Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest’s Europa League journey has been nothing short of an epic adventure for both the team and its dedicated fans. From the bustling streets of Seville to the rain-soaked city of Braga, Forest supporters have traversed Europe, creating lasting memories and forging friendships along the way. This journey, culminating in a semi-final clash against Aston Villa, has been a testament to the passion and resilience of the Nottingham Forest community.
Sean said: “My partner had wanted to do the Three Peaks for ages, so we had agreed to do it. We just happened to book that week off in September so we could do it on the Tuesday to Wednesday. I went, ‘Brilliant, lads, I’ve got the week off work, we’re doing the Three Peaks. I can fly in Wednesday night, game’s on Thursday, job’s a good ‘un, couldn’t have done it any better if we tried’. They went, ‘No, the game is Wednesday night’. No, it’s Europa League, it’s always Thursday night, why would it be a Wednesday night? I was kind of thinking they were just pulling my leg and messing with me. But when we saw the fixtures, I was like, ah, OK, we have a slight problem.”
Sean continued: “We landed at half seven and the game kicked off at nine (local time). I was just in ‘Got to get the taxi and get to the ground mode’. The taxi driver was like Colin McRae, down the back streets, wrong side of the road, moving bollards, he knew some of the police or stewards. It was insane. I was inside the ground at quarter past eight, having landed on time at half seven.”
Adam recalled: “We landed in Vienna, but rather than just go straight into Graz and have a pint, we thought we’d go do something. We found out the house Arnold Schwarzenegger grew up in is just on the outskirts of Graz. We had to do a bit of a detour, but we went there. The house is like a museum to him now. There’s a massive statue of Arnold outside and we draped a Forest scarf on the statue and were chatting to his cousin. I was like, how mad is this?! It was such a random thing to do.”
Clive said: “I was very surprised when the phone call came through. I was getting ready to watch it in the fan zone. I flew to Amsterdam and got the train across to Utrecht, met up with a few friends from A Block. They were all taking the mickey out of me that I had no ticket. The hospitality afforded to me, accessing the sponsors’ and players’ lounges, was a wonderful surprise. It made me think back to my dad. My dad would have loved it. He was a Red since the 20s. It was fantastic. It all came back from this connection with my father.”
Stefan Jajecznyk explained: “We went straight to the stadium after landing in Porto but the group of Reds in front of us in the queue got the last of the extra tickets Braga put on sale for away fans. Resigned to the fact we might not get into the game, we escaped the rain and went for a few beers around town. At a restaurant later that evening we got chatting to a couple next to us, which turned out to be a Cape Verdean player Nene (Adriano Barbosa Miranda da Luz), who had previously played for Braga. After finding out we hadn’t got tickets, his wife suggested he could help us out – and while we felt a bit cheeky asking for seven, a few Super Bocks that afternoon had given us some confidence. We asked if he could help us in any way, but we absolutely didn’t expect five tickets to be immediately WhatsApped to us with a promise for two more the next day, which duly arrived.”
Scarlett Pride recalled: “Every single bar on that strip had a Forest flag outside. Some of the flags were huge; 20-foot, massive flags that covered the whole roof of the restaurant. On the night before the game, it was like a street party. People were in the street. People were buying red flares and setting them off. Everyone was just in this massive strip. I think the nights before the games, for me, were more special because everyone was really hyped up for the next day and in really high spirits. Sometimes, after the games – especially when we had to be escorted out of the grounds and that took a long time – I think a lot of people were just too tired and not as bothered about celebrating. So the nights before were really special.”
Sean Connolly said: “In Midtjylland, if we’re honest, we saw that team and were like, oh, he doesn’t fancy this then. But that was probably the best away end out of all of them. It was a brilliant away trip.”
Matt Barber recalled: “It wasn’t the most amazing, beautiful city, but a European trip away, with all the fans filling out Murphy’s (a pub in Herning) after the game, the celebration in Murphy’s, that was another top one. I wouldn’t say there was much sightseeing!”
Rich Clarke said: “We had a late flight from Manchester and landed in Barcelona at about 11pm. We basically found a window ledge and both curled up on a window ledge – with many other Forest fans and other people travelling who were doing similar. That was quite a whistle-stop tour. We arrived on the day of the game, both absolutely shattered because we’d not really slept. We were back up at about 4am, back to the airport, flew into Barcelona, and then we had a six-hour delay in Barcelona because there were a few issues with the plane we were supposed to be catching. We were both just shattered, both ready for a proper meal, and then we were just stuck in the airport. Just waiting. But we got back and it was a really good experience.”
Adam Chantrey reflected: “Villa was very sad. What a way to go out of Europe, in Birmingham as well. It would have been nice to have gone out to a Bologna or to a Roma, a team in Europe – where you’d think, oh well, we’ll have our pasta or whatever it is and then get our flight home. It was a bit sad to go out in those circumstances, but what an amazing, amazing journey.”
Gareth Coleman relayed: “He said, ‘Other than the custard tarts, you mean?’. I was like, ‘Yes, other than that!’. It was really sweet. He actually said, ‘The new friends that I made’. I think, actually, that’s really telling of quite a few fans’ experiences across the board. I thought that was really sweet and actually very apt he said that, because I think it is so true for a lot of fans, that actually we’ve all got to know each other a little bit better and actually all feel that little bit more connected to the club. That’s probably the main point, the friendships we made along the way and the memories we all made. That was driven by William but is something I really agree with.”
The Europa League journey for Nottingham Forest has been about more than just football. It has been an opportunity for fans to connect, share experiences, and create lifelong memories. While the semi-final exit against Aston Villa was a bittersweet end, the camaraderie and stories shared will remain cherished by the Forest faithful. From unexpected adventures to heartwarming moments of friendship, the Europa League campaign has left an indelible mark on the club’s history.
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