Home of the Tricky Tree

[Bob Williams]

Thought someone might want to see this pic:

We are down atm, but never out.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Like a biscuit you lot do ya?

[Bob Williams]

The Duke wrote:

Like a biscuit you lot do ya?

It’s the shade of red named after the Italian Giuseppe Garibaldi, ” he is associated with the red shirts worn by his volunteers, the Garibaldini… ”

Check him out on Wiki:     http://tinyurl.com/jldyud4

When Forest first formed as a football club, this guy was a general fighting the French and driving them out of Italy. That was 1865, Forest being the 3rd oldest club in English football. Notts County is the oldest, Stoke City second. Interestingly, Arsenal began as a club playing in red after two Nottingham lads (ex-Forest players) went to the Woolwich Arsenal for work, sent home for some old Forest shirts, and the Arsenal FC was born. Gooners don’t like to be reminded of that! Inter Milan play in black and white because some Nottingham lads (Notts County supporters) went there to work and sent home for old County shirts.

Nottingham, giving football to the world.?? Someday we might get it back….

Here endeth the Football History Lesson. Incidentally my lovely old MIL loved Garibaldi biscuits, but she was born in Nuneaton and hated football. FIL had to sneak out to be picked up and taken to the City Ground with me.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[blacklion1725]

Bob its Juventus who have the Notts County colours and connection (Inter are black/blue stripes) but the gist is correct. Juve had their centenary not that long ago and I think played a friendly against Notts County. I also think there is a lot of Notts County memorabilia at the Juve stadium/museum. Good stuff.

On a similar vein apparently Mickey Mouse wears a West Ham watch !

[blacklion1725]

And there’s a Nottingham connection with the other Milan (AC) as well – those lads get about!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-37561828

[Bob Williams]

You’re right BL, it was the old lady (Juve) – failing memory! I was born in Nottingham and have sailed the world twice at 16 & 17, been in the Army all over the place. Everywhere I went, I tried to find somewhere to watch or play football. Must be an environmental effect!

Whenever there is a Forest-County game, County being the original Magpies, (not the Geordies) their supporters will eventually come out with “Come on you Pies!” at which the Forest fans answer is “They’re round the back, round the back, round the back with the Bovril!” But, apart from some isolated incidents, there has never been any real problem with the two sets of supporters: unusual in a city with two teams. Many years ago, County were about to go to Wembley in the play offs for promotion. Lots of Forest fans went to Wembley in support.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

I listen to a few football related podcasts, mostly Liverpool related, and every week they have people on form all over the world, that have come to see anfield. What amazes me, is how many overseas supported groups there are, and how fanatical they are to boot.

People moan about ‘forign supporters aren’t real fans etc…’ I find it thr opposite. If they are willing to get up at 5am on a sat or Sunday  to watch some meaningless league game, and wag work to watch euro games, they are good enough for me.

Plus Everton fans like to ‘brag’ there supported are from liverool, i like to reply, “once your good you may to get some more supporters”

Its a total myth too that more liverpublicans supports the Ev, its not true. The true bit is more of the Ev supporters are scouse compared to thr percentage of liverpool supported. Given we have a world wide fan base. So they don’t get their ‘peoples club’ PR moto, actually means, we are not good enough to have a larger fan base.

Also Ev fans in general are a pessimistic bunch. Such a bitter crowd.

Also they said yesterday there new ground will cost north of 500b and it will only have about the same capacity (45k). The Ev fans heads are starting to fall off over this.

Also they are asking the council for 280m loan, to fund the build, (the current mayor is a big blue so was pushing hard) now he has been told it needs to go to a vote. Fingures crossed more reds comcillors are at that vote. Lol.

[blacklion1725]

True Duke – people bang on about about non-mancs at MUFC too – and there’s a lot – but there’s also a load of mancs. I think it happens at every club and the scale just reflects the size and success of the club. At West Ham I’ve had a drink with fan groups from Ireland, Belgium, Italy, France, Japan and others – all love the club and make a big effort to get there.

I think the resentment comes from the UK-based “I’ll support them cos they are good” type “fan”- especially when they bandy about “we won this/that/the other” – often won’t have ever been to a game (closest they get is talksport – “were you at the game last night?”…..”errr no I couldn’t make it”). See it round here now with Chelsea (kids in shirts etc) – never happened 15/20 years ago.

Always amazd me walking out of Anfield seeing the coaches lined up, how many there were and where they had come from.

