FOREST AWAY: Real Betis, Europa League MATCH 1, Wednesday 24th September – Fan Guide

When the times comes in 2065 to write the 200-year history of Nottingham Forest, I wonder how this period in our ‘past’ will be recalled. The author will write about promotion, about a sweet renaissance and a load of merry old hell around the years that followed, and they will come to our enrolment into the 2025/26 Europa League.

If I had that book in my hands now, would I take a peek? You might be thinking already about placing some hefty wagers but aside from that I wonder what they will write. Of us. Now. ‘Little did they know what lay ahead for them.’

Will this be another brief period of success that was never sustained, there are after all so many instances of that occurring throughout our 160 years to date, or will they talk of a second coming of a glorious assault on Europe? The joy of more days like this in the years that are still to come, perhaps? Will all this talk of ‘writing a new history’ be meaningful or a forgotten marketing ploy?

What you probably don’t get in such a vast historical issue, is the focus on the minds of those that were there. My favourite pieces of 1979 and 1980 are not the much-repeated clips or soundbites from Clough and Taylor or the players, as wonderful as they are, it is those little snippets of the fans congregating in the town squares in Cologne, Amsterdam and elsewhere. The beautiful banners exclaiming ‘We will will Malmo-lize ‘em in Munich’, or ‘Robbo Eats Hamburg-ers’ a year later in the Bernabeu. Not forgetting the sublime ‘Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, if Lloyd don’t get you, then Anderson must’.

Naturally, the victorious campaigns of 1979 & 1980 rule the roost, but I dearly love the stories and the anecdotes too from the European adventures of the 1960s, the 1980s and the 1990s. What I think I have longed for the most is the simplicity of having those days myself; swaying to the sound of a Garibaldi calypso that fills the air of a foreign town or city. Looking around and smiling at folk I would likely have stood alongside at Gillingham and Hartlepool when times were not so kind.

I have had the good fortune at least to follow Forest overseas a few times over the years in pre-season fixtures, and I can tell you that at each one I publicly remarked how brilliant it would be to do it for real, in actual competition. And now that chance has arrived.

This time the days ahead belong to us. Whatever happens, enjoy it.

***

AWAY DAY No. 5: Real Betis, Europa League, Wednesday 24^th September

Last Visit: While we have never faced Real Betis is a competitive fixture, we did meet them in Spain in a pre-season friendly at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador, home of Algeciras CF, in 2018. Betis claimed a 1-0 victory.

Famous Visit: This one, hopefully.

 

General / Useful Information

Forgive me, but I’m not going to have intricate knowledge of parking in Seville, but thankfully that’s probably not going to be an issue for most of us.

These European excursions are obviously fundamentally different to domestic away fixtures, and we will be somewhat at the mercy of how host cities and local authorities plan to deal with us. To this end, I have been in close contact with PC Simon Travell of Nottinghamshire Police who travelled to Seville a couple of weeks ago along with representatives from NFFC on a logistical visit. I’m grateful to him for seeking input on various matters and advising on certain fan related matters which I will try to incorporate the best I can here.

I also don’t want this guide to replicate an official version that Forest themselves will be publishing. This was released on Sunday afternoon and is particularly important for the process of collecting tickets from a venue in Seville, so please do take the time to read this too.

I’ll start with some hopefully obvious bits which I’m sure everyone has already considered but I think are worthwhile reminders:

~ There is a strict requirement to keep your passport on you to both collect your tickets from the designated location NFFC have publicised and also to enter the ground. I gather such methods are commonplace for European games but it does also smack of a basic lack of common sense to be expected to keep your passport on you for the duration. I did challenge the idea of this , following concerns that were raised from fans, but was told it was necessary.

~ In the unfortunate event you get into some kind of difficulty then hopefully there will be help on hand. Nottinghamshire Police and NFFC will have a presence in Seville. The NFFC Supporter Liaison Officer is Alex Tatner who can be contacted on 07729 090 881 or [email protected]. The club ‘recommends that you save this number to your phone ahead of travelling to Spain.’ In the event of a more serious matter, you can also contact the Spanish Consulate on +34 952 233 500.

~ While certainly not acting in any official role (I’ll be as pissed as you are!) I’ve agreed to be the nominated fan representative in the UEFA information documents that Nottinghamshire Police submitted. I don’t believe this has any specific role attached to it but I’ll help wherever I can, or at least try and get you in contact with people who can before we travel out or while we are in Seville. I’d suggest the best option is to e-mail us at [email protected] or DM us on social media, preferably Twitter / X should you need to.

