Post by Macmoish on May 10, 2011 22:28:36 GMT
Guardian
Nottingham Forest v Swansea City, Championship play-off semi-finals first leg, 7.45pm Thursday 12 May
Nottingham Forest and Billy Davies seem at odds on play-off eve
• Club issue statement before Billy Davies press conference
• Nottingham Forest face Swansea City in play-off semi-final
Share Stuart James guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 10 May 2011 23.00 BST
Billy Davies's increasingly turbulent reign as Nottingham Forest manager has taken a bizarre twist, after reporters wishing to attend his pre-match press conference ahead of Thursday's play-off semi-final first leg against Swansea City were asked to contact his lawyer beforehand and told that certain subjects would not be discussed.
Davies later claimed that he involved his lawyer so as "not to waste your [the media's] time" and to ensure that "we can just talk about the play-offs". His actions, however, are highly unusual, and Forest have distanced themselves from the statement that was issued before his press briefing. "Billy Davies will make no comment regarding other football clubs, nor talk about transfer windows and money spent at the club this season," the statement said.
Those that have followed events at the City Ground closely will know that Davies has often spoken about those topics over the course of the season, expressing his frustration with the club's recruitment strategy at various points. His remarks have gone down badly with the board at times, in particular after Forest lost 2-1 at Norwich City last month, when he was deemed to have overstepped the mark.
It is almost inevitable that there will be speculation about Davies's future at the end of the season, whether Forest remain in the Championship or are promoted to the Premier League, although the former Derby County and Preston North End manager said he is intent on seeing out the final 12 months of his contract at the City Ground.
"I've got one year left with Nottingham Forest and I will continue with the progression of this club through the summer and right to the very last day of my contract," he said. "It's pure and simple – I want to continue with the progression of this club. I've got one year left and I'm focusing on nothing else except continuing with the progression of the club. The information given to me [when appointed in January 2009] was: 'Get us out of this division.' That was a three-and-a-half-year plan with the chairman and the board. And over the three and a half years that will continue to be the plan."
Davies described getting Forest into the play-offs for a second successive year – they lost to Blackpool at the semi-final stage 12 months ago – as a "wonderful achievement" and also highlighted his impressive record of reaching the play-offs five times in the past six years.
"If anybody had said when I took over at Preston that Preston would be in two play-off situations, they would have laughed at you," he said. "If somebody had said when I took over at Derby, that Derby County would get automatic promotion, they would have laughed at you. When I took over at Forest, fighting relegation and seeing the club where it was, if somebody has said then that the club would be in two play-off semi-finals, I am sure they would have laughed at you."
www.guardian.co.uk/football/2011/may/10/nottingham-forest-billy-davies-lawyer