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The City Ground side’s pre-season friendly against the Stags will now feature Forest’s Under-23s.
A number of Nottingham Forest fans have taken to Twitter to comment on the club’s announcement that an Under-23s side will be taking to the field for the upcoming pre-season friendly against Mansfield Town on 23 July.
The Championship side put out a statement on their official website confirming that “slight alterations” have been made to their pre-season schedule, one of those being that, rather than Sabri Lamouchi’s first team taking on the League Two side, it will now be the youngsters.
Forest also made supporters aware in their announcement that they will issue full refunds to those who no longer want to attend the match against John Dempster’s side as a result of the change.
The friendly between the Trickies and the Stags was announced on 22 May but since then, Martin O’Neill – whose setup had organised a high number of friendlies – left the City Ground and Lamouchi came in at the end of June, the latter eager for more training-ground work ahead of the new season.
Here is what some Forest fans said on social media about the change:
Good! Too many pre season games as it is. Be a good experience for the U23s too.
— Claire (@LilMissRedDog) July 18, 2019
Manager wants more time on training pitch with the players
— Cliff_B-G (@cliffgrummitt) July 18, 2019
Yep, correct decision in my book
— Superreds (@superreds1973) July 18, 2019
Good decision, CANT MAKE ONEIL EXCUSES NOW!!
— Baz (@HarryyS98) July 18, 2019
Blame Martin O’Neill. Arranged 175 friendlies in 12 days! Save the first-team for the big one at Lincoln…
— Lee Clarke (@Clarkey_No1) July 18, 2019
Absolute joke
— Rebecca (@rebeccabeddows) July 18, 2019
Sensible move
— jitz (@jitzjani) July 18, 2019
Where’s the information for the refund process?
— Jack Bryan (@jackbryan8) July 18, 2019
I’m claiming a refund then I’m not taking half a day off work and travelling up there to watch an u23 game that means nothing
— Mark (@Markxpaula) July 18, 2019
Should have already announced this before again lack of communication from the club so I’m paying 20 odd £ to watch the under 23s have a kick about
— Ashley stand up 4 brexit (@Iam2phenomenal) July 18, 2019
Smart move. Way too many friendlies. Gives the U23s game time as well
— GrapsTalk (@GrapsTalk) July 18, 2019
The new guy can’t handle a tough pre-season! MON arranges a great pre-season and the new guy is crying because it’s too hard! Ridiculous
— Charles Dung (@CharlesDung52) July 18, 2019
Shame, would have been good to field a strong team in the only East Midlands derby that matters……
— Martin Staley (@MartinStaley) July 18, 2019
Forest get their Championship campaign under way on 3 August with a game against 2018-19 playoff semi-finalists West Bromwich Albion at the City Ground.
In other news, Report: Bielsa wants Leeds to sign his former Marseille man; contract expires in July