Andrew Turner

Aberystwyth born & bred

[FTBL_Planet @FTBL_Planet]

When Brian Clough was preparing Nottingham Forest for their return to the First Division in the summer of 1977, his assistant Peter Taylor suggested signing a Scottish striker called Kenny Burns from Birmingham City.

Burns had scored 20 goals the previous season, but he was also known for his ferocious tackling, drinking and gambling.

Even Birmingham chairman David Wiseman warned Clough against signing him.

“Don’t buy him.”

“He’s trouble.”

Clough wasn’t interested anyway.

“Forget it.”

“I don’t want troublemakers, I don’t want s***-houses and I don’t want an ugly b****** like Kenny Burns littering my club.”

“I don’t buy thugs.”

But Taylor was convinced Burns had the ability to become an outstanding player for Forest.

He knew Burns spent a lot of time at the greyhound track and had heard stories about him losing fortunes gambling.

So he decided to investigate.

Taylor disguised himself with a flat cap and dark glasses and went to Perry Barr greyhound stadium in Birmingham.

After watching him throughout the evening, Taylor reported back to Clough that the gambling wasn’t nearly as bad as people had suggested.

“Tens and twenties, nothing higher.”

Taylor eventually persuaded Clough to take a chance, although the manager made it clear that his assistant would be responsible if Burns stepped out of line.

Forest agreed a fee of around £150,000 with Birmingham.

Clough arranged to meet Burns at a motorway service station and told him to have a shave and buy himself a decent coat.

But instead of taking his new signing straight to the City Ground, Clough informed him that they had somewhere else to visit first.

A sweet-pea exhibition in Long Eaton.

Clough loved sweet peas and had been invited to a flower show where a variety was being named after him.

Burns had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

“I thought we were going to look at some peas, as in garden peas.”

“I mean, peas are peas, aren’t they?”

“I know what green peas are. I know mushy peas.”

“In Scotland, flowers are just things whose heads you kick off when you’ve had a few pints on a Saturday night.”

So there was Kenny Burns, one of the hardest footballers in England, wandering around a flower exhibition with Brian Clough.

Afterwards, Clough took him to Forest, where he told him to smarten himself up, look after his wife and start behaving like a professional footballer.

Burns was delighted to have signed for a newly promoted First Division club and expected to compete with Peter Withe and Tony Woodcock for a place up front.

But Peter Taylor had never intended to use him as a striker.

He thought Burns was too talented to leave out of the team, but suspected he didn’t particularly enjoy all the running involved in playing centre-forward.

Forest needed somebody to play alongside the formidable Larry Lloyd in central defence.

And Taylor had a very different future in mind for Burns.

“I visualised Kenny turning into a Scottish Bobby Moore.”

“He was as skilful as Moore and certainly more ruthless.”

At his first training session, he was waiting to find out where he would be playing when trainer Jimmy Gordon started reading out the team.

“Middleton, Anderson, Barrett, Lloyd, Burns…”

Burns looked around and realised his name had been called immediately after Larry Lloyd.

He was playing centre-half.

“That was the first I knew about the new partnership with big Larry.”

Burns discovered he preferred defending to chasing around up front, and alongside Lloyd he formed one of the most intimidating centre-half partnerships in English football.

Forest began the 1977/78 season with a 3-1 victory away at Everton, with Burns and Lloyd keeping the opposition forwards under control.

They went on to win the First Division title in their first season back in the top flight, as well as the League Cup.

And the player Clough had been so reluctant to sign was named the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year in 1978.

Burns later helped Forest win consecutive European Cups in 1979 and 1980.

Years afterwards, Clough was asked about the Scottish defender he had turned into one of the best players in Europe.

“The ugliest player I ever signed was Kenny Burns.”

“He had no teeth.”

“I used to play centre-forward and to have beaten someone with the ball, and then seen Kenny Burns looking at me, I’d have given him the ball.”
#football

[FarmingUK @FarmingUK]

Do you agree with Clarkson here? 🤔

[Forest Review @Forest_Review]

If this doesn’t make the hairs stand up I don’t know what will.

This takes me right back to the Steve Cooper days where we had many nights like this.

I believe we have many more of them to come. #NFFC

[Football Away Days @FBAwayDays]

Servicemen at Nottingham Forest laying the wreaths inside the stadium, whilst singing along with the fans.

The best video I’ve seen on here in a while. Love it! ❤️👏

[Football Away Days @FBAwayDays]

Nottingham Forest have QR codes on every other seat, giving men who may be struggling with their mental health the chance to scan, reach out and talk anonymously.

Love that. ❤️👏

[Premier League @premierleague]

The turn. The run. The finish. The SIUUU!

Liam Delap 👏 @NFFC

[Retro Football Network @retrofootballnw]

League Cup memory

The 1978 final replay at Old Trafford between @NFFC and Liverpool.

One moment settled it and the trophy went to Nottingham.

#NFFC

[The Athletic | Football @TheAthleticFC]

James McAtee was racing through for Nottingham Forest before Issa Diop came across him and took the player out.

The defender was not initially penalised by Thomas Bramall, but after a look by the VAR, a yellow card was given and a direct free-kick.

Are Ipswich Town lucky not to be down to 10 players?

[Callum Castel @CallumCastel7]

This is fucking mental

[﹒ @aroyagain]

???

[Pet @AFCPet]

Side to side in between two players into a nutmeg, double ball roll and then almost puts it top bins on his weak foot.

CB playing for a 19th placed side.

The premier league is insane.

[Nottingham Forest Academy @NFFCAcademy]

The Nottingham Forest Academy.

All the way from under 9s to our B team. 🫶

[Premier League Reds @NFFC_EPL]

Nothing to see here. Just the Palace player scoring with his elbow

VAR had a look and said it was inconclusive 😂😂😂😂😂 #NFFC

[Stu’s Football Flashbacks @stusfootyflash]

On what would have been Les Sealey’s 69th birthday, here’s the phenomenal save he made 36 years ago today against Nottingham Forest at Old Trafford.

It rarely gets a mention, but this has to go down as one of the greatest saves of the 90s.

[A Funny Old Game @sid_lambert]

This Stuart Pearce free-kick at Old Trafford is 36 years old today.

Trademark violence courtesy of Psycho’s lethal left peg.

(👍🎥 @FootballInT80s)

[ScottishPower @ScottishPower]

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[Forest Review @Forest_Review]

Royalty.

[Robin Bairner @RBairner]

People are talking about a 'monster points deduction' of 75-100 points.

That's still less than 1 point per charge.

Everton were given 6 and 2 points, and Forest were given 4 points when found guilty of minor offences.

[Erik Ten Heisenberg @UtdHeisenberg_]

Send this to every Man City fan you know. 😂

#115

[ScottishPower @ScottishPower]

What's day one like for graduates choosing a career in energy?⚡

This month, we welcomed our newest graduate cohort. From engineers and project managers to data experts and sustainability specialists, they're beginning their journey to help shape the future of energy.