Fox Hunting at the City Ground

Wednesday 19th February. Having played on Sunday in a fraught Cup match on a heavy pitch, Forest had to play the runaway league leaders just three days later. Our squad is so depleted that Billy makes only two changes to the Cup team. Darlow comes in to goal and Mackie replaces Henderson.

The Foxes spent big a couple of seasons ago in an effort to get to the Premier League. This policy nearly paid off last season. They beat us in the last game of the season, albeit by a very late goal when we were pressing for the winner, to get in to the playoffs. Then they lost a dramatic playoff semi-final, this time conceding a goal in the last minute, to Watford. Throughout all this time, Nigel Pearson has been tweeking membership of his squad and at last it seems to be paying off. The owners have shown loyalty to their manager and patience seems to have been rewarded.  Leicester came to the City Ground right at the top of the Championship, seven points ahead of the chasing pack. The chasing pack are headed by Burnley and we are due to play them on Saturday! A busy week and one that could go a long way to boosting our promotion charge.

I keep banging on about our injury list, but it really is, to me,  the most important aspect of this season. Our squad is constantly being depleted and the team, consequently, being changed. Burnley, for instance, have now played six games with an unchanged line up whilst Billy has to put out a different team each game and, importantly, a different back four every game. And a change in the name of the covering defensive midfielder is being forced pretty much every game, too.  I remember chatting to a Burnley fan before the game against them at the CG in November and telling him that their all-conquering strikers, Ings and Vokes, would probably have a field day as we had had to change our back four yet again. Young Jamaal Lascelles was having just his fourth start of the season that day, having only made three league appearances in previous seasons. Halford, Collins and Wilson, experienced central defenders, were all injured for that match. However, as it turned out, the match was drawn 1-1 with Burnley scoring from a highly disputed penalty. And Lascelles playing with maturity belying his years.

So Leicester came to the City Ground in a confident mood, captained by a former Forest stalwart, "You'll Never Beat" Wes Morgan (with apologies to Des Walker).  After our loss at The Blades and with a tired and thin squad, I was, for once, sure we would lose. How wrong can you be! Forest had much the better of the first half an hour, Collins having probably the best chance with a thumping header from a corner which was palmed over by Schmeichel in the Leicester goal.

However, as is the way with football, pressure is not enough. It's goals that count and the Foxes nicked a goal on the half hour. A hopeful punt forward was allowed to bounce just outside the area, the two central defenders seemed to hesitate under pressure from Nugent and it was left to Darlow to save the situation. Strangely, I suppose he was worried about handling outside the area, although he got to the ball first, instead of catching it, he elected to punch it. The punch carried no conviction and flopped down into the path of the onrushing Vardy. He steadied himself and shot through the ruck of players into the goal. A real sucker punch. 1-0 down to the leaders.My heart sank.

But the Forest lads are nothing if not fighters, the team spirit this season is second to none. They had a few dodgy moments after the goal, but five minutes before the interval came the equaliser. Reid sent in yet another corner which was cleared, unconvincingly, by a Leicester defender. The ball flew to Paterson who headed the ball straight back and into the corner of the net. The third headed goal in as many matches, by hardly the tallest or strongest player in our team. Relief among the fans.

More was to come. Four minutes later the ball came to Morgan in his own penalty area. He dallied for a moment which was enough time for Mackie to break through and harry the big central defender. Mackie stole the ball from Morgan, but as he was breaking away he was brought down. Penalty! Not only that;  the incident happened on the penalty spot and Morgan was the last man. Mackie broke away with the ball so it was quite clearly a goal-scoring position. The referee did not see it as a clear goal-scoring opportunity, a mystery to many including our manager Billy Davies, and only booked Morgan. Reidy stepped up for the penalty and put it cleanly away. 2-1 at half time to the famous team.

Billy tackled the referee in the tunnel at half time, verbally, of course. By his own account it was a polite exchange with an enquiry simply demanding the reasons for not sending off the Leicester captain. The referee did not see the confrontation in quite the same light and banished our manager to the stands. The incident was obviously mentioned in the referee's report as being antagonistic because Billy has been charged with a couple of offences of being unpleasant to the referee.

The second half continued the end-to-end nature of the game. Forest had good chances in front of goal, but perhaps Leicester should have made more of a couple of golden chances. Then, following a rash challenge on Mackie, Konchesky was shown the red card. Almost immediately after this incident Lascelles had a clear sight of goal and the chance to make it 3-1 and game over. Sadly, he blazed inches wide. Forest continued to press with their extra man and it seemed that Mackie was crudely pulled back when in a decent shooting position, but the referee apparently thought he jumped backwards of his own volition whilst in the act of shooting at goal.

Into the last ten minutes and it looked as if Forest would hang on. It was not to be. The big, burly Paterson knocked over that shrinking violet Drinkwater. Apparently his depiction of the dying swan was much more believable that Mackie's and Leicester got their penalty, courtesy of  a wildly waved lino's flag. No sober holding of the flag across the chest in time honoured fashion. Up stepped Kevin Phillips, a very reliable goal scorer and penalty taker. My heart sank. Then Darlow produced a marvellous save and the home crowd went up in glorious relief only to come down seconds later. A Leicester player squared the ball back across goal and it was turned in. 2-2.  But, the Forest players protested that the goal scorer had encroached into the penalty area before the kick was taken. The lino even went and resumed his position on the goal line, but Mr Taylor, the referee, had said it was a gaol and goal it would stay. Adhering to the old adage, don't give those Tricky Trees anything.  I'm afraid this season feels just like that.

