Forest Racecourse (1865 - 1879)
When Nottingham Forest FC formed
in 1865, they played their first games in the Forest Racecourse
amphitheatre, which also hosted sports such as shinney, cricket
and, of course, racing. It was from this venue, and not Sherwood
Forest, that the club's name came from.
Forest, kitted out in red tasseled caps, played their first
match in this venue, against Notts County on March 22, 1866.
Typically, the game finished in a nil-nil draw.
As Forest's popularity grew, they started attracting crowds of
around 6,000 on a weekly basis. They had outgrown the Racecourse
and, by 1879, the club wanted to move to a purpose built ground
where they could raise revenue from ticket sales.
The Meadows / Trent Bridge (1879 - 1882)
Their first place of residence was
the Meadows ground, although this was far too small a venue for
the club to make any serious money. Forest soon started playing
all their big matches at the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground where
they could cater for crowds of over 5,000.
The club had stopped using the Meadows altogether by 1880 and
played all their matches at Trent Bridge, but the club still
wanted their own ground.
Parkside / Gregory Ground (1882 - 1890)
At a cost of £300, the club moved
to the Lenton district of Nottingham in 1882. Notts County
were now playing at Trent Bridge, so Forest built their own
ground called the Parkside ground. But the facilities here were
so poor that in 1885, they built a new ground in the neighbouring
field.
This venue cost £500 to build and had proper stands for
supporters. However, as the club were now so far away from
Nottingham town centre, they struggled to attract people to fill
them.
The Town Ground (1890 - 1898)
In 1890 Forest finally got the
venue they wanted. At the cost of £1,000, they constructed a
brand new stadium near the embankment on the River Trent. This
ground could hold thousands of supporters in grandstands as the
success of the club grew.
In 1892 Forest won the Football Alliance championship with 9,000
fans attending the crucial match against Newton Heath. The
following year Forest were allowed entry to the Football League
and attendances continued to rise with 15,000 watching a game
against Notts County.
The City Ground (1898 - present)
Despite the success of the Town
Ground, Forest moved yet again in 1898. The previous season's FA
Cup-winning campaign had raised much of the funding needed, but
the club were still £3,000 short. They raised the remaining
money from supporters and local businessmen who bought £5 bonds,
although the investments were never recovered.
The new stadium was situated on the other side of the Trent, in
West Bridgford. Although it was technically outside the city
limits, it was named the City Ground in honour of Nottingham
being granted City status in that year by Queen Victoria.
Forest lost their first match at the new venue, which was to be
their home for the next hundred years, one-nil to Blackburn
Rovers.
Click here for more information about the City Ground
