An Evening With John McGovern

I had the pleasure of attending a talk by former European Cup-winning captain of Nottingham Forest, John McGovern recently. The event was held at the pleasant Embankment pub situated just off the opposite bank of the River Trent from the City Ground, scene of many of John’s triumphs with the team under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. A friend tells me that the events room used for the evening was actually the original office of one Jesse Boot of Boots the Chemist fame. Certainly, a beautiful room complete with some exquisite leaded windows and a fitting place of work for such a luminary.

Image: The Scottish Sun

I was always a great admirer of John McGovern, in his best position as a central midfielder though playing wide right and, in my memory, as a central defender with some aplomb. He was what we might term as a ‘players’ player’ – a perfect professional, always therein support of his teammates on the pitch, an inspirational leader and an individual who didn’t mind doing the ‘dirty work’ for the team. John was a laudable yet sometimes unsung player I always felt. As he would say himself, he was not a player with flashy, eye-catching skills but I will always remember him as the ‘glue’ that made that great Nottingham Forest side of over forty years ago tick. What’s more, for all the wonderfully talented players in that team, for me, they were never quite as fluent in his absense.

The main thrust of the talk was of John’s football career, especially how it was often entwined with the mercurial Brian Clough. The master manager signed him for his first club, Hartlepools United, then for Derby County, Leeds United and finally where some of his greatest his greatest successes were recorded, for Nottingham Forest.

John explained that he was sometimes discounted due to his style of running as he had a muscle missing in his shoulder which left him slightly lop-sided. His initial encounter with Brian Clough was hardly an auspicious one, lining up with the other youngsters to meet Clough, he stood last in a line with the other young lads who all received a welcoming handshake from the manager. Finally reaching John, Clough didn’t extend his hand but rather addressed him thus, ‘stand up straight young man, and get a haircut, you look like a girl’.

There were some amusing stories from Hartlepools, days in particular one game where Clough attempted to coerce Peter Taylor into carrying out the trainer’s job, complete with a bucket of cold water and the famed magic sponge. During the game a player went down injured with the referee blowing up and calling for the trainer on the pitch. Nothing happened. Again, a call for the trainer – nothing. Finally, there was the sight of a sponge being tossed from the dugout onto the pitch, sans trainer.

Image: Irish Mirror

Clough of course had his unique ways of instructing players. John explained that when first in a training session with him Clough ordered him to run as fast as he could to the corner flag and back with the ball. Asking how he’d done, John was then instructed to run again to the corner flag and back, this time without the ball. On arriving back, Clough asked him ‘now which one was easier? Pass the ball!’

I asked John about a particular angry scene on the pitch against Liverpool once and he explained that he’d probably ran towards the referee to ‘even up the numbers’, stating that Liverpool would tend to crowd and influence the referee just as Leeds United were renowned in earlier days.

John McGovern had a wonderful and decorated career and he opined variously on the subject of former Forest winger, John Robertson ‘completely two-footed and a genius’, lack of making intelligent decisions in some modern players and the pitiful acceleration of diving within the game. Memorably, when asked how he thought the great Forest side he played in would have fared against today’s Manchester City, Chelsea et al. He was very confident that the Reds would have been going into these games and expecting a result. I am in agreement with him too.

John McGovern works as Nottingham Forest club ambassador these days and mentioned that manager Steve Cooper welcomed him to get involved with the team. John didn’t feel as though it was his right to give advice though certainly would if asked. As a post note, he felt that  his old team inits present apparition might be short of two or three quality players to tackle season 2023/4.

To end the evening, John joined a group of supporters for a drink and chat for a good time and as well as being an absolute gentleman, proved himself an affable and approachable man. Just as one might have expected of the great midfielder.

