Forest Early History - sponsored by I‘m Red Till Dead

[I'm Red Till Dead]

I remember driving to that one Nicola with a couple of mates and my oldest son (who would have been aged 8) in tow. I parked-up in Harrow, and despite a delay at Wembley Park, we had a relatively quick journey back.

When I used to travel up from London to Derbyshire in the 90's I would regularly get stuck on the M1 around Luton. I think at one point I sat with my handbrake on in the outside lane for about 5 minutes and I only did about 4 miles in an hour.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

(Football Post, Saturday, March 25, 1978)

I hear that…​

By John Lawson​

The reunion of Nottingham Forest’s 1959 F. A. Cup-winning side at Wembley last weekend will not end there.

Plans are already afoot for the players to get together again next season and as one quipped: “Perhaps when Forest are in the European Cup final!”

Notts secretary Dennis Marshall who was manager’s assistant to Billy Walker in 1959, will almost certainly take on the responsibility of arranging another meeting of the team that defeated Luton.

Said Marshall: “It was tremendous for the players to get together again and you can imagine the reminiscing that went on during the day.”

“A lot of them said it was a pity they had to wait 19 years to get together again and then only because of an invitation.”

“So they’ll probably meet again next season, possibly at a Forest home match and make a day or even a weekend of it.”

Atmosphere​

The atmosphere in Wembley stadium was something new for most of the Forest players a week ago and there were one or two doubts about what to expect from the famous turf.

But as full back Frank Clark explained after the Reds had held Liverpool: “I don’t think it’s that different to a normal League ground these days.”

Telegrams​

One of the first telegrams waiting for Chris Woods in Forest’s Wembley dressing room last Saturday was from former City Ground keeper Peter Wells.

The others included one from Boston United with whom he once trained and the local parish council at Kirton.


I wonder who made the quip about the European Cup Final

 

[Cloughie1975]

(Stapleford & Sandiacre News, Thursday, March23, 1978)

EXTRA TIME TO GET HOME AS WELL​

Many coaches, mini-buses and cars left the Long Eaton district on Saturday morning on course for Wembley Stadium to watch the League Cup Final.

Hundreds of Nottingham Forest supporters from this area donned themselves in red and white to follow their team against European champions Liverpool.

Vehicles heading for London poured on to the M1 intersections at Sandiacre and Kegworth between 6 a.m. and 10 a.m.

PACKED​

And 12 special trains from Nottingham were packed, as well as three normal service trains. On the way back some people had to wait until after 9 p.m. to catch a return from London.

Barton Transport Ltd. hired out 43 coaches and was probably the best represented bus company at Wembley Stadium. Other local firms included Erewash Travel Services Ltd. of Toton and Long Eaton Coachways of Chilwell.

On the M1 it was chaotic at times. Coaches carrying Forest supporters were only allowed to stop at one service station - Newport Pagnall.

And in Leicestershire the M1 was closed for about two hours because of a blockage, according to police.

BLOCKED​

Social clubs from the area had organised coach trips, as well as the Long Eaton and Stapleford branches of the Nottingham Forest Supporters' Club.

After the still goalless draw in extra time many supporters faced a long crawl home. It took most coaches about two hours to get out of the Wembley area.

And when they reached the M1 intersection at Edgware, there was a mile-long queue to get on to the major road.

The M1 was completely blocked to Luton, where traffic at last began to move easily.

For some it was a six-hour journey home. The lucky ones - those who left the game early or parked well away from Wembley - were back in this area by 9 p.m.

We hit some stationary/slow moving traffic on the M1 in Northamptonshire going down-not that the occupants of the Forest coach in the next lane cared less as there was a full blown party in full swing.
I don’t recall the journey home being too bad-I remember Jimmy Hill commenting on the game on
Match of the Day (although the League Cup final wasn’t featured).

 

[Otis Redding]

When I used to travel up from London to Derbyshire in the 90's I would regularly get stuck on the M1 around Luton. I think at one point I sat with my handbrake on in the outside lane for about 5 minutes and I only did about 4 miles in an hour.

During my working life I travelled the M1 a lot to London and beyond Nicola, and been in a similar situation on that stretch a good few times.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

Washing the kit at Forest

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1575192070037569536

I have an A2 print of that hung on my wall.

