Godfather Of Champions - Chapter 1029: There Is Only One Tony Twain
There was no need to say more than was necessary about every situation before the last game because it was no different from what happened before in those important games in history. The only difference was that most of the fans who came to watch the game today were not wearing any Forest jerseys with the names and numbers of certain players. Instead, they wore commemorative T-shirts in either red or white colors.
The commemorative T-shirts were already on display at Nottingham Forest’s souvenir shop long before Twain held a press conference to announce that he was definitely retiring at the end of the season. They came in either red or white. The front of the t-shirt looked like the Nottingham Forest jersey, while the back had two numbers. The number “12” on top represented the 12 years Twain had coached the Forest team, and the “12” on the bottom represented the 12 championship titles that Twain had led the Forest team to win. Above these two sets of “12” was Tony Twain’s name.
Almost every fan passing by in front of the camera would turn their backs to the camera to show the two sets of “12” and Tony Twain’s name, and then give a thumbs-up.
As a reporter, Pierce Brosnan wore such a t-shirt to the live coverage of the game.
Twain’s team was doing warm-up inside as the fans lined up outside the stadium.
Both teams carried out the warm-up a little early today because the final round of the league tournament had to start at the same time, and the Forest Football Club prepared a small farewell ceremony for Twain to be held before the kickoff. So, they could only arrange for the warm-up time to be earlier.
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The fans who first entered the stadium were busy looking for Twain’s figure below in the stands, but they did not get what they wanted. Twain was stopped by Evan Doughty at the door of the locker room and had not come out yet.
“Tony, you’ve only got 15 minutes in the locker room,” Evan reminded Twain, for fear that once he got caught up with his speech, he would forget the time. “We have to kick off at the allotted time or we’ll be penalized. You know this game is very time-sensitive…”
Twain waved his hands impatiently. How could Evan be so garrulous today? “I know, isn’t it just a fight for the league title? It’s almost like our home team is in a supporting role.”
Evan chuckled. In the eyes of many people, the Forest team would indeed play a supporting role today. Manchester United was equally in a supporting role. The real protagonist was this man in front of him.
When he faintly heard the live broadcast outside reminding that the warm-up time was nearing the end, Evan took his leave of Twain and turned to walk away.
Twain, on the other hand, returned to the locker room to wait for the players to come back so he could say a few final words. Evan was worried that 15 minutes were not enough for him to speak. However, Twain was no longer the old Twain of more than a decade ago who liked to talk volubly and make impassioned speeches. He had nothing to say. 15 minutes were more than enough for him.
※※※
As the two teams warming up outside began to exit from the field, the big screen on the Crimson Stadium removed the emblems of the two teams and the time display and faded to black.
There were not many empty seats in the stands by this time. The fans outside the square also dwindled as the number of spectators increased. Some of the people without tickets had gone to nearby pubs early, waiting to watch the live broadcast on television.
After the last of the Forest players left the pitch and entered the tunnel, the stands were full, and few fans could be seen at the entrances. The big screen, which had been black since the beginning, gave a flash and then a word appeared on the dark background.
“He.”
Then the single white word faded away and blended into the background.
The image flashed again and slowly brightened. Tony Twain’s silhouette appeared on the screen.
Loud cheers suddenly broke out in the stands.
The image faded out again and was followed by one of Tony Twain and Evan Doughty. The two of them shook hands in the middle of the screen and an open document was placed on the table below. It was a photograph of Twain’s first renewal of his contract with the club.
After the image faded out, a sentence appeared on the black background:
“This was the best contract in the club’s history.”
The remark drew cheers and applause at the scene.
As the fans looked up at the two big screens at both ends of the stadium, the staff members were carrying clean-up trophies to the pitch, one glittering trophy after another. The different-shaped trophies were carefully lifted out and placed on the turf in the center circle.
※※※
In the locker room, Twain was telling his players the mission of the game.
“Did I lie to you about what I said yesterday?” Twain asked.
The players sitting around him shook their heads one by one.
Seeing the answer, Twain laughed and said, “Very good. Listen, guys. This game is just a regular league game for us. However, our opponents are under a lot of pressure. It is a game that they can’t afford to lose. Should we give them a break and throw the game? Absolutely not! I’m not going to talk nonsense. You’re all professional players. I just hope you can look up at the words on the wall when you’re making your appearances.”
Having said this, Twain repeated the tactical arrangements that were laid down last night. He wanted to make sure every player on the pitch knew what he was going to do.
“There’s nothing new about our tactics, and our old rivals should have studied them. But whether they have any way of curbing them after studying them thoroughly is another matter…”
Twain spread his hands and shrugged.
※※※
The footage of Twain leading the team to win every championship was being played on the big screen.
From the first EFL Cup to the last UEFA Champions League title, each trophy had a short segment.
“…Even if we have to climb! We’re going to climb up too!” A green field appeared on the screen and the Forest players were sitting around on the ground with Twain crouching in the middle. On closer inspection, many of the players were unfamiliar-looking. Many people almost forgot their names now, and Twain in the frame was very young-looking. This was the picture before the penalty shootout of the 2004 EFL Cup final. At the time, a number of players left the team after the Forest team’s promotion to the Premier League. “Losing at the last step is no different from losing at the first step. We will all be considered losers! We have to win! We must win!” Twain in the picture roared with his fists clenched. His appearance inspired not only the Forest players in the picture but also the live spectators 15 years later.
