Next Game – Nottingham Forest (home)

Last updated : 21 November 2003 By Tony Scholes

Michael Dawson
Forest have hardly looked back since David Platt moved on to manager the England Under 21s and last season saw them make the play offs in Paul Hart’s second season in charge.

It ended disappointingly with a play off semi-final defeat at the hands of Sheffield United despite the fact that Forest led in both legs courtesy of David Johnson goals. They benefited for the fact that they had two of the five players to hit twenty or more First Division goals last season in former Burnley loan player Johnson and his partner Marlon Harewood.

They had problems during the summer and the supporters were getting somewhat restless as they lost a number of players including Jim Brennan and Riccardo Scimeca who moved on to Norwich and Leicester respectively on Bosman frees. Christian Edwards signed for Bristol Rovers and Jack Lester who was released moved to Sheffield United.

The big signings didn’t happen and when the season kicked off the only new faces were Brynjar Gunnarsson and ex-Claret Danny Sonner who had been released by Stoke and Walsall whilst they signed Manchester United midfielder Michael Stewart on a year long loan.

Of course the Clarets tried to sign him but the Scottish player always preferred Forest with international team mates there and that has been confirmed by Stan.

It wasn’t just the fans who were worried and David Johnson launched into an attack on the club recently and suggested they were going nowhere and were being run like a club in administration.

He must have hit a nerve because apart from getting him to sign a new three year deal they have also strengthened their squad by firstly bringing in Stephen McPhail on loan from Leeds and then paying us £500,000 for forward Gareth Taylor.

They started the season with a somewhat fortunate home win against Sunderland but then lost their next two league games at Reading and at home to newly promoted Cardiff. Things have got back on track though with three successive victories against Coventry, Norwich and most recently against the side that beat them in the play offs, Sheffield United.

That was Saturday and it was the game that saw Gareth Taylor make a controversial debut coming on as a 12th minute substitute for David Johnson who suffered a broken leg. Sheffield United manager has accused Taylor of elbowing Chris Morgan who retaliated and was sent off.

Forest boss Paul Hart was delighted with the performance against the Blades but his thoughts were with Johnson after the game. "David’s injury is all we are thinking about but I was delighted with the performance. We played some quality stuff and that’s no doubt why we are getting big crowds and people want to come and see us play."

Forest lined up: Darren Ward, Matthieu Louis-Jean, Michael Dawson, John Thompson, Wes Morgan, Danny Sonner, Stephen McPhail, Gareth Williams (Michael Stewart 79), Andy Reid, David Johnson (Gareth Taylor 12), Marlon Harewood. Subs not used: Eoin Jess, Barry Roche, Des Walker.

Harewood is already finding the net again and has scored five league goals this season, only Cardiff’s Robert Earnshaw has more in the First Division.

Click HERE to see all Forest's results this season.

Past Results in the last 20 years

Season

Div

Ven

Result

Att

Scorers

a

1990/91

LC

a

1-4

17,897

Mumby

h

0-1

11,399

2000/01

1

h

1-0

17,876

Payton(pen)

a

0-5

17,195

2001/02

1

h

1-1

15,085

Gnohere

a

0-1

24,016

2002/03

1

h

1-0

13,869

Briscoe

a

0-2

25,403

Click HERE to see more results against Forest.

One from the past

Robson’s day as Burnley prepares for international flights

Burnley 8 (Robson 5 Pilkington Pointer 2) Nottingham Forest 0
Football League Division One – Saturday 21st November 1959

Jimmy Robson - five goals
There have been many memorable matches against Forest over the years but none more so from a member of our current coaching staff Jimmy Robson than the one played in November 1959 in the First Division.

But it wasn’t football on everyone’s lips as they made their way to the Turf that day but the sensational news that Burnley was going to be at the forefront of modern transport with the introduction of our own heliport.

Work was all set to start on what would be called ‘Burnley Skyport’ (I stress not Sky Sports) looking down on Turf Moor from the Ridge. It was all set to bring London within 90 minutes of Burnley, a shorter distance than the then motor journey to Manchester, and there would be flights also as far as Paris.

The whole town was exciting and had it opened within the year there would have been major demand for flights to take supporters to our European Cup game in Paris against Reims. Sadly that wasn’t the case and almost 44 years later we are still waiting for work to commence on our very own Skyport.

But that wasn’t concerning the players who were looking for another win to keep us up in the top places in the First Division. The Clarets were playing well and were in sixth place in the table with two Lancashire clubs above them. The Manchester clubs and Everton were some way behind but Blackburn were fifth and Preston in 2nd place behind leaders West Ham on goal average.

I can report though that this was the day we went above Blackburn as we climbed into fourth place with the most emphatic of victories with Jimmy Robson, the inside-left, the name on everyone’s lips.

Robson scored five times as the Clarets stormed to an 8-0 win against a beleaguered Forest side that included former Claret Billy Gray. They had no answer to the storming Clarets and couldn’t come close to containing Jimmy McIlroy who turned in such a performance that he was generally regarded as Man of the Match despite Robson’s goals.

McIlroy was in such form that Forest’s defence was in total confusion as it appeared just about all of them were taking on the task of trying to mark him, although that made no difference and that particularly allowed the left hand side of Burnley’s attack to constantly get the better of their opponents.

Forest’s inability to score meant Burnley kept a clean sheet for the first time in the season but it passed by almost unnoticed as we went for more goals. In fact once Pointer had scored the eighth with just over seven minutes to go we sent Miller up to centre forward to try and take it into double figures.

It was Robson’s day though and he became the first Burnley player to score five goals in a game in post war football. Only Andy Lochhead (twice) and Paul Barnes have since matched that figure.

Neither of the side recorded so many goals in a league game since either although we have hit seven on numerous occasions. It would be nice for both Robson’s and the team’s records to be broken soon.

The teams were,

Burnley: Adam Blacklaw, John Angus, Alex Elder, Bobby Seith, Brian Miller, Jimmy Adamson, John Connelly, Jimmy McIlroy, Ray Pointer, Jimmy Robson, Brian Pilkington.

Nottm Forest: Charlie Thomson, Bill Whare, Roy Patrick, Geoff Whitefoot, Bob McKinlay, Jim Iley, Billy Gray, Colin Booth, Joe Wilson, John Quigley, Stuart Imlach.

Referee: Harold Hackney (Barnsley).

Attendance: 24,349.