An exhibition honouring Nottingham Forest’s culture, organised by a fan, attracted an unprecedented number of people to a city art gallery.
From September 26 to 29, the Backlit Gallery in Sneinton, Nottingham, hosted the exhibition Added Time Club + Our Glorious Banners. With images, souvenirs, and posters, it honoured the club’s support base. Simon Bristow, designer of the exhibition, said its success exceeded his expectations
More than 250 people visited the show on Saturday, the 28th, which the gallery claims is a record figure for one of its exhibitions, he said. “I’m really happy with the turnout because we had a lot of people before and after that too,” he remarked. Bristow is the creator of the photography series Our Glorious Banners, which honours the inventiveness of Nottingham Forest supporters at both home and away games.
The show featured a number of Bristow’s photographs in addition to fan-donated banners and posters, vintage Forest matchday programs, Forest shirts, and even an old pair of boots that current club captain Ryan Yates wore. “The exhibition’s goal was to provide a wider display of football creativity, and we’ve linked that to Forest,” Bristow continued.
Added Time Club is another initiative by Bristow, which also serves as the exhibition’s title. This records the effects of the football atmosphere away from the pitch. His initial effort documented Ipswich Town’s promotion back to the Premier League.
“We’ve only touched the surface; there’s loads more we could include,” Bristow continued. “People who have visited have suggested additional things we could do.” “It seems like there’s a chance to continue honouring Forest culture.”
Bristow, who is originally from Southwell, has been a lifelong supporter of Forest since he saw the Reds defeat Luton 3-1 in the 1989 League Cup Final. Bristow has been able to document the club’s return to the Premier League in 2022 and subsequent top-tier survival since initiating the Our Glorious Banners project in 2018. The idea was initiated, according to the sports marketing consultant, because he needed something to reignite his enthusiasm for Reds fandom.
Bristow stated that it’s more crucial than ever to present the tale from the perspective of the supporters because of the thrilling times the team has had recently. “The supporters stay forever, but the ownership, managers, and players come and go,” he remarked.