Back on Trentside: Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth

I accompanied an old friend to the Forest v Bournemouth game yesterday, a few thoughts about the day:

The City Ground

I felt the half-time score of 2-0 to Forest flattered them a little. For a short period before that Bournemouth had begun to pick things up a bit and starting to threaten. A five-minute VAR check and a converted penalty later, Forest had doubled the lead. Very much the proverbial ‘game of two halves’ Forest crumbled in the second half, as suggested by the scoreline. There were few successes for Forest yesterday with Johnson, a confident and skilled young player, being the pick of them in my opinion. The midfield retreated further and further whilst attacks were generally slow, ponderous and predictable. The build-up play tended to be based around knocking balls across the back, getting it out wide and dinking crosses in from deep positions, rather than getting to the bye line. This line of attack was well handled by Bournemouth with the Forest front three as well not being particularly strong in the air.

By comparison, Bournemouth’s approach play was more sophisticated with short quick passes on the ground around the edge of the box trying to work openings.

The home teams’ back three lacked pace and made potentially expensive errors, the type that will be frequently punished at this level, including one that came to fruition with Bournemouth’s third goal after a mistake by McKenna.

The front three had no variety with three similar technically good players but little power of heading ability. A different type of forward in the mix was needed.

The midfield was shouting out for a leader in it’s midst- someone to really pull things together – as there seemed no player of that type in the side.

Without any bias or condemnation intended I felt yesterday was a huge psychological blow for Forest – one that will be difficult to come to terms with. Three defeats in a week completed with this one with who might well prove to be a relegation rival. Three goals dropped in one half of football at home too.There was little to take from the game from the manager, players or the fans. The latter showed some disquiet as proceedngs went on with a few turning on the team and some general booing at the end. I see early signs of panic in Manager Cooper. It appears to be something of a shock too to myriad supporters who have casually predicted a ‘mid-table finish’.

A thought that occurs is that if this huge quantity of signings don’t work out ,for whatever reason, what then? Where is there to manoeuvre? Forest can’t just keep signing more and more players and this crop of signings HAS to work or there is a huge problem. With all that in mind and judging just on this one performance, which is of course difficult, I see a very difficult season ahead for Forest where just surviving will be the focus.

Saturday’s The Day We Play The Game 2.11.19

Saturday’s the day we play the game.

A squelchy day in the rain is promised for me at Meadow Lane for me today as Notts County take on Hartlepool United at 3pm The ‘Monkey Hangers’ are pushing for a play-off position where the Nottingham side currently reside after a quite magnificent run of form of late. The Magpies, fresh from battering Woking 4-0 in midweek away from home in a seriously good performance will be attempting the tightest defensive record intact.

(Image: Independent.ie)

It’s been interesting watching Notts’ progress since the shaky days of late summer when a side was cobbled together just two days before the first game of the season. They have grown in stature, cohesion and confidence week-by-week. Pleasing too to see Notts boss, Neal Ardley grow with the team after the relentless pressure he had been under since joining the club. A good and decent man.

After the game it’s a dash home by tram and bus to Redhill and hopefully access some coverage of Hibs in their League Cup semi-final against Celtic at Hampden Park. There have been tough times for the Hibees this season of course, with the team consistently offering mediocre and punchless displays. Celtic meanwhile sit atop of the Scottish Premier League and are scoring freely. Expectations will be modest for all Hibees today but at least the team have shown some solidity and resilience of late. My wish is that they have a really good go at Celtic and don’t allow them to play their football. ‘Mon the Hibs.

Nottingham Forest also find themselves pushing for a play-off spot currently after relinquishing what might easily have been a second spot berth for them with two successive defeats. They travel south to Luton Town today hoping to get back on track. Manager Lamouchie reports healthy selection problems.

Peter Cormack, Dementia and Protecting Footballers

Some sobering news about a former footballing hero of mine today, Peter Cormack. Peter and his family have disclosed the news of his dementia diagnosis and symptoms of it he has been experiencing for some years.

Peter was an entertaining and swashbuckling attacking midfield for my team, Hibs, moving to Nottingham Forest where I was able to watch him many times as a youngster. I loved to watch him play and so did my dad who had a very high regard for our fellow Edinburgh native. As a boy I liked to try to emulate his prance-like run as Peter ran on the balls of his feet.

