Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest will be first time two former European champions meet outside top-flight
Midlands derby in Championship will make history as two former giants go head-to-head in reminder of past glories
ASTON VILLA will make history when they play Nottingham Forest this weekend.
The Midlands pair’s Championship clash will be the first time two former European champions from the same country have met outside the top division.
Forest shocked the game when they won the European Cup in successive seasons under Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980.
And just two years later, Villa became the fourth English side to win it — managed by Tony Barton.
It’s a far cry from where they find themselves in 2016, with this fixture not expected in the top flight any time soon.
But three and a half decades ago, it was a different story.
Back in 1977, Forest earned promotion to the old First Division after finishing third behind Wolves and Chelsea in the second tier.
Remarkably, Clough’s clan shocked the country by winning the title ahead of European champions, Liverpool — and also claimed the League Cup.
Forest played their first-ever European match against the men from Anfield — winning 2-0 on aggregate.
Wins against AEK Athens, Grasshopper and Koln led the Midlanders to the biggest game in club football.
Forest faced Malmo in the 1979 European Cup final in Munich — and a solitary goal from Trevor Francis was enough to seal the most improbable of victories.
Six teams had successfully defended their Euro crown, and Clough’s men became number seven.
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Forest beat Swedish side Oster in their first match as defending champions, before dispatching of Romania’s Arges Pitesti in the next round.
Wins over the Dynamo Berlin and then three-time winners Ajax saw them reach the final in Madrid.
And this time John Robertson was the hero as his early goal was the only one of the game against Hamburg.
However, lowly CSKA Sofia were too strong for Forest in the opening round on the 1980-81 European Cup.
Under Clough they won just two more League Cups before being relegated at the end of the opening Premier League campaign in 1993.
They earned promotion after a year but went back down again in 1998.
Forest haven’t been in the top flight since facing relegation the following season.
Villa won the last of their seven top-flight titles — and were champions of Europe a year later.
Victories over Valur, Dynamo Berlin, Dynamo Kiev, Anderlecht led the Barton’s boys to a Rotterdam final against Bayern Munich in a Golden Age for English football.
And Peter Withe’s 67th minute goal sealed the memorable win.
The Villans were relegated five years later but only lasted a year in Division Two.
They won two League Cups in the 90s and flirted with Champions League football under Martin O’Neill in the latter part of the subsequent decade.
However, relegation has been inevitable for a while now.
And the next Midlands derby between two former European champions will be contested in the second tier of English football.