationship with Everton after his retirement, and not Forest, as he only made 48 appearances for them (scoring 14 goals.)
Although he didn't spend much time at Goodison he made lots of friends and gave their fans some great memories. He's well known, for example, for his performance against Liverpool in the FA Cup semi final in the season before this match.
It's great to hear the Evertonians sing "We all agree, Duncan McKenzie is magic!" - Yes, I certainly do agree!
After Gordon Lee's appointment McKenzie gradually fell out of favour and was moved on again to Chelsea, where he made just 15 more appearances (4 goals).
Dunc at Anderlecht
His final club in England was Blackburn Rovers where he made a further 74 appearances, scoring 16 more goals. At the age of 32 he played out his career in the USA for Tulsa Roughnecks and Chicago Sting.
McKenzie's career seemed to be blighted with managerial misfortune. Forest never really appreciated his talent until 1974 then, bought for Leeds, by Brian Clough, the manager was sacked and his replacement, Jimmy Armfield wanted someone less flamboyant so he was sold to Anderlect. That didn't work out so he was bought by Everton by Billy Bingham who again was sacked and replaced by Gordon Lee, another manager who was less impressed with fancy skills. By the time he'd gone to Chelsea his career was starting to come to a close.
Duncan McKenzie - The Last Fancy Dan
After retirement McKenzie used his whit and repartee to launch a career as a radio presenter on radio on Merseyside and an after-dinner speaker. He later replaced Danny Baker on the BBC's 606 football program.
His autobiography "The Last Fancy Dan" describes all this in detail.
I saw McKenzie for the last time at an evening at Wycombe Wanderers' Adams Park in the mid 1990s. He was there as an after-dinner speaker and made the audience laugh with endless gags about his time in football. One of the things he said was how he admired Dennis Law and wanted to emulate his cheeky style of play.
At then end of the night I approached him and thanked him for his talk and for making me a Forest fan. I think I gave him some Football Post clippings from the Manchester City game I'd kept - although to be honest I'm not sure if that's another memory when I met Miah Dennehy in Cork. But anyway, I am sure McKenzie had a tear in his eye when I told him what seeing him had meant to me as a 15 year old.
Duncan McKenzie as after dinner speaker
The Teams
Both clubs fielded unchanged teams. Forest now for the 5th match running.
Of interest to me that day, apart from the return of Duncan McKenzie, was the appearance of Dave Thomas, the speedy winger signed from QPR at the start of the season. Thomas was, like me, a Kirkby lad.
Thomas with socks rolled up but no shin pads
Thomas had been an ever present so far this season and benefiting from his many accurate crosses was another big worry for us - their No 9, Bob Latchford, who was running away with the first division's leading scorers chart.
Bob Latchford - Give me goals!
Nottingham Forest
1 Peter Shilton, 2 Viv Anderson, 3 Colin Barrett, 4 John McGovern, 5 David Needham, 6 Kenny Burns, 7 Martin O'Neill, 8 Archie Gemmill, 9 Peter Withe, 10 Tony Woodcock, 11 John Robertson.
Goals: John Robertson 1 (pen.).
Everton
1 George Wood, 2 Terry Darracott, 3 Mike Pejic, 4 Michael Lyons, 5 Roger Kenyon, 6 Trevor Ross, 7 Andy King, 8 Martin Dobson, 9 Bob Latchford, 10 Duncan McKenzie, 11 Dave Thomas.
Goals : Trevor Ross 1 (pen.).
Attendance 44,030
The City Ground was packed again that day and, I reckon, this was the 7th biggest crowd in Forest's history. If you know better please let me know. The ones in bold were matches I'd been to.
One of the biggest Forest crowds that day
The Game
This was the 87th competitive game between the two clubs. Considering Everton's overwhelmingly better league record, Forest hadn't done too badly against them over the years. The win at Goodison Park on the opening day of the season was our 30th and there had been 16 draws with 40 defeats.
This was a game of two penalties, both scored in front of us in the Trent End. The first one was from John Robertson after the referee adjudged that Withe had been pushed in the box half way through the first half. The equaliser came from Trevor Ross with just five minutes to go when Duncan McKenzie flicked on a Dave Thomas cross and Kenny Burns was judged to have controlled the ball with his upper arm. Both were slotted in to the bottom right of the goal as we saw it.