There were still more chances to each side before the end, but the score stayed deadlocked. Reid our captain and inspiration was subbed just before the end; I hope it was only a precaution and nothing worse. A great match for the neutral, but heart-stopping for the committed.

Forest put to the Sword

The FA Cup this weekend. Sheffield Wednesday are playing on the Saturday in a cup game of their own, so we are moving to Sunday. The Blades cancelled a game on Wednesday because their pitch was unfit, waterlogged after all the rain. They and Forest are investing in a cover to protect the pitch from further weather related damage and they are confident the game will take place. We should have played Leicester City at the CG on Saturday; this has now been re-arranged for the Wednesday after our Cup game. Along with all the injuries we now play a very important league match three days after a tough Cup game on a boggy pitch. The Cup run is applauded by some, but to me it is just an impediment to our promotion push.

The game is on, but when I arrived at Bramall Lane in bright sunshine, my worst fear is realised. The pitch is heavy and is going to tire our players. Jack Hobbs and Guy Moussi picked up injuries at Huddersfield and so Danny Collins and Gonzalo Jara come in. Other changes see Dorus de Vries in goal for his usual Cup game, and Darius Henderson in for Djebbour. So Billy has sent out probably the strongest side he could. There was a big crowd at the Stadium and a large travelling contingent. Who were rewarded with a goal by Paterson, headed again, after about half an hour. The game up to then had been fairly even, though Mr Oliver, the referee, produced his usual assortment of puzzling decisions against Forest. First Simon Cox went down for a clear penalty then Andy Reid was tripped in the centre circle, about as blatant a foul as you will see. As a result the Blades raced towards our goal after "winning" the ball. Mr Oliver is a poor referee, but manages to to appear as if he knows what he is doing by strutting about with a self-confident attitude. He booked Reid just before half time as our captain could take no more of the incompetence and protested rather too vigorously against another odd decision.

The score at half-time is 1-0 and Forest are completely in charge. The devaluation of the FA Cup is taken a step further this afternoon by ITV insisting that the draw takes place in the middle of our match and before other clubs have even started their games. Why they don't schedule a short programme to stage the draw on the Monday evening, for instance, just before Emmerdale or one of the other soaps, I do not know. Anyway, the draw threw up the possibility of Sheffield United playing Sheffield Wednesday if both clubs could win. Or it gave us a realistic chance of getting to the Semi-Final at Wembley.

This is credited with boosting the Blades team and they came out all guns blazing after half time. Forest still had good chances as well, but neither side could take advantage and the score stayed at 1-0. However, on 66 minutes, Bramall Lane went mad as United scored. A hard low cross from the right was covered by de Vries, but the ball squirmed from his grasp. There still appeared no danger as Lascelles got to the ball first. But, trying to turn with the ball to fire it to safety he tangled with Coady, the ball ran loose in the wrong direction, right at Coady's feet in front of an open goal and he pushed it in the net.

After this both teams had chances to score, but time moved on and the score stayed locked at 1-1. With a minute to play, Mr Oliver gave yet another of his decisions against Forest. The Blades moved down their left to the goal line. The ball was crossed low towards the penalty spot and Halford, in going down to block the ball, was adjudged to have handled in the area. Penalty. Definitely ball to hand from about two or three yards. Halford did not have his hands in an 'unnatural' position as noted in the guidelines to referees and, if the ball had not hit his hand or arm, it would still have been blocked by his body. The referees decision is final and he said handball. United scored. To rub salt into the wound, a minute into injury time, the Blades scored again. Once more they got to the goal line on the left, the ball was hit into the area under de Vries's body and an unmarked Porter scored his second in two minutes after only being on the pitch four and a half minutes.

All this mayhem in the match was being conducted against a backdrop of constant pitch invasions and crowd unrest (though, it must be said, from over-exuberance and not malevolence); indeed, at one stage, the crowd behind that goal thought the game was over and invaded the pitch during play!

So the game ended quite disappointingly from a Forest point of view. Though, I have to say, I for one was not too sad that our cup run is over. Fixture congestion in itself is not too bad, but with our injury list there is no chance for injured players to come back in and there is always the danger of further injuries because of the crowded schedule.

I made my way back to the car and home. Mercifully I had been able to park only a few hundred yards from Bramall Lane ground, in fact just off Bramall Lane itself because the normal parking restrictions are suspended on a Sunday, and was able to dart off down the A61 towards home without delay.

Another double? This time taming the Terriers

My hotel was right in the centre of Bury and I had an afternoon free so I decided to wander around. Many of these Northern towns have taken a hit during the current recession, but that is nothing to the economic ravages they have suffered since the decline of the textile industry or the closing of the collieries. The evidence is plain to see of the economic importance of the area in the past and the energy being expended to overcome the problems of the present. It is to be hoped that these efforts are successful. Bury is notable for having a terrific market in the centre of town. It was a Sunday and a great proportion of the stalls and shops were closed for the day, but it was fun looking at the tremendous variety of goods and services on offer. I had a delicious meal of fish and chips and returned to the hotel to plan my next adventure.



