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25 April, 1984

Anderlecht UEFA Cup controversy

On this day in 1984 Forest suffer a controversial UEFA Cup exit at Anderlecht.

Controversies and incidents

Off-pitch controversies affecting the club’s history

Nottingham Forest’s UEFA Cup run ended in controversy with a 3-0 semi-final second-leg defeat away to Anderlecht.

Forest had won the first leg 2-0 at the City Ground, so the return match in Belgium carried a clear advantage. That lead disappeared on a night later remembered not only for the scoreline, but for the decisions that shaped the tie.

Anderlecht were awarded a disputed penalty, while Forest also had a goal disallowed. Years later, the match became inseparable from the referee bribery scandal, giving the defeat a deeper bitterness in Forest history.

The 3-0 scoreline was painful enough, but the later controversy gave the match a longer shadow. For supporters, the Anderlecht exit became more than a European defeat. It was remembered as a night when a promising UEFA Cup run ended in circumstances that continued to trouble the story long after the final whistle.

Match Footage

Sources

UEFA; The Guardian; The Times

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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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Nottingham Forest’s UEFA Cup run ended in controversy with a 3-0 semi-final second-leg defeat away to Anderlecht. Forest had won the first leg 2-0…

Controversies and incidents