Nottingham Forest fans have taken Fawaz Al-Hasawi to their hearts. (Picture: Julian Finney/Getty Images)

Nottingham Forest fans paid tribute to their owner by starting and finishing Sunday’s 3-1 win over Yeovil with chants of ‘Stand Up If You Love Fawaz’.

It’s just a week since Fawaz Al-Hasawi had expressed disappointment at abuse over the club’s perceived lack of transfer dealings in January but five signings during the last two days of the transfer window changed all that.

Now, with Forest fans planning to hold a ‘Fawaz Day’ to coincide with the away game at Huddersfield on Tuesday, February 11, here are ten reasons why the Kuwaiti is the best owner in football.



1 He saved the club. Forest could been the next Portsmouth after Nigel Doughty’s death. The Al Hasawis not only stumped up the cash to buy the club, they proved to the estate they were worthy of taking on the mantle left by the previous owner.


2 He knows his history. Fawaz says his love of the club dates back to Brian Clough taking Forest to Kuwait in the early 1980s. The Al Hasawis quickly put a stop to the previous regime’s talk of leaving the City Ground and have proudly embraced the Clough legacy.

MORE: The bizarre Twitter in-fighting at Nottingham Forest

Rafik Djebbour, pictured scoring against Yeovil, is one Fawaz’s latest big investments (Picture: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

3 He signs who he wants. Twenty-one permanent first-team signings plus 14 loan signings since the takeover. With transfer fees of around £13million, plus new contracts for other key figures, offset by just £5m of sales, Fawaz’s financial commitment cannot be disputed.

4 He has proved us wrong. This writer isn’t the only one who should eat humble pie about words written a year ago this week, when Sean O’Driscoll’s harsh sacking was quickly followed by Alex McLeish’s exit as manager. ‘Carry on Kuwait’ was the most infamous headline.

5 He listens to the fans. With the criticism at its height Fawaz’s use of Twitter guided him away from a quiet life and into what the majority of supporters wanted. Enter Billy Davies.

6 He backs his manager. Not every chairman finds working with Davies easy, but Fawaz had only been working with the Scot a couple of months when he said: ‘Billy will be with us like Alex Ferguson with Manchester United’.

MORE: A window of opportunity for Billy Davies and Forest

Jamie Paterson, wearing the Fawaz sponsored shirt, celebrates his goal against Yeovil (Picture: Ben Hoskins/Getty Images)

7 He has his name on the shirts. This isn’t vanity like Dave Whelan at Wigan (the DW Stadium) or Deadly Doug at Aston Villa (the Doug Ellis Stand), it’s a practical way of giving Forest the best shirt sponsorship deal possible. Time to buy some Fawaz Refrigeration and Air-Conditionining.

8 He has worldwide appeal. Only one Championship club has all its home games televised live around the world. Fawaz has tapped into the interest in his homeland by securing a lucrative deal with Al-Jazeera.

9 He’s one of our own. He chats with fans and poses for endless photographs, whether in the ground or on train station platforms around the country.

10 He hates Derby. The importance of this among Forest fans should never be underestimated although Fawaz seems like such a nice guy it’s doubtful he actually hates anyone. However, we do have the photographic evidence.

MORE: Club Metro