Nottingham Forest are magic, as the song suggests, but selling out almost 6,000 tickets for the FA Youth Cup Final against Manchester United might just be their best achievement of the campaign.
Given the exploits of the first time on the field since Steve Cooper took charge in September, that might be a bit of a stretch. Nonetheless, it’s a remarkable effort from the fan base.
The game will see over 70,000 supporters pack into Old Trafford for the showpiece finale. The Reds are competing in their first final against United who have won the competition on 10 occasions.
Forest have enjoyed their maiden campaign in the Under-18 Premier League. After a slow start, they’ve climbed the league table at a rapid rate and actually face United in their final league game on Saturday.
The Reds will finish third if they beat the Red Devils at the weekend; first, however, silverware is at stake and for the Forest young guns there is a chance to etch their names into folklore.
Forest have defeated Bristol City, Peterborough, Cambridge, Blackburn and Chelsea to reach this stage. As a result, they’ve faced different kinds of challenges and must be respected by United.
Forest have to believe they can win the FA Youth Cup
Over the course of the last few months, the Reds are pretty much neck and neck with United. They’ve come from near the foot of the division to compete with the Red Devils for a place in the top three of the league.
That makes tonight’s game exciting. Indeed, 6,000 Forest fans are feeling confident and they will make a serious noise from a corner of Old Trafford later on.
Journalist and Forest supporter Dan Taylor heaped praise on both of the clubs involved on Twitter. He confirmed that the attendance would be deemed a sell-out and it will be interesting to see who will emerge victorious.
Neither team has played in front of such a crowd. As a result, whoever manages that aspect the best could be crowned champions tonight.