Top 30 Players
30
Steve Chettle
| 1987 - 2000 | 503 (23) | 14 |
Chet joined Forest way back in
1987, but it was under Frank Clark that he established himself as
a fans’ favourite. Playing alongside fellow heroes, Pearce
and Cooper, Steve was a hard working defender who always gave the
club his best. His career hit a highlight when he captained the
side for the 98/99 Premiership season which was also his
testimonial year.
Steve notched up over 500 appearances for the Reds, but was sold
in 1999 to Barnsley where he joined former Forest manager Dave
Basset. He is still playing for the Tykes.
29
Colin Cooper
| 1993 - 1998 | 212 (1) | 23 |
Coops joined Forest in 1993 under
the management of Frank Clark. Along with Steve Chettle, he
provided part of the back-line that took Forest back into the
Premier League and on to Europe where the Reds reached the
quarter finals of the UEFA Cup.
Colin was sold in 1998, despite having captained Forest’s
First Division Championship side. He joined his boyhood heroes
Middlesborough for £3m where he has become a regular in the
Premiership side.
Colin and his family recently suffered a tragic blow when his
young son, Finlay, died after choking. The level of sympathy
shown by Forest fans in sending good will messages to the Cooper
family re-enforces his position as one of Forest’s all-time
favourite servants.
28
Bryan Roy
| 1994 - 1997 | 93 (17) | 28 |
The Dutchman Roy partnered Stan
Collymore as the duo fired Forest to 3rd in the Premiership in
the 04/95 season. He scored 13 league goals himself in that
campaign, but following the sale of Collymore, his goal rate
dropped.
He eventually left the club in 1997 having been unable to recover
his scoring form and returned to his home country.
27
Neil Webb
| 1985
- 1989 1992 - 1994 |
221 (8) | 63 |
A polished midfielder, Webb not only spent two spells with Forest, he also played for Manchester United. Although primarily an attacking force - and regular scorer of goals – he also improved the defensive side of his game that eventually led to him winning 26 England caps.
26
Jermaine Jenas
| 2000 - 2002 | 33 | 4 |
Jermaine Jenas’ Forest career
may have been extremely short, but in little over a year, he did
enough to impress in order to get into this list. There is no
doubt that had he stayed with the Reds he would have grown and
grown in the estimation of Forest fans.
Unfortunately he has recently been sold to Newcastle United for
£5m to ease Forest’s financial problems. Jenas was one of
the many quality players to have come from the Forest academy
under the guidance of Paul Hart, the manager who allowed him to
break into the first team.
JJ was a Nottingham born lad and grew up supporting the Reds. He
is the youngest player to have captained Forest and the youngest
to have represented the Reds in a League match. He is also an
important figure in the England U19 and U21 sides and is set for
a long, successful career in the top flight that all Forest fans
will watch with fondness and interest.
25
Paul McGregor
| 1993 - 1997 | 7 (30) | 5 |
Paul’s Forest career may not have been the most glamorous but the Scot earned his place in this list with a number of heroics during Forest’s Premiership campaign of 95/96. Not least, he scored the winning goal against Lyon to put Forest into the Quarter Finals of the UEFA Cup. Coming off the bench, he pounced on a penalty save from Stuart Pearce to give the Reds a 1-0 lead at the City Ground.
24
John McGovern
| 1974 - 1981 | 330(5) | 11 |
One of Forest’s greatest ever
captains and certainly the most successful. John played over 300
games for Forest between 1974 and 1981, a period in which he led
Forest to the League Championship, two European Cups and two
League Cups.
McGovern was always somewhat of an anti-hero for the Forest
faithful. He used to receive plenty of banter from the Trent End
fans for his overweight appearance, but he would always give the
club his all.
23
David Prutton
| 1999 - | 127 (2) | 6 |
Prutts burst onto the Forest scene
in 1999 under David Platt. Platt’s experience in midfield
has certainly rubbed off on the England U21 star as he has been a
regular in the Forest team ever since.
David is another graduate from Paul Hart’s youth academy
and, like Jermaine Jenas, has often been linked with big money
transfers to the Premier League. However, Hull-born Prutton has
always stated his love for the club, something which is
apparently in his passionate approach the game. He is a touch
tackling, yet skilful player with an excellent work rate and will
remain a favourite for many years.
