Local Rivals, Derbies and Supporters
Whilst Notts County is the closest professional football club geographically, Forest have remained at least one division higher since the 1994–95 season and the club's fiercest rivalry is with Derby County, located 14 miles away. The two clubs contest the East Midlands derby, a fixture which has taken on even greater significance since the inception of the Brian Clough Trophy in 2007.
Leicester City are Forest's other East Midlands rival due to the close proximity and economic/social rivalry of the two cities. During the pre-Clough era, Leicester were largely considered Forest's main rivals. This is still the case for Forest fans of Melton Mowbray, Loughborough and yesteryear. A Football League Cup tie in September 2007 took on an extra dimension after Leicester defender Clive Clarke collapsed due to heart failure. After the match was abandoned, Leicester demonstrated sportsmanship in the replay and allowed Forest keeper Paul Smith to score at the beginning of the match. This was in acknowledgement that Forest were leading 1–0 when the original tie was abandoned. The act was met with applause from both sets of fans and praised by the press.
Forest's other regional rival is Sheffield United, based in the neighbouring county of South Yorkshire, a rivalry which has roots in the UK miners' strike 1984-85 when the miners of South Yorkshire walked out on long strikes but the Notts Miners, who insisted on holding a ballot, continued to work. The exciting 2003 Football League Championship Play-off semi final between the two clubs, in which Sheffield United finished as 5–4 aggregate winners, also fueled the rivalry.
Forest's fanbase includes a host of celebrity of supporters, including boxer Carl Froch, golfers Lee Westwood and Greg Owen, politician Kenneth Clarke, Manic Street Preachers singer James Dean Bradfield, actor Jason Statham, Brazilian football manager Luiz Felipe Scolari, actor Joe Dempsie, Deep Purple drummer Ian Paice, fashion designer Paul Smith and actress Su Pollard.
Read more about this topic: Nottingham Forest F.C.
Famous quotes containing the words local and/or supporters:
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