grafikhaus
Kraft durch Freude
Right, you lot. Stop getting all giddy about last night - it's time to concentrate on our next match and if we can go top! In the latest in an occasional series, I look back on memries of Nottingham Forest.
My first memory was on December 9th, 1976. After much cajoling, my dad let me attend my first away game on my own. Ticket for the Sheffield United Tours coach booked, I left for this second-tier fixture and never thought that people actually paid and travelled to see their team away. Jimmy Sirrel’s team duly obliged with a 1-6 thrashing (Chico Hamilton got our goal).
1990-91 was a fabulous season. We’d been promoted to the top flight (the promotion season was the one which featured on the ‘United’ documentary). Dave Bassett was still our manager and we could look forward to playing the likes of Man. United, Liverpool, Leeds etc. Ouch! The first sixteen games yielded only four points from four draws. On December 22nd, 1990 we faced Forest at home. On a drab pre-Christmas day, Ian (‘Jock’) Bryson put us 1-0 up before goals by Roy Keane and Stuart Pearce put Forest 2-1 up. Another goal by Bryson and a superb header by Bryan Deane finally got us our first win of the season – 3-2.
Our form improved after that and we comfortably escaped relegation.
By the 1992-93 season, we had consolidated in the top-flight. While never looking like threatening the top sides, we did enough to keep relegation at bay. Near the end of this season – on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1st 1993, 5000 Blades fans travelled to the City Ground. Finally finding some form (we only lost one game in the final 9), this was the very last home game for the legendary Forest (and Derby) manager Brian Clough. By this time both Clough (rumoured to be on 2 to 3 bottles of whisky a day) and Forest – who would finish rock-bottom – were a sorry sight. Dave Bassetts team triumphed 2-0 with goals from Glyn Hodges and Brian Gayle. In the Forest line-up were a certain Nigel Clough and Brian Laws.
On May 10th, 2003 we faced Forest at The City Ground in the first leg of the play-off semi-final to see who might get back into the top flight. Neil Warnock’s team were enjoying a superb season – the ‘Triple Assault’ season which would see us reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup, League (Worthington) Cup and the play-off final. Trailing to Forest 0-1, Michael Brown ‘bought’ us a penalty equaliser when he left a trailing leg for Michael Dawson. We scored the penalty and Dawson was sent off.
Five days later – May 15th, 2003 saw the second leg. Without doubt, the finest game of football I’ve ever seen. Over 30k fans packed Bramall Lane under the floodlights. On the half hour and following a mistake by United’s Curtis, Forest’s David Johnson scored past Paddy Kenny at the kop end. In the second half – and approaching the hour mark – Andy Reid made it 0-2 to Forest and United had a mountain to climb with the score at 1-3 to Forest on aggregate.
Within a minute, Carl Asaba had tempted Des Walker into conceding a goal on the edge of the kop-end penalty area, which Walker was booked for. ‘Playing’ the ref. as ever, Brown complained about the Forest wall not being ten yards back. Disrupting Forests’ concentration for around a minute with ‘dummy’ attempts at taking the free kick, Brown smashed the ball goalwards and a deflection from the hapless Des Walker made it 1-2 on the night and 2-3 on aggregate with just 30 minutes remaining. Game on!
On the 68 minute mark, a long clearance from goalkeeper Paddy Kenny found Steve Kabba just inside the Forest area. A brilliant flick over the Forest defender (once again, Des Walker!) was followed by Kabba smashing the ball home. As the Sky commentator said ‘Ooooh! That is brilliant! That is breathtaking! That is 2-2!’
So it was 3-3 on aggregate but ‘away goals count double’ only applied after extra time.
Extra time kicked off with an absolutely deafening roar from both sets of fans. I remember the air above the pitch actually crackling with the noise being generated on the floodlit emerald green swathe of Bramall Lane. (‘That’s enough sounding like Stuart Hall’ – Ed.) After just over 20 minutes of extra time, Paddy Kenny launched a huge kick downfield towards the kop end to Paul Peschisolido. What followed was – for me – the greatest goal in the greatest United game of all time. Paul collected the ball and then – with nine (or was it ten?) touches steered the ball into the net. 3-2 to United on the night and 4-3 on aggregate!
With just four minutes of extra time left, Steve Kabba crossed into the kop goalmouth and – who else but Des Walker? – headed into his own net. 5-3 on aggregate to United!
But hold on! With barely two minutes left, Forest scored again – possibly an own goal by United’s Rob Page. 5-4 on aggregate!
With just 30 seconds of extra time left, Andy Reid crossed to Louis Jean who powered a header that was saved on the line by Kenny. 3 extra minutes of added time later, the final whistle blew. What a game, but don’t take my word for it, invest 22m 07 secs. of your time and savour the video.
Our last meeting with Forest came on February 16th, 2014 at Bramall Lane in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Manager Nigel Clough was taking us on an exhilarating FA Cup run – including wins away at Aston Villa and Fulham.
In front of a fervent crowd of 25,118, the highest at Bramall Lane this season, the League One Blades became the lowest-ranked side to reach the last eight of the competition since 1990 after stunning their Championship opponents. Trailing 0-1 at half-time, an equalizer by Conor Coady and two late goals by Chris Porter saw The Blades through to a Quarter-Final home tie with Charlton (which we won 2-0) before losing to Hull City in a memorable semi-final played at Wembley in front of over 71k spectators.