22
Teddy Sheringham
| 1991 - 1993 | 62 | 23 |
Teddy might be better known these days for his exploits with Man United, Tottenham and the England side, but it was with Forest and under Brian Clough that he made his mark on football. Scoring 23 goals for the Reds, he became a firm favourite with the fans but was sold after only 2 seasons to Tottenham, a casualty of the Red’s relegation season.
21
Viv Anderson
| 1974 - 1983 | 425 (5) | 22 |
Better known as ‘Spider’ with the Forest fans due to his wiry frame, Anderson made the right-back spot his own over a period of 9 years. He played in two European Cup finals, not to mention his part in Forest’s League Championship win in 1978. Viv was also the first black player to represent England.
20
Garry Birtles
| 1976
- 1980 1982 - 1986 |
278 (5) | 96 |
These days Garry is known for his work as a pundit on Century 106. But the Nottingham born-and-bred striker represented Forest in two European Cup finals. Despite two brilliant spells with Forest, he didn’t experience the same success with Man United after he joined them in 1980, returning to the City Ground two seasons later.
19
Jason Lee
| 1993 - 1997 | 49 (45) | 15 |
A surprise choice in this run
down, Lee played for Forest between 1993 and 1997 in a torrid
career. Most famed for his Pineapple-style hair cut, Jason became
a figure of fun for the rest of the league, mostly thanks to the
intervention of comedians Baddiel and Skinner.
He was probably voted in as a sympathy case, but Lee’s
scoring record for Forest was actually pretty good and had his
confidence not been dented by the ridicule he received he may
have improved for Forest.
However, he left the City Ground in 1997 and joined Third
Division Peterborough where he has played since.
18
Ian Bowyer
| 1973 - 1981 1982 - 1986 |
541 (23) | 96 |
When Dave Mackay signed 'Bomber'
in 1973, Ian was an average right-winger who, despite giving his
all, was expected by few to become a world beater. But then Brian
Clough happened and the rest is history.
As one of Forest's most versatile and valuable midfielders,
Bowyer helped Forest no end through their glory years and when
Clough sold him to Sunderland in 1981, it was only a year before
he had bought him back.
Bowyer recently returned to Nottingham to work as Paul Hart's
assistant manager - a welcome return for one of the City Ground's
favourite players.
17
Larry Lloyd
| 1976 - 1981 | 213 (1) | 13 |
Along with Kenny Burns, while
Francis, Robertson, Birtles et al were scoring the goals that
made football history, Larry was keeping them out at the other
end. Brian Clough signed the former Liverpool defender to replace
Sammy Chapman and he soon became a key figure in Forest's
cup-winning days.
Larry's playing days were perhaps over-shadowed by his spell on
Century where his resentment towards Forest grew and he was
eventually sacked, perhaps just in time to save favour with the
fans.
16
Trevor Francis
| 1978 - 1981 | 92 (1) | 37 |
This picture is probably the most
famous photograph associated with Forest. It also represents the
pinnacle of Trevor Francis' Forest career as, just months after
his record-breaking £1m transfer from Birmingham, he scored the
winning goal in the European Cup final in Munich.
Despite only a shot stay with the Reds, Francis will always be
remembered fondly, that one diving header over-shadowing the
other 36 goals he scored. Nowadays of course, he is known for
managing Birmingham and Crystal Palace, and his TV work.
15
Archie Gemmill
| 1977 - 1978 | 78 (2) | 5 |
Archie is better know as a Derby
player, where he helped them (and Brian Clough) to the
championship and was, until recently, working as a scout. He also
scored Scotland's best ever (only?) World Cup goal. But when
Clough brought him to Forest, he was yet another piece to the
jigsaw that would eventually lead to the European Cup.
His creativity in midfield helped complement his team-mates,
although he only managed five goals, he created many more.
Incredibly, Gemmill wasn't picked for the Cup final side and left
three months later, much to the dismay of the Forest faithful.
14
Franz Carr
| 1985 - 1991 | 147 (12) | 23 |
Blessed with blinding pace and
skill, Franz Carr was also cursed with the inability to do
anything with the ball once he had beaten three defenders and
opened up a glorious opportunity. Maybe it was the pressure of
the whole crowd rising to its feet that put him off.
Either way, Carr was an exciting, but overall flawed player that
failed to live up to the potential he had.
