· Spurs fans! Find a hotel near the ground here!
· The first game - Forest's deserved draw 1-1
· History of this tie (updated)
· Our last 5th Rd replay - Spurs 2 Leeds 0 (1999)
It's a bit spooky that in the first match of the last 5th Round tie between these two teams in 1996, snow caused abandonment, before the tie was concluded in the eventual replay at White Hart Lane. As I write, snow is in the air again, and those of us contemplating travel to the Midlands tomorrow will hope that their journey is not in vain.Read the updated history of this tie here
The journey should not of course be necessary, as Spurs should have finished the job properly at The Lane on 20th February. However, as I wrote then, the draw was the least that Forest deserved, and we must hope that Spurs run out good winners tomorrow, in front of Sky's cameras. Since the first match, Forest beat Play-Off contenders Preston North End, and that man Kris Commons was dominant, scoring a spectacular long-range goal, and creating the other for Paul Evans. Last Saturday, Forest gained a creditable 2-2 draw with their local rivals, Derby County. Evans scored again, and Gareth Taylor, who scored in the first game of this tie, scored the other.
Forest's priority of course remains survival in the Championship, which is still a very tall order. The atmosphere could be as lively and special at The City Ground as it must have been on Saturday, and also earlier in the season, when they remembered the late, great Brian Clough and secured a late 3-2 win over West Ham.
The last time Spurs had a fifth round replay was on 24th February, 1999 when they beat Leeds United with two great goals from Darren Anderton and David Ginola. Ginola also nearly scored after a superb mazy run across the area and a cracking shot that hit the woodwork. Even the normally droll George Graham (Spurs manager at the time) was leaping off his seat. After another fantastic Ginola goal at Barnsley in the 6th Round, a semi-final tie awaited against Newcastle, who will be the opposition for the winners of this match.
Let us hope that whichever strike force Martin Jol deploys, that Spurs prevail, and that Forest can be happy with their share of the TV money. Once again, a Spurs win must not be taken for granted, and the team news about both Ledley King and Nourredine Naybet being worries is not good. Naybet may well be "rested" in favour of fit-again Anthony Gardner. Stephen Kelly could cover in the middle and Noe Pamarot will be in the squad as well. I'll go for 2-0 to Spurs! (Despite the fact that the referee will be Mark Clattenberg, who refereed the game at Old Trafford where we scored "the goal that wasn't"!)
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