June 29 1999

Leicester Want Crossley: Somehow I find this hard to believe, but the latest rumour from TeamTalk is of a possible switch across the East Midlands for Mark Crossley.

The Welsh international had looked set to start the new campaign in August as Forest’s number one ‘keeper, but there are now rumours doing the rounds that Leicester boss Martin O’Neill has targeted Crossley for a shock move to Filbert Street if Kasey Keller were to leave the Foxes. The future of Crossley at the City Ground clearly has a major bearing on whether or not Dave Beasant stays at the club. The veteran ‘keeper is due to meet chief executive Phil Soar shortly to talk terms over a new contract.

Markham Resigns: Not yet confirmed as fact, but local radio station Century 106 has just announced that Julian Markham has resigned his post on the board at Forest. Markham was an original member of the Bridgford consortium that took over Forest in 1997, he was also a good friend of Irving Scolar, who resigned last week. No further details are available at the moment. We'll let you know as soon as more information is forthcoming from the Club or Markham.

Gorman Wants the Job: John Gorman, Hoddle’s right hand man at Swindon and  England, has today said he would like the Forest managers job. Hoddle and Gorman got Swindon promoted to the Premiership in 1993 at which point Hoddle left to join Chelsea. Gorman took full charge of the first team, but was sacked 15 months later, after they were relegated. Gorman believes he is up to the job, saying "I would be delighted if they considered me for the job.

"I am not as big a name as Glenn, but I feel I did a good job at Swindon. "My agent, Dennis Roach, has obviously been in contact with the club anyway and he will have mentioned my name to them.

"I like to get teams to play a good style of football, which is exactly what Forest fans demand".

June 28 1999

Hoddle Turns Down Job: Glenn Hoddle has turned down the chance to return to football with Nottingham Forest. Hoddle, sacked as England coach in February, was given the opportunity to take over at the City Ground as the Midlands club prepare for the new season in Division One. But the former Swindon and Chelsea manager has instead opted to enjoy an extended break from the game while he considers his future. Hoddle’s agent Dennis Roach said: "The Forest people have been absolutely fantastic and I think if it was a bit further down the line, it would be a job Glenn would have to look at. "It’s no reflection on Forest, who have been extremely patient and who offered him a tremendous contract. "But at the moment he feels that with the problems he’s had with the sacking - and he’s been through a traumatic time - that it’s too soon for him to come back into the game. "Maybe if it was five months down the line Glenn would take it but I don’t think he’s had long enough." The news means Forest are still desperately searching for a replacement for Ron Atkinson as they prepare for the new First Division campaign. The betting now moves to Joe Kinnear as Forest hope for third time lucky.

Shipps out -Beasant to stay: Despite reports at the end of last week saying that Barnsley were unlikely to be moving for Neill Shipperley, due to their wage structures it is reported this lunch that he is there today discussing personal terms with them. The Barnsley bid is reported to be in the region of �1.3m for the striker, though estimates believe this to be nearer �750,000.

Dave Beasant, a player linked as ‘very likely’ to move to Barnsley, is today holding crunch talks with Forest to sort out his future. He very much wants to stay at the club. However, the problem is there is no manager in place at the moment, so committing to a contract with Forest means he could find himself unwanted by the new manager, should one ever be found.

June 27 1999

Confusing or What?: The News of the World re-iterates last nights Nottingham Evening Post article, telling  us  that Hoddle has turned down the Forest Managers job. However, The Sunday Mail, Teletext, SoccerNet and Sky Sports News are telling us that Dennis Roach (Hoddles agent) is impressed with the package offered to Hoddle and that Hoddle will "make his decision in the next couple of days".

June 26 1999

Hoddle - No to Forest Job: The Nottingham Evening Post tells us today that Hoddle has turned down the Forest Managers job. He did this in a late night phone call to Nigel Doughty.

Looks like it's plan C then. Joe Kinnear or Roy Evans.

June 25 1999

Pierre Payoff Outrageous: It has been revealed today that Forest may have to pay off  Pierre Van Hooijdonk, to the tune of �200,000, if his move to Vitesse Arnhem goes through. This despite the club earlier in the month saying there would be no golden handshake for him. FA rules dictate that the Dutchman cannot be treated any differently to other players. He is considered to have been punished by the club already over last seasons strike action when they refused to pay him for his time on strike.

Technically, Forest could be liable for a payment of over �1million, the remainder of his contract at �10,000 per week. The player and his agent will be meeting club officials once the deal with Arnhem has gone through to discuss the payoff. It is estimated that they will settle at around the �200,000 mark.

