Forest, floundering in the nation’s third division and losing supporters in droves, announced glossy plans for an international standard stadium and a tour of China.

It would have been to follow in the footsteps of a number of successful Premier League ‘brands’, but the club’s on-the-pitch state was always in brutal contrast.

Cynical 

Chief Executive Mark Arthur remains adamant that the venture is on course, but supporters can be forgiven any cynical reaction.

He said: “We are delighted by the level of interest shown in the club tour, both here and in China

“By postponing the tour we are confident we can ensure every participant has the opportunity to fulfil all of their ambitions in China.”

Or could it be that the East Midlands economy and the Nottingham Forest sinking ship have failed to capture imaginations or indeed concrete offers?

Galacticos 

It would certainly be no surprise. Illustrious former glories aside, Nottingham Forest has little to offer a market that is dazzled by superstardom and personality.

Were Forest still established in the Premier League it may be a more realistic quest.

Everything from the club’s signature crest to its trophy cabinet would give the club an advantage when pitted against clubs like Bolton and Sheffield United – both of whom have one foot in the door everybody is trying to walk through.

But as things stand it is hard to see it as anything more than a waste of time and money that could be channelled into the immediate necessity of promotion.

Both Manchester United and Real Madrid have struggled to turn China into a genuine profit-maker; the Galácticos took less than 4% of their revenue from Asia in 2005 despite years of establishment.

Marathon 

And contrary to popular belief, Chinese merchandising sales (particularly replica kits) are far slower than marketing research in the early 2000’s had anticipated.

Success in China is clearly a marathon and not a sprint.

And trying to cash in on China with an empty stadium and a third division club is rather like preparing for a marathon with six pints and a balti.

Perhaps now for at least twelve months we can rely on the powers that be focusing all of their attention on what happens on-field?

Let’s hope so, or else we may well see that tour postponed by rather more than twelve months…

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