(image: Hibernian.co.uk)

Perhaps Peter’s high watermark as a player came when performing for Liverpool in what became a trophy-laden career, as well as gaining nice full Scottish caps. As a player even as a skinny youngster he could certainly ‘dig’, pass the ball and had excellent control and vision. He was also versatile enough to leave his midfield berth and take over in goal for Hibs in an emergency as well as playing up front or in wide positions as well as his normal midfield slot. His great talent was spotted at an early age by then Hibs manager Jock Stein among others, when in 1964 in a prestige friendly game against Spanish giants, Real Madrid, Peter, just seventeen years-old scored against the legendary club.

(Image: Shoot Magazine)

Peter, though not a big man by any means was so very talented in the air – a great header of the ball due to his agility, ability to leap and his superb timing. It brings up the subject of another former footballer, the late Jeff Astle – also an exceptional header of the ball – who passed away due to a degenerative brain disease in 2002 caused by repeated traumas through heading the heavy leather footballs of the day. This is in light of a recent dementia study that has resulted in the Scottish Football Association considering a ban on Scottish children heading the ball

On a wider note, I have a growing feeling that professional footballers, perhaps due to considerations of their their ‘wealth’ (or assumed wealth) are being somewhat sacrificed for the needs of the game. In Peter and Jeff’s day footballers were perhaps considered differently with much more modest rewards available from the game. In the modern era, it seems to me that players are increasingly vulnerable to addictions such as those of gambling, alcohol and recreational drugs. Stories of depression, anxiety and even suicidality in players due to pressures of the industry and attendant lifestyle are becoming more common and are almost certainly under-diagnosed and reported due to stigma and ignorance. It’s almost as though the players cannot complain about the issues or problems they are experiencing in the public’s view due to arguably, a minority being paid fortunes to play the game many would love to.

I do feel the football industry and individual clubs need to focus more on the health and well-being of football players – no matter how much or little they earn. Money is not a protective factor for health or mental health in these circumstances. Tales of excess and ruined lives litter the professional game and those stories are certainly not relegated to the modern era solely. Players it appears are increasingly more indulged and overprotected in everyday matters of running heir lives and careers. Their personal health and well-being however seems to be a lesser consideration. In some ways, attitudes in the game have not evolved significantly from past days with certain subjects still being subject to stigmatisation.

Good luck and bless you Peter Cormack. You gave me so many happy memories which I will always cherish. Let’s all wish for the better protection generally of the professional football players of today.

Saturday’s The Day We Play The Game 19.10.19

A not too shabby day in Hood Town (i.e. it’s not raining) and it’s another bus-walk-bus to the south of the city and Meadow Lane Stadium to watch Notts County take on a team I haven’t seen since the 1960s – Belper Town, in the FA Cup. Back in those pleasant football-going days it was Belper travelling to Arnold FC’s Gedling Road ground in the now-defunct Midland League. ‘Mary’s’ as Arnold were long known from their days as Arnold St Mary’s FC hold fond memories of Saturday afternoon and Wednesday evening football kicking off at a ground that was walkable from my folk’s front door. A call in at a Front Street chippy for a sixpenny ‘mix’ (chips and peas) with the gang and home to watch Dad’s Army on the telly. Those were the days.

‘Eight One…Eight bloody one!’

In 2019, Belper Town reside in the eighth division of League football and Notts in the fifth. The ‘Nailers’ from the nearby Derbyshire town being expected to bring some 1,500 supporters to Nottingham. Should be fun.

Meanwhile, my dear Hibees travel to Hamilton in Lanarkshire to face the Accies at New Douglas Park. A curious and unpredictable one this after the international break with Hibs showing a little more resilience in the three games prior. Hibs don’t have their problems to seek currently with few of the close season additions being termed as a success. They particularly struggle up front with new signing Doidge not firing as yet and Florian Kamberi out of sorts once more. I’ve a feeling there will be more questions asked of manager Heckingbottom come 5pm today.

The international break came at an inconvenient time for Nottingham Forest who were on a fine run of form and points gathering when the league had its short hiatus. It will be interesting to see if they pick up things where they left off against Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium tomorrow and my hunch is that they will. They have shown a reliable resilience this season so far. It’s too early to be considering prospects for the season currently but I’d absolutely love to see the Garibaldi Reds back in the top flight once more where I believe they belong.

Saturday’s The Day We Play The Game 28.9.19

Saturday’s the day we play the game and it’s off to the city and Nott’s County’s Meadow Lane I go for the 3pm kick off against Fylde FC. It’s bargain giveaway day today as owners of club, the Reedzt brothers, have kindly offered the game for just £3 admission as a thank you for the club’s faithful sticking by their team in the dark days of last summer.

Surprisingly, my new cat-pal-visitor decided not to follow me in the persistently precipitous weather. Cats are so smart. Notts Manager, Neal Ardley in almost a year at the club hasn’t overseen his team experience back-to-back wins in all that time and after a midweek away win, here’s another chance for the Magpies. My Saturday afternoon will be punctuated by a Scotch pie kindly provided by my Glaswegian pal at half time and earlier, checking up on the goings on at Easter Road where Hibs play Celtic. Probably by viewing my iphone through my fingers.

It’s turbulent times at Easter Road of course. Most of the dialogue features releasing Manager Paul Heckingbottom as nauseam with little debate about any other subject. I remain convinced that the Yorkshireman will find it incredibly difficult to turn fortunes around. His own lack of popularity being partly attributable to some challenging and slightly dismissive comments directed at the club’s supporters.

It was good news for Nottingham Forest last night as after an exciting 3-2 away win they went top of the Championship. Great to see Forest on top again – even if it may be short-lived. They are looking like strong challengers this season and play some exhilarating football at times through the likes of the excellent João Carvalho, Joe Lolley and Lewis Grabban.

You’ll excuse me now as the Hibernians have just kicked off and gone ahead courtesy of any own goal by Celtic’s Ajer…

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Postscript:

Notts performed grittily in grinding out a 2-0 victory. Another clean sheet would have been pleasing to them as would a terrific goal by forward, Thomas. I think many have seen the team perform better this season and lost. A moment of note was when the referee was injured in a collision with a Fylde player. Needing to retire from the game, the announcer on the public address system requested any ‘fully qualified referees to please come forward’. Handily, the Pavis Stand generally finds itself well stocked with ‘referees’! The Magpies now find themselves on the cusp of the play-off places for the first time this season.

Hibs competed well in a slightly tempestuous and feisty game with quite some controversy. Manager Heckingbottom managed to get himself banished to the stands after kicking a Gatorade bottle in anger, hitting a linesman! Some good signs but much work to do.

Saturday’s The Day We Play The Game 14.9.19

Saturday’s the day we play the game.

A sunny September day in Nottingham and it’s a trip to Meadow Lane to see Notts County v Halifax Town. The last time I watched these two football behemoths face off must have been about 1973 at The Shay in Halifax, comfortably the most awful football ground I’ve ever stepped in (and that’s a few).

There’ll be no loose shale underfoot on the terrace for opposition fans to throw at each today in a comparatively sterile atmosphere.Just a need to duck no doubt from a few errant long balls coming down from the stratosphere from Notts’ cultured defenders.

My first love, Hibs’ supporters are on the sixty-mile road to Kilmarnock to see Hibernian play. Come on the Hibs!

Forest take on league leading Swansea in a tough-looking fixture on the road at the Liberty Stadium.

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Postscript:

Notts ran out worthy winners by a goal to nil having played practically half the game with ten men after captain, Michael Doyle received a red card.

Hibernian suffered a miserable-sounding 0-2 reverse to Kilmarnock amid fresh clamour for manager Heckingbottom’s head – preferably before the Edinburgh derby in just seven days time…

Forest had a terrific 1-0 win over first-placed Swansea with skilful Portuguese midfielder, João Carvalho apparently showing his full range of trickery.