~ There is some guidance on Gov.uk around travelling to Spain. One thing to be particularly wary of is pickpockets who may operate in the area we are located in. This issue is exacerbated by the unfortunate requirement to keep your passport on your person. Given the attire is likely to be shorts and t-shirts then I’d suggest at least having some sort of fastened pockets if you aren’t going to have a bag / bum bag.

~ Travel insurance – don’t forget to sort this; I’m not an expert in it but you can shop around a little and can also look at getting cover which lasts over a certain period which can then cover the further games. I’ve paid around £21 for cover that lasts me an entire year.

~ Sun cream and drinking water – I don’t wish to get all fatherly with you but considering I once saw someone removed from Reading’s stadium in a wheelchair due to excessive drinking, then we have to consider the likelihood someone is going to miss this game due to being too pissed to see. You don’t want to be that person, not for this game, so do at least give some thought to getting a bit of water down your necks from time to time! And you need to protect your skin. Although it’s cooling a little bit in Seville this coming week apparently, it’s still going to be somewhere approaching 30 degrees.

~ Local Police – I am grateful to Thomas Simpson who sent me a copy of the Free Lions fanzine that was issued to England fans ahead of a visit to Seville in 2018 for a Nations League fixture in October 2018. Clearly, a few years have passed since but I suspect much of the information it carries will still be relevant.

It states, ‘It’s a very welcoming tourist destination, and the weather even in October is likely to be warm and sunny, contributing to a relaxed atmosphere. A word of caution however: the experience of English football fans here, particularly following their clubs in the Champions League, has not always been easy, and the local police have a bit of a reputation for, let’s call it a robust policing style.’

Later in the guide it continues, ‘…if you’re after a trouble-free trip with a few drinks and a good match, it’s probably best to keep your contact with the local police to a minimum, and avoid situations that seem likely to become confrontational.’

There are few other key bits of advice I will collate here: ‘

~ If and when the Spanish police are deployed in riot gear, then it is a legal requirement to obey their instructions: refusal to comply constitutes and offence of mutiny and is itself is arrestable.’

~ ‘It is a legal requirement to be able to prove your identity to a Spanish police officer, so carry at least a copy of your passport’s personal information page with you at all times’. FG note – as above, the requirement is going to be to keep your passport on you to enter the stadium.

~ Many of the streets are lined with orange trees – ‘Firstly, don’t eat them they’re very bitter and have been sprayed with chemicals to discourage birds from eating them. Secondly, don’t throw them; it was exactly that kind of citrus-based tomfoolery last time we were here that the local constabulary took as a reason to start hitting us with sticks.’

Collecting Match Tickets

As communicated by the club, tickets must be collected from Hotel NH Sevilla Plaza de Armas, C. Marques de Paradas, 13 Casco Antiguo, 41001, Sevilla. See above map for the location of this hotel which also shows the location of the stadium at the top.

Forest have specified that there is a one-way system in operation through the hotel and you must enter via the rear of the building and then leave via the front as the graphic shows.

Tickets can be collected at the following times:

Tuesday 23^rd September: Noon – 11pm

Wednesday 24^th September (Matchday): 8am – 5pm

As a reminder, you must have your actual passport in order to collect your ticket and you can only collect your own ticket. The ticket will be a physical sheet of paper so give some thought to where you can securely store this and no compromise the barcode.

With 3,350 tickets to be collected individually and a specific identification check needed for each one, I think we need to expect that even with the best efforts of the Forest staff it might be a time-consuming exercise. Where possible, collect your ticket either prior to matchday or at the earliest opportunity on the day of the game.

 

The Stadium – Estadio de La Cartuja

The fixture will be played at the Estadio de La Cartuja due to ongoing redevelopment of Betis’ own stadium. Estadio de la Cartuja was built in 1999 and was recently expanded to an overall capacity of 70,000. I am informed that the official capacity for this specific match will be 67,000 and with clubs in this competition only obliged to provide 5% of the overall capacity to away supporters this equates to the 3,350 Forest were provided with. The actual number on sale was 3,335 but 15 wheelchair spaces have been made available elsewhere in the stadium which comes to the minimum allocation.

We will be housed at the very top of one of the ends, slightly on the curve with the goal to our right. It is expected a net will be placed in front of us to avoid objects being thrown, although I am told that a case was made by those on the recent visit to Seville that this would not be necessary. Betis officials explained that this is a UEFA requirement although I am not certain that this is correct.

Forest fans will be able to enter the away section via Gates 12 & 13 which wheelchair access supporters entering via Gate 14. Fans should anticipate searches before entering the ground but there is no specific information to suggest these will be any more onerous than what we experience at English grounds. Hopefully they are an improvement on Brentford!

