The World Famous City Ground - Home of the PROPER WORLD‘S OLDEST LEAGUE CLUB

[Professor Wolfgang Schnell BSc. PhD.]

Google AI says:

The highest crowd at The City Ground during the 2025–26 season was 30,778 for the Premier League match against Manchester City

 

[forzagaribaldi]

Same attendance versus Man U too. https://www.thecityground.com/season_details.php?season_id=2025-26

 

[PlayedOnGrass]

If i lived in the north of the city/Ashfield and there was a tram stop approx where the Embankment pub is, i'd 100% use the tram back to Hucknall then drive home rather than drive all the way in and out.

That’s what I do.
Tram from Hucknall to city centre - walk to Embankment approx 20 mins - and same again for return journey!
Keeps you fit and you get to have a few scoops

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

I think you could achieve what that would by widening the Trentside North entrance to Trent Bridge.

The current path & an extra lane would be enough to deal with the footfall & there would be less of a bottleneck if the entrance is wider.

At the end of the day, it's not going to perfect - it's a football ground. Point is, there is loads of ways to get away from the City Ground. It's still one of the better grounds to get away from in the country, especially considering it's fairly central city location.

You could only widen by getting rid of Southbank as you can't touch the bridge due to its listed status. Any parallel bridge would probably need to be further away from the existing bridge as well.

 

[Statto]

You could only widen by getting rid of Southbank as you can't touch the bridge due to its listed status. Any parallel bridge would probably need to be further away from the existing bridge as well.

Maybe

Of course, there's the site of the old navigation bridge just east - the guy who posted the vid about colwick has done something about it. A footbridge there would be about level with the trent end.

I mean, the ideal solution would be to build another 4-lane bridge just to the west of the existing bridge (where the old one was) going west of the pub on the other side to the ground (which used to be the old toll house) and then you'd have all the traffic capacity and could easily close off the current bridge with a contraflow.

I get the point that most people would probably be right to avoid the whole area on matchdays, but that isn't always going to be possible.

 

[MagicalQuakers]

Agree Otis

I’m just going to drive across Trent Bridge at 4.45 surely it’s ok….

What! There’s thousands of people here!!

The obvious answer is to simply stop traffic one hour before and after the game. Eventually people get used to the idea that a football game is on

There’s ladybay bridge. What’s wrong with that exactly? It’s just for one hour!

That would be okay if all games were at 3pm on a Saturday, but they’re not. Not everyone is a Forest fan, or even likes football, so it’s fair enough they don’t know that a game is starting at 12, 2, 3, 5, 7.30 or 8pm on a Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Wednesday (or Thursday last year)!

 

[ARedChester]

The planning wont be helped due to the increased capacity uncertainty of where the new supporters will be travelling from and their routines.

Currently there are known knowns - these can accurately be measured and planned against.

I travel fro Cheltenham area now, or up from London. On a Sat I have used the P&R near an M1 Jctn, but this is unsuitable for evening matches, which is where currently most tickets are available as they are cup or were Europa - because of ticket availability mainly, but a bit of personal circumstances.

Mid week I park at either the train station, easy, secure and cheap, or more recently I used road side parking near Bridgford Park, easy and cheaper.

Where will the additional matchday commuters be tavelling from?

 

[Joe Baker's Dog]

I travel from Stratford Upon Avon. I park at the Rugby Club, which I assume going forward will still be available for parking on match days. I sometimes park outside a shop in West Bridgeford - I give the owner £10. I've not that much sympathy for people in West Bridgeford complaining about football traffic - they knew when they bought their house that there's a football ground in close proximity.........and another football ground & a cricket ground.........we had 40,000 plus crowds in the past...

 

[SooverNFFC]

The planning wont be helped due to the increased capacity uncertainty of where the new supporters will be travelling from and their routines.

Where will the additional matchday commuters be tavelling from?

I think this is mentioned in the documents, they have a fair idea based on the 17k strong season ticket waiting list, they know where those folks are based and have mapped accordingly.

 

[forzagaribaldi]

I travel from Stratford Upon Avon. I park at the Rugby Club, which I assume going forward will still be available for parking on match days. I sometimes park outside a shop in West Bridgeford - I give the owner £10. I've not that much sympathy for people in West Bridgeford complaining about football traffic - they knew when they bought their house that there's a football ground in close proximity.........and another football ground & a cricket ground.........we had 40,000 plus crowds in the past...

We did have large crowds in the past but I can guarantee that when my parents moved to Bridgford 50+ years ago a lot fewer people drove to matches and there were way fewer cars parked up generally. (They’re not near the ground so not personally affected by match days really)

 

[incident]

A lot of the stuff mentioned above is covered in the 2 reports.

