Editing Nottingham Forest F.C. (section)

===19th century===
{{multiple image
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 | image1 = The Playwright (geograph 6704515).jpg
 | alt1 = The Playwright, formerly the Clinton Arms, in Sherwood Street, Nottingham

 | image2 = Plaque to formation of Nottingham Forest FC (geograph 6721173).jpg
 | alt2 = Plaque commemorating the foundation of Nottingham Forest Football Club at the former Clinton Arms, Sherwood Street, Nottingham

 | footer = The Playwright, formerly the Clinton Arms, on Sherwood Street, Nottingham, where the Forest Football Club was founded in 1865
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In 1865 a group of [[shinty]] players met at the Clinton Arms (now renamed The Playwright) at the junction of Nottingham's Shakespeare Street and North Sherwood Street. J. S. Scrimshaw's proposal to play association football instead was agreed and Nottingham Forest Football Club was formed. It was agreed at the same meeting that the club would purchase twelve tasselled caps coloured '[[Giuseppe Garibaldi|Garibaldi]] Red' (named after the leader of the [[Redshirts (Italy)|Italian 'Redshirts']] fighters). Thus the club's official colours were established. Matches were originally played at [[Forest Recreation Ground|Forest Racecourse]],<ref>{{cite web |title=History of Nottingham Forest |url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club-information/history/history-of-nottingham-forest/ |website=Nottingham Forest Football Club |access-date=14 May 2023}}</ref> historically part of [[Sherwood Forest]] and the presumed source of the word 'Forest' in the team's name.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ever Wonder why Nottingham Forest has Forest in their name? |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/soccer/news/ever-wonder-why-nottingham-forest-has-forest-in-their-name |access-date=3 January 2025 |agency=NBC Sports |date=11 February 2023}}</ref>

From 2019 to 2023, Nottingham Forest claimed to be the oldest remaining club in the [[English Football League]]. In 2019, when [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] were relegated from the league, [[Stoke City F.C.|Stoke City]] claimed to be the oldest remaining club, but football historian [[Mark Metcalf (footballer)|Mark Metcalf]] stated that Stoke was formed in 1868, rather than the 1863 date on the club's badge, and therefore Forest was the oldest club.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Paul |title=Birth certificate: Stoke City and Nottingham Forest locked in 'oldest club' debate |url=https://www.wsc.co.uk/stories/14245-birth-certificate-stoke-city-and-nottingham-forest-locked-in-oldest-club-debate |website=When Saturday Comes |access-date=19 August 2021 |date=July 2019 |archive-date=19 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819085919/https://www.wsc.co.uk/stories/14245-birth-certificate-stoke-city-and-nottingham-forest-locked-in-oldest-club-debate |url-status=live }}</ref> The EFL also stated that Nottingham Forest was the oldest.<ref>{{cite news |title=EFL pass judgement on whether Stoke City are now the oldest Football League Club |url=https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-nottingham-forest-efl-2850974 |access-date=19 August 2021 |work=Stoke Sentinel |date=9 May 2019 |archive-date=19 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819085918/https://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/stoke-city-nottingham-forest-efl-2850974 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Forest's first ever official game was played against [[Notts County F.C.|Notts County]] taking place on 22 March 1866.<ref name=nffchist>{{cite web|url=https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-nffc/|title=History of NFFC|publisher=Nottingham Forest F.C.|access-date=5 December 2017|archive-date=17 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180717100358/https://www.nottinghamforest.co.uk/club/history-landing-page/history-of-nffc/|url-status=live}}</ref> On 23 April 1870, when the team played their first game in league play, the steward of the club was John Lymberry and [[William Henry Revis]] scored the first goal. On that day, Revis also won the prize for kicking a football furthest with a kick of 161 feet 8 inches.<ref name="Wright, Forever Forest">{{cite book |last1=Wright |first1=Don |title=Forever Forest: The Official 150th Anniversary History of the Original Reds |date=2015 |publisher=Amberley Publishing Limited |isbn=9781445635170 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=G-FiCgAAQBAJ}}</ref>

In their early years Nottingham Forest were a [[multi-sports club]]. As well as their roots in [[bandy]] and shinty, Forest's [[baseball]] club were [[Baseball in the United Kingdom|British champions]] in 1899.<ref>{{cite news|title=Weirdest football team suffixes|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/05/weirdest-football-team-suffixes|date=5 August 2015|access-date=8 August 2015|work=The Guardian|archive-date=10 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910212536/http://www.theguardian.com/football/2015/aug/05/weirdest-football-team-suffixes|url-status=live}}</ref> Forest's charitable approach helped clubs like [[Liverpool F.C.|Liverpool]], [[Arsenal F.C.|Arsenal]] and [[Brighton & Hove Albion F.C.|Brighton & Hove Albion]] to form. In 1886, Forest donated a set of football kits to help Arsenal establish themselves – the North London team still wear red. Forest also donated shirts to [[Everton F.C.|Everton]] and helped secure a site to play on for Brighton.

In 1878–79 season, Nottingham Forest entered into the [[FA Cup]] for the first time. Forest beat Notts County 3–1 in the first round at Beeston Cricket Ground before eventually losing 2–1 to Old Etonians in the semi-final.<ref name=nffchist/>

Nottingham Forest's application was rejected to join the [[Football League]] at its formation in 1888.<ref name=nffchist/> Forest instead joined the [[Football Alliance]] in 1889.

They won the competition in 1892 before then entering the Football League.<ref name="nffchist" /> That season they reached and lost in an FA Cup semi-final for the fourth time to date. This time it was to [[West Bromwich Albion]] after a replay.

[[File:1898team.jpg|thumb|right|The 1898 Cup-winning squad]]
Nottingham Forest's first FA Cup semi-final win was at the fifth attempt, the [[1897–98 FA Cup]] 2–0 replay win against Southampton. The first game was drawn 1–1. [[Derby County]] beat Nottingham Forest 5–0 five days before the final. Six of the cup final side were rested in that league game.<ref name=nffchist/> In that [[1898 FA Cup final]] at [[Crystal Palace National Sports Centre#FA Cup Finals (1895–1914)|Crystal Palace]] before 62,000 fans, [[Willie Wragg]] passed a 19th minute free kick to [[Arthur Capes]]. Capes shot through the defensive wall to score. Derby equalised with a free kick headed home by [[Steve Bloomer]] off the underside of the cross bar after 31 minutes. In the 42nd minute [[Jack Fryer (footballer, born 1877)|Jack Fryer]] was unable to hold a [[Charlie Richards]] shot giving Capes a tap in for his second goal. Wragg's injury meant Forest had to change their line up with Capes dropping back to midfield. In the 86th minute [[John Boag (footballer, born 1874)|John Boag]] headed away a corner by Nottingham Forest. [[John McPherson (footballer, born 1867)|John McPherson]] moved in to collect shooting low into the goal to win 3–1.<ref name=fa1898cup>{{cite web|url=http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1898.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928080720/http://www.fa-cupfinals.co.uk/1898.html|archive-date=28 September 2011|title=F A Cup Final 1898|date=28 September 2011}}</ref>