If you get Cityzen Matchday Memberships you will get Forest tickets when they go on general sale. Tickets are harder to come by these days, and nearly all matches sell out eventually, but you'll be fine for that I'm sure.
Match day: have a drink in the Crown and Anchor, wander up the canal to Mary D's for a pint, have chips at Mac's chippy, have a drink in the south stand bar, aim for tickets in the south stand lower. Don't buy a half and half scarf.
Football museum + people's history museum will give you a good sense of the history of Manchester and the sport. Plenty of things you can do in and around Manchester if you fancy further recs.
Half and half only as a souvenir specific to your first match.
Do not wear it. A simple blue and white "Mancini" scarf will do.
Forest will no doubt play a 9-0-1 formation and hope to score from a set piece to get a 1-0 result. To be honest virtually every team will do this. But Erling will get a hat trick (that's 3 goals) and maybe Jack and Phil will not go up the hill and get 1 each in a comfortable stuffing.
Be at the ground and near the main entrance 90 minutes before kickoff to see the team bus arrive. If you are able to get south stand level 1 tickets you can then go in and get a beer or two while the songs get sung in the concourse (the bit behind the seats). Depending on how the match goes you may or may not hear them in the stands.
Players come out to warm up about 30 minutes before kickoff, City will be close to North Stand, Forest at the South. You'll be there 15 minutes before kickoff wondering where everyone is, have you got the right day but then in the next 10 minutes 40-50,000 people will appear from nowhere.
You bought seat tickets but be prepared to stand, especially in the lower tiers or when the action heats up. Don't wear stilettos. Don't be American and struggle to balance a hot dog, chips (fries) and a 32oz coke on your lap when the sixth goal goes in. Be in the match.
At halftime don't bother trying to get a drink, you need years of training.
Anywhere from 10 minutes from fulltime people will start leaving and you'll be WTF is happening? It's a thing, don't try to understand. Stay to the end, clap the players off.
Take the selfies but don't hold up a "Can I have your shirt" cardboard.
Savour the atmosphere, maybe go to City Square for a beer and some leading(?) interviews and punditry on the big screens. You won't be racing to town so enjoy while you can.
Enjoy it. Drink it in. You may never see anything like it again. As a famous commentary maybe once almost said.
www.mancity.com
