Nottingham Forest could spark ‘huge uprising’ as new plan unveiled – Wyness
Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness has claimed there would be a “huge uprising from local businesses” if Nottingham Forest moved away from the City Ground.
Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider’s Inside Track podcast, the 66-year-old – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – accused the local council of “taking the mickey” with their lease demands.
As revealed by The Athletic (9 May), Forest are now considering building a new 50,000-capacity stadium outside Nottingham – and ripping up their current expansion plans for the City Ground.
The news comes amid a dispute which hinges on the council wanting to charge £250million in rent for a new 250-year lease of the City Ground.
Forest had been eager to expand the City Ground’s capacity by 10,000 seats to over 40,000, but talks around the project have completely stalled.
City Ground demands are ‘taking the mickey’ as Nottingham Forest warning issued
Wyness urged the club to become “more vocal” in warning about the threat to local business if they move to an outer-city location.
He told Football Insider‘s Insider Track podcast: “There needs to be more realism about what the club does for the city of Nottingham.
There are the hotel sectors, the bars, the restaurants, the taxi drivers – there’s so much going on, and so many other businesses which depend on matchday income.
Even the move from Goodison to the new stadium at Everton will impact certain businesses and areas, even though the money will stay in the city.
If Nottingham Forest were to go to this new site six miles outside of the city, I think it would have a dramatic impact on the city.
I think you’d see a huge uprising from the local businesses.
Forest haven’t been very vocal in pushing that down the throat of local authorities, but they should.
“The council is trying to take the mickey, as far as I’m concerned, in terms of the value of the lease.
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