As the final round of the league approaches, the number of fans who come to the City Stadium every day is gradually increasing. Donn sometimes drives home from Wilford by the City Stadium. Outside the gate, flowers were piled up, and assorted fan scarves hung from the iron railings. Flowers and scarves swayed slightly in the wind.

He knew that these people had come to say goodbye to the City Stadium.

The clear River Trent reflects the red of City Stadium, and across the river is Mad's Lane, the home stadium of Nods County. Don and Don were working in two places so close to each other.

But the two of them hadn't seen each other since they parted that year.

With two days to go until the final round of the league today, Donn drove to the City Stadium after a day of work, and it was almost dusk. More fans came to the City Stadium to see them off than in previous days, and they knew time was running out. When the Forest team finishes their final game at the City Stadium, the City Stadium will be demolished this summer and will be freed up for a new sports and leisure plaza for all.

Don parked his car by the river, turned on the car stereo, and listened to Delores' soft voice as he watched the last days of the city stadium quietly in the sunset.

If he hadn't crossed over, and his life had never had such a period of time, then his feeling about this stadium would only be cold and cold, and it would not be as warm as the light of day, and the feeling of the afterglow.

He has been fighting in this stadium for eleven years, and he has complained that this stadium is too small to bring more live crowds to the team and not to create more pressure on the opponent. Evan. Dogetty felt that the small stadium did not match the results, status and prestige of Nottingham Forest today, and he nodded in agreement.

But to see it farewell, it's still a little reluctant.

He didn't buy a bouquet of flowers, tie a card, and put it under the gate, like those fans. He leaned his fingers against the front of the car, his hands around his chest, and quietly watched the city stadium in shape.

Eleven years later, Donn still remembers the initial shock of the stadium – he didn't dislike the city stadium at the time.

When his team scored two goals in a row and beat West Ham into a panic, he felt like he was born to belong here, and he loved the frenetic atmosphere in the stadium and enjoyed the cheers and singing from the stands. He didn't think the noise was noise, and to his ears it sounded better than any of the best music in the world.

In eleven years, he went from thirty-four to forty-five. It is a period of his life that cannot be erased and cannot be forgotten, and he will never forget this moment. But for City Stadium, eleven years is only a tenth of its life. It stands quietly on the banks of the Trent River, and has witnessed countless glories, and it has long been honored and disgraced.

The heroes who have left their names in history have only become famous in its bosom, and it is older than all the champions displayed in the Hall of Honor. No matter how arrogant Don is and no one is in his sights, he can't hold up his unbeatable head in front of this stadium.

One hundred and fifteen years passed in a blink of an eye, and it became history. The red city course is surrounded by a ring of gold, and it is still conspicuous even against the golden western sky. Countless people put down bouquets in front of it and sent their parting thoughts.

Don leaned on the front of the car alone, and someone recognized him.

"Tony?" The man who came up squinted his eyes for a moment, because of the backlight, he couldn't see it really.

"Kenny, long time no see." The man standing in front of Donn is none other than Kenny, the owner of the Forest Bar. Burns.

"It's been a long time since you moved."

"Why are you willing to leave the tavern and come here?"

"Come and say goodbye to old friends, what's business?" Burns pointed to the city stadium ahead.

Don then noticed that he was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hand like everyone else.

"Do you have a ticket for the final round of the league?" He wanted to say that if Burns didn't have a ticket, he would give him one.

"I'm a season ticket holder, Tony."

Tang En laughed: "I haven't seen you come to watch the game." ”

"I'll come in the last round. And it's not just me, it's a lot of old guys. ”

"The Bruce reporter told me that he was working on a plan to send off the city stadium, and he tried his best to find a lot of Forest players from different periods, and it seems that he also found you?"

Burns nodded: "If he doesn't look for me, I'll come too." It's a pity that the leader can't come. ”

When he said "head", he didn't mean Tony. Donn, but the head of their generation of players - Brian. Croft.

"Mrs. Clough promised to come." Donn said.

In fact, both of them knew that Mrs. Clough could not replace the leader, and there was absolutely no disrespect to Mrs. Clough when they thought so.

As soon as Clough was concerned, the topic was automatically cut off, and silence fell between the two men.

