Forest Banter: Etiquette, History & Fan Communities

Walk into the City Ground on matchday and you’ll hear it before the whistle — a chorus of thousands rolling through the Paul McCartney & Wings anthem adapted to celebrate the team by the River Trent. That song is just one thread in a fan culture that balances fierce rivalry with genuine warmth, and whether you’re a lifelong Red or someone who just Googled “Forest banter,” there’s a version of this community that fits. The article pulls together verified facts, fan history, and the etiquette that separates terrace tradition from plain old rudeness.

Members on Forest Forum: 17,231 · Forum messages: 3,583,906 · Facebook page likes: 3,061 · First million-pound player (Trevor Francis): £1.18 million (1979) · Net debt (2022–23): £89.5 million

Why can’t you say Notts Forest?

Among Nottingham Forest supporters, calling the club “Notts Forest” ranks somewhere between mildly annoying and genuinely offensive. The reason comes down to a basic distinction that matters deeply to fans: “Notts” refers to the county of Nottinghamshire, while “Nottingham” names the city. The club’s official title is Nottingham Forest Football Club, founded in 1865, and longtime supporters argue that collapsing the city and county into a single abbreviation loses something in the translation.

Origin of the term Notts Forest

The term “Notts Forest” appears most often in national media headlines and in casual conversation among non-supporters. It treats the club as a county institution rather than a city one, which fans say misrepresents the club’s identity. The club is based in West Bridgford (just across the River Trent from central Nottingham), and the City Ground sits within the city boundary. Using “Notts” as shorthand effectively lumps Forest together with Notts County, the city’s other professional club, which causes confusion and irritation.

How fans react to the misnomer

Fan forums like Forest Forum regularly feature threads correcting newcomers who use “Notts Forest.” Responses range from gentle corrections to pointed sarcasm, depending on the tone of the original post. The consensus, however, is consistent: the club is Nottingham Forest, often shortened to simply Forest, and “Notts” belongs to the club down the road.

Proper club name usage

The safest approach is straightforward: call the club Nottingham Forest or Forest. “Tricky Trees” and “The Reds” are affectionate nicknames that fans use freely. Anything that conflates the city with the county, or suggests an affiliation with Notts County, will immediately identify you as an outsider — or worse, someone who hasn’t been paying attention. For those joining online discussions, getting the name right is the first signal that you’re genuinely interested in the club.

What do fans call Nottingham Forest?

Supporters have settled on a handful of names that feel natural in conversation and on forums. The most common is simply “Forest,” which works in virtually every context. The nickname “The Reds” comes directly from the team’s home kit colour and appears in chants, headlines, and social media hashtags. A newer addition to the lexicon is “Tricky Trees,” a playful reference to the club’s name and a gentle nod to the nickname “Tricky” sometimes given to certain players.

Common nicknames: Forest, The Reds, The Tricky Trees

The term “Tricky Trees” emerged in the social media era and has gained real traction among younger supporters and on platforms like Twitter (now X) with the hashtag #TrickyTrees. It hasn’t replaced the classic names, but it adds a layer of modern affection to the club’s identity. The term also appears on fan merchandise and in podcast titles, signalling its acceptance within the broader community.

Why ‘Forest’ is preferred over ‘Notts’

As covered in the section above, “Notts” carries baggage for Forest fans because it implies a connection to Notts County. Using “Forest” keeps the club’s identity distinct and avoids the confusion that “Notts Forest” creates. The nickname “Forest” also appears in the club’s official name, making it the most natural choice for anyone discussing the team.

Who is the greatest Nottingham Forest player of all time?

Ask this question in any Forest pub on matchday and you’ll get a different answer depending on who you ask, what era they grew up watching, and how much they rate European Cup wins versus domestic league performances. That said, a few names come up more reliably than others, and they tend to dominate the debate on forums like Forest Forum.

Brian Clough’s favourite player: John Robertson or others?

