Nottingham Forest warn fans over 'Nottingham Is Full of Fun' chant

Nottingham Forest on 23 October 2026 warned supporters that anyone caught singing the "Nottingham Is Full of Fun" chant at the City Ground could face a club ban, and said the club itself may face sanctions if such chanting continues.

The club's warning follows criticism that the song uses crude terms for female body parts and comes after consultations with Nottinghamshire Police, anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out and the club's fan advisory board. The chant, sung to the tune of When the Saints Go Marching In, has been performed by some Forest fans for a number of years and similar versions exist at other clubs around the country. In an initial statement the club said "any form of discrimination, including misogynistic chanting, will not be tolerated".

Forest expanded on that message in a further statement, saying: "We want all supporters, including the women and girls who are an integral part of our Forest family, to feel safe and respected at the City Ground and when following the team away from home." The club added that it does not welcome the chant and asked supporters to consider the impact of their words.

The club set out potential responses for individuals identified singing discriminatory chants, saying: "Any supporters identified to be engaging in discriminatory chanting may face education sessions or further action, including club bans and being placed on acceptable behaviour contracts." The statement also warned: "The club may also face sanctions if such chanting continues."

Kick It Out told the BBC that reports of misogynistic chanting "rose sharply" last season and that more than 50% of female fans had experienced sexism or misogyny at matches. Paul Obayo of the charity said chants like these "create a sense of othering and unease for a number of different fans" and that there were a "record number of reports" for sexism and misogyny in the game and for sexist mass chanting.

Obayo said: "We really welcome and acknowledge Nottingham Forest being proactive about this and the work they have done to consult with their fan groups, and really try and get ahead of this and I think that's an example people want to see all clubs do." He added that he wanted to see wider acknowledgement of the hurt caused and more education and action, and said clubs could not "ban [their] way out of abuse" while praising Forest's work with the fan advisory board to "shift the culture".

The decision to act has prompted debate on social media, with some supporters questioning how offensive the chant is. Forest fan Lisa Fox said she was "not overly offended" by the chant but found it "a bit archaic" and added: "I think there's other chants that we could sing that would make everybody join in and brings back some atmosphere that has been much needed." She also said: "It's expressing local identity, sense of humour to some degree, but it doesn't necessarily make it harmless."

Nottinghamshire Police has been approached for comment.