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5 January, 1999

Bassett sacked after 17 winless games

On this day in 1999 Forest part company with Dave Bassett while bottom of the Premier League.

Manager legacies

Managerial turning point

Nottingham Forest parted company with Dave Bassett during a bleak Premier League relegation fight.

The decision came with Forest bottom of the table and on a run that had recently set a Premiership record of 17 games without victory. It was a sharp fall from the previous season, when Bassett had helped guide the club back to the top flight at the first attempt.

The wider situation had already become difficult. Kevin Campbell had left in the summer, and Pierre van Hooijdonk’s strike damaged the early months of the campaign. By the time Van Hooijdonk returned, Forest were already in serious trouble and the mood around the club had hardened.

Micky Adams was placed in temporary charge for the next match, while Ron Atkinson was quickly linked with the job. Bassett’s departure became another marker in a season that never truly recovered. Forest were eventually relegated, leaving the sacking as part of a painful Premier League collapse rather than a clean turning point.

My Forest Story: Dave Bassett

Sources

The Guardian; Soccerbase; Transfermarkt

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JANUARY
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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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On this day in …
1999
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