I have no idea why, but I was at that game at Old Trafford. My Dad must have got tickets somehow.Correct.
Late December was indeed the time of the FA committee decision...
Very interesting story ,which will delight all true City Fans...
Nottingham Forest were due at Old Trafford just before Xmas,having come up from the old 2nd division, promoted under Clough,and had taken the 1st Division by storm.Their players were all worried about Clough,leaving Forest midseason for the england managers job...Seasoned veterans like John Mcgovern,John Robertson John O hare,Archie Gemmil and Kenny Burns had seen their careers transformed by the manager...the team was going places..stepping onto the Players coach at Nottingham to make their way to Manchester ,the atmosphere was said to be tense...these players could see their brilliant young manager being taken away for international duty...
By the time the bus pulled into Old Trafford,the news had leaked,that Ron Greenwood ,not Clough, had been chosen as the new England manager..The FA decideding that a polite quietly spoken former westham manager would be the ideal man for the job ,over the direct talking ,brash mannerisms of Clough and Taylor....
The Forest players all breathed a sigh of relief....the Boss was staying after all...and Forest went out and smashed manchester utd 4nil in their own backyard,counter attacking at break neck speed,and opening up huge gaps all over the swamp...(sound familiar?)
Those players were so happy that the manager was staying ,they played " the game of their lifes" beating utd on their own turf,but of course...bigger games were to come very soon,not least the return to Old Trafford early next year(78) for the league cup final replay with Liverpool which Forest won 1nil....etc etc etc etc
It should be noted that utds team in those days was nothing special,but that 4nil result did wake up the whole country to what was going on...nobody gave Forest a hope of winning the league,after just being promoted.That 4nil win made folk sit up and take notice.
I believe Dave Sexton would have been in charge at the swamp..
My in-laws are all Forest fans from Newark and they witnessed the "miracle". They have loads of stories from the era about going to the trophy parade, Cloughie and Taylor coming to school events etc. Funnily enough my Dad took me to a league cup final where Forest played Liverpool, I wore a Forest rosette and it was a draw. Chris Woods made his debut in goal and I remember him being brilliant.I spent more than fifteen years of my life in Nottingham; absolutely love the place and its people.
Often remarked to myself what an amazing place it must have been when they were European Champions (twice!). The place must have been buzzing. Even back then, what Forest achieved was incredible. Given how much I love the city, would loved to have been there at that time. It must have been incredible to experience.
The same way I feel about our last 14 games in 2018/19. What a thing to experience!
Some of my favourite people are Forest fans and I want the best for them. Want them to have their ‘Yaya 2011’ moment - it’s nearly that long. After all that success, the last 25 years must have been hard for them to swallow - and a warning for us City fans. Success is always cyclical in sport. We won’t be this dominant forever, so please don’t look back in a few years and think I wish I’d made more of it.
These are the days, Blues.
I was at that match with my dad as a little boy.Certainly one of the best football vids I've ever seen.
The build up to the European cup final v SV Hamburg was particularly good with Clough quoted as saying how all the press were saying how forests best player would be up against the world's best right back Manny Kaltz.Clough said Robertson would not be over ragweed or words to that effect
Robertson of course completely bamboozled Kaltz by cutting in from the left and sending a rocket of a right footed shot from distance to score the only goal.
Turning back to City,earlier that very same season,a poor,inconsistent City team somehow managed to beat the reigning European champions 1nil at Maine rd, Kazimere Deyna scoring the only goal v Forest.
This was,arguably the finest result City had from that era.nobody saw that scoreline coming.
I can still remember reading the Sunday tabloid report of the match,as a teenager,buzzing with pride..A picture of Tommy Caton clumsily going for a City corner accompanied the report...all arms and legs.the Sunday people clearly had no pic of the goal or it's aftermath.
I would be very interested to read recollections from any Blue who attended this match,
I was very upset when Allison was sacked.He seemed to be 'Mr Manchester City' to me at the time.
I was completely wrong of course.
I watched the whole of this game back last week and also all of the Poland World Cup qualifier at Wembley in October 1973 when the 1-1 draw eliminated England from going to the finals in West Germany.Colin Bells skill for England were ,from my studying/looking back,
Never really highlighted as much as they should have been.
I've seen a few interviews from the 70s over the years where his name comes up...but the true Majestic attributes of our legend ,never really made the press.....
Looking back..Bell was the finest player in English football.
Never got the accolades tho.
Imo
Bell ,for England at Wembley v Scotland springs to mind.late 70sI watched the whole of this game back last week and also all of the Poland World Cup qualifier at Wembley in October 1973 when the 1-1 draw eliminated England from going to the finals in West Germany.
The Czech game I think was Bell's best game for England even though he started left midfield. The Poland game had me wishing Colin had more belief in his own abilities. Really wanted to see him taking responsibility and taking the initiative himself on more occasions. He was by then one of the most experienced players in the side and he had all the ability to lead from the front. At times he did look a bit passive and didn't show as much for the ball as he could of, seeming to prefer to leave it to other (inferior) team mates. Poland were underestimated by everyone and were a fine team led by Deyna, of course. Very well organized defensively with fast, attacking players ready to exploit gaps and over eagerness by England. A combination of bad luck, THAT goalkeeper, Polish solidity and crucial mistakes by Hunter and Shilton led to England going out.
Watched footage of that match Dave.the pitch looked awful.My in-laws are all Forest fans from Newark and they witnessed the "miracle". They have loads of stories from the era about going to the trophy parade, Cloughie and Taylor coming to school events etc. Funnily enough my Dad took me to a league cup final where Forest played Liverpool, I wore a Forest rosette and it was a draw. Chris Woods made his debut in goal and I remember him being brilliant.
Always remember Mal referring to that as our “O level exam” and the fixture against Liverpool a week or so later being our “A level exam”, we were duly thrashed 4 or 5 nil at Maine road, that Liverpool side used to make the most of the great pitch we had.I was at that match with my dad as a little boy.
As the teams were warming up we had Peter Stilton in front of us and I always remember my dad saying “he’s the best goalkeeper in the world, we’ll have to go some today to score past him”
Deyna scored of course and if memory serves we had a Yugoslav called Stepanovic playing for us that day and he was immense.
I always remember walking back to the car afterwards and my dad was stunned we’d beaten them. “Bloody hell I didn’t see that coming” over and over.
Happy happy days.
And Phil Thompson explaining in hi post match interview that he was "sick as a parrot" because the ref had given a penalty when he, Thompson, had deliberately hacked O'hare down just outside. It did mean more even then.Watched footage of that match Dave.the pitch looked awful.
I don't think Liverpool could quite believe Forest were on a par with them..just up from the old second division,going for the 1st Division title,and forcing a draw against the best team in the country at Wembley
With..as you say, a Rookie keeper in goal.
The replay at old Trafford is legendary ; John Robertson dispatching the pen at the stretford end after John O hare was fouled......