or someone who was at the top of the domestic game and was an international before the big money came into English football, you could be forgiven for feeling jealous at the multi-million pound wages that current players earn.

With Steve Hodge you genuinely get the impression that he doesn’t particularly mind. Working under the legendry Brian Clough doesn’t happen to every footballer in the world and swapping shirts with Diego Maradona in the World Cup in Mexico 86 must slightly make up for the lost earnings in today’s game.

Valued between £100,000-200,000, Hodge rightfully decided that it was safer in the Football Museum at Preston’s Deepdale ground – albeit only on loan. Asked whether he would be prepared to sell the shirt he of course quipped: “absolutely”. In fact, he has already turned down three offers from a current England international.

Hodge was talking at ‘An Evening with Steve Hodge’ at the Test Match, West Bridgford on Wednesday 12 November and talked about his current and past employment. He is currently doing some coaching work with the Nottingham Forest youth academy and although he has only seen a couple of first-team matches this season, he believes Colin Calderwood has a good record and is very methodical in his approach.

The mixture of experience and young talent is important and he believes Lewis McGugan is currently the most exciting talent at the club.

He talked openly about the Hillsborough disaster where Forest were almost stuck in the middle of the tragedy that was unfolding before his very eyes. Lee Chapman, who was formerly with Sheffield Wednesday and had links behind the scenes with staff at Hillsborough, was the first person to break the news to him that two people had died in the Liverpool end.

The arrival of two players in two different spells all but ended his Forest career twice. The first occasion it was Johnny Metgod who came to the club which forced him into the left-wing position instead of central midfield. He described the left-midfield position as ‘the graveyard’ as play tended to go down the right hand side and he was sold to Aston Villa.

He was later told after he had finished playing by a former director at the club that the reason Brian Clough had sold him was because he wanted a new team coach and the board weren’t prepared to buy one unless he raised the money through a player sale!

History was to repeat itself in his second spell when a few injuries and a certain rookie midfielder who went by the name of Roy Keane again forced him out of the first team including the 1991 FA Cup Final even though Keane wasn’t 100% fit.

He had a trial at Manchester United at 13 but despite not making the grade at Old Trafford, he could have signed for them later on in his career – had it not been for Cloughie not wanting to sell him to United.

Playing with Ossie Ardilles and Glenn Hoddle at Spurs had a positive effect on his career but it was Bryan Robson who he always looked up to as a role model and player.

Hodge went a long way in the game. From cleaning Charlie George’s boots to the World Cup and winning a league title with Eric Cantona at Leeds United – who could complain about money with a career like that? Either way, he still has Maradona’s Argentina shirt as a tasty retirement fund.

I've just received the first text message for a long, long, long time from a Derby fan abusing Forest. Their long suffering run of a year without a victory came to an end on Saturday night when they beat Sheffield United at Pride Park and followed it up with a creditable draw away at Swansea.

You have to take the rough with the smooth and a year with little abuse or piss-taking texts was certainly nice and it was refreshing to have a rest-bite. Now the tables have turned, or have they?

Ok, so the Sheep fiddlers have overtaken us in the Championship league table but is it really time to start panicking? Personally I don't think so. 

Colin Calderwood deserves a great deal of respect for the job he did of taking us to promotion last season under extreme pressure from fans who, realistically have unfair expectations. Take the summer for example. The amount of fans I heard talking about finishing in the top six and gunning for promotion to the Premier League have seriously banged their heads.

I see this season as a consolidating year and a mid-table finish would be a superb achievement. If you look at Calderwood's record in the transfer market, with the exception of Neil Lennon from a player perspective, every signing has been pretty successful overall.

There's no need to start getting on Colin's back just yet. Nobody wants to be in the relegation zone at any level of professional football but he's done a good job so far and he deserves the chance to test himself at a higher level with Forest in the Championship but it won't be all plain sailing...as the Wolves game proved the other week.  

The Championship is often described as the most exciting league in England and this season should be no exception. Six new teams will be plying their trade there next season but all 24 will have dreams of promotion no matter how it comes about.

Whether it be automatic or via the playoffs, clubs up and down the country will be wanting to gain entry into the biggest league in the world – the money spinning Premiership.

