Today marks the 9th anniversary of the passing of Nigel Doughty, former Nottingham Forest chairman and club icon.
Having bought control of the club in 1999, Doughty remained at the helm for almost 12 years before announcing his departure in the 2011/12 season.
Doughty sadly passed away in February 2012, at the age of just 52.
Former Forest player Andy Reid described him as “Forest through and through” with many fans believing Doughty is the reason Forest were not simply forgotten following their hugely successful era under Brian Clough.
On the ninth anniversary of his tragic passing, we remember our former owner Nigel Doughty.
A man who did so much for the club he loved, Nigel is sorely missed by everyone involved with #NFFC.
A great man, and a true Red. ❤️ pic.twitter.com/BIDvEa81qY
— Nottingham Forest FC 💙 (@NFFC) February 4, 2021
We look back at the Nottingham Forests 5 best moments under Doughty.
6-0 victories over Wimbledon and Stoke, 2003
Forest Striker Marlon Harewood scored 6 goals across the 2 emphatic victories, proving to be the spark the team needed to maintain their hopes of promotion.
While Wimbledon may have been 8 points adrift at the bottom of the table at the time of their clash, it was a win Forest sorely needed, having taken just 2 points from their previous 5 matches.
With Stoke City down to 10 men, Forest saw the opportunity to strike, with Harewood netting 4 first half goals to give Forest a comfortable lead, and secure the 3 points before half time.
The wins were crucial as they helped Forest maintain their push for promotion.
3rd place finish in the Championship, 2009/10
In just their second season back in the championship following their promotion from League One, Forest managed an impressive 3rd place finish, giving them their first shot in the play-off.
After a rough start to the season, with points dropped at West Brom and Watford in the opening 3 games, which saw Forest drop to 22nd in the table, they were able to rally themselves and produce and impressive run of results, including an impressive 3-2 and 5-1 win over rivals Derby county and Leicester City respectively.
Despite losing both legs of their play-off to Blackpool, the season was largely a success, giving the Reds a strong platform to build on for the following season.
6th place finish in the Championship, 2010/11
Following their impressive 3rd place finish in the previous season Forest were determined to prove themselves play-off contenders yet again in their 3rd season in the Championship.
Having opened the season with 1 loss and 4 straight draws Forest were in need of a resurgence, despite a string of 6 losses in 8 games in the later stages of the season, the Reds were able to make a late push for the play-offs.
Forest were again unsuccessful, losing out to eventual winners Swansea City, but this proved another big season for the club, proving that the previous seasons push for promotion was no fluke.
Promotion to the Championship, 2007/08
Having spent the previous 2 seasons in League one, Forest finally gained promotion to the Championship after an impressive season.
Defender Julian Bennett and attacking midfielder Kris Commons where included in the PFA League one Team of the Year.
Goalkeeper, Paul Smith, ended the season with a league record 24 clean sheets in 46 games, earning him the Puma golden glove for that season.
One of the most memorable seasons for the Reds which saw the return to the second tier of English football.
League double over Rivals Derby, 2010/11
Nottingham Forest sealed an impressive league double over local rivals Derby County with an emphatic 5-2 victory over the Rams.
Opener from Luke Chambers and second half brace from Robert Earnshaw helped Forest on their way to an impressive win, and crucial 3 points in their promotion push.
Despite going on to lose the play-offs, Forest fans will always remember this result as their biggest win over Derby.
By Vishal Prashar
