Forest away - your memories

[Fez of Mahrez]

In the runup to Forest away next Saturday I thought I'd do an article about 5 different games at Forest away from down the years each day next week for my Mercury blog.

If people are willing for me to include their name, age and where you're from then that would be a big help. You can PM me instead if you'd prefer.

Basically as much detail as possible about your memories of games away at Forest.

Thanks in advance, would be much appreciated.

[CosbehFox]

I've only been once and it was the emotional game I'd ever been to. 2-2, Adams promotion season.

The grim shadow of administration was upon us and the day before, the club had laid off a number of staff. The mood was rather low given the circumstance and despite our league position. However, after walking from our car and seeing lots of menacing figures, made it to the away end where it was safety in numbers. City fans were singing Lineker's name with him the spearhead for the preferred consortium. Game Kicked off, the atmosphere was raw and victory had begun to mean everything. 2-0 up before the half hour and we were in cruise control. Even having time to laugh at the Yorkie bars launched towards Alan Rogers. Secpnd half continued much the same with Callum Davidson having a golden chance but deciding to attempt a diving header rather than hit it with his weaker foot. Forest began to play and thanks to Jack Lester's appearance began the comeback. Eventually, one was hit back and the time ticked over towards 90 minutes. It was rather intense in the City end, people were pointing to imaging watches whilst the Forest fans above the City support were throwing the occasional object and then one scramble later, in the 96th minute Lester scored. 2-2. Forest's giving it the big un above us and it had all turned a bit naughty.

After walking through the plonkers and idiots including some Leicester fans trying to explain to the coppers that the referee's clock had made them into violent nobs, we made it to the car. I was gutted, the most gutted I'd ever felt. The game just seemed to symbolise the club's uncertain future, given that admin was a relatively new one on modern-day football clubs, didn't even know if we were going to last the season. I wanted to cry but didn't. Made that Tommy Wright tap-in very sweet on a Summer night and seeing Des Walkers 'own-goal' Forest out of the play-offs when we were up, the best slice of schadenfreunde ever. Made me realise in some sense given what happened on the Friday, football really wasn't the most important thing in the world.

[Maybes]

David Connolly bagging a last minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw on a cold December 17th.

A game I sacked off a meal with the family (Dads birthday) for!!

[Fez of Mahrez]

Cheers CF, that's fantastic.

David Connolly bagging a last minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw on a cold December 17th.

A game I sacked off a meal with the family (Dads birthday) for!!

Sir Rob Maybury, 6 ft 7, Leicestershire.

[Unit]

The heart attack. went with my brother and a mate, forest singing "same old leicester always cheating" kicked off big time. we were awful, next game let the goalie score with megson in charge. came back to win it. we all know how it went, brilliant.

[rico]

Losing 4-0 live on Central TV,i think it was 1993

Lars Boheinan ran the show for them that day

[CosbehFox]

Lars Boheinan ran the show for them that day

On that note, Ian Woan is assistant caretaker at Pompey. Remember his left-footed free-kicks for Forest....

[Bert]

My first trip to the City ground, which ended prematurely due to a horrific incident in the City changing rooms. We were down 1-0 at half time, and playing pretty poor.

Just before the second half a lot of rumours were flying about, one I heard was "Allens smacked someone because we've been playing so badly" after a few texts, we were still none the wiser. Then a few minutes later, our players were hanging outside the tunnel, with the then manager Allen, looking clearly distressed talking to the players. A few minutes later, it was announced over the tannoy, that due to a serious incident that the game was going to have to be abandoned. So, we went back to the car and we then found out the shocking incident that had occured, Clive Clarke had suffered a heart and his had had stopped beating. Thankfully, he was revived and lived to tell the tale, but sadly has to retire from the game. As horrible as this may sound, it seemed to be a blessing in disguise.

We all went back in our thousands for the re-arranged game, Ironically this was former Forest manager Gary Megson's first game in charge. Just before the game was set to start, the Forest keeper, Paul Smith went up to the half way line. We were thinking, what's going on? As the whistle went, we looked on in disbelief that we were allowing Smith to walk through us and score. Then it clicked, we were giving Forest the one goal lead that they had deserved from the abandoned game. I'd never ever seen anything like that in my life, and it made me proud to see that our club was willing to do that.

