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Nottingham Forest finally have lift off in their Europa League campaign, and after their impressive 2-0 win over Porto at the City Ground, there is plenty of belief ahead of the Reds' fourth league phase match against Sturm Graz.
Their Austrian opponents have already faced two British teams this season, and although they had mixed results against Celtic and Rangers, they won't be an easy team to roll over on home soil.
If you are a Nottingham Forest fan making the trip over to Graz for the match on Thursday, 6 November, here is everything you need to know to make the trip an enjoyable one.
How many Nottingham Forest fans are going to Graz?
The Merkur Arena has a capacity of just 15,323, so Nottingham Forest were never going to receive a huge ticket allocation for this match. In the end, Forest were given an allocation of 1,349 tickets, which is more than the 5% minimum that they were entitled to.
All of these tickets were sold by the middle of October, but there is a chance that some Forest fans will travel to Austria without tickets. We estimate that there will be north of 1,500 Nottingham Forest fans in Austria on matchday.
Where will Nottingham Forest fans sit at the Merkur Arena?
Nottingham Forest fans will be situated in sections 26 and 27 at the Merkur Arena. These sections are behind one of the two ends of the stadium, and to the right of the goal. The view from these two sections will be largely excellent; however, those who are situated on the border between the two sections will have to deal with perspex glass.
The stand is single-tiered and relatively small, so all Nottingham Forest fans in the away end are going to feel close to the action. The stand is shared with home supporters, who will occupy the left-hand side, so expect some back and forth over the segregation line.
Full fans' matchday guide for Sturm Graz away
Where to eat & drink for Nottingham Forest fans in Graz
Nottingham Forest fans are being advised to congregate in Hauptplatz (the main square of Graz). This is handy because there are plenty of good pubs, bars and restaurants in the streets that feed off from the square. Three of our recommendations include:
- Flann O'Brien's – Paradeisgasse 1, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Hops – Prokopigasse 14, 8010 Graz, Austria
- Bar Ernst Fuchs – Sackstrasse 3, 8010 Graz, Austria
How to get to the Merkur Arena: Guide for Nottingham Forest fans in Graz
The Merkur Arena is just shy of two miles away from Hauptplatz, so some fans may choose to walk the ground, particularly as the match has an earlier kick-off time. For those who are unable to walk or who don't fancy a 40-minute trek to the stadium, there are public transport options.
The most logical option is to take the city's metro system to Jauerburgasse via tram number 4 from Hauptplatz. Jauerburgasse is just a ten-minute walk from the Merkur Arena.
Alternatively, fans can take the S-Bahn line S3 to the station ‘Graz Liebenau / Murpark’. Again, from here, the stadium is just a ten-minute walk away.