Nottingham Forest has released a statement after a video emerged online showing a fan disrupting a moment of silence held in memory of Diogo Jota and his brother, Andre Silva, following the club’s 3-1 win over Brentford.
Premier League teams had agreed to hold a moment of silence before all matches on the opening weekend to honor Jota and Silva, who tragically died in a car accident in northern Spain on July 3. Jota, a former player for Liverpool and Wolves, was 28, while Silva was 25.
Players wore black armbands and observed the silence as a mark of respect. However, controversy arose at the City Ground when a fan interrupted the silence before kickoff by shouting, “What about Terry Hennessey?” — referencing the Forest legend who had passed away a week earlier at age 82.
The interruption, captured by a Brentford fan from the away section, shows others in the crowd trying to quiet the disruptive fan. Another individual attempted to start a chant for Hennessey but was quickly silenced as well.
The incident sparked online discussion, with many fans distancing the wider Forest support from the outburst. One user on TikTok commented, “You can’t blame Nottingham Forest, the majority clearly weren’t happy about it,” while another admitted, “As a Forest fan, I’m lowkey ashamed.”
In response, Forest addressed the situation in an official statement on Tuesday. The club explained it had considered paying tribute to Hennessey during the same moment of silence but decided against it to ensure both tributes were given the respect they deserved.
“Nottingham Forest was deeply saddened by the passing of Terry Hennessey, a true club legend whose legacy will never be forgotten,” the statement read. “We understand some supporters were surprised by the lack of a tribute during our recent match against Brentford. While we considered honoring Terry then, we believed it would not have allowed for the full respect both he and Diogo Jota and Andre Silva deserved.”
The club confirmed a tribute to Hennessey will take place before their next home game against West Ham United on Sunday, August 31.
Forest will travel to face Crystal Palace next before returning to the City Ground for the planned tribute.
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