NOTTINGHAM FOREST 4 CITY 1
F.A. Cup 4th Round
26th January 1974
attendance 41,472
scorers
City Carrodus(75)
Forest Bowyer(18 & 43), McKenzie(23), Lyall(90)
City MacRae, Barrett, Donachie, Doyle, Booth, Towers, Summerbee, Bell, Lee, Carrodus, Marsh – sub Leman(36)
FROM THE PRESS BOX
PETER GARDNER WRITING IN THE MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS 28TH JANUARY 1974
Ron Saunders faces his biggest test since becoming Manchester City manager three months ago, and he hast just 48 hours in which to do it.
He has to lift a side whose morale was shattered in the humiliating FA Cup defeat by a no more than average Second Division side at Nottingham yesterday.
… It was a nightmare for City as they lost two goals in one five minute spell and were 3-0 down at half-time.
But the horrors were all of their own making.
Colin Barrett had a disastrous match and his full back partner Willie Donachie made the mistake which led to yet another goal, his third such error in successive matches.
In fact, for once City were let down by all their youngsters with the exception of Frank Carrodus, a tireless worker whose reward came with a 72nd minute goal.
Within seconds of this goal Colin Bell, who can also be exonerated from blame, shot over when a pass to the unmarked Francis Lee might have paid a better dividend...
What a game that was. 3 day week and packed City Ground. marvellous.
Not see atmosphere like that again. Of will we???
As a 12 year old my brother took me to my first ever football match was in the next round, Forest v Portsmouth. 1-0 on a Sunday with an early kick-off to avoid having to use the floodlights which may well not have come on.
At the time it was illegal to charge entrance to a professional sports event on a Sunday, so instead you paid for a printed team-sheet at the turn-style. I think it was 15p standing for adults and 5p for kids.
In the summer of that year, coming back on the ferry from Belgium, a lorry driver saw my Forest badge sewn onto my bomber jacket and asked what I thought about Duncan McKenzie being signed to Leeds by Brian Clough. That ruined the entire summer holidays for me !
Little did I know how the history of NFFC was to blossom as I saw out my teenage years under that very same Brian Clough.
After that first game, I didn’t miss a home first team match until after they won the First Division.