1/10/77 - Forest draw their 1st game of the season, 1-1 at home to Norwich, in a game we should have won. Nevertheless 8 games in and we are 2nd in the league - not many expected that ... but little did we realise at the time,  it would only get better and better ... and better, as the season wore on.

 

2/10/83 - Forest achieved 'another 1st' as they took part in the first televised live league game (ITV), a 2-1 defeat at Tottenham. ITV had very kindly agreed to cover the game on Sunday 2nd as I was getting married (1st time around) on Sat 1st October ... which enabled us to set off on honeymoon to North Devon! (as you did in those days) with a stop off at White Hart Lane ... ha - had you going for a minute there ... but we did receive a wedding card from Brian Clough!

 

2/10/11 - Dark days at the CG under Steve McClaren as Birmingham City came to town. A few days before, our poor start to the season had continued as we were slaughtered 5-1 at Turf Moor (I hate that place). There were protests before the game by some 200 fans about the running of the Club, but whilst the media tried to make more of it than it actually was, the protests were more aimed at Mark Arthur (Ex Chief Executive) rather than owner Nigel Doughty.

 

All started well on the pitch as we took a 1-0 lead, Radi Majewski had a golden opportunity to make it 2-0 but fluffed it. McClaren chose to immediately substitute him and before we could draw breath almost we were 1-3 down. The protests started up again inside the ground, again only a monority, and continued after the game.  

 

That evening brought good news in that McClaren resigned but some very sad news in that Nigel Doughty announced he would be stepping down as Chairman at the end of the season and then gradually withdrawing his financial support, with a view to finding a buyer fpr the Club. Sadly, Nigel would not see the end of the season following his sudden tragic  death on 4th Feb 2012.  He was immense for Nottingham Forest, like myself, a Newark lad, he saved us from extinction, he loved Forest far beyoned the £100m or so he gave to the Club. It was great news that Fawaz named the Academy after him, RIP Nigel - you are sadly missed.  

 

3/10/79 - In defence of their European Cup title, the Reds safely negotiated their way through to the 2nd Round with a 1-1 draw against Osters (aggregate 3-1 win). We would face Arges Pitesti.

 

3/10/81 - We travelled to Tottenham in my first ever car! ... well twice infact, almost, on the same day ... which in hindsight was a bit of wasted effort as we were hammered 3-0. Essentially, we suffered a broken window half way there and ended up having to come all the way home again for a replacement - long story - full details in separate section of website.

 

3/10/89 - In defence of our league cup title, we scraped through to the 3rd Round with a 3-3 draw at 3rd division Huddersfield Town, taking us through on the away goal rule (4-4 aggregate score).

 

4/10/77 - The Reds moved to the top of the table with a resounding 4-0 win against Ipswich at the CG, with Peter Withe scoring all 4 goals. We would not be displaced from top spot for the rest of the season.

 

4/10/78 - We travel to 3rd division Oxford United for a potentially tricky 3rd Round league cup tie ... none of this weakened team nonesense as we smash them 5-0 & progress into Round 4 of the competition we had won the previous season.

 

5/10/68 - The Reds played their 2nd game at their temporary 'home' Meadow Lane whilst the Main Stand was being rebuilt at the CG. Although we would no win any of the 5 games we played there, this was a thrilling 3-3 draw. Ian Storey-Moore scored 2 of the goals with Henry Newton grabbing the other. It could be argued that from 68/69 through to 70/71, it was Storey-Moore's goals that almost single handidly kept us in the top flight. He left late in the 71/72 season for Man Utd ... and we were relegated. 

 

5/10/02 - After the 'goings on' the previous season Forest fans were banned for the visit to Millwall, where we came from a goal down at half time to win 2-1 thanks to a brace from David Johnson.

 

6/10/73 - The Reds picked up a good 2 points in a 3-0 win against Millwall at the CG in front of 11,317 , goals from the dependable George Lyall & a brace from Ducan Mckenzie. It continued our decent start to what would turn out to be a decent but very unlucky season.

