Nottingham Forest narrowly fell to a 2-1 defeat as they hosted Manchester City on a day where the City Ground remembered John Robertson, the most iconic player in the Reds’ illustrious history. George Edwards was at the match
In John Robertson, Nottingham Forest lost the greatest and most iconic playing figure in their history on Christmas Day, a legend who was remembered touchingly and graciously pre-match as the Reds hosted Manchester City.
His number 11 shirt is Forest’s iconic number, for him and him only. Manchester United’s number seven is iconic because of Best, Cantona, Beckham and Ronaldo. Liverpool’s because of Suarez, Keegan and Dalglish.
But the number 11 shirt at the City Ground is historic because of “that little fat man” on the left wing, who would turn any fullback inside out.
He may have been a figurehead in the 1970s and 80s, but Forest fans of all ages have felt the magnitude of his contributions and the enormity of this loss.
Whenever I have spoken to anybody who saw the glory days of Forest’s Scottish superstar, a glint twinkles to the eye, telling tales of an ordinary man with an ordinary lifestyle but with one hell of a superpower with a football at his feet.
As a curious 10-year-old Red, I became obsessed with the successes of Forest’s past after watching Jonny Owen’s I Believe In Miracles documentary. Watching on, I realised that Shilton, Burns, Francis and the rest undoubtedly played a huge part, but that there was one figurehead who led the charge more than anybody else.
A goal and an assist in back-to-back European finals as Forest wrote themselves into the history books, John Robertson forever wrote himself into Forest folklore.
That curious 10-year-old was lucky enough to meet the great man at a premiere for the film at the Nottingham Contemporary Hall, when a dull evening with my mum at an art exhibition unexpectedly turned into one of my earliest and most cherished memories.
I posed with the European Cup and shook hands with John McGovern, but the most distinct memory was meeting Robertson and being completely in awe. With my voice having not broken and my Afro in full flow, Robertson responded “of course, young lady” when I hopefully asked him for a photo. Anybody else I would have corrected, but for John I just went along with it, smiled and thanked him, for the photo but also for putting my football club onto the world stage.
A rapture of applause and affectionate chants of ‘Robbo’ cannoned across the City Ground in the build-up to kick off against Manchester City, everybody inside recognising the true heroism of the man who used to run up and down that left side with fire in his boots.
‘The Picasso of our game’ 🎨 Nottingham Forest fans remember club legend John Robertson. 👏 pic.twitter.com/vAbBqt4at7
— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 27, 2025
On the pitch, the XI that took to the field almost clinched a point Robertson would have been proud of, a performance displaying the resilience that the team he led showed on so many occasions.
Sean Dyche’s outburst against the referee post-match was understandable but ultimately disappointing. On Robert Jones’ first visit to the City Ground with the whistle since his controversial call to send off Willy Boly in Nuno Espìrito Santo’s first game, he was at the centre of yet more controversy but not really enough to influence the final result.
While Ruben Dias probably should have seen the red card for swiping down Igor Jesus seconds into the second half, most referees would have done the same. It may not be correct, but there’s always a higher threshold for the second yellow card, and while Jones wasn’t perfect, his display wasn’t at a worse level than many refereeing performances this season — maybe signifying the PGMOL’s overall weaknesses rather than Jones’ individual incompetence.
Dyche’s rants all sounded like excuses. Sometimes you have to accept you’ve huffed and puffed, came close to getting something, but ultimately your efforts have come up short. John Victor still had two very decent saves to make alongside the two goals he conceded, while Forest only mustered two clear cut chances themselves, and the best teams always seem to find a way.
In defeat there were plenty of positives. Forest looked focused in the first half and energised in periods of the second, but were caught static on two occasions that cost them the precious points.
Omari Hutchinson opened his Forest account, getting Forest back on level terms and rounding off a goal that flowed with chemistry and positivity, a classic Nottingham Forest end-to-end breakaway.
From equalising, Forest got the bit between their teeth, and their opponents looked startled for a good 10-minute spell. That’s where Forest can rue the missed opportunity, failing to convert their dominance and City’s timidness meaning the door was always open, especially against a team with such relentlessness and quality.
This season, you never really know what Forest will turn up, but the Reds always seem up for the big games and have given Pep Guardiola a run for his money on each of his four visits to the City Ground. However, in Forest’s last two games they’ve looked competent and threatening up until the penalty area but had a complete inability to cause problems inside the box.
Hutchinson’s goal was Forest’s only shot on target from inside the box from Fulham and Man City combined, with Chris Wood taking to Instagram to confirm his continued absence a worrying prospect.
Jesus has adapted to the league and is a constant presence, winning fouls, holding the ball up and getting the assist for the equaliser, but his lack of killer instinct in the middle is what Forest crave in Wood, his clinical edge something Forest had just gotten used to over the past few years.
Defeat is never wanted but often expected, with Man City not the type of game Forest realistically have to be winning. But failing to get a point from their past two games means that their game against Everton on Tuesday looks increasingly like Forest must-win, with a chance to avenge that pathetic showing at the Hill Dickinson Stadium three weeks ago and round off 2025 with positivity.
Forest couldn’t get the job done to pay tribute to their greatest, but they made it clear on the day that his contributions in the Garibaldi will live on forever; Forest would be half the club they are without John Neilson Robertson.
Follow The Famous Club on:
Bluesky | Facebook | Flipboard | Google News | Instagram | Reddit | Threads | WhatsApp | X (Twitter)
