Stuart Broad had to have his wits about him to get in the red to celebrate Nottingham Forest’s return to the Premier League at Wembley.
The England bowler and die-hard Forest fan was lucky enough to watch the Championship play-off final at Wembley after spending pre-match in the Bobby Moore suite where team colours are famously not allowed. Yet a social media clip shows that somehow one of Nottingham’s most famous son’s managed to get his hands on a shirt and scarf to celebrate their 1-0 win over Huddersfield at the end of a game that sent him skipping into Lord’s the following day.
“Last Sunday was one of the best sporting days,” said Broad. “I just loved it. To see Nottingham Forest, the sea of red, back in the Premier League after 23 years, everyone I've spoken to is delighted - although I don't know any Huddersfield fans!
"Walking down Wembley Way on Sunday afternoon, I think the whole of Nottingham was there. So many familiar faces and just the atmosphere and the excitement for the chance to get to the Premier League was pretty special.
“And now I'm flying. I'm just excited to be around the home of football and the home of cricket in the same week. If you'd have told a 12-year-old me that I would get the chance to do that, I wouldn't have believed you, so it's going to be a great week.”
And Broad has already got half an eye on the release of next season’s fixtures with Test tours to Pakistan in December and New Zealand in February set to get in the way, unless of course he is axed once more.
“It is actually quite a quiet winter for Test cricket,” said Broad with a chuckle.
“So I’m eagerly awaiting the fixture list. I think fans deserve the chance to go and see some Premier League football and to have the likes of Manchester United and Man City and Liverpool come to the City Ground.”
