DICK Lambert was the man who started the ball rolling at Clifton All Whites – who celebrate their 50th anniversary this year – in more ways than one.
Lambert, who lived on Thistledown Road, wanted to start an U12 football team for his two sons and their mates.
He called the team Thistledown Rovers and they kicked a ball around on a piece of waste ground.
Lambert, now 82, still remembers those early days with affection.
"You could not hire a pitch off the council in those days," said Lambert.
"There was very little organised youth football and the YEL only had three teams. So formed another one and we were up and running."
Lambert managed to get the use of a pitch at the old Clifton Colliery for two years.
Audrey, his wife for the last 60 years, made the first kit out of white sheets and the All Whites were born.
In 1965 they formed the first committee. Lambert was first chairman, Harry Cousins was vice-chairman and John Raynor was the secretary.
The rest of the committee was Bill Norwell, Walter Smedley, Ivor Eckram, Jack Cuthbert and Geoff Parker.
"These men were pioneers and they put so much hard work into the club. I can't praise them enough," said Lambert.
"We used to get changed in an old beer off.
"Eventually, I went cap in hand to the council to try and get some land of our own. They offered me the choice of Green Lane or a space near Clifton Bridge, which is now a car park.
"I went for Green Lane, because it was closer to the pub," joked Lambert. "It was a marshy waste land, but we all chipped in and tipped fly ash on it, which got us into trouble at the time because we didn't know we needed permission."
As the youth team started to grow, old boy Mick Walker came in as the first proper manager.
Club stalwarts like Norman Archer and Keith Elliott got involved and looked after the junior sides.
Lambert left in 1981 when work took him to Essex. But he came back to his roots in 1995.
"It was a wrench to leave, but I had given the club 21 years," said Lambert.
"They were happy days and we got a lot of help from people like Ken Wheldon, who used to give us £200 a month, which was a lot of money in those days.
"A Meadows lad, he was chairman of Walsall Football Club and then Birmingham City and he used to park his Rolls Royce on my drive at Clifton Grove. But he never forgot his roots."
Lambert had several run-ins with legendary Forest boss Brian Clough over the years.
"He wanted to use Green Lane as a training ground for Forest," said Lambert.
"I turned him down and he got a bit upset with me, to put it mildly. Some stinking letters were exchanged over the next few weeks.
"He accused us of taking talent away from Nottingham. But it was just the opposite really.
"Just look how many of our lads went on to join League clubs. There were well over 40.
"We had all the Benjamins, Bert Bowery, Keith Alexander, Garry Birtles, Pedro Richards, Ian Andrews....the list is endless.
"Forest took several players, like Peter Wells and Steve Burke, off us.
"They also took another very good keeper, Michael Dilnot. But they ruined him. They frightened him to death and he packed in football in the end."
Club president Elliott has had a long association with Clifton All Whites and still attends matches.
And he has savoured every minute of it. Well almost!
Elliott, who played for Eastwood Town and Gedling in his youth, joined the club in 1967 – almost by accident.
"I took my son down to the local rec and bumped into Norman Archer," he recalled. "He was coaching about 30 kids and said he would give my lad a game if I helped out with the kids for an hour. They became Clifton Imps. Norman was a terrific motivator, just like Dick Lambert and the current chairman."
Keith says the best team he managed was the one that included Steve Burke and hot-shot Geoff Hunt.
"They were cracking lads," he said. "Geoff was so good that Brian Clough wanted to sign him, but he wouldn't go.
"When the lads got to 17 they went into senior football and we went through the divisions in the Notts Combination.
"One day I got a call from Ernie Rudd, at the Notts Alliance, asking if we wanted to join as Grove Celtic had pulled out. We got fined by the Combination for leaving six weeks before the start of the season, but we went on to win the league."
The family spirit that exists at Clifton is epitomised by the fact that they have only had six chairmen over the years – Dick Lambert, Brian James, Pat Brodie, Tony Boam, John Taylor and Mark Woodford.
"There is a great team spirit," emphasised Elliott, who was team manager for 12 years and secretary for 30. "We were one big happy family. The secret of our success was the loyal officials and the hard-working mums and dads. The ground is named after one of them, Norman Archer, who gave so much for the club."
It was Elliott who started the boys club at Green Lane, but it wasn't all plain sailing for Clifton.
"The club ran into a bit of trouble," he recalled. "Dick Lambert left the area; John Raynor went to Long Eaton and a few of the lads, who lived that way like Garry Birtles and Steve Holder, went with him.
"We were skint, but we kept the club going, raising money through the Tote.
"Then someone came up with the magic words Car Boot. They were the saviour of the club.
"Who would have thought, back then, that we would be sitting here talking about the club 50 years later?"
