WHEN FOOTBALL WAS FOOTBALL: NOTTINGHAM FOREST

Nottingham Forest are one of the oldest football clubs in the world and undeniably the Brian Clough era stands out like a shimmering jewel with Old Big Ead delivering undreamed-of success to the City Ground faithful during his 18 years at the helm. Entering the Football League in its fifth season Forest quickly became stable members and lifting their first major silverware the FA Cup towards the end of Queen Victorias reignthere followed a lengthy period of yo-yoing between the old Divisions One and Two. The '60s brought sustained status with Johnny Careys team finishing as championship runners-up to Manchester United but the early 1970s brought relegation and then came Clough. Such was the scope of Forests transformation that they regained the top flight in 1977 lifted the League title a year later and then followed up with the little matter of winning the European Cup in 1979 and 1980. The heroes of the rarified time John Robertson Viv Anderson Martin ONeill Peter Shilton et al march across these pages in all their glory as the Clough years stretch to 1993 bringing retirement for the turbulent boss and demotion for his team. Since then there have been varying fortunes but here the whole riveting story is brought to life through the magnificent Daily Mirror pictorial archive from which countless gems have been unearthed.