Nottingham Forest have announced their first pre-season friendly of this summer’s schedule.
The Reds will take on neighbours Notts County as part of their preparations for next term’s Premier League campaign. The match will take place at Meadow Lane on Saturday, July 15, with a 1pm kick-off.
It is the first fixture to be placed in Forest’s calendar ahead of the 2023/24 term. And the club say ticket details, along with details of their full pre-season schedule, will be confirmed in due course.
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It comes after Steve Cooper’s side wrapped up the 2022/23 campaign with a 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on Sunday. Top-flight survival had already been confirmed, thanks to victory over Arsenal a week earlier, and the Reds finished in 16th place in the table.
Cooper has stressed the club want to build on the platform they have given themselves by pushing on again next term. And he has talked about an “important June” as improvements look to be made on and off the pitch.
Forest faced the Magpies last summer, too. That game at Meadow Lane finished 2-2, with Sam Surridge and Cafu getting the goals for the visitors.
Successful seasons have followed for both sides. While the Reds retained their Premier League status, Luke Williams’ County won promotion back to the Football League via a penalty shootout victory over Chesterfield in the National League play-off final.
Cooper has said of Forest’s aim to keep progressing after securing survival: “Staying in the league has given us a real good opportunity now to build this football club even more than what we’ve done in the last two years. I, and we, are so determined to do that.
“The players need a complete rest now, and the staff around the team are the same. But for myself and others, we’ve got to make this a real productive summer so that when the guys come back they see a club that’s aiming to improve.”
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