Nottingham Forest

The oldest club in the Premier League, with two European Cups.

Nottingham Forest Football Club is a professional football club based in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England. The club competes in the Premier League, the top tier of English football.

Quick Facts

Season number: 161st
Consecutive premier league seasons: 5th
Previous head coach: Vítor Pereira
New head coach: Oliver Glasner
Cup competitions: FA Cup, EFL Cup

Lore & Background

Founded in 1865, Nottingham Forest have played their home games at the City Ground since 1898. The club has won two European Cups (now the UEFA Champions League), making them one of six English clubs to have claimed the competition. Forest is the only team in Europe to have won the European Cup or Champions League more often than the domestic championship (one). Additionally, they have secured one UEFA Super Cup, one League title, two FA Cups, four League Cups, and one FA Charity Shield.

The club has competed in the top two tiers of English football in all but five seasons since their admission to the Football League. Its most successful period came under the management of Brian Clough and Peter Taylor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, during which they achieved back-to-back European Cup triumphs in 1979 and 1980. In Clough's final decade at the club, Forest won the 1989 and 1990 League Cups. They were also losing finalists in the 1991 FA Cup final and 1992 League Cup final, before relegation from the Premier League in 1993.

Upon their immediate return, Forest finished third in the Premier League in 1995, before suffering relegation again in 1997 and 1999. The team returned to the Premier League by winning the play-offs in 2022. Forest's main rivalry is with Derby County, with whom they contest the East Midlands derby. In 2007 the Brian Clough Trophy was founded, which has since then been given to the winner.

Reader's Guide

Nottingham Forest was founded in 1865. The club's official colours are Garibaldi Red. Matches were originally played at Forest Racecourse. Forest's first ever official game was played against Notts County on 22 March 1866.

The club has a history of charitable acts, including donating kits to help Arsenal establish themselves and donating shirts to Everton. Forest's application to join the Football League at its formation in 1888 was rejected; they instead joined the Football Alliance in 1889 and won that competition in 1892 before entering the Football League. The club won the FA Cup in 1898 and again in 1959. Forest were relegated for the first time in 1905–06, promoted as champions in 1906–07, and relegated again in 1911.

They were promoted as champions in 1921–22, but relegated in 1924–25. Forest were relegated to the Third Division South in 1949, promoted as champions in 1950–51, and regained First Division status in 1957. The club finished as League runners-up in 1966–67.