View source for City Ground

{{short description|Football stadium in Nottinghamshire, England}}
{{About|Nottingham Forest's home stadium|Cambridge City's former home stadium|City Ground (Cambridge)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox venue
| stadium_name = City Ground
| image = CityGroundFromAboveTrentBridgeCricketGround.jpg
| caption = City Ground in April 2024
| image_size = 250px
| fullname = The City Ground
| nickname = 
| address = Pavilion Road
| location = The City Ground<br>[[West Bridgford]], [[Nottinghamshire]], [[England]]<br>[[Postcodes in the United Kingdom|NG2 5FJ]]
| coordinates = {{Coord|52|56|24|N|1|7|58|W|type:landmark_region:GB|display=it}}
| owner = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
| surface = Grass (Undersoil Heating)<ref name="FGG">{{cite web |title=Nottingham Forest – City Ground |url=https://footballgroundguide.com/leagues/england/championship/city-ground-nottingham-forest.html |website=Football Ground Guide |date=February 2010 |access-date=26 August 2019}}{{unreliable source?|date=June 2022}}</ref>
| scoreboard = ADI<ref>{{cite web |title=ADI Score Multiple Deals for Digital Upgrades at 8 Stadiums Over The Summer! |url=https://www.adi.tv/blog/news/adi-score-multiple-deals-for-digital-upgrades-at-8-stadiums-over-the-summer |website=adi.tv |access-date=30 April 2025}}</ref>
| built = 1898<ref name="HoTCG">{{cite web |title=History of The City Ground |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-the-city-ground/ |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref>
| opened = 3 September 1898<ref name="HoTCG">{{cite web |title=History of The City Ground |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-the-city-ground/ |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref>
| seating_capacity = 30,404<ref name="PLhandbook">{{cite web |url=https://resources.premierleague.com/premierleague/document/2023/08/10/eb775c99-351a-46c1-9050-53dcae175a81/PL_Handbook_2023-24_DIGITAL_03.08.23.pdf |title=Premier League Handbook: Season 2023/24 |page=21 |date=10 August 2023 |publisher=Premier League |access-date=4 September 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230815171445/https://resources.premierleague.com/premierleague/document/2023/08/10/eb775c99-351a-46c1-9050-53dcae175a81/PL_Handbook_2023-24_DIGITAL_03.08.23.pdf |archive-date=15 August 2023 |url-status=live}}</ref>
| tenants = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] (1898–present)<br/>[[Nottingham Forest Women F.C.|Nottingham Forest Women]] (2024–present)
| dimensions = 114.8 x 77.6 yards (105 x 71 metres)<ref name="PLhandbook"/>
| expanded = 1957 (Former East Stand), 1965 (Peter Taylor Stand), 1980 (Brian Clough Stand), 1992–1993 (Bridgford Stand), 1994–1996 (Trent End)<ref name="HoTCG">{{cite web |title=History of The City Ground |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-the-city-ground/ |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref>
| operator = [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]]
| record_attendance = 49,946 ([[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] vs [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]], 28 October 1967)<ref>{{cite web |title=Club Records |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/records/ |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=26 August 2019}}</ref>
| publictransit = {{rail-interchange|gb|Rail}} {{stn|Nottingham}}<br>{{rail-interchange|gb|Bus}} [[Nottingham City Transport|Victoria Embankment]]
| architect = Husband & Co (1980), Miller Partnership (1992–1993, 1994–1996<ref>{{cite news |title=31May91 UK: TAYLOR WOODROW TO BUILD NEW STAND FOR NOTTINGHAM FOREST FOOTBALL CLUB |url=https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/archive/31may91-uk-taylor-woodrow-to-build-new-stand-for-nottingham-forest-football-club-30-05-1991/ |access-date=26 August 2019 |work=Construction News}}</ref>)
| general_contractor = [[Taylor Woodrow]] (1992–1993, 1994–1996)<ref name="THS">{{cite news |title=Football is top of the league for the construction industry. Ground rebuilding keeps the hard-hit sector busy |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12538727.football-is-top-of-the-league-for-the-construction-industry-ground-rebuilding-keeps-the-hard-hit-sector-busy/ |access-date=26 August 2019 |work=The Herald Scotland}}</ref>
}}

The ''' City Ground''' is a [[association football|football]] stadium in [[West Bridgford]], [[Nottinghamshire]], England, on the banks of the [[River Trent]]. It has been home to [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest]] since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.

The stadium was a venue when England hosted [[UEFA Euro 1996]], and is only {{convert|300|yards|m|spell=in}} away from [[Meadow Lane]], home of Forest's neighbouring club [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]]; the two grounds are the closest professional football stadiums in England and the second-closest in the United Kingdom, after [[Tannadice Park]] and [[Dens Park]]. They are located on opposite sides of the [[River Trent]].

