Godfather Of Champions

Nottingham Forest was undergoing a transformation not seen in a decade. The next person to leave was reportedly Ibišević. It was a request brought forth by Flores. After all, the Forest team now had the more mature Mitchell. As Ibišević became older, his form would inevitably decline. They could still make money if they took advantage of the present to sell him.

But none of these matters had anything to do with Twain.

In the past, Twain felt that being the manager of the national team must be easier than being the manager of a football club, because the national team played very few games every year. But it was only when he took the position that he realized the error in his thinking.

Having just taken over the England team, he was still not familiar with the players on the national team’s waiting list. So, he had to spend a lot of time doing his homework every day, which was to watch the players’ game videos, getting to know each of their strengths and weaknesses and establishing their positions in his mind.

Even though he had competed with the teams that these players played for when he used to coach the Forest team, doing the research for his players in his team was not the same as studying the opponents. He also needed to get reacquainted with these players. This type of understanding was very detailed. It even included what everyone liked to eat.

Twain’s eyes were a little strained from spending ten hours a day looking at the computer screen. When he was tired, he would give Shania a call and Shania would talk to him no matter how late the time was.

Their time apart was slightly longer, so there seemed to be a lot to talk about between them. In fact, they chatted about the trivia stuff in life such as what he ate this morning and she ate this morning etc. The two people would chatter on for a long time, during the period they would also laugh heartily for a while.

Chatting with Shania was also a way for Twain to relieve his stress, so he never talked about work. He would even try not to talk about football.

※※※

The days passed like this and the new season of the English Premier League had finally begun.

As the defending champion, Nottingham Forest’s home game with the newly promoted team, Charlton was set as the opening match which was to be broadcasted live around the world.

The day before the game, Nottingham Forest’s official website published a slogan for the new season:

New stadium, new season, new glory!

It was also Evan Doughty’s heartfelt wish. After Tony Twain’s departure, the best way to make people forget about the meritorious manager was to re-create a new period of glory. It was as if the best solution after a breakup was not to drown one’s sorrows in drink, but to quickly start a new relationship.

Evan hoped that Flores could get the team back into the phase of passion again. Flores was capable of it. He had once led Valencia to be the domestic powerhouse of Spain, and Evan had high hopes for him.

Ibišević had already left the team and Aaron Mitchell had completely secured the position as the team’s top striker. However, he was not happy playing for the Forest team, because his most trusted manager had left, and a lot of things had happened in the team. If it were not for the fact that he was the most hardcore Forest fan from an early age, it was possible that he would also follow the example of those players who left and quit the Forest team.

Twain would once again head to the stadium to watch the game for this opening match. For him to choose to watch Nottingham Forest play twice in a row, some media thought it was the signal that Twain would form the new national team with the Forest players as the core. Some people also thought it was just that Twain could not let go the team he had once coached for eleven years deep down.

Perhaps only Twain himself knew what he was thinking. Having actually watched Nottingham Forest play twice in a row within a week’s time, it was bound to cause displeasure in other clubs which felt that he had ignored the other nineteen clubs in the English Premier League. But Twain had always been a man who marched to his own beat and the English Football Association did not influence the rules against watching the games of the same team continuously.

“I don’t deny that I intend to build a team with the Nottingham Forest players as its core, Des.” On the way to the stadium, Twain said to the assistant manager next to him. He needed to make the assistant managers understand his own thinking so that they could work well together.

Walker did not say anything. He knew his partner’s temper. The media’s comments basically could not affect this person at all. He just needed to worry about whether the Forest players could withstand the pressure.

By the time the two men arrive at the Crimson Stadium, a lot of people were already seated in the stands. The players from both sides were warming up on the pitch. They did not meet anyone on their way to the VIP box, and they were naturally not recognized by the avid fans.

Walker even made fun of Twain, “You’re not wearing your sunglasses today?”

Twain glanced at him and said, “It’s a cloudy day.”

Walker grinned and smiled silently.

The last time Twain came here, the scene of being booed by more than fifty thousand fans was still vivid in his mind, and it was not a pleasant experience. Coming back here more than half a month later, dramatic changes had happened here.

Pepe was gone, Şahin had left, Ibišević was gone and Martin O’Neill had also left.

The Nottingham Forest team, which was in the midst of its warmup, was becoming unfamiliar to him and would soon have nothing to do with Twain.

Twain and Walker sat down in their seats and waited quietly for the game to begin.

With five minutes to go before kick-off, the club chairman, Evan Doughty, appeared on the podium. The live broadcast also cut the camera footage to him. When the fans saw him appeared on the big screen, the crowd, which had been idle before, began to boo him in unison.

