Nottingham Forest release City Ground development update as UEFA set deadline

UEFA SET PROMOTION DEADLINE

UEFA have told their 55 member nations that they are hoping to complete all club fixtures left to play in the 2019-20 season before June 30, after confirming the postponement of the European Championships.

The decision, announced today, to push back this summer's competition until the summer of 2021 will come as good news for the likes of  Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and West Brom in their hopes to win promotion to the Premier League.

There are nine games left to play until the Championship season is concluded and, without Euro 2020, squads can remain at full strength throughout the summer with plenty of time to complete their fixtures.

This will of course depend on whether or not the current situation and the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) improves and resuming playing be "appropriate and prudent enough".

HERE IS WHAT THEY HAVE LAID OUT TO CLUBS

CITY GROUND LATEST

A view of closed gates at the City Ground, Nottingham as The EFL season has been suspended until April 3 at the earliest. (PA)

 

Forest have put back their plans to redevelop the City Ground “due to delays in the planning process”.

Work had been due to start this summer, once the 2019/20 season had been completed, with phase one of the project seeing the Peter Taylor Stand rebuilt to an increased capacity of 10,000.

However, a planning application has yet to be given the green light, with the club altering the timescale as a result.

The Reds say they are still “fully committed to the project”, but are now allowing season card holders in the Peter Taylor Stand to renew their seats for 2020/21.

Under the original plans, those fans would have had to relocate during the building work - hence Forest’s previous decision to allow those supporters in the other three stands to renew their season cards first.

HERE IS THE FULL STORY

EURO 2020 POSTPONED

 

This summer's European Championships have been postponed, paving the way for club football to be played into the summer.

Forest's season had already been postponed until April 3 because of the coronavirus pandemic and now UEFA have called off their flagship tournament, due to be held in June.

The Reds  have seen three games postponed because of the outbreak of Covid-19; Sheffield Wednesday, Huddersfield Town and Bristol City.

Their season is due to get back underway at the beginning of next month but there are very real fears that the campaign could extend into the summer.

There are nine games remaining of the 2020-21 campaign and Sabri Lamouchi's side, who are in fifth place and battling for promotion to the Premier League, will be keen to see a resolution to the season.

Clubs are holding meetings this week to thrash out a plan for the rest of the season.

Meanwhile, UEFA have taken the decision to postpone this summer's tournament.

HERE IS THE FULL STORY AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR FOREST