Chairman and owner of Nottingham Forest Fawaz Al-Hasawi has written an open letter to fans.
Unrest has been mounting among supporters who are planning a protest ahead of the Reds’ home game with Bristol City on Saturday (January 21).
Fans were unhappy that John Jay Moore’s takeover of the club fell through; less than 24 hours after that, head coach Philippe Montanier was sacked.
Fawaz Al-Hasawi’s open letter to Nottingham Forest fans in full
Dear fans,
There have been lots of developments over the last week or so, and I feel it is my responsibility to reach out to you directly to assure you of my complete and utter commitment to Nottingham Forest, and securing its long-term position as a thriving and successful club – both on and off the pitch.
Nottingham Forest is one of the world’s oldest surviving teams. This is a legacy worth defending, and our priority should be to build on this unique heritage to protect the future of our club.
That positive future begins with stability. We are in the process of appointing a senior and experienced executive team to secure and improve the structure and leadership of the club – something I was unable to do during takeover talks.
I am therefore delighted to announce the appointment of Samantha Gordon to the role of Chief Financial Officer, who joins us following significant experience with Norwich City F.C. I look forward to working with her and will keep you informed of our progress in developing the executive team.
As you know, we are also in discussions over the appointment of our new manager. The club made the decision to part ways with Philippe Montanier last weekend, following a series of disappointing results. While I cannot comment on names, I can give every assurance that we will appoint the candidate with the experience and vision to maximise the squad’s talent and potential, and improve results.
Finally, I know that there have been a number of rumours circulating on the takeover talks over the last few days. Unfortunately I am not able to go into detail about those talks due to confidentiality restrictions; however I would like to publicly reiterate my dedication to the club and its fans. It is your fantastic and loyal support that drives us to improve, and it is crucial that your voices are heard. I am listening to you and will continue to put the interests of Nottingham Forest at the heart of every decision I make.
I’m sure you will join me in wishing the best of luck to The Reds ahead of this Saturday’s match against Bristol City led by our interim manager, Gary Brazil.