Cheers and applause rang out for a long time.
However, the scenes that thrilled them even more were still coming.
The screen gave a flash. The flag of the UEFA Champions League fluttered in the wind at the Olympic Stadium of Athens. The next second, Albertini used a banana shot to break AC Milan’s goal. The Forest fans in the stands cheered the goal as if they were there. Some of them even shouted Albertini’s name, “Demi! Demi!”
There was one regret in this game. As Twain did not want it to be special, he always claimed it was just a regular league game. Therefore, he did not send tickets to old friends before the game, as he had done in the final games before. It was not known if those people would come…
In the stands, a man nudged his friend with his elbow and said, “Hey, they’re calling you, Demi.”
※※※
“…Nottingham Forest’s tactics are nothing out of the ordinary. George Wood and Chen Jian must be their midfield hub. You need to put a tight grip on them. Our midfield and backfield should boldly press forward and ferociously intercept in the midfield. We cannot give them too much space and time to take the ball. As long as we can force them to be flustered, our winning rate will increase dramatically.”
In the Manchester United locker room, Mourinho was analyzing the Forest team’s tactics and setting out their own.
Unlike the joyous atmosphere outside, the mood in the away team’s locker room was so heavy that it could almost be cut with a knife. Everyone was listening quietly to the manager for fear of missing a word.
Everyone was like this as the game was very important for Manchester United. They had failed and were defeated in both the Champions League and FA Cup this season. They could only compete for glory in the league tournament. They must not lose in this last game. Otherwise, they would really end up with nothing this season.
They did not know if they should say they were lucky or not.
The opponent of the last round of the league tournament was Nottingham Forest, definitely not a weak team. However, they had almost completed their goal of the season ahead of schedule and one could expect them to be a little lax.
However, it was Tony Twain’s farewell performance… Could his team allow a defeat to spoil the mood?
Mourinho did not know what was on his players’ minds. He just repeated the tactics to be used in today’s game over and over again, while at the same time reducing the pressure on the players to have them stop thinking so much, keep their sense of normality and treat the game as a regular league game.
To be honest, Mourinho himself did not believe it when he said that it was going to be an ordinary league game. There was another reason for it, if not for the issue of which team the league title would belong to.
It was Tony Twain’s last game. Although he was in the locker room, he could guess what was going on outside. In a moment, there would be a ceremony specially prepared for Twain. His players had already received a request from the Forest Club to join in and line up at the exit to welcome Twain as he made his appearance.
What a big procession! To think that Ferguson’s last game before his retirement did not even have such a welcome formation…
His team agreed to the request, but he would not be in line to applaud and welcome Twain as he made his appearance. That he should pay homage to Twain? Over his dead body!
※※※
As both teams completed their pre-match preparations and walked out of the locker rooms early, the big screen above the stands was still playing a documentary about Twain.
This time it was the 2006 Champions League final. In that game, Nottingham Forest, which was one player short in the opening 18 minutes, took a one-goal lead until the 76th minute. Eventually, Barcelona scored two goals in a row and the team lost the championship trophy due to a visibly marked decline in fitness. That game was a heavy blow for Twain and his young Forest team.
This time, the content that appeared on the big screen had never appeared on any public media before.
It was a video of Twain’s terrible rage in the locker room after the game.
“…The imprinted shame of a loser? A sh*tty silver medal?!” If a piece of content was ed on the public media, there would be censorship of any foul language and all one could hear was the constant beeps. However, the version that was played in the Crimson Stadium was unadulterated. There was absolutely no blocking of words or processing. It was the real Twain.
“There’s only one champion. What is the silver medal for? The junk shop? To go out with a smile and act as a prop for the winner? To make their championship title look more resplendent? To suck up to them?! I won’t go! Isn’t Barcelona great? Let them have it!”
Then, as soon as the image changed, Twain held out his arm and put up three fingers in front of many reporters. “This is the third Champions League trophy in the history of Nottingham Forest, thank you!”
In the next second, Twain took the stage with a grim face to collect the silver medal. Then he walked down and went straight to the entrance of the tunnel, where he hung the silver medal on the neck of a young ball boy. Having done all this, he walked into the tunnel and disappeared before the eyes of the public, not caring about how it looked to all the people present.
Seeing him do so, the fans at the Crimson Stadium not only did not feel that their manager was rude and ungracious, but broke out with more cheers. Some people even clapped and stamped their feet to cheer on Twain’s performance.
They liked such a rampant and untamed Tony Twain. Perhaps a different man would act in a more refined manner, but Twain suited the public perfectly. Nottingham was full of people with personalities that despised authority. They were all proud, from Robin Hood to Brian Clough. Tony Twain was no exception. No one would be surprised by Twain’s conduct. Such a manager was the best in their opinion.
How could he have won 12 championship trophies in his 12 years of coaching career without this imposing manner of despising every authority in the world?