13
Roy Keane
| 1990 - 1993 | 154 | 33 |
Despite leaving under a cloud in
1993, it seems like Forest fans are a forgiving lot. Keano will
always be known for what he has achieved with Man U, but the
people of Nottingham will recall him as a young man making the
most of his chance with Forest.
Brian Clough brought him to the City Ground, picking him up from
Cobh Ramblers. The 18-year-old midfielder made his debut against
Liverpool and before long he became the engine of the Reds’
midfield.
He helped Forest to three cup finals in his time, but the 92/93
ended in relegation and Keane left Forest as they could not match
his wage demands - not quite the £100,000 a week he now gets,
but pretty high none-the-less - nor his expectations. It is
probably due to the pride Forest fans can get when they tell
arrogant Man United fans that the highest-paid footballer in the
country started off at Forest, rather than anything else, that
gets him in at number 13. Unlucky for some, but not for Keano.
12
Tony Woodcock
| 1973 - 1979 | 176 (4) | 62 |
Yet another of Brian Clough's 'discoveries' - Brian took an average forward and turned him into an international goal-scorer. He helped Forest to League and Cup triumphs and was of course part of the 79 cup-winning side.
11
Chris Bart-Williams
| 1995 - 2001 | 176 (4) | 62 |
Since this poll was carried out,
Bartman has departed for the greener pastures of Charlton where
he is helping the London club in the Premiership. Chris has
always had the quality to make it in the top flight, but despite
that, he spent four years with Forest in Division One, two of
which ended in promotion, in 1994 and 1998.
Bart-Williams was the last remaining member of Frank Clark’s
European side, and took the captaincy in 2000. In the 2000/01
season he was the star of the show: despite playing in defence
most of the time, he contributed goals towards Forest’s
play-off charge and earned himself Player of the Year as a
result.
His loyalty to the club came to an end earlier this season when
he announced he was to leave in the summer, come the end of his
contract. Many believe he will move to Italy in the summer, but
for now the 11th favourite Forest player is on the books at
Charlton.
10
Kenny Burns
| 1977 - 1981 | 196 | 15 |
Peter Shilton once described Kenny
as the best defender he ever played with. Not bad considering
Burns started out as a striker. He must have wondered was he was
letting himself for when he arrived at the City Ground from
Birmingham City.
But before long, Clough had turned Kenny Burns into one of the
best defenders Forest have ever seen. He was awarded Footballer
of the Year in Forest's championship season (the only Forest
player to have received this award) and was of course key in the
European Cup victories.
Many outsiders saw Burns as a badly disciplined 'hacker', but he
was in fact hugely skilled with ball-winning, able to time
tackles and headers perfectly.
9
Mark Crossley
| 1988 - 2000 | 390 (2) | - |
Nicknamed 'Norm' by his team-mates
due to his resemblance to Norman Whiteside, Crossley always had
a habit of grabbing the headlines, both for the right and wrong
reasons. He is one of two keepers to have saved a penalty in an
FA Cup final (the other one being his later team-mate, Dave
Beasant) when he stopped Gary Lineker’s effort in 1991.
He also saved penalties for Forest in the 1996 competition, and a
few key ones as the Reds battled against relegation in 1999. But
he was often accused of being poor on crosses, a regular face on
Sporting Bloomers.
Despite putting on a ‘bit’ of weight and losing his
Number One shirt to Beasant in the latter years of his career
with us, he remained a firm favourite. But his wage demands in
2000 were deemed too high by David Platt and he was released at
the end of his testimonial year. He then joined Middlesborough
where he was recently been first choice keeper.
8
Steve Hodge
| 1981 - 1985 1988 - 1991 |
276 (6) | 66 |
Steve Hodge made his debut in the
last game of the 1981/82 season. Six months later and he was a
regular in the Forest midfield. No wonder as he not only solved
Forest's problem of replacing Archie Gemmill in the centre, but
he averaged a goal every four games over his whole Forest career,
a record that most strikers would be proud of.
He was sold to Aston Villa in 1985, worked his way into the
England squad and was soon playing for Spurs. But a dramatic loss
of form allowed Forest to re-buy him and Clough weaved his magic
on him once again.
Despite being back in the England squad, he was sold again to
Leeds in 1991 and yet again his career took another leap as he
helped the Yorkshire club to the League Championship.
7
Peter Shilton
| 1977 - 1981 | 272 | - |
If Peter Shilton was the greatest
ever England keeper, then it is no wonder that so many Forest
fans value him so highly. Shilts had the pleasure of watching the
European Cup side from the best place possible - on the pitch.