==History==
===Background===
Nottingham Forest are the second oldest league football club in the world,<ref>{{cite book |last=Westby |first=Martin |date=2019 |title=England's oldest football clubs 1815-1889: a new chronological classification of early football (folk, school, military, county, rugby, & association) |location=Sheffield |publisher=Martin Westby |isbn=9780955637834|page=416|quote=Nottingham Forest FC, World's Oldest League Club }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.wsc.co.uk/stories/14245-birth-certificate-stoke-city-and-nottingham-forest-locked-in-oldest-club-debate |title=Birth certificate: Stoke City and Nottingham Forest locked in "oldest club" debate |last=Brown |first=Paul |date=July 2019 |website=	When Saturday Comes |publisher=When Saturday Comes Limited |access-date=2022-03-26 |quote=But the Football League backed Metcalf, confirming in a statement that Forest are the oldest League club, and that information online regarding Stoke's formation is incorrect. }}</ref> and were founded in 1865,{{sfn|Turner|1965|pp=9–10}}{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=17}} but did not move to the City Ground, their seventh home, until 33 years later in 1898.{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=60}} For their first fourteen years the club played most of their matches at the [[Forest Recreation Ground]], from which they took their name.{{sfn|Attaway|1991|p=38}} This was [[common land]] so the club were unable to exploit their matches commercially,{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=25}} and as there was no gate money, revenue came mainly from the players' membership fees.{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=23}} When Forest first entered the [[FA Cup]] in [[1878–79 FA Cup|1878–79]], reaching the semi-finals, they were unable to play home fixtures, as the cup competition rules stipulated that spectators should be charged admission.{{sfn|Mellor|1986|p=11}} In 1879 the club left The Forest to play at the [[Castle Ground]] in [[The Meadows, Nottingham|The Meadows]], after the Notts Castle Football Club which had previously played there disbanded and its players joined Forest.{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=26}} This allowed Forest to charge admission in time for its second FA Cup campaign in [[1879–80 FA Cup|1879–80]].{{sfn|Mellor|1986|p=11}} Rapidly-growing interest in the game saw the ability to accommodate large numbers of spectators at football matches increase in importance,{{sfn|Attaway|1991|p=38}} and from 1880 most of the club's important games were played at [[Trent Bridge|Trent Bridge Cricket Ground]],{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=27}} then Nottingham's most advanced enclosed sports venue.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} In 1883, however, Forest were abruptly replaced as tenants at Trent Bridge by local rivals [[Notts County]],{{sfn|Lenton LHS|1990}} a move possibly connected with Notts County's appointment of the assistant secretary of [[Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club]] to their own newly created post of paid Club Secretary.{{sfn|Lenton LHS|1990}}<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news/2020/april/on-this-day-the-final-football-league-match-at-trent-bridge.html |title=On this day: the final Football League match at Trent Bridge |date=2020-04-16 |website=Trent Bridge |publisher=Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club |access-date=2022-05-02}}</ref>

Forest only discovered they were being replaced at Trent Bridge in early August 1883, leaving them very little time to find a new ground, and the [[Parkside Ground]] in [[Lenton, Nottingham|Lenton]], where Forest first played on 22 September, was criticised for its distance from the town, its slope and its uneven surface, with one newspaper columnist commenting that "so long as the Forest Club will maintain a ground on which it is impossible for them to play their particular game accurately, in addition to being bleak and generally inaccessible, they will meet with little patronage".{{sfn|Lenton LHS|1990}} Despite moving three years later to the nearby [[Gregory Ground]], which was much better reviewed in the press, Lenton's distance from the centre of Nottingham saw attendances continue to decline and in 1890 the club moved again, this time to the [[Town Ground (Nottingham)|Town Ground]] in The Meadows, which was much closer to the club's roots and became Forest's first proper football stadium.{{sfn|Attaway|1991|pp=38–39}}

In July 1897, the Town Ground was briefly renamed the City Ground, in recognition of Nottingham being granted [[City status in the United Kingdom|city status]],{{sfn|Dawes|2017|p=214}} but the newly-formed city council planned to redevelop the site for building and terminated Forest's lease, offering instead the site outside the city limits on the south side of the river that would become today's City Ground.{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=60}} This land had been granted to the Mayor and Burgesses of Nottingham by [[Edward VI]] in a royal charter dated 21 February 1551, with the intention that rentals from the agricultural land would pay for the upkeep of the adjacent [[Trent Bridge (bridge)|Trent Bridge]].{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=60}} The City Council granted the club a 21-year lease on the new site, and the club approved the scheme to move to the new ground at their annual meeting in December 1897.{{sfn|Wright|2015|p=60}} To raise the £3,000 required to finance the move the club asked members, supporters and businessmen to subscribe to "New Ground Scheme" bonds which cost £5 each, raising over £2,000.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=28}} Many of the bonds were never redeemed, the bondholders effectively making a donation to fund the new ground.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=29}}

===Early years===
[[File:City-Ground-1898.jpg|thumb|left|The City Ground in 1898, the year of its opening]]
Forest first played at the new City Ground a week before their [[1898 FA Cup final|FA Cup final victory]] in April 1898, and the reserve team played there on the afternoon of the final itself, but the ground was not officially opened until the first match of the following season,{{sfn|Mellor|1986|p=23}} a [[Football League First Division|Division One]] game against [[Blackburn Rovers F.C.|Blackburn Rovers]] on 3 September 1898 with an attendance of 15,000.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=276}} The ground had a wooden-slatted main stand on the west side with a barrel roof, a narrow wooden shelter covering the full width of the Trent End, and a shorter roof covering part of the east side.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} The pitch was considered to be among the finest in the country, "a velvet carpet of lush turf".{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=28}} This was the result of the work of club committee-member William Bardill, a nurseryman and landscape gardener whose family firm still exists in [[Stapleford, Nottinghamshire|Stapleford]].<ref name="NFFC Website">{{cite web |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club-information/history/history-of-the-city-ground/ |title=History of the City Ground |website=Official Website of Nottingham Forest Football Club |publisher=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=2022-02-20}}</ref> Bardill excavated the playing area to a depth of two feet, lay a bed of [[Clinker (waste)|clinker]] to ensure perfect drainage, and on top lay a pitch of high-quality turf brought by barge up the river from [[Radcliffe-on-Trent]].{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=28}}

