Match Five: Forest VARobbed

Return to the City Ground

The next match on my agenda was a return to the  time in four City Ground for the first time in four years.

First, I had to make my way from Cardiff through to Knutsford to two old mates from Nottingham University and then drive over the Pennines to the place of my birth Kirkby-in-Ashfield, to catch up with old school mates.

Previously, Match #4 Cardiff City 1 Watford 2

Searching for The Birches in the Black Mountains

I chose to go to Cardiff City v Watford as it gave me a great excuse to visit the statue in Elaine Morgan's honour. It also let me choose a route away from Cardiff which let me try to tick off another goal, to find the isolated house on the side of a mountain where Elaine started her writing career. When her husband, Morien, and her moved there in the early post-war years, it had no running water, toilets or electricity but it's extreme isolation would provide the perfect scenario for Elaine to put her mind to writing.

The Birches is actually traceable on Google maps but I had to drive to the tiny hamlet of Michaelchurch Ecsley to ask some locals for confirmation.

First, an excellent Welsh Breakfast at m B&B in Cardiff with a Welsh Cake thrown in.

Welsh Cake

Full Welsh

Lincoln House Hotel in Cardiff is lovely, but the organ doesn't work. I wanted to see how much of the Ukrainian national anthem I could remember.

Then it was off to find The Birches.

After arriving, I asked a few locals about the place on Google called "The Birches". When they said it was up the Black Mountains I thought this must be the place, as it was how Elaine described it in her autobiography. 

Stopped for a quick bite to eat at the Bull's Head.

From there, The Birches, was not much further, sitting on the edge of the Black Mountain range that forms the border between England and Wales.

Onto Knutsford then across the Pennines

Google instructed me to take a tortuous route north. The heavens opened up too to make the journey even more stressful and I arrived later than I'd hoped.

I had a lovely night catching up with my old uni mates in Knutsford and they very kindly put me up for the night.

Another great day! Mood score 12-0!

The next morning, I set off east across the backbone of England to go back to my home town of Kirkby-in-Ashfield.

I stopped for a bite to eat in Bakewell.

Then it was off the Chesterfield to have an obligatory selfie at Chesterfield's new ground. The friendly staff would have let me in to the ground to see inside but there was about to be a wake for John Duncan who passed away on 8th October.

Duncan played for Spurs and Derby and was Chesterfield manager
for one of their most successful periods

 

Chesterfield's famous crooked spire

It is a very impressive ground.

Back to Kirkby

After that, it was the short journey back to my roots in the small mining village of Kirkby-in-Ashfield where my first stop was 46 Cookson Street, where I grew up. I always make this pilgrimage but this time it was very sad as the house seemed to be totally derelict. 

Just down the road, past the still functioning Butler's Brother's Bus company, where I'd hidden once playing truant from the nearby school a few hundred meters away.

Jeffries Junior School, now called Forge Academy Trust

When I finally arrived at my mates' in Kirkby it was out for lots of beers. A quick one in appropriately named "Dog House" before going to The Cricketers, where I'd been many times before, most memorably on my 21st birthday.

Another great day. 9-0.

Match Five: Nottingham Forest 2 Brentford 2 

This was my 308th visit to the City Ground, four years and two days since my previous one. It was the 443rd time I'd seen the tricky trees and the tenth time I'd seen Brentford. 

I caught the fantastic tram service from Hucknall to Nottingham.

I was so pleased to see the Ukrainian flag flying high above Slab Square in the city center.

After a bit of shopping at Marks & Spencers I walked to the ground the way I used to in the old days, by the canal.

Brentford Team Bus

Cobb = roll or bun

Trentside boat sheds

Outside the Trent End, venue of the Legends Lounge, the only ticket I could buy

All Forest tickets, both home and away, have been long sold out so the only way of buying a ticket was to pay through the nose to watch in the warm and comfortable Legends Lounge.

The Legend today was Gary Mills, who became famous when he made his Forest debut against Arsenal at the age of 16 back in 1979. Gary was interviewed and then made himself available for photos, autographs and selfies.

With Gary Mills, who made his debut v Arsenal at the age of 15

My view was pretty good

Morgan Gibbs-White scored a cracking goal to give Forest a deserved lead. Forest had six shots on target to Brentford's zero as half time approached. This was looking good for thee points.

Forest had already had one good, and one half-decent, penalty claims waved away before a poor pass from Frueler led thier striker Wissa bursting forward to a one on one against Henderson and what happened next was grimly predictable. Murphy's Law reared its ugly head as Wissa appeared to fall at just the right moment for Henderson to make a slight contact on his knee. Wissa didn't appeal but stayed down provocatively. The referee Marriner didn't react for what seemed an eternity before he presumably received some message from above that he should watch the incident again on the screen. Inevitably, a penalty was awarded and Brentford grabbed an undeserved equaliser as they went off to a very angry crowd.

 

Brentford were understandably lifted in the second half and dominated the game until they scored another goal which struck us through the heart.

But Cooper's substitutions made a difference and Forest fought hard for an equaliser which finally arrived in the 6th minute of injury time. Relief all round, but this was a game we should have won.

As they say...

We woz robbed.

Beers in Nottingham afterwards with a couple of mates from Kirkby and a couple who we met for the first time from Brentford.

As I was my first time back in blighty on 5th November, I was wondering if there'd be an opportunity to go to some Bonfire Night fireworks, but the one scheduled in Nottingham had been cancelled.

Oh well...

Another brilliant day. 19-0.

Next match #6: Harrogate Town 3 Carlisle United 3