Nottingham Forest 1977–1980 – Clough, Taylor, and the Miracle of European Glory (100th Episode: The Director’s Cut)
Summary
In this landmark 100th episode of By Far The Greatest Team, Graham and Jamie joined by podcast favourite Phil Craig return to where it all began — revisiting the incredible story of Nottingham Forest 1977–1980 with a full Director’s Cut treatment.
From Second Division obscurity to conquering Europe twice, Forest’s rise under Brian Clough and Peter Taylor remains one of the greatest fairytales in football history.
The team reflect on how the podcast has evolved from its early days, share insights from over 100 episodes, and celebrate their growing global community of listeners. Alongside that, they dive deep into the magic and madness of Forest’s journey — the unbeaten streak, key signings like Trevor Francis, and Clough’s brilliant yet combustible leadership. This episode is both a love letter to football history and a celebration of a podcast that’s come of age.
💡 Takeaways:
- This milestone episode celebrates By Far The Greatest Team reaching 100 episodes.
- The format has evolved from multi-team episodes to rich, in-depth storytelling.
- Brian Clough’s vision and leadership transformed Nottingham Forest from outsiders to champions.
- Peter Taylor’s scouting eye and tactical intuition were essential to the club’s success.
- Key figures such as John Robertson, Peter Shilton, and Trevor Francis defined Forest’s golden era.
- The 42-match unbeaten run remains one of the greatest achievements in English football.
- Winning the League Cup laid the foundations for European dominance.
- The rivalry with Liverpool pushed Forest to new heights of ambition.
- Financial pressures and the Clough–Taylor fallout eventually tested the club’s unity.
- Nottingham Forest’s back-to-back European Cups remain one of football’s most astonishing feats.
- The team’s legacy is one of belief, balance, and brilliance — a blueprint for greatness.
- The podcast community has grown globally, reaching fans in cities from London to Dublin and Glasgow.
- The 100th episode marks a new chapter for By Far The Greatest Team — with a website and YouTube channel on the horizon.
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