He has not officially asked for a transfer this season so is entitled to negotiate a settlement. (I thought he said there was no way he was coming back to play in the first division again, isn’t that asking for a transfer - in a roundabout sort of way?).

Shipperley to Barnsley - Unlikely: Despite Basset signing Geoff Thomas today it is believed that the current wage structure in place at Barsnley means that the speculated Shipperley move is now very unlikely to go ahead. The possible move of Dave Beasant to Barnsley is, however, still on the cards.

June 22 1999

Doughty Likes Hoddle!: According to a report in this lunchtime's edition of the Nottingham Evening Post, Nigel Doughty is willing to put his money into the club if Glen Hoddle or Joe Kinnear become the new manager. However, if it is Roy Evans then he will wait and see before investing his money.

Hoddle is now favourite to land the managerial role and Joe Kinnear is in second position. Preliminary talks have taken place between Hoddle and the club, despite his agent denying it. Hoddle has now gone to Majorca for a short break and will be having a meeting with the club’s board on his return.

Bassett After More Players: Dave Bassett has already been rumoured to be interested in Neill Shipperley and Dave Beasant; and according to the Nottingham Evening Post today he is now interested in taking Geoff Thomas to Barnsley. Thomas, who’s contract runs out at the end of the month, has been offered a three month extension to his contract by Forest,  in which to prove his fitness. Dave Bassett is thought to be willing to beat this.

June 21 1999

Beasant Wants a Move: Just watched the 10:00 O'clock edition of Sky Sports News. They were interviewing none other than Dave Beasant, on holiday, playing Golf in Portugal (jammy git). He said his contract runs out at the end of the month and he is looking for a move. He needs first team football, and since losing his place to the in form Mark Crossley back in February he has not seen any first team action. When his contract does run out at the end of the month he will be available on a free transfer under the Bosman ruling. If he does move on it will leave Forest with Mark Crossley as the only first team goalkeeper.

As a parting shot Dave Beasant went on to warn other clubs about the dangers of one PVH. Telling them to be wary as he has caused problems wherever he has been.

It Goes On and On and On......: The continuing saga of Forest's new manager looks set to drag on for a little while yet.

On Friday Dennis Roach (Hoddle’s agent), in conversation with a television interviewer denied that there was any truth in the rumours linking Hoddle with the managers job at Forest. I quote "There’s no truth in it whatsoever. It’s a complete fabrication".

However, according to Teamtalk today, only 24 hours before Roach made these comments Glen Hoddle could be found at Royal Ascot enjoying the company of none other than Nigel Doughty. Not only that, but Roach was there with them. Doughty has said that he will only put his money into the club if he is happy with the new manager. Does his attendance at Royal Ascot with Hoddle and his agent imply some sort of approval on Doughty’s behalf?

Teamtalk are convinced that Hoddle is still in the frame for the job despite Roach’s denials on Friday.

The Daily Mail today tells us that Hoddle is the front runner for the job and Joe Kinnear is being lined up as the fallback option. Where this leaves Roy Evans and Brian Little in the running I don't know.

Forest didn't bid for Paul Ritchie: Media reports from north of the border claim that Forest say they have not tabled a bid for Paul Ritchie.

The following is an extract found on Football365:

Treble-winners Rangers have made a formal bid of �800,000 for the player, Hearts revealed today. Hearts' directors will discuss Ritchie's situation in the next few days after going public on both bids.
''We have received a bid for Paul Ritchie from Rangers. The bid is �800,000 and will be discussed by the board over the next few days,'' the club stated on their web site. ''A further bid has been received from an English First Division side for a sum in excess of �1.5million and this is also being discussed.'' That club is understood to be Forest.

June 18 1999

Glenn Hoddle Performs a Miracle: According to the following article found on SoccerNet today Glen Hoddle will have �30m to spend if he becomes the new Forest manager. I can only assume that the board are really giving him two loaves and five fishes, the rest will be up to Glenn.

From SoccerNet:-

Glenn Hoddle is ready to walk out of the wilderness and back into football as the new manager of Nottingham Forest. The man sacked by England for his bizarre religious beliefs will be interviewd this weekend and is now favourite to take over, assuming the revised board believes he has not only recovered from his experience with the national team, but benefited from that trauma.

Hoddle, 42, has the high profile and celebrity reputation they are seekeing for a swift return to the Premiership. Preliminary discussions have already gone further than last weekend's unsubstantiated rumours of a Portugese approach for Hoddle. Forest are guaranteeing a fund of around �30m to support Hoddle in the buying and contracting of major players.