The hotel was literally a few hundred yards from Gigg Lane home of Bury FC, surely the club with the shortest name in the league. The ground has been home to Bury since 1885, but has recently changed it's name, due to sponsorship, to the JD Stadium. One of the stands has the club's nickname picked out on the seats, "Shakers". I thought this had religious connotations or, at least, some connection to a charitable society or friendly society. But, in fact, it goes all the way back to 1892, when the chairman of the time was asked about the outcome of a match and it is related he replied "We shall shake 'em, in fact, we are the Shakers!"

The club might have been at the ground for some years, but the stadium looks very modern and well-cared for, having been rebuilt since the 1990s. Bury FC own the stadium , but it is shared with FC of Manchester, though the latter hope soon to have their own ground. I arrived and parked my car in the large car park in front of the Main Stand. I walked around trying to get the best angle for my photographs of this part of the ground when I was nearly run down by a motor cycle! It turned out, on this particular day, the major part of the car park had been set aside as a motor cycle training area. I had been so engrossed in my snaps and plans that I had just walked through all the bollards without noticing them. I apologised to the cyclist, who turned out to be a charming and attractive young lady, instead of the tattooed giant I had been expecting.

I popped my head into reception and enquired about the possibility of a stadium visit. The young receptionist could not have been more charming, instructing me to walk round the corner into the ground and to let her know when I had finished my business. So I wandered round the corner and found two chaps tending to the upkeep of the stadium. A short chat ensued and then I went in to see the ground. Bury might be seen as a lower league club, but have been FA Cup winners twice and have been as high as fourth in the old First Division. However, these achievements are in the distant past and these days they are in League Two. The ground holds over 11,000 fans in four stands, all seated. The Les Hart Stand and the Cemetery End are linked at the corner and the Manchester Road End and Main Stand are separate and occupy the other corner of the ground. Les Hart was associated with Bury for 44 years, as player and trainer/physiotherapist; he was one of those players whose career was truncated by WWII.

In front of three of the stands (and not the Main Stand) are wide walkways setting the stands just a bit back from the pitch. High in the corner of the Les Hart Stand and the Cemetery End Stand is the police control box. Another interesting feature of the ground is in front of the Main Stand at pitch level. What looks at first glance to be a large potting shed, causing the tunnel and dugouts to be set slightly to one side of the centre line, turns out to be rooms used by the directors and sponsors. At least, so I was informed and apparently those windows have never yet been broken by an errant clearance!

I reported back to reception and left to visit Rochdale. I had no idea when I started my visits to all 92 FL clubs, just how close to each other are many of the clubs in the Lancashire area. For instance, Bury and Rochdale are only about 7 miles apart with my third club of the day, Oldham Athletic, a further five miles down the road.

Rochdale AFC have played at Spotland Stadium, normally just known as Spotland, since 1920, though they were formed in 1907.  It is in the Spotland area of Rochdale. The ground used to be owned exclusively by the club, but ownership is now between the club, Rochdale Council and Rochdale Hornets, a rugby league club playing in the second tier of Rugby League just below the Super League. Hornets moved to Spotland in 1988 after a period of financial problems culminating in the sale of their own ground to Morrisons Supermarkets.

Rochdale hold a record of sorts in the Football League. Accepted into the league in 1921 they have spent the most number of seasons in the very lowest division of the league; 77 seasons out of the 85 they have been in the competition. They have never been in the top two divisions.  Despite this record, like every other club I have visited, Rochdale's ground is neat and tidy and looks loved. People care about their clubs whatever level of football is played there.




There are four stands, three of them built in the last 20 years and all-seater with the final terracing remaining in the Sandy Lane Stand. The seated stands are all single tier with the Main Stand having some executive boxes behind the top row of seats. I was shown round the ground by the groundsman and on that day the rugby goal posts were in place. I mentioned to him that his pitch was in top class order despite all the rain we have had this winter. The rugby league season had just started and I asked if he was worried that the rugby players would spoil his lovely greensward. He told me that he had strongly advocated that the rugby game scheduled for the previous Saturday did not take place. It didn't.

There is a police control building at the end of the main stand. And, as is becoming the custom at clubs these days, a floodlight pylon brings extra revenue in to the club by also supporting a mobile phone aerial. I left Spotland to travel the short distance to Oldham having, once again, seen a fine old ground and having met the nicest and most helpful people.

Spotland is set in leafy suburbs, Boundary Park, home of Oldham Athletic FC is set in much sterner landscape, tending towards moorland. The name of the ground stems from the fact that the area is on the boundary between Chadderton and Royton and it is the third highest ground in the Football League, lying just behind (or below) West Brom and Port Vale. It's open position coupled with it's height lends many to think it the coldest ground in the league; certainly previous manager Joe Royle thought so, calling it Ice Station Zebra.

Originally called the Athletic Ground, the stadium was first used in 1896 by Oldham County FC. They ceased to exist in 1899, Pine Villa FC took over and immediately changed their name to Oldham Athletic FC. Recently several plans have been made for improvements to the ground but these have had to be deferred for a variety of reasons. The current ground has three stands all with seats. The fourth side of the ground, at the moment open, is currently being developed as the North Stand or Broadway Stand (named after the major road running behind it) with completion about 12 months away. The old Broadway Stand was demolished in 2008.

