As the final whistle blew at the City Ground on Sunday, I was in no doubt that Nottingham Forest and Chris Hughton would finally be parting company. Ironically, at the time of writing (20:30 Sunday 12 September 2021) the NFFC manager is still in his role, but perhaps more telling is the fact that we are also still rock bottom of the Championship table. At the time of publishing however, I predict that circumstances will have changed, not the league standing though.

Those who know me are familiar with my Groundhog Day mantra when it comes to all things NFFC during the last two decades. And this fully vindicates my opening article of the season where I used the term “make or break season!” Some laughed this off as an overly dramatic sentiment but I’m a man of my word and steadfastly stand by my statement. The Nottingham Forest supporters are at breaking point and will not tolerate another season of insanity. Insanity: don’t take my word for it, absorb the rhetoric of some dude by the name of Albert Einstein who is credited with the following diction: “Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” Does this sound familiar?

If we take the Cardiff City game in isolation (not Covid style) there were indeed many positives from which to draw. The acquisition of two new full backs certainly added a balance and solidity to the back four, and for the first forty-five minutes all seemed well in the world of Nottingham Forest. Perhaps most telling of all was something I’ve perpetually referred to during, not only my commentary, but in my writing also, and that was is the body language of any given footballer. You can analyse, pontificate, and compartmentalise a football team but the most accurate indicator of commitment to the cause will ALWAYS be the body language of the players. In the first half versus Cardiff the commitment of every Forest player was tangible. To a man they threw themselves in front of every goal bound shot, cross and through ball. Even Lyle Taylor, despite a poor overall performance, chased down the City keeper at every given opportunity, when he wasn’t on the floor.

Lest we forget the goal. Max Lowe’s brilliant run from the full back position to opposition by-line was fantastic, but the composure he portrayed when he got there was even better. I fully expected the loan man to dink the ball to the back post like I would have done, hence the reason why I write/commentate about football and no longer play it, but the intelligence he showed by rolling it back to Lewis Grabban was exemplary. In commentary, Elliot Stockdale, my co commentator, had alluded to the fact that aerial balls were futile when you had the likes of Aden Flint and Sean Morrison in defence so I’m guessing that Max was listening?

Half time and all is well in the world of NFFC. But then came the second forty-five, which well and truly belonged to Cardiff City. It was like a switch had been flicked, as Forest reverted to the same old siege mentality that has been their Achilles heel for, well, as long as those crazy millennial’s can remember. And then came the changes; brilliant, tactical substitutions by Mick McCarthy which invariably changed the game as Rubin Colwill bagged a brace whilst Kieffer Moore wreaked havoc in close attendance.

Truth be told, the manager will almost certainly go but the burning question is this: does the root cause of our embarrassment lay deeper than the ground upon which the manager walks? I simply cannot answer this, sorry to disappoint but I’m not an ITK!

Similarly, I’m devoid of all ideas when it comes to a solution for the progression and development of the club; honestly, I have no idea about who could manage the club, the best system to play, or how we can improve. Okay, I do have ideas, but this is Nottingham Forest, and we are the destroyer of worlds, we have become the archetypal poison chalice!

I shall leave you with the words of a former NFFC hero David Johnson; DJ tweeted the following statement after the defeat to Cardiff: “Just so angry and disappointed how the club is ran. It’s embarrassing (the whole board should of gone). They are a disgrace. Last time I said anything bad about the club. Gainnis called me. I’ll wait for his call I guess as I was right the first time.”

A little overzealous or too emotional? Again, I don’t know what David knows but what I do know is this; the results under the current manager are beyond indefensible and the inability of the club to do something different, as opposed to the same thing over and over again constitutes insanity.

Powell and Silcock appointed…Basford United is extremely pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Powell and Neville Silcock as Lead Foundation Phase Coaches in the Club’s Community section.