In response to my question, Spanish Police have advised that Forest fans will be held inside the ground for a period of time after the game. This expects should only  be a relatively short period of around 15/20 minutes but this could change, especially in response to the view of local police on the day.

 

TRAVEL

I’d imagine at this stage everyone has their flights sorted so I’ll spare myself a trawl through any remaining options. It is clear, however, that there are many who are flying in to airports further afield then Seville. Malaga seems one popular alternative, which is a lengthy journey but there are rail and road options available.

For those flying into Seville, I believe a taxi will cost around 25-30 Euros although I suggest you determine the price beforehand if using a cab sat outside the airport. It should be 20-30 minutes into Seville depending on the time of day.

There are also shuttle transfer buses that cost 6-7 Euros.

Seville does have a metro system but from what I can tell it doesn’t connect to the airport.

Whatever your itinerary, I would recommend you making it a priority to collect your tickets as soon as you can upon arriving in Seville.

I am aware that many individuals or smaller groups are looking to travel from Malaga or further afield and may be looking to group together with other Forest fans to organise travel. If you are looking for fans to travel with from further afield then I suggest you add a reply into the comments on social media to see if you can establish any Forest supporters who are looking for the same.

The stadium is 4k / 2.5 miles from the city centre and while that is walkable it’s going to take some effort with the heat, even in the evening. Getting a taxi or a bus are options but the two key alternatives I think are as follows:

~ Assuming most fans are staying in or close to the centre of Seville, supporters are advised to head to the designated meeting point at Parque De Los Perdigones, north of the city centre and around a 25-minute walk to the stadium. But be warned it’s also a fair walk just to get there from the city, but you can break it up with a beer or two at the official fan zone. More on this area in the next section.

~ Right by the stadium is the Estadio Olimpico train station. It is around a 15-20 minute ride from Santa Justa, the main station in Seville but services are not particularly frequent. It should also be considered Santa Justa is over the east of the centre of the city and might not be close to areas such as the ticket collection point and other bars. The Seville Traveller website the following enhancements that have been made to the services to cater for football supporters:

‘The Linea C-2 connects Sevilla-Santa Justa through San Jeronimo and Estadio Olimpico, terminating at Cartuja station, located just minutes from the stadium. The full journey takes 18-20 minutes.

Under a new agreement with Real Betis, on each matchday Renfe (train operator) will operate TWO OUTBOUND TRAINS BEFORE KICK-OFF AND TWO RETURN TRAINS POST-MATCH. Each train will be double length, providing a total of approximately 6,000 seats per event.

Normally the C-2 line runs about every hour, but the matchday schedule doubles services at critical times to match demand from fans arriving and departing the stadium.’

 

PUBS / BARS & GATHERINGS

Parque De Los Perdigones was originally specified as the recommended meeting point for Forest fans. When I clarified what this actually meant it was subsequently upgraded to a more conventional ‘fan area’ with bars and restaurants.

Speaking to a few people, including some based in Spain, there is some apprehension that this area is out of the way of town and likely isn’t as good a location as what is offered in the city centre. Another worry I’ve had pointed out by fans is that supporters could be rounded up and slow-marched to the stadium, although there is nothing to suggest this will happen. As yet I have received no official guidance on whether Forest fans will be allowed to walk freely to the stadium and at a time of their choosing. There is not necessarily anything to fear about being escorted to the stadium of course, and I raise this only as a possibility. I personally wish we had more information on this rather than it being labelled as the ‘recommended’ area as fans are naturally going to want to sample the best possible experience. There does appear to be numerous places around this area though for fans to gather and it offers the advantage of being in walking distance of the stadium compared to the city centre.

I have raised with Spanish police (via Notts Police) the notion that fans may wish to drink in alternative areas. This was the response I received:

‘The meeting point is the statement, and the police hope that most fans will accept the recommendation.’

They continue: ‘There are bars in and near the meeting point, and fans can go to other bars, but there will be a heavy police presence, so they can feel more comfortable at the meeting point and thus avoid incidents.’

I don’t know Seville personally but have a few different parts of the city recommended to fans for, notably in the Q&A below with the Betis fans. La Alameda de Hércules is referenced and I gather this is often used by visiting fans, including England fans in 2018. It does look a very good area and is on the right side of town to make a journey over to the stadium easier. Alternatively, those of us arriving in Seville in the days before matchday will naturally find good areas and venues and word will spread. We will look to publish any specifics on our social media platforms upon arrival in Seville and do feel free to drop us any good places you find.

