Nottm Forest vs Ajax (European Cup Semi-Final - First leg, April 1980)

[@forestranger5408]

Remember this game well, the atmosphere was amazing. We played one of the biggest teams in Europe at the time, and we played them to death. I couldn't make the final because my Grandad wasn't very well at the time, but we went to the 79 final, my first ever away game. As a seven year old, that game was absolutely amazing, I still get goosebumps now, just thinking about John McGovern lifting the biggest trophy in club football. Coming up to our 40th anniversary, it seems like only yesterday. Thanks for sharing and the memories. COYR🔴🔯🔯🔴

[@DjElSemtex]

Well, to be honest, at that time Ajax was only big in terms of name and reputation. The club went downhill fairly quickly in the couple of years after Cruyff left for Barca and at the end of the 7t's Ajax was a mere shadow of the Ajax from less than ten years before... It would take another 5 or 6 years, when the club would climb some steps again in terms of European success, when Cruyff - yes him again - came on as manager and laid the foundation for success in the late 8t's and 9t's... :-)

[@airpoelie]

Bad game, bad players, horrible field. Ugly goals.

[@yowhy4305]

The return leg in Amsterdam, at Ajax's old stadium was a brilliant trip, with the minor inconvenience of a very nervy football match in which, if memory serves, Ajax battered us with wave after wave of attacks, repelled by Shilts, Spider, Burnsy, Big Larry, Frankie, Bomber et al. One of the key often overlooked elements of that Forest team was it's resolve and it was never more tested. Despite Francis missing a sitter on a rare foray forward, the game was us blunting them for an hour, Lerby finally getting a goal, then like a boxer ahead on points, hanging on for the final bell. Like the stroll the Reds took through the Dam Platz the early evening before, which has given rise to many after dinner anecdotes by those who were involved; how great was the test (on and off the pitch, to borrow a modern Forest chant) and how well the professionals handled it, certainly compared to the small band of us who followed!!

[@raiw1snu]

In that time, from 1977 - 1984, the england club Liverpool, Nottingham Forest & Aston Villa as the champion. Only in 1983 Hamburg. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[@Steve-w8m4w]

I was 11 at the time and forest were the team nobody wanted to play to quote Ferguson Liverpool were knocked off their perch first by brian clough peter taylor and Nottingham forest good to see them back in top four of EPL again

[@rinusvanleuven4595]

It was a great match, I am Dutch and I was there, but as a Forest fan.

[@mohamadabushaerah3637]

I was 8 years old I was following football through magazines, newspapers and radio Nottingham was the first football team I loved and encouraged in my life led by the genius Nigel Cliff

[@pearcegreatesteverleftback03]

U REDS!! We were one of the best teams ever back then with a manager who was The Greatest Ever. RIP SIR BRIAN CLOUGH

[@asidhow4859]

Si le génie Johan Cruyff avait été dans l'équipe de l'Ajax, vous auriez été choqué

[@stevielamb]

Yep, great players, all of them. John Robertson, particularly, was great to watch. I remember reading something (perhaps it was Cloughie's autobiography) stating that when Clough & Taylor arrived at Forest, Robertson was overweight and had a poor attitude. Two years later he was probably the best winger in the league and playing for his country!

[@shunka9]

This was the first Forest match I went to..I was only 9 years old but in my memories the pitch was in a lot better condition! lol I can still remember having my photo taken by the corner flag before the match and feeling what seemed like electricity on my skin from the atmosphere.Magical!

[@giannispeppas1254]

είναι το πρώτο ματς του πάλαι ποτέ κυπέλλου πρωταθλητριών ομάδων Ευρώπης που παρακολούθησα ζωντανά σε μια καφετέρια στις Σπέτσες .Είναι από τις στιγμές που θα θυμάσαι σε όλη σου την ζωή.

