O/T:- Forest v Sheff Utd

[sidders]

I cannot see any situation where forest going up is going to benefit Notts in fact I see the complete opposite & hope it never happens, it could well lead to us losing another 2 or 3 generations of potential fans. Anyone who supported us in the early 70s (pre Clough) will remember when we last genuinely challenged forest for superiority, then disaster struck they started winning things & we are still paying the price supporting them became the easy option & we lost 90% of the young support. Obviously their fan base is made up of descendants of the Clough bandwagon jumpers but over the last few seasons we have seen signs that supporting Notts isn't the weird choice that it was once seen & gates & more importantly for youngsters, credibility that it once was. However such is now the medias obsession with the Premier league that Forest joining the elite & getting the coverage & financial benefits that come with it I fear the worst, even if we enjoy a season of them getting stuffed every week & breaking all records the damage could be already done. COYP

I'll tell you a situation where Forest's promotion benefits us: the loaning of players. We could become a trialling base for their new talent, especially local youngsters who might not quite make it at top level.
Beggars can't be choosers and we have to accept that those days where we mocked Forest's failures are over. For the foreseeable future we are playing a distant second fiddle in Nottingham but at least the first fiddle see a use for us.

[ancientpie]

I'll tell you a situation where Forest's promotion benefits us: the loaning of players. We could become a trialling base for their new talent, especially local youngsters who might not quite make it at top level.
Beggars can't be choosers and we have to accept that those days where we mocked Forest's failures are over. For the foreseeable future we are playing a distant second fiddle in Nottingham but at least the first fiddle see a use for us.

If they fail to get promoted I will mock like I have always mock their failures, like it or not we are in direct competition for fans & the more success they have the harder it becomes for us. The gap is now as wide has it's ever been but forest being in the Prem would take it to a new level, a level where it would be very strange if they were to loan any players apart from very raw trialists to us. Our gates have begun to lift at last but if the worst case scenario was to happen it could easily put a block on that, for a young kid it has to be difficult enough to support Notts when most of your classmates go across the river but with the coverage & money involved with the Prem the temptation to go glory hunting could prove to much, the local media already fawn over the reds to the extent that radio red had live commentary on an under 18 game last week & the redrag is now little more than a forest fanzine, can you imagine it, I'm afraid I can & I don't like it, I may be a begger but there's no way i will ever choose to hope that they do well. COYP

[upthemaggies]

If they fail to get promoted I will mock like I have always mock their failures, like it or not we are in direct competition for fans & the more success they have the harder it becomes for us. The gap is now as wide has it's ever been but forest being in the Prem would take it to a new level, a level where it would be very strange if they were to loan any players apart from very raw trialists to us. Our gates have begun to lift at last but if the worst case scenario was to happen it could easily put a block on that, for a young kid it has to be difficult enough to support Notts when most of your classmates go across the river but with the coverage & money involved with the Prem the temptation to go glory hunting could prove to much, the local media already fawn over the reds to the extent that radio red had live commentary on an under 18 game last week & the redrag is now little more than a forest fanzine, can you imagine it, I'm afraid I can & I don't like it, I may be a begger but there's no way i will ever choose to hope that they do well. COYP

I was at primary school in early 1977 and nobody talked about football. As far as I knew I was the only one who'd bought a few packets of Topps Football cards (with the chewing gum sticks). I distinctly remember one particular play time because there was a small group of older lads having a game with a tennis ball and I'd never seen that before, "Oh, they're playing football like on the tele, that looks fun." Nine months later, when we returned after the summer holidays, something had clearly changed. Loads of people were collecting the "Soccer Stars" lick-the-back to stick cards and more and more began to say they supported Fword. Every break time from then on there'd be at least three games going on. By the end of 1978 there was a classroom where the teacher had put up a display of Fword programme covers with paintings of the badge or match scenes and the headmaster was playing the "Got the whole World in our hands" record in assembly.
I really will feel for any young Notts fan if Fword go up.

[1955pie]

If they fail to get promoted I will mock like I have always mock their failures, like it or not we are in direct competition for fans & the more success they have the harder it becomes for us. The gap is now as wide has it's ever been but forest being in the Prem would take it to a new level, a level where it would be very strange if they were to loan any players apart from very raw trialists to us. Our gates have begun to lift at last but if the worst case scenario was to happen it could easily put a block on that, for a young kid it has to be difficult enough to support Notts when most of your classmates go across the river but with the coverage & money involved with the Prem the temptation to go glory hunting could prove to much, the local media already fawn over the reds to the extent that radio red had live commentary on an under 18 game last week & the redrag is now little more than a forest fanzine, can you imagine it, I'm afraid I can & I don't like it, I may be a begger but there's no way i will ever choose to hope that they do well. COYP

I agree with you 100% ancient. If we fail to go up and Forest do, the difference will be vast.
No player loans, no press coverage, much reduced radio cover, very few new young fans, declining income and momentum.
As I see it, Forest are the Championship form team. Wrexham / Solihull are the National League form teams.
So it is not looking good.
Lets hope I'm feeling much better tomorrow and even better on June 5th.
We can do it.

