Retro Nottingham Forest Shirt – Europe's Back-to-Back Kings

Nottingham Forest were founded in 1865, making them one of the oldest professional football clubs in the world. Their early decades were modest, though they did claim the FA Cup in 1898, a sign that quality lurked within this East Midlands club even in football's infancy.

For most of the 20th century, Forest oscillated between the top flight and the second tier without ever truly threatening to dominate English football. That all changed with the arrival of one man: Brian Clough. Appointed manager in January 1975, Clough inherited a club languishing in the Second Division. Within three years he had transformed them into First Division champions, clinching the 1977–78 title in only their second season back in the top flight – one of the most astonishing title wins in English football history.

But the truly jaw-dropping chapter was about to begin. Forest entered the European Cup as champions and, against all odds, won it. In 1979 they defeated Malmö FF 1–0 in the final in Munich, with Trevor Francis – English football's first £1 million player – heading home the only goal. Remarkably, they defended the trophy the following year, beating Hamburg 1–0 in Madrid thanks to a John Robertson goal. Back-to-back European Cups. A club from a city of 300,000 people, conquering the continent.

The 1980s saw Forest remain competitive, winning four League Cups and continuing to threaten at the top of the First Division, though they never quite recaptured the championship. The late 1980s brought heartbreak too: Forest were involved in the tragic 1989 Hillsborough disaster, losing 96 Liverpool supporters in scenes that scarred English football forever.

Clough's reign ended with relegation in 1993, a sad final chapter for a managerial legend. Forest bounced back to the Premier League but struggled to find stability, suffering further relegations in 1997 and 1999. The 2000s and early 2010s were spent grinding through the Championship, occasionally threatening promotion without sealing it.

The long wait ended in 2022 when Steve Cooper led Forest back to the Premier League after a 23-year absence, triggering scenes of jubilation at the City Ground. They survived their first season back and have since invested heavily, determined to re-establish themselves. The famous red shirt is once again seen on Premier League pitches – and for supporters old enough to remember what this club achieved, every matchday carries the weight of extraordinary history.

Nottingham Forest's history is inseparable from Brian Clough and his assistant Peter Taylor, arguably the greatest management partnership English football has ever produced. Clough's motivational genius and Taylor's eye for a player created a squad that punched so far above its weight it redefined what was possible in the game.

The first £1 million footballer, Trevor Francis, wore the red shirt and justified every penny with his European Cup-winning header in 1979. John Robertson, the unassuming Scottish winger, was Clough's creative fulcrum – deceptively skilful, he provided the cross for Francis in Munich and scored the winner in Madrid the following year. Peter Shilton arrived as one of England's greatest ever goalkeepers and was a cornerstone of both European triumphs.

Viv Anderson became the first Black player to represent England's senior national team while at Forest, a landmark moment in English football history. Martin O'Neill, later a successful manager himself, provided energy and intelligence in midfield. Tony Woodcock and Garry Birtles formed a dangerous attacking partnership, with Birtles rising from non-league obscurity to European glory in one of football's great rags-to-riches stories.

Larry Lloyd and Kenny Burns formed a formidable central defensive partnership, with Burns winning the Football Writers' Player of the Year award in 1978 – remarkable for a defender. Ian Bowyer was the unsung hero of countless big occasions.

In later years, Stuart Pearce became the heartbeat of Forest, his thunderous left foot and fierce commitment making him a cult figure. Nigel Clough, son of Brian, carried his father's name with dignity and skill. Des Walker was among the quickest and most reliable defenders of his generation.

More recently, the likes of Stuart Pearce have returned in management roles, and the current squad – featuring players from across the globe – carries the hopes of a new generation of City Ground faithful.

The Nottingham Forest shirt is one of football's most iconic designs. The Garibaldi red – named after the Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi whose followers wore red – has been Forest's colour since the 19th century, and it remains instantly recognisable today.

The European Cup-winning kits of 1979 and 1980 are the holy grail for any retro Nottingham Forest shirt collector. These early Adidas strips – simple, bold red with white trim and the classic Adidas trefoil – represent an era when football shirts were beautifully uncluttered. The 1979 final shirt carries almost mythological status.

The early 1980s brought continued Adidas dominance, with subtle variations in collar design and trim. The introduction of shirt sponsorship (Shipstone's Brewery, later others) added a new dimension to the kits, and these early sponsored versions are now fascinating historical artefacts.

The late 1980s and early 1990s saw more elaborate designs emerge. Umbro took over kit production and introduced shirts with increasingly bold graphic patterns – some beloved, some controversial. The 1992–93 relegation season shirt has a bittersweet resonance for fans who witnessed Clough's final campaign.

The Championship years produced a range of designs across multiple kit manufacturers, some genuinely striking, others best forgotten. But it's always the simplest designs – bold red, white collar, minimal fuss – that collectors prize most highly.

Today, with 308 retro Nottingham Forest shirts available in our shop, you can find everything from those legendary European era strips to the Championship classics. The home red will always be king, but the occasional white away kit from the Clough years also commands significant collector interest.