Forest's first round FA Cup match against [[Aston Villa F.C.|Aston Villa]] in 1898 attracted a crowd of 32,070, the first time a football match in Nottingham had attracted gate receipts of over £1,000.{{sfn|Dawes|2017|pp=223–224}} The ground was considered to be "one of the best in the country"{{sfn|Dawes|2017|p=224}} and was chosen to host the [[FA Cup semi-finals|FA Cup Semi final]] in 1899, recognition that was proclaimed at the club's annual meeting to be "beneficial to the club and the city".{{sfn|Dawes|2017|pp=222–223}} The ground held a total of four FA Cup semi-finals between 1899 and 1905, and a full international match between [[England national football team|England]] and [[Wales national football team|Wales]] in 1909.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}}

Throughout the 1900s, [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] also regularly used the City Ground for home matches when their usual venue at Trent Bridge was unavailable for football due to cricket taking precedence.{{sfn|Dawes|2017|p=247}}

[[File:The City Ground, circa 1921 - geograph.org.uk - 2375218.jpg|thumb|right|Forest playing at the City Ground c. 1921]]
The new ground was called the City Ground. It was only a few hundred yards from the old Town Ground at the opposite end of [[Trent Bridge (bridge)|Trent Bridge]], which had been named after the Town Arms pub. Nottingham was granted its [[Charter]] as a city in 1897 and it was called the City Ground to commemorate this as the land on which it stands was at that time within the city boundary. ([[Rushcliffe Borough Council]]) rather than the city. Opposite the City Ground, still within the city boundaries, lies [[Meadow Lane]], home of Notts County.

The City Ground was the first football ground to have [[Ellipse|elliptically shaped]] goalposts when it was presented with a new set of goals by the Nottingham-based Standard Goals Company in 1922. Before this, goalposts had usually been round or square. This shape eventually became commonplace, but the FA's ruling in 1938 that the 8-yard width of a goal should be measured from the inside of such posts meant that the City Ground's goals had been two inches too narrow for the preceding sixteen years.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}}

In 1935, the club declined an opportunity to buy the ground from Nottingham Corporation for £7,000.<ref name="NFFC Website"/>

During [[World War II]] the City Ground held a variety of events to entertain off-duty servicemen, including [[boxing]], [[Gymkhana|horse gymkhanas]], and visits from [[zoo]]s.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=33}} The pitch was badly damaged by bombing on the night of 8–9 May 1941, with repairs costing £75 9s 11d.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=33}}

===Post war===
The City Ground was flooded after the adjacent [[River Trent]] burst its banks in March 1947, with Forest having to play some home fixtures at Meadow Lane.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} Many archives and official records were damaged and floodwaters reached as high as the crossbars of the goals, with swans seen swimming the full length of the pitch.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=33}}

[[File:Main_Stand_Fire_1968_Front.jpg|thumb|left|Fans evacuating the Main Stand after it caught fire on 24 August 1968]]
After winning promotion in 1950, Forest drew up plans for redeveloping the City Ground,{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} and detailed plans were drawn up by local architects Reginald Cooper and Partners in 1951.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=30}} The first step was the extension and covering of the Trent End in 1954, though a planned second tier of seats at this end was never built.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} On 12 October 1957, a new East Stand opened, costing £40,000 and having benches to seat up to 2,500 fans to the rear of the terrace.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} Together with improvements to the Colwick Road Terrace this gave the ground an increased capacity of 48,000, with 6,500 seats for the club's first season in the First Division since 1925.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} The visitors for the opening were [[Manchester United F.C.|Manchester United]]'s "[[Busby Babes]]", just four months before eight of them died in the [[Munich air disaster]], and the match on 12 October 1957 saw a new record attendance of 47,804.<ref name="NFFC Website"/>

Although Forest had pioneered floodlit football matches, holding a game illuminated by [[Wells light]]s at the Gregory Ground in March 1889,{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=273}} the City Ground was the second from last top division ground to install permanent floodlights.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=273}} The floodlights at the ground were first used on 11 September 1961 as Forest faced [[Gillingham F.C.|Gillingham]] in the League Cup.<ref>{{cite news|title=Undefined Headline|work=Nottingham Post|date=27 September 2014|access-date=28 November 2015|url=http://infoweb.newsbank.com/resources/doc/nb/news/15096D231480D338?p=AWNB&drefer=news/131FED8DAEDF4098&drefertype=mlt|pages=20–21}}</ref> Four 120&nbsp;ft pylons were built, one in each corner of the ground, with each pylon holding a bank of thirty-six 1,500 watt lights.{{sfn|Turner|1965|p=31}} The ground's all-time record attendance of 49,946 was set in October 1967 when Forest beat Manchester United 3–1 in a First Division fixture,{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=276}} five months after Forest had finished second to United in the league.

