Nottingham Forest 3
Derby County 2

The sporting media’s role is to make mountains out of molehills, but in the wake of the appalling chaos at West Ham and Millwall’s cup tie, the fuss over Nathan Tyson’s corner flag-waving antics is a construction job of epic proportions.

Are football fans really so weak-minded that the sight of a footballer celebrating in front of them is going to turn them into raving animals? I imagine being tonked by their local rivals caused the Derby fans more angst than Tyson trotting across their eye line with a cheeky grin on his face.

I just don’t get it. As supporters we spend most of the game haranguing the players, so why should we get upset if they do something back? I wanted to punch Robbie Savage in the gut for his silly dance at the City Ground last season, but it doesn’t mean he should be fined – it’s not his fault he’s an objectionable arsehole, after all. It just comes naturally.

Tyson was heading towards the Brian Clough Stand with his flag, but he probably knew the Derby fans weren’t going to like him parading in front of them like that. So he’s not all that innocent. But tough luck. The reaction from the Derby players was nothing to do with protecting the sensibilities of their delicate fans – they were angry at being beaten and wanted an excuse for a scrap. End of.

If things carry on like this then we’re heading towards an outright ban on any celebrations in football, lest anyone suffer serious psychological damage from seeing a footballer happy to score a goal or win a match. Tyson didn’t karate kick a Crystal Palace fan and he didn’t give a Nazi salute to Spurs supporters. He waved a flag. Get over it.

As for the game, if you weren’t there, what on earth were you doing? If anyone was still feeling a bit sleepy due to the early kick-off, Radoslaw Majewski’s wonder strike in the opening minutes definitely would have woken them up. Blackstock and Tyson took their goals well too.

Forest were brilliant in the first half, less so in the second. But that’s forgiveable. Local derbies are different from ordinary games – no other away side would have launched such a nerve-racking comeback, but then again Forest might not have started the match with such verve in a normal match.

The reason Saturday’s game was such a thrilling affair was not because of the quality of the football (though it was a good match with some excellent play by Forest to take their 3-0 lead) but because of the passion involved all around the ground. Does anyone believe Billy Davies’s talk last week about it being “business as usual” after seeing his reaction to that win?

Forest won and it meant the world to the fans. It also meant the world to the players and management, hence the exuberant celebrations. Hot tempers go hand in hand with a match like that. Any attempt to clamp down on celebrations is going to have a knock-on effect on the quality of the matches. If any Derby fans really did have a problem with Nathan Tyson, they should perhaps consider watching snooker instead. Mind you, these days even Dennis Taylor would probably be accused of bringing the game into disrepute.