Man Utd’s historical past with Nottingham Forest

HEAVYWEIGHTS COLLIDE:
WHEN CLOUGH MET FERGIE

Throughout the next decade-and-a-half, till Clough’s
departure and Forest’s demotion in 1992/93, video games between
Forest and United have been eye-watering clashes. Clough, the
East Midlands Ferguson, was grasp of all he surveyed. Solely
Arsene Wenger (60 video games) led his facet out towards United
extra often – Clough’s Forest met United 38 occasions throughout
18 years.
Although no-one could be mentioned to have had the signal over Sir
Alex, few got here nearer. Of their 13 league video games, the victory
depend was break up at 5-5, with three attracts. United completed
second to Forest’s third in Liverpool’s wake in 1987/88; the
following marketing campaign, whereas United completed eleventh, Forest have been
third once more.
There have been an additional three Cup video games. Garry Parker’s
tap-in at Previous Trafford knocked United out of the 1989 FA Cup
within the sixth spherical earlier than their grim future with Liverpool
at Hillsborough. United returned the favour the next
season within the fabled 1-0 success, Mark Robins’s purpose sparking
the run to Ferguson’s first trophy (Forest, in the meantime, gained the
League Cup).
There was Wembley victory over Forest too, within the 1992
League – sorry, Rumbelows – Cup closing, gained by Brian
McClair’s one centesimal United purpose, a sport wherein Forest’s Roy
Keane, simply 20, impressed, and future Purple Teddy Sheringham
additionally performed.
These weren’t the one gamers with shared connections.
The Nineteen Eighties introduced us Garry Birtles, Peter Davenport and Neil
Webb; the Seventies, Ian Storey-Moore and Tommy Jackson,
albeit with various success. Viv Anderson, then of Arsenal
– and such a stalwart of Clough’s classic ‘70s group – was
one in every of Ferguson’s first purchases. And, bringing us proper as much as
date, the purpose that acquired Forest right here by way of play-off victory over
Huddersfield City in Could was engineered in M16 – courtesy of
an help from James Garner, on mortgage from United earlier than becoming a member of Everton final summer time. After a 3-0 win on 27 December at Previous Trafford, we rapidly meet once more underneath a month later. With Forest having fun with a long term within the Carabao Cup, the 2 groups shall be vying to succeed in Wembley and social gathering prefer it’s 1999…

This text first appeared in United Evaluation, the official matchday programme.