Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust says the building blocks are already being put in place to restore the club to its glory days hours after Evangelos Marinakis completed his long-awaited takeover.
The Greek businessman and owner of Olympiacos finalised his 100 per cent buy out from Fawaz Al Hasawi on Thursday.
Elliot Stanley, chairman of the trust, said: “I think rather than just praising the man at the top, the actions that have been put in with a board with pedigree that can push the club forward [is good news] and we have to recognise that the structure has not been there in the last five years.
“Marinakis has done this before and understands what it is going to take to bring this football club forward on and off the pitch.”
Evangelos Marinakis’ first announcement included a promise to cut season ticket prices for next season, a new board including a chairman and a pledge to appoint ex-players to other senior roles.
Forest finished a turbulent season by surviving the drop to League One on goal difference under their previous owner.
Stanley believes Marinakis’ plans for Forest could help stabilise the club and even push them on for a promotion back to the Premier League.
“He has put something in place, the plan will not be disturbed if we do not get promoted in 12 months,” he added.
“It will be a long-term strategic plan which they will go after with some level of grounding.
“Hopefully we can get to worrying about what happens on the pitch instead of what happens in the boardroom.”
Marinakis passed the English Football League’s (EFL) owners’ and directors’ test after days of speculation due to the allegations of match-fixing he is facing in his homeland of Greece, which he has always denied.
The Olympiacos owner has never been charged for any of the allegations and Elliot says the club supporters have to trust the decision of the EFL.
Stanley said: “The allegations can not be ignored, we have to look at what it means for the football club, if you look at the structure that Marinakis has put in place, if something was to come to fruition from the allegations, that he firmly denies, then we are insulated to some degree because he is not involved in the day-to-day running of the club.
“I was impressed to hear him speak about the hard work and ambitions for the club, he has distanced himself from the day-to-day running and deferred that to people who know what they are doing who he trusts.
“It has been a very difficult time to be a Forest fan, there were a number of fans who had become very disenfranchised and ostracised but we have now seen the first steps into restoring some pride in the football club.
“My confidence is high but I want to reserve some judgement until we see the actions that follow in the coming months, I have huge faith in Mark Warburton and Frank McParland to run the football side of the club and hopefully that confidence will come to the off-field side in the coming months.”
