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NOTTINGHAM FOREST HISTORY
19 December, 2023

Cooper era ends after survival

On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 2023 Steve Cooper is relieved of his duties after guiding Forest to promotion and survival.

Manager legacies

End of a dominant or difficult era
Former Forest manager Steve Cooper, pictured 2022.
Former Forest manager Steve Cooper, pictured 2022. Image: AFC Bournemouth / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Steve Cooper’s time as Nottingham Forest head coach ended after more than two years, closing one of the most emotional managerial spells in the club’s recent history.

Cooper had arrived in September 2021 with Forest bottom of the Championship and transformed the mood almost immediately. By the end of that season, he had led the club through the play-offs and back to the Premier League after a 23-year absence.

Former Forest manager Steve Cooper, pictured 2022.
Former Forest manager Steve Cooper, pictured 2022. Image: AFC Bournemouth / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

The following campaign brought another major achievement: Premier League survival. Forest stayed up by beating Arsenal 1-0 at the City Ground, a night that became one of the defining moments of Cooper’s connection with the supporters.

His departure came after a poor run of Premier League results left the club looking nervously towards the relegation places. Nuno Espírito Santo was appointed the next day and later kept Forest in the Premier League in 2023-24, but Cooper’s legacy remained unusually strong for a sacked manager: he was the man who had given Forest their top-flight status back.

Sky Sports Report

Sources

Nottingham Forest official site; BBC Sport; Reuters; 2023-24 season records

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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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On this day in …
1993
Southend win boosts promotion push

Nottingham Forest kept their promotion campaign moving with a 2-0 win over Southend United at the City Ground. The match came in League Division…

Eras and timeline markers
2023
Cooper era ends after survival

Steve Cooper’s time as Nottingham Forest head coach ended after more than two years, closing one of the most emotional managerial spells in the…

Manager legacies