FOREST HISTORY · Historic event

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8 October, 1892

First league derby defeat to Notts

On this day in 1892 Forest lose 3–0 to Notts County in the first league Nottingham derby.

Rivalry and derby lore

Rivalry origins
Labeled group photo of Nottingham Forest players in 1894.
Labeled group photo of Nottingham Forest players in 1894. Image: The Sketch, 1894 / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The first league Nottingham derby gave Forest and Notts County’s old city rivalry a new competitive edge.

Forest lost 3–0 at Trent Bridge, so this was not a proud result on the pitch. But the fixture mattered because it moved the rivalry into league football, with points at stake and both clubs trying to establish themselves in the expanding national game.

Labeled group photo of Nottingham Forest players in 1894.
Labeled group photo of Nottingham Forest players in 1894. Image: The Sketch, 1894 / Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

The location adds to the historical weight. Trent Bridge places the match firmly in Forest’s pre-City Ground era, when the club’s identity and home story were still taking shape.

For Forest, the afternoon ended badly, but its place in club history is clear. The first league Nottingham derby went Notts County’s way, adding an early marker to one of English football’s oldest local rivalries.

Sources

11v11; Steve’s Football Stats; Nottingham derby records

Explore more Nottingham Forest history

Browse the timeline to discover more events from this day and beyond:

OCTOBER
18
Notts County 0–2 Nottingham Forest
22
Nottingham Forest 3–0 Blackburn
26
Vitória SC 1–1 Nottingham Forest
31
Portimonense 1–2 Nottingham Forest Sporting CP 4–1 Nottingham Forest
8
Udinese 1–0 Nottingham Forest Barcelona 1–0 Nottingham Forest
12
Nottingham Forest 2–1 Bayer Leverkusen
16
Nottingham Forest 2–0 Stade Brestois 29
22
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Leeds
25
Nottingham Forest 0–2 Leeds
29
Liverpool 2–2 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 0–0 Tottenham
12
Aston Villa 1–2 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 0–1 Coventry
11
Crystal Palace 14:00 Nottingham Forest
18
Nottingham Forest 16:30 Arsenal
23
Ipswich 20:00 Nottingham Forest
31
Brentford 15:00 Nottingham Forest
7
Nottingham Forest 17:30 Manchester City
21
Bournemouth 15:00 Nottingham Forest
27
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Chelsea
2
Hull City 20:00 Nottingham Forest
5
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brighton
12
Sunderland 15:00 Nottingham Forest
19
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Everton
27
Manchester United 16:30 Nottingham Forest
30
Newcastle 19:30 Nottingham Forest
2
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Fulham
5
Nottingham Forest 19:30 Hull City
16
Manchester City 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Bournemouth
30
Chelsea 15:00 Nottingham Forest
6
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Brentford
10
Fulham 20:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Manchester United
27
Everton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
3
Nottingham Forest 20:00 Newcastle
13
Tottenham 15:00 Nottingham Forest
20
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Aston Villa
10
Leeds 15:00 Nottingham Forest
17
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Liverpool
24
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Sunderland
1
Brighton 15:00 Nottingham Forest
8
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Crystal Palace
15
Arsenal 15:00 Nottingham Forest
23
Nottingham Forest 15:00 Ipswich
30
Coventry 16:00 Nottingham Forest