The City Ground: A History of Forest's Home

The City Ground has been Nottingham Forest's home since 1898. Sitting on the banks of the River Trent, separated from Notts County's Meadow Lane by barely 300 yards of water, it is one of the most atmospheric and historically significant football grounds in England. Over 125 years, it has witnessed European Cup triumphs, agonising relegations, record crowds, and the kind of unforgettable nights that define what it means to support a football club.

This is the story of the ground that Forest built — and the ground that built Forest.

Before the City Ground: Forest's Early Homes (1865–1898)

When Nottingham Forest were founded in 1865, they had no permanent ground. The club played on a variety of pitches around Nottingham, beginning at the Forest Recreation Ground — the public park from which the club takes its name. Between 1865 and 1898, Forest used at least five different grounds, including the Meadows, Trent Bridge Cricket Ground, and Parkside.

The most significant of these early homes was Trent Bridge, the famous cricket ground where Forest played from 1883 to 1885. It was here that the club first began to establish itself as a serious footballing entity. But the arrangement with the cricket club was never going to be permanent, and Forest moved to Parkside before eventually settling on the site that would become the City Ground.

A New Home by the Trent: 1898

In 1898 — the same year Forest won their first FA Cup, beating Derby County 3-1 in the final at Crystal Palace — the club moved to the City Ground. The site, on the south bank of the River Trent in West Bridgford, was leased from the local corporation, and the ground was initially a basic affair: a single small stand and open banking on three sides.

The location was inspired. The proximity to the River Trent gave the ground a distinctive character, and being just across the river from the city centre made it easily accessible for supporters. Crucially, it also placed Forest within shouting distance of their neighbours Notts County at Meadow Lane — creating one of the closest rivalries in English football, both geographically and emotionally.

Early Development: 1900s–1960s

The City Ground evolved slowly through the first half of the 20th century. A Main Stand was built on the west side of the pitch in the early 1900s, providing covered seating for around 5,000 spectators. The rest of the ground was open terracing, exposed to the Nottinghamshire weather and the wind blowing off the Trent.

The record attendance at the City Ground was set on 28 October 1967, when 49,946 spectators crammed in to watch a First Division league match against Manchester United, coinciding with the opening of the new East Stand. Forest won 3-1, and the figure remains the all-time record to this day. The atmosphere that day — with supporters packed onto terraces and climbing onto any vantage point they could find — is part of City Ground legend.

Throughout the 1960s and early 1970s, the ground remained largely unchanged. Forest were a middling side, bouncing between the First and Second Divisions, and there was little impetus (or money) for major development. All of that was about to change.

The Clough Era and European Nights: 1975–1993

Brian Clough's arrival in 1975 transformed not just the football club but the ground itself. As Forest rose from the Second Division to become champions of England and then Europe, the City Ground had to grow to match the club's ambitions.

The most significant development during this period was the construction of the Executive Stand (now the Brian Clough Stand) on the west side of the ground, replacing the old Main Stand. Completed in 1980, it was a modern, two-tiered structure with executive boxes and seating for several thousand spectators. It was a statement of intent from a club that had just won back-to-back European Cups.

The European nights at the City Ground during the Clough era are the stuff of legend. The first round of the 1978-79 European Cup saw Forest drawn against defending champions Liverpool. The first leg at the City Ground ended 2-0 to Forest, with Garry Birtles and Colin Barrett scoring. The atmosphere that night — the noise, the intensity, the sense that something extraordinary was happening — has been described by those who were there as the greatest night in the ground's history.

Other memorable European evenings followed: the semi-final against FC Köln in 1979, the battles with Ajax and Dynamo Berlin in 1980. The City Ground became a fortress where visiting European sides were overwhelmed not just by Forest's football but by the wall of noise from the home supporters.

Taylor Report and All-Seater Conversion: 1990s

The 1989 Hillsborough disaster and the subsequent Taylor Report mandated that all top-flight grounds be converted to all-seater stadiums by August 1994. For the City Ground, this meant a fundamental transformation. The open terraces that had accommodated standing supporters for nearly a century were replaced with seats, reducing the capacity but improving safety and comfort.

