The 2007–08 season was Nottingham Forest's third consecutive season in League One. The season was regarded a success with the team gaining promotion back to the Championship at the third attempt.
Forest's players were also successful on an individual level in the 2007–08 season, with Julian Bennett and Kris Commons in the PFA League One Team of the Year, while Paul Smith ended the season with 24 clean sheets in 46 games, the record for the league in that season. This achievement was recognised when he received the Puma Golden Glove award.
Team kit
Season overview In the 2007–08 campaign, Forest were named title favourites for the third consecutive year. Calderwood signed five players in summer 2007, most notably former Celtic captain Neil Lennon on a free transfer. Also captured were left-back Matt Lockwood from Leyton Orient, Preston North End defender Kelvin Wilson and Yeovil Town duo midfielder Chris Cohen and attacking winger Arron Davies all signing for undisclosed fees.
Forest started the 2007–08 campaign by failing to win in their first six competitive games. The Reds drew three times and lost 2–1 at home to rivals Leeds United, as well as losing 3–2 to Peterborough United in the Football League Trophy. However, Forest then hit an eight-game unbeaten run in the league (including five wins), scoring seventeen goals in the process. After losing to Luton, Forest went on another unbeaten run, this time of six games in all competitions. This briefly took Forest to the top of the league table over Christmas, the first time they had been top all season.
But they lost top spot as they failed to win away from home, in a run lasting seven games. After moving back into second place, Forest's away form once again was found lacking, which allowed Carlisle and Doncaster to overtake them into second and third place, respectively. Forest went on to collect just one win in seven games.
However, they turned their form around, and after being 11 points behind second-place at one point. A win Carlisle saw Forest then win six out of their last seven games of the season. Forest, who had only been in the automatic promotion places once all season got promoted to the Championship on a dramatic last day of the season, by beating Yeovil 3–2 at the City Ground to secure second place. The Reds kept a league record of 24 clean sheets out of 46 games, which helped them end their three-year spell in the league's third tier and gain their first promotion in ten years.
Pre-season and friendlies Results DateOpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendance17 July 2007Ilkeston TownAThornhill (2) 48', 58', Sinclair 79', Brown (2) 83', 89'1,18018 July 2007Rushden & DiamondsADavies 90'1,21021 July 2007ChesterfieldA2,79624 July 2007 KilmarnockA3–1Holt (3) 19' (pen.), 39' (pen.), 51' (pen.)2,52426 July 2007 Dunfermline AthleticA1–2Sinclair 24'1,75628 July 2007 MotherwellA2,50530 July 2007Notts CountyA2–1Chambers (2) 4', 85'7,07031 July 2007Derby CountyA25,1594 August 2007Sheffield UnitedA5,676
