The European Champions Cup started with a nasty surprise: the draw paired both English representatives in the first round. Too early and too disappointing to many fans of English football hoping for a final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest. Reigning European cup holders and ambitious upstart. Like some previous seasons, the appearance of two clubs of the same country upset the smooth order of the rounds – the participants were 33 and preliminary match had to be played – Monaco and Steaua Bucharest were the unlucky pair, and Monaco eliminated the Romanian champions. This was small comfort for the French champions – they played with Malmo FF in the 1/16 finals and lost. But it was still normal – a few battles between fairly equal teams happened every year. The big thing was the early clash between Brian Clough and Bob Paisley. Nottingham won – 2-0 in the first leg and 0-0 away at Liverpool. Cup holders eliminated in the first round was rare event. The other big draw was Juventus – Glasgow Rangers. Juventus perhaps was considered a favourite, but the Scots overcome them after losing 0-1 in Torino. At home, they won 2-0 and Juventus was gone. Two more surprises, but on smaller scale – AEK Athens thrashed FC Porto 6-1 in the first leg and the Portuguese champions were practically eliminated. Yet, they fought hard in the second leg – but 4-1 victory was not enough. Wisla Krakow was also the underdog – FC Brugge was expected to win. And they did – at home: 2-1. It Krakow Wisla won 3-1 and proceeded to the 1/8 finals. One last memorable moment, but it was exotic one: there was no doubt which team will go ahead – Real Madrid vs Progres Niedercorn (Luxembourg) was not a contest. In the second leg, played in Luxembourg, the host’s goalkeeper was injured in the 12th minute and had to be replaced. The reserve keeper refused to play – he simply left the bench and went to the dressing room. Thus, the coach Romain Schoder, a man over 40 years of age, undressed and came on the pitch. Real scored him 6 goals – to a total of 7-0 victory – but the old guy played surprisingly well.
The draw for the 1/8 finals favoured the big clubs, but there were two big surprises – Dinamo Kiev was eliminated. Modest Malmo FF managed a scoreless tie in the first match, played for some reason not in Kiev, but in Kharkov, and at home won 2-0. Yet, it was nothing compared to the other upset – Real Madrid was sure winner against Grasshoppers (Zurich). 3-1 in Madrid confirmed expectations, nothing to worry about. But in Zurich the hosts scored twice and Real was scoreless. The away goal in Madrid propelled the Swiss to the ¼ finals. Glasgow Rangers once again had the most difficult draw – against PSV Eindhoven. It looked like the Scots were goners after the first leg – 0-0 in Glasgow. But they won 3-2 in Eindhoven and moved ahead.
Grasshoppers had no more luck – they played against Nottingham Forest in the ¼ finals. The visit in Nottingham ended 1-4. At home it was 1-1 and Forest went to the semi-finals. Once again Glasgow Rangers had no break – this time they faced 1. FC Koln. Tough duel – the Germans won 1-0 at home, but managed a 1-1 tie in Glasgow. Pity… Rangers had the toughest opponents in every round. Austria (Vienna) continued their good run – they had it easy so far, playing against the Albanian champion Vllaznia at first and the champions of Norway – Lillestrom – in the second. In the third round they had stronger, but manageable foe – Dynamo (Dresden). A clash of equals – Austria won. So did Malmo FF against Wisla (Krakow).
And once again the draw upset fairness – Nottingham Forest and 1. FC Koln were the strongest of the last four clubs, but they were paired together. The outcome was unpredictable. Austria vs Malmo FF was also a clash of relatively equal teams, but Austria was the likelier winner – the Austrians were going up for sometime. But it was Malmo FF again – after a scoreless tie in Vienna, they won 1-0 at home. Meantime, big drama – in Nottingham the match ended 3-3. The Germans had quite an advantage for the second leg – 3 away goals. It was very unlikely they could lose a home match and any other result benefited them. But they lost – Nottingham pulled themselves together and extracted 1-0 away victory. The debutant of the tournament went all the way to the final.
Nottingham Forest vs Malmo FF – it looked like no contest… yet, who knows. Yet, the difference between the two teams was too big – Nottingham was the big favourite and since a Swedish club hardly had a style difficult for an English one, it was expected to be the typical English final: fast, relentless attacks, a match played largely in the Swedish half of the pitch, and many goals in Malmo’s net. Forest had Trevor Francis after all. However, the final was dismal, one of the most disappointing finals ever played. Forest did not play like an English team at all – instead of fast paced attacking football, the Brits were slow, careful, and defensive-minded. They played like Italian team… which was no show. Malmo FF were not comfortable with largely tactical opponent and in any case they were not able to raise above themselves – a nice, but limited team. Still, Forest had great difficulties beating them – methodical and careful game was getting frustrating, for the Brits needed to score – otherwise who knows… coming to penalty shoot-out was a big risk. Luckily, Trevor Francis scored – in the very last minute of the first half.