[@rjw4762]

I've heard rival fans saying that Forest's success was somehow worth less because we DIDN'T have to beat Man Utd, Real Madrid, Barcalona, Bayern Munich to win the Cups. Well, in 1978-80, the likes of Hamburg, Ajax, Liverpool and Cologne WERE leading European Clubs - and all were beaten over those 2 years. Also, Forest might have played Real Madrid in the 1980 Final...but they were beaten 5-3 by Hamburg. As for Barcalona....Forest played them in 1980 European SuperCup - and won 2-1 !!!

[@talkinghead3169]

Back when all teams were CHAMPIONS of their countries! The old European cup was brilliant and all these teams have been lost to go the top trophy in Europe ...and all for money, and So a few teams can have a monopoly. I'm losing interest!

[@chellenta1175]

Now the world teams compete in European competitions: Brazilians against Brazilians

[@brianclough]

People usually only associate Francis at Forest for his record transfer and winner in the 1979 Final. But as this video proves, he was also instrumental in Forest retaining the trophy with goals in the Q-Finals and S-Finals

[@markallgood9426]

I know a woman whose Dad was the scout at Birmingham City who discovered Trevor Francis.

[@shunka9]

I remember crying my eyes out when we were knocked out in 1981.I just couldn`t comprehend that we weren`t going to win it again,at 10 years of age I thought the European Cup simply belonged to us! lol Thanks for uploading this Steve it brought back some lovely memories .I`ve still got the ticket stubs for the match in a frame on my wall along with the autographs of Robbo,Mcgovern,Larry Lloyd and Ian Bowyer (£3.50 a ticket!lol)

[@rusko123]

mee too ..we probs rubbed shoulders in the Trent End

[@RobCLynch]

I'm a Liverpool fan and I felt exactly the same when you knocked us out in 79. A real feeling of depression, having won the trophy in 77 and 78. Forest were a very powerful team during that era and a right thorn in our side.

[@gianpaolodilallo7755]

As a fan of English football,I remember well that match,good performance by Forest,until his second Champions Cup

[@jackmeough6338]

I joined the air force in March 80. I went to the glamour ties against the likes of Oesters Vaxjo and Arges Pitest. I was polishing my shoes not more than 30 miles away in Lincolnshire but even if I had a car back then, I was confined to camp. Oh, for a time machine.

[@cyrilrogan4069]

RIP Clever Trevor

[@stevielamb]

Happy days! It's probably because I'm an old git that I don't seem to get as excited about football now...

[@ZAOUWV]

Trevor Francis topplayer in those days

[@JacobiteBhoy]

Amazing

[@terrythomas1329]

I think this was my 3rd time at a Forest home game.

[@kristian_goddard]

Never thought I’d say this, but I miss air horns at football matches.

[@meisterlymanu5214]

O Neil never let it go that he won 2...

[@josephpickard3108]

That foul on Francis for the penalty 😂

[@seanokeeffeireland]

forest were great that time why are they not great now

[@andrewmcgeorge7820]

A brilliant team . World beaters. What went wrong.

[@talkinghead3169]

Money in the game. Making a few teams 'Elite' and leaving all the great old Euro teams behind. Shameful!

[@Kelly14UK]

No away goal for Ajax. Cool.

[@gordonferrar7782]

I bet continentals hated coming to England in the 70s and 80s. Muddy pitches and players that could do amazing things but were all up for it physically. Andy Gray brutalising then neutralizing Bayern Munchen with some serious hardcore aerial bombardment comes to mind. Hahaha.

[@okano186]

@seanokeeffeireland they lost their manager Brian Clough who was like the jose mourinho at the time.

[@jackcooper3307]

His likeability and ingenuity was far above the level of mourinho. Considering the state of the tactical side of the game in this country in the seventies he's probably more comparable to Pep (though of course nowhere near as revolutionary)

[@rusko123]

anyone remember the posters in the football post

[@neil5307]

I still have the special pullout...

[@forestial]

Robbo was Scottish