The reason league titles are valued more than cup wins is simple: It's a measure of a team's quality over an entire season against every other team, home and away. An F.A. Cup win can be achieved with just seven wins, most of which could possibly have been aided by a series of lucky home draws against weak opposition.
On the other hand, whereas a cup win can often be attributed to one or two great moments, it's difficult to do that with a league title. Looking back on Forest's amazing league title win in 1977-78, you couldn't pick out one match, let alone one moment, that was really critical. It was a whole season of good, professional performances, week after week.
If pressed to pick a key match, though, I think most commentators would choose Forest's stunning 4-0 win at Old Trafford in early December. I'd disagree. Manchester United, at this time, let's not forget weren't a great side. The win, fantastic though it was, was against a mid-table side that were on poor form. If I had to pick a game that really signaled that Forest were going to deservedly win the league, it would be this one: At home to Arsenal towards the end of January. It was their 5th game of six in the month having just won through to the League Cup semi-finals four days earlier and, crucially, they were playing a team challenging at the top of the table that were on really good form, better form even than Forest. It was a really big win. If Arsenal had won and other results gone against them that day, Forest's lead could have been pegged back to two points, but instead their lead stretched out to an amazing six. Forest now had 5 more points than Liverpool had in their last two league wins at the same stage of the season and Forest's fixture list looked the easiest of those still in contention. If Arsenal at home was the key match, then the key moment in that match, after some consideration, must have been Archie Gemmill's second goal, which I was reminded, only after I published the first draft of this blog, that was voted "Goal of the Season". This was surely the moment many of us began to realise that this really was going to be our year.
But first, as usual, a look at Arsenal's history. I didn't really do that justice in my earlier blog for the 3-0 away defeat at Highbury.
The second time, in 1899-1900 Arsenal finished 8th in the second division, above half way, but as the first division had expanded to 18 teams, they were again ranked 26th overall.
Arsenal finally made it to the first division in 1904 when they won promotion with Preston North End. And, straight away, they finished above Forest.
I made a huge error when I briefly covered Arsenal's history, in my blog about the when Arsenal played Forest earlier in the season when they beat Forest 3-0 at Highbury to end our 100% record. I wrote that Arsenal were the only English club never to have been relegated. Oops! I don't know how that idea came into my head. As always, best to research rather than "remember". In fact they were relegated in 1913 (I have corrected the blog now).
They played out the remaining two seasons before the first world war in the second division.
When the league resumed after the war, Arsenal were the beneficiaries of a very kind decision by the football league, to put it mildly. The two top divisions were both expanded from 20 to 22 teams and whenever this happened it provided a challenge to the football league to decide which teams go up or don't go down.
Arsenal, who finished 5th in the second division, were somehow "elected" to the first division instead of Barnsley and Wolves, who both finished above them. To cloud the issue still further, rather than just allow both of the bottom two clubs Chelsea and Spurs not to get relegated, one of them was let off, but not the other. Spurs were relegated, but not Chelsea.
If you were a Spurs fan, you'd be spitting!
How on earth did this happen? Apparently Arsenal's chairman, Sir Henry Norris, was a friend of the league's (and Liverpool's) chairman John McKenna, and he managed to "persuade" him to support Arsenal's campaign for election to the first division during this (as it would turn out, last) expansion.
McKenna then apparently presented their case favourably to the 41 man league committee who voted on which extra team to make up the 22 in the first division along with the top two from the second division.
Anyway, however sickeningly wrong this was, the fact remains that Arsenal have remained in the top flight ever since. Even in 1977 this was 64 successive seasons, much more than the next best, Everton, on 22.
This would be Arsenal's last silverware for almost twenty years. Although their fans could hardly complain (the club's average position in the first division for the next 17 seasons was 9th) when they finished 14th in 1965 they recorded their lowest attendance at Highbury ever - 4,556 for Leeds United at home at the end of the season. Arsenal fans, eh?
Presumably after this humiliation, Arsenal sacked their current manager Bill Wright and appointed their physiotherapist Bertie Mee. It took a while but under Mee, Arsenal did improve and started to enjoy some success again. Arsenal's one bit of success in Europe was in 1969-70 when they won the Fair's Cup. They had lost to Anderlecht 3-1 in the first leg but won at Highbury 3-0 to clinch the trophy.
Anderlecht, please let's not forget, were the club that bribed a referee to make sure they got to the UEFA Cup final and not Forest, to play Spurs in the final in 1984.
