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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
14 April, 1979

Birtles & O’Neill sink Derby

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1979 Forest beat Derby County in the East Midlands derby.

Rivalry and derby lore

Defining rivalry moment
Goal winner, Martin O'Neill, pictured 2008.
Goal winner, Martin O'Neill, pictured 2008. Image: Dagur Brynjólfsson / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Nottingham Forest won an East Midlands derby at the Baseball Ground by beating Derby County 2-1 in Division One.

Forest did their damage in the first half. Garry Birtles put Brian Clough’s side ahead after 27 minutes, and Martin O’Neill added a second seven minutes later. Those two goals gave Forest control of a derby that always carried extra feeling, especially away from home.

Goal winner, Martin O'Neill, pictured 2008.
Goal winner, Martin O'Neill, pictured 2008. Image: Dagur Brynjólfsson / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Derby reduced the deficit after the break, but Forest held on for a result that mattered beyond the league table. Matches against Derby carried their own charge, and this one came during a period when Forest were operating with the authority of champions and European contenders.

The 2-1 scoreline gave the match its edge. Derby were beaten on their own ground, and Forest supporters had the satisfaction of seeing two important players provide the goals in a fixture with real local meaning.

For Forest, the win was more than just another league result. It was a derby victory in a successful era, the kind of afternoon that supporters could enjoy both for the points and for the opponent.

Match Highlights

Sources

Nottingham Forest official site; 11v11; Transfermarkt

Forest timeline

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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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