May 30 - Forest win in Europe

NOTTINGHAM Forest have just won promotion back to the Championship but nearly 30 years ago Brian Clough was leading them to the very top of the football world.

It was on this day in 1979 that the City Ground club won the first of their two European Cups when they defeated Swedish side Malmo 1-0 in the final at The Olympic Stadium in Munich.

When Clough was appointed in January 1975 Forest had just lost 2-0 to city rivals Notts County and finished 16th in Division Two in his first season in charge. In 1977 Clough and his trusted lieutenant Peter Taylor led the club to promotion to Division One and amazingly won the league the year after that.

With success at home the club now turned their attentions to Europe but hopes were not high when in the first round Forest were paired with favourites Liverpool. Former carpet-fitter and Long Eaton United striker, Garry Birtles had other ideas though and scored as Forest won the home leg 2-0, and held firm in the second game at Anfield to force a 0-0 draw.

AEK Athens and Grasshoppers of Zurich were dispatched to put Forest into the semi-finals where they came up against German champions Cologne. The Germans managed a 3-3 draw at the City Ground and the second leg looked to be a daunting prospect for the East Midlands team. Indeed, Cologne were so confident of a win that they had already printed the tickets and booked their hotel in Munich for the final.

Pride before a fall, and a brilliant defensive performance and an Ian Bowyer goal gave Forest the win they needed to take them to the final.

There they met Swedish team Malmo, managed by Englishman Bob Houghton and with a team made up entirely of players born in Malmo - a town with a less than 300,000 people. For once this meant that in a campaign of being the underdogs, Forest were now favourites for the final, especially as Malmo were shorn of six of their first team players because of injuries.

The Swedes tried to frustrate Forest, and did so until just before half-time when John Robertson beat two defenders and crossed to the far post for million-pound man Trevor Francis to head home and win the cup.

Clough had won surely the only European Cup final to be contested by two English managers. He said years later: “When I sit in my garden and close my eyes I can still see that moment in Munich when Robertson made his move. Peter Taylor stiffened beside me and grabbed my arm. Robertson is not far from the corner flag. Thee are half a dozen Malmo players in the box. Trevor Francis is hurtling towards the far post, and Robbo sends over the perfect cross. One - nil. Pass me the European Cup. Thank you.”

He added: “It wasn’t a great game but they were a boring team, Malmo. In fact the Swedes are quite a boring nation. But we still won, so who cares?”

Forest proved they were no one-hit-wonders the following season when they won the European Cup for a second time. Have a look at the match below and come back tomorrow for more historical musings from us.

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