New to Nottingham Forest? Here’s what to know.
The basics
Nottingham Forest were founded in 1865, making them one of the oldest professional football clubs in the world. They play at the City Ground, on the banks of the River Trent in Nottingham, England. The club’s colo(u)r is red, historically known as “Garibaldi red.” The main nicknames are the Reds and the Tricky Trees (the source of “Ohio Trickies”). The club badge is a tree, representing Sherwood Forest, above a depiction of the Trent.
European champions
Forest’s defining era came under manager Brian Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor. After winning promotion to the First Division, the club won the league title in 1977–78, then won the European Cup — now the Champions League — in back-to-back seasons, 1979 and 1980. Winning Europe’s top club competition twice is a feat few clubs have matched. Both men are commemorated at the City Ground, in the Brian Clough Stand and the Peter Taylor Stand.
Outside the top flight
After the Clough era, Forest spent long stretches outside the First Division and Premier League, including several seasons in the lower divisions. The club returned to the Premier League in 2022, ending a 23-year absence from the top flight.
Rivalries
- Derby County — the East Midlands derby, Forest’s fiercest rivalry.
- Notts County — one of the world’s oldest clubs, based just across the River Trent.
- Leicester City — a regional rivalry.
Starter chants & songs
A couple to know before your first match. Hear both sung live at the City Ground in this official Nottingham Forest video.
Come on you Reds — the core rallying cry, shouted throughout the match.
City Ground — the pre-match anthem, sung to the tune of “Mull of Kintyre”:
Oh City Ground, oh mist rolling in from the Trent, My desire is always to be here, Oh City Ground.