As a Nottingham Forest supporter, I’m going to take a look into what we can expect from teams this season and try to establish just what might be in stall for the Reds and indeed how the league might shape up.

The first game Forest fans would have been looking for on fixture release date was the visit of arch rivals Derby County and vice versa. Following their disastrous relegation campaign from the Premiership last season, Paul Jewell has brought in half-a-dozen players in an attempt to bounce back at the first attempt.

Rob Hulse has arrived from Sheffield United along with Przemyslaw Kazmierczak from Porto who adds Champions League experience to a squad who are hardly brimming with confidence. Nathan Ellington from Watford is expected to grab the goals but unless they begin the season well, Jewell could well find himself with the Derby fans on his back. With so many new players arriving at Pride Park it could take a while for the side to gel.

The other sides relegated from the Premiership were Reading and Birmingham. Blues boss Alex McLeish has been busy in the transfer market bringing in veterans Lee Carsley from Everton and Kevin Phillips who scored 22 league goals last season for West Brom.

Marcus Bent turned down a move to Cardiff City to join from Charlton and add this to the likes of James McFadden and Sebastian Larsson then they certainly should be there or thereabouts. They have however lost Olivier Kapo who has joined former Blues manager Steve Bruce at Wigan.

Steve Coppell has decided to give it another go at Reading who have kept the majority of their squad together except Dave Kitson who has joined Stoke City for £5.5m. Not a bad profit of £5.35m following his move from Cambridge United in 2003. This cash will need to be spent wisely on a new goalscorer as Leroy Lita can be inconsistent or suspended and Kevin Doyle, although proven at the top level, can’t do it without help.

Reading stormed the Championship last time around and I would expect them to be among the leaders should they use the money from the Kitson sale to good effect.

The bookmakers favourites are Queens Park Rangers. Despite finishing only 14^th last season, boss Iain Dowie has targeted a Premier League push with the extensive riches of chairman Gianni Paladini along with Flavio Briatore, former Formula One man Bernie Ecclestone and steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal.

They will be relying on Patrick Agyemang’s goals again after his nine strikes when joining from Preston North End midway through last season and former Plymouth man Akos Buzsaky in midfield is their dangerman. Young Italian striker Samuel Di Carmine has joined on a season’s loan from Fiorentina.

Wolves manager Mick McCarthy is another manager that has been busy in the transfer market. He has added Charlton’s Chris Iwelumo and Bournemouth’s Sam Vokes to boost the front line. David Jones has arrived (the player not Cardiff manager or from Pirates of the Caribbean) from Derby along with Richard Stearman from Leicester and former Republic of Ireland international Ian Harte on trial.

They will be looking at improving on their 7^th place finish last season and into the playoff places at least which I thoroughly tip them to do so with the goals Sylvian Ebanks-Blake scored last season.

Losing playoff finalists Bristol City have invested in Egyptian striker Emad Moteab for £1.5m but will be lucky to seal a playoff place for a second year running. Watford and Crystal Palace were the other sides to fall at the playoff hurdle last season.

Watford manager Aidy Boothroyd is another boss who could feel the force of expectation this season after underachieving considering after their superb start to the campaign last time around. They have signed Jon Harley from Burnley but have got rid of Steve Kabba to Blackpool and Nathan Ellington as already mentioned. With Darius Henderson and Danny Shittu also being linked with moves away from Vicarage Road, it could be a long hard season for the Hornets.

My player to look out for is John-Joe O’Toole in the midfield. Composed on the ball and built well for a youngster, he could be the difference between a playoff push or a mid-table finish.

Neil Warnock’s young Palace side who did so well to climb the league table since his arrival have been dealt a harsh blow with Jordan Bostock leaving the club. Chairman Simon Jordan, who rated the lad nearer the £5m mark and described him as “one of the best players the academy has produced in the last 10 years”, joined Tottenham Hotspur for a “scandalous” £700,000 decided by tribunal. (This could rise to up to £2m plus a sell-on clause and bonus related to international appearances)

Jordan feels so strongly about the decision that he has announced he will quit the club at the end of the season. On the pitch however, another blow for Eagles fans was Clinton Morrison’s decision to leave on a free transfer and join Coventry City. His departure has seen Luton’s young prospect Calvin Andrew arrive for £80,000 but he will have a huge job to fill the Republic of Ireland international’s boots.

