CLAIMS TO FAME

NOTTINGHAM FOREST

1RAMS RAID

Why would Forest dare wear the shirts of rivals Derby? Er, after they’ve beaten them in the FA Cup final, of course. Forest won the 1898 clash 3- 1 in their traditional ‘ garibaldi red’, but since that colour didn’t come out well on film, their first major trophy was documented with photos of them in white.

2 THE INVISIBLE MAN

Forest are the only club to have more European Cup wins than domestic titles – but the man who twice lifted Ol’ Big Ears as skipper carries a quirk of his own: somehow midfielder John Mcgovern never earned a Scotland cap. “There is an inequality there that I definitely detested for a long time,” he later reflected, understandably.

3 SICK NOTE

Doctor Who was a Forest junior. Matt Smith lined up from the age of 12- 14 alongside Jermaine Jenas, before eventually giving up the sport in favour of a life travelling through time and space ( OK, it was a back injury). He even showcased his skills in an episode where the Doctor joins a Sunday League side, featuring James Corden ( obviously).

4 THE INVENTOR

Shin pads originated at Forest. In 1874, when it wasn’t uncommon for footballers to play county cricket too, Sam Weller Widdowson cut his pads down and put them over his stockings. He later thought up the Amateur Cup, organised the earliest floodlit games and reffed the first ever match with goal nets. Just don’t blame him for VAR.

5 TREV TIME

Trevor Francis’ first ever match in Europe was the 1979 European Cup Final... in which he bagged the winner. He’d joined Forest that February, but UEFA rules said he wasn’t eligible to play in Europe for another three months. When the Malmo showpiece rolled around, the maiden million- quid man took his big chance. Worth every penny.