In December 1967, the City Ground was host to an [[England national under-23 football team|England U23]] match against [[Italy national under-21 football team|Italy]].<ref>{{cite news|title=MADELEY OUT OF ENGLISH TEAM|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=y3hAAAAAIBAJ&sjid=wqMMAAAAIBAJ&pg=2097%2C1292663|newspaper=The Herald|location=Glasgow|date=8 December 1967|access-date=9 February 2015|page=6}}</ref>

[[File:Kimberley and the City Ground, 1978.jpg|thumb|right|The City Ground from the River Trent in 1978, with the East Stand (left) and the Trent End (right)]]
The Main Stand was re-roofed, extended and refurbished between 1962 and 1965,{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=273}} with new offices, changing rooms, kit stores, medical suites and press rooms to the rear.{{sfn|Turner|1965|pp=31–32}} On 24 August 1968, however, fire broke out in the stand during a First Division game against [[Leeds United A.F.C.|Leeds United]].<ref name="TdfrtCG">{{cite news |title=The day fire ripped through City Ground |url=http://www.nottinghampost.com/forest-s-history-brought-life-new-book/story-12185154-detail/story.html |newspaper=The Nottingham Post |location=London |date=10 December 2009 |access-date=21 July 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160721022152/http://www.nottinghampost.com/forest-s-history-brought-life-new-book/story-12185154-detail/story.html |archive-date=21 July 2016 }}</ref> It started near the dressing rooms and spread rapidly through the largely wooden structure.<ref name="NFFC Website"/> The stand was damaged but, despite a crowd numbering 31,126, none of them was injured.<ref name="TdfrtCG"/> The only reported injuries were to a television crew on the gantry, who had to scramble down it because the access ladder was stored in the boiler room. The gantry was extended the length of the stand and now has access at both ends. Many of the club's records, trophies and other memorabilia were also lost in the fire.<ref name="NFFC Website"/> The stand's roof was undamaged, however, allowing the club to rebuild the base of the stand underneath it in concrete and steel.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} As a result of the fire, Forest played six "home" matches at Meadow Lane, losing all of them,{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} and after returning to the City Ground used the changing rooms of nearby Trent Bridge while the Main Stand was rebuilt.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.trentbridge.co.uk/news/2020/april/on-this-day-the-final-football-league-match-at-trent-bridge.html |title=On this day: the final Football League match at Trent Bridge |date=2020-04-16 |website=Trent Bridge |publisher=Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club |access-date=2022-04-01}}</ref>

The Executive Stand was opened in August 1980 and was built at a cost of £2.5 million{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=274}} – largely from proceeds of the highly successful era in which Forest won consecutive League Cups, the League title and consecutive [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]]s.

Under Clough's reign, Forest had taken the English domestic game and the European scene by storm and money raised from those successes was invested in a stand that had a capacity of 10,000. It was renamed The Brian Clough Stand after his retirement and was re-opened after refurbishment by Clough himself in the mid-1990s. The stand also incorporated 36 executive boxes and a large dining area, which was designed to be the focus of the club's corporate hospitality arrangements.<ref name="NFFC Website"/> The stand had the word "FOREST" spelt out in white seats against the red seats of the upper tier, the first stand in football known to have used this form of coloured seat identification.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=275}} The opening of the new stand gave the City Ground a capacity of 35,567, including 15,009 seats, a figure that would remain broadly constant until terrace capacities began to be cut after the [[Hillsborough disaster]] in 1989.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=275}}

===Taylor Report===
[[File:Nottingham stadium river trent aerial view.jpg|thumb|right|[[Meadow Lane]] (right) and the City Ground (left), the two closest grounds in English football.]]
Nottingham Forest had been the opposing team in the fateful [[FA Cup]] semi-final against [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]] at [[Hillsborough disaster|Hillsborough]], [[Sheffield]], on 15 April 1989, in which 97 Liverpool fans were fatally injured in a human crush on the stadium's Leppings Lane terrace. The disaster resulted in the [[Taylor Report]], which ordered that all clubs in the top two divisions of English football should have an all-seater stadium by August 1994. This resulted in the need for more redevelopment and refurbishment at the City Ground.

In 1991, [[Nottingham City Council]] proposed to build a 45,000 capacity stadium at a cost of £44m on the site of [[Wilford Power Station]], one mile to the west of the City Ground, to be shared by Forest and Notts County.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=275}} Although Notts County were keen on the idea, the plan was abandoned after Brian Clough declared "over my dead body" and threatened to resign if the plan was approved.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=275}} Forest's own plans were to redevelop the two ends of the City Ground into all-seater stands, starting with the Trent End, but this was held up by a dispute with the City Council over the 8m-15m strip at the back of the Trent End that they would need to build over to extend the stand.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=275}} The club had signed a 50-year lease from the City Council for the eleven acres of the City Ground in 1964 at a rent of £750 a year, but the Council demanded a rent of £150,000 a year for the 1,121 square yard "ransom strip" behind the Trent End, leading to accusations that the council were trying to force the club to cooperate with their plans for a new stadium at Wilford.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|pp=275–276}} Although a compromise rent of £22,000 per year was agreed, the delay meant that Forest had in the meantime turned their attention to replacing the Colwick Road Terrace at the other end of the ground.{{sfn|Inglis|1996|pp=275–276}}

The first major development took place in 1992–93, with the rebuilding of the Bridgford Stand at a cost of £4.6m, of which £1.9m came from a grant from the [[Football Trust]].{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=276}} Work started in April 1992 and when completed the stand had a capacity of 7,710, the lower tier of 5,131 being allocated to away supporters. The unusual shape of the roof was a planning requirement to allow sunlight to reach houses in nearby Colwick Road. The Stand includes accommodation for seventy wheelchair supporters.<ref>{{cite news|date=22 May 2013|title=Forest fans 'furious' over seating changes|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-22598887|access-date=28 May 2013|publisher=BBC News}}</ref> It also houses a management suite, which includes the public address systems, computerised electronic scoreboard controls and the police matchday operation.

