FOREST HISTORY · Historic event
Goalless Celtic draw in UEFA Cup
On this day in 1983 Forest draw 0–0 with Celtic in a UEFA Cup first leg at the City Ground.
Forest and Celtic cancelled each other out at the City Ground, leaving their UEFA Cup third-round tie balanced after a 0–0 first leg.
The fixture carried weight because it brought together two former European Cup winners, and the night had the tension of a British European tie where one mistake could reshape everything. Forest had home advantage, Celtic had enough resistance to keep the tie alive, and neither side found the breakthrough.
For Brian Clough’s team, the value of the draw came later. The return at Celtic Park demanded a performance under pressure, and Forest produced it, with Steve Hodge and Colin Walsh scoring in a 2–1 away win.
That result sent Forest through 2–1 on aggregate. The City Ground match was not remembered for attacking drama, but it became the careful first half of a European tie completed superbly in Glasgow.
Sources
UEFA; 11v11; The City Ground ([uefa.com](https://www.uefa.com/uefaeuropaleague/match/1095--nott-m-forest-vs-celtic/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
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