Or how Nottingham Forest nearly didnt get the chance for their Golden Age.

When Saints travelled to the City Ground in February 1977 neither club was setting the league alight with Saints still suffering the hangover from their FA Cup Final win nne months earlier, although there was the feeling that with the talent in the team, if they could get a run of wins together then they might just stand a chance of a late run at promotion, Forest sat six points above them and harboured the same sort of feelings.

It was a cold and misty night in Nottingham and Saints hearts were warmed when Nick Holmes put them ahead in the first minute and they stayed in control of the game right up until the break, Saints were either great or appalling on the road that season and the feeling was this was going to be one of the great games, however as the break loomed the mist was rolling in ominously from the Trent river behind the goal.

By the time the teams re emerged it had came right in and although the referee started the second half, within two minutes he realised that he couldnt see much of the game and the situation was if anything getting worse, he therefore abandoned the game, much to the relief of the Forest fans who sensed that their team werent going to get much change out of a Saints side that night.

Five weeks later and Saints were back in Nottingham for the re arranged fixture, but a good run in both the FA Cup & European Cup Winners Cup though has left them playing catch up with fixtures and to be blunt the abandoned game was the last thing they needed, Forest hadnt been doing much better so if Saints won they would be only four points behind with two games in hand, in truth it would be a big ask.

But Forest themselves sensed that their season was going to be made or broke by this game and with Brian Clough probably reminding them they were getting a second chance against Saints by pure luck then they had to take it.

From the start Forest dominated Tont Woodcock scored after 21 minutes and then Martin O,Neil doubled the lead ten minutes after the break, Saints looked to the Trent for a saviour but there wasnt a sign of even a slight mist let alone the pea souper needed, Peter Rodrigues pulled one back with 25 mins to go but it was too little too late and within the space of a fortnight Saints haad been knocked out bt Man Utd in the 5th round of the FA Cup, out of the Cup Winners Cup at the quarter final stage by Anderlecht and now saw their outside chance of a run at promotion battered by Forest.

Come the end of the season the implications of the abandoned game were very clear, Forest completed their fixtures with 52 points from 42 games and with Bolton only two points behind them and still having two games to play it looked a formality, the first of those games saw Bolton at home to already promoted Wolves, 35,000 packed into Burnden Park knowing a win would put them on to the cusp of Promotion, even a draw would be very handy as their final trip was to Bristol Rovers on the Tuesday after the last Saturday of the season, however Wolves won 1-0 and this left Nottingham Forest promoted unless Bolton could muster a win by 14 goals. they drew 2-2.

If Saints had won that abandoned game then it would have been Bolton promoted instead of Forest, meaning the East Midlands club would not have been able to win the Division One title the following season and subsequently the European Cup in 1979 & 1980, their destiny would have been changed forever.   

Photo: Action Images

st_bangkok added 19:08 - Jan 10 I think it would be quite something to meet you again Nick after all these years, we have lead quite similar lives//memories.
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SaintNick added 22:07 - Jan 10 well next time your over let me know
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