Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Clark: Cloughie always got under Liverpool’s skin... Forest can do the same thing today
FRANK CLARK hopes Nottingham Forest can recapture some of the Brian Clough glory days and get under Liverpool’s skin once again in today’s FA Cup clash.
Back in the late-1970s, Forest – a collection of waifs and strays including full-back Clark, who had been given a free transfer by Newcastle – were the new kids on the block.
Clough had led John O’Hare, Kenny Burns, Archie Gemmill and Clark into the old First Division ready to challenge the establishment, which had Bob Paisley’s Liverpool as its standard bearers.
In their first season among the elite, they not only beat Liverpool in the 1978 League Cup final, but they went on to take the Merseysiders’ league crown.
That paved the way for an incredible European Cup-winning double in 1979 and 1980. Clark, who succeeded Clough as manager and later became chairman, admitted: “I suppose we did rock the establishment for a few years after coming from nowhere.
“I’m sure Liverpool, especially, didn’t like it after they had dominated with First Division championships and winning the European Cup in 1977.
“I think we did get under Liverpool’s skin, hopefully in a nice way because both sets of players had a great deal of respect for one another. We could see what a great team they were with fantastic players like Kenny Dalglish, Graeme Souness, Terry McDermott, but they found it very difficult to beat us.
“This Sunday is a different thing altogether. Liverpool are a million miles ahead of us now as a football club. We’ve been out of the Premier League for 23 years, so we’re very much the underdogs.
“But we were initially underdogs under Brian Clough when we came up from the old Second Division, so you never know.”
The League Cup triumph, in an Old Trafford replay following a stalemate at Wembley, signalled Forest’s intent and
certainly rattled ‘Anfield Iron’ Tommy Smith. The game was won through a John Robertson penalty, even though TV replays showed that Phil Thompson had hauled O’Hare down outside the area.
Afterwards, in typical forthright Smith fashion, he told a TV interviewer that “it was a disgraceful decision and the referee Pat Partridge should be shot”.
“That was a bit harsh on Pat,” laughed Clark. “But it showed they were starting to become a little worried and now being threatened by the new kids on the block.”
McDermott also had a goal ruled out for handball, another controversial decision, which cost the gentlemanly Ian Callaghan his first booking in 856 games for disputing it.
It was the launching pad for a successful assault on the title.
Fast-forward to the present day and Clark said: “I’m enjoying watching Forest under Steve Cooper, he has revitalised the club.
“The atmosphere is fantastic. He has given supporters hope that there will be some good times around the corner.
“I’m really looking forward to the Liverpool game. It will be a great day whatever happens.”