Having advanced to the top eight of the Champions League, Nottingham Forest coached by Tony Twain, also made a historic breakthrough—they passed the quarterfinals to reach the semifinals. It was the best result they had in the FA Cup since Twain was in charge.
But by the time the FA Cup reached the sixth round, Twain had abandoned the strategy of grouping half of the First Team and half of the youth team to play. Instead he deployed a full First Team lineup. The change was never seen in previous seasons, so much so that their sixth-round opponent, Manchester City, was surprised and eventually lost the game. The change also boded well for Twain’s emphasis on the FA Cup this season—Nottingham Forest had always been eliminated early in the tournament and become spectators. This time they wanted to be the ones with the last laugh at the FA Cup.
However, in this way, with the team competing in three tournaments, the players were bound to be affected in terms of their physical fitness and state. The Forest team’s ranking in the league tournament had always hovered between the third and fifth places, which appeared to be a little far from the top of the league.
By mid-March, there had been media analysis that Nottingham Forest’s goal this season was not to defend the title but to win at least one title in the Champions League and FA Cup.
“I think the Champions League can be counted as the tournament Tony Twain is traditionally strong in… At his most brilliant, he led the Forest team to two consecutive championships titles, and he also became famous for reaching the finals and almost defeating Barcelona in his first time leading the team in the Champions League. Almost six years have passed since he first won the tournament. If he still prides himself as a successful manager, he must not be willing to extend the six-year gap…”
An expert in a television program analyzed seriously. It seemed that everything he said was clear and logical and people could not help but nod in agreement.
“So, for the sake of the Champions League, Manager Twain will give up the league tournament… he only needs to secure a top-four finish in the league tournament to qualify in the next season’s Champions League.”
Could Twain really give up the league tournament?
On March 16th, Nottingham Forest drew 0:0 with Manchester United at home and the reporters mentioned this question after the game.
Twain laughed at the question when he heard it during the press conference. He did not answered the other person’s question head-on. Instead, he smiled and asked, “Do you want to bet with me? Bet that Nottingham Forest can win the league tournament.”
The reporter shook his head and said, “I’m not interested in betting on this kind of thing, Mr. Twain. Your team is six points behind the league’s first placed team, Arsenal…”
Before he could finish, another man raised his hand and stood up to state, “I’m willing to bet!”
Everyone present looked at the man. After clearly seeing who he was, hearty laughs rang out.
“I’d like to make this bet with you, Mr. Twain.”
“So, it is Mr. Carl Spicer. What’s going on? You didn’t lose enough the last time you lost your hair?” Twain could see Spicer’s big bald head at a glance.
Spicer did not mind. He rubbed his shaved head and shrugged, “I failed the last time. Now that I think of it, twenty goals were actually too few for a season… But this time it’s different. You’re six points behind Arsenal and there are three teams between you and Arsenal. Furthermore, you’re going to compete in three tournaments. If you can still win the league title, I…”
“Are you going to eat a table?” Twain suddenly interjected. The remark made everyone laugh.
Spicer did not expect Twain to say that. He stared blankly for a moment and then laughed with the people next to him. He said, “You always come up with these weird and wonderful ideas, Mr. Twain. But I think it’s interesting. If I lose, I’ll eat a table. Are you going to eat a table if you lose?”
Twain spread his hands and said, “Of course, if I lose, I’ll eat a table. I’ll guarantee it on live television, there’s no going back on my word.”
Next to him, the Manchester United manager, Martin O’Neill was taken aback. He thought Twain was just joking with the other side. He even wanted to remind Twain to ask him to mind his words.
There was also a commotion among the reporters—eat a table? Was this something that a human being could do? Some reporters want to help smooth things over. Such as Pierce Brosnan wanted to divert everyone’s attention by asking questions. But Twain smiled and met gazes with Carl Spicer. He turned a blind eye to Brosnan’s raised hand.