Where did you get hold of it from?

It was a gift from a guy who publishes Forest books. I suspect that it was he that created the colour version, though I could be wrong about that. I can ask him if he sells the unframed prints if you'd like.

Thanks Red. It’s got a great nostalgic vibe.

I've emailed him to ask if he sells them and if he doesn't himself, where they might be obtained.

Andrew Dolloway says that he does sell them. He didn't say how much they are though. He hasn't added them to his web site yet - Max Medaia Publishing - so you will need to contact him by email at maxmediapublishing@gmail.com.

I was going to send a picture of the poster, but my tablet has no charge and the cable seems to be bust, so I'll try and describe it. The poster is A2 size, so around 23" high and 16.5" wide. The poster is in a portrait format with the image pretty much the whole width of the poster - there is a small white area .5cm or less on either side that would be lost in a frame (I have it in a clip frame and have only just noticed it isn't edge to edge). There is a top white area the width of the page, which is just short of two inches high. Under the picture is another edge to edge white area just short of 4 inches in height. Approximately a quarter of the way down that white area is the legend, "A misty morning at the City Ground, January 7th, 1960."

 

[Quntib Hollox]

Andrew Dolloway says that he does sell them. He didn't say how much they are though. He hasn't added them to his web site yet - Max Medaia Publishing - so you will need to contact him by email at maxmediapublishing@gmail.com.

I was going to send a picture of the poster, but my tablet has no charge and the cable seems to be bust, so I'll try and describe it. The poster is A2 size, so around 23" high and 16.5" wide. The poster is in a portrait format with the image pretty much the whole width of the poster - there is a small white area .5cm or less on either side that would be lost in a frame (I have it in a clip frame and have only just noticed it isn't edge to edge). There is a top white area the width of the page, which is just short of two inches high. Under the picture is another edge to edge white area just short of 4 inches in height. Approximately a quarter of the way down that white area is the legend, "A misty morning at the City Ground, January 7th, 1960."

IRTD
Thanks for going to the trouble. I’ll be checking that site out

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

IRTD
Thanks for going to the trouble. I’ll be checking that site out

Ok, but remember, the poster/print call it what you will isn't listed there you will need to email him. If you say Nicola pointed you at him it will explain how you know about it. He has said it's ok to contact him.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

I managed to find another lead and get some charge in. (The bright spot isn't on it obviously )

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

Not only did Shilton get the PFA POTY and Woodcock the PFA YPOTY, Burns got the FWA POTY award!

(Aberdeen Evening Express, Thursday, April 20, 1978)

Scotsman Burns is England’s Footballer of Year​

KENNY Burns, key member and “reformed character’’ in Notts Forest’s championship-chasing side, is the 1978 Footballer of the Year south of the Border.

He was a comfortable winner after a heavy poll among members the Football Writers’ Association, and becomes the 30th winner the award.

Joint runners-up were Arsenal’s Liam Brady and Burns' Notts Forest and Scotland colleague Archie Gemmill.

McGOVERN THIRD​

Forest captain John McGovern came third and Peter Shilton and Tony Woodcock also collected votes.

Forest are due to play Liverpool On May 4, but Burns, will be presented with his trophy at the Footballer of the Year Dinner at the Cafe Royal, London, that evening.

Manager Brian Clough said; “If the championship is clinched then, we may ask Liverpool to bring the game forward a day, although we play West Brom on May 2.’’

(Forest played Liverpool at Anfield on the 4th so the team wouldn't have been at the dinner with Kenny)

 

[Cloughie1975]

Not only did Shilton get the PFA POTY and Wodcock the PFA YPOTY, Burns got the FWA POTY award!

(Aberdeen Evening Express, Thursday, April 20, 1978)

Scotsman Burns is England’s Footballer of Year​

KENNY Burns, key member and “reformed character’’ in Notts Forest’s championship-chasing side, is the 1978 Footballer of the Year south of the Border.

He was a comfortable winner after a heavy poll among members the Football Writers’ Association, and becomes the 30th winner the award.