Regarding local residents not knowing when matches are - there's a proposal to install permanent "Next Event" screens at key locations:

Regarding locations of travelling fans, they've mapped that out:

Trying to push Parking away from the ground - for example with proposals to run shuttle buses between Queens Drive P+R and Wilford Suspension Bridge (with patrons encouraged to cross the river via the footbridge and walk the rest of the way), and also from Racecourse P+R to the ground.

On the Tram side of things, introducing a 7 quid ticket that guarantees a parking space (reserved area) at the P+R sites and provides travel for 3 people.

The differences between Weekend behaviours and Evening behaviours, and the fewer options on an evening are considered - there'd be a guarantee to keep the P+R site open until 6 hours after kick-off so everyone has plenty time to get back and out.

There's also mention (sadly no agreement) about holding trains or scheduling additional services to so that Mansfield etc types can be sure of getting home on matchdays.

Feels like there's a bit of grumbling based on current operations, or maybe the bigger headlines (ie as the Trent Bridge change) have meant that smaller detail has been missed.

 

[football post]

I think this is mentioned in the documents, they have a fair idea based on the 17k strong season ticket waiting list, they know where those folks are based and have mapped accordingly.

I'm still not convinced there's 17k on that list.

 

[incident]

I'm still not convinced there's 17k on that list.

There will be (and tbh I'm slightly surprised that the number isn't higher), just based on how the list was created and what's being counted.

When the list was instituted 3 years ago, all members of the top tier were automatically enrolled. That probably accounts for nearly half of the 17,000. Everyone else who wanted to join could do so for a £10 one-off payment at any point since. Places on the list don't expire until 2030, so you've got 3 years worth of people who just happened to be members at the right time, or who had an interest and figured it was worth putting down a tenner.

The real question is how many of those 17,000 actually want to buy a ST in 2026. I'm technically still on the list despite letting my membership lapse and would probably turn down a ST if offered.

 

[tricky_tree1982]

People saying set up facilities to support people to bike it in. There are 2 flaws with that:

1. People riding them would likely be pissed
2. You won't be going home on your bike as likely to have been stolen! Hence why I'll never buy a bike in this country.

 

[Gaz1980]

 

[forzagaribaldi]

If I’m planning on cycling then I’m not going to be getting pissed. Same as if I were driving.
The ask is for the club to provide actual staffed cycle parking not just get people to chain them up to lamp posts.

Even here in the UK, it is possible to start to shift how people travel to matches. E.g. Brentford provides good facilities and numbers cycling are going up (e.g. https://www.brentfordfc.com/en/news...mation-bike-to-brentford-free-parking-2025-26). I cycled there from the other side of London with some mates to see (my local) Clapton CFC women’s side in the FA Cup against them a couple of years ago as it is a slog on public transport, never mind driving.

 

[incident]

If I’m planning on cycling then I’m not going to be getting pissed. Same as if I were driving.
The ask is for the club to provide actual staffed cycle parking not just get people to chain them up to lamp posts.

The proposal does include 140 extra dedicated cycle spots (100 at the BC/TE corner, 40 at the Main Stand plaza).

But no indication on how staffed/monitored those spots will be.

 

[Lady Penelope]

The bundle of documents on the planning portal is now nearing the scale of the Complete Works of Shakespeare. Inevitably things are omitted or even left in when they shouldn't be (copy and paste troubles) but these are easily remedied once noted. I will mention a few things that I have wondered about:

1 Use of Holme Pierrepont parking as a P and R site. Buses along Regatta Way, Radcliffe Road, Davies Road, drop off on Radcliffe Road again by Colwick Road, which would be the pick-up point for the return. Only problem will be if there's an event at HP.
2 Trams. The likelihood is that there will eventually be a tram stop outside of the Notts ground on Meadow Lane.
3 Trains. Later trains are needed in all directions (and not just for Forest games). I expect that the EMCCA will get this sorted in due course, along with the support of the multi-agency Transport Working Group, which is a vital and long overdue initiative. Forest have been well behind the curve for years to be blunt, hence the criticism in the most recently published Transport Plan.
4 The issue of lane capacity on TB is not so simple. Buses! Bus priority measures will be needed, and cars will have to be directed away from the approaches to TB at key times. Having said that, the idea of a lane closure each way makes sense because that is effectively what happens now after games, only in an unsafe way.
5 The pinch point at Pavilion Road / Trentside North remains an issue, the pavement is stupidly narrow. Demolition of properties on the north side of Roseberry Ave will provide an easier route onto Radcliffe Road, but that dangerous pinch point will remain until some alterations are made to the road layout.
6 I'm wondering about the club shop. No doubt there is a cunning plan, but what is proposed in the new PT stand will not be anywhere near big enough. Corner of Pavilion and Radcliffe Roads perhaps? Alternatively, that could be a new location for licensed premises that are currently a bit in the way nearer the ground. Surveying work has been done, and no doubt negotiations continue.
7 The EA building has had a lot of work done over the last couple of years. Some of it was perhaps with an eye to the future. If everything happens as planned, it's a very valuable addition to the WFCG footprint and an indicator of the vision and ambition of the club.
8 Finally, the Robbo end. It's not an if, it's a when. The question is, will the visiting fans be moved? I think that should be considered as a desirable. Alternative bus parking at the rugby club perhaps.

