Nottingham Forest have confirmed ticket prices for their Europa League quarter-final tie against Porto at the City Ground…
If a week is a long time in football, two weeks is an eternity at Nottingham Forest – and how very different the mood is now.
Unity and togetherness, in the dressing room and between team and supporters, will be crucial in the coming weeks. It seems clear the club are well aware of that, with a few lessons having been learnt.
Rewind to the build-up to the first leg of the Reds’ last-16 Europa League tie against FC Midtjylland. Just a few days before the match, the City Ground had dozens of unsold seats as Forest came in for criticism for pricing tickets too high.
Three climbdowns later, the club got there in the end with sensible pricing and the stadium was packed out. Vitor Pereira’s side couldn’t do the business on the pitch on that occasion, losing 1-0, but they turned the tie around in the second leg and are now in the last eight of the competition.
This time around, Forest have got it right from the off. Tickets for the quarter-final second leg against Porto at the City Ground are available at discounted rates for season card holders and MyForest members.
For the latter, prices begin at £30 for adults and £10 for children. For season card holders, they are priced at between £25 and £40 for adults, and between £5 and £20 for children. Fair and well-judged prices.
“We would like to thank supporters for their incredible backing in Herning and in North London over the past week, which has not gone unnoticed by everybody associated with the club, including our head coach, his staff and the players,” Forest said. “This fantastic support will undoubtedly play a crucial part in the Reds’ first quarter-final fixtures in European competition in 30 years.”
The Reds realised they had got it wrong against Midtjylland, but they have done their best to put it right since. Add in a freezing of season card prices, the reintroduction of the “young adult” price category and the decision to hold an open training session during the Easter holidays for supporters to attend, and there is a sense Forest are working hard to ensure the bond between club and fans is as tight as it can be for the run-in.
After all, it is impossible to overstate how much of a difference the backing from the stands can make. At the City Ground and on the road, Reds fans have shown they can help the team get over the line.
That connection was crucial in the first three seasons after promotion, in securing survival and then clinching European football last time around. And it will be vital again as Pereira tries to steer Forest to safety and, potentially, to some silverware.
Fans have forked out vast sums to follow the Reds around the UK and abroad this season. They shouldn’t be seen as a cash-cow simply to be milked for as much as possible.
“We have listened carefully, and we have acted in a way that we hope will reaffirm the bond between the club and its fans. That sense of togetherness – the feeling that we are all pulling in the same direction – has always been at the heart of what makes Forest unique, and we are committed to strengthening that as we look ahead with ambition and belief,” chairman Nicholas Randall KC said when season card prices were announced.
Pereira gets it. He looked emotional after Sunday’s win over Tottenham Hotspur as he celebrated in front of the away end with a round of fist-pumps and by tapping his chest.
The Portuguese speaks often about “family”, in reference to the club as a whole. With decisions over the last couple of weeks, Forest’s actions show they are not just empty words.
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