Joint runners-up were Arsenal’s Liam Brady and Burns' Notts Forest and Scotland colleague Archie Gemmill.

McGOVERN THIRD​

Forest captain John McGovern came third and Peter Shilton and Tony Woodcock also collected votes.

Forest are due to play Liverpool On May 4, but Burns, will be presented with his trophy at the Footballer of the Year Dinner at the Cafe Royal, London, that evening.

Manager Brian Clough said; “If the championship is clinched then, we may ask Liverpool to bring the game forward a day, although we play West Brom on May 2.’’

(Forest played Liverpool at Anfield on the 4th so the team wouldn't have been at the dinner with Kenny)

The whole team were magnificent that season-but Burns,Shilton,Woodcock and Robertson were on a
different planet.

 

[Kjetil Osvold's Cat]

The whole team were magnificent that season-but Burns,Shilton,Woodcock and Robertson were on a
different planet.

Not only did Shilton get the PFA POTY and Wodcock the PFA YPOTY, Burns got the FWA POTY award!

(Aberdeen Evening Express, Thursday, April 20, 1978)

Scotsman Burns is England’s Footballer of Year​

KENNY Burns, key member and “reformed character’’ in Notts Forest’s championship-chasing side, is the 1978 Footballer of the Year south of the Border.

He was a comfortable winner after a heavy poll among members the Football Writers’ Association, and becomes the 30th winner the award.

Joint runners-up were Arsenal’s Liam Brady and Burns' Notts Forest and Scotland colleague Archie Gemmill.

McGOVERN THIRD​

Forest captain John McGovern came third and Peter Shilton and Tony Woodcock also collected votes.

Forest are due to play Liverpool On May 4, but Burns, will be presented with his trophy at the Footballer of the Year Dinner at the Cafe Royal, London, that evening.

Manager Brian Clough said; “If the championship is clinched then, we may ask Liverpool to bring the game forward a day, although we play West Brom on May 2.’’

(Forest played Liverpool at Anfield on the 4th so the team wouldn't have been at the dinner with Kenny)

Funny that Gemmill was 2nd in the voting for both awards, but not in the PFA Team of the Year (there was separate voting by the players for an XI of the season of course). I guess he would be in the FWA Team of the Year, and conceivably half the team or more could be Forest players (it seems likely that McGovern, Shilton and Woodcock would be in it from that report, and maybe Robertson could be placed on the left of attack if it was a 4-3-3 with Brady in midfield too?, then it wouldn't be surprising for Viv Anderson to be in too I'd think).

I noticed the Football Post reported apparently that Gemmill was runner-up to Shilton for PFA Player of the Year, and also that Robertson was in the final six nominees (so not 3rd but one of the other 3 invited to the ceremony I suppose) on 25th March 1978

https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/search/results/1978-03-25/1978-03-25?basicsearch=robertson%20gemmill%20shilton%20pfa&somesearch=robertson%20gemmill%20shilton%20pfa&exactsearch=false&retrievecountrycounts=false&region=east%20midlands%2c%20england&mostspecificlocation=east%20midlands%2c%20england

Woodcock took the PFA Young Player award of course too.

The PFA Team of the Year is here, and just Shilton and Robertson are in (despite Gemmill being 2nd in the Player of the Year voting like I say) - that was decided quite a bit earlier than the FWA award though, albeit Forest were obviously top of the league and had had a great season

PFA Team of the Year (1970s) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Steve B]

That back 4 is a joke. McQueen & Buchan?

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

(Stapleford & Sandiacre News, Thursday, March 23, 1978)

Ex-Forest man joins Blues ​

BERT BOWERY was set to, make his debut for Long Eaton United this week in the home local derby with Ilkeston Town (kick-off 5.30 pm)

Bowery, the former Nottingham Forest striker, signed for the Blues on Thursday night after talks with chairman Mr. John Raynor. Mr. Raynor commented: "This is great for the club. Bert is a class player."

Talks with the player began last Wednesday following his return from the United States where he played for Team Hawaii. –

Before that he was with Forest, being the first player signed by manager Mr. Brian Clough on his arrival in 1975.

SCORED TWO​

He made his first team debut in January 1976 at Blackburn Rovers when, he scored two goals in Forest's 4-1 win.

