Each player needs to make his debut at some time, but how did we do when we had new players on the team?
Since the first competitive game we played (an FA Cup game against Notts County) that, technically, had 11 debutants (although they'd all previously played for Forest in the various friendlies we played prior to then), we've had 833 different games with debuts.
Here's how we've done in those games, broken down by the number of debutants in each game (note: only competitive games are included).
Here are all the games with at least 3 debut players, ordered by the number of debuts, starting with the most first.
| Debuts |
Date |
Type |
Opponent |
H/A |
Score |
Debut Players |
| 11 | Sat Nov 16, 1878 | FA Cup | Notts County | A | 3-1 | John Sands, Sam Widdowson, Edwin Luntley, Charles Caborn, Arthur Bates, Mark Holroyd, AH Smith, Arthur Goodyer, John Turner, Teddy Earp, Walter Luntley |
| 9 | Sat Jan 05, 1946 | FA Cup | Watford | H | 1-1 | Reg Savage, Geoff Thomas (1944-60), Noel Simpson, Ted Blagg, George Mee, Tanner Allen, Eddie Barks, Tom North, Tom Johnston |
| 8 | Sat Aug 06, 2022 | League Tier 1 | Newcastle United | A | 0-2 | Dean Henderson, Neco Williams, Harry Toffolo, Moussa Niakhaté, Jesse Lingard, Lewis O'Brien, Orel Mangala, Taiwo Awoniyi |
| 7 | Sat Jan 18, 1890 | FA Cup | Derby Midland | A | 0-3 | Jack Holland, Jack Earp, Frank Guttridge, James Coleman, Arthur Shaw, George Smith (1889), Fred Weightman |
| Sat Aug 03, 2019 | League Tier 2 | West Bromwich Albion | H | 1-2 | Aro Muric, Albert Adomah, Alfa Semedo, Tiago Silva, Sammy Ameobi, Brennan Johnson, Rafa Mir |
| Tue Aug 23, 2022 | League Cup | Grimsby Town | A | 3-0 | Wayne Hennessey, Giulian Biancone, Aaron Donnelly, Remo Freuler, Emmanuel Dennis, Zach Abbott, Dale Taylor |
| 6 | Sat Jan 17, 1891 | FA Cup | Clapton | A | 14-0 | William Brown, Adam Scott, David Russell, Neil McCallum, William 'Tich' Smith, Alex Higgins |
| Sat Aug 30, 1919 | League Tier 2 | Rotherham United | A | 0-2 | Joseph Johnson, Harold Bulling, Joe Mills, Fred Parker, John Lythgoe, Ben Shearman |
| Sat Aug 09, 1997 | League Tier 2 | Port Vale | A | 1-0 | Marco Pascolo, Jon Olav Hjelde, Alan Rogers, Geoff Thomas (1997-98), Andy Johnson, Thierry Bonalair |
| Sat Aug 06, 2005 | League Tier 3 | Huddersfield Town | H | 2-1 | Rune Pedersen, Nicky Eaden, Danny Cullip, Ian Breckin, Nicky Southall, Gary Holt |
| Sat Aug 09, 2014 | League Tier 2 | Blackpool | H | 2-0 | Jack Hunt, Michael Mancienne, Chris Burke, Britt Assombalonga, Michail Antonio, Matt Fryatt |
| Sat Aug 06, 2016 | League Tier 2 | Burton Albion | H | 4-3 | Alex Iacovitti, Thomas Lam, Hildeberto Pereira, Matty Cash, Stephen Henderson, Damien Perquis |
