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20 August, 1994

Bryan Roy debut winner at Ipswich

On this day in 1994 Bryan Roy scores on his Forest league debut away to Ipswich Town.

Player legacies

Senior debut
Bryan Roy, former Forest player.
Bryan Roy, former Forest player. Image: Rob Croes / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons

Bryan Roy marked his Forest league debut with the only goal in a 1-0 win away to Ipswich Town.

Forest had just returned to the Premier League under Frank Clark, and the opening match at Portman Road offered an early test of whether the promoted side could carry their momentum into the top flight.

Bryan Roy, former Forest player.
Bryan Roy, former Forest player. Image: Rob Croes / Anefo, via Wikimedia Commons

Roy supplied the answer with a debut winner. The Dutch forward had arrived from Foggia for a club-record fee reported at £2.5m, bringing international pedigree after the 1994 World Cup.

The result gave Forest a winning start to the 1994-95 Premier League season. It was narrow, but it carried confidence: a clean sheet away from home, a new striker scoring, and three points on the opening weekend.

Roy became an important part of one of Forest’s finest modern league campaigns. With Stan Collymore, Ian Woan and others around him, he helped the club finish third and qualify for Europe, making the Ipswich winner the first sign of a memorable season ahead.

Sources

Sporting Heroes; Premier League Archive

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