That appeared to have launched him on an exciting career, but he only played three more first team games that season. Last season he decided to restart his career in America. He has done well there, but has returned for a few months before going back in the summer.

It is a big signing for United, as many Clubs, including Football League sides interested in signing Bowery.

The clinching factor in the deal seems to have been the friendship between Mr. Raynor and Bowery.

When Bowery was 13 he played for Mr. Raynor's Clifton All Whites' team. In fact United' s chairman has an amusing story to tell about the striker.

He said: "Bert was so big for a lad, of 13 that we had to carry bis birth certificate to prove to opposing clubs that he was only 13

AT WEMBLEY​

Bowery could not play for United at Kimberley on Saturday - he had already arranged to watch Forest and Liverpool in the League Cup Final at Wembley.

His best friend is Forest full-back Viv Anderson.

And although Forest were due to replay the Final on Wednesday, Bowery was expected to play for United this time.

 

[Steve B]

I had a season back in the 80’s watching LEU away games, we got up to all sorts of shenanigans all over Yorkshire (post miners strike) Great fun. One of favourite matches was when we bumped into the club secretary on a train up to Bridlington, we got him so drunk before the game he ended up getting thrown out the directors lounge at half time. Think my mates still got his flat cap.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

Bert Bowery and Brolly Woman!

I don't know how much of this is true, but it's a fun read.

(Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday, February 24, 1993)

It’s Funny Old Game By David McVay

When All Whites met their match​

THERE was not a hint of rain.

But the umbrella was an essential extra at Blidworth,

Cumberland Colts unbeaten all season in the Mansfield Youth League taking a fearful hammering from Clifton All Whites in the County Shield on their home ground.

This was hardly surprising. The Notts Youth League leaders were twice the size of their opponents and contained one Bert Bowery in their ranks - who was twice the size of anyone else on the pitch.

One of local soccer’s more flamboyant artists in his prime, Big Bert’s marvellous physique and not inconsiderable football talent made him an outstanding player during these formative years.

Fleeting spells with Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City in the 1970s and some global soccer in some distant corner of the globe confirmed, in later life, Bert’s ability if not his immense promise.

No matter. Back at Blidworth during his mid-teens he once again waltzed through the home defence to make it 7-2 to the by now reviled visitors.

At 4-2 it had been a contest By 6-2, there was some sport left in the game.

But that seventh finally broke the camel’s back.

Armed with sharpened tongue and Nora Batty stockings, she emerged from the touch-line. Faster than a speeding drain (sic.) and tougher than old boots. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No It was Brolly Woman - that uniquely British symbol of stubborn resistance and fearless exploits who eats males egos for breakfast and tackles runaway juggernauts for fun. A headscarved crusader who terrorised Big Bert and a whole cluster of adults as the referee attempted to restart the game.

POW! “Bullies,” she prodded. ZAP! “Why don’t you go and pick on somebody your own size?”

WHAM! “It’s a disgrace. You shouldn’t be allowed to play against these lads.”

It was no contest The All Whites management cowered near the comer flag The referee booked himself and Big Bert’s grin belied the serious eye he was keeping on Brolly Woman’s pointed end.

Bert - still Big and still a great character of this parish lived happily ever after…

 

[Steve B]

We could do with Brolly Woman on the sidelines on Monday protecting our defenders

 

[Otis Redding]

Bert Bowery and Brolly Woman!

I don't know how much of this is true, but it's a fun read.

(Nottingham Evening Post, Wednesday, February 24, 1993)

It’s Funny Old Game By David McVay

When All Whites met their match​

THERE was not a hint of rain.

But the umbrella was an essential extra at Blidworth,

Cumberland Colts unbeaten all season in the Mansfield Youth League taking a fearful hammering from Clifton All Whites in the County Shield on their home ground.

This was hardly surprising. The Notts Youth League leaders were twice the size of their opponents and contained one Bert Bowery in their ranks - who was twice the size of anyone else on the pitch.

One of local soccer’s more flamboyant artists in his prime, Big Bert’s marvellous physique and not inconsiderable football talent made him an outstanding player during these formative years.

