European Supercup

The European Supercup continued to be without fixed place in the calendar – the challenge depended on agreement between the participants and difficult to fit in their schedules. Thus, the 1979 issue was played in 1980. The first leg in Nottingham at January 30,1980 and the second leg – Ferbruary 5 in Barcelona. By that time the opponents were different teams than the ones winning the European Champions Cup and the Cup Winners Cup back in the spring of 1979. Barcelona was a ‘new team’, whatever that meant. In reality, there was one big change – Neeskens was gone and Allan Simonsen added. Forest was more similar to its previous team – in philosophy. Two new players were added – both of the kind preferred by Brian Clough: aging, faded, mercurial stars. Charlie George and Stan Bowles. Both yesterday’s news and not very desirable by now, thanks to their records of erratic, unpredictable performance and general conduct. Other managers stayed away from them, but not Clough. Nottingham was in good form, so was Barcelona – both teams in mid-season, at their seasonal peak. Which meant a duel of two not very attractive teams as far as playing style was concerned. A battle between two tactically minded teams was not to be a great show – and it was not. It is hardly remembered clash… little evidence remained from it. At home, Forest scored and early goal and won 1-0. Charlie George scored in the 9th minute – once again the suspect veterans of Clough delivered. In the second leg Barcelona scored from a penalty in the 25th minute – Roberto converted. In the 42nd minute Kenny Burns equalized – again, one of the Clough’s favourite ‘goners’ raised to the occasion. Nothing more happened to the end of the match. Nottingham won the Supercup.

1st Leg, City Ground, Nottingham, 30 Jan 1980

 

Nottingham Forest (1) 1 FC Barcelona (0) 0

9′ 1-0 N: George

 

 

2nd Leg, Nou Camp, Barcelona, 5 Feb 1980

 

FC Barcelona (1) 1 Nottingham Forest (1) 1

25′ 1-0 B: Roberto (pen)

42′ 1-1 N: Burns

Nottingham Forest won 2-1 on aggregate.

Barcelona’s ‘new look’… may be, but nothing new. Simonsen and Krankl were supposed to do more than just ‘looking new’ – the team continued to play as they did before: tough, unattractive football. Not a great team… wins were problematic, if coming at all.

Nottingham Forest on the other hand was building rapidly quite a trophy room. Barcelona was the latest victim of tough, winning at any cost football – but who cares? Certainly not the fans in Nottingham.

Back row, left to right: Ian Bowyer, David Needham, Trevor Francis, Kenny Burns, Martin O’Neill, Peter Shilton, Larry Lloyd, Charlie George, John O’Hare.

Front row: Frank Gray, John Robertson, Garry Birtles, Viv Anderson, Stan Bowles.

Impressive collection of names… who hardly won anything in their best days with another clubs. But under Clough they rapidly made up for the past: Shilton and Francis won nothing with their former clubs; Lloyd did, but the big international success of Liverpool happened without him; Charlie George and Stan Bowles – limited success in the past; O’Hare – one time English champion with Derby County and Clough. Now it was handful of trophies in just two years – and seemingly there was no end to that. 1-0 meant a new trophy, simple as that. These guys were masters of minimal victories and to hell with memory – nobody remembers their matches with Barcelona, but the Supercup was in their hands – and that stays in memory: the best in Europe.