When League hostilities between Nottingham Forest and Derby County resumed in 1987 after a seven-year gap, the hatred was as real and raw as ever.
20 years ago on Sunday marks the Forest v Derby game from the 89/90 season. 30 August 1989, when Forest won 2-1 at home.
The previous season was a good one for these East Midlands rivals- Forest had finished 3rd, won the League Cup and reached an FA Cup semi-final under the genial management of Brian Clough. Derby on the other hand had finished 5th, with Robert Maxwell’s initial investments under the management of Arthur Cox seemingly paying off- and 88/89 featured two Derby wins over Arsenal.
Forest had began the season with two draws and a loss, whereas Derby began with two draws and a 2-0 win over Manchester United in what ended as a historic season for Alex Ferguson.
The teams started as follows:
FOREST
Steve Sutton;
Brian Laws, Des Walker, Colin Foster, Stuart Pearce;
Gary Crosby, Steve Hodge, Garry Parker, Brian Rice;
Nigel Clough, Lee Chapman
DERBY
Peter Shilton;
Paul Blades, Mark Wright, Rob Hindmarch, Michael Forsyth;
Ted McMinn, Geraint Williams, Trevor Hebberd, Gary Micklewhite;
Dean Saunders, Paul Goddard
Forest were set out in this era with a very attack-minded midfield, but Brian Rice was a much-derided figure who attained ironic cult status on the back of a goal at Arsenal, and the passion he showed in games against Derby. Add two uncompromising full-backs who could also play, and there was no shortage of attacking arsenal for a side playing the game as it should be.
Derby on the other hand had built their top-flight return under Cox on a solid defence- a fairly low goals against tally in their first three seasons back makes that out, and Shilton and Wright were England players in 1990. And then there was Ted McMinn, who the Derby fans (and Rangers before that) loved but was the player Forest fans simply loved to hate.
It was Derby who began the game stronger and played the better football in the first half. A Gary Micklewhite free-kick was diverted by Steve Hodge into the back of his own net to give Derby the lead- and Hodge tried to make up for it for the rest of the game with fierce determination coming forward in search of a goal.
The tackles got tasty. Paul Blades tackled Brian Rice, and then Stuart Pearce made a magnificent tackle on Ted McMinn who was then writhing on the ground, with Rice visibly displeased and telling him to get up! The passion was clearly getting to the players, but that’s what makes derbies like these great to watch.
It was a different story in the second half. Forest began to play their usual football. Hodge was involved in Gary Crosby equalising and from there on the momentum shifted to the home side, who pressed forward to get a winner, and that was scored by Stuart Pearce.
The return fixture at the Baseball Ground on January 20 would see Forest complete a double, this time Steve Hodge scoring from a glorious pass from Garry Parker, who displayed his class and vision while hardly moving.
That season Forest picked up the last trophy they won to date, another League Cup success while they finished 9th in the League. Derby on the other hand after beginning strongly slumped to 16th- injuries began to bite, particularly that of McMinn, and Robert Maxwell was evidently unwilling to release more funds for players. The following season, 1990/91, saw Derby fall through the trapdoor while Forest reached the FA Cup Final.
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