Forest 40 years ago

As we approached the final few days of Forest's most successful and hectic season ever, there was no taking the foot off the peddle. They'd been averaging two games a week pretty much since December 1977 so what better way to finish the season but with four games in six days ?! Having celebrated being handed the English Championship trophy (oh, and getting a 0-0 draw with in-form Birmingham City in the bargain) two days ago, Forest now faced Derby County (albeit in a friendly) before playing away at West Bromwich Albion tomorrow (Tuesday, 2nd May) only then to end the season at Anfield to play the previous English champions, current European Cup holders and this years' finalists, Liverpool two days after. This was the last game I watched in this most amazing season as I didn't go to Albion or Liverpool and, to be absolutely honest, I have no memory of it whatsoever. So what follows here is a very short tribute to Cloughie & Taylor - I'll do a much fulle

Just as Forest ended their home league programme with a 0-0 draw against Bristol City yesterday, so did the champions of England, forty years ago. Through the unlikeliest of goal-scoring heroes, Frank Clark, Forest had won at Ipswich 2-0 on the Tuesday before and now we were all in celebratory mood for the last home league game of the season against Birmingham City. It was the day that forest were presented with "The Lady", the elegant, Victorian-designed first division championship trophy in front of another big crowd at the City Ground. It was heart warming to see that Forest have done the same as me (and far more professionally, of course) by producing a lovely nostalgic video of the day (and the whole season) to the tune of Van MacCoy's "The Hustle" - with clips of the day interspersed with great goals of the season as well as media snippets of topical things going on in 1977-78. Well good on 'em! The final result, perhaps unsurprisingly,

Forest had finally clinched the English league title three days before at Highfield Road, Coventry . This was their second major trophy win in a month, after a 19 year wait since their previous one and 80 years since their first. Some might have forgiven the players for taking their foot off the peddle a little after such an amazing few weeks. But this was not the way of Clough & Taylor. Forest faced an away game at a club who had made it to the F.A. Cup Final. Ipswich were not on the best of form and clearly some players had one eye on Wembley, but nevertheless it was another tough game. So, as I missed the game, I'm going to write a shorter report this time, just one to complete the picture. MIA (Missing Ipswich Away) This was the first Forest match (not including testimonials) I'd missed since Chelsea away on Bonfire night. That's a run of 36 consecutive matches, my best run ever. Although some people might think this is evidence of football craziness, tho