Every week, a group of Nottingham Forest’s legendary European Cup winners meet up for lunch and a catch-up. It says a lot about Steve Cooper, who today becomes the first Forest manager since Brian Clough to lead them out at Wembley, that he occasionally pops in to listen to the fabled stories.
Frank Clark, who played under Clough and later succeeded him as manager, is one of the ‘Thursday Club’ regulars with John Robertson, Garry Birtles, John O’Hare and Colin Barrett.
He knew Cooper’s father Keith, a former referee, but not Steve when he took over in September with Forest bottom of the Championship.