I didn’t realise it was 40 years since my team and I turned up at Wembley for the League Cup final until I was reminded – thank you for that!

But as soon as I was memories of that day came flooding back.

I always say it was a game of two halves. We won the first half and Mr Brian Clough, bless him, with his Nottingham Forest team, won the second.

Ironically, the two goals we scored in that game were from two defenders - David Peach and Nick Holmes – who were the only two who played in the FA Cup final as well.

The goalkeeper for Forest on the day was Peter Shilton, who eventually joined me at The Dell, and it was a great day out.

I remember many supporters telling me that they hadn’t been able to get tickets for the 1976 game but made it in 79. The reason is that both clubs got more tickets for the League Cup final.

It was different in those days. The first round was only for lower division teams and played over two legs and a top-level team could get to Wembley after only a handful of games.

I think we had a good start in that year’s competition by scoring five goals away from home at Birmingham. In one of the other matches, we had Reading, which was more the local derby, and they gave us a hard time meaning we had to go to a replay, which we won 1-0.

The semi-final was, as always, the time when thoughts turned to Wembley and Leeds away is never a good fixture, but especially in those days when they were a strong club, so I was delighted to come away with a draw.

The second leg at The Dell was actually even harder and we got through with a goal by Terry Curran who I don’t think had ever scored for me before.

Terry was a bit of a character, very popular in the dressing room and the terraces, and his goalscoring celebration was one to behold.

The fact is, as I liked to remind him, the ball actually came off his shin to go in, but it was a perfect pass from the master and captain Alan Ball which gave him the opportunity.

Mentioning Alan Ball, as I said in the past, when I signed him his England career was behind him – just as well as I wouldn’t have been able to afford him otherwise.

Whilst his legs had gone, as we say in the game, his mind was as sharp as ever and his love for football was amazing.

Seeing him coming out at Wembley was one of the best things because he never thought he would play there again.

Another member of the team, one of the first foreign players, and the only one on the day, was Ivan Golac. He always used to talk about Wembley, how it was an ambition to play there and he was an amazing footballer, an attacking full back that the crowd loved.

I remember his broad smile form the minute we turned up at Wembley.

The game itself was very entertaining with five goals. Unfortunately, they got one more than us. The crowd was nearly 100,000.

At the end of the game I stood alongside Brian Clough, one of the best managers ever in our game, and we watched the teams going up for their medals as I had done alongside Tommy Docherty three years before. It wasn’t until a few years later that I persuaded the FA that managers should be invited up too.

This time Brian said ‘right, up we go.’ I couldn’t believe it, but I followed him up the 39 steps.

The dignitaries along the front row were all turned sideways watching the teams run off around the pitch.

Brian tapped the odd arm or two as we walked along saying ‘hello young man’ etc, until we got to the centre where I think an Italian gentleman from UEFA or FIFA who had been presenting the medals looked at us wondering who we were and what we were doing there.

Brian said ‘well done young man, you’ve done well today.’ The Italian chap looked totally puzzled but two or three seats along from him was Alan Hardaker, who was not a man to be crossed.

He was the chief executive of the Football League and he glowered at us but reached under the seats and produced two boxes which he handed to the foreign gentleman who then presented them to us.

Brian thanked him and said ‘keep your good work up.’ I cannot quote what Mr Hardaker said as we passed him.

We carried on with Cloughie walking down the stairs onto the pitch and we opened the boxes to see they were empty.

Brian looked up and he and Mr Hardaker exchanged certain signs with each other.

It was by and large a fantastic day out for everyone concerned. It was just a pity we couldn’t double up the cabinet with another cup, but to get to the final is always a great achievement.