But until then, it remained easy for larger and larger numbers to leave the terraces and hit the grass, as that April day in Coventry would show. By the 80s, this would manifest in menacing fencing in many grounds around the country, with disastrous results later. The activity of making your way on to the pitch went “viral”, with many young, mischievous fans seeing it as a marked target. With organised hooligan firms already in places since the late 60s, at least in proto-form, violent encounters became more and more usual too, as demonstrated by a famous clip of a Chelsea fan outnumbered by flare and platform boot wearing Tottenham supporters in 1975.Ī section of the fighting on the pitch between Tottenham and Chelsea fans, 74/75 season. But of course the 70s had also it’s share of chaos, as fighting and pitch invasions became more and more common.Īs the decade had progressed, joyful, celebratory invasions (such as this or this) were joined with deliberate attempts to stop matches when the result was not going your team’s way. In terms of the fan scene, England was swiftly hurtling toward the hooligan hey day of the 1980s. With two points awarded for a win at the time, a trip to Coventry City’s Highfield Road in April would see Forest take an amazing league title for the first time in their history with only a draw. The position meant automatic promotion for Forest, as this was before the days of play-offs when the top three finishers would go up.Ī goal and celebrations in Nottingham Forest's City Ground, vs Hereford United, as the home side head towards promotion, 76/77.īy the time 1978 rolled around, Clough’s team had only been defeated three times in Division One, with the latter of these – away to Leeds on November 19th – ultimately turning out to be their last league loss of the season.
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This came off the back of a disastrous 44 day spell as Leeds United manager the year before, but Clough had already won Second (68/69) and First Division (71/72) championships with Derby County, as well as victories in the prestigious Watney Cup (1970) and Texaco Cup (71/72).Ī 16th place finish was followed with an improved 8th in the manager’s first full campaign the next season, before the trajectory continued with 3rd in 76/77.
In January 1975, Brian Clough became the manager of English Second Division side Nottingham Forest. We now turn to another end of season episode from a couple of decades earlier in England, but one with quite a different vibe.
Last time in People On The Pitch, we looked at a fiery Italian affair in which Salernitana’s hopes of promotion in 1996 were dashed.
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