Brian Clough, who managed Forest from 1975 to 1993, publicly described John Robertson as his favourite player. Robertson was the creative midfielder whose goal against Hamburg in the 1979 European Cup final remains one of the most iconic moments in the club’s history. Clough’s affection for Robertson wasn’t just sentiment — it was rooted in the winger’s ability to deliver on the biggest stages, scoring crucial goals in back-to-back European Cup runs.

Trevor Francis: first million-pound signing and legacy

Trevor Francis joined Forest in February 1979 for £1.18 million, making him the first player in British football history to command a seven-figure transfer fee (National Football Museum). He scored the winning goal in the 1979 European Cup final against Malmö, cementing his place in Forest folklore. Francis’s signing was a statement of intent from Clough, and his pace and finishing gave Forest a dimension that opponents struggled to handle.

Other legends: Stuart Pearce, Peter Shilton, Garry Birtles

Stuart Pearce is widely regarded as one of Forest’s greatest defenders and served as captain during some of the club’s most competitive seasons in the 1990s. Peter Shilton, the goalkeeper during the European Cup wins of 1979 and 1980, kept clean sheets in finals that defined a generation of supporters. Garry Birtles, another product of Clough’s eye for talent, scored consistently during the club’s peak years. Each has a strong case for the “greatest” title, which is precisely why the debate never ends.

“He is the finest player I ever had.”

— Brian Clough, on John Robertson

Who is the highest paid player at Nottingham Forest?

As of the 2023–24 season, Morgan Gibbs-White tops Forest’s wage structure at approximately £80,000 per week, according to figures widely reported in football finance coverage. His salary reflects both his importance to the squad and the club’s ambitions following their return to the Premier League in 2022.

Current highest earner (2024–25 season)

Gibbs-White’s wages place him among the higher earners outside the traditional “big six” clubs, though still well below the top earners at Manchester City, Arsenal, or Liverpool. The figure represents a significant jump from Championship-level wages and reflects the financial reality of competing in the Premier League, where broadcast revenue dwarf what clubs earn in the second tier.

How wages compare to Championship/Premier League averages

Forest’s overall wage bill increased substantially after promotion, as is standard for promoted clubs. The 2023–24 accounts showed total player wages rising compared to the previous year in the Championship, though Forest’s wage bill remains mid-table by Premier League standards. For context, clubs like Manchester United and Chelsea have players earning three to four times what Forest’s top earner takes home each week.

How much is Nottingham Forest in debt?

Nottingham Forest reported total net debt of £89.5 million in the year to June 2023, according to the club’s annual accounts (Nottingham Forest Annual Report 2023). The majority of this debt is owed to club owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has consistently injected capital into the club since taking ownership in 2017.

Latest financial figures (2022–23 annual accounts)

The £89.5 million net debt figure covers a range of obligations, including shareholder loans, operational financing, and other liabilities accumulated during seasons in the Championship and the subsequent return to the Premier League. The annual report also highlighted ongoing costs associated with the club’s training ground and youth academy, which are considered long-term investments in the club’s future.

Debt breakdown: ownership loans, operational costs

Marinakos’s loans to the club are structured as long-term debt, meaning they are not immediately callable. Operational costs include matchday operations, player wages, scouting, and administrative functions. The club’s revenue streams — primarily matchday income, broadcast deals, and commercial partnerships — have grown since promotion to the Premier League but have not yet eliminated the structural deficit accumulated during years outside the top flight.

Impact on transfers and sustainability

The debt situation directly affects Forest’s ability to spend freely in transfer windows. Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) limit clubs to losses of £105 million over a rolling three-year period. Forest’s accumulated debt and associated losses triggered scrutiny from the league, resulting in a 4-point deduction in the 2023–24 season (Premier League). The deduction underscored the club’s need to balance ambition with financial discipline, influencing decisions in subsequent transfer windows.

What is Nottingham Forest’s biggest rivalry?

The rivalry with Derby County is the most intense and historically significant relationship Forest supporters maintain. Known as the East Midlands derby, the fixture has been played more than 100 times since the first meeting in 1880, and the competitive tension reflects geographic proximity, shared industrial heritage, and decades of fluctuating fortunes between the two clubs.

