Recent months have seen a standstill in negotiations over the club’s lease renewal at the City Ground, and a group of council members’ most recent proposal has infuriated Nottingham Forest supporters.
Following reports last week that the club might have to find a new home if negotiations with the city council broke down, Nottingham Forest’s future at the City Ground is still up in the air.
A group on Nottingham City Council has proposed a potential move to land close to Toton Tram Station, given the uncertainty surrounding the club’s lease on the City Ground.
The news is being presented for discussion by the council members and is regarded as a “last resort.” It is recommended that they take note of the following remarks made by Reds supporters, as they are quite vocal about their emotions:
Kingie: Forest is moving to Toton! Is the City Council acting incompetently? Or are they merely clinging to tenuous hope? The next step will be to rename the team as Derby Forest. LOL, OH LOLA MY DEAR!
Having said that, the £1 million in rent paid on the current location pales in comparison to the £173 million spent on players and the excessive wage expenditures that violated FFP regulations last year. Come on, REDS, show your support for your city and quit holding your supporters and city hostage in order to boost your bottom line.
Wanwan: Toton was not forgotten. The embankment, a vast area next to the Trent that is fully capable of supporting 50,000–60,000 people and has infrastructure built in, is the only option that would be acceptable. Walking distance from town, close to a park and ride and a tram stop. would have enormous advantages for the fields
Cloughs1980red: The individual who proposed this ought to reconsider. Even though the club does not yet know which league it will play in or whether it will face additional sanctions, building a new stadium should not even be considered at this time, even if this is a fantastic idea in light of what is happening at Everton with their new ground and PSR. This location is perfectly situated between Nottingham and Derby, even though a new stadium would be fantastic.
It is easy to picture Richard Masters or Rick Parry flipping through an atlas to locate Toton and discovering that it is sandwiched between two East Midland cities. Then, one of them would suggest that Derby Forest should replace Nottingham Forest as the club’s name. It had happened before, after all, when Wimbledon changed its name to MK Dons. What would happen as a club if we were to choose this course of action? Would we be able to continue playing at the City ground while a new stadium is being built, or would we have to move like Coventry in order to play all of our games every season? Personally, I think we should stay put and see if Evangelos can buy the lease out. Personally, I do not want to see one of those sponsored flat-pack stadium constructions. It must continue to be the City Ground because it has been for more than a century.
Redspaniel: If Forest relocates, they ought to consider options beyond a stadium. They can consider revenue-generating activities such as conferences, clubs (like sports clubs), scouting, and entertainment. These are all things that we currently lack the resources or room to complete. In order to stay competitive in today’s world, we must make money. Being at City Ground puts restrictions on us.
The RoanBlue: Here, infrastructure appears to be a problem. It has deteriorated over the last thirty years to the point where nothing is left. Talk about ghost towns. It is feasible for fans to attend the game from the ground and then return home. A slip road down to the station, which was to be located at Toton sidings, was planned for the A52 during HS2. There is not a train that goes from Nottingham to this area; the only stations are Sawley Junction or Ilkeston.
To the best of my memory, the tram was also lowered to reach the sidings. It would be a parking nightmare during football season. There would need to be underground parking for designated vehicles. Since I live here, it is nice to have a quick commute to the ground, but it is just not practical for me.
Weaponsgrade: Lack of facilities, bad transportation, and excessive distance from the city. There will be no more pubs or chip shops like the ones we used to love on matchday. The WFCG is necessary.
Some Nottinghamshire County council members have proposed this idea, thinking it would be the club’s “last resort.” They intend to talk more about this at a future meeting. David Martin, an independent councilor from Selston, said: “We have watched with growing frustration as negotiations between Nottingham Forest and Nottingham City Council over a new lease have broken down. This has made it uncertain whether Nottingham Forest will continue to play at the renowned City Ground, where it has been since 1898.”
He continued, saying, “It is obvious that, in our capacity as county council, we must engage with the club, which is a major source of revenue for our county. According to Nottinghamshire Live, Toton already has the necessary infrastructure, including a train station and a tram stop.
He also made the following suggestion: “Any new stadium at Toton will far surpass the City Ground’s current capacity.” Investigating options at this point is incredibly sensible and should only be done as a last resort if Nottinghamshire County Council is sincere about assisting the club in growing.”