Alious
In a tale that reads like footballing folklore, veteran Forest fan Alex Campbell chronicles the extraordinary transformation of Chris Wood from unwanted newcomer to Nottingham’s newest folk hero.
When Wood arrived at the City Ground in January 2023, Forest were a club walking a Premier League tightrope.
Fresh from two decades in the wilderness of lower-division football, and desperately seeking survival, the signing of a misfiring Kiwi striker from Newcastle – where he’d managed just two goals in 18 appearances – felt like bringing a butter knife to a gunfight.
His arrival interview, filled with the usual platitudes about “projects” and “direction,” seemed destined for the forgettable transfer announcements archive. Forest fans, starving for goals and haunted by the club’s rich history, saw little hope in a striker who appeared to be running on empty.
Fast forward 22 months, and the transformation has been nothing short of miraculous.
Wood’s journey from bench-warmer to beloved talisman mirrors Forest’s own incredible rise to the Premier League’s upper echelons.
The City Ground now reverberates with chants of “Chris Wood’s on fire,” a soundtrack that reached fever pitch during his recent double against former employers Leicester.
To grasp the magnitude of this renaissance requires understanding Forest’s deep-rooted pain.
Once European royalty under Brian Clough, winning consecutive European Cups in ’79 and ’80, the club endured a brutal 23-year exile from the top flight.
They hit rock bottom in 2005, becoming the only European Cup winners languishing in their country’s third tier.
Initially, Wood’s impact was minimal – just one goal in his first season. But what a goal it was: an 84th-minute equalizer against Manchester City that hinted at what was to come.
When his loan became permanent for $32 million, skeptics questioned the investment. Yet under new manager Nuno Espirito Santo, Wood has been unleashed.
Only Haaland and Palmer have outscored him recently, with his Boxing Day hat-trick against Newcastle a particular highlight.
Beyond the goals, it’s Wood’s workmanlike humility that has captured hearts.
At the apex of Forest’s lightning counter-attacks, he’s become the embodiment of effective simplicity, always materializing in the right place at the perfect moment.
Even after long-haul flights with New Zealand, he delivers – deflecting praise to teammates while letting his boots do the talking.
The fairy tale reached new heights this weekend as Wood found the net in Forest’s commanding 3-0 victory over West Ham.
The club now towers over traditional powerhouses Arsenal, Chelsea, and Manchester United from their lofty third-place perch – a position that seems almost surreal to younger fans who’ve only known struggle.
The Kiwi marksman stands on the brink of even greater glory, just two strikes away from claiming Forest’s all-time Premier League scoring record.
In a city steeped in football folklore, where legends are woven into the fabric of its history, fans have embraced their new hero with a fitting moniker: Robin Wood.
Alious