The club owns a considerable parcel of land, with a large area behind the redevelopment of the North Stand currently bringing in revenue by being used as a car park for staff at the Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, just across Sheepfold Lane. Also, just to one side of this car park area is a training pitch mainly used for junior members of the club's various teams. There is not a lot of car parking space in front of the Main Stand, so I drove around to this car parking area, unaware that it was for permit holders only. I found a member of staff and asked if there was a problem parking my car there, thinking more about the building work
going on. He explained the situation, but we got chatting and he graciously allowed me to leave the car there for the time it took to take a few pictures. In fact, it turned out that he had been a Latics fan for 50 odd years, had seen them play at over 150 grounds and was only too happy to talk football. He took me into the top of the Rochdale Road Stand and we stood nattering. After I while I realised I was taking no pictures and I was keeping him from his job, so I made my apologies and wandered off to take my pictures.

We went into the top of the stand because Boundary Park is built into the side of a hill in order to obtain enough level ground to fit in a football pitch. Currently the newest stand, the Rochdale Road Stand, sponsored as the Verlin Stand, is built into this hill. It is single tiered and houses the section used for away fans. The Chadderton Road End, at the other end of the ground, is where the true Latics fans sit. The elderly Main Stand is two tier, with the remains of some terracing at one end below an administration building and a control box. There are no executive boxes in the Main Stand so, situated between the Main Stand and the Chadderton Road Stand is a sort of box on stilts which I presume is a sort of executive club area.

Boundary Park has seen better days, but there is no doubt that there is a will to effect terrific change, which, in this economic climate, can only come slowly.

My tour of the area now led me to part two of the footballing engagements, our re-arranged game against Huddersfield Town at the John Smith's Stadium, originally the Kirklees Stadium then alternatively the Alfred McAlpine Stadium or the Galpharm Stadium. Such are the vagaries of modern stadium naming. The stadium is of the Reebok Stadium style, having four separate stands each with a graceful arching roof line and the

steel support structures used as architectural statements. This seems to be the better of the two modern stadium basic designs, which seem to be either this style or the rather more boring bowls. Well, to my eyes, at least. These two main styles are for the bigger clubs, those clubs needing to house fewer spectators, when moving to a new ground, still stick to the usual four stands, which always looks right and proper.

Again set into a hillside, the stadium proved to be tricky to actually enter. I could see it from miles away, but as I got closer and it was still clearly visible, I couldn't find the road that would actually let me into the car park. Finally, trying to drive directly, I ended up in a cul de sac by a health club. Directions were given and the old duffer finally discovered he had been going in precisely the wrong direction. I finally found the stadium and stood there smiling to myself. For there, above the car park entrance, amidst a plethora of signs advertising beer, was a great big arch above the road "Nearly There. Please don't drink and drive". This led me to a car park which was just about level with the top of the South Stand, steps led down to the turnstiles which again were well above pitch level; about half way up the stand, so you enter at the top of the seating area and walk down to your seat.

The four stands are all sponsored and the names are so long that I refuse to keep typing them out. The Main Stand and the North Stand are two tier and have executive boxes running across between the tiers. The stands forming the other corner of the ground, The South Stand and the East Stand are single tier, with the away fans being housed in the South Stand ( or it's current proper title, The Chadwick Lawrence Stand). I had a good view from my seat.

I had booked a room at an inn up the hill out of Huddersfield by the M62 motorway. My thinking was that I would descend into Huddersfield on the Halifax Old Road, park up in a quiet road and walk the 10 minutes or so to the ground. As I prepared to start down to the game, it started snowing quite hard. Of course, I panicked, thinking that this steep road was going to turn into a death trap. Not to worry, my fears were groundless. The game was played in very cold, but dry weather. And my parking planning was perfect.

I have been a bit worried about games since the turn of the year. The powers-that-be at the Football League only allowed one free weekend for the FA Cup, the third round. All other Cup weekends already have rostered fixtures, so if your team goes on an extended run with a replay or two, your team are going to have a bit of a fixture pile up. And this is what has happened to us. Not only have we games coming thick and fast on odd days of the week, to cope with TV and, in the case of the Sheffield game, clashes with the matches of other local teams, but our injury list is reaching alarming proportions. Not only are key players, regular first-teamers, out, but they are going to be missing for long periods. Lansbury, Cohen and Vaughan are out for most of the rest of the season, Wilson has been away for months and is only now starting to run on grass, and Lichaj has disappeared with a mystery ailment with an unpsecified return date. I'm typing this a week or so after the game and Jack Hobbs, our rock in central defence has now gone for a lengthy absence with an ankle problem.

The spine of our team has been decimated with the back four badly disrupted virtually every game. Yet the players have responded valiantly putting in performances which we have no right to expect. They are playing out of position and have new opponents about every three or four days.

Billy Davies made two changes for this game. Jara and Mackie gave way to Majewski and Paterson. Forest started well, but the nippy Terriers soon came into it and the game swung to and fro during the first 45 minutes, but no one could break the deadlock. At half time Moussi gave way to Jara. The end-to-end game carried on with chances to both sides. Then, just after the hour, Fox sent over a neat cross which young Paterson nodded into the corner of the goal right in front of the travelling trickies. Twenty minutes later our nerves were given a bit of a rest when a beautiful through ball put Paterson in front of the goal and he put the ball past the Huddersfield keeper for, I reckon, the decisive goal. But our cup runneth over. Mackie, on as a sub, harried a defender over by the corner flag, he attempted a back pass which went woefully short and Henderson nipped in to slot home the third just before the final whistle.

Given our injury problems and the fine Huddersfield team, I had thought this a bit of a banana skin, but the lads gave a fine display in an open entertaining game. At least, it was open and entertaining for the neutral, for me it was a nervous eighty minutes until that second goal went in.