Fleeting spells with Nottingham Forest and Lincoln City in the 1970s and some global soccer in some distant corner of the globe confirmed, in later life, Bert’s ability if not his immense promise.

No matter. Back at Blidworth during his mid-teens he once again waltzed through the home defence to make it 7-2 to the by now reviled visitors.

At 4-2 it had been a contest By 6-2, there was some sport left in the game.

But that seventh finally broke the camel’s back.

Armed with sharpened tongue and Nora Batty stockings, she emerged from the touch-line. Faster than a speeding drain (sic.) and tougher than old boots. Was it a bird? Was it a plane? No It was Brolly Woman - that uniquely British symbol of stubborn resistance and fearless exploits who eats males egos for breakfast and tackles runaway juggernauts for fun. A headscarved crusader who terrorised Big Bert and a whole cluster of adults as the referee attempted to restart the game.

POW! “Bullies,” she prodded. ZAP! “Why don’t you go and pick on somebody your own size?”

WHAM! “It’s a disgrace. You shouldn’t be allowed to play against these lads.”

It was no contest The All Whites management cowered near the comer flag The referee booked himself and Big Bert’s grin belied the serious eye he was keeping on Brolly Woman’s pointed end.

Bert - still Big and still a great character of this parish lived happily ever after…

I've known Bert since he was a young kid in the Meadows, and his older brother was at Trent Bridge Secondary at the same time as me. I still bump into Bert occasionally (we had a chat in a restaurant in town about a month ago) and so the next time I do I'll ask him about that.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

I've known Bert since he was a young kid in the Meadows, and his older brother was at Trent Bridge Secondary at the same time as me. I still bump into Bert occasionally (we had a chat in a restaurant in town about a month ago) and so the next time I do I'll ask him about that.

I've just been putting Bert's movements into the scrapbook hence the attached stories. I hope he enjoyed his time at Team Hawaii. Being paid to play football in the sun sounds like my idea of working.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

(Liverpool Echo, Saturday, April 01, 1978)

HIGHBURY DEFEAT WAS OUR SPUR - BOWYER

The turning point on glory trail.​

By PETER KEELING​

As April brings Nottingham Forest onto the last lap of their quest for the First Division title, one of their top of the table rivals, Arsenal, can have no consolation at all in knowing they helped to make Forest a winning combination this season.

One of the Forest super subs, Ian Bowyer, who has already helped bring honour to Forest by being leading scorer and a leading midfield light in The Football League Cup winning run, reckons it all started to happen for the club this season in what was probably their darkest hour.

As they got off to a flying start in August the critics were quick to predict Forest would soon crack up, as indeed they were doing until a few matches ago. And they got ready to write Forest finally off when on September 3 they crumbled 3-0 at Highbury to Arsenal.

Says former Manchester City striker Bowyer, at 26 a veteran of the big-time without ever having acquired a big-time attitude himself: "They said that was the end, but really it was the beginning.”

"Not much was said after the match, but then on Monday we gathered in one of the guest rooms at the ground where we normally have our team talks. For well over an hour the verbal battle raged, it was a real ding-dong. Each individual was analysed as well as the team.

"It wasn't all one way; we were given a chance to put our point of view, but the message from the boss was that we had not done ourselves justice and that we had not competed as we should."

Anybody who felt complacent before he went into that room came out of it completely humble, and really that hour of words set us up for the rest of the season. Things ready started to hum from them, and there is no doubt that Arsenal did us a real favour in administering that heaviest defeat of the season.

Bowyer has been lucky in being closely connected with two of the game's great motivators, Malcolm Allison and Brian Clough.

Before he collected Ins League Cup winners medal at Old Trafford his previous big win was in 1970 under Allison when he picked up a winning final medal in the European Cup Winners Cup in Austria.

He had one more season at Maine Road after that before spending two years at Orient, and then being signed by Dave Mackay for Forest.

A regular striker he only converted to midfield by Brian Clough, and be pinpoints Clough's ability by saying: "Basically he's got a set of good players working to the best of their ability. That's his strength, getting the best out of people, and I suppose really that quite simply is what managing and coaching is all about.”

