The two time European Cup winners, under the great Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest were formed in 1865 by a group of shinty players and are one of the oldest football clubs in the world. Current Ireland manager Martin O’Neill and his assistant Roy Keane both played under ‘Ol Big Head’ at the City Ground. O’Neill helped Forest win two successive European Cups in 1979 and 1980, while Keane played in FA Cup and League Cup finals in 1991 and 1992 respectively.
The name of the club comes from the original home, the Forest Recreation Ground, which was named after Sherwood Forest. Forest were the first team to wear shinguards, as well as the first team to use nets in their goals, and also the first team to adopt the 2-3-5 formation. The club also provided the referee with a whistle for the first time, replacing the waving of a white flag.
The current crest was first introduced in 1974. It represents a sherwood tree beside the river Trent. Incidentally, it features a lower case E while the other letters are uppercase. It was designed by David Lewis when the designer and lecturer in Trent Polytechnic won a competition held by the club through a local newspaper. Prior to the competition, the City of Nottingham coat of arms was worn on the bright Garibaldi red shirts. Forest were one of the first teams in England to wear red shirts and they inspired a host of clubs across the country. In 1886 a complete set of jerseys were sent to London for two former Forest players who were setting up Arsenal.