Derby County rivalry: origins and key matches

Derby and Forest first met in 1880, and the fixture quickly developed into a contest defined by local bragging rights and regional pride. The rivalry intensified during Brian Clough’s tenure, when he managed Derby before moving to Forest — a career move that added personal drama to an already charged relationship. Matches in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when both clubs enjoyed significant success, remain reference points for older supporters.

Fans of both clubs have nicknamed the fixture “El Cloughico,” a tongue-in-cheek reference to Brian Clough and a deliberate echo of “El Clásico” between Real Madrid and Barcelona. The name reflects the humour that characterises much of modern Forest banter — self-aware, historically literate, and lightly mocking of the fixture’s outsized importance to both sets of fans.

Other notable rivalries in the East Midlands

Forest also maintains meaningful rivalries with Leicester City, with whom they share the A50 corridor competition, and with Notts County, despite the clubs occupying different tiers of the football pyramid for most of recent history. The Leicester rivalry has occasionally produced flashpoints, including a documented incident in 2014 when a Forest fan was arrested for racist tweets directed at Leicester supporters (Wikipedia). Such incidents are widely condemned within the Forest community and serve as a reminder that rivalry banter has clear limits.

Are Nottingham Forest supporters friendly?

By the standards of English football fan culture, Nottingham Forest supporters have a reputation for being approachable, knowledgeable, and welcoming to visitors. The club’s strong family-friendly matchday atmosphere at the City Ground is frequently cited by fans and visiting journalists alike as a distinguishing feature of the Forest matchday experience.

Fan culture at the City Ground

The City Ground, with a capacity of just over 30,000, is the largest football stadium in the UK to host a single club, and the scale creates an intimate atmosphere that smaller Premier League venues struggle to match. The Brian Clough Stand, the Peter Taylor Stand, the Main Stand, and the Trent End each have their own character, but the shared experience of hearing Mull of Kintyre before kick-off unites the ground in a way that visitors consistently describe as moving.

Manager Nuno Espírito Santo has publicly praised the “brilliant noise” generated by Forest fans, describing the atmosphere as a genuine asset for the team (NottinghamForest.news). That recognition from coaching staff reinforces what supporters already believe: the City Ground is a place where fan passion translates into a tangible advantage.

Online banter communities: Forest Banter, Forest Forum

The online Forest community spans several platforms, from the long-running Forest Forum with its 17,231 registered members and 3.5 million posts, to dedicated Facebook groups, Twitter/X accounts, and podcast shows. The tone in these spaces ranges from serious tactical analysis to light-hearted transfer rumour speculation, with the understanding that not everything discussed online should be taken as fact.

A notable feature of Forest banter is its self-awareness. Supporters poke fun at the club’s financial struggles, debate player performances with genuine passion but rarely with personal attacks, and maintain a shared vocabulary of jokes and references that veterans pass down to newer members. The forum’s moderators and community veterans play a role in setting expectations for acceptable behaviour, though the informal nature of online spaces means enforcement varies.

Matchday atmosphere and reputation

Forest fans have earned credit for their conduct toward away supporters, with many reporting that the City Ground is a more hospitable environment than several other Premier League venues. Singing in the stands is encouraged, and the Mull of Kintyre tradition gives everyone in the ground a shared moment before the match begins. The club has no significant history of the kind of organised fan groups that have caused problems at other clubs, and the matchday culture reflects the broader East Midlands character: direct, unpretentious, and quietly proud.

The pattern of self-policing behaviour extends online, where experienced forum members guide newcomers away from common pitfalls like misnaming the club or spreading unverified transfer rumours.

Related reading: Nottingham Forest Banter: Rumours, Players & News

Frequently asked questions

For those deciding whether to engage with the Forest community, the choice is relatively straightforward: arrive with an open mind, learn the basics (don’t say “Notts Forest”), and enjoy one of English football’s most distinctive supporter cultures. The banter is genuine, the history is rich, and the City Ground atmosphere remains something every football fan should experience at least once.