"Any success a team has, has got to be put down to the manager, and we have a terrific set-up here now. There is no chance of any player taking the easy way out, and he doesn't miss a trick.”

"He doesn’t miss a thing that goes on out here on the pitch, and what is most important, he's very consistent in his judgments. If a man shirks he'll let him know."

Claims Bowyer, "What this club has done this season is no flash in the pan. We were in for everything for a long time, and teems an the past, Leeds in particular, have been in this position and ended up winning nothing.”

"Our League Cup win to a great extent took the pressure off us, because we know now we are in Europe come what may, but basically the League Cup was just a diversion from the serious problem of winning the First Division trophy.”

“To be honest, if people had said we were going to be several points clear at Easter with games in hand, you'd have said they were crazy. But it has now been proved here that with good management anything can happen. I know people say it's the players who do it out on the pitch, but if the strings aren't being pulled expertly back-stage the most talented bunch of players will fail.”

"To be perfectly honest, at the start of the season the lads were hoping to consolidate our position, in the First Division, and finish halfway up the table or just sneak a place in Europe if they were lucky. Now the sky's the limit."

And there is no chance that the present Forest bunch of stars will be allowed to rest on their laurels.

He says: "We know that 'the management will work on scaling a higher peak of effort each season. Next year our ambition will make us work to improve on what we have done this year."

Admits Bowyer, born at Little Sutton: "There has surprisingly not been a lot of pressure on. us this season: Because it is our first season in the top flight 'we go out to play as relaxed football as we can, and the boss and Peter Taylor emphasise 'that they are there to take any pressure that is going."

“The attitude here is that we have to let them worry about winning and losing, while we have to worry about seeing that the effort we put into a game and the attitude we show is right. And that is a great philosophy.”

Adds Bowyer: "We know that Brian Clough won't be happy until he's got a team that will' virtually run itself. He conditions his players to become so professional and dedicated to the team, and everybody knows that he will never hesitate to bring better players into the side."

“For the players the experience of this season has been a tremendous education and there are several young players in the side who can only improve with this kind of experience."

Bowyer, in fact, feels strongly that Forest are the team of the future, and says: "We are only just starting and can only get better. We could have as long a run at the top as Liverpool.”

"Obviously there are teams who impress us and who will always be a danger, like Manchester City who were probably the best team to play us is the League. They had two or three chances against us, they have a lot of pace in the team, and individuals capable of getting into scoring positions.”

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

(Liverpool Echo, Saturday, April 01, 1978)

Bells ring for Clough​

Brian Clough of Nottingham Forest, the League Cup winners, was named football manager of the month for March by the Bell's Scotch Whisky Football managers awards panel of 25 leading soccer journalists and commentators - his fourth award this season.

Clough who establishes a record number of the major Bell's monthly awards in one season (the previous ones were in August, December and January) - will receive this award, a gallon bottle of Scotch and a cheque for £100, on Saturday, April 15, prior to Nottingham Forest's home match with Leeds United.


A fourth award of a gallon of Bells Whisky in one season!

 

[Cloughie1975]

(Liverpool Echo, Saturday, April 01, 1978)

HIGHBURY DEFEAT WAS OUR SPUR - BOWYER

The turning point on glory trail.​

By PETER KEELING​

As April brings Nottingham Forest onto the last lap of their quest for the First Division title, one of their top of the table rivals, Arsenal, can have no consolation at all in knowing they helped to make Forest a winning combination this season.

One of the Forest super subs, Ian Bowyer, who has already helped bring honour to Forest by being leading scorer and a leading midfield light in The Football League Cup winning run, reckons it all started to happen for the club this season in what was probably their darkest hour.

As they got off to a flying start in August the critics were quick to predict Forest would soon crack up, as indeed they were doing until a few matches ago. And they got ready to write Forest finally off when on September 3 they crumbled 3-0 at Highbury to Arsenal.

Says former Manchester City striker Bowyer, at 26 a veteran of the big-time without ever having acquired a big-time attitude himself: "They said that was the end, but really it was the beginning.”

"Not much was said after the match, but then on Monday we gathered in one of the guest rooms at the ground where we normally have our team talks. For well over an hour the verbal battle raged, it was a real ding-dong. Each individual was analysed as well as the team.

