Football will return safely to the City Ground this Sunday (June 28) following the issuing of a revised safety certificate.
Nottinghamshire County Council has given the green light for the Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield game with the club meeting all the necessary health and safety measures in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
The County Council has been working closely with the club over the last few weeks to ensure all the COVID-19 amendments have been met which prioritise the safety of players, officials and staff at the ground.
The game on Sunday will be the first at the City Ground since March 6.
The remainder of Forest’s Championship season is likely to be played behind closed doors as it is still against the law for large gatherings or mass events to take place,
Rob Fisher, the County Council’s Group Manager for Emergency Planning and the designated officer for safety at sports grounds, said he was delighted to issue the revised safety certificate and give the upcoming games the go-ahead.
Mr Fisher said: “Nottingham Forest Football Club takes a very responsible approach to the management of safety at the City Ground and has worked very hard to implement the extra requirements demanded to minimise the risk of spreading the Covid-19 virus.”
As well as ensuring the safety of the limited number of people who will be in attendance, the County Council is also joining the club, Nottinghamshire Police and Rushcliffe Borough Council in a clear message for supporters to stay away from the ground on matchdays.
“I would like to echo the club’s advice to supporters to stay safe and not be tempted to come to the ground during matches”, added Mr Fisher.
Councillor John Cottee, chairman of Communities and Place committee at Nottinghamshire County Council and an avid Forest fan, said: “I am delighted that football is back up and running again at the City Ground which means the club can now concentrate on our push for promotion to the Premier League.”
The County Council has a statutory duty for the safety certification of sports grounds under the Safety of Sports Grounds Act 1975 and the Fire Safety and Safety of Places of Sport Act 1987.
Nottingham Forest has joined forces with the English Football League to allow supporters the opportunity to watch the club’s push for promotion to the Premier League by signing up to the club’s iFollow service for all remaining matches.
More information can be found at https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/ifollow/.
