Gregory Ground era begins
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1885 Forest play their first match at the Gregory Ground.
Nottingham Forest began life at the Gregory Ground with a home match against Stoke-on-Trent in front of around 2,000 spectators.
The move mattered because the Gregory Ground gave Forest a more settled base in Lenton after earlier years at other venues. Reports praised the new ground’s more sheltered position and improved playing surface, and the venue became the club’s home between 1885 and 1890.
The match has a small record-book wrinkle. Some official-history summaries record a 4-0 Forest win, with Tinsley Lindley scoring twice and Unwin and Fred Fox also scoring, while a local Lenton account gives the score as 4-1.
What is clear is that the day marked the start of an important ground-sharing chapter in the club’s early history. The Gregory Ground later also became linked with one of Forest’s early floodlit matches, adding another layer to its place in the club’s Victorian story.
Sources
Gregory Ground records; Lenton Times; Nottingham Forest statistical history
Forest timeline
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