[Bob Williams]

Forest have always had a lot of Scandinavian fans, goes back way before WWII, can’t find out how it started. There is still a Scandinavian presence today. It gobsmacks me that guys from Norway and Sweden get on a plane, fly to Newcastle airport and train down to Nottingham, to watch what is  -(sob)-  a currently not very good Championship team. But then we are usually the club with one of the highest average attendances in the Championship, by the end of the season, so that also gobsmacks me. Years of disappointment and still they go to the City Ground: real fans.

In 1991 SWMBO and I went to Majorca and wound up in a lovely hotel. I met a German family there and we got on well. One of their teenage lads asked where we came from in England: well I knew they would have no clue where Mansfield was, so I said “Nottingham” which was where I was born anyway. “Ah,” said the lad, “Nottingham Forest!”

That felt good, until I realised that he pronounced it in better English than mine.??

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[blacklion1725]

It is the universal language Bob! On the roof of a department store in Moscow a couple of years ago (where you got a great view of the Kremlin) – the security guard saw my tiny little crossed hammers pin badge (no wording on it) and went “Ah West Ham” and gave me a smile.

In fact whenever you go anywhere you can always find something to talk about if yu can steer it towards football.

Of course you boys have two European Cups, Duke’s mob have 5, but we are the only club team to win the Wordl Cup single handed

so there!

[The Duke]

BL, you mean that tin pot cup that Roger Hunt won ?

[blacklion1725]

The Duke wrote:

BL, you mean that tin pot cup that Roger Hunt won ?

Wash your mouth out Duke? I was born 3 months before that game and me mum assures me my pram was pointed at the telly and I was gurgling bubbles as Sir Geoff smacked the “they think its all over” 4th goal in.

…..Jimmy Greaves always reckoned Roger Hunt (who took his place) was rhyming slang!

 

[The Duke]

He he he, just trolling ??

[Bob Williams]

BL, I may have visited your street at that time, I was very, very drunk at the time of that (long) weekend. I was probably making less sense than you were in your pram. I do vaguely recall dancing in most of the streets and snogging at least half the female WHU support.

Memories of that game will always be with me, but the aftermath is a bit foggy.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

Lol Bob, I fell sleep watching Liverpool beat man u in Cardiff . one to many on the coach down there.

[Bob Williams]

The 1980 League Cup Final has bad memories for me. Not from the effects of Demon Drink, but the whole day was a mess. I took my now sadly deceased nephew Peter, as I had taken him to every game since I left the Army in ’76. This League Cup would have been a hat trick of cups in the competition, in the year of our second European Cup and runners-up in the League to some other Red mob who played at some place called Anfield, in the Independent Scouse Republic. *More about that later)

The idea was to drive the last of 7 Capri’s I had owned, to Nottingham Station, then onto a Football Special to Wembley, leaving the car in the Station car park for the journey home. The game was a succession of Forest attacks which hit enough woodwork to bring down the goalmouth, two penalties not given to us, Wolves packing the defence. They made two attacks: in the first, Needham knocked over Shilton, who was screaming for the ball, they both fell over and that horrible barsteward Andy Gray had an empty net. Even he could not miss that. Their second attack almost made it 2-0, but George Berry hit the bar. If Larry Lloyd had not been injured, there would have been no collision, as Lloydy and Shilts were almost telepathic and did not get in each other’s way. I actually thought Kenny Burns was going to kill Needham and so did Cloughy: he subbed him. Interestingly, all players on the pitch were either Scots, English or Welsh.

Having lost, nephew and I went home to Notts. At the station, got to my car and must have left the parking light on (Mk.1 Capri: indicator stalk controlled one side of sidelights, as a parking light) End of a perfect day – lost a cup final to a crap team, given a bump – start down the road by other equally p****d off fans.???

*If it had been a draw, we would have won any replay: we were good at replays, we beat both West Ham United and the Independent Scouse Republic teams, after replays, on the way to the final.??

I am now hiding…

 

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[blacklion1725]

Don’t talk to me about the next league cup final (1981) – bloody cheating scousers.

Incidently, 1980 Bob we were the last 2nd div team to win the FA Cup (Sir Trevor Brooking header against Arsenal). 5 years earlier we were the last team to win the cup with 11 Englishment (2-0 versus a Fulham team that included Bobby Moore). In fact even in 1980 we were 10 English + Ray Stewart (a Scot but honorary lieftime hammer nicknamed Tonka). Lucky if there’s two English or Bristish players in many prem teams now. At ours Hart (if he plays), Cresswell, Noble, Antonio, Collins (Wales)  is all I think ot of the whole squad.

 

[The Duke]

Didn’t know Grey played for wolves. Though I was just being born about then.

There should be some rule brought in by Fifa that you need to start 4 or 5 nationals in all top flight games. Probably some law that stops this type of positive discrimination. But would be good for all nations I think.

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