Forest consider Hillsborough memorial at City Ground

For a long time, people who love Forest have united with followers of Liverpool at Anfield to honor those who lost their lives in the Hillsborough tragedy.

The chairman of Nottingham Forest, Tom Cartledge, has stated that they are open to the idea of creating a tribute at the City Ground to honour the memory of those who lost their lives during the Hillsborough disaster.

The loss of 97 soccer fans from Liverpool occurred due to a crowd accident during a Forest FA Cup semi-final being played in 1989.

A bunch of supporters of Forest team who were present at the game have requested their club to think about creating a lasting commemoration.

Cartledge stated his intention to convene a meeting with them "to discuss the matter."

During an interview on the BBC Sounds podcast Hillsborough Unheard: Nottingham Forest Fans, Cartledge expressed his willingness to meet with the concerned parties and gain insight into what their suggestion entails and visualize its possible outcomes.

I understand that there are commemorative sites at Anfield and Hillsborough. We ought to ponder upon one of these sites. Anyone can share their thoughts with me if they wish to suggest something.

The head of the Forest team has stated that he has not received any official requests from fans regarding a memorial. However, he plans to include the club's fan advisory board, which is comprised of members from various supporter groups.

In the past, Forest showed their respect towards the individuals who passed away during the unfortunate incident by refraining from using 97 seats during their match against Liverpool in the FA Cup of 2022. The club officials replaced those seats with a commemorative banner.

During 2016, it was determined through investigations that the fatalities among the Liverpool supporters were classified as being unlawfully brought about.

No fans of Forest lost their lives during the Hillsborough disaster, but a huge crowd of 28,000 supporters were present in the stadium to witness the heartbreaking event.

A bunch of individuals got together not too long ago and received assistance with dealing with their traumatic experiences. This help was offered by Liverpool fans via the HSA.

A HSA branch has been established in Nottingham.

Amongst the members of the group is Martin Peach, who was a 12-year-old supporter of Forest present at Hillsborough.

In previous years, he has joined fans who brought a wreath in honor of Forest to the Hillsborough memorial located at Anfield, Liverpool.

Peach stated that even though it has been 35 years since the incident happened, there is always time to create a central place where individuals can come together to recollect and exchange their sentiments regarding what they witnessed.

Brian Laws, a ex-Forest defender who participated in the match that was halted in Hillsborough, believes the team should have taken action beforehand to commemorate the disaster.

He stated that we were involved in the occasion, which happens to be an extremely notable day in the sport.

Even though it's not desirable to remember something as terrible as that, the solidarity and emotion we experience show that we are united. We shared that moment together, and we all face the same challenges together.

Diane Lynn is a supporter of Liverpool and also a vice-chair of HSA. She has experienced the tragic stampede that happened at Hillsborough but fortunately managed to evade it. She is currently in favor of having a commemoration erected at the Forest's stadium.

She mentioned that it would hold a lot of significance for those who were present at Hillsborough.

"It serves as a gathering spot and a platform for conversations, and I firmly believe that it is a necessary establishment in Nottingham."

The leader of the Forest team, Cartledge, announced that they plan to explore methods of assisting the supporters who attended Hillsborough on April 15, 1989. The club has already established various wellness initiatives and schemes pertaining to mental health.

According to him, if there is an opportunity for the football club to do more, especially for those who have experienced trauma while watching Nottingham Forest, then the club has an added responsibility to take action. Thus, he believes that the club should consider doing more to help this particular group of people.

I am uncertain about the extent of assistance they require, and the provisions that may not be accessible to them either independently or from other organizations designated to cater to those who have survived or witnessed tragic events.