League One Results Date OpponentsH / AResultF–AScorersAttendanceLeagueposition11 August 2007BournemouthH0–018,79116th18 August 2007Swansea CityA0–017,22015th25 August 2007Leeds UnitedH1–2Commons 50'25,23718th1 September 2007Bristol RoversA2–2Anthony (og) 29', Holt 45+1'9,08018th15 September 2007Port ValeA2–0Edwards (og) 3', Chambers 86'6,52114th22 September 2007GillinghamH4–0Agogo (3) 43', 61', 73', Sinclair 84'16,33010th29 September 2007Yeovil TownA3–0Chambers 57', Agogo 79', Commons 84'6,8188th2 October 2007Huddersfield TownA1–1Commons 75'10,9948th6 October 2007Hartlepool UnitedH2–1Commons 11', Agogo 83'17,5205th13 October 2007Cheltenham TownA3–0Commons (3) 11', 45+1', 66'5,0123rd20 October 2007Doncaster RoversH0–023,1084th27 October 2007Luton TownA1–2Bennett 90+1'8,5247th30 October 2007Oldham AthleticH0–016,4236th3 November 2007Tranmere RoversH2–0Agogo 50'(pen), Tyson 78'16,8254th6 November 2007Southend UnitedH4–1Breckin 41', Tyson 65', Agogo (2) 73', 88'26,0942nd24 November 2007Crewe AlexandraH2–0Davies 45', Clingan 52'16,6502nd4 December 2007WalsallA0–16,6054th7 December 2007Brighton & Hove AlbionA2–0Tyson (2) 30', 49'6,5362nd15 December 2007Northampton TownH2–2McGugan 15', Agogo 90'17,0813rd22 December 2007Port ValeH2–0Agogo 24', McGugan 67'21,4071st26 December 2007Oldham AthleticA0–08,1402nd29 December 2007GillinghamA0–37,7122nd1 January 2008Huddersfield TownH2–1Cohen 68', McGugan 90+2'18,7622nd12 January 2008Leyton OrientH4–0Holt (2) 31', 54'(pen), Commons 72', Thornhill 89'17,8052nd19 January 2008Swindon TownA1–2Chambers 63'9,8153rd23 January 2008MillwallA2–2Cohen 85', Tyson 88'8,4362nd29 January 2008Swansea cityH0–021,0653rd2 February 2008BournemouthA0–27,2514th9 February 2008MillwallH2–0Bennett 48', Chambers 58'17,0463rd12 February 2008Leeds UnitedA1–1Bennett 69'29,5524th16 February 2008Swindon TownH1–0Tyson 50'23,4393rd23 February 2008Leyton OrientA1–0Agogo 61'7,1362nd3 March 2008Carlisle UnitedH0–128,4874th8 March 2008Crewe AlexandraA0–06,3414th11 March 2008Southend UnitedA1–1Thornhill 65'8,3764th15 March 2008WalsallH1–1Ormerod 49'17,1774th21 March 2008Northampton TownA2–1Ormerod 9', Tyson 63'(pen)7,2444th24 March 2008Brighton & Hove AlbionH0–018,1654th28 March 2008Doncaster RoversA0–112,5084th1 April 2008Carlisle UnitedA2–0Chambers 76', McCleary 90+3'9,9794th5 April 2008Cheltenham TownH3–1Agogo (2) 26', 47', Chambers 45'19,8604th8 April 2008Bristol RoversH1–1McGugan 33'15,8605th12 April 2008Tranmere RoversA2–0Tyson 34', Morgan 51'8,6894th19 April 2008Luton TownH1–0Tyson 67'17,3314th26 April 2008Hartlepool UnitedA1–0McGugan 84'5,2063rd3 May 2008Yeovil TownH3–2Bennett 12', Commons 18', McGugan 28'28,5202nd
League table
FA Cup Results Date RoundOpponentsH / AResultF – AScorersAttendance10 November 2007Round 1Lincoln CityA1–1McGugan 25'7,36127 November 2007Round 1 replayLincoln CityH3–1Commons 35', Tyson (2) 49', 61'6,78311 December 2007Round 2Luton TownA0–15,758
League Cup Results Date RoundOpponentsH / AResultF – AScorersAttendance14 August 2007Round 1Chester CityA0–0(4–2p)2,72028 August 2007Round 2Leicester CityHMatch abandoned at half time 15,63818 September 2007Round 2Leicester CityH2–3Smith 1', Tyson 64'15,519
Football League Trophy Results Date RoundOpponentsH / AResultF – AScorersAttendance4 September 2007Round 1Peterborough UnitedH2–3Chambers (2) 33', 49'3,102
Squad statistics Appearances and goals The statistics for the following players are for their time during 2007–08 season playing for Nottingham Forest. Any stats from a different club during 2007–08 are not included. Grant Holt's red card was for two yellow cards Nottingham Forest also had two own goals scored for them during 2007–08
