It is with some difficulty that I attempt to bring to life my thoughts about this afternoon’s game.
Words alone are regrettably inadequate. So much of the experience is dominated by raw emotions; fear, elation, fury, ecstasy, and – at some points this afternoon – simple bewilderment.
Tottenham and Arsenal have their bouts, Manchester United and Liverpool operate a ferocious hatred, indeed most teams up and down the country have somebody to return their revulsion and loathing.
But Forest-Derby, in spite of its lower profile, has to be one of the most meaningful clashes of them all.
It is based not only on proximity and decades of tussling, but also the tangible bitterness that derives from overlapping histories.
Clough left Derby behind and achieved his greatest successes in Nottingham, before of course returning to live in Derby. Both sets of supporters claim him to be their own. Both sets of supporters rage at any suggestion his allegiance lay elsewhere.
The result is that every second of these days is of vital importance.
Everything from the walk to the stadium to the pre-match singing in the concourse is electrified by a sense of anticipation - it builds days before the game and lasts throughout, adding a surreal mist to the entire experience.
Pride Park itself never fails to fill me with an irrational anger. The black and white cladding, the oversized ram outlines stencilled on to every surface, the army of yokels swathing the nearby wastelands...
I hate every brick in the building and every one of the people inside it.
There’s no logic behind these feelings; on the whole they’re just like us. But that’s the beauty of it – there doesn’t need to be any explanation other than the clarity of passion.
I despise them, and they despise me.
It is, thus, with enormous satisfaction that I claim November 2nd, 2008, to be Nottingham Forest’s day on a number of points.
Firstly, the ‘Super Ram Masks’. Do I really have to say more?
Secondly, our support. Whilst 30,000 Derby fans stewed over the scrappiness of the game, the visiting Forest supporters frequently sang in unison; drowning out any fragmented cries from the home crowd.
“Brian Clough’s Red and White Army” had everybody, young and old, singing from the pit of their lungs. It always does at Pride Park, and it always leaves the natives begrudgingly speechless.
Thirdly, the outcome. Forest fans partied their way out of the ground whilst Derby’s faithful skulked; others remaining shellshocked in their seats.
Derby will remember this day with anguish; they feel robbed, cheated, violated and overwhelmingly disappointed.
On no less than three occasions they experienced the soul-destroying collapse in spirit that follows a disallowed goal, or of course a missed penalty.
We Forest fans, on the other hand, are still pinching ourselves about escaping with a point.
Context is all. Certainly for those who attended the game today, the outcome was as sweet as any victory.
In any case, the full-throttle celebrations of the opening goal made the entire afternoon worthwhile. For two or three minutes time stopped and everybody screamed themselves hoarse; for two or three minutes very little else seemed to matter.
This was my fourth visit to Pride Park and it is the first time we have taken the lead. It was worth the wait.
I didn’t see Lee Camp’s penalty save; too disgusted by the notion of 30,000 bouncing Derby fans I turned to face the people behind me.
What I did see was Paul Jewell, the dribbling, sneering scouse predator, plodding on to the playing surface to celebrate Derby’s second ‘winner’ in full view of his adoring public.
Seconds later he was hopping about like a startled penguin; heads in hands all around him.
And that was beautiful.
Tonight is not about Calderwood, or league tables, or even about disallowed goals.
It’s about the magic of Derby fans being wrenched from the brink of sleep by a deep-seated sense of injustice.
Thanks to Derby for the point, and for making us feel like we’ve taken all three.
Ratings in brief:
Camp – 9
Perch – 7
Morgan – 8
Breckin – 7
Lynch – 5
Anderson – 7
McGugan – 7 –
Fletcher – 7
McCleary – 7
Earnshaw – 7
Garner – 8
Subs:
Chambers – 6
Tyson – 6
Thornhill – 6