Familiar faces to those at Greenwich Avenue, Rob and Neville will begin their role this week alongside Head of Football and First Team Manager Steve Chettle, Lead Academy Coach Josh Law, and Youth Development Phase Lead Coach David Boafo, and help oversee the younger age groups.Continuing the great work that has been ongoing at the Football Club, they will predominantly work with the under 7-11 sides to develop players and coaches with their expertise and experience at this level. Rob has worked beside the academy coaches throughout the Soccer Camps, specifically with the younger players and, with Neville, has coached and managed the very successful under 7 squad. Tuesday night (September 7) sees the first of the club’s midweek Soccer Camps, which run every Tuesday and Thursday evenings (17:00-18:00), with additional sessions on Saturday mornings (09:00-10:00).

The coaching sessions will be for players aged between 6-11 years of age and is aimed at promoting the foundation section, in the hope to find more budding stars to join Basford’s community sides, progress through the age groups and eventually join the flourishing Academy programme. It gives everyone joining the coaches the opportunity to have fun, learn and develop skills and make new friends. To book your child onto the Soccer Camp, please contact Jessica Munroe at jessmunroe@basfordunitedfc.com. All at United would like to wish both Neville and Rob the best of luck in their new roles.

Paul Nyland is to leave his position as commercial manager following 10 years in the role, the club can confirm. Paul has been instrumental in reforming the club’s commercial department in the past decade and has achieved significant success as part of the Stags’ business objectives. A well-known figure within the club and community of Mansfield, he will leave the club following our home match against Barrow on 02 October, with our gratitude and highest regard. Paul said: “The past ten years has been an experience I’ll never forget and to leave the club I have supported since a boy was not a decision I took lightly.

“I will miss the One Call Stadium and in particular its staff, who work so hard for the success of the football club, day-in-day-out.

“They have become like a second family to me, in particular: Diane Ceney, Mark Stevenson, Laura Cooper, Ryan Johnson, Lynn Millward, Jessica Burt, Ollie Jankiewicz, Tobias Rowan, James Gilliatt, Mike and Scott Merriman as well as all the staff and everyone at Football in the Community. A special mention must go to Chris Revill, our hospitality MC, who has helped create a special experience in the 1861 Suite on a home matchday. “My gratitude of support is extended to the chairman, Carolyn, David Sharpe, Paul & Tina Broughton, Steve Hymas and Mark Burton. “It was a great privilege to be offered the position a decade ago and I’m proud to have forged special links with a number of local and national businesses, sponsors and supporters. “Mansfield Town is a special club and as I now look to begin a new chapter in my professional career, I wish everyone associated with the Stags the very best of luck.”

The club places on record its appreciation for Paul’s endeavours and wishes him every success in his future career. The club is now advertising for a new commercial executive, details of which can be found here at https://www.mansfieldtown.net/news/2021/september/vacancy-commercial-executive/

When I saw Dave Shaw’s post on a Nottingham Forest supporter’s group, not only did I look twice, I had to process the information a third time to fully comprehend the magnitude of it all. He uploaded a picture of his great-grandfather, Walter Shaw, holding aloft the FA Cup in 1959, and there lay the confusion. Without insulting your intelligence, Walter appeared too old to be a teammate of Jack Burkitt and Roy Dwight, more befitting of those such as Arthur Capes and John McPherson in 1898 to be honest. And guess what, that he was!

Walter Shaw may be the only player in Nottingham Forest’s epic history to have held both FA Cups. For those who’ve watched the English Game on Netflix, despite altering factual elements from that period, Julian Fellowes’s portrayal of association football and the early days of the English Cup (currently known as the FA Cup) provides a portal into the foundations of the beautiful game we still watch today. This was Walter Shaw’s era!

So, how on earth did a lad from Hucknall, not only get his hands upon the FA Cup in 1898, but in 1959 too? His great-grandson Dave revealed all as I pounced upon his revelation. Astonishingly, Dave confirmed that I was the only enquirer from a media standpoint. I’m incredibly surprised that those more coveted than I passed up on one of the most remarkable stories from Forest’s 155-year history. Let’s put this into context, the only trophy Brian Clough failed to lift in his time at Forest was indeed the FA Cup.