I made my way back to the hotel through slushy, but easily passable roads.

I was due to visit Chesterfield and Mansfield Town the next day, but I rose to be greeted by a hair-raising weather forecast as yet another storm of this extraordinary winter raced towards us. I decided that discretion was the better part of valour and set off for home, promising to reschedule the Chesterfield and Mansfield visits. I arrived home to find one of the fence panels ripped out of the fence down the drive (though I have to admit it had been weakened by previous storms and my repairs were rather rudimentary). All in all a satisfactory weekend both in respect of results and my visits.

I (Sort of) Like to be Beside the Seaside

The next game was against Preston North End at Deepdale in the FA Cup Third Round replay. We won 2-0 with a first half goal from Jamie Mackie and a very late goal, after much pressure from Preston, from Darius Henderson. I simply could not afford the cost of the travel up to Preston (mind you, I had to write off the cost of the ticket as away season ticket holders get sent tickets automatically, but the cost of the ticket was only £5, fortunately) so had to content myself with the TV coverage.

This winter, since about Christmas, the storms have been rolling in from the Atlantic. I've been pretty lucky (the fans at Preston were not so lucky, they got drenched) and missed the worst of the floods and the near-hurricane force winds, but at our next game, against Blackpool, the luck changed. Travelling up to the Lancashire coast wasn't too bad, a long journey, but the elements were with me. However, nearing Blackpool, the weather started to deteriorate. By the time I had arrived at my parking spot, only a few hundred yards from Bloomfield Road, the wind was really blowing and the rain was teeming down. As kick-off approached, the rain eased a bit and I was able to wander round the ground, taking my photos and video and chatting to some of the locals (though I have to admit that I knew more about the club and ground than a couple of car park stewards I met).

Bloomfield Road, home of the Seasiders, is only a few hundred yards from the sea front at Blackpool and has been the home of the club since 1901, when they merged with South Shore FC, who then owned it. Originally called Gamble's Field, the name was later changed to that of the road on which it stood. It has been almost completely rebuilt in the last 20 years. Plans were laid for a move to a new area and a brand new stadium was to be built, but the then owner and chairman was convicted of criminal charges and the move quietly shelved. Instead, the Bloomfield Road ground was developed. I say "almost completely rebuilt" because there is still one stand, the East Stand, which is of temporary construction, The other three stands are of single tier construction and with the corners filled in.
The Armfield (South) Stand is also in-filled round to the temporary East Stand, so the only open corner of the ground is at the end of this temporary stand, which is where the away supporters are housed. And on this day the wind howled through this gap in the stands, sweeping the rain into the faces of the away support.

There are two statues situated at either end of the ground. Up at the Armfield Stand end there is, appropriately, one of Jimmy Armfield, who played the whole of his career with the club, a total of 627 matches. He also played for and captained England and later turned his hand to management. Also built in to this stand is the Blackpool FC Hotel.
 At the other end of the stadium, behind the stand named after him, is a statue of Stan Mortensen, who played most of his career at Blackpool and was also an England international. He scored a hat-trick in the 1953 FA Cup Final, "The Matthews Final". The West Stand is named after the other great Blackpool Stanley, Matthews, in recognition of his contribution made to the club on the field.

The Forest side was considerably changed from the side that faced Preston. One notable change was the return of Jack Hobbs to central defence, resuming his partnership with Jamaal Lascelles. Danny Collins has proved to be a very able deputy in Hobbs' absence, but I feel we are more secure with Hobbs beside Lascelles. The Reds turned out in their new  '2014'  away kit (there are only 2014 of these kits going to be made available to fans and they will be used on five occasions during the remainder of this season) which is white with blue trim and blue shorts. Cynics would suggest this is a cheap money-grabbing endeavour, but I think it has more to do with players having trouble picking out other members of the team wearing that ghastly grey kit with which we started the season. I have a feeling we will not see it's like again.

The match was a classic "game of two halves", due mainly to the strength of the wind. Just before half time, Lascelles converted a floated free kick from Reid, to score his first goal for the club. Great joy. Then during a spell of second half pressure, Blackpool scored in the 86 minute with a header from a cross nearly identical to the Reid centre for our goal. It would have been great to hang on to our lead and record a win, but a draw away from home is always acceptable. It was a pleasure to retreat from the cold wind and slashing rain, though I was warm and dry in my rain-proof tracksuit which the London Marathon organisers gave me in 1990. (It's a long story). It is rather colourful and one of the Blackpool stewards complimented me on my sartorial elegance. (At least, I think it was a compliment!!)

I made my way to my hotel and prepared for my visit next day to Fleetwood Town and Morecambe. The clubs are in close proximity to each other, but to drive from one to the other takes some time because they are coastal towns in somewhat isolated positions.

Fleetwood was my first port of call. I found the ground with no trouble, situated beside a charming park, named Memorial Park which is entered through some fine, ornate gates. Sadly I couldn't find who exactly they were commemorating, but perhaps the fact that Fleetwood Town have a stand named the Memorial Stand, honouring those who lost their lives in the service of their country and trawlermen lost at sea from the port of Fleetwood gives the clue? I drove down beside the Park to the main entrance of Highbury Stadium. Yes, there still is a Highbury though slightly more modest than the one most of us used to know.

