Nottingham City Council has issued a statement over whether it will show Nottingham Forest's huge play-off final against Huddersfield Town on a big screen - or organise a 'fanzone' in Old Market Square on Sunday (May 29). Billed as the richest game in football, the Reds travel to Wembley to play the Terriers in Forest's long-awaited quest to return to the Premier League.
Tickets are in high demand for the lucrative fixture at the National Stadium, with Reds supporters having been given a total allocation of 36,475 general admission tickets at the West End of Wembley Stadium. On Friday (May 20), the club confirmed that 19,500 tickets had been sold - and that hospitality tickets had also been snapped up.
Those who have not been able to buy a ticket so far will undoubtedly be looked at their options of where to watch the game on TV - such as on a big screen or at a pub or sports bar. But Nottingham City Council officials said they had no plans to screen the game in Old Market Square or turn it into a fanzone.
Read more: Father 'disgusted' at being charged £109 for swimming lessons son did not have
In a statement, councillor Pavlos Kotsonis, who represents Lenton and Wollaton East for Labour, and who is also the portfolio holder for leisure, culture and planning, said: "We are in dialogue with the club and understand they are expecting in the order of 40,000 fans to travel to Wembley for the match. We fully expect that other fans will find venues around the city where they can watch the match and savour the atmosphere of this historic moment for their team.
"We therefore have no plans for screens or fanzones for the match. We wish Steve Cooper and his magnificent Forest team all the very best for their momentous Wembley match this weekend.
"They have already done themselves and Nottingham proud, with a season that has seen them rise from the bottom of the Championship eight months ago to giving themselves an historic chance for promotion to the Premier League. A win on Sunday would be an incredible sporting achievement but also a huge boost for the whole city, with an estimated 100,000 extra visitors and an associated £120m boost to the local economy.
"Being a premier league city would raise Nottingham’s profile and could make it easier to attract new investment and developments in the city." It is also understood that there are no plans from Nottingham Forest to screen the game at the City Ground either. If Forest achieve promotion, experts have said it would be worth 'more than' the £170m value of the game itself to the city.
It is a similar situation to when England reached the final of Euro 2020 - with the city council confirming there was no plan for a special screening of the final in Old Market Square. For the World Cup of 2018, however, a large screen was in place on the grounds of Nottingham Castle for the course of the tournament.
The next phase in the Championship play-off final ticketing process has seen Forest club members able to buy tickets from 9am on Monday, May 23. These tickets available at the club’s ticket office, both online and in-person; as well as by phone, via Ticketmaster.
At midday, fans who have attended at least three fixtures will be eligible for tickets. Then at midday on Tuesday, May 24, fans who have been to at least one game this season will be able to purchase tickets before becoming available to all fans with a Nottingham Forest booking history, 24 hours later.
Forest booked their place in the final with a tense win over Sheffield United on penalties. Forest looked to have the tie under control, winning the first leg 2-1 at Bramall Lane and leading 1-0 in the reverse game at half-time on Tuesday (May 17) night.
But the Blades hit back to score two before the final whistle, sending the game into extra-time and then penalties. The Reds kept their nerve to beat Sheffield United, with goalkeeper Brice Samba the hero, saving three penalties as Forest beat the Blades 3-2 in the shootout. It's been 23 years since the Reds were last in England's top flight, when they were relegated in 1999 and Steve Cooper's side are now just one game away for a potential return to the big time.
