A Nottingham Forest fan feels he has received "shoddy treatment" after he was forced out of the seat he has had for 15 years ahead of the club's Premier League campaign. Peter Hodges, 62, lives in Farnsfield and has had his seat just behind the directors' box in the Peter Taylor stand for around a decade-and-a-half, and has been a season ticket holder for more than 25 years.
On Monday, June 20, Peter said he received a call from Forest's ticket office telling him he and his two friends he goes to matches with would have their seats moved and they would be given to members of the media. They reluctantly accepted to move around 60 seats to the right and can still sit together, but Peter says this gives an "inferior view".
Peter, who has been to watch his beloved team since he was around eight-years-old, says he has been refunded £20 for the cheaper seats, but expected to sit where he always had for Forest's first season in the Premier League for 23 years. He said he wants to raise awareness of the issue because he's not found anything about this posted by the club, and fears a number of fans will have been affected.
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Speaking to Nottinghamshire Live, Peter said: "I feel as though this is very shoddy treatment for lifelong Forest fans. We've been here in the years of the Championship and League One, and as soon as we get to the Premier League, we've been told with no notice we've had to vacate our seats.
"It seems as though Forest's hands are tied to a certain degree, and that it's to facilitate media for the Premier League. I feel as though as soon as we've come to the top flight, the fans are second to the media, maybe not even second.
"Since I got the call from the club, the only communication I've received since is a reply to an email I've sent. We were very limited in what we could do, as a number of season tickets have already been sold and no new ones are being sold this year."
Peter says he was at first offered seats with an obstructed view, which he refused before the alternative arrangement was reached. He said if Forest get relegated, which he does not want to see happen, the media would "melt away" while the Forest support remains.
The Premier League has specific rules for seating for media which can be read here. This outlines rules on Stadium Criteria and Broadcasters’ Requirements that all 20 clubs must adhere to each season.
Nottingham Forest was approached for comment.
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