Nottingham Forest
Nottingham Forest’s recent Europa League campaign has been a journey filled with unforgettable experiences for fans, transcending the boundaries of football. While the matches themselves were significant, the camaraderie and shared moments among supporters have left a lasting impact.
Scarlett Pride said: “For a lot of them, I would say, as much as it was about the football, I would say the football was the least interesting part of the trip. The best part was just being with all the fans and finding these meeting points. In Portugal, on the first night, we didn’t know where to go. A lot of Forest fans were gathering down by the river so we thought, ‘Oh, we’ll just walk down towards the river’, because we were not sure where exactly to go. There’s a certain intonation of Nottingham accent, and you could hear it. You can just hear Forest fans and you know that’s where you need to be. Portugal, on the day of the game, all being sat out by that river, it was literally just a sea of red. I’ve never seen anything like it. That was special.”
Scarlett Pride continued: “I think none of us expected us to go this far. I was telling myself on the way to every away trip, ‘Right, just enjoy it, because it’s probably going to be the last one’. And then it was like, ‘Oh, it’s not the last one’. When it did end, that was pretty heartbreaking. But you have to just take it for what it is. People always have the debate of what matters more, England winning the World Cup or your own team winning this kind of thing. I will say, after this experience, if England got to the World Cup final and lost, it would not hurt anywhere near as much as Forest losing in that semi-final. It matters so much more to me now. We’ve had a taste for it.”
Scarlett Pride added: “Going with my dad was so special. Obviously it’s not been cheap at all, it’s been very expensive. He says to everyone that asks him, ‘I wouldn’t change it for the world, because getting to take my daughter to see all of this, you can’t buy it, you can’t put a price on it’. It’s so special. He’s been the one that’s been taking me to Forest all my life. He’s seen us in Europe before, and he did that with his dad, so then to do it again and to do it with his daughter, it was really special. Even when they’ve been small little places, they’ve all made a massive effort. I’ve made memories that I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.”
The emotional connection between the fans and the team was evident throughout the journey. From the initial uncertainty in Portugal to the heart-wrenching end of the campaign, the experience has strengthened the bond among supporters. The journey was not just about the games but about creating memories that will be cherished for a lifetime. The shared experiences, especially those with family, have added a unique layer of significance to the club’s European adventure.
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