The Red Army

Lore & Background

The 'Red Army' nickname for Nottingham Forest supporters emerged organically in the 1970s and 1980s, during the club's golden era under manager Brian Clough. As Forest rose from the second division to win the First Division title in 1978 and back-to-back European Cups in 1979 and 1980, the fans' vocal, traveling presence became legendary. The term 'Red Army' was adopted by supporters themselves, inspired by the color of their shirts and the disciplined, overwhelming force of their support, creating an intimidating atmosphere for visiting teams. Today, the Red Army remains a core part of the club's identity, with chants, banners, and a strong sense of community continuing to define the fan culture.

In Their Own Story

The fog rolls off the Trent and settles over the City Ground in a pale grey shroud. It's a Tuesday, midweek, and the floodlights are just coming on. You can hear the turnstiles before you see them—the clunk, clunk, clunk of a few hundred fans filtering in from the cold. A woman in a well-worn red scarf, the letters faded to a soft pink at the edges, presses her breath into the air and mutters a half-remembered lyric to the 1979 anthem. Around her, the terraces are filling in that slow, ritual way: scarves raised, drums tuned, the low rumble of a crowd settling into its shape. Somewhere down the row, a kid in a too-big replica shirt is showing his phone to a stranger, pointing at a grainy clip of a European final. The stranger nods, remembers, and the two of them are suddenly in the same year, the same night, the same impossible belief. The ball bounces on the grass. The Red Army inhales as one.

Reader's Guide

The Red Army provided the largest ground force in the Allied victory in the European theatre of World War II, and its invasion of Manchuria assisted the unconditional surrender of Japan. On the Eastern Front, it fought the largest and deadliest land war in history, which accounted for roughly 75% of German combat casualties during the war, and ultimately captured the German capital, Berlin.

Did You Know?

• The 'Red Army' nickname was popularized during Nottingham Forest's back-to-back European Cup victories in 1979 and 1980, when thousands of fans traveled across Europe to support the team.
• The City Ground's famous 'Brian Clough Stand' is named after the legendary manager who led Forest to their greatest triumphs, with the Red Army often credited as his '12th man'.
• Nottingham Forest's Red Army is one of the most recognized fan groups in English football, known for their distinctive 'Mull of Kintyre' chant and the 'Forest, Forest, Forest' roar that echoes around the ground.