Manchester United and Spurs knocked off their privileged pedestals – Arsenal and Chelsea next | OneFootball

Newcastle United v Nottingham Forest is a fixture I am relishing.

Along with Newcastle and Aston Villa, Nuno Espirito Santo’s Forest are the EPL’s new kids on the block.

You could even currently include Bournemouth, taking into account their fine season to date. The Cherries though don’t have the history of the three aforementioned clubs.

Manchester United and Spurs are the first two of the self-entitled and protected Septic Six to have been knocked off their privileged pedestals. They won’t be the last.

The same fate awaits Chelsea and Arsenal. I’ve never been as confident in fate.

The recent independent tribunal ruling on the APT rules (that were hastily introduced by the Premier League after Newcastle’s takeover) gives hope to any aspiring club.

The greedy EPL will cave in and realise that money has to be spent by clubs if the Premier League is to prosper as the “Best League in the World” (their words not mine).

Back to the present and the visit of high flying Nottingham Forest. What a season they are having and our former striker Chris Wood is in fine fettle.

I have to blow my own trumpet (if I had one) and say that I always rated Big Chris. He was never given a chance by some, even before he had kicked a ball in black and white stripes.

The hefty £25m release clause fee Wor Eddie paid Burnley for Chris’ services was no doubt a burden and sticking point for an element of our support.

I know Chris will be made to feel welcome on Sunday, even though he plundered a hat-trick on his first return last season.

Whenever I have had banter with Forest fans it’s amazing that they still remind me of the infamous FA Cup tie at Gallowgate in 1974.

I was just a lad back then, more innocent times and not a care in the World. The days of Supermac and The Sweet, flares and Chopper bicycles.

Now over 50 years on I still haven’t seen my team win anything. Thankfully that is all about to change.

You could say that all my woes started in 1974 when a Keegan inspired Liverpool thrashed us at Wembley.

At that time, Newcastle United had actually been a more successful side than Liverpool, proudly boasting six FA Cups, four League Championships and a European trophy.

I’ve always said that when we win something it will be by beating the best, that there will be no easy route for us.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our first trophy in well over half a century, comes by beating the team that helped begin all the hurt when I was a boy.

After the 16th March I hope that I’m happily thinking about a verse that has become stuck in my head recently.

It was sang by the great Feargal Sharkey and with a slight change, it goes like this.