With one of the best defences the world has ever seen in front of
him, he wasn't tested that often, but when he was he rarely let
Forest down.
He was signed from Stoke City for a mere £270,000 at the start
of the 1977/98 season, and we all know what happen that year!
Well, what actually happened was Peter only let in 18 goals from
37 league games and thus played a great part in Forest's most
illustrious period.
6
Steve Stone
| 1991 - 1999 | 222 (5) | 27 |
Signing for Forest in 1991 as an
apprentice, Stoney went on to play for England and eventually
left Forest for Aston Villa in 1999. Geordie Steve was a strong
character and adored by the Forest faithful for his skill and
pace down the right wing. The crowning moment in his career was
when he was named as part of an all-time great Forest side in 199
Despite suffering a major injury shortly after representing
England in Euro 96, Stone made a crucial return the year after
and helped Forest to the Division One championship later that
season.
But he was never quite the same player after his injury and,
along with the untimely emergence of David Beckham, this
undoubtedly prevented him from making the right-wing spot his own
for his country.
5
John Robertson
| 1970 - 1982 1985 - 1986 |
499 (15) | 95 |
Many would have doubted that a
chain-smoking, overweight winger with no pace to speak of would
become not only one of the Forest faithful most loved players,
but one of the greatest to pull on the Garibaldi. But John
Robertson's influence on Forest's glory years is immeasurable.
His ability to jink his way past right-backs all around the
country with a little drop of the shoulders or a shuffle of the
feet was key to Forest's game plan. If you need any evidence of
this, watch his goal against Humburg in the European Cup final:
he tears the defender apart before putting in the cross, then, if
that wasn't enough, he storms in to drill the ball home from the
edge of the area.
But like so many other Forest greats, Robertson owes a lot to
Brian Clough. When Clough arrived, Robbo was on the transfer list
and failing in his central midfield role.
Clough transformed him into one of the world's greatest players.
Unfortunately for Brian, the hard work of himself and Peter
Taylor in turning Robbo into one of the best was also what ended
their friendship. In 1982, Taylor signed Robertson for Derby and
Clough never spoke to his former management partner again.
It was also a sad end for Robertson who has injured shortly after
joining the sheep and was never the same player again, even when
Clough resigned him three years later. Robertson is currently
Martin O'Neill's assistant manager at Celtic.
4
Nigel Clough
| 1984 - 1993 1996 - 1997 |
402 (10) | 131 |
Nigel certainly had things going
for him at Forest. Being the manager's son certainly helped, but
he was also fortunate in being blessed with a great amount of
talent. He was quick thinking and quick acting, making up for a
lack of pace, and was top-scorer for numerous seasons at his
peak.
Nigel was probably the first English player to fully exploit the
role now known as "in the hole" - playing behind the
leading forward and making full use of the space left in that
position. With this space he could do wonders - pick out the
deadly pass for his teammates, and when he did find himself in
the centre-forward's role, he was a lethal finisher.
When Nigel left Forest in 1993 (understandable as his dad had
just retired and the Reds were relegated) he went to the big time
of Liverpool. Perhaps Stan Collymore should have taken note, as
after one good season on Merseyside, Nigel's career dwindled
somewhat and he never recaptured the form he had at Forest.
Nigel returned to the City Ground on a brief loan spell from Man
City, to help Stuart Pearce out during his management spell.
Nigel's own management career has got off to a great start at
Burton Albion and he is widely expected to follow his father's
footsteps and have a great management career in the big leagues.
Maybe he will one day fulfill his destiny and become Forest
manager?
3
Des Walker
| 1983 - 1992 2002 - |
341 (5) | 1 |
When Des Walker signed a return
contract with Forest this summer, it was the perfect time for
Forest fans to remember one of the greatest masters of the art
of defending this country has ever produced. Through the late 80s
and early 90s, Walker was the best defender in England without a
doubt.
His tackling, his awareness, his power, his pace, his passion;
all added up to make him an outstanding defender. It was no
wonder the Trent End sang "You'll never beat Des
Walker" - most of the time you couldn't.
Since leaving Forest in 1992, Des had a two-year spell with
Sampdoria when English players in Italy was the vogue. Two years
later he returned to England and signed for Sheffield Wednesday.
He was released in the summer of 2001, despite adding the club's
Player of the Year award to impressive list of achievements.
