Rather like last week’s opponents, Bristol City, there was a time quite recently when a visit from Nottingham Forest could be viewed as a likely three points for Cardiff City, but, while we still retain our incredible winning record at the City Ground, Forest come here on Sunday hoping to emulate the wurzels in winning three consecutive times at Cardiff City Stadium. With us having not won in six league games, having kept one clean sheet all season and having lost nine out of our last ten home league matches, it will be a shock if Forest don’t complete their hat trick tomorrow.
Anyway on to less depressing things, here’s the usual quiz with seven questions on our next opponents from each decade going back to the sixties.
60s. Sharing his name with a native of Bedwas who was capped by his country, this man started off in red and white and is the only survivor of the team he won a winner’s medal for while representing them. However, a year later, he was transferred to a side that represents a place which likes to think of itself as the Fish and Chips capital of the UK (possibly because the fish are so little distance from where they were caught!). Forest were his last club and he is also the last survivor of one of their more famous teams. As for his record against us during this decade, he had two wins and a draw to show from his three encounters with Cardiff City – can you name him?
70s. Born in Kings Lynn, he played in a position which makes his admission in 2017 that he was suffering with pre dementia not altogether surprising in these days when diagnosis with the condition is increasing in former footballers. Starting his career with Forest, he played sixty five league games for them, but, ironically, the match during his time with them mentioned in his Wikipedia entry could be said never to have taken place! He played most matches for his second club where I suppose it could be claimed he wore a Forest kit in reverse. The final stop in his playing career came with a team which has one of the most distinctive kits in the EFL and it seems he settled in their area when his playing days ended because he stood as a candidate for a place on Fylde Borough Council at one time, although there’s no mention on Wikipedia as to what party he was representing – who is he?
80s. NHS greases mixture finds a home at the City Ground? (4,6)
90s. Military man in the affirmative?
00s. Did he dig choirs I wonder? (5,4)
10s. Internationals from the following countries appeared for Forest in a defeat at Cardiff City Stadium during this decade – Greece (there were two of them), USA, Scotland, Chile, Poland and Algeria, can you name the match and the players?
20s.Not much output at all from this player by the sound of it!
Answers:
60s. Jeff Whitefoot is the only survivor from Manchester United’s title winning 1955/56 side (he also played Stefanos Kapino for their 1952 Division One winning side). Whitefoot signed for Forest in 1958 after a season at Grimsby and is also the only survivor their 1959 FA Cup winning side.
70s. Dave Serella was one of two Forest players attacked by Newcastle fans in an FA Cup Quarter Final tie at St James’ Park in 1974 which led to the home side’s 4-3 win being declared null and void with the Geordies winning a replayed match at Goodison Park. After four years at Forest, he left for Walsall in 1974 and racked up close to 300 league appearances for them during his eight years there – he then played for Blackpool between 1982 and 1984.
80s. Hans Segers.
90s. Tommy Wright.
00s. Chris Doig.
10s. In Forest’s 2-1 defeat here in 17/18, Stefanos Kapino and Apostolos Vellios of Greece, Eric Lichaj of America, Liam Bridcutt of Scotland, Ben Brereton-Diaz of Chile, Matt Cash of Poland and Adlène Guedioura of Algeria all appeared for Forest.*
* Apologies, but I messed up on this question because, shortly after setting it, I realised that there was another Scottish international, Danny Fox, in the Forest starting eleven that night.
20s. Max Lowe.