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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
22 March, 1866

First official match against Notts in red

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1866 Forest’s first official match brings Garibaldi red onto the football field.

Culture and identity

Cultural moment that defines club identity

Nottingham Forest’s football story began with a 0-0 draw against Notts County at the Forest Recreation Ground.

The fixture belongs to a very different football world, long before league tables, European nights, televised finals or packed modern stadiums. Even so, it remains one of the club’s most important calendar moments because it marks the point where Forest’s identity as a football club properly began.

That identity had already been shaped at the club’s founding meeting in 1865, when members agreed to buy tasselled caps in Garibaldi Red. Inspired by Giuseppe Garibaldi and his Italian Redshirts, the colour gave Forest a distinctive look from the beginning and later became one of the club’s most recognisable symbols.

Facing Notts County gave the occasion a local shape from the very start. The two clubs would go on to occupy different places in Nottingham’s sporting story, but this first match placed Forest inside the city’s football life.

Everything else followed from this event: The City Ground, the red shirts, the trophies, Brian Clough, European Cups and modern Premier League memories - all sit on the far side of that first official game at the Forest Recreation Ground.

Sources

Nottingham Forest official history; Forza Garibaldi; The City Ground

Forest timeline

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Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
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Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
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Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
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Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
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Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
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Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
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Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
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Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
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Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
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Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
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Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
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Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
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Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
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Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
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Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
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Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
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Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
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Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
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Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
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Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
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Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
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Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
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Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
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Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
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Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
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Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest
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