"It wasn't all one way; we were given a chance to put our point of view, but the message from the boss was that we had not done ourselves justice and that we had not competed as we should."

Anybody who felt complacent before he went into that room came out of it completely humble, and really that hour of words set us up for the rest of the season. Things ready started to hum from them, and there is no doubt that Arsenal did us a real favour in administering that heaviest defeat of the season.

Bowyer has been lucky in being closely connected with two of the game's great motivators, Malcolm Allison and Brian Clough.

Before he collected Ins League Cup winners medal at Old Trafford his previous big win was in 1970 under Allison when he picked up a winning final medal in the European Cup Winners Cup in Austria.

He had one more season at Maine Road after that before spending two years at Orient, and then being signed by Dave Mackay for Forest.

A regular striker he only converted to midfield by Brian Clough, and be pinpoints Clough's ability by saying: "Basically he's got a set of good players working to the best of their ability. That's his strength, getting the best out of people, and I suppose really that quite simply is what managing and coaching is all about.”

"Any success a team has, has got to be put down to the manager, and we have a terrific set-up here now. There is no chance of any player taking the easy way out, and he doesn't miss a trick.”

"He doesn’t miss a thing that goes on out here on the pitch, and what is most important, he's very consistent in his judgments. If a man shirks he'll let him know."

Claims Bowyer, "What this club has done this season is no flash in the pan. We were in for everything for a long time, and teems an the past, Leeds in particular, have been in this position and ended up winning nothing.”

"Our League Cup win to a great extent took the pressure off us, because we know now we are in Europe come what may, but basically the League Cup was just a diversion from the serious problem of winning the First Division trophy.”

“To be honest, if people had said we were going to be several points clear at Easter with games in hand, you'd have said they were crazy. But it has now been proved here that with good management anything can happen. I know people say it's the players who do it out on the pitch, but if the strings aren't being pulled expertly back-stage the most talented bunch of players will fail.”

"To be perfectly honest, at the start of the season the lads were hoping to consolidate our position, in the First Division, and finish halfway up the table or just sneak a place in Europe if they were lucky. Now the sky's the limit."

And there is no chance that the present Forest bunch of stars will be allowed to rest on their laurels.

He says: "We know that 'the management will work on scaling a higher peak of effort each season. Next year our ambition will make us work to improve on what we have done this year."

Admits Bowyer, born at Little Sutton: "There has surprisingly not been a lot of pressure on. us this season: Because it is our first season in the top flight 'we go out to play as relaxed football as we can, and the boss and Peter Taylor emphasise 'that they are there to take any pressure that is going."

“The attitude here is that we have to let them worry about winning and losing, while we have to worry about seeing that the effort we put into a game and the attitude we show is right. And that is a great philosophy.”

Adds Bowyer: "We know that Brian Clough won't be happy until he's got a team that will' virtually run itself. He conditions his players to become so professional and dedicated to the team, and everybody knows that he will never hesitate to bring better players into the side."

“For the players the experience of this season has been a tremendous education and there are several young players in the side who can only improve with this kind of experience."

Bowyer, in fact, feels strongly that Forest are the team of the future, and says: "We are only just starting and can only get better. We could have as long a run at the top as Liverpool.”

"Obviously there are teams who impress us and who will always be a danger, like Manchester City who were probably the best team to play us is the League. They had two or three chances against us, they have a lot of pace in the team, and individuals capable of getting into scoring positions.”

I didn't think we played that badly at Arsenal-signing Shilton shortly afterwards made all the difference.

 

[Rockabilly]

I didn't think we played that badly at Arsenal-signing Shilton shortly afterwards made all the difference.

I think I remember seeing that game on Match of the Day.

 

[I'm Red Till Dead]

I think I remember seeing that game on Match of the Day.

Ouch - watch out for the Kenny Burns headbutt

 

[Rockabilly]

Oh... it was on ITV. Cheers Red.

 

[Cloughie1975]

I think I remember seeing that game on Match of the Day.

I’m not sure the game was on BBC,Rocka.
I feel it was on ITV-I think Cloughie had a good view of the Kenny Burns headbutt on Sunday!