Words: Alex Walker

 

Last month football fans across the country sat down in front of their television sets to cheer on a Nottingham and England legend. Stuart Pearce was battling it out with other athletes on BBC's Superstars.

 

 

Only a footballer with such legendary status as Pearce could have caused such a happening. Arsenal fans don't whoop with delight whenever Ian Wright presents the National Lottery or cringe when David Seaman takes a roasting on They Think It's All Over. Tottenham fans don't swell with pride every time Gary Lineker makes an insightful comment on Match of the Day.

 

But Forest fans have no qualms about displaying such irrational emotional outbursts when it comes to Stuart Pearce. Superstars was a chance for them to relive all those great memories of a player whose popularity in Nottingham is rivaled only by the man who signed him.

 

At 41, Pearce struggled to keep up with the other Superstars athletes for most of the competition, but a strong finish on the mountain bikes gave him a respectable fourth place overall.

 

 

Stuart joined Forest from Coventry City in 1985 in a joint deal with Ian Butterworth. At the time he was considered the lesser of the two players.

 

 

Butterworth was to struggle in the first team at centre back, soon to be replaced by the emerging Des Walker. Meanwhile, Pearce was atill working part time as an electrician and even advertised his services in the match programme. He soon became a regular in the team, however, and his only notable side-line was attending punk rock gigs.

 

 

It was only in the very last season of his 20 year career that he managed to pick up a league championship medal, helping Manchester City to the First Division title in the 2001/02 season. In the final game of that season, he managed to miss two penalties meaning he finished his career one goal short of the 100 milestone. He laughed the incident off as another example of his confounded bad luck.

 

 

He was a vital part of two Forest teams that verged on brilliance: Brian Clough's side of the late eighties and Frank Clark's 1995 team that finished third in the Premiership. But in both those periods the Reds never quite fulfilled their potential, leaving Pearce with only a few cup-winners medals to show for 12 years loyal service to the club.

 

 

He was nicknamed 'Psycho', owing to his resemblance to  Norman Bates, although the mantle also happened to suit his fearsome, uncompromising attitude on the pitch. It was his loyalty and commitment that endeared him to the fans so much.

 

 

When Forest were relegated in 1993, he would have been forgiven for following the likes of Walker, Clough and Keane out of the door. At the time he was at the height of his ability and captain of , so few would have begrudged him a chance to continue at the highest level. But he stayed and the fans loved him for it.

 

 

During the Superstars show the focus was on Pearce's personality. He was the joker in the pack - "Don't ping it on me lugs," he pleaded during some swimming cap capers. He would have been excused finishing last place amongst the younger competitors, but he surprised everyone with just how fit he still was.

 

 

Pearce was always more than just a strong personality. Other football 'characters' come and go, but he proved to be the best English left back of his generation.

 

 

He was tough and unforgiving in the tackle, but never dirty. He charged up the left wing like a steam train - not only were the opposition's attackers afraid of him, but the full-backs had to be wary too.

 

 

He also had a nack for scoring thunderous free-kicks, netting at Wembley and Old Trafford in famous games with his hammer of a left foot.

 

 

That hammer sometimes got him into trouble though. His penalty miss in the 1990 world cup haunted him for six years until he put the ghosts to rest by drilling home two spot-kicks during Euro 96.

 

 

The outburst that followed is one of the defining images of Pearce's career - his passion for club and country on show for everyone to see.

 

 

Euro 96 was the moment when the country woke up to what Forest fans had known for years - Pearce was an exceptional player and a priceless character to have in the game. After finally leaving Forest in 1997, Pearce went to Newcastle , then West Ham and finally Man City , picking up new devotees along the way.

 

 

He had just recovered from one broken leg and was making his comeback for West Ham when the unthinkable happened and he broke it again. Not only did Pearce finish the game, he made a full recovery from the second break. At the age of 39, the club's physios had given him little chance of playing again, but he went on to make over 50 appearances for the Hammers.

 

 

When he came back to Nottingham for Manchester City in 2001, he was greeted by the home crowd in an almost worshipful manner. He returned the favour with an acknowledging salute to the Trent End - minutes later he was flying into crunching tackles on Forest 's young players. Psycho was nothing if not professional.

 

 

At the moment Pearce is coaching at Man City and also involved with the England Under 18s team. "Football's in my blood - and eventually I want to be the one making decisions. It is my long term ambition to go into management," he said in a recent interview.

 

 

His time as player-manager at Forest in 1997 showed he wasn't ready. He recalls picking the team for his first match in charge and neglecting a goalkeeper (his wife Liz pointed out the oversight).

 

He started well and was voted Manager of the Month, in his first month. But the early success didn't last and Forest were relegated from the Premiership that season. Six years later, with coaching badges under his belt, the time may be right for Pearce to go into full-time management. The press have linked him to a number of clubs recently and many hope he may one day return to Forest with the experience to manage them successfully.

 

 

If the reaction across Nottinghamshire households during half an hour of prime-time television was anything to go by, Stuart Pearce at the helm again would be a sight sure to fill the City Ground.

 

www.lostthatlovingfeeling.co.uk

 

Other LeftLion Articles by Alex Walker:

Charity begins at home   

So you wanna be a forest fan huh? 

 

Other LeftLion Articles about Footy:

Princes Vs Paupers

Beckham's Magic Number

Save Notts County 

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