The club have been at their current home since 1934. They have only recently gained their first promotion to the football league after a rather chequered history, going through several incarnations, from Fleetwood FC in 1908, through Fleetwood Town FC to Fleetwood Wanderers, then, bizarrely, Fleetwood Freeport FC (sponsorship again) and finally back to Fleetwood Town FC.

In the last ten years or so they have made a meteoric rise through the football pyramid and were promoted from the Football Conference at the end of the 2011-12 season. During this leap up through the leagues, changes were forced on the club by the increasingly severe demands of each league regarding the standard of the ground. With the result that Fleetwood now have a smart, neat and tidy ground despite being newcomers to the FL. Sadly, because of my schedule I had to visit on a Sunday and the ground was locked. The only sign of life was the youth team coach disappearing into the distance as I arrived. So I wandered around the perimeter fence, but could find no chinks in their security.

I managed to take a few photographs hanging through the railings (mainly of the Parkside Stand), but was denied any meaningful photo opportunities.

It was still blowing quite a storm with the occasional spits of rain which cut right through me, but to the hardy trawlermen of Fleetwood I suppose it was just a gentle breeze. I now made my way up the coast to Morecambe. Not for me the pleasures of a drive by the sea with spectacular scenery, but a drive through flat countryside, inland, up to and through Lancaster before again heading to the coast.

Morecambe FC, the Shrimps (considering the location and important local occupation, an obvious nickname), are another club who have recently been promoted to the football league, in 2006/7 after a playoff win against Exeter City, and who have a very smart stadium. In Morecambe's case, a very new stadium indeed, The Globe Arena(named after the construction company, a novel idea). After playing at Christie Park for 89 years, they moved to the new stadium in time for the 2010/11 season.

Approaching the ground from the main road, one is impressed by the size and appearance of the main stand. This is a little deceptive however as the rest of the ground does not quite  match the scale of the Peter McGuigan stand, named after the chairman.

The rest of the ground consists of two covered terraces behind each goal and a curious terrace facing the imposing main stand, with just a couple of steps available for spectators on each side of what appears to be a storage building topped by a gantry for the use of the media, covered in the style used for dugouts at some grounds. At one end of this terracing is a large block which I later discovered holds the football development team and the police control room.

I wandered round the ground, seeking signs of life within. There was plenty of life outside, however, as there were pitches of differing sizes located behind the North Terrace and several games were taking place simultaneously. I noted an open door in the development block and popped my head in to see if there was a chance of looking inside the ground. I found a young man busily tending paperwork in between developing the football skills of the local youngsters. He was only too happy to show me what he could, as the keys to the actual ground were not in his possession. However, he was able to take me to the police control room from where I could view the ground. Sadly the windows don't open very wide so I had to take photographs through the glass which accounts for some ghosting on the pictures.We had a long chat as he was a very knowledgeable and agreeable companion. However, I was keeping him from his work, so reluctantly left the Globe Arena.

I then made my way down to Bury. This trip has been planned to cover two games, the Blackpool one and a re-arranged game (because of FA Cup fixtures) at Huddersfield. It is cheaper to stay at budget hotels than to drive up and down for the two games, the cost of travel being so high these days. So Bury was to be my base for more ground visits before I moved on to Huddersfield for the game against the Terriers.

The gloves are off, can we beat Yeovil this season?

Our next game, only three days later, on the Sunday, was also at home against Yeovil Town. Nicknamed the Glovers because Yeovil was the centre of that trade during the 19th century, the name appears a bit redundant as the industry has moved on and Yeovil is now a centre for the defence and aviation industries. The town is situated well away from other Championship teams (except Bournemouth) and as I watched the rather sparse crowd of Yeovil supporters enter the CG, I thought they were a rather hardy band having to travel considerable distances for virtually every away game. Plus, of course, as they are fighting relegation, there are few victorious games to spur them on.

It is worthy of note, however, that although Yeovil are right at the bottom of the Championship, they did beat us 3-1 at Huish Park (named after the ground they occupied from 1928 to 1990, the Huish Athletic Ground or just, by most, The Huish) and have put in several notable performances lately including gaining a two goal lead at Pride Park in their last game, though Derby just managed a winner in the last seconds.

We are on a good run, remaining unbeaten since Reading won 3-2 at the CG at the end of November. Billy Davies had a bit of a selection dilemma for this game as not only have we had several additions to the squad during the transfer window, but the substitutes all scored on Thursday. In the end there were four changes. Danny Fox, our new left back was drafted in, Henri Lansbury at the end of his suspension for 10 yellows came back, and two strikers who scored against Watford took their place up front, Simon Cox and Jamie Mackie. The bench contained the usual suspects, plus the new boy Rafik Djebbour. Personally, I had been hoping Jack Hobbs would be selected as our back four have not looked the same since he left. Yes, the Jack Hobbs who left us during the window. After thinking that he had been loaned to us for the season prior to a permanent signing, I think all fans were disappointed to see him recalled to the KC Stadium by Hull. However our owner and Chairman Fawaz al-Hasawi promised to return him to the CG and he was as good as his word signing Jack on permanent terms with a four and a half year contract. Hobbs was outstanding for us prior to this hiatus and I for one am delighted he is back. As is David Vaughan, who returned to his club Sunderland at the end of a short loan spell. But he too returns on loan for the season. David has been slightly injury prone during his loan spell, but those games he has played he has been very influential in a holding midfield role and is a great addition to the squad.

