When I started this site back in 2010, I don't think I
believed it would take 12 years to get back to the Premier League. That said,
during that time we had looked closer to dropping to League One, especially as Fawaz
era came to a crashing end.
It was that end that made me fall out of love with Forest a
bit. I stopped the blogging at that time, with occasionally efforts to reenergise
myself to do it that just always fell flat. I just couldn't muster the effort.
Oh that and getting married, having a child, buying a house, and work being
more intense…. Those too.
Covid as well played its part. It felt hard to connect with
such a disjointed season and with no fan presence. It also put life's
priorities in perspective.
And of course the sheer drudgery of the Hughton period.
But the last 3-4 months have been instrumental in dragging me
back to my passion for Forest. The love and support were always there, but the
passion that’s been reignited.
This is no glory hunt. I was a season ticket holder from
2004 to 2017 so I sat through relegation and all three League One seasons.
Before that I was a season ticket holder from 1995 to 1999. But I essentially
walked away after Fawaz.
I was 18 when we were relegated from the Premier league.
Pretty much my entire life has been spent outside the topflight. And we were a
big deal. I lived close enough to Nottingham, but far away enough when I was
younger in Edwinstowe that most of my mates were Forest, but not everyone. That
feels like a smaller number today.
When I moved to north Sheffield and you'd say you were a
Forest fan, especially amongst many Wednesday fans up here there was that
feeling of almost having to apologise for not supporting a good team. I've even
had locals suggest I should give Forest up for Stocksbridge Park Steels. It
feels like when you are a fan of a club outside the elite that it's something
that can be beaten out of you.
I was lucky enough to get Wembley tickets, via a friend who couldn’t
use his season ticket. It was a glorious day, as we all know and I don't need
to go into detail about it too much, as others have covered that off more than
succinctly. But it was such an outpouring of relief and heartache that we
finally would be up.
This is more about feeling proud to be a Forest fan again.
That this team restored that passion and desire to watch and follow them. Yes,
as fans we must follow the bad times so enjoy the good, and it does feel like I'm
saying I'm only back because things are good, but that’s why this last season
was so important.
How many fans were lost like me for a few years? How many
had stepped away?
I see a new generation of fans able to experience the topflight.
I see a new era for the club and no longer having some kids say Forest are
their "second" team whilst also supporting Chelsea, Liverpool, or Man
City. In the same way that when we went to League One some spoke of a lost
generation of fans, (anyone 8 years at that time would be hard pressed to fall
in love with Forest) now there's a generation who won't be going elsewhere. And
that is what I think is vital for the club.
Comments
Post a Comment