Charlton Athletic will be looking for an improvement on their 11^th place finish as will Sheffield United who ended up in 9^th spot although they did struggle at the start of the campaign under Bryan Robson.

Alan Pardew will be looking to rely on young talent as he doesn’t have the Premier League parachute payments but he has signed 32-goal machine Stuart Fleetwood from Forest Green Rovers and is also looking at Team Bath’s Sean Canham who bagged 41 goals last season on their way to promotion. Non-League to the Championship is a big step up though and they could struggle to adapt.

The Blades under Kevin Blackwell are always a tough side to beat and have added Premiership players to their squad with Greg Halford signing from Sunderland and Sun Jih ai who arrives from Manchester City. United have warded off interest in James Beattie over the summer months and he will be hoping he can repeat his 22 goals again this season. Billy Sharp is always a danger and with Jonathan Stead also on the books, a playoff spot may not be too far away.

Coventry City manager Chris Coleman looks like he is going to give it a real good go this year with some excellent signings including Morrison, Freddy Eastwood from Wolves and League One’s goalkeeper of the season Keiren Westwood from Carlisle United. Forest target Leon Best and the likes of Danny Fox and Michael Mifsud could make the Sky Blues a surprise package.

FA Cup finalists Cardiff City have lost Robbie Fowler to Paul Ince’s Blackburn Rovers and Aaron Ramsey has joined Arsenal for £5m but the Bluebirds have signed Mark Kennedy and managed to hold on to star performers Roger Johnson, Paul Parry, Glenn Loovens and Peter Whittingham.

Burnley, Norwich and Ipswich will all be wanting to push for those playoff places this year. Clarets boss Owen Coyle has signed Scunthorpe’s Martin Paterson for around £1m and Peru goalkeeper Diego Penny. He has also used his Scottish connections to net Dundee’s Kevin McDonald and Dundee United’s 31-year-old Norwegian defender Christian Kalvenes.

Adi Akinbiyi and Robbie Blake should get double figures between them this season and providing they keep the goals out at the other end then they should be in the top third of the table.

Norwich City manager Glen Roeder has strengthened in all areas including Nottingham Forest’s Sammy Clingan on a Bosman and Fulham’s Dejan Stefanovic. Another Fulham man Elliot Omozusi and Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand join on loan spells as well as the brilliant season-long loan signature of former Arsenal and Derby County forward Arturo Lupoli from Fiorentina. David Bell also joins from financially crippled League Two strugglers Luton Town. Former Forest loanee Darren Huckerby has left Carrow Road though and will play Major League Soccer for the San Jose Earthquakes.

Norwich’s rivals Ipswich Town have re-signed fans’ favourite Richard Wright from West Ham, Gareth McAuley from Leicester City and Kevin Lisbie from Colchester United. Jim Magilton has also taken Ben Thatcher on trial with a view to a permanent deal. Ipswich’s home form last season was a joy to behold but their away results were awful. If they can find some sort of consistency then you just never know where it could take them.

Plymouth Argyle have signed former Arsenal youngster Graham Stack but have arguably lost their best player in Peter Halmosi who has joined Premiership new-boys Hull City. Plymouth finished a respectable 10^th last season and Paul Strurrock will be hoping Rory Fallon and Jermaine Easter can continue their goalscoring exploits.

Southampton will be hoping new manager Jan Poortvliet will not take them into a relegation battle this time around after surviving on the last day at Leicester’s expense under Nigel Pearson last season. Former Forest striker Stern John managed 20 goals last year but the problem appears to be at the other end with the Saints shipping 72 goals, only Colchester, who finished bottom, conceded more. Captain Youssef Safri has jumped ship to join Qatar Sports Club and Rudi Skacel could be the next player out of the door.

It’s not all bad news however as the Saints had a sell-on clause on Peter Crouch’s move from Liverpool to Portsmouth. A season of struggle is my prediction.

