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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
20 October, 1979

5-2 win over Bolton to go top

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1979 Forest beat Bolton Wanderers 5–2 at the City Ground in League Division One.

Records and statistics

Biggest win or defeat
Goal scorer Viv Anderson, pictured 1980.
Goal scorer Viv Anderson, pictured 1980. Image: Koen Suyk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Forest delivered a five-goal City Ground win by beating Bolton Wanderers 5–2 in League Division One.

Brian Clough’s side were defending European champions and still operating near the top of English football. Against Bolton, they turned that quality into a strong attacking afternoon, leading 3–0 by half-time.

Goal scorer Viv Anderson, pictured 1980.
Goal scorer Viv Anderson, pictured 1980. Image: Koen Suyk / Anefo, Nationaal Archief / CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Larry Lloyd opened the scoring after seven minutes, Tony Woodcock made it 2–0 after 18, and Trevor Francis added a third just before the interval. John Robertson scored from the penalty spot after 52 minutes. Bolton pulled one back before Viv Anderson quickly added Forest’s fifth after 66 minutes.

Bolton scored again from a late penalty, but the match had already been shaped by Forest’s attacking control. Peter Shilton, John McGovern, Robertson, Francis, Woodcock and Anderson were all part of a side packed with proven quality.

The win took Forest to the top of the First Division table that evening. For supporters, it was the kind of league performance that showed the European champions still had plenty of domestic force.

Sources

11v11; 1979–80 Nottingham Forest season records

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 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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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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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Records and statistics