“Very well, I accept the bet.” Carl Spicer seemed to think he would never get a chance to eat the table, so he nodded and agreed.
Twain snapped his fingers and said, “That’s great. You just get ready to eat the table, Mr. Spicer.”
Spicer also talked tough, “I think you should consider looking for an excuse to put off the bet of eating a table when the time comes.”
“You need not let that bother you, Mr. Spicer.” Twain made a please-sit-down gesture.
The reporters were in a disarray. Now they did not care about the boring 0:0 game. They just went through the routine of asking O’Neill questions. Everyone wanted to end the less important press conference early and rush to release the news of “A bet never seen before since the establishment of the English Premier League.”
There was no shortage of bets in the Premier League. But betting to eat a table was something that had never been done before… How did one eat a table? Whether it was made of stainless steel, aluminum alloy, wood, stone or glass… There was simply no way to eat it.
Therefore, people preferred to believe that the bet would eventually develop into the losing party trying all ways to deny the bet, or simply shut up and not mention it at all. As for the winning party, he would do everything possible to humiliate the loser. You must eat the table! If you don’t eat it, I’ll send you a table and help you contact the media…
The two of them opposed each other measure for measure and would end up in this way. Anyway, everyone had news to write about and money to earn, the readers had interesting news to read, what could anyone have anything against it if everyone was delighted and satisfied?
As to what would happen to Tony Twain and Carl Spicer, they were all smart people. There must be a way to get past it. No one needed to worry about it …
In fact, without these media to help promote, Carl Spicer had already hyped the story on his own show that night. The cameraman he brought with him filmed the whole process and even filmed the reactions of others in the room as they heard the matter. The edited clips were interspersed throughout like a montage most commonly used in movies. It was as if the audience were not watching the news but a movie with one climax after another.
On the show, Spicer proudly analyzed why he dared to accept such a bet, “….. Tony Twain’s team is now six points behind the top-ranked Arsenal. The point difference may not seem much but in the last eight rounds of the league tournament, the strong teams the Forest team will need to face are Chelsea and Arsenal. In addition, two of their eight opponents are on the edge of relegation. You know what that means? Chelsea need to fight hard to qualify for the Champions League as it is now fifth in the league table. They won’t let Nottingham Forest go easily at home. While Arsenal is at the top of the table, there is no reason why Wenger will give Twain a chance to ‘win six points in a game.’ We often say that in the final stages of the league tournament, the most dangerous opponents are not the title contenders, but those teams fighting to avoid relegation. The fight for the title is only for honor, while fighting to avoid relegation is about survival. Those teams which fight for survival are always the ones to break out with unexpected energy at the most critical moments…Does Mr. Tony Twain think his team can easily beat the number 17th ranked Portsmouth and 18th-placed Sunderland? In comparison, Arsenal’s last eight opponents are much weaker. Poor Nottingham Forest needs to compete in three tournaments in the final sprint… In fact, what I want to see the most is for Nottingham Forest to reach the final in the FA Cup and the Champions League, but to lose all of them. And for them to finish fifth in the league tournament because of a physical breakdown—to play in the UEFA Europa League next season. That will lend Mr. Tony Twain a hand. He still hasn’t won a title in the FA Cup and the UEFA Europa League, has he? This will be a good opportunity, which will not always happen to Mr. Twain’s team…”
“Then I’ll order Mr. Twain a table of the best quality in the latest style at IKEA. I hope he’ll like it.”
Twain did not get involved in the war of words. He only wrote about playing against Manchester United and wishing Martin O’Neill all the best at Old Trafford in his column. Manchester United’s current poor form and inability to rank first was not the manager’s responsibility. Any team with an excellent tradition that had gone through a change of managers, would undergo a long or short painful period. Manchester United was currently going through this period.
Twain sent his well wishes to Manchester United, and the former Manchester United manager also sent him his blessings. Ferguson, who was retired at home, spoke about Twain and his bet with Spicer in an interview. He expressed support for Twain.
