Nottingham attacks public inquiry officially starts
The of reference for the public inquiry into the Nottingham attacks are published.
A new episode of the Shut Up And Show More Football podcast is now available to listen to and on BBC Sounds.
BBC Radio Nottingham's David Jackson and Colin Fray discuss Forest's chances of qualifying for the Champions League before Sunday's pivotal showdown with Chelsea.
The also break down Taiwo Awoniyi's serious injury and hear from captain Ryan Yates and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White.
Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds
The final day of the 2024-25 Premier League is edging closer, which means we will soon know the answer to who will make up the remaining Champions League spots.
Five teams are in contention for the final three positions and earlier on Thursday, we asked you to put in order where you thought those clubs would finish.
The results showed Chelsea and Nottingham Forest - who face each other at the City Ground - are who you believe will be the sides to miss out.
However it pans out, it is set to be an afternoon of high tension.
Pat Riddell
Fan writer
Image source, Getty ImagesThe fact that Nottingham Forest are even close to qualifying for the Champions League seems like some kind of wild dream.
Having gained promotion to the Premier League in 2022 - after a long, long absence - we have battled relegation for two seasons and, for many, a solid mid-table finish was really all we could hope for.
Similarly, we have been that close to qualifying for the Champions League for so long that it feels a) incredible that we're still here and b) incredible that we have not actually done it already.
Having won the European Cup two years in succession with Brian Clough in 1979 and 1980, and returned to continental competition with Frank Clark 30 years ago, it would mean everything to once again welcome the likes of Bayern Munich and Barcelona to the City Ground.
Of course, a lot has changed since those days, and for a club - hopefully - on the up, it is not make or break for us.
The team has outperformed everyone's expectations and to make the top five - in the year that the Premier League gained five places in the Champions League - would be an amazing end to an amazing season. Regardless of what happens, the past nine months will live long in the memory.
European football is already a given, having secured a place in the top seven, and competing with clubs bankrolled by petro-states and billionaires is the kind of underdog status that Forest really thrive upon. We are not dependent on Champions League football for our bank balance and renewing our ports is, in many ways, exciting enough. That said, we are not just in it for the adventure.
For the manager and the players, they have given everything this season and Sunday is a time to celebrate and know that the pressure really is on our opponents.
If we stick to our gameplan and play as we have all season, then the fans are with them no matter what.
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Image source, Getty ImagesEach team in the race for the top five will have to keep an eye on other results, but deep down, you just want to be able to focus on your own business.
You want to be able to win your game out on the pitch, but the nature of the matches are really different. You have the head-to-head between Nottingham Forest and Chelsea. Then you have the likes of Manchester City playing away, Aston Villa playing away, you have got Newcastle playing at home against Everton, and when you are at home you are always going to be tough to play. So it is going to be a really, really nervous phase for all those teams involved.
How do I see it playing out? I am not sure I could tell you right now which way it is going to go. It just comes down to moments, and that is really cliche but a one-off game is almost like a final. As it stands, to go into the weekend knowing that you have a real chance, the fans of all the teams will be nervous, but you are one win away from being there.
As a player on the pitch, you absolutely get a sense of what is going on elsewhere, especially if you are at home.
You know what is happening, but then how does that affect your game? You could be losing, you could be up against it at one point, but then other teams start losing or drawing and you are back in the qualifying spots. How do you manage the next moments? How do you manage the last 10 to 15 minutes of the game when a result is one way or the other? Teams can score multiple goals in the blink of an eye, and desperation is one of the real causes for that. All of a sudden, when the kitchen sink is being thrown at people, anything is possible.
As a player, it can be really exciting. You want things to be going your way, but it is very hard to only focus on your game when other things matter at the same time. There is a double level of anxiety because you can control one thing but you cannot control the other, so you can't ever be comfortable.
From the outside, it is an exciting situation, but from the inside, you just hope that you are winning your game of football so you can just take all that out of it.
The 'as it stands' type days, they are some of the best days in football.
Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Nicola Pearson
The race for the three remaining Champions League qualification spots in the Premier League is going right down to the wire.
With one round of fixtures remaining, just three points separate Manchester City in third and Nottingham Forest in seventh.
With five teams vying for three positions, it leaves some clubs with their fate in their own hands, while others will be relying on favours to secure their place.
Newcastle United and Chelsea know that wins will guarantee them spots in Europe's elite competition in 2025-26.
And, with a two points and a 17-goal cushion, just a point but would all but guarantee City a place.
Nottingham Forest, who have spent much of the season occupying one of those top five spots, will need to beat Chelsea and hope for a slip up from teams above them, while Aston Villa will also be hoping for a bit of help from elsewhere.
It is set to be an anxious Sunday for those watching in the stadium and elsewhere.
But where do you think all five teams will finish?
Pat Riddell
Fan writer
We asked our Nottingham Forest fan contributor for their four candidates for player of the season and you can now select your top one.
Matz Sels
There is no question that Sels is one of the Premier League's players of the season, let alone Forest's. Thirteen clean sheets in the league, multiple game-winning saves and three penalty shootouts have seen the 33-year-old Belgian become an essential part of the success this season.
Chris Wood
Wood became Forest's record goalscorer in the Premier League in December - sneaking ahead of Bryan Roy's 24 - and with 20 goals has had his best-ever season. His clinical finishing, way outperforming his expected goals and all-round game has made the New Zealand international indispensable to Nuno Espirito Santo's team.
Nikola Milenkovic
One of the Premier League's gs of last summer, Milenkovic has shored up a leaky defence - solving the club's set-piece problem in an instant and given Forest a platform this season that few could imagine. His centre-back partnership with Murillo is surely one of the league's best and there must be several clubs wondering why they didn't act sooner.
Morgan Gibbs-White
Forest's talisman earned his first England cap in September, having proved himself as one of the most talented midfielders in the country. The enigmatic number 10's drive, determination and pure, outrageous skill is the heartbeat of this Reds side, with seven goals and eight assists only half the story.
Honourable mention
Elliot Anderson. Slotted into Forest's midfield upon g from Newcastle United last summer and has rarely been dropped since. The 'Geordie Maradona' has everything and is surely a future England star.
Pick your 2024-25 Forest player of the season from our shortlist here
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