Hoddle would have preferred to jump straight back into the Premiership, from whence he left Chelsea to take over the England reigns in 1996, but he knows his reputation has been damaged and will welcome the chance for rehabilitation.

Suspicious Goings on at Ipswich: John Gorman has resigned as assistant manger of Ipswich Town after only four months in the job. Gorman, sacked with Hoddle earlier this year from his England Post also worked with Hoddle at Swindon. He has said that he would be tempted by a return to working with Hoddle - or by a move into club management. The former England assistant is currently being linked with the vacant Head Coach position at Carlisle, with their chairman Michael Knighton, a self-confessed Gorman fan. However, bearing in mind the Hoddle - Forest link there could be another motive to his resignation.

No Golden Handshake for Pierre: A report in todays Nottingham Evening Post confirms Forest have accepted the bid from Vitesse Arnhem for Pierre. They say a few things have to be sorted out between the two clubs and Pierre. Forest also stated that Pierre will not be getting a Golden Handshake from the club. (I should bloody think not - surely he owes us money!).

Forest Bid for Paul Ritchie: Forest have joined the race for the signature of Hearts defender Paul Ritchie. Ritchie is the subject of interest for several clubs, including Rangers, Celtic, Spurs, Derby and Everton. Rangers have already tabled a bid of �800,000 and Forest are believed to have jumped to the head of the queue tabling a bid of �1.5m..

June 17 1999

Pierre On His Way: It looks like the whinging twat is finally on his way. Several newspapers and local radio have reported that Forest have accepted a bid of �3.75Million from Vitesse Arnhem for the Dutch striker.

In a telephone interview with Darren Fletcher of Century 106, Pierre, who is on holiday in Greece, said he was pleased things were moving on. But he also said that it was by no means "done and dusted" because he still has to negotiate personal terms.

June 16 1999

Hoddle Hat in the Ring: Apparently Glen Hoddle has now thrown his hat into the ring in the never ending saga of Forest's next manager. The following extract is from an 'Exclusive' in todays Daily Express:

"Glenn Hoddle has emerged as a shock contender for the vacant managers job at Nottingham Forest.

The former England boss had been expected to return to football as coach to Sporting Lisbon. But Forest, who have been agonising over their choice of manager since Dave Bassett’s departure and Ron Atkinson’s spell as caretaker, believe Hoddle can win them promotion from the First Division, as he did with limited resources at Swindon.

Liverpool’s ex-boss Roy Evans was favourite for the job before Hoddle became a contender; with a likely assistant in Peter Taylor, ex-England Under-21 coach. Sporting Lisbon president Jose Roquette yesterday denied making contact with Hoddle, saying "I have not spoken to anyone on this matter" "

June 15 1999

Little - any Day Now: According to the SUN Brian Little will be named the new Forest manager in the next couple of days.

Bassett Wants Beasant: According to the NEP Dave Beasant, who is on holiday at the moment, could well be on his way to Barnsley. Dave Basset, who has signed Beasant twice before - at Wimbledon and Forest - has injury problems and is considering a move for the 40 year old keeper. He says it won't be for a week or two, in which case Beasant may have signed on for Forest or another club. But Beasant is a serious option. If Beasant isn't offered an extension to stay at Forest and moves on then the City Ground will only have one first team keeper - Mark Crossley.

June 14 1999

Little or Evans: Its very quiet on the news front today. Any mention of Forest in the papers seems to centre around whther it will be Little or Evans who takes the managers job.

June 13 1999

Shipping Out: Dave Bassett, the man who brought Neil Shipperly to Forest may be ready to take him away again (oh yes please!!!), to new club Barnsley. The new Tykes manager is believed to be very interested in the player who he rates very highly but did not perform for Forest in the Premiership. The transfer figure is around �750,000, half the original figure paid by Bassett at the beginning of last season.

Looks Like Little to Me: Web page collaborator Steve Stanton, who has friends and family in Stoke dropped us the following message. "Just received a phone call from a pal in Stoke. Local press says ‘ a close friend of Brian Little has revealed that a deal has been struck with NFFC for Brian to become the new manager’."

The deal was negotiated on a beach!

Does this practice sound familiar?

June 11 1999

Bart - No to Dell Move: Chris Bart-Williams has denied that he will be moving to the Dell. He does have a clause in his contract as reported in yesterdays papers, but if he does choose to invoke it, it will not be for the Dell.

