One item must be top of the agenda after Nottingham Forest chairman change
Nicholas Randall KC was reappointed as Nottingham Forest chairman after Tom Cartledge stepped down from the job
by Sarah Clapson · NottinghamshireLiveBarely 24 hours before Nottingham Forest announced a change in chairmanship, they had published their Fan Engagement Plan for the 2024/25 season.
Included in the plan was a statement from Tom Cartledge. “As a lifelong Forest fan, it is an honour to hold the position of chairman,” he wrote.
The following day, the club announced Cartledge had stepped down and Nicholas Randall had been reappointed to the role. It was little more than a year ago that the former had taken over from the latter.
But even though it is a different (albeit familiar) face in the job, another part of Cartledge’s statement on the Fan Engagement Plan should still hold true. A key guiding principle should remain the same.
“The club has undergone an incredible transition since promotion to the Premier League with significant investment both on and off the pitch,” Cartledge continued in his statement. “With more exciting investment in the pipeline, it is of great importance to me that the fans are centric to everything that we will achieve, together.”
Randall knows full well how Reds supporters are at the heart of the club, even though he is not a lifelong Forest fan like Cartledge. He is also well aware exactly what the job entails, having held the role for six years.
Randall was appointed when Evangelos Marinakis bought the club in 2017. He remained on the board of directors after he was replaced by Cartledge in August 2023. The transition will be a smooth one.
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Just as Randall did when he handed over the chairmanship, Cartledge is to remain on the club’s board. With owner Marinakis having recently outlined his big ambitions for the City Ground, Cartledge’s continued presence at the club is likely to be significant.
Cartledge himself said in comments to the club when the change was announced: “Over the last year and a half we have taken significant steps in securing the club’s future at an expanded City Ground and I will now continue to advise the owners on the real estate strategy whilst spending more time working in my family business. Under Mr Marinakis the club is in great hands to continue our journey back to the top of English football and I look forward to doing all I can to make this happen.”
The City Ground will no doubt be one of the items at the top of Randall’s agenda. After all, given the strength of feeling about staying put at Forest’s home that ties into the aim of ensuring “fans are centric” to everything that happens at the club.
When a potential relocation was mooted earlier this year, supporters made their feelings very clear. Since then, it has been confirmed an agreement in principle is in place for the Reds to purchase the freehold of the land the stadium sits on from Nottingham City Council. Moreover, Marinakis has talked about his long-term vision of taking the capacity up to 50,000.
Getting to that point is likely to be some way off. However, speaking at the first Fan Advisory Board meeting of the season last month, Cartledge outlined plans to take the City Ground up to 42,000 seats.
Cartledge has been involved in the City Ground redevelopment plan since its early stages. It seems likely his involvement will continue even though he is no longer chairman.
As Forest look to kick on in the Premier League and establish themselves among the elite, the next few years will be important ones - on and off the pitch. The role of chairman might have swapped hands again, but the driving force behind the job should not have changed.