The Trent End, the traditional home end behind one goal, was rebuilt as a two-tiered, all-seater stand in 1994. The Bridgford Stand on the east side was also redeveloped. These changes brought the capacity to approximately 30,602 — the figure it would remain at for many years.

The conversion coincided with Forest's relegation from the Premier League in 1993 and the end of the Clough era. The ground was being modernised just as the club was entering a difficult period, and there was a bittersweet quality to watching new stands go up while the team went down.

The Four Stands

The modern City Ground consists of four distinct stands, each with its own character:

The Brian Clough Stand (west side): Originally the Executive Stand, renamed in honour of the club's greatest manager after his death in 2004. This is the main stand, housing the press box, directors' box, and hospitality facilities. Capacity: approximately 10,000.

The Trent End (south): The home end, where the most vocal supporters gather. Rebuilt as a two-tiered stand in 1994, it generates the majority of the atmosphere on match days. Capacity: approximately 7,700.

The Bridgford Stand (east): A two-tiered stand opposite the Brian Clough Stand. Upper tier is often used for away supporters. Capacity: approximately 8,000.

The Peter Taylor Stand (north): Originally the Lower Ground stand, renamed in 2012 in honour of Brian Clough's legendary assistant. This stand, which was the oldest remaining part of the ground, became the subject of a major redevelopment project in the 2020s.

The Peter Taylor Stand Rebuild

The most significant development at the City Ground in recent decades has been the planned demolition and rebuilding of the Peter Taylor Stand. The original stand, dating from the early 1990s, was the smallest and most dated part of the ground, and plans to replace it with a larger, modern structure have been discussed for years.

Under owner Evangelos Marinakis, concrete plans finally emerged. The new stand is designed to increase the City Ground's overall capacity to over 38,000, bringing it closer to the standards expected of a Premier League venue. The redevelopment includes improved hospitality facilities, better accessibility, and a design that reflects the club's ambitions for the future.

The rebuild has been a complex project, affected by planning considerations, pandemic delays, and the cost of materials. But when completed, it will give Forest one of the finest grounds in the Premier League and ensure that the City Ground remains the club's home for generations to come.

Famous Nights at the City Ground

Beyond the European Cup matches of the Clough era, the City Ground has hosted countless memorable occasions. The 2022 Championship play-off semi-final against Sheffield United is a modern classic: Brice Samba saved three penalties in the shootout as Forest won their way to Wembley and, ultimately, back to the Premier League after 23 years away. The noise inside the ground that night was deafening.

Other famous nights include the 1989 FA Cup semi-final replay between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest (held at Old Trafford rather than the City Ground, but the original match was at Hillsborough), countless East Midlands derbies against Derby County, and the emotional scenes when the Brian Clough Stand was officially renamed after the great man's passing.

The City Ground has also hosted international football, serving as a venue for matches in the 1966 World Cup (three group games were played at nearby Hillsborough and Roker Park) and various England fixtures over the decades.

The Ground Today and the Future

Today, the City Ground has a capacity of approximately 30,602, set to rise significantly once the Peter Taylor Stand rebuild is completed. It remains one of the most compact and atmospheric grounds in the Premier League, with supporters close to the pitch and a noise level that belies its relatively modest size.

The proximity to the River Trent gives match days a unique quality. Approaching the ground on foot from Nottingham station, crossing Trent Bridge with the floodlights visible in the distance, is one of English football's great pre-match walks. The ground itself, nestled between the river and the residential streets of West Bridgford, feels organic and rooted in its community in a way that many modern stadiums do not.

From a basic pitch by the river in 1898 to a ground that has hosted European Cup semi-finals and Premier League football, the City Ground's story mirrors Forest's own: modest beginnings, extraordinary peaks, difficult times, and the promise of a bright future. It is, quite simply, home.