Blackpool, Barnsley, Preston and Sheffield Wednesday will also be looking to avoid being sucked into a relegation battle again. The Owls under former Forest full-back Brian Laws could be set for a takeover which may give the club some extra funds but doesn’t necessarily confirm Laws’ job with Alan Shearer being potentially lined up by the new consortium. The signings of Chelsea’s Jimmy Smith on loan and Gareth O’Connor from Burnley might not entirely inspire the Wednesdayites and another bottom-half campaign could be on the cards.

Barnsley, despite an excellent FA Cup run last season which included beating Liverpool at Anfield and Chelsea at Oakwell, failed to set the Championship on fire under Simon Davey. He will be hoping new signings Darren Moore from Derby and Iain Hume from Leicester can keep them tight at the back and dangerous upfront respectively. A promotion push is highly unlikely.

Preston have signed Aberdeen midfielder and former Colin Calderwood target Barry Nicholson and boss Alan Irvine will be hoping Brett Ormerod’s experience at the City Ground on loan at the end of last season will help reap rewards at Deepdale for his side. Neil Mellor’s goals will be key for the Lillywhites but if Karl Hawley can also find the net then their 15^th place finish last season should be easily achievable again.

Blackpool manager Simon Grayson had an opportunity to join Leicester City in the summer but made a good choice in staying with the Tangerines. Adam Hammill has joined on loan from Liverpool and Jermaine Wright has joined from Southampton as well as Kabba as already mentioned. Grayson continues to trail Paul Dickov on a free transfer who netted six goals in seven starts on loan at Bloomfield Road last season. Their aim for this season is surely to stay up but whether they have the strength in depth is a different matter. Foreign investment might just save them.

Fellow League One promotion gainers Doncaster Rovers and Swansea City make up the rest of our opponents. Despite missing out on Paul Anderson on loan from Liverpool, Swans boss Roberto Martinez has strengthened with the re-signing of Febian Brandy on loan from Manchester United and Mark Gower from Southend United. Martinez has again gone continental in signing Spanish players Gorka Pintado and Jordi Gomez plus Argentinian full-back Federico Bessone.

Doncaster Rovers, who beat Leeds United in the League One Playoff Final back in May, have lost big striker Mark McCammon to Gillingham but have signed Darren Byfield to replace him. They have also lost Paul Green to Derby County but signed Burnley’s John Spicer. Matthew Mills’ loan move from Manchester City has been made permanent.

Sean O’Driscoll has also taken former Rangers, Hearts and Celtic defender Steven ‘Elvis’ Pressley on trial. They played the best football in League One last season so will be looking at the likes of Brian Stock to help play their way out of trouble. Goal scoring will almost certainly be their downfall with Jason Price and Paul Heffernan hardly prolific.

Finally but most importantly we move on to Nottingham Forest. Colin Calderwood has lost Kris Commons to arch-rivals Derby County, Sammy Clingan has moved to Norwich and Junior Agogo has left for Egypt.

Coming the other way is Robert Earnshaw from Derby County for £2.65m and midfielder Guy Moussi from French Ligue 2 side Angers SCO for around £280,000. Former Manchester United and Newcastle veteran Andrew Cole has joined on a free transfer and former Arsenal midfielder Stephen Hughes is on trial along with Polish goalkeeper Gzregorz Szamotulski.

A mid-table finish is a realistic ambition for the Reds but if you can win the majority of your home games and pick up results along the way away from home then there’s no reason why a playoff spot couldn’t be nicked at the finishing line.

Defensively I think the Reds may have to improve unless the likes of Wes Morgan, Kelvin Wilson, Julian Bennett and Luke Chambers can rise to the occasion and improve their level by playing against better players.

Guy Moussi in midfield should begin to pull the strings but will need to get used to the quick tempo of the English game quickly. Chris Cohen and Lewis McGugan, although both young, will need to rise to the challenge also but Arron Davies and Garath McCleary might just surprise a few people on the wings.

In Nathan Tyson, Robert Earnshaw and Andrew Cole, the Reds have guaranteed goals in them providing they receive the service and with Commons now gone, it will be interesting which player takes the bull by the horns and turns creator. Whether it be Cohen, McGugan, Hughes or one of the wide players, creativity is a must for players like Earnshaw and Cole to thrive off.

All-in-all it promises to be an exciting season and certainly one that I’m looking forward to.

