Heroes & Villains – Nottingham Forest
Heroes -The FA Cup team of 1959
It would be all too easy to name Brian Clough as Nottingham Forest’s hero. Every football fan worth his salt knows a little bit about the outspoken manager’s time in the game, so to avoid repetition, I’ve decided not to put Clough as Forest’s hero.
In 1959, Nottingham Forest won the FA Cup for the first time since 1898. Their players are still talked about by grandparents to this day. The closest the club came to winning the cup was in 1991 when Brian Clough guided the club to the 1991 Final, but they lost 2-1 to Tottenham Hotspur. It was the one trophy that Clough failed to win in his managerial career.
The 1959 run started away to non-league Tooting and Mitcham. Forest narrowly avoided humiliation by drawing 2-2. The non league cup were beaten 3-0 in the replay at the City Ground.
Grimsby Town were brushed aside 4-1 in the Fourth Round and Birmingham were trounced 5-0 in a second replay after two 1-1 draws.
Bolton Wanderers, finalists the previous season, were beaten 2-1 at the City Ground to put Forest in the semi final. They won the Semi Final 1-0 in a tightly contested match with Aston Villa at Hillsbrough.
In the Final, Luton were beaten 2-1 thanks to two goals in the opening quarter of an hour. A goal from Luton’s David Pacey in the 66th minute wasn’t enough and Forest held on. They haven’t won the Cup since.
Villain – Robert Rosario
This might be quite an unfair choice but I’m going to go for it anyway!
Robert Rosario was brought to the club by Brian Clough in a last-ditch attempt to avoid the drop in his final season at the City Ground.
Clough had sold prolific striker Teddy Sheringham to Tottenham Hotspur a few days into the 1992/93 season and suddenly the goals dried up. Rosario was Clough’s last roll of the dice but he couldn’t keep the club in the Premier League.
In his ten appearances at the end of the 1992/93 season, Rosario only scored once. The following season he only scored twice in sixteen appearances before playing his final game in April 1994. Injuries stopped Rosario from holding down a regular place in the team and he left the City Ground in 1996.
Rosario went across the pond to end his playing career in America after his time at Forest. He remains one of the most unsuccessful signings in Nottingham Forest’s history, with only three goals in 26 appearances.
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