Robertson... 1-0!
In between, Forest had two goals disallowed and another appeal for a penalty turned down. Still, at the end of the day, at least Bob Latchford had been contained by Burns and Needham and "our" Duncan hadn't destroyed us.
Other Matches
As Forest and Everton shared the spoils, and Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester City all won, it put more pressure on Everton to hang on to second spot but the most important thing for us was that Forest stayed 5 points clear.
Elsewhere, Swindon Town beat Tranmere 1-0 in the Third Division to stretch their unbeaten run to seven games. They'd be coming to the City Ground on Saturday for a F.A. Cup 3rd Round tie.
Latchford still out of sight
Man City - the new team on form
In other news, Joe Jordan moved to Manchester United from Leeds and Graeme Souness was bought by Liverpool from Middlesbrough, the later must have been particularly heartbreaking for Boro fans as Liverpool beat them that day too.
After 4 tough league games in seven days, a five day break must have seemed like a holiday. But no Brian Clough side would ever take any opposition lightly on the pitch and Forest would be sure to treat their next opponents, Swindon Town, with total respect in the F. A. Cup 3rd round coming up next. I will do the same.
The 1977-78 season was sliding inexorably to the so-called "pointy-end" (meaning, I think, when things are decided). Forest, top of the first division by four points, after drawing 0-0 at Derby now turned their attention to a League Cup Quarter Final - the first time they'd ever got this far in the tournament. In their way stood third division Bury, who were looking for some cup glory themselves. They had already beaten 4th Division Crewe Alexandra, 3rd Division Oxford United, 2nd Division Millwall, and 1st Division West Bromwich Albion on their way to this quarter final. But, unlike Forest, they'd been here before. In fact if they won, Bury would get to the semi-finals of the League Cup for their second time. Could they do it, or would it be Forest's year? You know the answer but before describing my trip to the match let's pay respect to the long history of Bury F.C. and some of their great historical highlights. The North West is Football Mad ...
40 Years is a long long time. Here, touching back, brings us round again to find when Forest took a big step towards returning to returning to Wembley to defend the League Cup that they had won the season before (when they were victorious over the mighty, mighty Liverpool in a replay at Old Trafford) by eliminating a swarm of ascendant hornets. (That's Watford, to those not acquainted with their nickname.) In this post, I'll give a brief outline of Watford Football Club's bizarre chameleon-like (but, it has to be said, remarkably unsuccessful) history before doing a big catch up with what had happened in the world of football in the weeks between Forest beating Brighton in the quarter finals back at the start of December, and this game. The most famous Watford fan, of course, is Reg Dwight. Y'know... Elton John - so I'll do a bit on him as well, interweaving his career into my life via my dear sister who, as far as I was aware, discovered him, and some of his f...
40 years ago, the Brian Clough Stand was nearing completion and, despite not yet having a roof, people started sitting in the vast array of seats of its upper tier. It wasn't called "The Brian Clough Stand" then, of course. Someone, bizarrely, thought "The Executive Stand" was appropriate. It would seem a perverse name, even in today's billionaire infused world of football, never mind in those dark days at the end of the 1970s, as Britain was only just throwing off its last flirtation with socialism. Filling the seats was something we had never really questioned, as Clough and Taylor had brought so much success to Nottingham in the last two years. The City Ground had attracted several 40,000+ attendances during this era, so getting 32,000 or so once the City Ground capacity was reduced, would surely be no problem. However, Forest's league form seemed to suddenly become very fragile as the construction of the stand neared its completion. Most alarmingl...
Here's a quick review of their seven title wins.
After a few years of mid table drifting and one season on the rise, Everton appointed Harry Catterick as manager in 1961 and the days of success soon returned. Catterick had been part of the squad that won Everton's last title just before the second world war.
At the beginning of Saturday, January 26th 1974 I was a Mansfield Town fan. By the end of it I was a Forest fan.
At the beginning of Saturday, January 26th 1974 I was a Mansfield Town fan. By the end of it I was a Forest fan.
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