Under Bertie Mee, Arsenal became only the 4th team to win the League and Cup double in 1970-71 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley after extra time with that classic goal from Charlie George.
Previous double winners:
1888-89 Preston North End. Preston won the first league title without losing (finishing 11 points clear) and the cup without conceding a goal, beating Wolves 3-0 in the final.
1896-97 Aston Villa. Villa won their 3rd league title (again this was by 11 points) and beat Everton in the F. A. Cup final 3-2..
1960-61 Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs won their second league title winning it by an 8 point margin and they beat Leicester City in the F. A. Cup final 2-0.
Firstly it was a massive crowd. At 42,750 it was easily the biggest crowd I'd been to at the time - although it was only my 8th match at Forest and 16th overall. The reason for the big crowd, I think, was at least in part due to the second key feature of the match, Alan Ball's debut for Arsenal after his record (£220,000) signing from Everton.
The third remarkable thing about the game was a brilliant goal from Ian Storey-Moore. Jim Barron, in goal, rolled the ball out to Moore more or less in the left back position at the Trent End of the ground. In my mind I had it that he then went on a long mazy run down the length of the pitch near the East Stand towards us, standing in the corner underneath the floodlight pilon - but watching the (very grainy) video clip below you'll see that it was actually a very pacy, direct, run at goal with a couple of very elegant shimmies to carve through the Arsenal defence, skipping past 3 or four attempted tackles as he ran straight at the goal before slipping the ball underneath Bob Wilson's diving body into the net for the equaliser. George Graham had put Arsenal in the lead earlier in the Trent End goal. At least I think it was that way round. But maybe Ian Moore scored first.
When Ian Moore scores a goal ...
Lovely interview with him was published in the Daily Mail recently and here is a (very grainy) video clip of the goal itself.
But looking back on that moment with the benefit of hindsight, it is really is as good as any candidate to mark a point in time at which Forest became deserved champions.
It couldn't have been much better for Forest that day as both Everton and Liverpool lost. Wolves beat Everton and Liverpool lost at home to Birmingham City. Manchester City won again, though, and leapfrogged the Merseyside clubs into second place.
Here are the highlights of Wolves impressive 3-1 win against Everton. Thanks, again, Wolves!
And, of course, who did we have in the next round of the Cup next week? Manchester City, of course!
On the other hand, whereas a cup win can often be attributed to one or two great moments, it's difficult to do that with a league title. Looking back on Forest's amazing league title win in 1977-78, you couldn't pick out one match, let alone one moment, that was really critical. It was a whole season of good, professional performances, week after week.
But first, as usual, a look at Arsenal's history. I didn't really do that justice in my earlier blog for the 3-0 away defeat at Highbury.
Arsenal - not the original reds
Arsenal were founded in 1886 by workers at the Royal Arsenal, an armaments factory in Woolwich. They were initially led by a Scotsman called David Danskin and their original team included a former Nottingham Forest goalkeeper, Fred Beardsley. It was Beardsley, along with another player called Morris Bates who would famously obtain a set of red shirts from his old club, and in so doing, gave Arsenal their team colours.
Arsenal joined the football league one season after Forest, in 1893 entering into the second division. They were the first London side to do so.
They had a pretty mediocre start to their history and Forest were very much top dogs for their first eleven seasons. Arsenal finished in their lowest ever league placing (26th overall) twice during this period.
Here's the first time, when they finished below half way in the second division for the only time in their history...
 |
| Early Woolwich Arsenal team with "our Fred" and "our" shirts |
Arsenal joined the football league one season after Forest, in 1893 entering into the second division. They were the first London side to do so.
They had a pretty mediocre start to their history and Forest were very much top dogs for their first eleven seasons. Arsenal finished in their lowest ever league placing (26th overall) twice during this period.
Here's the first time, when they finished below half way in the second division for the only time in their history...
 |
| Arsenal's worst ever league posiiton |
Arsenal finally made it to the first division in 1904 when they won promotion with Preston North End. And, straight away, they finished above Forest.