Finally – I have been asked several times about places showing the game for those not fortunate enough to secure a ticket. I asked the local police whether there was any possibility of there being a suggested venue for Forest fans to gather but received this in reply: ‘No.’

Q&A

Two Spanish based Real Betis supporters kindly agreed to share some thoughts with us for the guide.

Óscar López (OL) is a Betis fan based in Barcelona who is also part of the Spanish Reds, a NFFC supporter organisation in Spain.

Juanlu Martínez (JM) is a Real Betis supporter. Juanlu’s response was received in Spanish so it has been run through Google translate.

Many thanks to Spanish based Forest fan Tom Vardle for helping to organise both of these.

 

It’s been a long time since Nottingham Forest last played in Europe. Is there anything you know about us?

OL: I started to see English football in early 90s, Forest still was on Premier league and Clough was there. Since then I had a special sympathy for your club and read about the past and the myths. And since then I follow the club and I was at City Ground around 2012-2013 to see a game against Reading on a cold Wednesday night and drank the worst coffee I ever drank.

JM: Well, I don’t know much beyond the fact that they’re the only team in Europe with twice as many European Cups as league titles, that their owner is a Greek billionaire, and that they’ve started the league slightly worse than Betis. Oh, well, and they have a player I’m crazy about: Zinchenko.

 

What can you explain to Forest supporters about Real Betis? What is the history of your club and how is the season going so far?

OL: I some ways we have something in common. Not always in the top flight, with an incredible fan base and a lot of upside downs.

JM: Betis is a historic club in Spain. It’s over 125 years old, most of them in the first division. It doesn’t have many titles (one league and three cups), but that’s not something that worries its fans, who, in true English fashion, are passionate and support it regardless of its results.

The club is doing well right now, stabilized in the top positions after decades of just the opposite; in fact, it was in serious financial trouble recently. Fortunately, the club seems healthy and aspiring to grow and improve every year. This growth, by the way, now includes the complete renovation of the stadium, which will take two or three years.

 

We are aware of Antony from Manchester United, but who else should we keep an eye on in the Betis team?

OL: Isco is our best player but is injured so you must look at Lo Celso (former Spurs) or Abde in the left wing.

JM:  The big star is Isco, but you won’t be able to enjoy him because he’s injured. From then on, Lo Celso, who’s much better than he was with Spurs! Abde, when he regains his fitness, and Altimira, who has already been mentioned as having attracted the interest of major European teams.

Personally, I think the two full-backs (Bellerin and Junior) are crucial for the team’s style of play, and, of course, Fornals.

 

How do you think Real Betis will perform in the Europa League this season? Can you win it?

OL: It’s difficult to say we are favourites to win the Europa League; we are finalists from last year Conference but we didn’t perform very well in past years in Europe. I hope we could be at semi-final at least.

JM: Winning the European Championship… I hope so, but we’re not good at these European competitions. Last year, the second round of the Conference was very good, but the first round was dramatic. We almost didn’t qualify.

In any case, if Isco returns well and there are no injuries, I think he could be there between the quarterfinals and semi-finals, although a trip to Istanbul never hurts.

 

We are aware that you have currently relocated stadiums due to redevelopment work. What sort of size crowd do you expect for the Forest match?

OL: It will be the first match at our new stadium on a week day, so it will be difficult to say. It’s not placed in a populated neighbourhood and it’s not easy to get there but not less than 45,000 people.

JM: Being a midweek game, and with the expected attendance of more than 3,000 Forest fans, I’d say easily over 50,000. Or so I hope.

 

What can you tell us about the city of Seville? Do you have any recommendations on where Forest fans can get together to drink on the day of the match?

OL: The best place to have a good pre match is the city centre Is not close to the stadium but you have plenty of bars and restaurants.

JM: Seville is a city with many things to see. Just the cathedral, the Alcazar, and the Archive of the Indies, a World Heritage Site, are worth a visit. For a meeting, I’d go to La Alameda de Hércules. There are bars, it’s an open plaza, and it’s not far from the stadium (about a 25-minute walk). Near the stadium, there’s hardly anything except food trucks.

 

What is your score prediction for the match?

OL:  I hope you could win the rest of the games but I expect a 2-0.

JM: Well, I really hope we win. I’m banking on a 2-1 score.

 

***

 

And there we have it; hopefully you find the information useful. If you have any queries then please get in touch and I’ll do my best to help.

Thanks again to PC Simon Travell for his help with pulling this together. All pics, bar the graphic from NFFC, are provided by PC Travell.

Wishing you safe travels and a splendid time in Seville.

See you there.

UP THE REDS!!

Matt