Trevor Francis’ crucial header – 1-0 just before half time.
The static moment tells a story very different from the actual game: it is dynamic, suggesting exactly the typical English football – fast attack, cross, a header, one of many moments created by a dominant team. Five players of Nottingham leaving four defenders hopelessly behind. A cross so dangerous, the poor goalie unable even to react in time. That was what was imagined this final to be… but it was not. Nothing happened in the second half and Nottingham were largely lucky to score this goal – a winning one, to be sure, and thanks God they scored: it would be way too much this torture to continue for another half an hour.
Nottingham Forest (1) 1 Malmo FF (0) 0
45′ 1-0 N: Francis
Nottingham Forest (trainer Clough)
Shilton; Anderson, Lloyd, Burns, Clark; Francis, McGovern, Bowyer,
Robertson; Woodcock, Birtles
Malmo FF (trainer Houghton)
Moller; R.Andersson, Jonsson, M.Andersson, Erlandsson; Tapper (Malmberg),
Ljungberg, Prytz, Kinnvall; Hansson (T.Andersson), Cervin
Referee: Linemayr (Austria)
A moment of triumph – captain McGovern just received the European Champions Cup.
Trevor Francis happy with the cup – nobody deserved it better this day. Thanks to him Forest triumphed. Thanks to him, the boring final ended at least in the regular time. Thanks for winning, thanks for saving viewers from another 30 minutes of horror.
One cannot blame Malmo FF – the best Swedish club was small potato on European scale and deserves admiration for reaching the final. They tried to win it too and too bad they did not – the underdog always gets sympathy. Also, Malmo FF had amazing longivity – it was a team built around 1970 and stayed strong for almost 10 years. Stafan Tapper played for Sweden at the 1974 World Cup, others – at 1978 World Cup. Tapper, Moller, Erlandsson, Cervin, Roy and Roland Andersson were seemingly ever present. Reaching the final of the top European tournament was the crown achievement of this team and their coach Bob Hougthon.
Nottingham was another story – coming from nowhere, they not only won the English championship, but the Champions Cup as well. No other novice to the tournament ever won it – a big bang. Looking back at the campaign, the victory was well deserved – Forest eliminated the reigning cup holders Liverpool and overcome the West German champions 1. FC Koln. When it mattered, they prevailed.
Of course, they were heroes at home and celebrated ‘superb achievement’ – but they also left bitter taste. Yes, they continued the international dominance of English club football. Yes, it was great to see a debutant going all the way to triumph. Yes, they were good squad. But they also were a sign of something depressing: an ugly, tactical football, aimed only at winning by outfoxing, not outplaying, the opponent. Liverpool were exciting, Leeds United was exciting, in general, all English clubs before Forest were adored by fans of the game, for they played attractive, fast, attacking, open football. Forest were slow, watchful, careful, defensive. They waited for a chancy opening, for a mistake of the opponent, for a counter-attack. They were satisfied with a single goal. They were not entertaining – like the Italians. The fact this kind of football was victorious was scary – the joyous total football was seemingly abandoned and transformed into ugly tactical battle. And that was the way football was going. Unfortunately, the future of the game did not look good.
Still, Nottingham Forest deserves a credit – Brian Clough built a strong team, he found the winning way. It was an improving squad. It was also a strange squad…
The genius of Brian Clough was not only in that he won with two different clubs titles, but in his whole approach to shaping a team. He brought to Nottingham some players he worked with before in Derby County. He selected players seen to be over the hill – with reputations, but not exactly big stars. Tough professionals – Larry Lloyd, John O’Hare, John McGovern, Asa Hartford, John Robertson, Archie Gemmill, Martin O’Neil, Frank Grey. It was a line he continued, but it was not his only line. He also introduce young, unheard of yet, talent – Viv Anderson, Garry Birtles, Ian Bowyer, Tony Woodcock. And yet he started making huge transfers, buying greatest current stars – Peter Shilton at first, then Trevor Francis. Suddenly, Forest was not just a team of fighters and players getting a second chance, but formidable squad – with enough depth, so big names can be also unloaded without fear: Archie Gemmill was long gone – to lowly Birmingham City – by the time Forest won their European cup. Asa Hartford was not a starter and his days were numbered too. The team was rather strange mix, but it worked. And Clough continued to shape it in the same way – Stan Bowles was added for the next season, another faded star other clubs shied away of. Meantime Anderson, Birtles, and Woodcock became leading English players. A different kind of magic, but magic nevertheless – Clough apparently was well aware of the qualities of his squad, so he used them in a way unheard of in English football. Their tactical football was surprising for the opponents and thus winning. Tough defense, looking for opportunity, lethal counter-attack, one goal – enough. Painful to watch, but great in its own way kind of football. Nottingham Forest did not look at all like one-time wonder – they were here to stay.