Then a striking sign appeared in the grandstand opposite the podium, with the wording written on it in black paint:

Fuck you, Mr. Doughty!!!

One sentence was enough to convey all of what the Forest fans had wanted to express.

Twain could not help but laugh when he saw the sign in the VIP box. It looked like these fans already knew exactly who the cause of these problems at the moment was. He did not have to be made a scapegoat anymore.

The director in charge of the live broadcast of the game was a smart man. The fifteen cameras throughout the stadium captured every corner of the stadium. With fifteen monitor screens in front of him, the fifth camera captured the shot of Evan Doughty. As a director who already knew what had happened recently at Nottingham Forest, he purposely broadcasted the footage.

He was very pleased with the reaction of the fans in the stadium. The first attention grabber of the game had already been produced.

At this time, the fifteenth camera scanned the area of the VIP box and the eagle-eyed director felt something was up.

He motioned to his men to cut to the footage that had just swept past the area. Then he saw a familiar face on it.

He laughed and said, “Ah ha! I got you, baby…. zoom in for a close-up! Prepare to hold for at least ten seconds!”

The man in the frame was Tony Twain.

※※※

When Tony Twain and Des Walker appeared on the big screen in the stadium, the fans who were booing Evan Doughty in the stands, stopped booing the club chairman and began to stand up to applaud the man on the big screen.

Some people even blew their whistles, but it was not to hiss at him.

On the screen, Twain was seen talking to Walker but did not notice the figure on the big screen had been switched to him. Instead, Walker, who had been listening to him talk, saw it and hurriedly gestured to Twain.

As a result, Twain also looked up at the big screen.

When he looked up, the applause in the stadium kept going. Loud cheers also erupted. Many fans blew their whistles and waved their red scarves at him, while other people opened their mouths and shouted something. But the voices were fragmented and could not be heard clearly amid the ruckus.

Walked smiled and said to a surprised Twain, “It’s a very different treatment than last time, Tony. How do you feel?”

To be honest, Twain was really taken aback by the fans’ conduct. Although he thought that after the truth was revealed, he would not have to suffer the fans’ hissing anymore. He did not expect that he could still receive such a welcome …

After regaining his composure, he was a little moved.

No matter which corner the fans were in the stands, everyone stood up and turned to the VIP box on the left side of the podium. Then they waved their scarves or anything that could be waved in their hands at him.

The shouts of these people grew louder and louder. Eventually a torrent of voices washed over the podium and surged toward the VIP box.

Now the voices could be heard clearly without having to cock his ear to the side to listen carefully. The voices were clearly transmitted to Twain’s ears. Even the thick double-layered soundproof glass did not do the trick at all.

More than fifty thousand fans were chanting a person’s name.

“Tony! Tony! Tony!!”

The voices swept through the stadium, and they barreled on without any constraints.

※※※

“Zoom in closer! Another close-up! I want a close-up of his face!” The director in charge of broadcasting the game directed the camera. It was the best show before the game.

※※※

In the zoomed-in close-up shot of his face, people could clearly see that Twain’s eyes glistened with tears as he stood up and looked at the grandstand.

He was sitting before. When the fans’ voices grew louder, he could no longer sit still, so he stood up.

Standing in the VIP box, close to the huge glass wall, he looked down at the fans below who were starting a violent commotion.

※※※

Skinny Bill in the stands whistled and clapped. He waved his scarf after a few claps, and faced the VIP box. Behind him, many people did the same as him.

These people used to scold and boo Twain in the same place. But now they gave the same person applause and cheers from their hearts.

“Tony!!” Bill roared till he was hoarse as if his vocal cords would break.

John looked at him beside him without clapping as he and his companions were holding a banner and facing the VIP box.

The banner was not unfamiliar to Twain. The banner was here when he led his team here to compete half a month ago. The banner said to him here:

Welcome home, Tony!

The thunderous cheers lasted a whole minute, and there was no sign of abatement. What should have been a ten-second close-up turned into a minute, and then two minutes…

The commentator and pundits, who were doing the pre-match analysis, looked at the live footage of the stadium and exclaimed, “This is indeed a reception fit for a king…”

“Perhaps the English Football Association should consider changing the England national team’s home ground from the new Wembley Stadium to the Crimson Stadium. In this place, Tony Twain’s team will definitely get the warmest and most unconditional support.”

※※※

Both teams had finished their preparation work in the locker room and the players showed up in the tunnel one by one. They lined up and waited for their appearances.

Then they heard a round of loud cheers and applause, which erupted without warning, especially when the sounds came closely after a series of boos. No one could figure out what was going on outside.

“What’s going on?”

“I don’t know…”

While a group of people were still confused about it, Flores walked out, accompanied by Kerslake.

Thunderous cheers came from the stadium and he was almost rocked into stumbling by the noise.

