Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has issued the following statement to Reds supporters following the announcement that a major investment is to go ahead at The City Ground.

"We have made steady progress since our arrival and you, the fans, have been central to this. The record season-card figures and the record average attendances illustrate your passion and backing to our team and our vision.

"From the very beginning our strategy has been not to make promises but to deliver. We were clear when we said we wanted our actions to speak louder than our words. After more than a year of consultation, we are now delighted to be able to present you our vision for The New City Ground.

"I would like to thank Councillors Jon Collins and Simon Robinson and all the representatives of both the City and Rushcliffe Borough councils for their co-operation and engagement in this project.

"The City Ground has iconic history and memories for our supporters and these legacies were fundamental in our decision us to remain on the banks of the River Trent and not relocating to an alternative site. This is our home and we will remain here forever.

"We want our supporters to play an important role in the decision-making of the club. Our intention is to now consult with our supporters and the wider Nottingham public to gain your views before making a formal planning application. I encourage you all to participate.

"This investment is about our club and the city of Nottingham and we are all committed together to deliver a place that we will all feel proud of, The New City Ground, our home forever."



Fantastic news to top off a great week.
What an owner, we are lucky to have him.

Great news!

The main stand has been crying out to be redeveloped for far too long. The plans as well look impressive.

With its location as well the city ground will remain one of the best grounds in the country.

Dagnamit, you beat me to it! 🤣

The scale of the redevelopment is pretty staggering. I guess the redevelopment of the old Rushcliffe Borough Council building into luxury apartments has been a factor in persuading the council that these plans can work. Exciting times if it comes to fruition.

To be honest, I don’t mind what they do as long as the fix the water pressure in the taps. Takes far too long to wash your hands after a whizz!

Long overdue upgrading of the concourse in the Upper Brian Clough Stand would be a godsend. It is jam packed up there at half time and is a grind to get through. The Bridgford End is still decent but I guess they could extend the concourses in there to as there is plenty of room behind the stand over the car park.

As the now legendary fans' group Forza Garibaldi have stated...

'Awesome news to add to an already brilliant week. The character and identity of the club matters and it means something to us all that we don’t exist in an identikit retail park stadium. Well done to the owners & board. Overjoyed at this.'

Spot on as always!!

It is very ambitious and will cost a lot more than if they upped sticks and moved to a flat pack stadium so you have to applaud their ambition. Think I will probably have to stump up for a season ticket for the next few seasons as the capacity will be reduced to around 23,000 when the redevelopment is going on. I would imagine it will be the same as when the Trent End and Bridgford End were redeveloped. Away fans will get two blocks of the Lower Brian Clough Stand. Means Forest fans will have the whole of the Bridgford End. I remember how fantastic the atmosphere was when that happened in the 94/95 season when Roy and Collymore were in their pomp and the Reds finished 3rd in the Prem. The noise was incredible, kind of like it was the other evening.

Have to say they held onto the news well and the timing of the press release a few days after such a key victory on the field was genius.

I just hope that the cost of the redevelopment isn’t passed onto the fans and future earnings from the use of the facilities seven days a week will help offset the cost. If they get some decent conference facilities in, for example, that should being some decent revenue in. A Forest museum sounds pretty interesting too. Been a grumble over many years that the club don’t make enough of the facility on non-match days.

Hopefully with an increased capacity the club will be able to widen the range of ticket prices they can make available. Would be great to fill 38,000 seats regularly. They’d have to make it affordable to achieve that, especially if they weren’t in the Prem.

That was fantastic Will.

Done a bit of research and the Architect is Benoy, here is a link to the work...

https://www.benoy.com/drawing-board/new-peter-taylor-stand-nottingham-forest-football-club/

It is going to be a single tier stand, housing 10,000 fans, which would then leave a theoretical reduced capacity of 28,000 but, it is understood the Bridgeford redevelopment is incorporated in this.

Logically the Bridgeford should be started first and could/should be completed in the summer of 2020; not a huge undertaking to get that ready by the time the first fixtures are played?
Then start work on the Peter Taylor stand.

If this is correct the temporary capacity of a maximum of 28,000 by the start of the 2020 season, wouldn't be a massive reduction to what we currently are.

That is a good point. They could redevelop the Bridgford Stand over summer 2020 and around 28,000 wouldn’t be too dramatic a reduction as I believe season ticket sales will go through the roof this summer with people wanting to guarantee a seat. I am already considering that prospect.

They could stick the away fans in the last two blocks of the Brian Clough Stand and have the whole Lower Bridgford for Forest fans. Could justify lowering the away allocation temporarily whilst the PS Stand is redeveloped.

Let’s hope these contractors have their heads screwed on and they come up with realistic timescales for completion. Would hate to see them make a “Spurs” of it! 🤣

Article doesn’t say how long the lease has been renewed for. Must be a fair while to justify the “Our home forever” quote from Marinakis.

It is going to be a single tier stand, housing 10,000 fans,

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This is what I read, but the pics show otherwise. Details I suppose.

What has happened to the daylight issue for the terrace houses behind the Bridgford stand? Or are they being bought up/knocked down and redeveloped?

comment by Red Forest Bear ( Bear Knows) (U6288)
posted 17 minutes ago
What has happened to the daylight issue for the terrace houses behind the Bridgford stand? Or are they being bought up/knocked down and redeveloped?
---------------------------------------------------------------------Apparently, was only one home owner on Colwick Road who refused to sell up back in the 90’s despite be offered well over market value for the property. He had been there for decades, etc. I would imagine they’ll try and purchase some or all of these houses and demolish them to make way for an extended Bridgford End. Could even just purchased the ten or so houses up to the junction with Orston Road West and that would give them plenty of room.

Marinakis 'had a word'.

In other news, he hasn't been seen since!

😲

Absolutely brilliant news 👍

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuawGM6AHYQ/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=11p44j3csktig

It has been twenty-four hours since the stadium announcement and I've not heard anyone moaning about having to move to a different part of the stadium when the redevelopment starts.

Come on guys, don't be shy. You know you want to.