Nottingham Forest F.C.

Nottingham Forest Football Club are an English football club, based at the City Ground, which is just outside the official boundary of Nottingham on the south side of the River Trent. The club lies directly across the Trent from its city rival Notts County, the two clubs being the closest in England.

Brian Clough: The Glory Days (1975-1993)

Brian Clough is the most successful manager in the history of Nottingham Forest football club. He had won the league title with Forest's deadly rivals Derby County in 1972, and came to Nottingham Forest in September 1975 when they were a struggling Second Division club. They won promotion to the top division at the end of the 1976-77 season after finishing third in the Second Division, but no-one could have predicted how successful Clough's team would be over the next three seasons.

Related Topics:
Brian Clough - 1972 - September - 1975 - Second Division

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Forest became one of the few teams (and the last team to date) ever to win the football league title a year after winning promotion when they topped the First Division at the end of the 1977-78 campaign. Two successive European Cup victories followed. Key players in this side included goalkeeper Peter Shilton, midfielder Martin O'Neill, winger John Robertson and striker Trevor Francis - the first £1 million footballer in English football.

Related Topics:
Peter Shilton - Martin O'Neill - John Robertson - Trevor Francis

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nottingham Forest's next trophy came in 1989 when they beat Luton Town in the League Cup final. For most of the season they had been hopeful of completing a unique domestic treble, but were beaten into third place by champions Arsenal and runners-up Liverpool and lost to Liverpool in the FA Cup semi-final at Hillsborough—where more than 90 Liverpool fans were trampled to death on terracing. Clough's side retained the League Cup in 1990 when they beat Oldham Athletic. There was chance for more success in 1991 when Forest reached their first ever FA Cup final under Brian Clough and went ahead after scoring an early goal against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, but ending up losing 2-1. Forest reached their third League Cup final in four seasons in 1992, but lost to Manchester United.

Related Topics:
1989 - Arsenal - Liverpool - FA Cup - Hillsborough - Trampled to death - 1990 - Oldham Athletic - 1991 - Tottenham Hotspur - Wembley - 1992 - Manchester United

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Brian Clough's 18-year reign as manager ended in May 1993 when Forest were relegated from the Premier League after 16 illustrious years of top flight football which had seen one league title, two European Cups and two League Cups.

Related Topics:
May - 1993 - Premier League

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Since Brian Clough's departure, Nottingham Forest have had eight managers and spent just four out of 12 seasons in the Premiership.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~