In the glow of the setting sun, Delores hummed softly:

"I had a dream that seems a little weird now...... When I opened my eyes, I realized that it was a perfect day...... May you always be young, may you always be young, may you always be young, may you always be young......" (song from "never_gro_old" by Cranberries (the_cranberries))

"Tony ......"

"Huh?"

"I want to tell you something, I hope you don't mind."

"You say."

"I have to thank you, no matter what you've achieved, you didn't say you could make people forget Brian. That's what Clough said. ”

Don En Ha laughed, "I'm not a fool. I also respect the boss. ”

"Maybe that's the stubbornness of our people. No matter how good your grades are, there is no substitute for your leader. Burns said, looking in the direction of City Field.

Don smiled, "If you dare to say that someone is better than him, there will definitely be a lightning bolt in the sky that will slash your head." Neither you nor I want to be struck by lightning. ”

Burns was amused by Donn's words, and the slightly sad atmosphere dissipated.

There is an allusion to this sentence. At the beginning, Nigel. Clough, aka Brian. Clough's son's side met Manchester United in the FA Cup, and reporters ran to interview him and asked him if he agreed that Alex Ferguson was the best manager in English football today. Nigel. Clough said, "It's too hard for me, because of my family, if I'm Alex." Sir Alex Ferguson, a bolt of lightning may strike me in the head at once. ”

It's Brian in the heart of Nottingham. There is a similar quote on the base of the bronze statue of Clough, which Clough himself said: "I can't say I'm the best manager in the business, but I'm definitely one of the best." ”

"You're a bit like him......" Burns looked at Don and shook his head. He should be proud to see what you have achieved so far. ”

"Nope." Donn shook his head in denial, "He'll write an article in the newspaper to bloody the dog I scolded." It's just because I'm complaining about the unfairness of the referee. ”

Burns smiled even more, and he looked back at the court with a smile that seemed to be thinking of the years he spent playing with Coach Clough and his teammates in his youth. It's still this stadium, and even the cheers are exactly the same. The stadium is still there, but the people are gone. Now the stadium is about to be demolished, and all the dependencies of memory are gone, and I can only rely on my brain to remember. But one day, when I get old and my mind is confused, what can I do to prove that those memories really happened?

Don's phone in the car rang, and he reached for it. It was his wife, Shania, who called and asked when he would be able to come home.

"Ah, I met Mr. Burns on this side of the pitch...... Donn explained to his wife over the phone.

Burns came back to his senses and smiled at him, "Go back, Tony, your wife is waiting for you." ”

Don shrugged at him, "I want to talk to you a little longer." ”

"We'll be here to see the weekend's game, Tony."

"Are you putting pressure on me?" Donne, who opened the car door, turned his head to look at Burns.

"Are you still afraid of stress?"

Don smiled: "We're going to win." But whether they can win the league title depends on the result of the match between Arsenal and Manchester City. ”

"It's been an exciting season. Good luck. ”

Sitting in the car, Donn poked his head out and waved to Burns: "Good luck to Nottingham Forest." ”

In the afterglow of the day, Donn drove away from the City Stadium. Burns, on the other hand, turned in the opposite direction, slowly walking towards the gates of the City Stadium where the fans had gathered, with flowers in hand.

※※※

The Nottingham Forest players, who had just finished training the next day, had not yet left the training ground when they saw their old acquaintance Pierce. Bruce took a photojournalist with him at Allen. Adams was escorted into the field.

See Allen next to Bruce. Adams, Don frowned, but he didn't say anything, and when the three of them walked up to him, a warm smile appeared on his face: "This is really rare, I don't know what you are doing at our training ground, Mr. Reporter?" ”

Bruce was just about to speak, but he was attacked by Alan. Adams interrupted, "That's right, Tony. Pierce. Mr. Bruce is going to do a special project to say goodbye to City Stadium, and he needs to interview the team and ask the team to talk about their feelings for City Stadium......"

Bruce smiled and nodded beside him.

"That's right...... Then please. But a word of caution, don't delay too long, they just finished training and haven't had time to change their clothes, if they catch a cold......" Don turned his face, "We don't look good, do we?" ”

With that, Don turned around and walked away.

Bruce is a little embarrassed because his first interview subject is Tony. Dawn......

