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What it means

Rzar

Bob McKinlay
People posting about taking their very young kids to see the Forest celebrations in the square probably don’t realise just what an impact can have - my first exposure to Forest was going to town to watch the open top bus celebration when Forest won the FA Cup in 1959. I can remember it as if it was yesterday and wanted to know when it would happen again. My dad (who wasn’t a football fan) had a hard job explaining to a 4 yo that it’s not the sort of thing that happens every week.

Cherish it when it does happen - although you never know, we just might be doing it a bit more frequently again soon - dare to dream?

During the celebrations in the square it struck me how lucky I was to actually go to Wembley and witness it first hand. Never take moments like this past week for granted!

I will never forget it, we could win the Champions League again and I am not sure things will feel this good.
 

adam09

Super Koopa
People posting about taking their very young kids to see the Forest celebrations in the square probably don’t realise just what an impact can have - my first exposure to Forest was going to town to watch the open top bus celebration when Forest won the FA Cup in 1959. I can remember it as if it was yesterday and wanted to know when it would happen again. My dad (who wasn’t a football fan) had a hard job explaining to a 4 yo that it’s not the sort of thing that happens every week.

Cherish it when it does happen - although you never know, we just might be doing it a bit more frequently again soon - dare to dream?

My 5yo is just starting to understand what it's all about and what it means to me but I had to take him to Wembley. Like you say, you never know when or if we'll get another chance. It's hard work taking such a very young and extremely energetic child to a football match but it was worth it to see his face at the end and loving the celebrations. We had a great weekend in London and made amazing some memories.
 

adam09

Super Koopa
During the celebrations in the square it struck me how lucky I was to actually go to Wembley and witness it first hand. Never take moments like this past week for granted!

I will never forget it, we could win the Champions League again and I am not sure things will feel this good.

With top level football and trophies so monopolised now it would probably feel better than ever!
 

Redemption

Weepy gripe baby 👶
Did a self indulgent blog trying to cover this topic. Fell a bit short.

https://goddammit.co.uk/2022/05/31/and-i-just-cant-seem-to-get-enough/

A good post Al.

"gradual acceptance that we’d never get there" - I don't if I accepted never, but 99-08 changed my outlook on Forest, who we were, what we meant, what we could expect, etc. This was sort of painful journey but not all bad.

I prefer the me with less hubris. That's probably an age thing anyway, but it taught me a kind of respect for football that would give Cooper a semi.

That 23 year journey - the getting there, the arrival on Sunday - has been incredible.

WHat comes next is as exciting is it is daunting. I hope it was worth it.
 

T.B.T.

Forum Princess
LTLF Minion
I thought about you when I was going in the turnstiles as the guy in front had an issue I was hoping you'd got in OK and not been been jipped .

Awwwww thank you. I was thinking about you too :rolleyes:

No problems at all. :)
 

chaospunx

Viv Anderson
I remember at Stoke away early this year awfull performance never heard so much abuse and anger that day being directed towards the then Manager I would of understood if my son never wanted to go to another forest game after that day.
Fast forward to today and we're looking back on what happened on Sunday I still can't believe it's the same season so what it means I've always been a forest fan but don't think I've ever loved being a forest fan as much as I do today I don't remember an atmosphere like Sunday in any of them finals we used to win.
I'm so proud to be forest again
 

Dirk Furtull

John Robertson
Before kick off I said to my lad we should have a selfie together as I may never get here again! Neither of us would normally do anything like that but he was up for it.
It was a flippant comment from me but possibly realistic given its been 30 years since we were last there.
I hope in years to come he looks at that picture and thinks ' dad was a right twat, but this was good'.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk
 

chaospunx

Viv Anderson
Before kick off I said to my lad we should have a selfie together as I may never get here again! Neither of us would normally do anything like that but he was up for it.
It was a flippant comment from me but possibly realistic given its been 30 years since we were last there.
I hope in years to come he looks at that picture and thinks ' dad was a right twat, but this was good'.

Sent from my LM-G710 using Tapatalk

I got mine and my sons Wembley tickets straight away but had 2 wait till the Tuesday lottery to get my dads.
On Tuesday morning my dad rang me up and said don't bother getting me one (my mum isn't very well and he didn't want to leave her) but I said bollox to that your coming and ill sort my brother to come look after mum as he doesn't watch football.
On the way back to the car after the game my dad said thank you for making me come its my best ever day watching forest and he was at both European finals and was 92 when we were last both at Wembley together I couldn't speak for about 30 seconds as I was nearly in tears this Season has been amazing in so many ways
 
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Jimmy

First Team Squad
I think like most the outpouring of emotion hit me unexpectedly before, during and after the match.

I read through the Forest Posts on Saturday from Twitter where people were paying tribute to those they lost whilst walking through my local town centre and had to stop, pause to take in the words and it made me reflect.

