Should I Support Nottingham Forest FC?

Founded in 1865, Forest are the third-oldest professional football club in the world. Their entire identity rests on the four years between 1977 and 1980 when Brian Clough — already a Football League–winning manager at Derby — took newly-promoted Forest to the First Division title in 1978, then won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980. They remain one of only two clubs in history to have won more European Cups than league titles (the other is Aston Villa). After decades in the lower leagues, Greek owner Evangelos Marinakis bought the club in 2017 and led them back to the Premier League in 2022. The 2025-26 season has been historically chaotic — Forest cycled through four head coaches (Nuno Espírito Santo, Ange Postecoglou for 39 days, Sean Dyche for 114 days, and now Vítor Pereira appointed February 2026).

Historic, passionate, currently chaotic. The City Ground sits on the bank of the River Trent, directly opposite Notts County's ground (the world's oldest professional football club). Forest's modern football has been driven by Marinakis-era recruitment — lots of loans, lots of permanent signings — but the squad has talent: Anthony Elanga, Morgan Gibbs-White, Chris Wood. The vibe right now is "survive this season, rebuild around the manager, and come back stronger." The European Cup banners in the City Ground never stop reminding you what this club has been.

Nottingham is a mid-sized East Midlands city with a fanatical football culture and a famously passionate Forest fanbase. "Mull of Kintyre" is the matchday standard; the Trent End is the loud singing section. Robin Hood imagery is everywhere (the legend is set in nearby Sherwood Forest). The rivalry with Derby County (East Midlands Derby) is brutal and deeply rooted in Brian Clough switching sides between the two clubs in the 1970s. American interest has grown sharply with the club's Premier League return.

• +Two-time European Cup winners — only two English clubs have multiple titles
• +Brian Clough story is one of the great sports biographies
• +City Ground on the Trent is one of the most picturesque grounds in England
• +Real working-class fanbase that lives and dies with the club
• +Underdog narrative is back — Forest are a small city in a big league

• −Manager merry-go-round in 2025-26 has been historically bad
• −Owner Marinakis is controversial and has run-ins with the Premier League
• −Recent points deductions for FFP breaches make seasons stressful

Closest US sports comp: 1980s Edmonton Oilers — small market, surprise dynasty, never quite expected to be that good. Or modern Oklahoma City Thunder vibes during the Westbrook-Durant era for sheer over-performance.