My tips:

CHAMPIONS: Birmingham

AUTOMATIC: Reading

PLAYOFFS: Wolves, Sheffield United, Q.P.R., Derby County

RELEGATION: Southampton, Doncaster, Blackpool

After all the elation of the final game of the season and with the feel-good factor well and truly back at The City Ground, a slight blow has brought everyone’s feet back down to Earth. So it looks like the club’s so called ‘prodigal son’ Kris Commons is set to take the short few steps down Brian Clough Way and onto the dark side.

Even Darth Vader himself would be a brave man to swap the picturesque setting of Trentside for the industrial estate of Ramsville.

Commons is a supposedly self-confessed Reds fan but has decided to take advantage of the fact that he is out of contact to test the water and has inevitably been released. I think we as fans all knew last summer when he only signed a one-year deal that if we didn’t gain promotion this time around it would have been ‘thank you and goodbye’. The 24-year-old revealed he wanted to play Championship football at least and preferably with Forest.

Commons told Icons.com last April: “A lot of our plans for the future as a club and as players will depend on us being promoted to the Championship. It's the minimum level that I want to be playing at personally”

That’s fine Kris but we’re there now. Why didn’t you even consider staying? At least listen to what we were prepared to offer. Don’t give me that rubbish that a contract wasn’t on the table earlier because everyone knows you would have waited to see what division we would be playing in before making a decision. And besides, if we’d have offered a deal in March then it wouldn’t have been half as much money as we wouldn’t have known which division we would be in.

This is why I find it odd that a player that openly admits where his heart lies would now decide to move on after getting to the level of football he wants to be.

There is one reason why he is set to sign for Derby as, with most things in this world, it revolves around money.

Allegedly, Derby County have offered Commons around £9,000 per week plus bonuses. Lets say for arguments sake he’s on around half that at Forest. Surely that would tempt you? Double your weekly wage? £468,000 per year plus bonuses instead of just over £200,000 per year? With a three-year contact you become a millionaire and set for life.

Added to the fact his missus had the horrible news regarding her pregnancy, for all we know she might want a fresh start, a new challenge. You’ve seen examples of that in the past with players such as David Unsworth. He signed for Aston Villa from West Ham for £3m but his wife was fuming and didn’t want to live in the West Midlands and so was transferred for the exact same fee less than a month later to Everton.

Even more recently you’ve seen Lee Carsley leave an Everton side in Europe and competing at the top of the Premier League to move closer to family in the Midlands with Birmingham grabbing his services despite being in the Championship now.

It’s just the way it is occasionally. We don't know and probably won't know what is going through his head. Although as fans we don’t like to admit it - there is more to life than football sometimes.

As for Commons now though, his own personal life could be ruined. Being abused in the street and on the terraces. He will become public enemy number one in Nottingham should he sign for the Sheep.

There’s no doubt he has great ability as a footballer. He has disappointed me this season though to be honest. He’s always blown hot and cold but he’s certainly replaceable. It will be interesting to see what Colin Calderwood’s plans are. Whether Tyson will now play wide left of a front three or if Chris Cohen will fill the void as left winger should he opt for a 4-4-2 formation.

Only he can decide but whatever happens, Commons will be a loss but I for one will not be losing sleep over the fact he has left.

Ten years had passed since the City Ground witnessed real celebrations. I remember the day well, Chris Bart-Williams crashed home a late winner against relegated Reading to send the Reds back to the Premier League prompting joyous scenes across the ground as hundreds of fans danced around on the pitch and mobbed Pierre Van Hooijdonk and the other players as they attempted to reach the sanctuary of the dressing room.

The date was April 25th 1998. I was swept up in the jubilation of the occasion but my tender years had prevented me from stretching my support to much more than a number of games. It has been a constant pain to me that, in subsequent years as I began to follow Forest on a frequent basis, it has frankly been awful. Small highs have been obliterated by catastrophic failures and collapses, with the greatest example being the two play-off defeats.

Regular embarassment had become our forte during our stay in the third tier especially. The flag that claimed us as champions at Walsall in only our second game in this division was quickly discarded, while mention games at Chester, Milton Keynes, Yeovil, Bournemouth (the list sadly is seemingly endless) and it brings a cold shudder to anyone that witnessed them.  