His first reaction was: This is a tribute of cheers and applause for me!

So, he held his head high and puffed out his chest, intending to accept the welcome gift.

He did not expect to look up and see a close-up of Tony Twain on the big screen. His expression turned awkward, and he understood whom the momentum was meant to welcome…

※※※

As the fans cheered louder, the uglier Evan Doughty’s face became on the podium. In his view, the fans’ move was undoubtedly a slap in the face in the name of welcoming Twain.

And what made him even more furious was that he could not retaliate yet…

※※※

“I know!” said Bale as he suddenly snapped his fingers.

The Forest players looked at him.

Bale did not announce the answer directly, but acted mysteriously and asked instead, “Who can be so popular here? Who’s the one who can make the fans outside cheer for two minutes? Who is eligible to enjoy such a treatment? Who indeed?!”

When Bale asked the first question, the players had already guessed who he was talking about. Because in the whole of Nottingham, there would not be a second person who could meet all of these characteristics.

So, before Bale finished talking, everyone followed suit and shouted out, “The boss!!”

“Yes!”

The Charlton players next to them got a fright when the Forest players suddenly shouted. They leaned on the other side and curiously observed the opponents with their strange behavior. They definitely could not understand the older Nottingham Forest players’ deep affection for Tony Twain, just like they could not understand the earthshattering cheers outside.

George Wood was the last to come out. As soon as he got here, he heard his teammates shouting, “The boss!!”

“What’s going on?” Wood asked.

Bale pointed excitedly above and said to him, “The boss is back! He’s up there!”

Wood glared at him and said, “What does it have to do with us? Our mission here is to win the game.”

Bale shrugged it off and ignored the surly man.

※※※

Twain stood in the VIP box while the fans were still shouting his name, waving scarves toward him, clapping, whistling and expressing their love for Twain unreservedly.

His emotions finally stabilized.

Although it was a freak combination of factors that he would appear here in the beginning, he’d never thought he would have anything to do with such a professional football club in England. But now Nottingham Forest had taken a very important place in his life.

He thought he would never fall in love with a second team again in his life.

This place held his ideals, but also the cruel reality. There were years full of passion and even more painful memories full of tears. Eleven years of his life were also spent here.

When he left here after bringing back twelve championship trophies for the team, he found that no matter how many championship trophies were won, they could not be compared to the fans’ support from the heart, which gave him a sense of accomplishment.

It was precisely because of these people in front of him that there was a glorious meaning for him to give his best to “grab” back the championship trophy.

※※※

The players came out and the cheers still continued.

Almost all the players who had played for Twain, turned their heads and looked up as they ran out of the tunnel to look for Tony Twain in the VIP box. After learning the truth, the players who were previously bewildered and at a loss, rediscovered their faith. It made them ecstatic to know that their most admired person did not betray them.

As Bale ran out, he turned to salute the VIP box.

Walker knew what this action meant. He lamented at the side, “It’s really tough to be your successor.”

Still standing in front of the glass wall, Twain replied, “Eleven years. If I couldn’t even leave something behind, then I would have failed.”

“You said Doughty had called you again and invited you to return to the team. Why did you refuse?” Walker could not help but ask when he saw Twain looking reluctant to part with the team.

“Although Evan was a jerk, he said something right. It was time to start a new journey again, which is true for me and for Nottingham Forest as well.” Twain turned around and said to Walker.

The fans had already turned their attention to the players who came out. Every Forest player was greeted with a hero’s applause.

The big screen in the stadium also changed to show the list of appearances for the two teams. Twain finally retreated from everyone’s sight.

※※※

In the opening game, Nottingham Forest, who had the home field advantage, was almost beaten by the newly promoted team, Charlton. Had it not been for the two consecutive goals scored in the last five minutes, there was a chance they would have lost the game at 1:0 in their home ground.

The Forest players did not want to perform too badly in front of their boss. However, they were burdened by that thought.

A near-miss victory did not please the fans. Instead, it only made them yearn for Tony Twain in the VIP box even more. In the final ten minutes of the game, the fans took aim at Evan Doughty on the podium again. They stuck their middle fingers at Evan and mouthed the word “F**k” to insult him. Then they shouted Tony Twain’s name to further embarrass Evan.

Even the news media and match commentator did not pay much attention to the outcome of the game… Or it could be said that the results and proceedings of the game had further fueled their interest in reporting on “Tony Twain’s influence on this team.”

To all the media present, they had personally witnessed the shocking scene before the game began and learned from one aspect what Tony Twain meant to Nottingham Forest.

Although he was not a leader of the club with the highest post, he was indeed the king here.

It was because —

Even though he might no longer be here, his legend still laid her