Of one of the Our man Stan looks back at the electrifying times Premier League’s most entertaining double acts
■ WHEN Nottingham Forest were promoted to the Premiership in 1994, Dutch international Bryan Roy arrived at the City Ground and immediately forged an impressive partnership with Stan Collymore, one which helped the club defy the odds and end the season in third.
■ Nearly three decades on, and with Forest preparing for a renewed assault on the top flight, the two friends got together for a look back... and ahead.
Stan, you’d just won promotion in 1994, so it was exciting anyway, but how much did Bryan’s arrival add to the sense of anticipation?
SC: Bryan is the only player I played where a manager called me and asked my opinion. I remember Frank Clark ringing and saying, ‘You’re not going to believe this, there’s a chance we can get Bryan Roy…’
It was at a time when Italian football was what Premier League football is now – king of the castle – and I obviously knew that, before Foggia, Bryan had played for Ajax and won the UEFA Cup.
So I was incredibly excited. For any newly-promoted club, if you can get in one player who excites the supporters and players you have a chance, and Bryan did that.
BR: I didn’t know Frank had called Stan, but I’m happy he did because we had a great partnership on and off the pitch. All the lads were great. It was the best dressing room I’ve been in.
SC: It’s funny, when I went to Liverpool there were lots of things going on – Neil Ruddock cutting Robbie Fowler’s tie and all those stories. But there was none of that at Forest. It was a dressing room that had been moulded by Brian Clough, who was a disciplinarian, and when I think about that dressing room I think of Woany [Ian Woan], Scot Gemmill, really good lads…
BR: ‘Big Norm…’ [laughing]
SC: Yes, Mark Crossley – ‘Big Norm’! Really good lads. Everyone was friendly, polite, and wanted to do well. There were big characters at Liverpool and lots of crazy things going on with the young lads, but that didn’t happen at Forest.
BR: I came from a very disciplined background at Ajax and Brian Clough was also a legend there. So now I see where the humility and discipline came from. It’s also the mentality of the East Midlands – normal, humble, easy going. No one fell out, we were a tight group.
Do you remember the first training session together?
SC: I remember how sharp Bryan was. Actually, we played a PFA game in China five or six years ago and he still has the quickest feet I’ve seen. I missed the first game of the 1994 season, Ipswich away, and Bryan scored a worldie. He did a little step-over and curled it into the top corner. I was watching Match of the Day, and thought, ‘I want to play with this fella’.
BR: The first game is so important with a new team. I remember the pitch was great, which was a big advantage for me, and luckily I had a good strike that went in…
SC: It wasn’t lucky, Bryan, a little step-over and a bullet strike…
BR: Thank you, Stan [laughing]. I felt good with the pace of the Premier League. The ground in England is harder than Europe and because I was light it was easy for me to move. I thought, ‘We’re going to have some success here’.
You went 14 games unbeaten at the start of the season and 13 unbeaten at the end. Did you ever think you might win the title?
SC: No, but I thought there was a really good chance of us getting into Europe and that’s what happened. The thought now of Bournemouth, Fulham or Nottingham Forest finishing third, it won’t happen. That’s how good we were.
BR: We were never thinking about the title but Stan had a spell of injuries and I had a spell of injuries and, maybe if that hadn’t happened, we might have come close.
What advice would you give this Forest squad?
SC: Be positive. And give yourself in that first game against Newcastle something to take into the rest of the
season. My first game was against Manchester United, and I remember being really excited to have a go against Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Peter Schmeichel. I did well and it gave me confidence.
BR: Stan’s right. Yes, Forest have been away for 20-plus years but it is a big club – two European Cups, champions of England. So put your chest forwards and say, ‘No one is going to win here at the City Ground’. Never be insecure. Bluff it if you have to. Put your chest forwards and be positive.
Who will be the talisman this season?
SC: I don’t think they will rely on one player. People will look at Dean Henderson and Taiwo Awoniyi and think, ‘These are the guys who will make a difference’. But the thing that got Forest from the foot of the Championship to promotion wasn’t one player. People look back at the 94-95 season and say, ‘Bryan Roy and Stan Collymore’, or, ‘Stuart Pearce’. But in the end it was about Lars Bohinen, Alf-inge Haaland, Steve Chettle, Mark
Crossley. We were all as important as each other. Lars that season was sensational, Steve Stone…
BR: Steve was unbelievable. And Woany…
SC: I’m hoping those such as Jack Colback, who has Premier League experience, will want to be a part of being in the limelight again. But for Forest, there is nobody in that team who individually will keep them in the Premier League.
■Read the longer version of this interview at https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/ stan-collymore-bryan-roy-reunite-27489753