Like lots of others my origin story is London related and we moved to Nottingham in my early school years. Peer pressure meant that I had limited choices apparently of supporting Forest, Liverpool or County and had to ditch my London club. I chose Forest because I hadn't heard of Notts County and already disliked Liverpool.

When I was about 8 a friend of my mums and her hubby from work took us to the kind of boxing day game at the wfcg against Liverpool as a Xmas gift for me. I was in the trent end and ushered to stand with the other kids, it was a 1-1 draw and I can still remember the sights, sounds and smells. Certainly I became familiar with some new words but also connected the the club as well in a different way than my arbitrary choice from before had allowed.

I only share that because reading the Twitter posts made me remember that the couple who took me to my first game had passed last year and some of my best mates who had got into Forest via grandparents and parents had also lost them in the past 23 years too so I had an unexpected cry/fake hayfever attack and looked forward to the game with a new perspective.

What it means to me is realising the connection between those that have passed is still here, when we won at Wembley for me I felt it overpower me and the suppressed grief, the absolute horror of the pandemic, coupled with absolute joy meant a feeling of pure release and now a sort of strange comfort.

I started to think this day would never come, I had lost the connection of what Forest has meant to me or realise what an outlet it was until that moment. Seeing the city come together and celebrate is honestly one of the most wonderful sights I've seen.

I've got small kids now, neither have shown an inkling of interest in football or Forest and I've not wanted to inflict my affliction onto them. Both have asked to go to matches and get kits (My 7 year old daughter also learned a song at school about a certain team getting battered that got her in trouble with her mum but made me smile ).

Its beautiful and I'm still smiling COYR.

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk


Very similar for me. Born in North London in the mid-60’s - where I spent my early years. Ended up here in Nottingham, initially living in Carlton, where I went to junior school. During the mid-70s I was taken to see Forest play against Bolton with a friend and his dad and this was some time before Forest got promoted to the First Division. I’ve followed Forest ever since.

Even though I followed Forest, along with many of my school friends, I only ever got to see a few live games as a kid as we were always out playing football ourselves.

That era as a schoolboy following the Reds was magical, as we won the league and then two European cups.

I then joined the RN in the late 80s and spent most of my time away from Nottingham, following Forest from afar. It could be quite difficult to keep in touch with what was happening in the football world when we were half-way round the world and stuck at sea for weeks or months at a time. There was no mobile phones or internet back in those days so us football fans always looked forward to Saturday evenings when the footy results were sent by signal to the ship and printed out and pinned up on the notice board outside the Main Communications Office. I still followed my team wherever I was and it was one of the few things that kept me sane when away for so long.

Now, having left the mob and living back in Nottingham full time, I still follow my team as much as possible, including through the medium of this forum. I still get to very few games – going to matches never became established as a habit or a routine as I was away so much of the time – but I am now nearly always glued to Radio Nottingham for Matchday.

The last time we played Sheff Utd in the play-offs, in 2003, I was able to go to the first leg at the City Ground but for the second leg I was up in Scotland with the Navy and could only listen to the game on the radio. This year I was in Spain and was able to watch both games on the telly. I even briefly bumped into a fellow Tricky in Santa Pola.

I know many of you invest your time and money by attending games, which I seldom do, but I am just as emotionally involved. For those of you who went to Wembley I hope you had a fantastic day out. I was with you in spirit if not in body.

Watching the first half of the final in the pub all I felt was a very strong, palpable sense of relief when the goal was scored. I went back home for the second half and my nerves were shredded listening to the game on the radio. I really had a mixed bag of emotions and it still doesn’t feel quite real.
 

EmmersonForest4

Stuart Pearce
The last game in the prem was my first and I was in my mid-teens, assumed we'd come straight back up (naïve berk I was).

My first season as a committed Forest fan was 1999, as you can imagine a lot of emotions came out Sunday.

People have known me as negative on here but when I first joined the forum nearer to 10 years ago I was a lot more optimistic but Forest just have this ability to sap any hope, confidence and feel good times out of you for the past 23 years. I think this is why you saw the celebrations on Sunday and why so many cried because it pent up for such a long time.

I wrote on here the closest to this emotion I think I have flet sporting wise was England reaching a major final and England winning the 2005 ashes and its for the exact same reasons. It was just pent up frustration built up years upon years.

Hope you have enjoyed as much as I have I broke down in tears full time and I dont normally watch LadBaby but his Wembley video was class and summed up the day I had down to tee.
 

Worrallsshinpad

Youth Team
My first season as a committed Forest fan was 1999, as you can imagine a lot of emotions came out Sunday.

People have known me as negative on here but when I first joined the forum nearer to 10 years ago I was a lot more optimistic but Forest just have this ability to sap any hope, confidence and feel good times out of you for the past 23 years. I think this is why you saw the celebrations on Sunday and why so many cried because it pent up for such a long time.

I wrote on here the closest to this emotion I think I have flet sporting wise was England reaching a major final and England winning the 2005 ashes and its for the exact same reasons. It was just pent up frustration built up years upon years.

