LONDON: Nottingham Forest clinched promotion to the Premier League for the first time in 23 years with a 1-0 win against Huddersfield in the Championship play-off final on Sunday.
Levi Colwill’s own goal late in the first half at Wembley was enough for Steve Cooper’s side to hit the jackpot in the most lucrative single match in world football.
Promotion to the top-flight is estimated to be worth at least £170 million ($214 million) in increased revenue.
Forest will gratefully accept the huge financial windfall, but it was the relief at ending their long exile from English football’s elite that spurred the frenzied scenes of celebration among their thousands of red and white-clad fans.
For the first time in the 21st century, Forest can look forward to welcoming the Premier League’s elite to their City Ground stadium on the banks of the River Trent.
The promotion was a personal triumph for Cooper, who has revitalized Forest since replacing the sacked Chris Hughton in September
Forest were bottom of the table after taking one point from their first seven games, but Cooper had the midas touch as he erased the bitter taste of his defeat with Swansea in last year’s Championship play-off final against Brentford.
“I’m really pleased for the players and the supporters. Everybody connected with the football club deserves this today and we’re now really looking forward to a positive future,” Cooper said.
“It’s relief and pride. This isn’t about me but it’s changed my life, potentially anyway.
“We’ve brought Nottingham to Wembley today, we’ve taken over the place and here we are in the Premier League.”
Cooper repaired the wounds of Forest’s worst start to a season for 108 years and ensured they remained focus after losing a shot at automatic promotion in their penultimate game of the season against top-two rivals Bournemouth.
Fourth placed Forest beat Sheffield United on penalties in the play-off semifinal and held their nerve again to earn the ultimate prize against Huddersfield.
Having knocked Arsenal and Leicester out of this season’s FA Cup before losing narrowly to Liverpool, Forest’s sleeping giants have awoken from their slumber at last.
Forest’s golden period came under legendary boss Brian Clough, who led them to the English title in 1978 and won the European Cup in 1979 and 1980.
Clough’s retirement in 1993 triggered a steep decline in Forest’s fortunes, with their wilderness years featuring a three-season spell in the third tier.
Forest had been regular visitors to Wembley during Clough’s heyday but this was their first appearance at the national stadium since 1992.
No wonder the Forest supporters in the 80,000 crowd were in fine voice from the moment Ryan Yates headed James Garner’s free-kick wastefully wide from six yards.
Forest were the better side in a frantic encounter, but there was more perspiration than inspiration for long periods as passes went astray from both teams.
Driven forward by on-loan Manchester United midfielder Garner, Forest broke the deadlock in the 43rd minute.
Garner whipped a dangerous inswinging cross into the Huddersfield area and Colwill inadvertently deflected it into his own net as the on-loan Chelsea defender tried to get to the ball before Yates.
Rocked by that blow, Huddersfield finally raised their tempo after half-time and Jonathan Hogg should have done better with a header that failed to hit the target from a corner.
The decisive moment came in the 73rd minute when Huddersfield were left fuming after being denied a strong penalty claim.
Harry Toffolo went down under a challenge from Jack Colback but referee Jon Moss booked the Huddersfield wing-back for diving and VAR refused to overturn the decision.
Huddersfield’s frustration increased when another penalty appeal was rejected after Max Lowe bundled into Lewis O’Brien.
Forest’s nerves frayed when Samba limped off injured in the final minutes, but the Reds held on to earn their return to the big time.
Forest promoted to Premier League for first time in 23 years
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Forest promoted to Premier League for first time in 23 years
- Levi Colwill’s own goal, late in the first half at Wembley, was enough for Steve Cooper’s side to hit the jackpot in the most lucrative match in world football
- For the first time in the 21st century, Forest can look forward to welcoming the EPL’s elite to the City Ground stadium on the banks of the River Trent
T20 cricket set to dominate game’s landscape in 2026
- Inexorable rise of one of sport’s controlling forces
Following the end of the Ashes series in Australia, it has not taken long for cricket’s longest format — Test cricket — to be overwhelmed by the T20 format.
Apart from the 50-over Under-19s World Cup taking place in Namibia, it seems that, wherever one turns, there are only T20 tournaments.
Two explanations for this situation are the looming ICC Men’s and Women’s World Cups. The men’s event, to be jointly hosted by India and Sri Lanka, starts on Feb. 7, while the women’s tournament starts on June 12 in England.