Newcastle United 0 Dustbins 1

Quite a few Hibs supporters I know seem to have a soft spot for Newcastle United. Maybe it’s an East coast thing but I can’t claim similar, quite the contrary. It’s probably partly to do with them unfairly ejecting Nottingham Forest from the FA Cup a lot of years ago when Forest were giving them a beating at St James’ Park and their fans invaded the pitch and physically attacked the Forest players. A story from a local radio interview this morning with Frank Clark, highly decorated Forest full-back and former Newcastle player therefore seemed extra funny.

Frank mentioned a coach at Newcastle in the early days who’d organised a training session where the first team would play a ghost team (an imaginary eleven). This particular day they tried a different version using dustbins as the opposition – the ball came to Frank and he passed it back to the goalie, Gordon Marshall. Unfortunately, Gordon was sorting out his cap and gloves at the edge of the goal and Frank’s pass went straight past him and into the net.

The coach was furious and abandoned the game – the dustbins had won!

NEWCASTLE UNITED 0 DUSTBINS 1

Goodbye, Philippe Montanier

NOTTINGHAM FOREST BOSS,  Philippe Montanier’s reign of just seven months ends making the club increasingly rudderless. Perhaps surprisingly quoting Churchill, the Frenchman departs with the words ‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts’. Poignant words for us all to consider.

Montanier evidently made a few mistakes but he is a decent man of honour and one with considerable experience and success. Crucially, I don’t believe he was allowed to run his own team due to the meddling of crackpot Chairman, Fawaz. This was most spectacularly seen when Scotland starlet, Oliver Burke, was offloaded to Red Bull Leipzig for £13M and replacing with very little – despite promises to the contrary.

His leaving mirrors the departure recently of John Sheridan, from Notts County – another good football man and talented manager, also after seven months.

Is anyone else utterly bored stiff with the stupid and pointless managerial merry-go-round that is professional football these days?

Notts County 1975/6

This is Notts County pictured in 1975/6 when they finished fifth in the old Division Two. Apparently this was the last time the Magpies finished above neighbours, Nottingham Forest in the league. Of course, a genius had just taken over the reigns on the opposite bank of the Trent and truly amazing things were just about to happen in Nottingham…

At that time I watched a lot of football, each Saturday afternoon visiting Notts’ Meadow Lane or Forests’ City Ground. Most Tuesday and Wednesday night fixtures too. These familiar and affectionate imposters in my football allegiances were however only ever secondary to my one true football love residing at Easter Road and the always treasured trips home to see the green and white. What a team and what players we had in that era too…

The interesting thing about this shot to me is that I can instantly, without hesitation, name every single individual in that team photo, even the reserve goalie. In these times, of numerous loans, Bosmans and short term contracts we can barely even remember who played for our team the season before last.

Just to prove the former point, here goes:

Back row: Dave McVay, Kevin Randall, Pedro Richards, Les Bradd, Arthur Mann
Centre: Ray O’Brien, Steve Carter, Eric McManus, Frank Lane, Dave Needham, Ian Bolton
Front: Jack Wheeler (Trainer) Eric Probert, Bill Brindley, Ronnie Fenton (Manager) Brian Stubbs, Ian Scanlon, Mick Vinter.

Joe Baker – Gentleman and Legend

I talked to a man a few nights ago, just a little older than me, a Forest man all his days. Joe Baker was his great hero as a youngster. He told me that in 1968, when he was just a boy, Joe visited him in the General Hospital in Nottingham. Joe took that little boy a football annual as a gift and signed a photo of him playing in Forest’s dashing away white strip of the time.

Please now flash forward to the early 2000s, not long before Joe passed away. The great centre forward came back to meet his adoring fans from the 1960s in Nottingham. (Joe and his memory continue to hold a very special place in Nottingham – just like everywhere he travelled.) My friend took his football annual from that hospital visit when he was a child to a tiny city pub, The Falcon Inn, where Joe was meeting old friends in town. The landlord who had informed of his visit him asked him to keep it quiet as he didn’t want the wee howf overrun with admirers and fans.