Exciting times.

 

[Rzar]

A Tram running from Meadow Lane down Daleside Road towards Colwick will reduce congestion significantly, as there will be 3 bridges you can cross to get on that line.

 

[Templeton]

Like the idea of the 'Next Event' signs being displayed around the area and the city, that would hopefuly give reason for many non-football folk to adjust their plans, would still the majority to still be oblivious or ignore the signs and travel that way regardless.

Parking around the ground is getting harder every year so the majority of us that travel by car will need to be looking to change our habits. I park around the Lady Bay industrial area and noticed the other day that around where the new bridge is there's a few more double yellow markings been put down, probably around 30-40 cars alone that would now need to find somewhere else to park. Then if you look at the parking around Cattle Market and Meadow Land area and there's plans for more apartments around there, so we'll be potentially losing a car park or 2 from there. I've certainy starting considering options for parking a bit further out and having a longer walk in.

 

[Rzar]

Like the idea of the 'Next Event' signs being displayed around the area and the city, that would hopefuly give reason for many non-football folk to adjust their plans, would still the majority to still be oblivious or ignore the signs and travel that way regardless.

Parking around the ground is getting harder every year so the majority of us that travel by car will need to be looking to change our habits. I park around the Lady Bay industrial area and noticed the other day that around where the new bridge is there's a few more double yellow markings been put down, probably around 30-40 cars alone that would now need to find somewhere else to park. Then if you look at the parking around Cattle Market and Meadow Land area and there's plans for more apartments around there, so we'll be potentially losing a car park or 2 from there. I've certainy starting considering options for parking a bit further out and having a longer walk in.

You may have lost a few spaces on that industrial estate but you have gained loads more on the one next to the Bridge & the road between the Colwick Park/Racecourse with the opening of it.

 

[Britcoin]

There will be (and tbh I'm slightly surprised that the number isn't higher), just based on how the list was created and what's being counted.

When the list was instituted 3 years ago, all members of the top tier were automatically enrolled. That probably accounts for nearly half of the 17,000. Everyone else who wanted to join could do so for a £10 one-off payment at any point since. Places on the list don't expire until 2030, so you've got 3 years worth of people who just happened to be members at the right time, or who had an interest and figured it was worth putting down a tenner.

The real question is how many of those 17,000 actually want to buy a ST in 2026. I'm technically still on the list despite letting my membership lapse and would probably turn down a ST if offered.

Then there’s many like me who aren’t on the list but hope that a new redeveloped stand gives me a chance.

 

[Templeton]

You may have lost a few spaces on that industrial estate but you have gained loads more on the one next to the Bridge & the road between the Colwick Park/Racecourse with the opening of it.

That's on the presumption that people weren't parking there already. If those areas were already full anyway then the new bridge has just shortened the walk. Where the new apartments have all been built it is a lot of double yellows and permit holders only so not sure how much parking would be available.

 

[Br1an01]

Picking up on a couple of Lady P's points.
Tram stop on Meadow Lane eventuality? Would be good and an asset to the proposed Sporting Quarter, but surely many years away. In the meantime, the Travel Plan suggests encouraging fans to use the Meadows Embankment tram stop, then walk via Victoria Embankment and the suspension bridge, supported by 'wayfinder' sinage. Another tactic to move people away from TB and London Rd.
Bus priority on TB post match? Makes a lot of sense. Seeing buses struggle to progress through restricted traffic lanes does not encourage people to use them.

 

[Bing Crosby's Head]

Picking up on a couple of Lady P's points.
Tram stop on Meadow Lane eventuality? Would be good and an asset to the proposed Sporting Quarter, but surely many years away. In the meantime, the Travel Plan suggests encouraging fans to use the Meadows Embankment tram stop, then walk via Victoria Embankment and the suspension bridge, supported by 'wayfinder' sinage. Another tactic to move people away from TB and London Rd.
Bus priority on TB post match? Makes a lot of sense. Seeing buses struggle to progress through restricted traffic lanes does not encourage people to use them.

That's fine as long as they put some lighting in. Last time I walked to the tram stop via the suspension bridge the season before last it was dark past county hall and along part of the embankment.