Every successful team whilst having a number of star players also tends to contain some unsung heroes. The Nottingham Forest team that dominated European football at the end of the 1970’s was no different. One of these players was Ian Bowyer. Bowyer had started his career at Manchester City where he won a League Cup winners medal in 1970, he then moved to Orient until October 1973 when Forest manager Dave Mackay was looking for someone to share the goalscoring burden with striker Duncan McKenzie and decided that Bowyer was the man to fill that role for what would be a bargain £ 40,000.

Bowyer immediately was given a place in the starting line up but his introduction did not bring the desired effect as Forest were losing 2-1 at half time although Forest had been severely handicapped as they had lost goalkeeper Jim Barron through injury after only  26 minutes. With only one substitute named in those days it meant that forward John Galley had to play the remainder of the match in goal.

Throughout his Forest career Bowyer would gain a reputation for scoring vital goals for the club at important occasions none more so as the winner in Cologne in the 1979 European Cup Semi-Final. An early sign of this occurred during the second half when against the odds Bowyer scored an equaliser to gain Forest a battling point to build hopes of a potential promotion campaign. Bowyer would become the perfect professional for Forest playing in a variety of different positions including one game in 1987 where he played the last half hour of a game at Leicester in goal after Steve Sutton had gone off injured. He was rewarded with a well deserved testimonial at the end of 1986/87 season for his invaluable service to the club.

However down the A52 at Derby the Football world was in shock following the resignation of manager Brian Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor. In the week that followed the Blackpool draw Derby had decided to appoint Dave Mackay as their new manager. Even though there was calls for Forest to appoint Clough as his replacement, even though talks took place the Forest committee stalled and Clough and Taylor had decided to join Brighton. After an attempt to bring Lawrie McMenemy from Southampton they eventually decided to appoint Bury manager Allan Brown. This decision would prove a poor appointment as Brown would only last 13 months before resigning following numerous protests from a dwindling crowd which at the time was struggling to break 10,000.

Fortunately for the Forest committee Brian Clough was available again after his 44 day stint at Leeds and this time they didn’t delay and the quest for glory began.

Saturday 20 October 1973

LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

BLACKPOOL (2) 2 v NOTTINGHAM FOREST (1) 2

Glyn James, Wyn Davies / Duncan McKenzie, Ian Bowyer

NFFC

Jim Barron (John Galley), Liam O’Kane, John Winfield, Sammy Chapman, John Cottam, George Lyall, Duncan McKenzie, Martin O’Neill, Neil Martin, Tommy Jackson, Ian Bowyer

BLACKPOOL

George Wood, John Curtis, Bill Bentley, Terry Alcock, Glyn James, Peter Suddaby, Mick Burns, Alan Suddick, Wyn Davies, Billy Rafferty, Billy McEwan (Keith Dyson)

Referee :               J.D.Williams (Wrexham)

Attendance :       8,101