Alan could certainly see the emotions expressed by Donn, and he knew why. Since he forcibly intervened in the sale of Lennon, the team's head coach has not spoken a word to him. But he was reluctant to expose Donne's contradictions with himself in front of the media, so he explained to Bruce: "The big game is coming, and he doesn't like to be disturbed......"

"Hehe, we understand. Mr. Adams. Bruce laughed. Of course, his understanding is not that "the big game is coming, Don doesn't want to be bothered", his understanding is that "Tony is such a moody person, it is normal for him to be fanatical about you and cold to you".

The interview went reasonably well because of Alan. Adams has been following the two reporters at all times, and the players know that this is the club's second-in-command, and his relationship with the chairman is extraordinary. Tang En has been clasping his arms around his chest and watching coldly.

After interviewing the players, Bruce still planned to interview Donn, and when he walked towards Donn, Allen. Adams hesitated in the back, deliberately pulling away.

"Tony, let's talk about this last game at City Stadium."

Donn looked at the two reporters and said with a straight face: "We will say goodbye to the City Stadium with a victory." "He didn't give an impassioned speech about the league title.

If you were to change the reporter, you would definitely ask: "Why didn't you say 'say goodbye to the city stadium with the championship'?" ”

Bruce didn't ask because he knew Don and the complexity of this final game. Even if Forest can beat Sunderland on their home turf, it will depend on the result of the match between Arsenal and Manchester City.

Ahead of the final league game, Nottingham Forest's squad surprisingly did not show the slightest bit of optimism. Even the always arrogant head coach Tony. Don doesn't even say anything about the league title.

Cal. Spike announces on his show that he has become Tony. Don ordered a trendy table at IKEA and hoped that Don would like it. Don didn't even make any response, which disappointed many media who were waiting to see the excitement.

Because there is so much to hype up in this last round of the league.

The title suspense between Nottingham Forest and Arsenal will Manchester City's two former Nottingham Forest players let Arsenal go because of their personal vendetta against Donne......

Bengtner clarified the rumors in an interview a day earlier: "I'm a professional footballer, and I don't care about who wins the championship, but about my own victory. ”

Ashley. Young has already confirmed that he will leave Manchester City next season to join Liverpool, and he has also said he wants to bid farewell to Manchester City with a victory.

They didn't say anything about Donn.

※※※

With one day left before the final league game, Fat John and Skinny Bill were working with their buddies in the Forest Bar to make the banners and flags that would be played out when the time came. Something like this happens in any bar where Forest fans gather.

The Nottingham Forest players have their last training session at Wilford, Toney. Donn took the time to study Sunderland with his coaching staff. Although they have studied their opponents in a bad way in the past week, they can't find anything else to do, perhaps a deeper look at Sunderland can help Manchester City beat Arsenal?

As the day entered dusk, fewer and fewer fans gathered at the entrance of the city stadium, leaving only flowers and scarves swaying in the night breeze.

Thompson. Isakson was in front of the flowers, a turf maintenance worker at the training ground and the pitch, and if anyone were to ask if the most memorable thing in his life was helping Tony. Donn made a 'home like no other' and thus helped Forest knock out Barcelona, and he will surely shake his head. For him, stepping on the turf of the city stadium and starting work to maintain it is the most memorable thing.

It was a privilege for him to decide to step down at the end of the season and retire with City Stadium.

Today, he's here to say goodbye to the City Stadium. The next day, he hopes to join 30,000 of his friends to see Nottingham Forest say goodbye to a league trophy and the City Stadium that has served them for 115 years.

Looking at the city stadium in the dark of night, Isaksen seemed to see his youth. He stood quietly in the evening breeze, with a slight smile on his ravine-lined face.

“…… It's our city stadium and he's as big as our grandpa. When we became grandfathers, he was still there, on the banks of the River Trent...... If one day I am laid to rest, he will still be there, on the banks of the Trent. …… We'll all be like that one day, but he's not going to grow old and not die because he's our city stadium......"

This song from a long time ago is now sung by few people, it was when Isaksen was still young, the fans sang the song of the city stadium, the melody was very simple, the lyrics were very simple, at that time there was no such developed audio cultural environment now, there was no professional company to record the songs sung by the fans, and then package them to the market.

The night is getting darker, and the lights are on.

Isaacsen hummed the song softly and turned away.

(To be continued)