One day we thought, one day we must have something to celebrate...

Step forward Saturday 3rd May 2008, ten years almost exactly to the Reading game. The day it all worked out. For once we had something to smile about and rather fittingly, it came against Yeovil Town. While it is difficult to pick out the lowest moment of the dismal last decade this day stands out like a shining beacon. Within that spilt second when the full-time whistle was blown, all the heartache and despair we have suffered was wiped in an instant. It all was worthwhile, for if you truly want to taste the highs then you have to first stomach the lows.

As I ran across the front of the Main Stand I had the one goal of reaching the pitch. It had eluded me all my life but now there was no way I was missing out. With hundreds of others already congregating on the pitch I found my gap between the dugouts and vaulted over before beating the world record over three metres to reach the sweet City Ground turf. The next few minutes was mainly a blur but it seemed apparent in hindsight that, like me, most people didn't really know what to do once they were there. The breakthrough had been achieved and all that was left was to hug strangers. In the absence of friends, who i'd lost in the stands, I zoned in on faces I vaguely recognised and we embraced like old pals.

We had all longed for this moment and finally it had arrived. Typically, it was not done the simple way but our unorthodox route made it all the more enjoyable. The players and manager, berated by many for large parts of the season, were welcomed back onto the pitch as heroes by their adoring supporters and were soon mobbed as Pierre and his boys had been in '98. This time though it had been our sheer desparation to escape from the hell that is the third division that made this occasion that little sweeter.

And so we leave behind the League One bedlam for calmer waters. The Johnstone's Paint Trophy and F.A Cup first round is no more. We have served our time and, on ocassions, thoroughly enjoyed it but no more, no more. We are back, not where we want to be but that can wait for now. We remember the laughs, the snides and that banner on the M1, but now we are back...and we are coming... coming to get our trophy back...

As results filtered in from a crucial Saturday of action at the top of League One, Forest supporters will no doubt have been left with a feeling of uneasiness concerning their sides promotion battle. The ability of teams jostling alongside The Reds to produce consistent results from tricky away games is a habit Calderwood's men have yet to master as the season enters its final straight. The home defeat by Carlisle has well and truly set the alarm bells ringing and left a dark cloud hanging over the City Ground.

A short perusal of the fixture list for 1/3/08 seemed, on paper, a near perfect line up as fellow promotion hopefuls Swansea, Doncaster, Walsall and Leeds all faced difficult games away from home. This was possibly a chance for Forest to gain a firm footing on the second spot should results go their way and they themselves be able to overcome 2nd placed Carlisle. By 5pm on Saturday evening however, the reality was that four wins out of four for the aforementioned sides dropped Forest down to fourth and made the Carlisle encounter an even more important match than it already was.

Where The Reds have failed, the likes of Doncaster and Walsall (not to mention runaway leaders Swansea) have successfully picked up points on their travels on a frequent basis. Doncaster currently have the best away record of the top eight picking up 16 points in their last seven league away games, followed by leaders Swansea who have 15 from the same number.  Walsall have amassed 10 whilst Carlisle and Tranmere have 7 points. Forest, over their last seven games have a total of 6 points. Forest's downfall will be their inability to pick up points on the road, especially it appears against teams at the lower end of League One. Saturday's results support this statement. Leeds and Walsall both won at Swindon and Luton respectively where Calderwood's team failed to even show up and lost both. Swansea were winners at Huddersfield, a ground that Forest have failed to win at in over ten years whilst Doncaster continued their solid run with a success at Tranmere whom Forest visit next month. 

Briefly forgetting other teams and away form, what was essential was a victory at home to Carlisle. This would have propelled them back into second position despite other results and maybe the possibility of settling for a draw in the away fixture. The result was obviously a complete disaster and, even at the beginning of March, leaves our automatic promotion chances hanging by a thread. To stand any chance, Forest must now defeat both Doncaster and the Cumbrians on their home grounds and also put together not just a good run of form but a tremendous one that would return nine or ten wins and and no losses. It is a damning verdict on this club that, as supporters, we can be almost certain that this will not happen. We have been here before and will no doubt be here again, let down time after time. This, to be fair, has been an ongoing problem for several seasons now but none surely as spectacular as the current set-up? The only word to describe them is bottlers.

