Do we really hate Forest?

[BanjoPie]

Without Fword, I think I can say with some confidence that Notts would have most likely followed a similar trajectory to Derby, Leicester, Leeds, Middlesbrough or Southampton, in which case we would never have set foot in tier 4, never mind tier 5. A training ground would never have been an issue either. At worst we would have had a similar history to Coventry, Cardiff or Preston.

The pair of us could well have interchanged Sheff United/Sheff Wednesday style over the past 60 odd years had they not won the FA Cup and we not gone down at the end of the 1950s.

There is absolutely no way you can say that with ‘any confidence’ - pure conjecture!

[upthemaggies]

There is absolutely no way you can say that with ‘any confidence’ - pure conjecture!

List one-club cities at least the size of Nottingham that have done any worse than the clubs I mentioned.

[1955pie]

The first time I saw 'WFCG' I genuinely had to Google a bit to find out what it signified. Cracks me up every time.

I thought it meant What the F..k City Ground.

Perhaps we should have a competition to come up with the best answer..

[magpie_mania]

I will remember this moment fondly Durham.
I agree.

Me too.

I don't hate them at all. In the late 70's I went to a few games when they won the European Cup. Without doubt it was a brilliant experience and amazing atmosphere. I even went to a League Cup Final at Wembley.

Nothing though could take the place of watching Notts at ML.

[Mark_Ross]

No

Perhaps hate is too strong a word. I certainly do not want them to do well. Any success they have diminishes Notts.

My dad (RiP) could not understand it way back when, we were watching TV & I was cheering on Malmo - "But they're Nottingham". Not my Nottingham.

[nottscol]

I have a friend who has a season ticket at both clubs. Can you imagine that at Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield ot Bristol? I think it is great that she just wants to support Nottingham football. Let's regard Mansfield as our big rivals!

[Gimpymoo]

I have a friend who has a season ticket at both clubs. Can you imagine that at Glasgow, Liverpool, Sheffield ot Bristol? I think it is great that she just wants to support Nottingham football. Let's regard Mansfield as our big rivals!

I will soon find myself in that boat and I am a Forest fan.

I have spent good money the last few years following Notts, home and away. That is more than "throwing money in a bucket and wishing well". That is committing time and money to a club. I admit, I enjoyed watching Notts under Birchnall at times, that is the only reason I started going.

Was I at Wembley, Yes.

Some of the "anti Forest" talk you hear around Meadow Lane is hilarious.

Competitively, we have played Notts soo infrequently, I do not consider Notts a rivalry, I see another Nottingham club whom I want to do well. Would I begrudge them a higher run in the Premier league above Forest, NO.

My two boys are Notts fans BECAUSE I gave them a choice, took them to both clubs, explained the history of the clubs. Do they hate Forest and want them to FAIL, no, they come along to the Forest games too. I think there are more "hybrid" Nottingham fans than people realise.

I cannot recall a single chant at Forest about Notts County when not playing them. Do we sing about Derby, Leicester, Sheffield Utd, Leeds, yes, and rightly so............ I HATE SHEFFIELD UNITED .

[laddo]

Delusions of grandeur

[marky]

I will soon find myself in that boat and I am a Forest fan.

I have spent good money the last few years following Notts, home and away. That is more than "throwing money in a bucket and wishing well". That is committing time and money to a club. I admit, I enjoyed watching Notts under Birchnall at times, that is the only reason I started going.

Was I at Wembley, Yes.

Some of the "anti Forest" talk you hear around Meadow Lane is hilarious.

Competitively, we have played Notts soo infrequently, I do not consider Notts a rivalry, I see another Nottingham club whom I want to do well. Would I begrudge them a higher run in the Premier league above Forest, NO.

My two boys are Notts fans BECAUSE I gave them a choice, took them to both clubs, explained the history of the clubs. Do they hate Forest and want them to FAIL, no, they come along to the Forest games too. I think there are more "hybrid" Nottingham fans than people realise.

I cannot recall a single chant at Forest about Notts County when not playing them. Do we sing about Derby, Leicester, Sheffield Utd, Leeds, yes, and rightly so............ I HATE SHEFFIELD UNITED .

Shut up.

[upthemaggies]

Delusions of grandeur

In terms of sustained success (rather than historic high water marks) Fword have under achieved compared to practically every single club in the country that plays in a proper sized city, this includes Derby, Leicester, WBA, Middlesbrough and Wolves - All of those clubs have averaged higher in the pyramid than Fword. All of them one club cities.

If the two teams had merged in 1932 (when we proposed the idea) then a Nottingham United would have almost certainly been far more successful in terms of seasons spent in the top flight, probably acquiring more trophies.

1991/92 - the last season we were in the top flight together - Fword were the 9th best supported out of 22 clubs, Notts 20th. Combine the two average gates, shave off a few thousand to take into account away fans and those attending at both grounds, a single Nottingham club would have been the 3rd best supported club that season behind only Man Utd and Liverpool. Food for thought, because within 5 years Fword were done as a team doing any better than scrapping for their lives to stay up at that level.

We have basically held each other back. There hasn't been enough football supporters in Nottingham to sustain a club to reach a level of consistency you'd expect for a city this size. Bristol is a similar case in point. Sheffield, less obvious, but the fact that there are two clubs in that city will be the reason Leeds have been the only team on the Eastern side of the Pennines to top the 1st tier since 1930, or to win an FA Cup since 1935.