The Trent End was the most recent stand to be rebuilt between 1994 and 1996 – in time for [[UEFA Euro 1996|Euro 96]], the European Football Championships. The new stand, such a prominent landmark by the [[River Trent]], held 7,338 to take the ground's capacity to 30,576 all-seated. The last day of standing on the Trent End was 8 May 1994, when 27,010 spectators saw Forest celebrate promotion back to the [[Premier League]].{{sfn|Inglis|1996|p=276}}

The ground was expanded to 46,000 when Forest returned to the Premier League, however, they were relegated from the Premier League three times between 1993 and 1999. Although they achieved promotion immediately following the first two relegations, it was to be 23 years following their relegation in 1999 before they would return to the Premier League in 2022. During this period, the club even spent three seasons in [[EFL League One|League One]], the third tier of English football.

The City Ground also hosted the [[Women's FA Cup]] final for two successive years, in 2007 and 2008. The 2007 final was contested by [[Arsenal L.F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Charlton Athletic L.F.C.|Charlton Athletic]], with the attendance of 24,529 smashing the previous record attendance for the competition of 13,824 for the final between Arsenal and [[Fulham L.F.C.|Fulham]] at [[Selhurst Park]] in 2001. In 2008, the attendance record was broken once again when 24,582 spectators saw Arsenal beat Leeds United 4–1.

Aside from football, the stadium has also hosted two other large-scale events. On 28 April 2002, the stadium hosted a semi-final of [[Rugby football|rugby]]'s [[2001–02 Heineken Cup|Heineken Cup]] in which [[Leicester Tigers]] beat [[Scarlets|Llanelli Scarlets]] 13–12. Leicester Tigers once again played at City Ground when they were defeated 19–16 by [[Racing 92]] on 24 April 2016 in the semi-final of the [[2015–16 European Rugby Champions Cup|European Rugby Champions Cup]]. The stadium hosted its first music concert when [[R.E.M.]] performed there<ref>{{cite news|title=City Ground, Nottingham – 6th July – R.E.M. summer shows 2005|url=http://www.efestivals.co.uk/festivals/others2005/rem/review-nottingham.shtml|date=13 July 2005|access-date=28 May 2013|work=efestivals.co.uk}}</ref> in front of an audience of 20,000.

===Proposed relocation===
In 2007, the club announced plans to build a new stadium with a capacity of up to 50,000 in [[Clifton, Nottinghamshire|Clifton]] on the south-western outskirts of Nottingham, arguing that the cost of expanding the City Ground would be prohibitive, and that with £45m-£50m of funding from the public and private sectors a new ground could be built by 2014.<ref name="BBC 2007">{{cite news |date=2007-06-20 |title=Forest consider City Ground exit |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/6220982.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> The move was planned to coincide with the extension of the [[Nottingham Express Transit]] to the area and the expansion of the nearby [[A453 road|A453]] link to the [[M1 motorway]], promising a "dramatic new gateway" to the city, including additional housing and commercial development.<ref name="BBC 2007" /> The plan was opposed by local residents, however,<ref>{{cite news |date=2007-06-21 |title=Villagers oppose Forest stadium
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/6225302.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> and criticised by fans as an attempt to deflect attention from the fact the club had been relegated to League One.<ref name="Cooper">{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Barry |date=2017-08-09 |title=Nottingham Forest talking point: Should a new stadium be back on the City Ground agenda? |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/nottingham-forest-talking-point-should-297952 |work=Nottingham Post |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> After the developers decided against proceeding, a new proposal was announced in 2008 for a 50,000 seat "super stadium" costing £100m near the [[Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre|National Watersports Centre]] at [[Holme Pierrepont]], to form part of [[England 2018 FIFA World Cup bid|England's 2018 FIFA World Cup bid]].<ref name="BBC 2008">{{cite news |date=2008-09-05 |title=Forest consider new stadium site |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7600967.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> The club argued that the main stand at the City Ground could be developed to provide a capacity of 37,000, but that access problems would mean that the venue would never qualify to hold World Cup or other international matches.<ref name="BBC 2008" /> The new stadium would have required a new bridge to be built over the River Trent and extensive engineering to overcome the risk from its location on a [[floodplain]],<ref>{{cite news |date=2008-09-08 |title=Stadium plan faces flood concerns |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7603631.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> but was abandoned as it was felt it would face significant local opposition.<ref name="Whitfield">{{cite news |last=Whitfield |first=David |date=2018-06-29 |title=The giant Robin Hood statue, the 600ft skyscraper and more grand schemes that never happened |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/giant-robin-hood-statue-600ft-1728623 |work=Nottingham Post |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref>

