Are Nottingham Forest the reason Arsenal play in red shirts?

Arsenal have worn red shirts for the majority of their existence and there is a story that claims Nottingham Forest are behind that.

The two-time European Cup winners, who the Gunners travel to face on Sunday afternoon, are reported by some to be the reason the North Londoners don the famous red that has defined their brilliance and heritage over the decades.

Legendary Forest manager Brian Clough was a notable figure in football who upheld that claim, but is it actually true that the Nottinghamshire outfit are the reason Arsenal wear red?

Are Nottingham Forest the reason Arsenal play in red shirts?

Speaking ahead of a clash between Arsenal and his Forest side in 1980, Clough said: "That lot play in red because of us, they nabbed a set of shirts off us years back when they were strapped for cash."

The best manager England never had saying such a thing prompted even more to believe such a claim was true. As the story goes, Fred Beardsley, the Gunners' goalkeeper and one of their founding fathers, requested his former side Forest assist in setting up the club, then transitioning from the name of Dial Sqaure to Royal Arsenal.

Forest are said to have graciously accepted and sent a set of red shirts. However, that is pretty far from the actual truth.

Beardsley did make the suggestion that he and his teammates should wear red, with part of that being due to him already owning one, but they were not supplied by Forest.

Speaking to the Coventry Evening Telegraph in June 1936, David Danskin (Arsenal's principal founding member) said: "It was necessary that new shirts should be bought. It was then that I was instructed to get samples and prices, and as a result we changed our colours to the now-famous red shirts which have been worn ever since."

Arsenal's original kit used a dark red shirt which were bought from a gentleman's outfitters in Woolwich, a fact that should banish this urban legend, but has failed to do so with many still believing Forest are the reason the Gunners wear red to this day.

Interestingly enough, Arsenal came to Forest's rescue for kits in 1965 when to celebrate their first 100 years as a football club, they played Valencia, donning a kit that was specially made, purchased and donated by the North Londoners.

So to answer the question, no Forest are not the reason the Gunners play in red. While they and their former player Beardsley may be an important influence in the colour decision, there is no truth in the claim that the two-time European Cup champions gave Arsenal their shirts.

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