Nottingham Forest to land £15m annual windfall as Evangelos Marinakis accelerates stadium plans
Nottingham Forest are looking at new ways to boost their revenue at the City Ground.
As part of owner Evangelos Marinakis’s ambitious plans, Forest have been exploring their options to expand the City Ground for several years.
There has long been debate around the best stadium option for Forest, who have played at their existing home since 1898.
Marinakis had been considering building a new stadium outside of the city centre before a dispute over the freehold at the City Ground was resolved earlier this year.
The focus is now firmly around how Forest can capitalise on matchday opportunities at their stadium, having spent the past three years in the Premier League.
Nottingham Forest reveal new City Ground expansion plans
Forest received planning permission in June to demolish and rebuild the Peter Taylor Stand – increasing the stadium’s capacity from 30,000 to 35,000 – but those plans have since been shelved.
It was reported in October the Reds were exploring alternative proposals that would take the City Ground’s capacity to around 45,000.
Football Insider revealed on 6 November Forest could earn more than £15million in extra revenue if they add a further 15,000 seats.
However, Forest have now revealed plans that could see 7,000 more seats added, potentially taking the City Ground’s capacity to 52,000 in the future.
The East Midlands side are set to submit their plans this month, but it is understood obtaining planning permission might not be completely straightforward given the challenges they faced getting approval for their previous proposals.
How much revenue do Nottingham Forest generate?
Forest posted a club-record revenue in their latest published accounts for 2023-24 after their turnover improved from £155m in 2022-23 to £190m.
Meanwhile, their matchday income at the City Ground increased slightly from £11.1m to £14.4m across the same period.
Marinakis is fully aware Forest must remain a Premier League club if they are to embark on their ambitious stadium plans.
Forest faced a challenging start to the season, with Nuno Espirito Santo and Ange Postecoglou both dismissed in the opening months of the campaign.
Sean Dyche appears to be turning things around at the City Ground following his appointment.
Forest are three points above the relegation zone after winning three of their past four Premier League matches, while they are set to face Everton on Saturday (6 December).
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