Happy birthday Garry Birtles! (born 1956)
On this day in 1956 European Cup hero Garry Birtles is born.
Garry Birtles became one of the great Nottingham Forest stories of the Brian Clough era.
Born in Nottinghamshire, Birtles rose from non-league football to become a European Cup winner with Forest. His route into the team gave his career a distinctive appeal, because it was not built on early stardom or a straightforward path through elite football.
He played a part in both of Forest’s European Cup-winning campaigns, giving supporters memories of a forward who had travelled an extraordinary distance in a short time. In a team full of strong characters and sharp football minds, Birtles earned his place through movement, effort and finishing.
His birthday marks a player whose career captured something central to Forest’s greatest period. Under Clough and Peter Taylor, unlikely players could become European champions, and Birtles remains one of the clearest examples of that remarkable transformation.
Sources
Transfermarkt; England Football Online; Rothmans-cited player records
Forest timeline
Explore more Nottingham Forest history
Browse the timeline to discover more events from this day and beyond:
0–2
3–0
1–1
1–2
4–1
1–0
1–0
2–1
2–0
0–1
0–2
2–2
0–0
1–2
0–1
14:00
16:30
20:00
15:00
17:30
15:00
20:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
16:30
19:30
15:00
19:30
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
20:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
15:00
16:00


