The original ‘nice young man’ faces an impossible choice between the relative sanity of Burton Albion and the emotional pull of his father’s old clubPerhaps this is an apt moment to remember an old story about the last time Southampton reached the League Cup final, back in 1979, and what it says about the way the sport has changed bearing in mind their opponents that day could be described accurately as the most hungover group of players ever to walk out at Wembley.Brian Clough always liked to keep it interesting and it turned out to be a wise move, sensing his Nottingham Forest players were a bit uptight, to decide the best form of relaxation at the hotel the night before was to order the biggest round of drinks they had ever seen and make it clear nobody was allowed to leave until they had supped the lot. Garry Birtles told me recently how he woke on the morning of the final with the skin rubbed off his knees from where, at some unspeakable hour, he had been dragged up the stairs to his room. Archie Gemmill, a 10pm-to-bed man, was practically kidnapped and nobody should have been too surprised when the game kicked off that Southampton ran rings round their groggy opponents in the first half. Related: Nottingham Forest ask Burton Albion for permission to speak to Nigel Clough Continue readingreadfullarticle
