GROUND DESIGNS
Inside Nottingham Forest’s stunning 50,000-seater stadium plans as Marinakis demands ‘one of England’s best’ grounds
The club have taken inspiration from a World Cup venue
NOTTINGHAM FOREST have grand plans to renovate the City Ground.
The stadium has been their home since 1898 and owner Evangelos Marinakis is desperate for the club to stay "where it belongs".
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But Forest want to keep their classic ground in touch with the modern day and make it "one of England's best".
Marinakis has made it no secret that he wants to increase the capacity of the stadium to match demand.
Forest claim that they could have sold 50,000 tickets to games last season given their huge season ticket waiting list.
Back in February, details emerged via about the club's plans to redevelop their 29,550-seater into one fit for 40,000 supporters.
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They want to extend the Bridgford Stand and replace the Peter Taylor Stand with a new two-tiered 10,000-seater structure.
The club shop and offices sit adjacent to the ground, and are set to be knocked down and replaced by a stunning 19-storey apartment block.
This means the club shop will be moved and a museum showcasing the club's two European Cup triumphs will be added.
The Reds also want to install solar panels on the Brian Clough Stand to generate their own power for matchdays.
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There will also be a "pedestrianised plaza" around the new City Ground.
Forest have long wanted to get going with the building works but a standoff with the council has delayed the modernisation.
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Nottingham City Council owned the land the it is on, which the club lease.
Talks over a new lease collapsed before Forest eventually struck a deal to buy the land from the local authority in the summer.
They are now ready to push ahead of with their stunning design.
Computer generated images show what the main stand might look like in the future, with the stadium set to keep it's square shape to ensure fans remain close to the pitch.
The modernised ground built on the bank of the River Trent will initially hold 42,000 fans.
But Marinakis has his eye on eventually increasing the capacity to 50,000 should it prove a success.
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He said: "We have a lot of supporters and a huge waiting list for season tickets and I'm sure a 50,000-seat stadium will be full watching our team and our passion."
The Greek businessman hopes his ideas get the green light this year.
Chief Tom Cartledge: "If you add up our 20,000 season-ticket holders, plus the 21,500 or more who were waiting in a queue for tickets, the city of Nottingham should be able to sustain a 45,000 to 50,000-seat stadium.
"We can get ourselves to 40,000 and, if there was no obstruction, he [Marinakis] would get on it next season. He just wants to get going with it and that’s very exciting.”
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Such is his desperation to get going, Forest are working on erecting 20 hospitality pods made out of shipping containers that can house up to 180 people over five storeys.
The new feature, which sits in the corner between the Trent End and the Brian Clough Stand, has taken inspiration from the Qatar World Cup 974 Stadium.
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