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13 March, 1984

Des Walker league debut

On this day in 1984 Des Walker makes his Forest league debut against Everton.

Player legacies

Senior debut
Des Walker pictured in 2003.
Des Walker pictured in 2003. Image: Holdenbuckley / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Des Walker began his Nottingham Forest league career in a 1-0 home win against Everton.

At the time, it was the first league appearance of a young defender trying to establish himself. Later, it became far more significant because Walker developed into one of the finest defenders the club has produced. His pace, timing and calmness would become major parts of his reputation.

Des Walker pictured in 2003.
Des Walker pictured in 2003. Image: Holdenbuckley / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The Everton match gave Walker his first step into Forest’s league side. A clean-sheet win was a fitting start for a player who would become so strongly associated with defending at the highest level.

For supporters, the debut matters because it marks the beginning of a long relationship between Walker and Forest. He went on to become a long-serving favourite, an England international, and a defender remembered with genuine affection by generations of fans.

Walker Interview

Sources

Sporting Heroes; The Guardian; Nottingham Forest fan 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 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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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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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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On this day in …
1965
3-0 win vs Arsenal at City Ground

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1984
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2016
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Manager legacies