I made a huge error when I briefly covered Arsenal's history, in my blog about the when Arsenal played Forest earlier in the season when they beat Forest 3-0 at Highbury to end our 100% record. I wrote that Arsenal were the only English club never to have been relegated. Oops! I don't know how that idea came into my head. As always, best to research rather than "remember". In fact they were relegated in 1913 (I have corrected the blog now).
 |
| Arsenal were relegated from the First Division for the only time in 1913 |
They played out the remaining two seasons before the first world war in the second division.
 |
| Since the first world war - Arsenal have dominated |
When the league resumed after the war, Arsenal were the beneficiaries of a very kind decision by the football league, to put it mildly. The two top divisions were both expanded from 20 to 22 teams and whenever this happened it provided a challenge to the football league to decide which teams go up or don't go down.
 |
| Dodgy League Expansion after the war |
If you were a Spurs fan, you'd be spitting!
 |
| Henry Norris |
McKenna then apparently presented their case favourably to the 41 man league committee who voted on which extra team to make up the 22 in the first division along with the top two from the second division.
Anyway, however sickeningly wrong this was, the fact remains that Arsenal have remained in the top flight ever since. Even in 1977 this was 64 successive seasons, much more than the next best, Everton, on 22.
 |
| Successive seasons in the top flight in 1978 |
Arsenal in the 30s
Arsenal really dominated the English game in the 1930s with the appointment of Herbert Chapman
who was also the first manager to lead two clubs to the league title, having already done so with Huddersfield Town.
who was also the first manager to lead two clubs to the league title, having already done so with Huddersfield Town.
 |
| Herbert Chapman |
Chapman was a football tactical revolutionary, accredited with introducing the "W-M" formation and tactical innovations such as strong defence and a counter-attacking culture (amazing how history repeats itself) with mazy wingers that crossed low inside the defence. Moreover, he set up professional scouting networks to obtain players who would fit his system and implemented it throughout the club so that all the players were well versed in the tactics if they came into the team.
 |
| W-M |
Arsenal won their first league title in 1930-31 and their second two years later. Although Chapman is rightly credited with this amazing success at both Huddersfield and Arsenal he didn't witness his full legacy at Arsenal as he died suddenly in the middle of the 1933-34 title winning season. Three years later Arsenal had won their 5th title. Arsenal won the league three consecutive seasons from 1932-33 until 1934-35, as had Huddersfield Town nine years before (although the last time wasn't under Chapman, he'd joined Arsenal by then). Arsenal also won the F. A. Cup twice in this period.
 |
| Arsenal Team 1933-34 |
 |
| Eight Years of English Domination in the 1930s - Notice the 81 point gap behind Arsenal |
Arsenal Post-War
Arsenal won their 6th league title after the second world war in 1948 under the management of Tom Whittaker. The team was captained by Joe Mercer, who led the team from their miserly defence.
Five years later, Arsenal won their 7th title. This time it was a very close affair, with Arsenal pipping Preston at the post on goal average only, despite losing at Deepdale in the penultimate match.
 |
| Champions for the 7th time, 1952-1953 |
Anderlecht, please let's not forget, were the club that bribed a referee to make sure they got to the UEFA Cup final and not Forest, to play Spurs in the final in 1984.
 |
| McLintock and the Fair's Cup |
Under Bertie Mee, Arsenal became only the 4th team to win the League and Cup double in 1970-71 when they beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley after extra time with that classic goal from Charlie George.
Previous double winners:
1888-89 Preston North End. Preston won the first league title without losing (finishing 11 points clear) and the cup without conceding a goal, beating Wolves 3-0 in the final.
1896-97 Aston Villa. Villa won their 3rd league title (again this was by 11 points) and beat Everton in the F. A. Cup final 3-2..
1960-61 Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs won their second league title winning it by an 8 point margin and they beat Leicester City in the F. A. Cup final 2-0.
 |
| Arsenal win the League and Cup double |
This league title put Arsenal as clear leaders in the all-time table of champions.
 |
| In 1971 Arsenal had won the league more than any other club |
Alan Ball's Arsenal Debut on Boxing Day 1971
The season after Arsenal won the double I watched them play at the City Ground on Boxing Day. It was memorable for three reasons.
Firstly it was a massive crowd. At 42,750 it was easily the biggest crowd I'd been to at the time - although it was only my 8th match at Forest and 16th overall. The reason for the big crowd, I think, was at least in part due to the second key feature of the match, Alan Ball's debut for Arsenal after his record (£220,000) signing from Everton.
 |
| Alan Ball signed for £220,000 in 1971 |
When Ian Moore scores a goal ...
 |
| Ian Moore's greatest goal? v Arsenal on Boxing Day 1971 |
Lovely interview with him was published in the Daily Mail recently and here is a (very grainy) video clip of the goal itself.
