How Forest became a force at home and abroad
The underdog story of Leicester City winning the Premier League title in 2016 will no doubt be remembered for a long time to come.
However, long before the Foxes landed their surprise title, a fellow Midlands club, Nottingham Forest, shocked not just the English top flight but also the whole of Europe with their rise in the late 1970s.
This is the story of how a relatively modest Midlands club became a European superpower.
The key arrival in January 1975
In January 1975, the club made a decision that would go on to prove to be one of the best in not only their history but arguably in modern football, as they acquired the services of outspoken boss Brian Clough.
The manager’s last job before joining Forest was a now famous ill-fated 44-day tenure at Leeds United. However, before his infamous spell in Yorkshire, the most successful spell of his managerial career came in the Midlands with Derby County.
During six years with the Rams, Clough guided them to the Second Division title, the First Division title and even the European Cup semi-finals.
However, his spell with Brighton Hove Albion in the Third Division before his move to Leeds United was highly underwhelming. It led to some critics questioning Clough’s managerial ability.
Little did Forest fans know that Clough would not only prove any doubters wrong at their club but also take them to even greater heights than their Midland rivals.
Taylor re-joining Clough a key to success
When Clough arrived at Forest, they were in 13th place in the Second Division table. The Tricky Trees’ form didn’t improve much in the second half of the campaign, as they eventually finished 16th in the standings.
In his first full season as Forest boss, they finished 8th place in the table. In the summer of 1976, Clough’s former assistant manager at Derby, Peter Taylor, joined Forest in the same role.
Taylor was scathing when it came to Clough’s squad, reportedly telling the Forest boss, “That was a feat by you to finish eighth in the Second Division because some of them are only Third Division players”.
Taylor set about working on the players, including putting winger John Robertson on a diet, as he believed the Scot was overweight.
Another masterstroke by Taylor was to move young Tony Woodcock up front from his old midfield position in reserve football.
It didn’t take long for Forest to win their first silverware under Clough, as in season 1976/77, they won the Anglo-Scottish Cup, a triumph that would pale into insignificance in the future.
More importantly, Forest was challenging for promotion that season. The Midlands outfit finished third place in the Second Division, winning promotion with their points tally of 52, the lowest ever of any promoted team in the Second Division.
An incredible return to the First Division
Forest knew they would have to strengthen their team if they were to make an impact in the English First Division. They brought in Kenny Burns, Peter Shilton and Archie Gemmill that summer, who all turned out to be crucial players in their future success.
Forest shocked the English top flight with their form, securing the title seven points ahead of runners-up and reigning champions Liverpool. They are one of few teams in the history of English football to have won the top-flight title, having won promotion in the prior campaign.
The victory meant Clough became only the third manager in the history of the English top-flight to win the title with two different clubs.
One of the new signings, Kenny Burns, won the FWA Footballer of the Year, which was made more extraordinary by the fact that he had only converted from a centre-forward to a centre-back at the start of the season.
Forest also won their first major silverware that same season, beating Liverpool 1-0 in the final of the League Cup.
First success in the European Cup
Their league triumph meant that Forest would be in the European Cup for the first time in their history. They were handed a tough first-round draw, as they would face holders Liverpool.
A 2-0 home win courtesy of goals from Garry Birtles and Colin Barrett was enough for Forest to record an aggregate win over the European champions.
The Merseysiders did gain slight revenge on the Midlands outfit on December 9th, as they ended Forest’s 42-game unbeaten record, which had dated back to November of the previous year.
In February, Forest made a landmark signing, signing striker Trevor Francis from Birmingham City. Francis became the first ÂŁ1million player.
Despite a nervy two-legged European Cup semi-final against Koln, Forest became European champions in May 1979. A solitary Francis goal on the stroke of half-time secured a 1-0 win over Malmo at the Olympiastadion in Munich.
Failure to retain the domestic title but retain the European crown
Forest decided they would not play in the Intercontinental Cup. However, they won the European Super Cup by beating the Catalan giants Barcelona 2-1 on aggregate in January and February.
The Tricky Trees also reached the League Cup Final once again but suffered a 1-0 defeat against Wolves courtesy of Andy Gray’s goal.
Once again, Forest shined in the European Cup, beating Dynamo Berlin and Ajax on the way to a final meeting with Hamburg at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Forest prevailed by the same scoreline as in their previous final appearance, with John Robertson’s effort enough to clinch the trophy.
Unfortunately for Forest, their league performances didn’t match their exploits in European football’s elite competition, as the men from the Midlands finished fifth place in the table.
The decline and breakup of the team
The following season, the decline started by a relatively poor First Division campaign continued. Forest exited the European Cup in the first round, suffering a shock 2-0 aggregate defeat by Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia.
The Tricky Trees also lost the European Super Cup on away goals against Valencia. Worse was to follow as they lost 1-0 against Club Nacional de Football in the Intercontinental Cup.
In the summer of 1981, the First Division and two-time European Cup-winning teams were broken up as the club looked to cash in on the players to rebuild the team.
Although Forest challenged for the European places in the following seasons, they never quite rediscovered the spirit or momentum that made them the best team in not just England but the whole of Europe.