Nottingham Forest, two-time European Cup winners, have returned to the top flight of English football for the first time since 1999.
Forrest is back in the English Premier League next season after beating Huddersfield 1-0 in the Championship play-off final at Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
The most lucrative match in football – valued at 170 170 million ($ 300 million AUD) for future broadcast money and guaranteed earnings – was settled by Huddersfield defender Levi Colville with his own goal just before halftime.
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Forrest fears that Ethan Harvath, the first American to appear in the FA Cup quarter-finals since March 20, was injured in the 89th minute when goalkeeper Bryce Samba was injured and was replaced by Forrest.
Huddersfield, whose two powerful penalty appeals were blown away in the second half, finished the regular season in third place – one place ahead of Forrest – as it sought its first return to the Premier League since relegation in 2019.
Forrest joins champions Fulham and second-placed Bournemouth to advance from the championship.
Forrest is a big name in English football, having won the European Cup in 1979 and 80 under Brian Clay.
But it fell on hard times, even becoming the first European Cup-winning club to fall into the third division of the domestic league system.
Forrest has worked hard this season as well. The team was in last place when Steve Cooper took charge in September and changed the fortunes of former Swansea manager Forrest – with six defeats and one draw from the first seven games.
Asked to evaluate Cooper’s contribution to the promotion, Forest Captain Joe Warrell said: “I continue to use the expression ‘like a whip dog’. If you treat any dog kindly, they will become a beautiful dog. If you treat someone badly, they are aggressive, and so were we. We have been an abusive team.
“He came and he gave us that hope, he gave us that faith and he was so beautiful. He just kindly killed us and the fans adore him absolutely.”
Kendra Colville, who returned to loan from Chelsea after a teasing cross from forest striker James Garner in the 43rd minute, was unlucky to catch the ball in his own net.
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