The end of Mee
After winning the league and Cup double, Arsenal had a couple of good years before slipping down into the lower reaches of the first division. In 1975-76 Arsenal finished 17th, their lowest position for 51 years and Bertie Mee resigned and a new young manager, Terry Neil, was appointed.
 |
| 17th Arsenal's lowest position for 51 years |
All-Ticket Matches
That Forest v Arsenal Boxing Day match in 1971 was not an all-ticket game. We just turned up (too late to get a really good view, as I was still quite short) and paid on the turnstile. It's odd looking back on those days from today's perspective and thinking of all-ticket matches. It required an extra trip to the ground to buy a ticket and often waiting in a very long queue. These days, pretty much every game is effectively all-ticket because most grounds are all-seater stadiums and terraced areas are much more carefully policed to stop sections getting over-crowded but, of course, buying a ticket is a doddle - you just do a few mouse clicks and purchase it on-line.
Having to make an extra trip to the ground and queue to buy a ticket was a significant off-put and so clubs carefully weighed up whether the game was likely to be sell out before doing so. After the recent massive crowd of over 47,000 v Liverpool and over 44,000 for the Everton game, this match (and the next v Manchester City in the F.A. Cup) were both made all-ticket.
It turned out to be a big mistake, at least for this game, as the attendance was well short of capacity, at under 36,000. Not for the first time, or last, Forest's attendances could be disappointing.
Teams
Forest were unchanged for the seventh league match on the trot, Arsenal for the second.
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: David Needham 1, Archie Gemmill 1.
Arsenal
1 Pat Jennings, 2 Pat Rice, 3 Sammy Nelson, 4 David Price, 5 David O'Leary, 6 Willie Young, 7 Liam Brady, 8 Alan Sunderland, 9 Malcom MacDonald, 10 Frank Stapleton, 11 Graham Rix.
Attendance: 35,743
The Game
This was the 54th competitive match between Forest and Arsenal. Arsenal had not lost in any of the previous ten - their best run of results against us.
It was around this time that Forest fans in the Trent End were to become "sort-of" pop fans. The club were about to release the single "We've Got the Whole World in Our Hands" with the Nottingham band, Paper Lace and they wanted to get us to sing a few contrived chants such as "Cloughie!" I am not sure it was before the Arsenal game, to be honest, but it must have been one of the games in January.
I have few memories of the game itself but according to the reports I've read, the game started slowly until a brilliant bit of skill from Liam Brady set up Alan Sunderland whose powerful shot was superbly saved by Peter Shilton, at full stretch diving to his right.
Two minutes later, Forest were in the lead when a Tony Woodcock corner was met at the near post by David Needham to score his sixth league goal of the season.
Arsenal nearly equalised when Malcom MacDonald skimmed the bar with a header but Forest put more pressure on Pat Jennings and nearly stretched the lead. Just before half time Peter Withe cleared one of the line from Willie Young so this was a clearly match that could have gone the other way.
 |
| Needham heads in to put Forest 1-0 up |
In the second half Arsenal piled on the pressure and Shilton made a couple of saves to keep Forest in front. Forest made it 2-0 with a characteristic goal from Archie Gemmill. He won possession well into his own half and then passed the ball to Peter Withe wide on the left and then legged it into the box to meet the return and slid the ball past Jennings. I am ashamed to admit that I had completely forgotten this, but it actually won goal of the season!
Here's the goal... Great run, but I'm not sure it really deserved such a high accolade.
Here's the goal... Great run, but I'm not sure it really deserved such a high accolade.
But looking back on that moment with the benefit of hindsight, it is really is as good as any candidate to mark a point in time at which Forest became deserved champions.
Forest finished the game the stronger and in the end were unlucky not to have made it 3-0 which would truly have been sweet revenge for the Highbury defeat early in the season.
 |
| Celebrations after Gemmill makes it 2-0 |
Other Games
Here are the highlights of Wolves impressive 3-1 win against Everton. Thanks, again, Wolves!
 |
| Six points clear now |
 |
| Manchester City now with a 100% record in their last 6 games |
And, of course, who did we have in the next round of the Cup next week? Manchester City, of course!
 |
| Hankin and Francis close in |
Back to the Future
For once, I can't resist flipping from nostalgia back to the future - well, back to a match a couple of weeks ago when Forest played Arsenal in the F. A. Cup 3rd round.
Our 4-2 win was one of the greatest days at the City Ground for years.
The Programme
Comments
Post a Comment