Hope you have enjoyed as much as I have I broke down in tears full time and I dont normally watch LadBaby but his Wembley video was class and summed up the day I had down to tee.

I'm still in shock TBH, only remember Forest as a yo-yo club when I was young, then a mess five minutes away from falling apart for most of the 21st century. The current owner made us more stable, but I thought it would take years to push onto any premiership challenge. So... it's a lot to take in, from awful to promoted in a few months after years of mediocrity and Megson.
 
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Beardo7

Viv Anderson
At the final whistle on Sunday my Wife broke down and was just sobbing uncontrollably and she NEVER cry's. (Part of being a Dr I think she has see it all)

But seeing what it meant to her set me off as well 23 years of pent up emotion just came out! I sat in my seat for a good few mins with just my head in my hands thinking of my dad and also my father in law who were both huge Forest fans who have now passed on (I was only 21 when I lost my dad) and used to take us both as kids. And was hoping they were both together looking down on us and proud that we had both got to witness something akin to what they did in the 70's/80's.

For all the people that say "It's only a game" get them to watch a video of the celebrations after the Match Sunday and see then explosion of noise and colour and just raw emotion and tell the fans that it's "Just a game"

It is now Wednesday and I am still a bit emotional, thank you Forest for what you have done for all of us this season, we all knew it was there just needed a spark.

"It only takes 1 match to burn a 1000 trees" Well the Trees are on fire now!
 

JustARed

A. Trialist
So under the cover of total anonymity, i'll go.
I'm not from Nottingham (god how i envy you all) - i was fostered then adopted in the 70s. My mother's family were from nr Worksop, and i spent every half term, summer holiday there.
My grandpa took me to a forest match when i was about 4 (i don't really remember it), but i do remember when i was 9 or 10 finally feeling 'home' (i don't mean at the WFCG) - just a sense of belonging to something.
When everyone else around me was a Liverpool fan, i felt like i had some roots, when i'd not had them before.

That's what being a forest fan means to me - belonging. Being at Wembley, surrounded by other people all dreaming the same dream, felt like belonging.

Even the wife is sending me forest videos she's seen on twitter now, only taken 21 years of marriage, but maybe i've got a convert (the kids all hate sport..!)
 

valspoodle

Steve Chettle
I've said before, I'm a Norfolk dumpling. Dad posted to Nottingham in 1948 after we returned from Egypt. After spending the War in deepest Norfolk and then far away, I knew nothing about sport or any football teams.

But in Nottingham Dad took me to Trent Bridge, I learnt, whilst playing with other youngsters on that big bit of grass in front of the Radcliffe Road scoreboard, that there was a football ground across the road, Intrigued I went have a look one day, but went to the wrong ground whilst walking from the middle of town (saving on the bus fare as usual).

Persuaded Dad to take me to the right ground, saw a couple of games in 1950 and was hooked. Have been ever since. The one real constant in my life from that day to this.
 

Captain Sinister

Senior doom Monger
What it actually means, with 8 games fewer than the Championship, my season card has seen a 15% increase in the price per game.
 

EmmersonForest4

Stuart Pearce
What it actually means, with 8 games fewer than the Championship, my season card has seen a 15% increase in the price per game.

I am going to miss the midweek games so much, I know its sacralage but there was nothing nicer the cold dark weeks to have a cheeky midweek game to look forward to.

I dont understand the clamour for less games in this day and age when as I said football players are paid thousands. Id rather they train less and get rest that way.
 

MaxiRobriguez

Bob McKinlay
I am going to miss the midweek games so much, I know its sacralage but there was nothing nicer the cold dark weeks to have a cheeky midweek game to look forward to.

I dont understand the clamour for less games in this day and age when as I said football players are paid thousands. Id rather they train less and get rest that way.

The biggest annoyance is going to be all the random times. 8PM on a Friday, 12PM on a Sat, 5PM on a Sat, 12Pm on a Sunday, 4PM on a Sunday, 8PM on a Monday.

I love a Saturday 3PM kick off and we'll have precious few of them I'll imagine.
 

Strummer

Socialismo O Muerte!
LTLF Minion
I am going to miss the midweek games so much, I know its sacralage but there was nothing nicer the cold dark weeks to have a cheeky midweek game to look forward to.

I dont understand the clamour for less games in this day and age when as I said football players are paid thousands. Id rather they train less and get rest that way.

Less games, means proportionally higher quality, less „dead rubber“ matches that mean nothing.
 

siforest65

Jack Burkitt
Sunday was a double celebration for me. Seeing my son enjoying Forest at Wembley for the first time in his life was something I will never forget. We tend to go to the London games more than home games. Before this season his Forest highlight of seeing Forest live was a 3-0 win at Reading under Dougie. Just sums how grim things were up until Coopers arrival.

The icing on the cake was seeing us clinch promotion to the Premier League.
 

virgo

Geoff Thomas

virgo

Geoff Thomas
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