| Wed Aug 11, 2021 | League Cup | Bradford City | H | 2-1 | Ethan Horvath, Jayden Richardson, Riley Harbottle, Baba Fernandes, Fin Back, Ateef Konaté |
| 5 | Sat Nov 05, 1881 | FA Cup | Aston Villa | A | 1-4 | William Hancock, George Unwin, Salathiel Norman, Charles Gowthorpe, Billy Gunn |
| 4 | Sat Feb 02, 1889 | FA Cup | Linfield Athletic | H | 2-2 | W Henson, Albert Smith, Tommy Jeacock, Oscar Tolley |
| Sat Sep 02, 1899 | League Tier 1 | Preston North End | H | 3-1 | Tom Lockyer, Edward Peers, John Calvey, Rabbie Beveridge |
| Sat Aug 27, 1921 | League Tier 2 | Crystal Palace | A | 1-4 | Sam Hardy, Bobby Parker, Walter Tinsley, Noah Burton |
| Sat Aug 25, 1928 | League Tier 2 | Stoke City | H | 1-5 | William Brown (1928), David Cameron, Sam Jennings, Bob Morton |
| Sat Jan 30, 1999 | League Tier 1 | Everton | A | 1-0 | John Harkes, Carlton Palmer, Stale Stensaas, Hugo Porfirio |
| Sat Aug 07, 1999 | League Tier 2 | Ipswich Town | A | 1-3 | Salvatore Matrecano, Moreno Mannini, Riccardo Scimeca, Gianluca Petrachi |
| Sat Aug 08, 2009 | League Tier 2 | Reading | A | 0-0 | Paul McKenna, Radoslaw Majewski, David McGoldrick, Dele Adebola |
| Mon Aug 13, 2012 | League Cup | Fleetwood Town | A | 1-0 | Daniel Ayala, Danny Collins, Dan Harding, Greg Halford |
| Sat Aug 03, 2013 | League Tier 2 | Huddersfield Town | H | 1-0 | Eric Lichaj, Jack Hobbs, Jamie Mackie, Jamie Paterson |
| Fri Aug 04, 2017 | League Tier 2 | Millwall | H | 1-0 | Tendayi Darikwa, Barrie McKay, Daryl Murphy, Kieran Dowell |
| Sat Feb 03, 2018 | League Tier 2 | Fulham | A | 0-2 | Costel Pantilimon, Jack Colback, Ashkan Dejagah, Lee Tomlin |
| Sat Aug 04, 2018 | League Tier 2 | Bristol City | A | 1-1 | Diogo Goncalves, Joao Carvalho, Gil Dias, Lewis Grabban |
| Tue Aug 14, 2018 | League Cup | Bury | H | 1-1 | Sam Byram, Michael Hefele, Ryan Yates, Luke Steele |
| Tue Aug 13, 2019 | League Cup | Fleetwood Town | H | 1-0 | Brice Samba, Carl Jenkinson, Yuri Ribeiro, John Bostock |
| Sat Sep 05, 2020 | League Cup | Barnsley | A | 0-1 | Tyler Blackett, Fouad Bachirou, Luke Freeman, Lyle Taylor |
| Fri Sep 25, 2020 | League Tier 2 | Huddersfield Town | A | 0-1 | Cyrus Christie, Loïc Mbe Soh, Scott McKenna, Harry Arter |
| 3 | Sat Dec 01, 1883 | FA Cup | Notts County | A | 0-3 | Ernie Barlow, Frederick Fox, Tinsley Lindley |
| Sat Nov 08, 1884 | FA Cup | Rotherham | H | 5-0 | Fred Beardsley, Arthur Ward, Teddy Leighton |
| Sat Nov 05, 1887 | FA Cup | Mellors | H | 2-0 | Thomas Parr, James Irons, Robert Warner |
| Sat Feb 16, 1889 | FA Cup | Chatham | A | 1-1 | Valentine Stevenson, Horace Pike, Tutin |
| Thu Sep 01, 1910 | League Tier 1 | Preston North End | A | 2-0 | Harold Lockett, Herbert Slater, Joe Ford |
| Wed Sep 02, 1914 | League Tier 2 | Birmingham City | H | 1-1 | Harold Iremonger, Tim Coleman, Edwin Neve |
