NOTTINGHAM FOREST
Premier League, City Ground, Saturday 17 February 2024, 3pm GMT
West Ham United head to the City Ground this weekend, seeking their first Premier League victory at Nottingham Forest since September 1996.
Mark Bowen and Michael Hughes were on target in a 2-0 victory for Harry Redknapp’s Irons against a Forest side managed by Frank Clark.
The Reds would be relegated at the end of that season, returned for one further Premier League campaign in 1998/99, then spent 23 years in the EFL wilderness before winning promotion from the Championship in 2021/22.
West Ham were the first visitors to the City Ground on Forest’s return to the Premier League and, despite dominating, lost 1-0 as Declan Rice saw his penalty saved by Dean Henderson.
Since then, Forest have replaced their promotion-winning manager, with Nuno Espírito Santo taking over from Steve Cooper just before Christmas.
Saturday's hosts have taken just one point from their previous four Premier League matches and go into the weekend just two points and two places above the relegation zone.
Tickets...
West Ham fans are advised that the Club’s allocation of 2,893 tickets have sold out.
The first 90 per cent of tickets sold out to Bondholders and Season Ticket Holders with 34+ Loyalty Points. The remaining ten per cent (289 tickets) were then made available by a ballot process to Season Ticket Holders who had yet to purchase for this fixture. This ballot closed at 12pm on Tuesday 30 January.
How to get there…
The address for your sat nav is City Ground, Nottingham, NG2 5FJ. However, there is not much by way of street parking to be had in the streets around the stadium.
From the south, that means you’ll leave the M1 at Junction 24 and follow the signs for Nottingham and then for football traffic.
There are a number of car parks within a mile of the City Ground, including those at Meadow Lane (Notts County’s home ground), Nottingham railway station, County Hall, the Cattle Market, Lady Bay Sports Ground and Victoria Embankment.
For those travelling by train, Nottingham is on the East Midlands Railway line from London St Pancras.
Direct trains leave St Pancras at .05 and .35 past the hour, arriving at Nottingham around an hour and a half later. It’s a 20-minute walk along Queens Road, London Road and along the River Trent.
West Ham United fans will be situated in the lower tier of the Bridgford Stand.
After the game, direct trains depart Nottingham for London at 17.50 and 18.12.
Where to stay…
As a city of over 300,000 inhabitants and a tourist destination, Nottingham has a full range of accommodation options to suit all budgets.
The easiest option is probably to stay in the city centre, which is situated around 1.5 miles north of the City Ground, and then either walk or take a bus or taxi to the stadium.
What to do…
Nottingham is about more than just Robin Hood. There are a lot of things to do in and around the city.
If you have some time, visit Old Market Square, The Lace Market, Nottingham Castle (notable for its bronze statues of Robin Hood and his Merry Men), The City of Caves or the National Justice Museum.
If you are staying for the weekend, get yourself a… Robin Hood Card to get unlimited travel on any bus, tram or train within Greater Nottingham.
If you want to have a drink before the game, there are numerous pubs and bars on the walk from the railway station, with the ‘Olde Trip To Jerusalem’ recommended.
What’s happened there before…
Our most recent visit was that 1-0 Premier League defeat on 14 August 2022, which Nottingham Forest secured through Taiwo Awoniyi's first Premier League goal.
The visit before that was instantly forgettable, too – a 5-0 FA Cup third-round defeat in January 2014.
Our most recent victory at the City Ground came when Sam Allardyce’s Hammers defeated Nottingham Forest 4-1 in the Championship in August 2011, with current first-team coach Kevin Nolan and Academy coach Carlton Cole among the scorers. That result remains our biggest-ever win at the City Ground.