Darcheville waits for Forest: Jean-Claude Darcheville has now returned to France and is waiting to find out if Forest are still interested in him. Another French club is reported to be interested in the striker, but he would prefer to come back to Forest so is waiting on their decision before  pursuing other options.  The sticking point in the deal appears to be Rennes �1Million valuation, Forest are looking for them to reduce this somewhat.

Extracted from a report in today's Nottingham Evening Post.

New Contender Throws Hat in the Ring: Yes, that's right, another contender for the managerial post has thrown his hat into the ring. This one comes with a personal recommendation from none other than Arsene Wenger himself.

The contenders name is Luka Paruzovic. He is the ex-boss of   Olympique de Marseille, and has also managed Hadjuk Split. He turned down the opportunity to manage RSC Anderlecht earlier this year because he is very keen to move into English Football. The Arsenal boss, who worked with Paruzovic at Marseille, gave him a glowing report. In a letter to the City Ground (which the NEP reproduces on the page) he said "Luka Paruzovic has been know to me personally for the last ten years. I have always found him to be very competitive and passionate  about his football. I would have no hesitation in recommending him for any suitable position, and if you require further information please give me a call."

For the record Paruzovic is 47 years old. He won four Yugoslavian Championship medals with Hadjuk Split between 1970 and 1979 and played 21 times for the Yugoslavian national team including the 1974 World Cup and the 1976 and 1984 Euro Championships. 

Mark Steele, Paruzovic's agent said "Luka is a very strong character, who in my opinion, would shake up Forest and take them to a new level."

June 10 1999

Bart Wants Out: Chris Bart-Williams wants to revive his flagging career by leaving  Nottingham Forest. The midfielder was one of English football’s brightest  hopes as a teenager at Sheffield Wednesday five years ago but his career has  nose-dived since a �2.5million move to Forest in 1995. Bart-Williams, 24,  wants to exercise a clause in his �8,000-per-week contract that allows him a transfer now that Forest have slipped out of the Premiership. He has already emerged as a target for Southampton and Forest would want to recoup at least �1.5m for a player City Ground manager Ron Atkinson believes still has a future at the top level. Atkinson said: ‘Bart struggled with injuries during last season but he was our best player over the last month.  He is still one of the most technically gifted players around.’  Bart-Williams, who won 18 Under 21 caps and one for England B, signed a four-year contract after Forest’s promotion to the Premiership a year ago.

Shreeves Wants In: Peter Shreeves has said he would be interested in staying on at Forest. He joined Forest in January as Ron Atkinsons assistant and his current contract runs out at the same time as Ron's - June 28. Shreeves said "Ron is retiring at the end of his contract, I don't want to do that. I would be happy to stay here, but that will be up to the new manager when he comes in".

Little Another Candiate: Item From Team Talk Today - Stoke City manager Brian Little looks on the brink of leaving the Britannia Stadium and possibly take up the vacant Nottingham Forest hot-seat. Little returned from a holiday yesterday for crisis talks with the Stoke board and a club statement today confirmed Little met with Chief Executive Jez Moxley to discuss his position at the club. The former Aston Villa manager has had a roller-coaster ride during his 12 month tenure at the club and it will be no surprise to fans if Little quits City. He is being heavily linked with the managerial positions at both Nottingham Forest and Sheffield United, and it us our understanding he is more likely to opt for the City Ground, now that favourite Roy Evans appears to be out of the running. It seems almost certain he will leave Stoke, although further talks are being held today. If he does leave, Stoke will be looking for their fifth manager in less than two years.

June 9 1999

Roy Evans - Not for Doughty: Nigel Doughty has said he will NOT put any money into the club, at least for now,  if Roy Evans comes as manager. He wants a proven manager at Forest before he parts with his hard earned cash, and he does not believe Evans - who spent �40million in four and a half years to achieve nothing - is the right man for the job.

Evans is still believed to be the favourite for the job and if he does get it then Doughty has said he may  reconsider his options at the end of next season if the manager proves successful.

Woan Wants To Stay: Ian Woan has been offered the chance to take a free transfer. Peter Shreeves has said that "Ron spoke to Ian and told him that he does not figure in his plans". Woan's present contract runs out at the end of the 1999/2000 season. Ian Woans reaction has been that he sees no value in doing that and wants to stay at Forest and see where he figures in the new managers plans.