Although away form has shown a small revival with four points gained on the back of solid performances at Elland Road and Brisbane Road, forthcoming trips to Crewe and Northampton as well as rivals Doncaster, Carlisle and Southend will test the players' resolve and hopefully allow them to show they do have the stomach for the fight which has too many times already this season been lacking.

The game at Crewe on the 9th March incidentally should prove an interesting test. The Railwaymen currently sit uncomfortably in the relegation zone where Forest have consistently struggled when facing similar opponents this season. Trips to Luton, Bournemouth, Gillingham and Millwall have all resulted in a poor performance and only one point between the games that came in a late fightback at The Den in January.  

There is no longer any room for error as they chase their target of second place. Forest need to mirror some of their rivals and string together a win of runs. Swansea have proven it is possible and the rewards are obvious as they lie clear at the top of the table by a margin of thirteen points and head for certain promotion. What is more likely though unfortunately is one of the other teams to begin a run of victories meaning the play offs will be looming once again come May.

At the very least, at this moment our destiny is still in our hands. Now is the time for the players and management at NFFC to stand up and be counted.

Fresh faces and new signings will always give a football club and it’s supporters a shot in the arm. Whether you are signing a big name player in the summer to boost season ticket sales, grabbing a player on loan to increase numbers or even signing hungry young players to create competition for places, the transfer market is important at any level of football.

With the January transfer window opening and closing in quick succession with more outgoings than incomings at the City Ground I was beginning to panic a little. Barry Robson was obviously a good player and has certainly peaked later on in his career being 29-years-old and settled down with a wife and kids. But the lure of Glasgow Celtic is massive, especially if you’re Scottish, and once they were sniffing around there was more chance of Bobby Robson signing than Barry Robson plying his trade in League One.

The news that William Richard Hoskins would be arriving at the City Ground has certainly put confidence into my mind. It was the correct move to make as opposed to swooping for Coventry’s Leon Best in what was becoming a highly inflated price tag. The thing that frustrated me most about the Best saga was the fact that he could have signed for Forest last summer from Southampton.

Colin Calderwood spoke to the lad about joining the Reds but he made it perfectly clear he would prefer to remain in the Championship as opposed to League One and thus joined Coventry City instead for £650,000. What has changed? I’m sorry sunshine, if you wanted to join your home club town, you would have jumped at the chance last summer instead. I suppose they always say money talks.

There’s no doubt he has quality judging by the brace he scored the other week against Barnsley at the Ricoh Arena but £1.5m plus extras is a huge gamble considering you can still use the loan market. Loaning Will Hoskins is beneficial in many ways to both the player and the club. Firstly, we as fans and Nottingham Forest as a club can make an executive decision on how good he is before they commit themselves to purchasing the player.

You could sign Cristiano Ronaldo for Forest but if he wasn’t happy or didn’t settle in the area then it would be no good for anybody. Hoskins shouldn’t have that problem for a start, he is actually from Nottingham which links in nicely to the club’s current craze of signing up and coming young players that are linked to Nottingham in some way.

You’ve only got to look at the likes of Julian Bennett, Kelvin Wilson, Wes Morgan, James Perch, Matt Thornhill and Kris Commons to see the club are trying to build a squad that understands the city, the region and the club which is perhaps an area where the Reds have failed in previous years.

Hoskins comes with a glowing reputation of being a young striker who can score goals. 25 goals in 81 appearances at this level for Rotherham United plus another four goals whilst on loan at Millwall earlier in the season suggest that given the service, this lad will get us some goals. A fee of £500,000 at the end of the season if the loan deal is successful is a much better deal in my opinion than shelling out £1.5m+ for a player than cost only £650,000 five months ago and has struggled to score in the Championship.

A loan deal to see how Hoskins gets on and therefore allows him to settle in for next season should he want to stay is a much better way of approaching a signing given the choice. This way, Forest are able to get the best of both worlds.

Daniel Mounser

Another year is almost upon us and what an important first five months to 2008 it could be for Nottingham Forest Football Club. Looking back ten years ago to 1998 brings back some great memories.