The women’s event will comprise 12 teams, the largest number ever, of which eight have qualified already. The other four will emerge from 10 teams competing in a qualifying tournament in Nepal. This began on Jan. 18 and will end on Feb. 1. The teams have been divided into two groups of five and will play each other once. Group A comprises Bangladesh, Ireland, Namibia, Papua New Guinea and the US, with the Netherlands, Nepal, Scotland, Thailand and Zimbabwe in Group B. The top three teams will qualify for the Super Six stage in which the three teams from Group A will play the three teams from Group B. Points earned against the other two qualifying teams from each group are carried forward. The top four teams at the end of the Super Six will qualify for the World Cup in June.
The four highest-ranked teams in the competition are Ireland, Bangladesh, Scotland and Thailand. They are expected to progress to the Super Sixes but it remains to be seen if each of them will reach the main event in June. Thailand will probably face tough challenges against Ireland and Bangladesh in the Super Six stage. The Thai team are in good form, having triumphed in the ICC Women’s Emerging Nations Trophy and won double gold medals in the women’s cricket competitions in the SE Asia Games at the end of 2025. This form has continued into the tournament with victories over Nepal and Zimbabwe, but sterner tests lie ahead.
Players who are squad members of teams who have qualified for the World Cup are warming up in different ways. A number are currently involved in India’s Women’s Premier League, which is halfway into its schedule and will conclude on Feb. 5. In New Zealand, the Women’s Super Smash concludes on Jan. 31, while in South Africa the CSA Women’s Pro20 will resume on Feb. 8. There are upcoming bilateral tours by India to Australia in late February, Pakistan to South Africa in February, Zimbabwe to New Zealand in March, followed by South Africa. No doubt other matches will be arranged once the identity of the final four qualifying teams is known. Immediately prior to the World Cup, formal warm-up matches will take place at three venues in England and Wales.
The need for preparation is even more pressing for those involved in the men’s T20 World Cup, which comprises 20 teams. The Big Bash League in Australia allows four overseas players in each 18-man squad. In 2025/26, English players represent the bulk of non-Australian players, followed by players from Pakistan and New Zealand. The South African World Cup players are fully engaged in SA20, in which 19-man squads are allowed to contain seven overseas players, four of whom can be selected for a playing 11. English players are well represented. The Bangladesh Premier League will conclude on Jan. 23. Indian players with central contracts are not allowed to participate in franchise leagues outside India. Their World Cup players will feature in a T20 series against New Zealand that started on Jan. 21 in Nagpur. It followed an ODI series which was won by New Zealand. England start a three-match T20 series against Sri Lanka on Jan. 30, following three ODIs.
Outside of the leading countries, it can be difficult for players and teams to gain enough game-time preparation. Some of the UAE players participated in the DP World ILT20. Their next international action is a two-match series on Jan. 29 and 31 against Ireland in Dubai, where Afghanistan currently have a three-match T20 series against the West Indies, who then play a series against South Africa. Ireland will remain in Dubai where they will play three T20 matches against Italy, who are making their first appearance in a World Cup.
Australia will visit Pakistan and play three T20 matches. Teams such as the US, Canada, Oman, Nepal, Namibia and the Netherlands appear to have limited match preparation opportunities.
At least they do not face the uncertainties of Bangladesh. In early January, in a further example of the use of cricket as a political weapon, the Indian authorities excluded the Bangladeshi cricketer Mustafizur Rahman from the 2026 Indian Premier League, amid rising tensions between the two countries. Rahman had been bought at auction by the Kolkata Knight Riders franchise, which is owned by Shah Rukh Khan, the Indian actor and film producer, who was born into a Muslim family. Following this decision, the Bangladesh Cricket Board requested that the International Cricket Council move matches involving Bangladesh in the T20 World Cup out of India, citing the “safety and well-being of the players.”
Discussions ensued between the parties. Independent security assessments were commissioned by the ICC, along with comprehensive venue-level security plans and formal assurances from the host authorities. These were shared with the BCB. All assessments consistently concluded that “there is no credible or verifiable threat to the safety or security of the Bangladesh team in India.” On Jan. 17, the BCB suggested a swap of their matches with those of Ireland, whose group matches are to be played in Sri Lanka. The suggestion was rejected. At an emergency meeting of the ICC’s board on Jan. 21, 14 out of the 16 members voted against Bangladesh’s request. It is assumed that, apart from Bangladesh, the other vote in favour was from Pakistan.
It appears that the BCB’s attempt at a hardline stance has backfired. It must now either accept to play in India or withdraw from the competition, with significant loss of face either way. If it withdraws, a replacement team need to be introduced. The next-best-ranked T20I team are Scotland, who will have even less time to prepare than the other 19 teams.
Once again, a major international tournament has been disrupted by geopolitics. It is also the case that, once again, almost everyone has fallen in behind the combined power of the ICC and the Indian board. This stranglehold and the inexorable rise of T20 cricket are now undoubtedly the controlling forces shaping cricket’s future landscape.