 

7/10/90 - Forest follow up their mixed start to the season with an excellent 3-1 win at home to Everton in front of 25,790 and a live TV audience, goals from Nigel Jemson and a brace from Steve Hodge.

 

7/10/06 - Despite being top of league one, Forest are hammered at home 4-0 by Scunthorpe in front of 22,640 and a live TV audience. Had we won that game even 1-0, automatic promotion would have been achieved  if all other results had stayed the same!

 

8/10/91 - Although already 4 goals to the good from the 1st leg of this 2nd Round league cup tie, the Reds travelled to Bolton and dished out a 5-2 hammering to make the aggregate score 9-2 ... with a full strength team!

 

9/10/76 - The Reds climbed 7 places in the Division Two table to 4th following a thumping 6-1 win at the CG against Sheffield United, a game marred by further crowd disturbances before during and after the game, which was seemingly becoming the norm during the 1976/77 season.   

 

10/10/70 - After a decent start with 2 wins and 4 draws after the 1st 6 games, the Reds had fallen away with 4 defeats in 5 (& no goals in 6). The slide was temporarily halted with a 3-1 win against Blackpool at the CG before the next 10 games brought 8 defeats & just 2 draws, plumeting us once again into a relegation battle.    

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

11/10/69 - I'm going right back in my memories for this one ... a 2-2 draw at the CG v Man City to continue a satisfactory start to the season in front of 30,037 ... I think I am right in saying one of our goals came from a brilliant diving header from legend Ian Storey-Moore at the Trent End, the other from Barry Lyons. I know it impressed a then 8 year old!

 

11/10/86 - We travelled to Leicester, occupying top spot in the league & at half time all looked well as we led 1-0. We subsequently lost goalkeeper Steve Sutton to injury & Ian Bowyer went in goal (no reserve goalies in those days) ... that changed the game and we ended up losing 3-1 and top spot ... finishing the day in 2nd place. We maintained our challenge certainly up to just after Christmas but then it began to fade.  

 

12/10/74 - The Reds went down 3-1 to promotion chasing Norwich at the CG, in front of 13,613 as the below average start to the season continued. The funds raised by the sale of Duncan Mckenzie to Brian Clough at Leeds in the summer had not been spent well ... little did we realise it at the time ... but what a blessing in disguise that sale arguably turned out to be ... given the chain of events that subsequently unfolded.  

 

13/10/84 - The Reds good start to the season came to a shuddering halt as we were hammered 4-1 at West brom dropping us from 2nd to 5th in the table. Worrying times though as only 13,056 turn up for this top flight Midlands 'derby', which reflected across the country. Attendances would continue to fall nationwide & over the following season.

 

14/10/00 - In a relatively uneventful season, the Reds find themselves in a 'thriller' at Barnsley, as we edge home 4-3 after being 3-0 up. Under Platt, the season would be slightly improved over the previous one ... but that's about all you could say. 

 

15/10/77 - Top of the league Forest took on title chasing Man City at the CG, coming from behind to win 2-1 in front of the biggest  crowd of the season to date, 35,572, goals from that excellent striker partnership of Withe & Woodcock. Some of the 'bubble will burst brigade' were just starting to have second thoughts.  

 

16/10/83 - In a fiesty Nottingham 'derby', the Reds take a 3-1 half time lead ... County manage to get 2 players sent off in the second half including Justin Fashanau but there is no change to the scoreline, in front of a CG crowd of 26,657. 

 

17/10/95 - Having safely negotitaed old foes Malmo in Round 1, the Reds travelled to Auxerre in France for the 1st leg of their 2nd Round tie ... and somehow we come away with a 1-0 win, courtesy of an excellent Steve Stone goal & a healthy Forest following.

