FOREST HISTORY · Historic event

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7 January, 1978

Woodcock defeats Swindon in FA Cup

On this day in 1978 Forest beat Swindon Town 4–1 in the FA Cup third round.

Cup runs and campaigns

Famous cup run

Nottingham Forest opened their FA Cup campaign with a 4–1 win over Swindon Town at the City Ground during one of the most remarkable seasons in the club’s history.

Tony Woodcock scored twice, first after being set up by Peter Withe and later from John O’Hare’s assist. Withe also scored himself, converting after a Martin O’Neill header, while John Robertson added Forest’s third before David Moss replied for Swindon.

The result was comfortable enough to keep Forest’s cup ambitions moving without distracting from the extraordinary league and League Cup work already unfolding under Brian Clough. With Woodcock, Withe and Robertson all scoring, the match underlined how many attacking routes that side could find.

Forest’s FA Cup run eventually ended with a 2–0 sixth-round defeat at West Bromwich Albion, so this was not the start of a Wembley story. But it still belongs inside the 1977–78 season, when almost every competition seemed to carry the feeling that Clough’s side could go deep.

Sources

Transfermarkt; match programme archive; 1977–78 season records

Explore more Nottingham Forest history

Browse the timeline to discover more events from this day and beyond:

JANUARY
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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
22
Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
26
Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
31
Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
22
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
25
Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
29
Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
12
Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
11
Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
18
Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
23
Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
31
Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
7
Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
21
Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
27
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
2
Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
12
Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
27
Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
30
Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
2
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
5
Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
16
Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
30
Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
6
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
10
Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
27
Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
3
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
13
Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
10
Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
17
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
24
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
1
Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
8
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
15
Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
30
Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest