Nottingham Forest Football Club

Nottingham Forest Football Club was formed on 1865[^1^] by a group of shinty players, making it one of the oldest football clubs in the world. They first started playing matches against other local teams before joining the Football Alliance in 1889[^2^], an alternative league to the more established Football League.

Despite their early formation, the club struggled initially for consistent success. However, they marked their place on English football's map when they won their first major honour - The FA Cup - in 1898[^3^].

Notable players during these years included Grenville Morris who holds still today as highest goal scorer with 217 goals and captained them to FA Cup victory[^4^].

Sources [^1^]: https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history/ [^2^]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/nottingham/content/articles/2006/07/27/sport_local_history_football_feature.shtml [^3^]: https://fchd.info/cups/facupsummary.htm [^4^]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenville_Morris

The golden era for Nottingham began when Brian Clough took over as manager in January 1975. Under his leadership, Forest achieved unprecedented success including winning promotion to top flight (now known as Premier League) in season 1976-77 followed by becoming champions next year itself! Subsequently, they also captured European Cup back-to-back in seasons 1978–79 and '79-'80 [^5 ^][^6 ^].

Players like Peter Shilton were instrumental during this time providing solidity at back whereas Trevor Francis became club's icon scoring crucial goals especially winner in European cup final '79 [7].

Sources [5]: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/52210875 [6]: https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/news/0254-0d7b1eb8c9a3-81cbaf2a694e-1000--european-champion-clubs-cup-final-wins-by-club/ [7]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Francis

The fiercest rivals of Nottingham Forest are the neighbouring club, Derby County FC. The rivalry known as East Midlands derby stems from geographical proximity but also stimulated by Brian Clough managing both clubs [^8 ^]. Noteworthy match includes 2009's encounter where Forest triumphed with a scoreline of 3–2 at City Ground[^9 ^].

These derbies are marked by an electric atmosphere, showcasing the passion and dedication shared amongst the fans of both sides.

Sources [^8^]: https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/match-reports/nottingham-forest-v-derby-county-2573724 [^9^]: https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/fa_cup/7821601.stm

City Ground has been home to Nottingham Forest since 1898. With current capacity of over 30,000 seats, it is situated on banks of River Trent giving it unique charm [10].

Home advantage has repeatedly proved key for Nottingham Forest – in their promotion-winning season, they registered only one defeat at City Ground [11].

Sources [10]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Ground [11]:https://www.premierleague.com/history/timeline?season=1993

Nottingham Forest boasts a diverse and passionate fan base. The club's supporters are predominantly from Nottinghamshire but also have strong following internationally [12].

Fan groups like Forza Garibaldi organise activities to boost support for team while unique chants such as “You Reds” resonate around City Ground on match days [13][14].

The club’s traditions and rituals contribute greatly to the sense of community, with fans often gathering at 'Trent Navigation Inn' pre-match [15]

Sources [12]: https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/nottingham-forest-fans-over-world-3700683 [13]: https://www.forzagaribaldi.com/ [14]: https://fanbanter.co.uk/the-best-football-chants-heard-at-each-of-the-current-72-efl-clubs-stadiums/ [15]:https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Attraction_Review-g186356-d5917409-Reviews-The_Trent_Navigation_Inn-Nottingham_Nottinghamshire_England.html

1. Formation of the club in 1865.
2. First major victory - FA Cup win in 1898.
3. Appointment of Brian Clough as manager in 1975.
4. Promotion to top flight (now Premier League) during season 1976–77.
5. Winning English league title next year after promotion; season 1977–78.
6. Triumphing over Malmo FF to capture European Cup in season 1978-'79.
7. Defending their European title successfully against Hamburg SV next year; season '79-'80
8. Beating rivals Derby County FC with a scoreline of 3–2 at City Ground, marking memorable derby day victory –2009
9. Fan group 'Forza Garibaldi' formation boosting organized support –2016.
10. Club's 150th anniversary celebrations in 2015.