By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Nottinghamshire County Council will dedicate time at next week’s full council meeting to celebrate the achievement of Nottingham Forest’s promotion back to the Premier League.
The side’s 1-0 victory over Huddersfield Town in the Championship playoff final at Wembley ended a 23-year period outside of English football’s top flight.
It came just eight months after the club sat bottom of the Championship table, with the Reds’ turnaround coinciding with the appointment of Steve Cooper as manager in September.
The club’s first game back in the Premier League is just weeks away, with Cooper’s men travelling to face Newcastle United at St James’ Park on August 6.
Now councillors on the Conservative-led county council will hold a ‘motion of congratulations’ to celebrate the achievement, with time to be set aside at the July 7 meeting so comments can be made.
The motion will come alongside a period of thanks to the authority’s outgoing chief executive, Anthony May, who will be leaving the council in the autumn to take up the same role at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust (NUH).
Papers published by the council state: “Recognising the enormity of this achievement, this council wants to express its sincere congratulations and gratitude to all associated with Nottingham Forest and the fans.
“Promotion is itself a noteworthy achievement, but the manner of Forest’s promotion is outstanding. Nottingham Forest has done the club and Nottinghamshire proud this season, coming from the bottom of the table to promotion to the Premier League.
“This accomplishment represents not only an excellent sporting achievement but is also a source of pride for Nottinghamshire and local people.
“Nottinghamshire County Council is proud to congratulate the club and to wish them luck for their return to the Premier League.”
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire will welcome some of the world’s best football clubs to the city once the Premier League campaign gets underway.
Teams like Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will visit the City Ground throughout the season, while games are expected to attract an international audience.
The promotion is also expected to speed up the club’s ambitions to extend its West Bridgford-based stadium, with a notice posted by the club earlier this month suggesting the Peter Taylor Stand could be redeveloped this season.
