The City Ground can be found in West Bridgford in Nottinghamshire. The stadium can be found on the River Trent and has played host for the home games of Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898. The current capacity at City Ground is over 30,400 and it was one of the host venues during Euro 96.
The arch-rivals of Forest are Notts County, with their stadium being only three hundred yards away. These are the closest professional stadiums of football teams that you will find across England. They are the second closest in the UK, only behind Dundee United and Dundee stadiums. The City Ground is across the river from the Notts County stadium.
History of City Ground
1898
It was in 1898 that Nottingham Forest moved into City Ground. This was 33 years later the club had been formed and just six years after it made it into the Football League.
Money was raised by local businessmen, supporters and members to pay for the stadium, with more than £2,000 raised. The name comes from the stadium being located on what was then the boundary line for the city limits.
1957
It was in 1957 that the first major renovation was completed, with the new East stand opening. The opening game was against the Busby Babes Manchester United team.
1961
It was in September 1961 that the first game using floodlights took place at City Ground. It was 1967 that a record attendance at the crowd was created, with almost 50,000 people there when Forest was playing Manchester United in a league fixture.
1965
The main stand was mostly rebuilt during 1965 but a fire a couple of years later started while the team was playing Leeds United in a league game. This began in the boiler room at around half time. While the stand was damaged, nobody of the crowd got hurt.
1980s
A £2 million Executive stand was built in 1980, being bankrolled by the massive success the club was having in the 1970s. It was Nottingham who was the opponents against Liverpool on the day of the terrible Hillsborough Disaster that changed the game forever.
1990s
This led to the authorities making every major football team in the country to have all-seater stadiums. Major developments at City Ground took place during the 1990s and hosted games during Euro 96.
2019
As well as football games, City Ground has also played host to rugby union games and musical concerts. After talk of potentially relocating, the lease for City Ground was extended in February 2019.
2020
It now plans to replace the Peter Taylor Stand with a 10,000 seated new stand. The plan is to start this work after the end of the season in 2020, with the new capacity set to be 38,000.
Nottingham Forest Football Club
Nottingham Forest Football Club has had a number of periods of great success. The team has won the First Division on one occasion, the FA Cup twice, the League Cup four times and the European Cup in back to back years. Their golden years were in the 1970s and early 1980s, led by the great Brian Clough and then by Peter Taylor.
The clubs big rivals Notts County, but the latter has not really competed at the same level as Forest over the years. The other big rival is Derby County, with the East Midlands derby always being a heated affair. Nottingham Forest is considered as being the oldest club in the football club and they currently ply their trade in the second-tier Championship.
Betting on games at the City Ground
Forest has always had an exciting brand of football. They lit up the world stage during their heyday. They still try to play to these same principles as they aim for an eventual ascent back to the Premier League. If you are betting on City Ground games, there are plenty of betting markets to check out.
All of the leading betting sites have been reviewed on Roger.com by a team of experts. You can sign up for an account with one of these sportsbooks in just a few minutes, getting a free best welcome offer in the process. Sign up today before you miss out on these great welcome offers.