Midway through the first half, Alan Sheehan popped up, and scored with a peach of a free-kick, curling away from Forest's "goal hero" Smith, the away end went nuts. We went in level but soon after the break, we were 2-1 down. Tyson scored for Forest with a clinical finish. With 5 minutes to go, we were looking at an early cup exit. With the onus on us, we made a breakway attack, and the ball fell to Right back Stearman in the box and somehow, his weak shot bobbled through the grasp of Smith. We were ectastic, and were now bracing ourselves for extra-time and possibly penalties! That would've been something!

Again we broke away, and the ball was played up to Mark De Vries, who held the ball up, and knocked it on to skipper Clemence, who curled the ball into the Forest net to make it 3-2 to us. I'll never forget the scenes in the away end. It was carnage, people falling over, hugs, kisses for random people that you were only connected to, by our great club, but we didn't care, we were going through to play away at Villa in the next round.

In such a bizarre affair, it was simply one of those things that you'll never forget, and bar the sad incident that occured, it's something that makes you proud to be a football fan, because it had everything. Goals, Drama, passion, fight and more importantly, we won!

[dandannieldanok]

Can't really add anything to the above but what I can say is that the City Ground is one of the best non-premier stadiums around.

[Daggers]

I've never been, and I know that is not the point of the thread, I find it amazing that it is one of the few places I've never seen us play. A list which also includes Derby and all the West Midlands clubs bar Cov. It never struck me before - I've been to see loads of matches at both Derby and Forest, but not one of them involving my team. Not once during a period of watching City stretching back to the late 70s.

So as a Forest-City virgin I'm hoping for a breakfast with two halves and a decent day without trouble.

The former is a banker.

[clazkel]

Got to be the incident with Clive Clark, it was a surreal moment not knowing what was going on, and the players standing with Allen on the touchline, and then the replay we were running late and followed an ambulance in my car (my dad was driving tho) so got through the traffic pretty quick. Very eventful

[Katy]

Losing 4-0 live on Central TV,i think it was 1993

Lars Boheinan ran the show for them that day

1994 that one horrific game.

[Guest]

1994 that one horrific game.

Being penned in Nottingham station for over an hour before that game was not very nice. The result compounded what was a very bad day.

[Katy]

Being penned in Nottingham station for over an hour before that game was not very nice. The result compounded what was a very bad day.

Peterborough away last season reminded me very much of that game.

[purpleronnie]

I May have this wrong but I think it was 1987 and we lost 2-1 or 1-0, a single goal anyway, I'd only just started going to the odd away match with my dad. Dont remember the game but I do remember the excitement.

If my poor memory serves me right we had a bad run at the end and got relegated.

[BoneDog]

I've been in the away end a few times there to watch us play Forest, but can remember nearly nothing of it !

All I remember about the 4-0 loss at the City Ground is sitting there with my head in my hands hearing Forest fans all around singing 'That Loving Feeling'. It was a horrible day. And when I got back to Ashby I had to walk another 10 miles to get home and was just wishing I'd stayed at home and watched it live on ITV with me Sunday Dinner.

I vaguely remember Stuart Pearce and Iwan Roberts (could of been Walsh) nearly coming to blows which was quite exciting for a second or two.

On a side note, the first time I ever saw Leicester City play in the flesh was at the City Ground midweek night cup match between 87/88 I think. Forest were a top 3 team in England along with Arsenal and Liverpool and Leicester were a league below. I was in the Trent End standing with my then Step-Dad and brother. Step-dad took us to watch Forest cos he was a Forest fan. Forest won 2-1.

I remember looking at the Leicester fans in the away end and loving the noise they were making. That was when my interest in Leicester started and a couple of years later I started going Leicester on the train on my own with my paper round money. I was always a Burton Albion fan when I was a nipper but went to a few Notts County, Derby and Forest matches. Then I saw Leicesters away fans in the late 80's and thought 'I gotta start going there' and that was it, I became an SK3/2 regular and the love affair had started

[placidcasual]

Losing 4-0 live on Central TV,i think it was 1993

Lars Boheinan ran the show for them that day

That game was horrendous. I think we had all our players fit for the first time in a while and I was convince we were going to win.