Another meeting some thirty-five years on and my friend got to meet his hero again. Joe apologised profusely to my friend that he couldn’t remember him as a child. He happily said that he’d signed many annuals for the sick children of Nottingham. My pal told him that he’d been his great hero and Joe simply replied, very humbly, that truly, he could never understand why he was so hero worshipped. He said that he was just doing his job which was being paid to score goals. He also said that his time in Nottingham had been the happiest time of his career and that he loved being here.

I’m a Hibs fan, born with it, I have green and white blood but boy did that last comment bring a warm feeling inside.

Joe Baker – gentleman, legend. God bless him.

Football Disconnected From its Supporters?

Reasons why professional football is a ‘bit rubbish’ nowadays, number 7062:

Oliver Burke, is a promising winger who has spent his fledgling football career at Nottingham Forest, recently breaking into the Scotland international ranks at just nineteen years old. Yesterday, he was sold in a shock move to German club, RB Leipzig for thirteen million pounds – despite the fact that he has played only twenty-five times (six as sub) for the Nottingham club. As an aside, the club’s Manager, Phillippe Montanier apparently received very recent reassurances from Forest Chairman Fawaz Al-Hasawi that the player would not be sold as the transfer deadline approached. Those reassurances clearly mean little when coming from Mr. Al-Hasawi as has been noted previously.

It’s my view that although it appears on the one hand ‘good business’ selling such an inexperienced player for such a vast sum, it is though pretty depressing for fans of any club outside of the elite – and Forest are a good, sizable and well supported English Championship club with a fairly glorious history – to know that as soon as clubs outside of that elite unearth or nurture a good prospect, it’s a very short journey to losing him to a bigger club, often as a mere bench filler.

I don’t think anyone is blaming the player or players and it can be levelled that every footballer has his price but then, so does every fan of every team have the choice of walking the other way when they’ve had enough. Football shouldn’t just revolve around a tiny favoured group of elite teams as it now does. We may as well just produce a generation of Sky TV watching Barcelona fans and be done with things.

It’s an interesting comparison that can be made with North American professional sports. Contrary, arguably to the political complexion of that continent, top sports are run on a more egalitarian system, i.e. the NHL and its draft system which allows teams to rebuild from the ground up by receiving first choice on the top young players emerging into senior ranks and therefore with astute trading and team building becoming competitive. I think it works well. Our football though is run on purely selfish and greedy lines which do not serve the majority of fans but rather entertain business first and foremost instead, often to the detriment of the supporters.

The most important factor is the health of any sport itself and to think otherwise is short-sighted. I’ll go further to say that the most important part of a sport is its fans – a much outdated concept I know these days. Unfortunately, the governing bodies in British football don’t behave in a way that suggest they understand or care about that.

Something really needs to change again in football to connect the fans back to their clubs and players as was once the case. To have that close relationship of being ‘as one’ with your club. It’s just sad to observe these days and it just doesn’t feel the same…

Bobby McKinlay – a Portrait of Loyalty

RECENTLY, I CONTRIBUTED to a discussion regarding ‘loyal’ footballers. Those two words together seem an anachronism these days and personally, I don’t see players who deign themselves to stay with the likes of the Manchester Uniteds et all of this world receiving out-of-this-world remuneration

The first player that came instantly to my mind was one that many will not have heard of.

Bobby McKinlay was a Fifer from Lochgelly in Scotland who was associated with Nottingham Forest between the years of 1951 and 1970. Over those years, Bobby made 614 appearances for Forest, his only top class club and scored nine times.

Bobby, though uncompromising enough on the field of play, was a gentleman on and off the pitch and was renowned and loved at the City Ground for that. Young supporters were always, in particular, treated well and kindly by Bobby, him making sure they all got team autographs and bringing treats to share out among the kids when they would gather after Forest training mornings for signing sessions in the club car park.

After retirement he became an officer at the local Lowdham Grange Borstal in Notts, where his even-tempered and understanding way with young people brought him great credit in his new career.