| Sat Aug 28, 1920 | League Tier 2 | Stoke City | H | 2-2 | Tom Elliott, Sandy Higgins, Sidney Harrold |
| Sat Aug 27, 1927 | League Tier 2 | Port Vale | A | 2-2 | Harold Green, Albert Harrison, Harold Wadsworth |
| Sat Aug 29, 1931 | League Tier 2 | Charlton Athletic | A | 1-3 | Matt Bell, James Chambers, Robert Clark |
| Sat Aug 25, 1934 | League Tier 2 | Newcastle United | H | 5-1 | Jock McNaughton, George Burditt, Bob Dennison |
| Sat Aug 29, 1936 | League Tier 2 | Burnley | A | 0-3 | Alex Wood, Richard 'Dick' Brown, Boy Martin |
| Sat Aug 26, 1939 | League Tier 2 | Barnsley | A | 1-4 | Colin Perry, Andy McCall, John Maund |
| Sat Aug 31, 1946 | League Tier 2 | Barnsley | A | 2-3 | Tom Hinchliffe, Frank O'Donnell, Sailor Brown |
| Sat Aug 20, 1955 | League Tier 2 | Liverpool | H | 1-3 | Peter Higham, Dennis Alexander, Stewart Imlach |
| Sat Aug 23, 1958 | League Tier 1 | Wolverhampton Wanderers | A | 1-5 | Jeff Whitefoot, Robert Morrison, Roy Dwight |
| Wed Apr 22, 1959 | League Tier 1 | Leeds United | H | 0-3 | John Armstrong, Bernie Kelly, James Martin |
| Sat Aug 17, 1985 | League Tier 1 | Luton Town | A | 1-1 | Stuart Pearce, Ian Butterworth, Neil Webb |
| Sun Aug 15, 1993 | League Tier 2 | Southend United | A | 1-1 | Des Lyttle, Colin Cooper, Lee Harvey |
| Mon Aug 17, 1998 | League Tier 1 | Arsenal | A | 1-2 | Glynn Hodges, Jean-Claude Darcheville, Dougie Freedman |
| Sat Aug 09, 2003 | League Tier 2 | Sunderland | H | 2-0 | Brynjar Gunnarsson, Michael Stewart, Danny Sonner |
| Tue Oct 18, 2005 | EFL Trophy | Woking | A | 2-3 | Martin Vickerton, Felix Bastians, Jon-Paul Pittman |
| Sat Aug 11, 2007 | League Tier 3 | Bournemouth | H | 0-0 | Kelvin Wilson, Matt Lockwood, Neil Lennon |
| Wed Aug 13, 2008 | League Cup | Morecambe | H | 4-0 | Joe Heath, Lee Martin, Adam Newbold |
| Sat Feb 11, 2012 | League Tier 2 | Watford | H | 1-1 | Scott Wootton, Danny Higginbotham, George Elokobi |
| Sat Sep 12, 2015 | League Tier 2 | Queens Park Rangers | A | 2-1 | Chris O'Grady, Ryan Mendes, Nelson Oliveira |
| Tue Aug 09, 2016 | League Cup | Doncaster Rovers | A | 2-1 | Armand Traore, Apostolos Vellios, Pajtim Kasami |
| Sun Sep 11, 2016 | League Tier 2 | Aston Villa | A | 2-2 | Vladimir Stojkovic, Muzzy Carayol, Nicolao Dumitru |
| Sat Feb 11, 2017 | League Tier 2 | Norwich City | A | 1-5 | Aaron Tshibola, Jordan Smith, Ross McCormack |
| Sat Aug 12, 2023 | League Tier 1 | Arsenal | A | 1-2 | Matt Turner, Ola Aina, Anthony Elanga |
| Wed Aug 30, 2023 | League Cup | Burnley | H | 0-1 | Gonzalo Montiel, Andrey Santos, Brandon Aguilera |
| Mon Sep 18, 2023 | League Tier 1 | Burnley | H | 1-1 | Ibrahim Sangaré, Callum Hudson-Odoi, Divock Origi |
| Sun Feb 04, 2024 | League Tier 1 | Bournemouth | A | 1-1 | Matz Sels, Gio Reyna, Rodrigo Ribeiro |