Though that might have been the huge spliff consume pre game in the bogs.

[Jay]

my first trip to Forest was the Zenith Data Systems cup Northern Area final think it was 1991 Leicester fans were everywhere we had most if not all of the lower tier seating and the old terracing at Forest with the floodlight in the terrace, think we lost 2-0 in the second leg at Forest but at the time Forest under Clough were reaching cup finals left right and centre and Leicester were rubbish.

Even though we lost I loved it that night!

[harpendenfox]

my first trip to Forest was the Zenith Data Systems cup Northern Area final think it was 1991 Leicester fans were everywhere we had most if not all of the lower tier seating and the old terracing at Forest with the floodlight in the terrace, think we lost 2-0 in the second leg at Forest but at the time Forest under Clough were reaching cup finals left right and centre and Leicester were rubbish.

Even though we lost I loved it that night!

good shout, immediately bought back the same memory for me. We were in one of our dreadful periods, and this was a big night out for us. I think you're right, we were rubbish, but we were proud.

I'm also thinking the 93 play off semi against Pompey. Didn't Joachim snaffle a winner for us if memory serves me right? We'd just demolished the old main stand at Filbo so the City Ground became our home ground for the day.

[BoneDog]

good shout, immediately bought back the same memory for me. We were in one of our dreadful periods, and this was a big night out for us. I think you're right, we were rubbish, but we were proud.

I'm also thinking the 93 play off semi against Pompey. Didn't Joachim snaffle a winner for us if memory serves me right? We'd just demolished the old main stand at Filbo so the City Ground became our home ground for the day.

Yes Joachim scored, and a lovely goal it was too. I'm sure he was just about to go to a tournament with England U21's or something a week or two later.

[BoneDog]

my first trip to Forest was the Zenith Data Systems cup Northern Area final think it was 1991 Leicester fans were everywhere we had most if not all of the lower tier seating and the old terracing at Forest with the floodlight in the terrace, think we lost 2-0 in the second leg at Forest but at the time Forest under Clough were reaching cup finals left right and centre and Leicester were rubbish.

Even though we lost I loved it that night!

I was at that match and all I can remember is standing on the terrace next to the Forest fans and spit was flying both ways between us and Forest terrace. A copper grabbed me round the throat (I didn't spit so can't remember why he grabbed me) and snapped my gold belcher chain that cost £19.99. I was wounded.

Did we play Notts County in the semis first? That was a great away night even though it was peeing down and they had no roof, great away terrace they had and we filled it.

[lou]

The last 3 trips to Forest have been bad ones for me, my m8 got beaten up outside a pub and ended up with a broken jaw, then the Clive Clarke thing and we got some twat screaming abuse in our faces and trying to get my Son to fight on our way out of the area near the ground.... 3 women and a 16 year old lad, what a hard man that pratt was!

Then the replay I missed half of due to some other pratt racially abusing my Son and having to give statements etc in the police bit. The thugs mates waited for us outside the ground so we had to ring my other half and his mate to come over and escort us back to our car

Im hoping for better things this time

[Sir Fynwy]

I remember going to the City Ground on many occasions, I might write a story about my visits one day.

[hairy]

On a side note, the first time I ever saw Leicester City play in the flesh was at the City Ground midweek night cup match between 87/88 I think. Forest were a top 3 team in England along with Arsenal and Liverpool and Leicester were a league below. I was in the Trent End standing with my then Step-Dad and brother. Step-dad took us to watch Forest cos he was a Forest fan. Forest won 2-1.

I May have this wrong but I think it was 1987 and we lost 2-1 or 1-0, a single goal anyway, I'd only just started going to the odd away match with my dad. Dont remember the game but I do remember the excitement.

I was there for that. My first ever away match. Went with my sisters BF at the time. We were 10 minutes late for the match as we got stopped by the police coming off the six hills and had to be escorted i a convoy to the ground.

[samjohnson]

Sheehan lines up... He hit it... ITS THERE!!

The only Forest away game ive been to... Great game xD