Councillor hopes to lift 'terrible' barriers before arrival of European fans

CALLS TO MAKE AREA AROUND GROUND MORE ATTRACTIVE FOR VISITORS

- By LOUIS CORBETT AND ELLA MATHER

“WE want to see improvements to make our city ready for European visitors later this year”.

That's the message from senior Nottingham City councillor and lifelong Nottingham Forest fan Steve Battlemuch, who believes now is the time to make much-need improvements to Trent Bridge and “make the city a more attractive place”.

The Reds under Nuno Espirito Santo are guaranteed to be playing on the European stage next season after the 2-2 draw with Leicester City on Sunday. Although the club’s prospects of playing in the Champions League - the top European club competition - look increasingly slim after a recent dip in form, Reds fans are bracing themselves for either the UEFA Europa League or Conference League, and with that the possibility of taking on sides such as Porto and Borussia Dortmund home and away.

While there's still plenty of work to be done on the pitch, with two games left of the Premier League season, Councillor Battlemuch said planning was needed at the city council’s end to make improvements to Trent Bridge in time for the upcoming campaign.

Councillor Battlemuch, who represents Wollaton West for Labour, has renewed his calls for improved lighting, pavement repairs and a more attractive bollard system to replace the safety barriers which run alongside the bridge.

Councillor Battlemuch previously described the anti-terror barriers, installed back in 2017, as an “eyesore”. Steel and concrete safety barriers were put up either side of Trent Bridge to protect pedestrians after Government advice in the wake of terror attacks in London, including an incident involving a car on Westminster Bridge in 2017.