The Rambling Red - Issue 12 02/05/03 | by TrickyMatt

“What the world is waiting for”

The title of this article derives itself from a Stone Roses song and I feel befits the current state of play all things Forest. For so long the Reds have occupied a top six spot and fans have discussed and pondered the possibility of the play-offs for an age. Well now they are within touching distance and the up and coming month will ultimately decide the fate of what has been an excellent season for Nottingham Forest.

Since my last set of ramblings (aside from the Rambling quiz) Forest have played a vast amount of games throwing up a mixed bag of results.

I have to make a special mention to the date I won’t forget in a hurry, March 19th. Having taken a day's holiday so as to ensure attendance, victory was all the more essential, let alone the fact that it was against our most hated of rivals. I needn’t have worried but as a Forest fan, I haven’t been able to reside comfortably for many a year.

Pre-match activities saw the obligatory beers in Hooters which was bustling as always with expectant Forest fans. In the said establishment, a group of Sheep I knew of were sheepishly (pardon the pun!) supping away. My closing retort as I exited stage left was “looking forward to getting stuffed?”

How right I was! The atmosphere that night was incredible. I have been paying homage to the City Ground since 1988 and that particular atmosphere was right up there with the best I have experienced. The first 25 minutes of the game were bordering on the unbelievable. Yes, we all know Forest have a far better team than the Sheep, but 'Derby' games are nearly always tight and I was expecting a real dogfight. Of course as we all know, we completely destroyed them and I was close to heaven when Darren Huckerby nodded home number two. The shell-shocked Sheep were a picture. I recall walking around at lunchtime the following day with a smile broader than the Trent. Amazing.

Of course the Forest ship ran into stormy waters soon after as the games against promotion chasing teams began to take their toll on the merry men. The games against Wolves and Reading both saw Forest play well in patches but both saw Forest look tired and lethargic. Harewood, Reid and Brennan all looked tired at Reading and Dawson had a poor game against Wolves for exactly the same reason.

It came to no surprise, therefore, that after his rest (by not playing against Sheffield United) that he was back to his domineering best as John Thompson helped provide a formidable partnership at the heart of the defence.

Anyone else who visited the Madjeski Stadium will vouch for the incredible (by today’s standards) leg-room. The seats were large too, like blue buckets normally seen plonked on Brighton beach awaiting the next load of filthy British sand! Forgive me for getting over-excited about this, but after almost crippling myself at Watford when Darren Huckerby scored his equalizer, good leg room is something of an achievement.

Of course, I would like to have the chance to stand at football matches these days but that is another matter entirely.

Whilst on the subject of the Reading game, the gleeful baiting of the Forest fans as we left the ground by the buoyant Royals was hard to take. I just hope we are the one’s laughing loudest come May 26.

The next few weeks could really make or break the season. Or are we just pleased to get this far? The season has certainly exceeded many people’s expectations, but not mine. Naturally in August I took 40/1 on Forest achieving promotion, odds longer than the mighty (ahem) Stoke City who were tantalisingly priced at 33’s!

I wasn’t expecting to discover a future England centre half playing for my beloved Reds, but under the tutelage of Paul Hart, my pillow was indeed a soft one. It is a wonderful thought to think of the young nature of our side, a side you can take great pride in watching.

They are, of course, years off their playing peaks (usually around 27 these days) which means they are just going to get better and better. How will a player of someone like Gareth Williams calibre improve? Playing at Turf Moor in early December (has anyone else noticed we always play Burnley away in the first week of December?) or testing himself against the best in the land in a game when passes completed actually outnumbers the time a Leicester player hoofs one into orbit!

You just have to look at the Young Player of the Year, Jermaine Jenas. When he went to the Barcodes, I had multiple enquiries from fans asking whether or not he was worth the money, ready for the Premiership blah blah blah. I emphatically resounded with the affirmative and have been proved right. The current crop can do just as well.

As this is all getting a bit serious, let's share some solace and a more lighter hearted moment. Let’s all laugh at Leicester. Oh dear oh dear. They played Norwich City the other day and scraped a home draw after being out-played. This doesn’t bode well for next season lads. Watching them eclipse the soon to be new Premiership record for the lowest points total (go on Sunderland, you know you want it!) will keep me amused over the winter months. Remind me again, what did Forest do at home to Norwich?

Just to change the direction of this altogether, may I take this opportunity to recommend the superb new album from Detroit’s finest, The White Stripes. Elephant is the name of the said piece of genius and is a must for anyone sporting a pair of ears. If you don’t like this stuff, you must either listen to unhealthy amounts of Garage or support Derby County!

Of course, it’s all change at the Sheep Dip since we last met what with George Burley taking over the poisoned chalice. To be fair, it’s not a bad (interim) appointment as dear Mr Burley knows this division pretty well after his multiple attempts to get out of it with Ipswich Town. At the start of this season George once again tried to rid Ipswich of Division One football but seemed to be trying to exit the wrong end, a feat Sheffield Wednesday have achieved with the minimum of fuss. A real pity the Sheep didn’t stick with Gregory, he had the right idea. Maybe he was a covert Forest fan? Just a thought.

I am now going to play tribute to a player who used to be a bit of an easy target from my sideline abuse filled outbursts. They are not that bad, honest! Step forward Ricky Scimeca. The expensive price tag was always going to be a burden as the club descended into financial abyss. However, it was the promising early weeks of Ricky’s first season that frustrated me the most. He looked the business to me and it was clear he had the ability to be a top player. However, as the season progressed, we were lumbered with a slow, unimaginative, seemingly uncommitted player on the best part of a King’s ransom for wages. Oh how times change.

The progress over the last two seasons has been fantastic. Anyone there for Kiddemister in the Worthy (best name for a cup competition) Cup at home this season (there was only 4,000 of us so that’s gonna be remote) would have witnessed the kind of quality expected from a player costing the same as a two up two down in Fulham! His play that night represented the kind of performances he has put in on a consistent basis and I congratulate him. He has been willing to receive the ball from the defence, thus beginning many Forest attacks, shown renewed vigour in the tackle (something needed due to our expansive and rather open passing game), and most of all, some bloody energy! If we do go up through the play-offs then this man would be a crucial player in the top flight. Keep it going Ricky.

This of course is the first time Forest have taken part in the play-offs. Let me say what a joke they are. Call me old fashioned but it should be scraped completely, not extended to eighth place! It is downright unfair on whoever finishes in third place. As a Forest fan I shouldn’t really be complaining as we won’t finish third this season but still stand a chance of going up. Cast your minds back to season 1976/77, who finished third that season and gained automatic promotion? Would the history books be different if we had to go through this lottery back then? Leaves me cold thing about it.

Well I guess I have taken up enough of your time so it’s time to go, but I should leave you with something to conclude. It comes from a song by the now defunct The Seahorses classic (well mid nineties Britpop anyway), 'Love is the law'.

“Now that we know where we’re going,
we can lay back and enjoy the ride.”

Is our ride going to Cardiff? Let’s hope so...