"That's for Brian Laws"

I'm reading Be Good, Love Brian, which is a belting yarn, written by a lad (now almost 50) who lived with the Clough's, following a chance encounter with Cloughie on a beach in the North East.

I can't put it down and can't recommend it highly enough. I won't ruin it with any spoilers but what I hadn't realised, despite watching both games (on TV), was that John Aldridge ruffled Brian Laws's hair after he scored an own goal in Forest's rearranged FA Cup semi final game against Liverpool at Old Trafford in '89. Then, weeks later, when Arsenal snatched the league title from Liverpool with virtually the last kick of the season at Anfield, Tony Adams went over to Aldridge, who was lying distraught on the turf, to ruffle his hair, telling him: "That's for Brian Laws" 😂

It's also amazing how many of Forest's former players who are part of this story, or referenced in it, played for, or managed, Town: Neil Webb, Brian Laws, Kenny Swain, Steve Chettle (who also had his hair ruffled by Aldridge after a defensive error), Garry Birtles. No mention of Kingsley Black or Jason Lee, yet!


https://www.waterstones.com/book/be-good-love-brian/craig-bromfield/9780008466862

It is a brilliant book - very moving at times. Kenny Swain sounds like he was a very nice bloke.

I did know about the Laws hair ruffling though as I remember him going absolutely batshit crazy years later when Garry Parker did it to him after a last minute Leicester goal at BP.  He then gave a ludicrously over the top interview on Humberside where he said Garry Parker was supposed to be his friend and he knew how much hair ruffling upset him and was now basically dead to him.

The opposition would have found it difficult to have ruffled my hair after an own goal, always used to leave it in the changing rooms by the Head& Shoulders.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

It is a brilliant book - very moving at times. Kenny Swain sounds like he was a very nice bloke.

I did know about the Laws hair ruffling though as I remember him going absolutely batshit crazy years later when Garry Parker did it to him after a last minute Leicester goal at BP.  He then gave a ludicrously over the top interview on Humberside where he said Garry Parker was supposed to be his friend and he knew how much hair ruffling upset him and was now basically dead to him.

Brian Laws wants to count himself lucky he's got hair someone can ruffle.

Quoted from Withnail

It's also amazing how many of Forest's former players who are part of this story, or referenced in it, played for, or managed, Town: Neil Webb, Brian Laws, Kenny Swain, Steve Chettle (who also had his hair ruffled by Aldridge after a defensive error), Garry Birtles. No mention of Kingsley Black or Jason Lee, yet!

Sure you're enjoying it now, but let's see what you're saying when you get to the Virgil Gomis chapter.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Sure you're enjoying it now, but let's see what you're saying when you get to the Virgil Gomis chapter.

I still shudder when I recall how, er...portly (and that's being very kind) Neil Webb was when he first waddled out the tunnel for us at Blundell Park - and I'm not exactly svelte.

Didn't Buckley or Laws (I can't recall) send Jason Lee back as he refused to play for the reserves to get some fitness or something similar?  

Quoted from Withnail

I still shudder when I recall how, er...portly (and that's being very kind) Neil Webb was when he waddled out the tunnel for us at Blundell Park - and I'm not exactly svelte.

Blink and you missed him. Remember him generating a bit of buzz at the time being a name that played for England just a couple of years prior, stuck around for like 2 games then vanished.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Didn't Buckley or Laws (I can't recall) send Jason Lee back as he refused to play for the reserves to get some fitness or something similar?  

You might be thinking of Mark Flatts? Lee scored on the last day of the season (v Southend) so guessing it can't have been him.

In an online interview Laws gave recently, he claimed he recommended Ivano to Aldridge at Tranmere, and when Aldridge discovered that Ivano was a 'complicated' player to manage he claimed that as some kind of payback for that hair ruffling in '89.