11 April 1898 Football League Division One – Derby County 5-0 Nottingham Forest

The Reds had been torn apart by the Rams five days before the two sides would meet again at Crystal Palace in the English Cup final, thus making Derby favourites for the cup.

However, as Dave Shaw explained, there was a misconception regarding the team selection by Forest that day. “My great-grandfather, Walter Shaw, played in the 5-0 game alongside five others who were excluded from the final six days later.” Dave explained how, despite the fact many perceived the wholesale changes for the final to be a reflection of that loss, the truth was that Walter and co had been drafted in to rest the senior players for the big day on April 16th 1898; sound familiar? Walter was for all intents and purposes a squad player, but you can only imagine the satisfaction and elation he felt as he lifted Nottingham Forest’s first major trophy with the team as they avenged Derby when it mattered most, winning by three goals to one. Walter Shaw was again selected for the first team a week after the English/FA cup win to face local side Hucknall St John’s, but the national heroes were unceremoniously beaten by the underdogs, providing one of the biggest shocks in Nottingham Forest’s 33-year history.

Much was made about the selection of both Walter Shaw and Jack Thornley for the Reds that day because both hailed from Hucknall, living on Byron Street and Orchard Street, respectively. As for Hucknall St John’s, they’d already proved themselves capable of mixing it with the big boys as they gave Liverpool a run for their money in the English/FA cup three months earlier, losing 2-0 in front of 8000 fans at Anfield.

If you google “Forest humbled by minnows” you’ll be able to read Dennis Robinson’s excellent article for the Hucknall Dispatch regarding the events of that era. So, let us fast forward to 1959 and the aftermath of Nottingham Forest’s second FA cup triumph. The hysteria of their 2-1 victory over Luton Town at Wembley was still very much in the air and several receptions were laid on for the players and their trophy. One of those was held at the Sherwood Rooms, now called Ocean Nightclub, and that’s where the Walter Shaw would grasp the FA cup for a second time, it’s not certain whether Walter was indeed the last surviving member of the 1898 squad but it’s highly likely. His great-grandson Dave explained to me that Walter had been specially invited to the reception in honour of the inaugural victory in 1898. For me, the photo of Walter is one of the most iconic in Nottingham Forest’s 155 year history, here is a player born and raised in our own City who had his hands on both versions of the FA Cup in two different centuries!

As I talked at length with Dave Shaw, he revealed even more fascinating facts about his family and their achievements in the footballing world. Walter Shaw had two sons, Walter, and Thomas (nicknamed Fred) who both followed in his footsteps and played professionally. Walter junior only turned to football as a way to earn a wage at Blackpool FC, “the details are a little sketchy” said Dave, “it’s a possibility that my grandfather (Walter junior) took up football as a result of the UK general strike of 1926.” Thomas (Fred) Shaw achieved notable success during his own career, he had spells at Birmingham City, Notts County and Mansfield Town prior to the second world war. He made an instant impact at Meadow Lane, scoring a hat-trick on his Notts County debut v Swansea, becoming only the second player to have done so at that time.

The Shaw’s sporting interests continued to flourish throughout the generations, Dave said “My father played water polo and Boxed for the Navy and I work in the sporting industry myself as general manager of HEAD, the Tennis brand, so it’s definitely in the genes.”

Although Dave was born outside of Nottingham, he spent many family Christmases in Bulwell and Hucknall, explaining to me how this, coupled with his great-grandfather’s involvement with NFFC, became the catalyst for him supporting Forest.

As I alluded to earlier, Walter Shaw’s link to the only two FA Cups ever won by Nottingham Forest is phenomenal and it’s been a pleasure to write about. Fittingly, the last words go to Dave; “when I take my seat at Forest I actually feel like a part of the club through my blood and the strong links within, I’m very proud of my great-grandfather, it’s an incredible story!”