Its not often a goalless draw is considered one of the most important game in a clubs history but the goalless draw Forest achieved at Coventry in 1978 is one of those games as it meant that Forest were League Champions for the only time in their history. A John Robertson penalty the previous Tuesday night that gave Forest a 1-0 victory over relegation threatened QPR meaning only a point was required the following Saturday to add the League title to the League Cup won earlier in the season.

Forest had led the table since early October and in spite of critics predicting that the “bubble would soon burst” Forest defied all the predictions as they continued to beat all comers throughout the season. This dominance meant that as Forest headed to Highfield Road chasing glory with still another four games remaining after the Coventry visit.

Coventry themselves had been having an unusual for them good season entering the game in a creditable sixth place after spending many years near the foot of the table. This success was mainly due to the successful forward line of Mick Ferguson and Ian Wallace who had scored 37 goals between them. This partnership nearly became a front line for Forest a few years later as Wallace signed for Forest in 1980 only months after a swap deal involving Ferguson and Martin O’Neill collapsed.

The game was a fairly forgetful affair except for one incident late on when a Ferguson header forced a spectacular point blank save from Peter Shilton. With no further alarms Forest fans were soon celebrating as the they clinched the point required.

Saturday 22 April 1978

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

COVENTRY CITY (0) 0 v NOTTINGHAM FOREST (0) 0

NFFC

Peter Shilton, Viv Anderson, Colin Barrett, John O’Hare, David Needham, Kenny Burns, Martin O’Neill, Ian Bowyer, Peter Withe, Archie Gemmill, John Robertson

sub not used : Frank Clark

COVENTRY

Jim Blyth, Brian Roberts, Bobby McDonald, Terry Yorath, Jim Holton, Mick Coop, Alan Green, Ian Wallace, Mick Ferguson, Barry Powell, John Beck

Referee :           J.E.Bent

Attendance :      36,881

Following Forest’s return to the Second Division in 1951 it was clear that the club were determined not to rest on their laurels and that their next time they left the division it would be through promotion rather than relegation. The club had been absent from the top flight for 18 seasons but that drought was to end after the 1956/57 season when the club finally won their place back in the top division.

The key period for Forest that season was the period after Christmas and New Year when the club won seven successive games. One of these victories was an impressive success over Barnsley. The previous week Forest had trounched Port Vale 7-1 and Barnsley were about to get some of the same treatment as Forest repeated the Port Vale scoreline to record an emphatic 7-1 win over the Yorkshire club.

Star for Forest was centre forward Tommy Wilson who scored 4 of the Forest goals. Others came from Higham, Imlach and Baily. Four (McKinlay, Burkitt, Wilson and Imlach) of the team that played that day would achieve greater success only 2 seasons later when they were part of Forest’s most recent F.A.Cup Final victory.

Saturday 09 February 1957

LEAGUE DIVISION TWO

NOTTINGHAM FOREST 7 v BARNSLEY 1

NFFC

Harry Nicholson, Jack Hutchinson, Geoff Thomas, Bill Morley, Bob McKinlay, Jack Burkitt, Peter Higham (1), James Barrett, Tommy Wilson (4), Eddie Baily (1), Stewart Imlach (1)

Attendance :          25,994

Referee : R.P.Hartley

THE

CHAMPIONSHIP

NO MORE F.A.CUP 1st and 2nd Round and JOHNSTONE'S PAINT TROPHY

HAVE A GREAT SUMMER.