Snideness From The Guardian's "Knowledge"

-
Rob Smyth and Paolo Bandini - The Guardian Wednesday September 6, 2006

The Knowledge

KNOWLEDGE ARCHIVE

"In 1967, Nottingham Forest came very close to winning the league and Cup double despite having no success in either competition a decade either side of this season. Is there another example of a club having a single, isolated season of brilliance in a lengthy period of relative mediocrity?" asked Alan Sheridan a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.

We can think of a couple of recent - albeit obvious - examples to set the ball rolling. In 1975-76, a QPR team containing the likes of Gerry Francis, Stan Bowles, John Hollins, Don Masson and Phil Parkes was pipped by a single point to the league championship by Liverpool, the Anfield side only denying the west London club by scoring with 13 minutes to go in their final match of the season against Wolves.

QPR, who had done nothing of note since winning the League Cup as a Third Division team in 1967, went on a downward spiral which culminated in their relegation three years later. OK, so they made the 1982 FA Cup final, but God those matches were tedious...

Guardian "the Knowledge"