Further development of the City Ground was ruled out in 2009 by Nottingham City Council, who owned the land the ground was built on,<ref name="BBC 2012">{{cite news |date=2012-07-16 |title=Nottingham Forest owners consider new stadium |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-18852686 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> and in September a new plan was unveiled to build a 45,000 seater stadium for the 2018 World Cup, close to the [[A52 road|A52]] at [[Gamston, Rushcliffe|Gamston]], with the club arguing that "exhaustive studies of the existing City Ground had shown it was impossible to transform the ground into a fully compliant FIFA stadium".<ref name="BBC 2009">{{cite news |date=2009-09-07 |title=World Cup stadium plan unveiled |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/8241048.stm |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> The capacity of the new stadium was planned to be reduced to 38,000 with the removal of temporary seating after the World Cup.<ref name="Whitfield" /> The proposal was hit by opposition from local residents and political wrangling, with [[Nottinghamshire County Council]] withdrawing support from the bid shortly before it was submitted, claiming that not enough consideration had been given to redeveloping the City Ground and objecting to the proposal to build 4,000 homes on greenbelt land.<ref name="BBC 2010">{{cite news |date=2010-12-02 |title=Nottingham stadium plan hit by World Cup blow |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-11902795 |publisher=BBC News |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> FIFA's technical requirements had been the driving force behind the proposal and the failure of England's World Cup bid in 2010 threw new stadium plans into doubt.<ref name="BBC 2010" />

After the 2012 takeover, Forest's new owner [[Fawaz Al-Hasawi]] announced long-term plans to build a new stadium away from the City Ground, but stated that the short term priority was to renovate and refurbish the existing ground.<ref name="BBC 2012" /> In December 2012, two new big screens were installed, one between the Trent End and the Brian Clough Stand and the other to the rear of the Lower Bridgford Stand, together with LED advertising boards around the pitch in a project costing more than £1m.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2012/december/work-in-progress/ |title=Work in Progress |last=Nicholson |first=Fraser |date=2012-12-09 |website=Official Website of Nottingham Forest Football Club |publisher=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=2022-05-02}}</ref> In October 2015, the Main Stand was renamed in honour of Brian Clough's assistant manager [[Peter Taylor (footballer, born 1928)|Peter Taylor]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2015/october/a-wonderful-gesture/ |title=A wonderful gesture |last=Solomon |first=George |date=2015-10-02 |website=Official Website of Nottingham Forest Football Club |publisher=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=2022-05-02}}</ref> Following issues with the ground's safety certificate, the capacity of the stadium was reduced to 24,357 ahead of the 2016–17 season.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36897354|title=Nottingham Forest: Championship club have their capacity reduced by 20%|publisher=BBC Sport|date=26 July 2016}}</ref> By the time of the Hasawis' sale of the club in 2017 the City Ground was criticised by the [[Nottingham Post]] for having "started to fall into a state of decay" and being "tired, dishevelled, sad and like nobody really cared any more".<ref name="Cooper" /> Refurbishment work was carried out in the summer of 2017 under new owner [[Evangelos Marinakis]], including improved dressing rooms and new dugouts with cushioned seats, alongside more general maintenance work to the wider stadium.<ref>{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Barry |date=2017-07-25 |title=Take a look at Nottingham Forest's plush new dugouts |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/take-look-nottingham-forests-plush-238038 |work=Nottingham Post |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref> In 2019, the club secured a 250-year extension of their lease on the City Ground from Nottingham City Council, enabling them to move forward with redevelopment plans including the rebuilding of the Peter Taylor Stand, improvements to the Bridgford and Brian Clough Stands, and development of the wider Trentside area.<ref>{{cite news |date=2019-06-18 |title=Nottingham Forest secure new 250-year lease on the City Ground|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11727/11744194/nottingham-forest-secure-new-250-year-lease-on-the-city-ground#:~:text=Nottingham%20Forest%20have%20secured%20a,plans%20they%20announced%20in%20February. |publisher=Sky Sports |access-date=2022-05-02 }}</ref>

===Concerts===
On 22 September 2023, it was announced [[Take That]] would perform the first concert at City Ground since 2005 on 26 May 2024. Due to phenomenal demand, tickets sold out within 45 minutes and an extra show was added on 25 May. Over 50,000 people attended the concerts which were part of the band's 2024 [[This Life on Tour]] with support from [[Olly Murs]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Nottingham Forest Football |date=2023-09-22 |title=Take That to perform at The City Ground |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2023/september/22/take-that-to-perform-at-the-city-ground/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Club |first=Nottingham Forest Football |date=2024-05-28 |title=Take That shine at The City Ground! |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2024/may/28/take-that-shine-at-the-city-ground-/ |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Cooper |first=Sam |date=2023-09-29 |title=Take That adds second Nottingham date due to high demand |url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/whats-on/music-nightlife/take-adds-second-nottingham-city-8790663 |access-date=2025-05-04 |website=Nottinghamshire Live |language=en}}</ref>

==Ground redevelopment==
On 28 February 2019, the club announced plans to expand the capacity of the ground from 30,455 to about 38,000, by replacing the existing Peter Taylor stand with a new 10,000-seater stand and to provide an additional 3,000 seats in the Bridgford End by 'completing' the dropped southern corner.[https://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/benoy-unveils-plans-to-upgrade-nottingham-forests-city-ground]  The vision brought forward was designed by Newark based architectural practice [[Benoy]], whose chairman Graham Cartledge and his son, practice chief executive, Tom, both being Forest fans (Tom would latterly become chairman of [[Nottingham Forest F.C.|Nottingham Forest Football Club]] on [https://www.bbc.com/sport/articles/cd13l713eepo 23rd August 2023] before leaving his post on [https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cly3193997eo 1st October 2024]). Central to the [[Benoy]] vision was the replacement of the existing Peter Taylor Stand, and improvements to the Trentside area, the Brian Clough Stand, and the Bridgford Stand.