Though playing at centre half, Bobby wore the Garibaldi red fully 439 times before being even booked. The irony is that it was after being pulled up for a foul on an Arsenal player and booting the ball into the crowd, a player by the name of Joseph Henry Baker – a dynamic centre forward who not long afterwards became his teammate at the City Ground starring in a terrific tilt at both the league title and FA Cup, both of which were punctuated by Joe’s lightening quick, exciting forward play, littered with goals and much adulation.

When I think of loyal football players, yes, I think of Bobby McKinlay who left the game of life in August 2002. Times have sadly changed but if there were only a few like him now.

Nottingham Football Report: March 2016

SO CURRENTLY, we have the world’s oldest league football club, Notts County negotiating stormy seas by way of the club being for sale and the team toiling somewhat in the lower reaches of League Two, it’s play-off hopes diminished to a practical state of no return. Unpopular Chairman, Ray Trew has been quoted as saying that ‘oh so brave keyboard warriors’ and their comments on social media about him and his family have finally drawn the conclusion that he wants out – at a price.

On the opposite bank of the River Trent, Nottingham Forest flounder listlessly mid-table with perhaps greater concerns over the ownership of the club than on the pitch. My understanding is that £70m is still owed to former owner, Nigel Doughty’s estate and that a sum in excess of that is owed to the current ownership in loans. I stand to be corrected. Court appearances for non-payment of debts are now becoming a way of life for the City Ground club with the latest set for March 14th for an unpaid tax bill. Only last week Forest were in the media for late payment of their staff which chairman Fawaz claimed was due to a Bank Holiday in his home country of Kuwait. In addition to this, the club still find themselves under a transfer embargo with no guarantee of emerging from it at the end of the season, or if they do, to no great avail.

On the pitch, Notts County have a huge squad of players, particularly at that level of football, who have underperformed and not gelled by all accounts. It would be easy to suggest that it is a case of ‘quantity not quality’ but the truth is that the club acquired some useful signings for this campaign. They have though shipped goals consistently throughout the season and are now struggling manfully under new manager, Scot, Jamie Fullarton’s stewardship. The ex-Forest coach is arguably the least popular manager in County’s long history whilst the atmosphere at Meadow Lane is absolutely poisonous.

Angry scenes as trouble erupts between the Notts bench at spectators during Bristol Rovers’ visit

Forest’s quite recent unbeaten run, characterised by many uninspiring draws is now a memory and the support appears increasingly unhappy and disgruntled about manager, Freedman’s cautious ‘style’ of play which encourages teams to come on to them and take majority possession of the ball whilst the Reds sit back and wait for a break.

This is clearly not Nottingham Forest football.

Back at Notts and one thing about this whole sale matter that appears to have emerged is that although chairman Ray Trew claims it is personal abuse that has driven him out of Meadow Lane (and I have no truck with that) it appears emphasised that this kind of thing has become much more apparent since his appointment of Fullarton as Notts’ Manager which is a deeply unpopular decision among the support. We see from reports though that Trew was actually in negotiation with a ‘Danish billionaire’ before Christmas. to take over the club.

Trew has done some good things for Notts County, especially initially when he basically rescued them from administration and possible oblivion and that should be recognised but his apparent arrogance and inadvisable decision making has since caused the club great harm. I do believe, for example, that a great number of the support have viewed the appointment of Fullarton as a ‘two fingers’ at them and this is one of the reasons for the angry ructions at Meadow Lane since. There is a huge gap between the ownership and the support causing a divided and aimless club.

What’s more, I wouldn’t particularly trust Trew as far as I could throw him the way he is conducting business to sell the Magpies. Only when he finally leaves can that club turn a corner and begin rebuilding this great damage sustained. Hopefully a sale will happen sooner rather than later.

