The lifelong Reds fan behind a new Nottingham Forest book charting the club's remarkable promotion to the Premier League in photos has raised thousands of pounds for important causes. An initial run of 1,000 copies immediately sold such has been the demand for Simon Bristow's work.
Mr Bristow's photo anthology of last season - which saw manager Steve Cooper take over a Reds side rooted at the foot of the Championship table before leading the team to success via the play-offs - captures Forest supporters at games and travelling to and from stadiums.
Freed from Desire, so named after the anthem which played out at Wembley following the Reds' memorable 1-0 over Huddersfield Town in May, is splitting money raised to different causes. All the profits made from the book are going to charity.
Read more: Organisation benefiting from Robin Hood Fund 'overwhelmed' with the response so far
Half of the funds are going to the Robin Hood Fund, relaunched by Nottinghamshire Live in tandem with The Nottingham Project to raise vital money for vulnerable people across the city, and the other half to Forza Garibaldi, a supporter driven movement known for organising spectacular and meaningful displays on and off the pitch, as well as pre-match gatherings.
Money can be donated to the Robin Hood Fund fundraising page by clicking here.
Mr Bristow, 41, who posts under Our Glorious Banners on social media, said about £15,000 had been raised in total thus far. “I take my camera to games, I would never want to make money from this personally," he said.
“That's why the money is going to charity, I’ve always worked in sports and love the fan culture. I love to document and my social channels have grown but this was the perfect season to put photos into a book.”
The book has sold out twice and is currently unavailable. An initial run of 1,000 copies immediately sold out and when a second run was announced the Forza Garibaldi website crashed as soon as they went on sale through the fan group. But fans have been told to “stay tuned”.
Money raised through The Robin Hood Fund will go to Hope Nottingham, the city’s largest food bank, which will ensure that the food bank network receives the extra support to respond to increased needs; the Citizens' Advice Centres in and across Nottingham which distribute supermarket and energy vouchers; and the Nottingham Community and Voluntary Service (NCVS), known for ensuring that grassroots organisations receive the help they need to keep going.
Mr Bristow, who used to work in the Forest marketing department, said: “We’ve had two to three tough years of Covid but this winter will be even more tough with the cost of living, energy bills spiralling and people struggling to put food on the table.
"It’s really important if people have bought a book, it will have a great impact. The book is sold for £18.65, 1865 was the year that Forest was formed, 157 years ago.”
Speaking previously, Lee Walker, director of the Nottingham Project, said: "People and charities are struggling and it is set to get worse over the winter, we hope that we can raise as much money as possible to ensure that people have warm spaces and support. This support network of organisations will play a key role in helping the most vulnerable of Nottingham's citizens."
And recalling the memorable day in the capital, which saw Forest return to the Premier League for the first time since 1999, Mr Bristow said: “It was incredible. We were at the bottom of the league after nine or 10 games and then Steve Cooper became manager and everyone was in awe, it’s been a very special season for us."
“The book has sold out but for those interested and people asking, stay tuned.” The Reds currently sit third from bottom in the Premier League and one point adrift of safety. After a difficult start in bedding in 22 new players signed over the summer and acclimatising to top flight football, the Reds picked up four points from their last two league outings before the winter break for the World Cup in Qatar.
Why not sign up to one of our newsletters by clicking here to keep up with all the latest news from across Nottinghamshire.
Read next:
- Nottingham Forest transfers: Cody Gakpo problem, Gustavo Scarpa latest and a 'likely' exit
- Imminent Nottingham Forest arrival prompts response to brilliant video
- Chris Hughton Ghana role explained as former Nottingham Forest boss helps at World Cup
- Fresh Cheikhou Kouyaté injury update ahead of England vs Senegal World Cup knockout clash
- Nottingham Forest sent midfielder update as transfer activity ramps up
