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12 March, 1904

Five goal rout of Derby

On this day in 1904 Forest beat Derby 5-1 at the City Ground.

Rivalry and derby lore

Historic derby series or era
Nottingham Forest players during the 1904/05 season.
Nottingham Forest players during the 1904/05 season. Image: Unknown author / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Nottingham Forest recorded one of their biggest early East Midlands derby wins by beating Derby County 5-1 at the City Ground.

Derby matches already carried local importance, and a result of this size gave the fixture a clear place in Forest’s early league history. A 5-1 scoreline in League Division One was emphatic, especially against a rival whose visits to Nottingham would always carry extra feeling.

Nottingham Forest players during the 1904/05 season.
Nottingham Forest players during the 1904/05 season. Image: Unknown author / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The match belonged to a much earlier version of the rivalry, long before the modern layers of Brian Clough, promotion races and later derby storylines. Even so, the central appeal is easy to understand. Forest were at home, Derby were the opponent, and the margin was heavy.

For supporters looking back through the calendar, the result stands out because derby history is built from days like this. Forest beat Derby 5-1, turning an early league meeting into a result that still reads sharply more than a century later.

Sources

11v11; London Hearts

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
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Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
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Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
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Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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