As excitement builds for the 2023/24 season, Nottingham Forest fans will soon find out what their team's new kit will look like.
The unveiling of new shirts is always keenly anticipated every summer. And there is plenty of talk about what might be expected from the Reds' versions for the upcoming campaign.
Most importantly, whatever the design, the Premier League logo will be included, with Steve Cooper's side having retained their top-flight status. Here’s everything we know so far about Forest’s kit for next term.
New supplier
Earlier this week the club announced a multi-year deal with adidas, who have become the Reds' new official kit partner across all teams. That deal officially kicked in on Saturday (July 1) and includes Forest's first-team, academy and women's sides, with adidas to manufacture all technical apparel and playing kit.
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The change in kit supplier means the Reds have ended their partnership with Macron early. Forest extended their partnership with Macron for a further five seasons in October 2020, having linked up with them for the three campaigns prior to that. Previously, the Reds had worn either adidas or Umbro kit ever since the 1977-78 season.
Speaking about the switch, chairman Nicholas Randall KC, said: “We are delighted to announce adidas as our new official kit partner. adidas is a highly respected global brand with a special relationship with Nottingham Forest arising from the iconic shirts forever associated with our European Cup successes. We now look forward to working together again with the aim of writing a new story of achievement for the current generation of our supporters."
Release dates
Supporters will soon be able to cast their eyes over the new kit. The home shirt will be unveiled on Thursday, July 13.
The away kit will be released the following day, coinciding with the reopening of the club's megastore. The shop is undergoing "a huge renovation" tied in with the adidas deal.
A report by The Athletic earlier this year suggested the switch in supplier would kick off with a home kit reminiscent of the heady days of European Cup success under Brian Clough, having negotiated “the biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history”. Fellow Evangelos Marinakis-owned side Olympiacos also have adidas as their kit supplier.
Chris Walsh, VP brand, adidas North Europe said: “Nottingham Forest has an incredibly rich history in football, and it is an exciting prospect for adidas to partner with the club for the foreseeable future. adidas worked with the club during some of its most successful times, including the club’s two European Cup wins in 1979 and 1980. We now look forward to further success with the club and its passionate fans in the coming years.”
'Leaked' design
"Leaked" pictures emerged on social media supposedly showing Forest’s away kit for the new campaign. It remains to be seen whether one photo which seemingly shows Morgan Gibbs-White wearing the kit is genuine, but it has certainly stoked debate.
The shirt has a white base colour with sky blue wavy stripes and features the adidas logo. The shorts and socks are both sky blue.
Some fans have pointed out that it bears a resemblance to the colours of Argentina. And they questioned how that would sit with Brazilians Felipe, Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa, given the rivalry between the countries.
New sponsor
Cooper’s men began the 2022/23 term without a main shirt sponsor, despite having held discussions with a few potential partners following promotion. Former sponsors BOXT said they had a “multi-million pound offer” to continue their partnership with the club turned down.
Midway through the season a partnership was announced with an international charity. From January onwards, the men’s and women’s teams had the logo of UK for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, on the front of their shirts. The club said it was “as a sign of solidarity for families who have been forced to flee their homes and communities”.
That agreement was for the second half of the campaign. It leaves a gap for a new main sponsor for 2023/24.
Read more about the previous partnership, here.
Past designs
Fresh designs will have some way to go to match the ‘lucky’ hi-viz shirt from the promotion-winning season when it comes to earning a place in fans’ affections. If the new home kit does indeed come with a nod to the club’s glorious past, though, that would no doubt go down well.
The look of Forest’s home kit has changed a little throughout the decades. We’ve raided the archives to have a look at how it has evolved. To the best of our knowledge, here are all the Forest home shirts of the past 45 years.
