Martin Tyler's Letter From The Gantry No 43

From The Joy Of Football podcast No 50, written on March 11th after two Nottingham Forest 1-0 wins over Manchester City

Nottingham Forest 1 Manchester City 0: a result which made plenty of recent noise . But for me the resonance was an echo of the past. Thirty-five years earlier in fact almost to the day.

Back then the Premier League was still a couple of years away. Unlike the more recent clash with European qualification on the mind of both clubs, Forest against Manchester City on the 3^rd of March 1990 only had implications at the other end of the table. City needed points to stay in the old First Division.

The match-winning moment came in the 53^rd minute and changed the Laws of the game. The City goalkeeper, Welsh international Andy Dibble, completed an awkward take from a right-wing cross from Forest’s Garry Parker. He looked up field to see whether a counter-attack was on, letting the ball rest on the upturned palm of his gloved right hand.

From behind him, unspotted, came Gary Crosby, the Forest forward, who flicked the ball off the hand with his head – the move of an artful dodger. Gary would admit later that it was a simply a spontaneous reaction. He saw that Andy Dibble was not gripping the ball. Having nodded it away from the keeper, Crosby then tapped it into an empty net.

From the gantry I felt lucky to have seen it. In those moments a commentator might, like a keeper, look up field to see what might be on or even take a glance at a note. But I saw the moment – audacious or unlawful, depending on your point of view – very clearly. More importantly so did the television director Tony Mills, who would over two decades later mastermind the brilliant pictures surrounding that Sergio Agüero title winning goal – Manchester City again but on the right end of events that memorable day. If you haven’t seen the cheeky Crosby moment check it out on line. Tony covered it perfectly.

The referee Rodger Gifford awarded the goal immediately, correctly to my mind applying the Laws as they stood then. There was no contact from the attacker on the keeper who was not in full possession of the ball. A Welsh referee, as Rodger was, saw no grounds to spare the embarrassment of a fellow countryman.

That it was the only goal of the game made it more galling for the losing manager Howard Kendall and his players. But the lawmakers did see it as an example of a loophole that needed closing. Later they also outlawed putting a foot up to try to block an imminent clearance. There is a ring fence of law protection around goalkeepers these days.

Gary Crosby was playing for Brian Clough that day. In the team was Brian’s son Nigel and the two became firm friends. Nigel and Gary have formed a manager/coaching partnership for many years at several clubs, currently at Mansfield Town.

Andy Dibble had no hard feelings by the way, later donating that fateful glove to a testimonial fund raiser for the Forest keeper in that game, Steve Sutton.

For Gary Crosby 35 years later read Callum Hudson-Odoi, the architect of the recent Forest win. While coaching at both Hampton & Richmond and Woking, I came across Callum’s older brother Bradley – a strong running winger too — also with an eye for goal. When his commitments permitted, Callum would come and offer family support. There was a play-off home game for Hampton, I think against Truro, when Bradley scored twice and I can still see the two of them celebrating at the final whistle. Bradley stopped playing soon after to manage Callum in the big time football world he had burst into.

A final thought for the man who captained Nottingham Forest in the Crosby game and should have been at the City ground to commentate on the Hudson-Odoi winner. Instead Stuart Pearce was in a hospital in Newfoundland after a health scare flying back from a trip to Las Vegas where rugby league is trying to spread its wings. Stuart supports Warrington Wolves.

He is unarguably one of the great guys in the football world. If you saw him play or have listened to him broadcast you will know that already. As someone who went from non-league football to a World Cup semi-final he cares deeply about the game from top to bottom.

The Forest fans showed their love for him after three minutes against City — three, of course, Stuart’s iconic shirt number. One suspects also that it was one more incentive for the players on the day to get those three points.

By the time you hear this he will probably be back home and on the mend and, knowing the great man, quickly back on the air. From The Joy of Football our fondest wishes, Stuart.

The Joy Of Football podcast is available now and every week on all major platforms, and has a presence on all social media