The new Peter Taylor Stand would have seen the introduction of a museum, a new club shop, executive boxes, and a range of hospitality lounge options and restaurants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cartwrightcommunications.com/blog/city-ground-redevelopment-what-you-need-to-know/|title=City Ground redevelopment – what you need to know|website=Cartwright|date=1 May 2019|access-date=6 December 2019}}</ref> The new structure, in combination with additions to the Bridgford End, would have seen the City Ground's capacity become the highest in the East Midlands, reaching 38,000 after completion.

The club was hopeful that building work would commence at the end of the 2019–20 season.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/news/2019/february/major-stadium-redevelopment-to-go-ahead-at-nottingham-forest|title=Major Redevelopment of the City Ground|publisher=Nottingham Forest Football Club|date=28 February 2019}}</ref> However, the redevelopment plans were temporarily put on hold due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom|COVID-19 pandemic]]. On 1 June 2021, Nottingham Forest submitted a revised planning application with residential development plans tweaked to appease planners.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Taylor|first=Paul|title=Lamouchi exclusive: 'I will not forget the pain after Stoke but it can help me'|work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/2057496/2020/09/11/nottingham-forest-sabri-lamouchi-championship/|access-date=2020-09-11}}</ref> After a lengthy delay, on 28th July 2022, resolution to grant planning permission was made by Rushcliffe Borough Council planning committee, however full planning permission was never granted, as all parties concerned with the application did not agree on [[Town and Country Planning Act 1990|section 106]] terms.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/nottingham-forest-city-ground-redevelopment-6751593|title=Forest have 'solid grounds for optimism' on City Ground planning approval|date=4 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-62338821 | title=Nottingham Forest stadium redevelopment plan approved | publisher=BBC News | date=28 July 2022 }}</ref> 

The redevelopment plans once again came under question following a rent-row between the club and the city's council in February 2024, leading the club to state that they could revive plans to move elsewhere unless an agreement was reached.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-68439547 | title=Nottingham Forest could quit City Ground over council rent row | publisher=BBC News | date=29 February 2024 }}</ref> In May 2024, [[The Athletic]] claimed that club owner [[Evangelos Marinakis]] wanted the club to move from the city ground and that the club were considering moving to a purpose built [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5491084/2024/05/14/evangelos-marinakis-city-ground-nottingham-forest/ 50,000 seat stadium] in [[Toton]], nearly six miles from Nottingham City Centre. In the days following this news, an architect based in Nottingham, [https://www.nottinghampost.com/sport/football/football-news/gallery/nottingham-forest-city-ground-stadium-9283829 Matthew Drewitt], released a high level vision for an all new 65,000 seat stadium on the current [[City Ground]] site. The vision aimed to solve Forest's long held ambitions of significantly increasing the stadium's capacity by rotating the pitch such that the main stand would run parallel to the [[River Trent]]. The designs included a new club museum, a new pier [[Pontoon bridge|pontoon]] for river taxis/floating event spaces and an extended Trentside [[towpath]], which would enable greater fan concourse space over the banks of the [[River Trent]]. Matthew explained his vision on Forest fan podcast, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j7OXVLeCuFI Talking Reds], the same day as then chairman Tom Cartledge dismissed calls for consideration of pitch rotation on Forest fan podcast, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CaIk5vstLsQ Forest Focus], claiming there were strict rules from FIFA around pitch orientation, in spite of the fact the current City Ground orientation does not comply.

In July 2024, the [[Nottingham City Council|city council]] eventually agreed to sell the stadium’s land to the club almost four months later since the row started.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-07-08 |title=Land sale set to see Nottingham Forest stay at City Ground - council |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cl4y1x11r8xo |access-date=2024-07-15 |website=www.bbc.com |language=en-GB}}</ref> In September 2024, owner Evagelos Marinakis confirmed his intentions to keep Forest at the City Ground, expanding the ground to a capacity of 50,000, with interviews on both the [https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cz7jq159x47o BBC] and [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXCFMAgjFlM Sky].

The City Ground has seen significant redevelopment efforts, particularly following Nottingham Forest’s return to the Premier League. Much of the stadium has been redecorated with new signs and decorations, enhancing the overall aesthetic and fan experience.<ref>{{Cite web |title=England: Many upgrades introduced at City Ground in Nottingham |url=https://stadiumdb.com/news/2024/10/england_many_upgrades_introduced_at_city_ground_in_nottingham |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=stadiumdb.com |language=en}}</ref>

A notable addition is the installation of a Shipping Container Stand in the corner between the Trent End and the Brian Clough Stand. This innovative stand has a capacity of approximately 500 seats. The redevelopment also includes new safe standing areas, high-definition screens, and upgraded hospitality lounges, making the City Ground a modern and vibrant venue for football and other events.<ref>{{Cite web |title=England: Many upgrades introduced at City Ground in Nottingham |url=https://stadiumdb.com/news/2024/10/england_many_upgrades_introduced_at_city_ground_in_nottingham |access-date=2024-10-22 |website=stadiumdb.com |language=en}}</ref>

In June 2025, [[Rushcliffe Borough Council]] resolved to approve the club's plans for a new [https://www.rushcliffe.gov.uk/news-area/planning-committee-resolve-to-approve-nottingham-forest-s-plans-at-the-city-ground/ 10,000 seat replacement Peter Taylor stand] and associated residential development. The club confirmed they would be working with partners on next steps, following the appointment of former [[Foster and Partners|Foster + Partners]] architect [https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/eastmidlands/news/2098846-forest-hire-principal-executive-to-drive-forward-city-ground-redevelopment Konstantinos Chatzimanolis].