[LaughingMagpie]

I cannot see any situation where forest going up is going to benefit Notts in fact I see the complete opposite & hope it never happens, it could well lead to us losing another 2 or 3 generations of potential fans. Anyone who supported us in the early 70s (pre Clough) will remember when we last genuinely challenged forest for superiority, then disaster struck they started winning things & we are still paying the price supporting them became the easy option & we lost 90% of the young support. Obviously their fan base is made up of descendants of the Clough bandwagon jumpers but over the last few seasons we have seen signs that supporting Notts isn't the weird choice that it was once seen & gates & more importantly for youngsters, credibility that it once was. However such is now the medias obsession with the Premier league that Forest joining the elite & getting the coverage & financial benefits that come with it I fear the worst, even if we enjoy a season of them getting stuffed every week & breaking all records the damage could be already done. COYP

Totally agree. I don't buy this good for the city rubbish. It would be a disaster for us.

[garibaldi]

I cannot see any situation where forest going up is going to benefit Notts in fact I see the complete opposite & hope it never happens, it could well lead to us losing another 2 or 3 generations of potential fans. Anyone who supported us in the early 70s (pre Clough) will remember when we last genuinely challenged forest for superiority, then disaster struck they started winning things & we are still paying the price supporting them became the easy option & we lost 90% of the young support. Obviously their fan base is made up of descendants of the Clough bandwagon jumpers but over the last few seasons we have seen signs that supporting Notts isn't the weird choice that it was once seen & gates & more importantly for youngsters, credibility that it once was. However such is now the medias obsession with the Premier league that Forest joining the elite & getting the coverage & financial benefits that come with it I fear the worst, even if we enjoy a season of them getting stuffed every week & breaking all records the damage could be already done. COYP

You were nowhere near Forest's attendances for the whole 25 years before Clough joined except for a one off in 1973.

http://european-football-statistics....eague/notf.htm

http://european-football-statistics....eague/notc.htm

It's hilarious that this old wives' tale is still being spun in this day and age as fact despite a simple internet search scything it down every time.

[ancientpie]

You were nowhere near Forest's attendances for the whole 25 years before Clough joined except for a one off in 1973.

http://european-football-statistics....eague/notf.htm

http://european-football-statistics....eague/notc.htm

It's hilarious that this old wives tale is still being span in this day and age as fact despite a simple internet search scything it down everytime.

So what happened in 73 gari ? did your lot suddenly decide to have a season off? or was your support dwindling because we were at a level ? how far should we go back into history to prove a point? (we can go further than you) the fact is that in 73 your average home gate was in the 9,000s & a few years later you were averaging 30 odd thousand can you convince me that this was not bandwagon jumping on a grand scale? don't get me wrong all successful teams need bandwagon fans & I would like to think that if we were the team to make the investment & step we would have got them (although it did tickle me that people who needed directions to your ground were suddenly life long supporters) but my point is that we have & continue to compete with the remnants of these "fans" & their descendants, i realise that I am wasting my time arguing with somebody who chose the easy route but doesn't it seem ironic given your dislike for the Rams that you & yours have followed the sheep ? COYP

[Notts78]

The momentum Forest had going into the play off is key. One reason we need to win tomorrow to keep our bit of momentum.

I wouldn't be surprised if Forest go up this season and it could well benefit Notts with even better players on loan....if we manage to get back in the EFL though.

Forest didn’t win either of the last 2 games. Drawing the last game with Hull equalising in the 95th minute. A game they made 8 changes for. Yeah, that’s the momentum we need. That’s the momentum Forest had, which did naff all to impact on the impressive display yesterday.
Whatever happens today will not define what happens in the playoffs.

[keldsyke]

The momentum Forest had going into the play off is key. One reason we need to win tomorrow to keep our bit of momentum.

I wouldn't be surprised if Forest go up this season and it could well benefit Notts with even better players on loan....if we manage to get back in the EFL though.

I did wonder if the result at Bournemouth would derail their promotion bid, but today’s performance showed it hasn’t

[crazyfists]

2-1 now, agree on the forward play especially how quick they get it forward down the flanks and then into the box. Will be an interesting second leg Tuesday, will also be interesting to see Mansfield later tonight too to see how they set up…

Yeah Johnson is a good player, Sheff Utd though have themselves a life line but they looked all over the shop in defence. If Sheff Utd get the first goal though on Tuesday then yeah it'll be a good second leg, I really enjoy the playoffs. Maybe we'll all go up in the playoffs this year, I would definitely take that if we went up! Gets you excited though for our games and feeling more confident the closer they get. COYP