Did anyone think he was arrogant? He must be a loser!
※※※
Amid the cheers, the players from both sides came out. Instead of going to the field directly, they lined up on both sides of the tunnel, waiting for the main protagonist to appear.
The big screen in the stands faded to black again, and a sentence appeared slowly on it:
“Let’s welcome…”
The fans who saw the remark shouted in unison, “His Majesty the King!!!”
Amidst the roars of “His Majesty the King”, Twain came out of the tunnel.
He saw the players from both teams line up waiting for him, as well as the club chairman, Evan Doughty, who was standing behind the championship trophies in the center circle. Of course, he also saw the signs and posters hanging in the Robin Hood Grandstand.
He raised his hands and waved to everyone. He walked among the applause of the players on both sides and went all the way to the trophies in the center circle before stopping.
The black screen and words on the big screen were gone, replaced by an image of Tony Twain’s “coronation” upon his return to the City Ground Stadium after successfully defending the Champions League title. In the picture, he was dressed in a red-and-white royal cloak, holding his crown high and facing the glittering stadium grandstand, dotted with twinkling lights that came from the cameras’ flashes.
Evan Doughty handed the wireless microphone to Twain, pulled him to stand behind the trophies, and then retreated.
The reporters flocked to the front of the trophies and formed three rows. The first row of people sprawled on the ground and held the cameras in their arms. The second row of people knelt on one knee, holding the cameras. The third row of people stood behind the first two rows and was busy with the tripods.
By the time they finished what they were doing, there was a series of sounds of shutters being pressed.
For the reporters, especially those who were lying down, with the 12 trophies of varying sizes placed in front of Twain, it was a real imposing sense.
After he waited until the reporters finished taking photographs, Twain held up the microphone. When they saw his action, everyone in the stadium gradually quieted down without any reminder. The thunderous cheers, which came wave after wave earlier, gradually faded, and eventually completely disappeared. Everyone was waiting to hear what Twain had to say.
Twain initially thought that he had seen countless big spectacles and would be unaffected by today’s scene. However, when he was just getting ready to speak, he found that he was a little choked with emotion.
He quickly shut his mouth. He did not want the 60,000 spectators to hear his voice shaking. That would be mortifying.
Still, he did not escape. The high-tech televised broadcast immediately cut a close-up to Twain’s face. His teary eyes were exposed to everyone.
Seeing him look like this, shouts erupted in the stands: “Stay, Your Majesty!”
Listening to the shouts, Twain just waved his hands and motioned for them to calm down. As the scene became quiet again, he subdued his emotions and said into the microphone, “Thank you…”
Having uttered these two words, he could not control the emotions in his voice.
Twain only realized at this time how much he hated to have to leave everything behind. He could not even say ‘goodbye’.
As he struggled to speak, no one made any other sound. They were waiting quietly.
Twain bowed his head and was silent for a moment. He finally got his emotions under control again.
He cleared his throat and said, “Thank you all, thank you.”
In response, countless arms waved at him in the stands.
The live broadcast began to play the song that was originally used to send off Albertini. It was Sarah Brightman and Andre Bocelli’s “Time to Say Goodbye.”
When the song played, a man in the stands also wiped the corners of his eyes. He remembered the past from many years ago.
“It’s time to say goodbye, Tony…” He sighed.
“I am proud and honored that I have coached this team for 12 years. I am proud and honored that I have only coached a football club team at Nottingham Forest in my life. It was not I who shaped Nottingham Forest. It was you who shaped me,” Twain reached his hands out to the fans in the stands and the players who were standing on the sidelines.
Applause rang out.
“Today is my last game and I hope you enjoy…” With this, he took a pause.
Everyone thought he was going to say, “…the game.”
However, Twain turned his head to the other side and found Mourinho behind the crowd. His old rival was expressionless.
“…I hope you enjoy Nottingham Forest’s victory to the fullest.”
Twain looked at Mourinho and laughed.
As soon as that came out, the expression on Mourinho’s face did change, and he no longer looked as calm as he did just now.
Having messed with an old rival, Twain was in a good mood. The melancholy of parting no longer oppressed him.
Twain raised his hands again and waved them around.
“90 minutes later, let’s say farewell again! Goodbye, guys!”
Having said this, Twain put down his microphone and continued to stand in the center circle to wave. Another round of cheers erupted in the stands. The Forest players stood at the side and watched as their boss reveled in the cheers alone. They were also applauding. Gareth Bale even whistled. They were now full of motivation and fighting spirit. They were eager for the game to start right away so they could rush up to tear Manchester United to pieces.
Whom did the league title belong to?
What does it have to do with us? We just want to give a victory to the greatest manager in Nottingham Forest’s history as a send-off!
You are the embodiment of victory, the godfather of champions. In this last game, only a victory is fit for you, boss.
※※※
Twain had already retreated from the field. The staff members moved the 12 championship trophies back to the honors room and the reporters returned to their respective posts. The players from both sides made their appearances again, and the cheers in the stands gradually stopped.
A line of words appeared on the two big screens:
There is only one Tony Twain!
