'Win the league? It seems possible': Nottingham Forest fans dare to dream | Nottingham Forest

YoIn a gleaming barbershop in the shadow of Nottingham Forest's City Ground, Feras Al-Youssef cuts his client's hair with lightning efficiency, the clippings flying like silver filings to the floor.

“We are going to win the league,” says the city's adopted son, born in Aleppo, looking at a signed club shirt on the wall. Then he smiles. “Well, we hope that when this city is in a good mood, there will be nothing like it.”

The endorphins have been pulsing in this part of the East Midlands in recent weeks with an intensity that was not last felt during the heady days of 1979-80, when Forest won back-to-back European Cups. under the management of club hero Brian Clough.

After narrowly avoiding relegation and being docked points last season – and despite having less ball than any other Premier League team – Forest are third in the Premier League, behind Arsenal only on goal difference.

After a heady six-game winning streak, they face league leaders Liverpool on Tuesday. And while comparisons to Leicester's fairytale 2015-16 season may still seem far-fetched with half a season left to play, under the Portuguese manager Nuno Holy SpiritThe fans are getting giddy.

“A couple of weeks ago I thought, 'This is probably the best thing ever,'” says Matt Davies, the show's host. Forestry approach podcast. “Then we keep winning and you wonder about Tuesday and think, 'What if?' It seems possible, which is crazy.”

Nottingham is a city where sport really matters. cricket was open to paying viewers Here thanks to an enterprising owner. Forest and Notts County, situated like grumpy bedfellows on opposite banks of the Trent, are two of the oldest clubs in English football. When Victorian grandeur was emptied by manufacturing declineSport filled the void.

It is not surprising, then, that fans want to enjoy the moment. On match days, the pubs in the area are packed; The local Greek tavern has celebrated each victory with a fireworks display in an alley next to the restaurant.

“The city looks brighter than ever,” says Greg Mitchell, founder of the Forest fans group. Garibaldi Forcenamed after the Italian revolutionary who is the inspiration behind the club's red uniform. “But I don't think I've reached the top yet. “Imagine fans from all over Europe drinking in these pubs and staying in our hotels – it would be incredible.”

Because even the most die-hard fans now look at the table and think that European football – perhaps even a place in the Champions League if they finish in the top four – is no longer an unattainable dream. “I never thought we would be in this position again, ever,” says Mitchell, who met his wife during an away defeat to Derby County. “Now I only think about the Champions League anthem and I think I would be angry if we finished sixth.”

Despite the infectious good vibes, some long-suffering fans – who have seen their team drop to the third tier of English football and falter in the second over the last quarter of a century – find it harder to believe. TO League One playoff final defeat against Yeovil In 2007 it still haunts David Thomson's dreams. “There's a bit of humility, because once you've gone through those low moments, you don't take it for granted,” he says.

Fans partly credit Forest's rise to many clever signings carried out by the club under former manager Steve Cooper after winning promotion to the Premier League in 2022, and continued under the management of Espírito Santo. The support of Greek shipping magnate Evangelos Marinakisthe owner of Olympiakos is currently suing a Greek football rival for accusations (which he denies) of match-fixing and a high-profile drug trafficking case in Greece, is also seen as key.

So far, few experts are willing to talk about Forest as a possible title contender. Holy Spirit says it is don't even look at the table. Premier League data partner Opta has cast doubt on the team's chances of winning the English title. in a 0% punishment. The fans don't seem to care. “We're up there on merit and I don't care what the experts say,” says Forest fan Lisa Fox.

For her, the glut of wins this season is bittersweet after losing her father in 2023. After Forest's final home game, she and her daughter finally found a memorial brick with his name and his quote: “Don't come home and say they have done it.” lost”, in the Trent End of the City Ground.

“We're riding the crest of a wave and waiting for it to end, but I hope it doesn't end on Tuesday,” Fox says. “You just think, 'Come on Forest, let's not go home and say they lost.'”