No.Pos.NameLeagueFA CupLeague CupFootball League TrophyTotalDisciplineAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals1GK Paul Smith460302110521002DF Kelvin Wilson (vc)40 (2)030200045 (2)0413DF Matt Lockwood110100000120104DF Luke Chambers40 (2)530201246 (2)7305DF Wes Morgan37 (5)110201041 (5)1606DF Ian Breckin (c)22 (6)120001025 (6)1607MF James Perch19 (11)01 (1)00 (1)01021 (13)0118MF Kris Commons29 (10)92 (1)1201034 (11)10209FW Nathan Tyson26 (8)932111031 (8)122010FW Grant Holt22 (10)3101 (1)00024 (11)351*11FW Scott Dobie1 (1)00010002 (1)00011FW Will Hoskins20000000200012MF Garath McCleary3 (5)10000003 (5)10013MF Felix Bastians0 (1)00010102 (1)00014MF Arron Davies9 (10)11 (2)0000010 (12)12015MF Chris Cohen40 (1)230100044 (1)25016MF Sammy Clingan40 (2)120200044 (2)16117MF Lewis McGugan25 (8)631000028 (8)75018MF Neil Lennon15 (3)010200(1)018 (4)04018ST Brett Ormerod1320000001320020GK Dimitrios Konstantopoulos00000000000023FW Junior Agogo27 (8)131 (2)01 (1)01030 (11)130024FW Emile Sinclair0 (12)1000 (1)00 (1)00 (14)10025MF Alan Power00000010100026MF Matt Thornhill5 (9)20 (1)00 (1)0005 (11)21027DF Brendan Moloney20000000200028DF Joe Heath00000000000029DF Julian Bennett33 (1)420201038 (1)48030GK Dale Roberts00000000000031MF Mark Byrne0 (1)00000000 (1)00032GK Shane Redmond00000000000037MF James Reid00000000000038GK Barry Richardson00000000000039DF Hamza Bencherif000000000000
Transfers In
Date Position Name From Fee 12 June 2007 MF Neil Lennon Celtic Free 5 July 2007 DF Matt Lockwood Leyton Orient Undisclosed 6 July 2007 MF Arron Davies Yeovil Town Undisclosed 6 July 2007 MF Chris Cohen Yeovil Town Undisclosed 16 July 2007 DF Kelvin Wilson Preston North End £300,000 22 January 2008 MF Garath McCleary Bromley Undisclosed
Out
Date Position Name To Fee4 June 2007FW Jack LesterChesterfieldFree15 June 2007DF John ThompsonOldham AthleticFree30 June 2007DF John CurtisQueens Park RangersFree1 July 2007DF Nicky EadenFree AgencyReleased1 July 2007MF Kevin JamesFree AgencyReleased1 July 2007MF Robert HughesFree AgencyReleased1 July 2007GK Rune PedersenFree AgencyReleased1 July 2007DF Vincent FernandezFree AgencyReleased12 July 2007MF Gary HoltWycombe WanderersFree 23 January 2008 FW Scott Dobie Carlisle United Nominal 30 January 2008 FW David Brown Bradford City Free 31 January 2008 MF Neil Lennon Wycombe Wanderers Free
Loan In
Date From Date Until Pos. Name From 8 February 2008 13 April 2008 FW Will Hoskins Watford 7 March 2008 4 May 2008 FW Brett Ormerod Preston North End 25 March 2008 4 May 2008 GK Dimitrios Konstantopoulos Coventry City
Loan Out
Date Pos. Name To 5 July 2007 GK Paddy Gamble Stalybridge Celtic 1 October 2007 DF Hamza Bencherif Lincoln City 1 October 2007 MF Felix Bastians Chesterfield 22 November 2007 FW Emile Sinclair Brentford 22 November 2007 DF Tom Sharpe Bury 22 November 2007 MF Alan Power Grays Athletic 4 January 2008 MF Felix Bastians Notts County 10 January 2008 DF Brendan Moloney Chesterfield 11 January 2008 DF Tom Sharpe Halifax Town 23 January 2008 GK Dale Roberts Rushden and Diamonds 14 February 2008 MF Felix Bastians Milton Keynes Dons 20 March 2008 FW Grant Holt Blackpool
References