 

17/10/09 - Always a pleasure to beat Newcastle & this is no exception as Dexter Blackstock scores on the stroke of half time to give us a 1-0 win in front of a capacity crowd of 29,155. Forest end the day in 7th & Newcastle 2nd.

 

18/10/78 - After disposing of European champions Liverpool in the 1st Round, to certain parts of the media's disgust ... the Reds travelled to Greece to play AEK Athens in the 2nd Round, 1st Leg and come away with an excellent 2-1 win.

 

19/10/83 - A fantastic night in Eindhoven as Forest come away with a 1st leg 2-1 win in their 2nd Round tie, courtesy of a brilliant Peter Davenport goal & a last minute penalty from Colin Walsh, in front of the large travelling support. PSV had levelled on 85 minutes, also from a penalty. 

 

20/10/76 - Maybe not too many will remember this one but the Reds beat Ayr United 2-1 at the CG in the 1st leg of the semi-final of the Anglo Scottish Cup, to set up a 'tense' 2nd leg in Ayr on 3rd November. Could the Reds reach a cup final?

 

20/10/01 - Another 'interesting' day out at that 'lovely' part of South East London as we share a 6 goal thriller with Millwall , including an excellent Stern John hat trick. 1-0 down when we finally were allowed into the ground (about 25 minutes after kick off) & 1-0 down at half time ... we then led 2-1 with 4 minutes to go before Millwall levelled only for Forest to score again 2 minutes later ... and then Millwall again in stoppage time. And then a further 'wait' inside the 'pound' until about 6.30 pm. Just a typical trip to Millwall as it was back then.

 

21/10/92 - The Reds picked up their 1st win since the opening day victory against Liverpool at the CG in a 1-0 win against Middlesbrough, courtesy of a Kingsley Black goal. We still remained bottom of the new Premier league. 

 

22/10/05 - Just when you thought things could not get any worse (we had lost to non league Woking in midweek in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) ... we travelled down to newly promoted Yeovil & are battered 3-0. From memory, I think this was the game where Gary Megson invited a couple of Forest fans into the dressing room ... good job I wasn't one of them! For a while in what was becoming an another awful season, the 4th teir of English football was a possibility.

 

23/10/76 - The Reds had scored 15 league goals in their last 3 home league games & continued in this wein with a 5-2 hammering of Burnley, having trailed 2-1 early in the 2nd half. The only bad news from the game, 'star man' Terry Curran suffers a serious injury.

 

24/10/79 - Forest beat Arges Pitesti 2-0 in the 2nd Round 1st Leg of the European Cup at he CG, a comfortable lead to take to Romania in the 2nd leg, goals from Birtles & Woodcock.

 

24/10/97 - The Reds share a 6 goal thriller at Reading's old ground Elm Park, managing to twice squander a 2 goal lead. Goalkeeper Beasant was sent off early in the 2nd half ... oh & 'that' Steve Stone miss!. Next time we met Reading however would prove an entirely different story.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O-SUHf9uKlo  - Reading 3 v 3 Forest ... & 'that' miss from Steve Stone. 

 

25/10/77 - Forest hammer local 'rivals' Notts County 4-0 in this 3rd Round league cup tie ... a rare thing to see us beat Notts at the CG, outside of 'county cup' matches.

 

25/10/00 - The Reds batter Burnley 5-0 at the CG in a rare 'quality' performance under the 'leadership' of Platt, nice to mention this one given all the hammerings we have been on the receiving end of at the hands of them.

 

26/10/68 - Ian Storey Moore continues his incredible individual scoring record for us as he scores in a 3-3 draw at Maine Road against Man City. 14 games in, in a struggling Forest side that has won just 1, drawn 7 & lost 6 scoring 21 goals, he has 12 of them and had now scored in 6 consecutive games. In reality his goals kept us up in this season and the next 2 ... but for injuries, he would have scored many more still & received more than the 1 cap he got for England.

