Different crowd
Nottingham Forest are gearing up for the return of Championship football as they prepare to resume their promotion push.
Sabri Lamouchi’s men will be playing in empty stadiums as they target a place in the Premier League, with the remaining games taking place behind closed doors due to the coronavirus crisis.
But, teaming up with Face Fan, the Reds have devised a way supporters can at least be there in spirit.
Fans can purchase a life-size cardboard cutout of themselves which will be printed out and placed in the City Ground stands, at a cost of £20 per board.
Henderson's claim
Stephen Henderson admits leaving Nottingham Forest before the end of his contract would have been financial suicide for his family.
The Irish goalkeeper endured an injury-ravaged three-year spell at the City Ground following his 2016 move from Charlton Athletic, and left last summer before joining Premier League side Crystal Palace in a move he admits came out of the blue.
Plagued by injury issues which saw him play just 15 times for Forest under seven different managers, Henderson ended his City Ground career playing regularly for the Under-23 side last term after loan spells at Wycombe and former club Portsmouth.
With transfer windows coming and going, Henderson revealed that his ‘decent contract’ at the City Ground, made it hard for him to move elsewhere knowing he’d likely have to accept reduced terms.
Transfer admission
Jamie Ward says he would have reversed his decision to sign for Nottingham Forest, if arch-rivals Derby County had changed their minds about letting him go.
The attacker joined the Reds in the summer of 2015 after their bitter enemies chose not to take up an option to extend his stay.
But Ward says he would have preferred to remain at the opposite end of Brian Clough Way.
“(Steve) McClaren was sacked three weeks after the season but I’d already received my letter from the club to tell me they weren’t taking the option of the contract,” the 34-year-old told The Derby Book.
Window changes
Football leagues will be allowed to open transfer windows before the current campaign is concluded, under new regulations issued by FIFA today.
The world governing body announced the measures in response to the delays to leagues across the globe caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has already said England's top-flight will not allow clubs to sign players before July 25, after the delayed campaign is brought to an end.
Most European leagues have similar plans in place, but FIFA's new regulations would allow for windows to open earlier, stating that "associations following a dual-year calendar are permitted to commence the 'first registration period' for the 2020-21 season prior to the completion of the 2019-20 season, subject to conditions".
