1988/89-1989/90
|
Brian Laws arrived at the City Ground from Middlesbrough in the summer
of 1988, for a fee of £125,000, and proved to be yet another in the
long line of Brian Clough bargain buys. Laws was made to wait for his
place in the team as youngster Steve Chettle was initially preferred by
manager Clough and it was not until December 1988 that he made his first
start for the club, in a 1-1 draw at Southampton. Laws made the number
two shirt his own thereafter, featuring in all but two of the remaining
twenty one League games.
He scored his first goal for the Reds in a fine
4-0 home win over Aston Villa and also hit the target with a superb
left-foot shot in Forest's 3-0 victory against Watford at Vicarage Road
in the FA Cup 5th round. That win over Watford continued Forest's three
pronged assault on Wembley as they had already progressed to the
semi-finals of both the Littlewoods and Simod cups. The Reds were beaten
in the FA Cup semi-final by Liverpool but they beat Luton Town 3-1 to
lift the Littlewoods Cup and won a thrilling encounter 4-3 a.e.t.
against Everton in the Simod Cup.
All in all it was a memorable first
season at the City Ground for Laws. The following season saw the tough
tackling right back as an ever present in a Forest defence that also
boasted England internationals Stuart Pearce and Des Walker. He scored
three goals in his thirty-eight League games, as the Reds finished ninth
in the table, and was also a member of the Forest team that retained
the Littlewoods Cup with a 1-0 win over second division Oldham Athletic.
(David Scranage)
|
Brian Laws is pictured above playing for Nottingham Forest on 12th. February 1993.
Photo G. Herringshaw. ©
1990/91-1994/95.
|
The 1990/91 campaign started well enough for Brian Laws but it was,
ultimately, to end in disappointment. He featured in thirty-two of
Forest's thirty-eight League games but missed out on a 2-1 FA Cup Final
defeat against Tottenham Hotspur when manager Clough preferred the
youngster Gary Charles for the right back spot. Laws did make a
substitute appearance in place of Lee Glover but it must surely have
been scant consolation for the Wallsend born defender.
The following
season saw Charles holding down the number two shirt for much of the
time with Laws featuring in fifteen League games. Once again there was a
Wembley disappointment for Forest as they were beaten 1-0 by Manchester
United in the Rumbelows Cup Final, with Brian appearing as a sub for
Charles. Laws returned as a regular in the starting line-up during the
1992-93 campaign and the gritty right back featured in all but nine of
Forest's League games in a season that saw the club relegated and
manager Clough depart the City Ground hotseat after eighteen wonderful
years.
Frank Clark was the man who succeeded Clough and a new manager
meant new faces. Des Lyttle arrived from Swansea City for £375,000 and
Laws days at the City Ground were numbered. His final League appearance
for the Reds came in a 1-0 win at home to local rivals Notts County in
October 1993. He moved on to Grimsby Town in December 1994, initially as
a player, but also went on to manage the Mariners. (David Scranage)
1979–1983 Burnley 125 (12)
1983–1985 Huddersfield Town 56 (1)
1985–1988 Middlesbrough 108 (12)
1988–1994 Nottingham Forest 147 (4)
1994–1996 Grimsby Town 46 (2)
1996–1997 Darlington 10 (0)
1997–1998 Scunthorpe United 18 (0)
|