Trust Rich to go galavanting around the world just as the not-so-mighty Forest become less and less fun to write about.  The start of my reign as a LeftLion correspondant wasn't shaping up too badly - we demolished Crewe 4-1 at Gresty Road in a fantastic performance, we overcame the mighty Salisbury City at the City Ground - before it all went a bit wrong, he says, in an understatement of the year. 

 

Defeats to Orient at home and Doncaster away (farewell Belle Vue, you hideous hovel!) were sweetened by a win over Port Vale at home on Boxing day.  Disappointment was to follow with an unconvincing draw at home to almost-Scousers Tranmere - where Gareth Taylor scored the inevitable goal against - followed by a New Years Day humiliation at the hands of Oldham (with a little help from Leicester referee Kevin Friend) at Boundary Park.

 

This rather shoddy capitulation by the Reds has seen us lose our place at the summit of League One, and we currently sit in 3rd place, behind ascending Scunthorpe United and Oldham Athletic.

 

 

Tranmere Rovers manager Ronnie Moore accused Smoulderwood of trying to bugger up Tranmere by recalling a loan player, which amused me no end - particularly when Smoulds went on to pretty much confirm this in a subsequent interview!  Also after the Crewe game Forest accidently abandoned Nathan Tyson, who had to cadge a lift home with a fan, who he apparently regaled with talk of who was going to win Strictly Come Dancing for the entire journey!

 

Forest mourned the passing of popular medical consultant Lyn Jarrett, and marked the occasion with an immaculately observed minute's silence before our home game with Leyton Orient, unfortunately the game was not to prove a decent tribute to his memory.

 

Mid-December was the awesome Clough Aid gig - hundreds of Forest/Music/Clough fans converged on the Rescue Rooms and had a great evening thanks to some tremendous music courtesy of The Fakers, Mint Ive, Delta Red, Daddy Rough and Lucky Bullet - as well as getting the chance to mingle with none other than John McGovern who compered the evening (which was to raise funds for the Brian Clough statue fund).

 

On a further statue fund related note, the target was reached and exceeded thanks to final donations from the City Council and from Nottingham Forest themselves - so now the committee move on to the not inconsiderable task of commissioning a sculptor and negotiating a site for the statue with the council - a huge well done to everyone involved in organising the countless events - and those of you who kindly donated!  There are also rumours abounding about the possible work-in-progress of a Cloughie movie!

 

Of course the transfer window now opens, speculation is too lengthy to even consider writing about in detail - but clearly fans would like to see some signings coming in after such a string of poor results (and poor performances).  Top of my list is a new left back, and a left midfielder to challenge Commons (or indeed, cover for his current injury).  A quality central midfielder would be nice too - and then a return to 4-4-2 please, Smoulders!

 

 

I've never seen him before this season, but we have a new celebrity fan to rival Ebby (Forest's very own eccentric German who used to commute from Dusseldorf before he moved here, renowned for being stalked at games by Forest fans looking for a hero in these troubled times, having a massive banner, getting engaged at the City Ground and, erm, getting chased around the Variety in Radford by Jesus and a naked man in a gimp mask) for bizarreness. 

He's frequently seen outside the ground after games with an Alsatian, and either a Forest flag or scarf.  I've seen him on the bank behind the Trent End, on the other side of the river and down near the training pitches by Lady Bay Bridge, looking rather like an extra from a Phones 4U advert.  Usually shouting "Yeah! Forest!Yeah!" or similar.. I'm gonna try and get a pic of him in action - watch this space...