I dont disagree with you, but there are lots of ways of recognising that achievement.
Naming a stand is pretty much the "nuclear" option. You can't go back on that, you can't recognise anyone else in the future that way once you've done the third one and all you have left is the TE (and as a life long Trent ender I refuse to contemplate renaming that, as I think most of our past heroes would agree with).
Now you have named all three namable stands after people from the same 4 year period. In fairness, I don't think Robertson is really the odd one out- Taylor probably is, and if Main Stand had been named the Robertson stand with Bridgford left alone I probably wouldn't have thought much of it.
What you are saying to everyone in the ground is that the only period that is ever going to truly matter, is ever going to require that "nuclear" option is 1977-80.
That might be the case! I accept that. But we aren't holding much for the future, are we?
But it did though. It's happy memories only to those who were there.
For the rest of us it's a bit different. Immense pride at the uniqueness of our club, that our club will always be far apart from others and something special compared to others. A kind of awe, I guess, at the team and what they achieved. It's hard to believe to be honest.
Let me give you a personal example of this.
In Ice Hockey, Panthers have also won a European Trophy twice - the Continental Cup.
The team that won it in 2016 is legendary. Fans can reel off names of the players who were part of that team (one is still here) and the manager has a permanent tribute. Panthers were the first English team to win this trophy. I felt very much about this as I do about the Forest European cups. I wasn't there (in Panthers case, it was won in Ritten, Italy, so only about 500 were there) so a huge pride, respect and wonder for the team that did it, but no sentimentality, memories of connection to the players
Then Panthers won it again this year, in Nottingham, with me and my daughter there. I can promise you the feeling, the memories, the sentimentality and connection to the players is like night and day. You have to be there, or at least be around- you just can't replicate the emotions looking at a history book or clips.
This i disagree with in part and I've said this above.
It makes us unique, and we will always be apart from most other clubs. Those two stars are something incredibly special and we will always have a respect that most other clubs cannot muster. Getting into spats with arsehole Palace fans about their booby prize, even other fans will jump in and suggest they sit the fuck down when trying to compare their trophy cabinet to ours.
So there's that.
But in all practical terms, it hasn't made much difference. For 110 years before Clough we were a club that had good spells in the top division and then long spells in the second division. Since he retired, that is exactly what we have been again, with our lowest point actually coming after.
The trophies will always ensure respect and a uniqueness, but in all other respects we have done back to being the same club as before. Trophies give you that special factor but they don't insulate you on the field. What Leicester achieved just 10 years ago is also very special, but they are still playing Bromley and Notts County as equals next season.
But I feel like we have abundantly done that already, and the new main stand gives loads of other opportunities to do that too.
But there have been some very good periods in our history outside of that. It's so rare we visibly or audibly hear anything of the 1959 side unless there is a big anniversary, and then it's really just programme notes, a short film and some clapping, if that.
Billy Walker led us from the third tier to the first and won the FA Cup. Where is his stand? I know Taylor's family were vociferous about him being recognised, but Taylor, for all his importance, was with us for a pretty short time overall. Walker was manager for 21 years and won a trophy and the third tier title. Did we really make the fairest choice there? Where is the clamour for Walker, if a personal experience of the history doesn't matter?
Stuart Pearce I think many fans would say is Mr Nottingham Forest. The epitomy of everything a whole generation loved about Forest, and the epitomy of what many people loved about English Footballers- a true lion who was all leadership and heart.
I just think- if you could go back in time and do it all again, would it be a good idea to pick all three that they have done to name the stands? Or would it have been better to go with Clough, one other from that era and one from another?
To be honest, Robertson I think has a better case than Taylor, but for me once you've agreed to Taylor you shouldn't be doing another from that era when there are other worthy candidates, or you can save one for the future, or stick to local names and commemorate another way
Personal opinion