==UEFA Euro 1996 matches==
The following games were played at the City Ground during the opening phase of the UEFA [[Euro 96]] tournament.
{| class="wikitable"
! Date !!  !! Result !! !! Round
|-
| 11 June 1996 || {{fb|TUR}} || 0–1 || {{fb|CRO}} || rowspan="3" | [[UEFA Euro 1996 Group D|Group D]]
|-
| 14 June 1996 || {{fb|POR}} || 1–0 || {{fb|TUR}} 
|-
| 19 June 1996 || {{fb|CRO}} || 0–3 || {{fb|POR}} 
|}

==Images==
[[File:NFFC City Ground Trent End 2025.jpg|200px|thumb|Photo taken from The Peter Taylor Stand showing the Trent End stand of the City Ground in 2025]]

[[File:NFFC The Brian Clough Stand 2025.jpg|200px|thumb|Photo taken from The Peter Taylor Stand showing The Brian Clough Stand of the City Ground in 2025]]

[[File:NFFC The Bridgford Stand 2025.jpg|200px|thumb|Photo taken from The Peter Taylor Stand showing The Bridgford Stand of the City Ground in 2025]]

[[File:Panoramara2.JPG|center|thumb|800px|Panorama taken from the Trent End]]

[[File:CityGroundPanorama.jpg|center|thumb|800px|Panorama taken from the Brian Clough Stand looking across at the Peter Taylor Stand, with the Radcliffe Road End of Trent Bridge cricket ground on the left]]

[[File:Panorama from bridgford.jpg|center|thumb|800px|Panorama taken from the Bridgford End Lower Tier (the away end) looking towards the Trent End]]

==See also==
*[[Lists of stadiums]]
*[[List of football stadiums in England]]

==Notes and references==
{{Reflist}}<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brindley |first=Clare |date=2024-09-06 |title=ADI Score Multiple Deals for Digital Upgrades at 8 Stadiums Over The Summer! |url=https://www.adi.tv/blog/news/adi-score-multiple-deals-for-digital-upgrades-at-8-stadiums-over-the-summer |access-date=30 April 2025 |website=ADI.tv |language=en-GB}}</ref>

==Bibliography==
* {{cite book |last=Attaway |first=Pete |date=1991 |title=Nottingham Forest: A Complete Record, 1865-1991 |location=Derby |publisher=Breedon Books Sport |isbn=090796995X}}
* {{cite thesis |last=Dawes |first=Andrew |date=2017 |title=The Origins and Development of Association Football in Nottinghamshire c.1860-1915 |type=PhD |publisher=De Montfort University |url=https://dora.dmu.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/2086/17610 |access-date=2022-02-20}}
* {{cite book |last=Inglis |first=Simon |date=1996 |title=Football Grounds of Britain |location=London |publisher=HarperCollins |pages=273–277 |chapter=Nottingham Forest |isbn=0002184265}}
* {{cite news |date=June 1990 |issue= 4 |title=Nottingham Forest and Lenton|url=https://www.lentontimes.co.uk/back_issues/issue_4/issue_4_12.htm |work=Lenton Times |publisher=Lenton Local History Society |access-date=2022-05-02|ref={{SfnRef|Lenton LHS|1990}}}}
* {{cite book |last=Mellor |first=Keith |date=1986 |title=Forest Road: Pictorial Milestones of the Garibaldi Reds |location=Nottingham |publisher=Temple Printing |isbn=9781870010009}}
* {{cite book |last=Turner |first=A. J. |date=1965 |title=The Hundred Years Story of the Nottingham Forest Football Club: 1865 – 1965 |location=Nottingham |publisher=Nottingham Forest Football Club |oclc=668119479}}
* {{cite book |last=Wright |first=Don |date=2015 |title=Forever Forest: The Official 150th Anniversary History of the Original Reds |location=Stroud |publisher=Amberley Publishing |isbn=9781445661315}}

==External links==
{{commons category|City Ground, Nottingham}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20170421193552/http://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/cityground/ The City Ground on NFFC's website]
*[http://3dcityground.com/ Virtual Tour of The City Ground]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/nottingham/hi/tv_and_radio/newsid_8358000/8358481.stm Matchday at the City Ground]
*[http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=nottingham+city+ground&sll=52.961048,-1.149445&sspn=0.202253,0.462799&ie=UTF8&ll=52.94013,-1.132751&spn=0.006323,0.014462&t=k&z=16&om=1 Google Maps Satellite Image Of The City Ground]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110430201405/http://www.westbridgfordhistory.org/timeline.htm West Bridgford History]
* [https://www.thecityground.com/home.php The City Ground], independent website featuring stats from every game played at the City Ground

{{Nottingham Forest F.C.}}
{{Premier League venues}}
{{UEFA Euro 1996 stadiums}}
{{UEFA Super Cup venues}}

[[Category:West Bridgford]]
[[Category:Tourist attractions in Nottinghamshire]]
[[Category:Sports venues in Nottingham]]
[[Category:Nottingham Forest F.C.]]
[[Category:Football venues in England]]
[[Category:Premier League venues]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1898]]
[[Category:English Football League venues]]
[[Category:1898 establishments in England]]