The game started off with Forest rushing at the Yeovil goal as if determined to put an end to proceedings as soon as possible. But, as is usually the case, things just don't work like that. Yeovil showed a lot of character to gain promotion from League 1 last season and they are not going to relinquish their new status easily. Forest must have had five or six good chances in the first quarter of an hour, but after that early onslaught, could easily have handed Yeovil the lead. It had seemed like a training game, and that lack of urgency nearly caught out the Forest defence. A loose pass allowed Yeovil to get close to the Forest goal, but the shot was off target.

After this narrow squeak, as we moved upfield a lovely through pass to Paterson from Lansbury allowed our young forward to beat their goalie, but, in doing so, he was forced out wide to the right of the six yard box. However, the ball was fired back towards the goal and the covering defender could only help it into the net. I was right behind the shot and it seemed to me to be heading in, but officially I think it has been marked down as an own goal. Nevertheless we were one up and going for a second.

That pressure slowly declined and Yeovil came more into it. In fact, after a good spell of their own during which Darlow was forced to parry a shot from Hayter and the resultant loose ball came so close to an equaliser, they did actually score. From the Forest perspective, it was a poor goal to concede. A somewhat optimistic cross from the Yeovil left was sailing into our penalty area and looked to be heading straight for Karl Darlow's welcome embrace. Instead of gratefully going out and claiming the ball, he waited for it to arrive and Moore, the lanky Yeovil forward, stole in front of him and diverted the ball into the net. A soft goal, but they all count and it was nail-biting time again. Supporting my favourite team is not easy!

1-1 and Yeovil looking lively, not at all like the team that was given the run around in the first 15 minutes. Danny Fox, our new left back, showing signs of being a very classy addition to the defence, had to be on his mettle just after this goal to stop another Yeovil attack. It was a heavy tackle, both men going in for the ball, and both required treatment. On 38 minutes The Reds went into the lead again and again Jamie Paterson was involved. This time his shot front the edge of the area was pushed away from the goal, but Mackie, never one to accept a cause is lost, chased the ball and his low cross from the left was prodded home by Cox. The half was not over, though. Yeovil attacked down the right and a lofted cross sailed over Darlow to Hayter who sent the ball wide. Straight from this Forest went onto the attack again and forced the Yeovil defence into a back pass which was woefully short. Mackie again got there first and bore down on goal. Sadly, Jamie seems unable to diddle the goalie on one-to-ones and again he missed. This time firing into the side netting.

During the second half the Reds looked quite comfortable, but there was always the nagging fear that one moment of Yeovil magic or Forest relaxation would even it up again. And it nearly happened. After Paterson had hit the post at the Bridgford end Yeovil had a golden opportunity at the Trent End. Mostly their attacks had consisted of lobbing the ball into the penalty area hoping their tall centre forward would either score or knock the ball down to a team-mate. However, they did occasionally mix it up with quick passing moves and one of these allowed one of their midfielders a clear opening on the edge of our area. The shot was saved quite easily by Darlow.

As usual, their were several changes of personnel on both sides during the last few minutes of the game. One of their substitutions resulted in Yeovil putting a tall centre half alongside their tall centre forward with an idea to increase the aerial bombardment. An just minutes after this tactical move, they gained a free kick on the right hand side just outside the area. A dangerous spot for a free kick late in the game. After the usual minute adjustments to the wall, an earnest referee pacing out 10 yards and fussing over this that and the other and much discussion among the Yeovil team, their free kick specialist put the ball at least ten yards over the goal into the Trent End. Anti-climax. Yeovil had one more chance a few minutes later as Cox, defending in his own area, pushed the ball straight to a Yeovil man. Realising his blunder Cox just managed to put some of his body in front of the shot and fortunately it lobbed away from the goal.

One of the substitutions, with about 15 minutes to go, was Paterson off and Djebbour on. After several excitable darts forward and a misplaced pass with his first touch, the new striker scored on his debut. Just as the game entered added time, the ball broke to Simon Cox at an acute angle to the goal on the right. He powered the ball across the goal and Djebbour bundled the ball into the net. There were half-hearted Yeovil appeals for hand ball, but the goal stood. At least I thought they were appealing for something, but perhaps the defenders just threw their hands into the air in a gesture of dismay at conceding what was surely the goal to end the contest.

Despite having to grind out a result, the record will show a win for Nottingham Forest and another three points. Not only does this put us more firmly into the playoff zone, but (whisper it) closer to one of the automatic places. Leicester are miles ahead at the moment, but there is a long way still to go and much could change.

A nice touch during the second half was prolonged chanting and applause for Fawaz. He has put a lot of his time and money into the club and genuinely seems to care that we are successful. I know that every owner wants his club to be successful, but Fawaz seems to have a fans desire for success, visibly living every moment in the Director's Box, alternately cheering and holding his head in his hands!

We have a tough run of games coming up, starting with a visit to Blackpool next Saturday and then, a few days later, the re-arranged visit to Huddersfield. Then we have the League leaders Leicester City at the CG, Burnley, third in the table, away at Turf Moor and finally, on the first of March, Wigan at home. Could be a season-defining month.

Stung by the Hornets?

The Hornets are, of course, Watford. In August we visited Vicarage Road after a tremendous start to our season, winning the first three games. Sadly, that run came to an end, with a 1-1 draw. Andy Reid opened the scoring, but our old boy Lewis McGugan scored for his new team with a fine free kick.