June 8 1999

O'Neill to Stay at Leicester: The late edition of the Evening Post reveals that Martin O'Neill has officially turned down a move to Forest in "a dramatic call to the club last night". Apparently the call is believed to have been made by O’Neill’s wife! (Perhaps she wouldn’t let Martin out to play).

According to the report, MON’s decision could also affect Nigel Doughty investing his money in the club. Roy Evans would now seem to be the main target. Eric Barnes refused to comment on the managerial vacancy other than to say "The Board will be talking this week. This is an on-going situation".

O'Neill Still a Possibility: The lunch time edition of the Evening Post revealed the end of the week is the deadline for O'Neill to make his decision and the club are hopeful that some of the dealings going on at Leicester could influence Martin to return to the City Ground. The major problems at Leicester seem to centre around the ongoing delays over the proposed new ground, the ongoing transfer/contract negotiations with Emile Heskey and Neil Lennon's refusal to sign an extension to his current contract.

Plus, let's not forget O'Neill himself still hasn't signed his new contract yet.

Roy Evans to be new Manager: According to the SUN this morning Martin O'Neill is definitely staying at Leicester and Roy Evans will be unveiled as the new Forest manager before the end of the week. If it's in the SUN it must be true :-)

Woan on a Free!: The guardian has today reported that Ian Woan is to be given a free transfer. He has not been linked with any other teams as yet. Woan missed a lot of last season through injury.

June 7 1999

Dirty Forest Face FA rap: It looks like Forest are to face an FA disciplinary panel after going down as the Premiership's second dirtiest side - Everton finished bottom of the fair play league.Forest's record of 96 yellow cards and 7 red means it is likely they will be called before the FA disciplinary board, where the manager (whoever that may be) and a representative of the board would plead their case. If found guilty they would be fined �50,000 suspended for 1 year to "get their house in order".

This is an unusual predicament for Forest as previously the club has been one of the fairest in the FA leagues. Between 1939 and 1969 Forest didn't have a single player sent off , a record only bettered by Spurs; and in the last 25 years Forest's disciplinary record has been second only to Liverpool in English football. Back in October Forest were in with a chance of back door entry into the UEFA cup when they were riding high in the fair play league (they even topped it at one point). But since then a flurry of Red and Yellow cards has seen them drop down the league.

Forest's red card culprits are Thierry Bonalair, Steve Stone,   Pierre Van Hooijdonk ,  Matthieu Louis-Jean, Carlton Palmer, Richard Gough and Steve Chettle.

Stensaas Loan to become Permanent: Stale Stensaas, currently on loan from Glasgow Rangers, is thought to be close to putting his signature on a contract to complete a permanent move to the City Ground. The fee is rumoured to be around the �1,000,000 mark. Watch this space for further developments...

June 6 1999

Vogts eyes Forest job: Berti Vogts has made a sensational bid to land the Nottingham Forest managers job. The former boss of the German national team is keen to work in England and his representative has made contact with directors at the City Ground. Although Forest - relegated from the Premiership last season - were keen initially, they cannot meet his �1million a year wage demands. Vogts has been taking English lessons from a private tutor since last year when he vacated his previous job after the World Cup finals in France. He viewed Forest as the perfect challenge and believes he could help revive the glory days they have not enjoyed since the reign of Brian Clough. Vogts has been out of work since last summer and questioned recently about his future he said: "I'm learning English and trying to find a job abroad." Vogts has been making enquiries about the quarantine laws so he could bring his family's pet dog to England! Although Vogts has never managed a team at club level he is a vastly experienced coach who was Germany's boss for eight years, leading them to the European Championship triumph, in England in 1996.

June 4 1999

Carlton Palmer looks set to leave Forest and make a quick return to the Premiership with a possible �1million move to West Ham.

West Ham are currently leading a pack of several Premier league teams thought to include Everton and newly promoted Bradford City, in the chase for the signature of 33 year old Palmer.

Palmer, currently on Holiday in Barbados, said "Four or five Premiership clubs are interested and West Ham are one of them. Until a new manager comes in at Forest and we can sit down and talk about whether I stay or go nothing will happen. But I didn't come here to get relegated, I still want to play in the Premiership and that's the problem I'm going to have to deal with. I don't know what I'll be doing at the moment. It's been a long hard season, so I'll have a rest and see what's happening. If the right steps are not taken to be challenging next season then I would prefer to go. I'll listen to offers, I'm not saying I'll leave or that I won't leave. I'll do the right thing, whether it's staying or going. Nothing is going to happen until July, by that the new manager might have come in and decided to get me off the wage bill anyway."

e-mail:  [email protected]