I’m not talking about former US President Bill Clinton’s claim that he did not have ‘sexual relations’ with former White House intern Monica Lewinsky. Yes, I’m sure he enjoyed reaching his climax but I’m actually talking about a more important act of passion. Of course I’m reminiscing about the last time the Reds won a trophy and of course regained top flight status.

Those of you that visited the market square to see club captain Colin Cooper holding aloft the Division One Championship trophy from the balcony of the council house in front of thousands of Tricky Trees will agree with me that it was a very proud moment.

It may not be a European Cup or ‘proper’ league title but for fans like myself that were unfortunately born in the wrong era of relegations and lower division mediocrity, it is the only silverware we have seen in the last 15 years.

Hopefully we won’t have to wait too long before we can add to our impressive trophy cabinet in the Main Stand. It looks possible the likes of Swansea, Leeds, Carlisle, Doncaster and Tranmere will be there or thereabouts come the end of the season. We actually play one of the above teams each month between now and our final game against last season’s nemisis Yeovil Town on Saturday 3 May.

It will undoubtedly be how we perform against these sides that dictates whether we storm through to win the league, settle for second place or slip away into the gamble of the playoffs again. My girlfriend is already dreading the option of being in the playoffs again after last time. I was a jabbering nervous wreck during the playoffs last season and a real pain in the arse and grumpy bastard afterwards so God help her if we have to go through that again. That’s not even mentioning the hangover afterwards, it’s not worth contemplating.

Hopefully come May it will be Ian Breckin’s turn to wash his hands, kiss the gleaming silver League One trophy and raise it to the Forest faithful with red and white ribbons swaying as we return to the Championship.

Hands up who’s going into the market square fountain first?

By Daniel Mounser

(picture courtesy of www.anagramgenius.com and please buy the Nottingham Forest fanzine Blooming Forest which is released on Tuesday 1 January 2008 priced at a bargain £1)

At a time when Premiership sanctuary and European glory is all too important due to the high financial rewards they bring, the domestic cup competitions in England have over the last decade sadly began to decrease in importance. The elite of English clubs now see the League Cup especially as a non-entity and only a handful of top flight clubs resist the opportunity to rest their first team players. In recent years that tactic hasn't just been exclusive to teams in the highest division either. The well worn phrase 'concentrate on the league' has never been more apparent.

The F.A Cup has also seemingly followed a similar path to that of the League Cup and is all too often a unecessary burden for managers. Whilst still remaining a major showpiece event in England, it too has has lost much of it's appeal. In the last twelve seasons only four clubs have lifted the trophy. Not since Everton in 1995 has one of the 'big four' not ended up as winners.

In the lower leagues the subsequent money generated by a cup run does keep the love alive but more often than not, that alone is the overiding factor for clubs who struggle to stay afloat. The F.A Cup does still provide a major source of income for teams. Televison revenue and gate receipts can double a clubs turnover and provide in some cases to finacial salvation. It is perhaps the competitions single largest contribution to the game these days. 

What still remains though is those unrivalled showpieces that are anually provided with the 'David v Goliath' fixtures that are thrown up. This is why the magic of the cup is still as strong as ever in non-league football. The belief that part time players can possibly play at Old Trafford or Stamford Bridge is always a big draw to teams and fans. Whole towns get 'cup-fever' and get behind their local team. Harrogate Railway, Horsham and Staines will no doubt be experiencing similar events before there games this weekend.

Despite stats suggesting that attendances are on the increase, the fact remains that by and large some of the romance has been lost for the F.A Cup. Forest will struggle to get into double figures for tonights replay against Lincoln which includes 2,000 away fans. Pricing obviously is a big reason for that but as cup attendances at The City Ground in previous seasons suggest, there is not that much interest.

Quite what can be done to arrest the slide is hard to say. Cheap tickets offered by clubs often work but are only short term fixes. Managers and their players are judged on their success in the league so from their point of view so often will not put as much effort into a cup competition. At Forest for instance, Colin Calderwood is expected to deliver promotion this season without question. Is it worth it to risk injuries and suspensions in a cup that he isn't going to win? Different clubs will have different expectations but, for those in the football league especially, it seems that the the cup is now losing its magic.