Nottingham Forest are not planning any immediate departure from their City Ground.
That is the view expressed by Elliot Stanley, from the Nottingham Forest Supporters Trust.
Stanley is aware of previous discussions about moving to a new stadium, rather than redeveloping the existing ground.
However, talks on the lease of the ground where the stadium sits have stalled.
Stanley stated, per Nottingham Post: “The council has got problems of its own, but we’ve got this opportunity with (Evangelos) Marinakis to invest in the City Ground and ultimately, if the council can’t sort it then something above it should be able to.
“Marinakis is willing to spend the money on this stadium, so we have to find a way to make it happen. The issue at the moment is the council has all of these financial issues, but having Forest move out of town isn’t going to help.
“It doesn’t bear thinking about.”
Mr Stanley said that having an owner willing to spend as much money on a stadium as Marinakis has pledged is “quite rare” and that the city council is not a “commercial organization.”
A spokesperson for Nottingham City Council added: “We know Forest’s importance to our city and are extremely proud of their recent success – as we are with other sporting clubs like Notts County, the Panthers and Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. We also have a statutory duty to ensure best value for taxpayers in finding an agreement which works for both the local authority and the club.
“The council remains committed to further negotiations to find the best way forward and has offered to continue dialogue. We understand Forest’s need for a swift resolution and their ambition for expansion which will bring benefit to the area, and will work with them on a solution which meets their aims and our statutory responsibilities.”
