‘Interest’ from Forest in potential stadium move
IT has been confirmed that Nottingham Forest has “shown an interest” in developing on land away from their current City Ground site after reports they may leave the stadium.
Negotiations with Nottingham City Council on extending Forest’s lease at the City Ground have stalled, with the authority having now employed specialist agents to advise on the matter.
Having played at the City Ground since 1898, a relocation for Forest has been described as “unthinkable” by some fans, and manager Nuno Espirito Santo has described the stadium as being a “special” home for the club.
Following the reports, the Independent Alliance group of councillors at Nottinghamshire County Council called for land at Toton previously earmarked for HS2 to be offered as a new stadium site.
Councillor Keith Girling, the county council’s cabinet member for economic development, has now confirmed that talks are already under way with Forest after they expressed interest in county council land.
Speaking at a meeting yesterday, Councillor Girling said: “Officers and myself have had several meetings with Nottingham Forest and a memorandum of understanding will be coming to me to sign... Let me make this very clear, we were approached by Nottingham Forest.”
Thursday’s county council meeting eventually saw members backing a motion which read: “This council resolves to continue to explore options with stakeholders at Nottingham Forest Football Club and others to try to secure the future of the club.
“This may include whether there are any potentially suitable county council sites which may be marketed for disposal in future.”
Councillor David Martin, who brought forward the motion and who is himself a Nottingham Forest season ticket holder, said: “This could be a major boost for the economies of the immediate surrounding towns in Broxtowe such as Beeston and Stapleford.
“I do personally think people would still go into the city too and then make their way over because there would be nearly twice as many of them, with the ability to buy tickets in a bigger stadium. This is the case in Manchester, as fans stay and eat and drink in the city centre before heading down to the Etihad Stadium in East Manchester.
“Whether you are a football fan or not – it’s clear that the social and economic impact of Nottingham Forest benefits everyone in our wider region.”
Warning that any progress will take some time, Councillor Girling added: “We are treating them like any other developer who shows an interest in any of our land and property. If we get to the point where there could be an agreement, we will do what we always do and put it through the proper process to advance the opportunity.”