A packed out Old Market Square with a deafening atmosphere was the perfect tribute for the homecoming of Nottingham Forest's heroes. Thousands upon thousands of fans hit the city centre to catch a glimpse of, and celebrate with, their heroes who had achieved the unthinkable.
For the first time in 23 years, Nottingham Forest will play in the Premier League. That's after a remarkable turnaround since head coach Steve Cooper took over, complete with a 1-0 win against Huddersfield Town at Wembley in the Championship play-off final on Sunday (May 29).
Read more: Forest fans pour onto the streets of Nottingham and London to celebrate unforgettable win
The event was due to start at around 1pm on Monday (May 30) afternoon, but fans arrived more than two hours early to get their spot at the front of the council house to be as close as possible. It felt as if all of Nottingham turned out in whatever Forest merchandise they had, be it scarves, shirts or flags, painting Old Market Square red.
Fans got the chance to hear from their heroes, owner Evangelos Marinakis himself and to party with the Reds, who were announced and then appeared one by one to wild fanfare before lifting the trophy on the balcony of the council house. Fans of all ages turned out to see the players and club staff that guided the historic club to promotion
Wayne Wood, 44, from Sutton-in-Ashfield, said: "It's the best thing I've ever known. I've finished work early to come here. I watched the game at home."
Peter Clarkson, 51, said: "That was incredible. I've supported them all my life and over the years I was starting to think I'd never get to experience Forest in the Premier League again.
"The atmosphere was just incredible - I can't believe the turnout. I think it'll take a while to hit me that we've done it."
Ryan Dales, 41, said: "Amazing. Just amazing.
"I don’t think I've ever seen Nottingham like that before - it's just pure joy. Even though we've been in the Championship for so long, all of the supporters have always been great.
"And for the manager and the players to be here as well was brilliant."
David Shaw, 39, said: "It was an electrifying atmosphere after what we've been through. It's great for the team but also for the local area and hopefully we can do lots of amazing things.
"Hopefully it spurs the kids on and inspires them. I travelled from Newark to be here today."
Friar Lane was closed to traffic for the historic event and all of the city came together to celebrate the Reds' achievement. QMC and City Hospital will be lit up red in recognition of the team's success on Monday evening, and local officials tweeted their support. A spokesperson for the county council tweeted: "Amazing scenes in the Old Market Square as thousands of fans welcome NFFC to the Premier League."
Geoff Orchard, 65, from Woodthorpe, said: "What a fantastic result. I watched it with my wife and she couldn’t stand it.
"I'll be there next season hopefully all being well. We were fortunate with some VAR calls, but we've done it and that's it. We're back where we belong."
David Martt, 34, was at the celebrations with sister Danni Sharpe, 30, and her son Oscar Sharpe, 6. David said: "It was a tight game. We were lucky with the penalties, it’s been a long time coming though. I was nervous."
Rosie Higgins, 39, from Radcliffe-on-Trent, said: "My eldest son is Forest mad. I think it's the first game of football I've actually watched in full!
"We had the grandparents round too, and it was really good. They're really excited to be here today."
Adam Davies, 33, from Bulwell, said: "I just can’t believe it. What a turnout here too.
"I've been waiting all my life to see something like this happen for Forest. It's so amazing.
"The game wasn’t great, but it doesn't matter, we won."
Councillor David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council said: "We were proud to welcome the Nottingham Forest team to the Council House today to formally congratulate them on their historic return to the Premier League.
"They achieved a great victory in the Championship Play-off Final against Huddersfield yesterday, the culmination of an incredible season – and it is right that we took a moment to celebrate this remarkable achievement with people in our city.
Thousands packed into Old Market Square to watch the players lift the trophy on the balcony of the Council House. The sea of red shirts and scarves is a significant moment in our city’s rich history.
"I’d like to add my personal congratulations to the players, the manager Steve Cooper and the owner Evangelos Marinakis. They lifted themselves from the bottom of the league. They never gave up; never lost hope; and they battled to the end. Their passion and commitment is an example to us all.
"I am thrilled that the club has secured Premier League status for the first time since 1999. It means so much to everyone connected to the club as well as to Nottingham residents and to the many thousands of fans in the UK and around the world.
It’s early to be talking about the legacy of what the team has achieved – but what this means for the club and for our city cannot be understated.
"Premier league football is watched by millions of people around the world. All eyes will once again be on Nottingham. Beyond the sheer pride and joy that promotion brings, having a team in the Premier League offers the local economy a huge boost.
There is also the huge legacy for the next generation of young sports men and women who will have watched Forest progress through the season, cheered their victory yesterday… and who were packed into the Old Market Square today to catch a glimpse of their heroes.
"Make no mistake: this is a landmark achievement for everyone. Nottingham is a city of legends and this team rightly deserves to be part of that legacy."