After a year's break, where he trained with Nigel Clough's Burton
Albion to keep his fitness up, Des is back at the City Ground to
reclaim his place of the Forest fans' darling defender.
2
Stan Collymore
| 1993 - 1995 | 77 (1) | 50 |
To the outsider, seeing a player
who is now ceremonially booed every time he comes back to
Nottingham listed as the fans' second favourite player may come
as a surprise. But perhaps Reds fans are grateful that not only
did they see the best of Stanley Victor Collymore's eventful
career, but that he was a player of enormous talent.
Signed by Frank Clark, Collymore was the difference between
Forest and promotion in the 93/94 season. And what a difference
he was. In just two seasons, he scored a phenomenal 50 goals.
These goals not only won Forest promotion back to the
Premiership, but they helped towards an amazing third place the
following season.
Stan's popularity is undoubtedly because, for the generation of
Forest fans who missed the years of European glory, he was the
best player they ever saw in the colours of Forest. He had it
all: pace, strength, accuracy when shooting, ability in the air,
ability on the ground.
Unfortunately, as is the case with most geniuses, he also had
serious personal problems and a massive ego. At the end of the
wonderful 94/95 season, Stan decided he was "too big"
for the club and moved to Liverpool for a record £7m. But it
would appear that he was also too big for them, and after a few
seasons he ended a troubled stay with a move to Aston Villa.
Again, he was successful at first, and seemed a great signing. But
his form dropped off as his personal problems took precedent of
his limitless talents. He could have been one of the greatest
players ever to have played the beautiful game, but in the end
his story was one of the greatest waste the world of football as
probably ever seen.
1
Stuart Pearce
| 1985 - 1997 | 522 | 88 |
The name Stuart Pearce is hard to
conjure up without the words 'Nottingham Forest' coming soon
after. And for most of the nineties, the words 'Nottingham
Forest' were difficult to separate from the name Stuart Pearce.
In short, Pearce was Nottingham Forest.
Few would have predicted that when Brian Clough signed a young
electrician in a joint deal with Ian Butterworth (who? -
exactly!), that the player then considered to be the lesser of
the two would go on to become a part of football folklore and
assume almost God-like qualities in the perceptions of the fans.
He quickly earned the nickname of 'Psycho', not just for his
resemblance to Norman Bates, but because he could exert passion
onto a pitch like no-one before him and probably no-one since. He
could raise a roar from the Trent End with a single gesture. The
fans loved him and he loved them back.
By the time of Forest's relegation in 1993, Pearce was already
captaining his country, a role which he took up with similar
enthusiasm. No-one would have begrudged him the chance to follow
Clough and Bohinen in the Forest exodus, but Pearce stuck with
us.
By now he was already a hero, but he was soon to become a legend
not only at Forest, but all over the British Isles.
Forest fans will all have their own favourite memories of Psycho
- his steam-train runs down the left wing; his rocket-like
free-kicks; his unforgiving tackles; his unique methods of
encouraging his team-mates - but most people in the country will
remember him for one penalty kick in 1996.
Having missed a crucial shoot-out kick in Italia 90, the pressure
was on Pearce. But in typical style, he wandered up to the spot,
totally focused and lashed the ball into the net. The outburst of
emotion that followed secured his place in English footballing
history.
When he became manager for a brief spell of the 96/97 season,
taking over from Frank Clark, the enthusiasm he brought to the
team and fans was enough to defeat Arsenal in his first game. He
was then named manager of the month in his first month in charge.
Unfortunately, the end of that season with Forest relegated,
Pearce decided to call it a day with Forest after 12 glorious
years.
He joined Newcastle and then West Ham. He then suffered two
(TWO!) broken legs, but somehow managed to come back from both
with the same enthusiasm and brilliance. He was even recalled to
the England squad at the age of 36.
When he signed for Man City at the start of the 2001/02 season,
many thought he was going to just be a coach. But it was
impossible to write the man off and he captained the side to the
league title. Lifting the First Division trophy was a fitting
retirement present for one of football's greats, but his season
was to end in typically calamitous style.
He went into the final game with a career total of 99 goals. But
Stuart was unable to make it a fairy tale hundred when he missed
two (TWO!) penalties in the dying moments of the match. In
typical Psycho fashion, he laughed off the incident with a joke
or two. And that, plus hundreds of equally great moments with
Forest, is why we love him.