 

http://www.forest.vitalfootball.co.uk/article.asp?a=96498 - Ian Storey-Moore - My 1st City Ground hero & a true Forest legend

 

26/10/88 - The Reds beat Liverpool 2-1 in front of a packed CG crowd of just under 30,000 ... on the day my 2nd daughter Natalie was born ... so I did miss this one ... but click on the link below for the full story & the highlights of the game!

 

http://www.trentsidetales.com/?zpbw_compId=TPWdgt0&zpbw_postKey=LzYU.PbjVQC9LYijN0garw  - Forest 2v1 Liverpool & more!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bII5f5OgiQs - Forest 2v1 Liverpool 

 

26/10/02 - A goal 6 minutes into stoppage time by Jack Lester earned us a battling 2-2 draw at home to Leicester in a top of the table clash at the CG in front of a capacity crowd of 29,497. We had trailed 2-0 at the interval and it had remained that way until a David Johnson penalty  on 76 minutes ... then the late late equaliser to prevent for another year at least Leicester winning in the league at the CG ... as was the case at the time!  

 

27/10/93 - The Reds beat Premiership West Ham 2-1 at the CG in this 3rd Round league cup tie, goals from Kingsley Black & Stan Collymore to set up a meeting with another Premiership side Man City in the 4th Round. Funny, as we made good progress in the Cup, our league form continued to improve! ... modern day Managers, players & clubs should take heed. 

 

28/10/67 - A 'City Ground' record attendance of 49,946 witnessed the Reds beat Man Utd 3-1, 2 goals from legend Joe Baker & 1 from Frank Wignall as we gained some revenge for narrowly missing out the title the previous season. I cannot forsee a situation where that record attendance will ever be beaten as I can never envisage a time where we would ever have that capacity again. The win lifted us to 7th & left United 2nd.

 

28/10/01 - Stuart Pearce received the best CG ovation I have ever seen for a returning player as 28,226 witnessed an entertaining 1-1 draw with Man City, a result which left Forest 10th & City 7th, both on 24 points, 1 point outside the play off places. Both fancied their chances of promotion but by the time we met them again in late March, City were clear at the top where as Forest were still not completely safe from relegation, but the travelling fans gave 'Psycho' another fantastic reception, which resulted in him jumping into the 'Forest end' at the final whistle, having been substitued to a standing ovation late on in the game. The City Ground game was covered by the 'ill fated' ITV Sports Channel & can be seen in the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iSUqhJQqrg   - Forest 1 v 1 Man City - 28/10/01

 

29/10/77 - The Reds batter Middlesbrough 4-0 at the CG in as comfortable a win as you could get to remain top of the table,  a game however though probably more remembered for B.C's message on the 'famous' board ... a message to the Trent End ... 'Gentlemen, No Swearing Please'. At least for a few weeks the message was adhered to ... Cloughie had been angered in previous matches especially the most recent at the CG v Man City.

 

29/10/85 - We travelled to the Baseball Ground for this 3rd Round League Cup tie ... Derby had dropped into the 3rd Division but still took an early lead, before goals from Metgod & Carr saw us through to the 4th Round ... there followed some pretty ugly scenes after the game.    

 

30/10/93 - There were signs that the Reds were begining to find some form following a 1-0 win against neighbours Notts County in front of a capacity 26,721 at the CG, courtesy of a goal from Stan Collymore. A few days later however, we would 'turn in' probably our worst performance of the season ... and then things started to get very much better. The victory against Notts lifted us to 16th & dropped them to 20th in the table.

 

31/10/87 - The Reds travelled to Old Trafford and deservedly came away with a 2-2 draw in what was an excellent game, a result that left Forest 4th and United 5th in the table.

 

31/10/95 - The Reds are held 0-0 at home by French side Auxerre but it is enough to progress to the 3rd Round of the E U F A Cup, with an aggregate 1-0 win. Further French oppostion await in the next Round, Lyon, this time with the 1st leg at the CG on 21st November. By the time the fixture comes about, Forest are the only English side left in Europe.

 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------