Anybody got any more?
My first memory was on December 9th, 1976. After much cajoling, my dad let me attend my first away game on my own. Ticket for the Sheffield United Tours coach booked, I left for this second-tier fixture and never thought that people actually paid and travelled to see their team away. Jimmy Sirrel’s team duly obliged with a 1-6 thrashing (Chico Hamilton got our goal).
1990-91 was a fabulous season. We’d been promoted to the top flight (the promotion season was the one which featured on the ‘United’ documentary). Dave Bassett was still our manager and we could look forward to playing the likes of Man. United, Liverpool, Leeds etc. Ouch! The first sixteen games yielded only four points from four draws. On December 22nd, 1990 we faced Forest at home. On a drab pre-Christmas day, Ian (‘Jock’) Bryson put us 1-0 up before goals by Roy Keane and Stuart Pearce put Forest 2-1 up. Another goal by Bryson and a superb header by Bryan Deane finally got us our first win of the season – 3-2.
Our form improved after that and we comfortably escaped relegation.
By the 1992-93 season, we had consolidated in the top-flight. While never looking like threatening the top sides, we did enough to keep relegation at bay. Near the end of this season – on Bank Holiday Monday, May 1st 1993, 5000 Blades fans travelled to the City Ground. Finally finding some form (we only lost one game in the final 9), this was the very last home game for the legendary Forest (and Derby) manager Brian Clough. By this time both Clough (rumoured to be on 2 to 3 bottles of whisky a day) and Forest – who would finish rock-bottom – were a sorry sight. Dave Bassetts team triumphed 2-0 with goals from Glyn Hodges and Brian Gayle. In the Forest line-up were a certain Nigel Clough and Brian Laws.
On May 10th, 2003 we faced Forest at The City Ground in the first leg of the play-off semi-final to see who might get back into the top flight. Neil Warnock’s team were enjoying a superb season – the ‘Triple Assault’ season which would see us reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup, League (Worthington) Cup and the play-off final. Trailing to Forest 0-1, Michael Brown ‘bought’ us a penalty equaliser when he left a trailing leg for Michael Dawson. We scored the penalty and Dawson was sent off.
Five days later – May 15th, 2003 saw the second leg. Without doubt, the finest game of football I’ve ever seen. Over 30k fans packed Bramall Lane under the floodlights. On the half hour and following a mistake by United’s Curtis, Forest’s David Johnson scored past Paddy Kenny at the kop end. In the second half – and approaching the hour mark – Andy Reid made it 0-2 to Forest and United had a mountain to climb with the score at 1-3 to Forest on aggregate.
Within a minute, Carl Asaba had tempted Des Walker into conceding a goal on the edge of the kop-end penalty area, which Walker was booked for. ‘Playing’ the ref. as ever, Brown complained about the Forest wall not being ten yards back. Disrupting Forests’ concentration for around a minute with ‘dummy’ attempts at taking the free kick, Brown smashed the ball goalwards and a deflection from the hapless Des Walker made it 1-2 on the night and 2-3 on aggregate with just 30 minutes remaining. Game on!
On the 68 minute mark, a long clearance from goalkeeper Paddy Kenny found Steve Kabba just inside the Forest area. A brilliant flick over the Forest defender (once again, Des Walker!) was followed by Kabba smashing the ball home. As the Sky commentator said ‘Ooooh! That is brilliant! That is breathtaking! That is 2-2!’
So it was 3-3 on aggregate but ‘away goals count double’ only applied after extra time.
Extra time kicked off with an absolutely deafening roar from both sets of fans. I remember the air above the pitch actually crackling with the noise being generated on the floodlit emerald green swathe of Bramall Lane. (‘That’s enough sounding like Stuart Hall’ – Ed.) After just over 20 minutes of extra time, Paddy Kenny launched a huge kick downfield towards the kop end to Paul Peschisolido. What followed was – for me – the greatest goal in the greatest United game of all time. Paul collected the ball and then – with nine (or was it ten?) touches steered the ball into the net. 3-2 to United on the night and 4-3 on aggregate!
With just four minutes of extra time left, Steve Kabba crossed into the kop goalmouth and – who else but Des Walker? – headed into his own net. 5-3 on aggregate to United!
But hold on! With barely two minutes left, Forest scored again – possibly an own goal by United’s Rob Page. 5-4 on aggregate!
With just 30 seconds of extra time left, Andy Reid crossed to Louis Jean who powered a header that was saved on the line by Kenny. 3 extra minutes of added time later, the final whistle blew. What a game, but don’t take my word for it, invest 22m 07 secs. of your time and savour the video.
Our last meeting with Forest came on February 16th, 2014 at Bramall Lane in the Fifth Round of the FA Cup. Manager Nigel Clough was taking us on an exhilarating FA Cup run – including wins away at Aston Villa and Fulham.
In front of a fervent crowd of 25,118, the highest at Bramall Lane this season, the League One Blades became the lowest-ranked side to reach the last eight of the competition since 1990 after stunning their Championship opponents. Trailing 0-1 at half-time, an equalizer by Conor Coady and two late goals by Chris Porter saw The Blades through to a Quarter-Final home tie with Charlton (which we won 2-0) before losing to Hull City in a memorable semi-final played at Wembley in front of over 71k spectators.
Anybody got any more?
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