“… I don’t have anything to say except to remind everyone of Carl Spicer’s hair and Mark Lawrenson’s beard…”
The implication was that Tony Twain would win every bet.
“The bet to eat the table” had even been disseminated through the developed media network to spread abroad. An Italian television program also talked about the bet to eat a table between Twain and Spicer. One of the guests also talked about Twain’s bet with the Italian media at the time.
“He bet he would jump in the Aegean Sea if he lost the Champions League final. I’d say it was a blessing that no one on our side came forward and bet that he would jump in the Aegean if the Forest team won.”
The host laughed, “It was a shame that we lost a very creative and compelling live broadcast.”
In China’s online forums, someone also expressed his own views on this, which won a lot of people’s approval and was popular. He said, “I think when Tony Twain says, ‘Do you dare to bet with me’, it should be forbidden. It’s like when someone in those hot-blooded animation movies suddenly says, ‘After I finish fighting in the battle, I’m going back home to get married.’ Those words should not be uttered. Spicer is going to be in trouble! This post is evidence of it.”
Below a group of Forest fans posted their comments, “I f**king salute you, the original poster! I’d never like Spicer, this big SOB! Let’s see how he eats a table in person!”
The Arsenal fans, on the other hand, were a little mixed in their views, “Oh, I don’t like Spicer, but I’d love to see Uncle Tony eat a table… Well, I admit I don’t want my team to lose the championship title because of a table. That would be such a shame ah hahaha!!”
“A congratulatory message from a Manchester United fan, this matter is none of our business…”
“Just a message from a Kopites group passing through, we are all happy no matter who eats the table.”
“A hello from The Blues fan! If I remember correctly, the Forest team and Chelsea still have one more game, right? At that time, heh heh heh…”
“They can eat all they want. If there are not enough tables, there are the chairs. When the chairs are gone, there are the couches, floors… Anyway, I am an AC Milan fan. Internal strife in the Premier League is the best. I’ve already hated to see those Premier League teams dominate the Champions League all these years!”
“AC Milan fans have no business being here. This is the English Premier League forum, nothing to do with Serie A! And I’m all for Twain eating the table! This arrogant SOB irks me!”
“Dear cousin from next door, calm down, mind your manners…”
“Who say I’m a Inter Milan fan? I’m a Barça fan!”
“Yo, so you’re a silly Barça fan. Since it is the Premier League forum, what are you doing here and not in La Liga?”
“A yapping dog shouldn’t come out and disgrace yourself!”
The original poster of the online thread finally showed up, “F**k, this thread has completely gone off rails, Loudly Crying Face…”
…
Well, it was just a small episode, a tiny episode…
Such quarrels happened countless times on the Chinese internet, but they did not affect the far away United Kingdom.
The bet on eating a table was just a matter of conversation for everyone. Even within the Forest team, people talked about it. Kerslake would joke about this matter with Twain, but no one at work was disturbed by this matter. Because they were all influenced by Twain’s self-confidence. During the interview, the players also saw it as a disguised form of motivation from the boss.
“Bet to eat the table? The boss has never lost a bet, so I’m not worried…” Bale shook his head.
“It’s actually a form of motivation . . . The six-point gap is nothing. We have never said we will give up the league title. If we can win the championship title, why give up? Now’s not the time to give up. There are still eight rounds left in the league tournament and I think we have a chance to win the title.” The defensive player, Pepe looked very confident.
“In order for Mr. Spicer to eat the table as he wishes, we will try our best to win the league title.” Eastwood politely said with a smile.
George Wood said, “Even if there’s no bet, we’ll win the championship. Our goal is to win the championship title.” He voiced out the heartfelt wish of the entire team.
The next day, the <Nottingham Evening Post> published the headline: “We win the championship title and Carl eats the table.” In short, it showed the Forest team’s confidence in winning the title.