What with the happenings on the black and white side of the local football community and Forest’s apparent inability or refusal to pay their bills on time and now the delayed payment of their staff due to a Bank Holiday in Kuwait. I have no confidence in the state of the way either of our city clubs are being run. I particularly felt for the rank and file staff at Forest, in ordinary jobs, waiting to be paid what they have earned last week. In Forest’s case I think the owners are beginning to make a fine old club look a little disreputable and it’s not good to see. On a practical note, potential signings for the club too will make themselves aware of what is happening in terms of the financial irregularities at the City Ground and be much less likely to sign for Forest.

Sad stuff then from both sides of the Trent. Let’s hope both clubs can turn a corner at some point in the near future.

Alex McLeish and Forest part ways

WHILST HAVING no allegiances, I’m an interested observer of the local football scene and certainly both Nottingham clubs Forest and County find themselves in turbulent times once again, without a manager after various events over the past few days. Notts appear to be indulging their old ‘graveyard of managers’ tag while their counterparts across the Trent seem to be eagerly trying to relieve the Magpies of that title, now searching for their fourth manager in a ridiculously short period of time.

Forest manager, Alex McLeish’s departure was very much on the cards after the debacle of last Friday’s transfer deadline day over prospective signing, George Boyd. If those events hadn’t been the catalyst it seems there would have soon been another trigger to a similar outcome at the City Ground. McLeish had refused to comment to the press last weekend making it obvious he was considering his future.

I’ve no sympathy for McLeish, arguably a despicable character at best it seems and one who shafted my own club, Hibs royally, but the new Forest owners really do take the biscuit. The problem is that the club were in a very vulnerable position after former owner Nigel Doughty passed away and the Al-Hasawi family who took stewardship of the club came along at an opportune time. One of the first things we heard about them in Nottingham was that they were going to bring some players for ‘trials’ with them from Kuwait when they came to the club. For me, the writing was on the wall right there. They appear to know absolutely nothing about football but behave as though they do – a bad mix.

After the Al-Hasawi family claimed they were going to bring in an ‘iconic’ figure as the new manager they brought in the relatively modest Sean O’Driscoll – a good football man, respected by many who seemed like a very good, sensible and pragmatic choice. He was not the big name manager they had promised though. McLeish turned them down at that point too.

O’Driscoll was popular with the Forest faithful. Progress was steady and inconsistency somewhat prevalent however I believe a majority considered that he should be given time to build the club up. I certainly did. It appears that the large egos and ignorance of the Forest board led to them severing O’Driscoll’s contract to bring in their ‘big name’ and to push forward their game plan from one of consolidation and steady progress to ‘ensuring’ promotion.

Forest have a large squad which friends who are regular attenders tell me is ‘much of a muchness’. There is arguably little in the way of Premiership class within that large squad. In the meantime, the owners ‘fiddle while Rome burns’ spending money on two unwanted large screens for the City Ground and nothing in the way of players.

McLeish will surface out of this, reputation intact as he always does. I feel that Forest have much more major turbulence ahead though.

Down in the Forest

It’s been many a long Winter since I’ve ventured into the environs of Nottingham Forest’s City Ground for a game. So long in fact that on my last visit, Forest were in their pomp and nigh on unbeatable under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor. It was with curiosity then that I ventured back, Trentside after so long away, being keen to take in the many changes over the years that would inevitably be evident.

My friend and I parked up early and some way from the ground in the ‘enemy territory’ of Meadow Lane – close to the home ground of Nottingham rivals Notts County. As we walked over River Trent via the Lady Bay Bridge it reminded me of the days when there was little to call between each of the two club’s teams. That was before Brian Clough and Peter Taylor came along and indelibly left their mark on Nottingham history.

The City Ground, Nottingham

Early we were with the intention of a couple of pre-game drinks. We chose The Larwood and Voce Tavern situated in the magnificent Trent Bridge International Cricket Ground nearby. Cutting down Fox Road behind the impressive new stand, views became apparent of the superb interior of the cricket ground which somehow manages to look both traditional and modern at the same time. The Larwood and Voce Tavern, named after the famous pair of Notts and England fast bowlers is very popular for a pre-match drink for many fans. Apart from the predictable plastic ‘glasses’, it’s a very acceptable and good natured venue before the game.