That match, if I remember rightly, was played under blue skies; anyway I remember sunshine at some point during the afternoon. The contrast to that day could not have been more different on Thursday night. Yes, Thursday. Sky had chosen our game for TV, so instead of playing on Tuesday or Wednesday like all the other Championship clubs, we were moved to Thursday, which meant, in turn, moving our game versus Yeovil from Saturday to Sunday. The weather on the night was cold and very wet. Not so much during the game, but in the days and hours leading up to the game which meant that the normally billiard table perfection of the CG was no more. I sit high up in the Upper Brian Clough stand and the pitch didn't look too bad, but the track the linesman runs up and down on our side looked sloppy and muddy. However, as usual, the groundsmen produced an excellent pitch in the circumstances.

Watford, at the start of the season, had been one of the teams expected to figure in the promotion reckoning. However, some of their leading players from last season had left the club and things had not been going well. This led Gianfranco Zola, their manager, to leave the club mid-season after about 18 months in charge and another Italian, Guiseppe Sannino, coming in. Mr Sannino had been manager of several clubs in Italy and his appointment reflects the Italian ownership of the club. The also have a large number of Italian players at the club.

Watford, before the game, were in the lower reaches of the Championship, being closer to the bottom than the top. Forest, in contrast, have had a good recent run, scoring a few goals and playing pretty well. They were in fifth position in the table with a game or two in hand on those above. Billy Davies made a few changes for this game. Henri Lansbury was serving the final game of his suspension and Vaughan had gone back to Sunderland at the end of his loan, though the management team were trying to bring him back on loan for the rest of the season. Jamaal Lascelles, interesting at least one Premiership club in the transfer window (which shuts Friday 31 January), returned after injury and Greg Halford moved forward to striker again to make room for him. Moussi came in for Vaughan, Jara moved to midfield, Lichaj moved to right back and Dan Harding came in on the left. Cox and Mackie were left out. So, once again, we took the field with a patched up back four. The only constant is Karl Darlow in goal. In fact, the whole team had a patched up look to it and I felt that this could all go badly wrong. Before the game started, three players signed in the transfer window paraded on the pitch and were introduced to the fans. Djebbour, from Olympiacos(like his compatriot, Abdoun, so he has someone here he knows) a striker, Danny Fox, from Southampton, a left back (I know, fancy, a left back) and a young man from the French club Nice, Kevin Gomis, a centre back. The foreign players moves are presumably conditional on international clearance.

The first half started quite well for us, but throughout the first 45 minutes Watford looked quicker round the pitch, pressed us well and moved the ball with more purpose. So it was no surprise that after about half an hour Anghella, one of their centre backs, scored from a corner, one of a series Watford gained during a period of pressure, with a fine flick which was heading into the gaol. A despairing attempt by Jara, on the line, to head the ball out only succeeded in deflecting it upwards onto the underside of the bar and in to the net.

1-0 at the break was bad enough, but worse was to come. For the first couple of minutes of the second half, we looked quite bright. Halford had been substituted and Simon Cox came on in his place. Then a hammer blow. From a free kick on their left, Watford swung the ball in towards the penalty spot and Anghella, completely free of any Forest marker, headed his second goal. Delirium amongst the travelling support, who must have thought the game was done and dusted. 2-0 after 47 minutes and glum silence amongst the home support

This season, even when we have gone behind in games, I have always felt there is a chance of a result, but here I felt a bit numb. I couldn't see one goal coming let alone two for a draw and three for a win. Forest continued to plug away, having the majority of the play, but not looking penetrative. However, after an hour, Jara, having an excellent game in midfield, chipped the ball to Moussi on the right of the penalty area. He neatly headed across the box and Cox rushed forward to fire the ball into the net. The CG came alive and there was more zip to the Forest play, an altogether different game now. After 69 minutes Henderson a former Watford player, came on for Abdoun. 'Beware the curse of the returning player' came to haunt Watford. Just minutes after appearing, Hendo scored. With the outside of his left boot,Reid dinked a delightful ball to the back post and Henderson was first to react and headed it back across the keeper into the far corner. Unlikely just 20 minutes before, it was game on! 2-2

The CG was now in full voice and the players were giving their all. Young Paterson was replaced by Jamie Mackie after 80 minutes and two minutes later he put the icing on the cake by scoring number three. Andy Reid chased a seemingly lost cause to the goal line, luckily it was on his left foot, and he lobbed a delightful ball into a crowded goal area and Mackie rose to head a fine goal. It was the Forest fans turn to go bonkers. There were still well over ten minutes to go, mainly because of all the time wasting by Watford when they were in the lead. Billy must have been regretting complaining so much about the time wasting now his team were in the lead. However, it was not to matter. Watford did mount a few spirited attacks, but Cox finally settled it when he scored number four. The ball was passed across the edge of the Watford penalty area. The ball was heading to an unmarked Cox, but Henderson intercepted and failed to control it and a despairing Lloyd Doyley poked the ball away from him. Such was our luck on the day, the ball rolled neatly into the path of the unmarked Simon Cox and he calmly slotted home his second goal, passing the ball into the far corner of the net. A lucky break, but well taken.

When fans roll up to a match, they never know what is going to happen; that is the joy of sport. This game is a case in point. Right until the end, it was impossible to predict what was going to happen. Thanks to a tremendous team spirit and never-say-die attitude, Forest prevailed and added another three points to keep the club comfortably in the playoff places and with just a hope of something more come the end of the season.