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Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club is a professional football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, following promotion from the National League in the 2022–23 season. Founded in 1862, Notts County are the oldest professional football club in the world. They first competed in the FA Cup in 1877 and in 1888 became one of the twelve founding members of the Football League. Notts County have been promoted fourteen times, relegated seventeen times and have played in each of the top five divisions of English football.
Notts County won the FA Cup in 1894; their highest league finishes were third in 1890–91 and 1900–01. In 1947, they signed England international Tommy Lawton, whose presence attracted large crowds, but the club fell into decline after his departure and was in the Fourth Division by the 1960s. Under Jimmy Sirrel's management, they won three promotions in the 1970s and 1980s to reach the First Division in 1981. Notts County's most recent season in the top division was 1991–92 under Neil Warnock, who had overseen back-to-back promotions via the play-offs at Wembley Stadium. Beginning in the early 21st century, Notts County were affected by a series of serious off-field problems, culminating in relegation to non-League football in 2019. They spent four years as a non-League club before returning to the league in 2023.
The team has played their home games at Meadow Lane since 1910, having earlier played at a number of venues including Trent Bridge. The club colours of black and white were first adopted in 1890, inspiring their nickname of the "Magpies", and at the end of 1901 Notts lent their colours to Juventus. Notts County first played their neighbours Nottingham Forest in 1866, making the Nottingham derby one of football's oldest fixtures. The club's record appearance holder is goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, who played 601 games in a 22-year spell with the team, and their record goal scorer is Les Bradd with 137 goals.
Although formally organised on 7 December 1864, Notts County's traditional foundation date is 1862. From about this time, the founding members had met in The Park, Nottingham, to practice football amongst themselves, and these gatherings came to be regarded as the club's beginning. Notts played their first recorded match on 8 December 1864 at Nottingham's Meadows Cricket Ground, against a team known as Trent Valley. On 2 January 1865, Notts were beaten 1–0 by Sheffield at the Meadows, the latter's first match against an opponent from outside of Sheffield. The club's early members were overwhelmingly from middle class backgrounds, including bankers, solicitors and men involved in Nottingham's lacemaking industry. Notts are thought to have mostly played under Sheffield Rules in their early days, though certain matches are recorded as being played according to "Nottingham Rules".
In 1872, Harwood Greenhalgh played for England in the first international match against Scotland, so becoming Notts County's first international representative. The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in the 1877–78 season, and the team reached semi-finals in 1883 (losing to Old Etonians) and 1884 (losing to Blackburn Rovers). It was during this period that Harry Cursham played for Notts; his 49 FA Cup goals remains the competition record. The Football Association legalised professionalism in 1885, and Notts immediately recognised six of its players as professionals. In 1888, the club had just experienced what Mark Metcalf described as their worst ever season, but nevertheless Notts County became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. Notts finished 11th in the competition's inaugural year and were obliged to apply for re-election to the League for the following season; the club received seven votes, the fewest of the four League clubs required to reapply for their place, but nonetheless were re-elected.
In 1891, Notts County reached the FA Cup final for the first time. The week before the final, Notts defeated their opponents Blackburn 7–1 in a league match, a result that left the former as a strong favourite to win the Cup. However, Blackburn won the final 3–1 at Kennington Oval. The Magpies were relegated for the first time in 1893, but in 1894 became the first Second Division team to win the FA Cup. The team defeated Bolton Wanderers 4–1 in the final at Goodison Park, Liverpool, with Jimmy Logan scoring a hat-trick, one of three men to score three goals in an FA Cup final. Notts won the Second Division championship in the 1896–97 season, and won promotion to the First Division following a series of "test matches". The Magpies spent 18 of the next 19 seasons in the first tier; in 1913–14, their only season outside of the First Division, the team won the Second Division title.
League football was suspended for most of World War I. Upon its resumption in 1919–20, Notts were relegated to the Second Division. In 1921–22, while still a Second Division club, the Magpies reached the FA Cup semi-final, losing 3–1 to Huddersfield Town at Turf Moor, Burnley. In 1922–23, Notts won the Second Division championship and promotion back to the First Division, where they remained for three seasons. The team conceded only 31 goals and were in contention for the league championship for much of the 1924–25 season, but they were relegated the following year; Keith Warsop speculates that a change to the offside law was the reason for Notts County's swift decline. The Magpies were relegated to the third tier for the first time in 1930, but they immediately won promotion back to the Second Division as champions of the Third Division South. It was during 1930–31 that Tom Keetley scored 39 league goals for Notts, a club record which stood for 92 years.
By 1935, Notts County were back in the Third Division South, where they remained at the outbreak of World War II; once again, competitive football was suspended. In 1947, after the league had resumed, and whilst still a third tier club, Notts paid £20,000, then the British transfer record, to sign England international forward Tommy Lawton. Lawton's presence resulted in a significant increase in Notts County's crowds. A home match with Swansea Town on Boxing Day 1947 was attended by 45,116 spectators, with an estimated 10,000 locked outside. Over the next three seasons, Lawton forged a productive goalscoring partnership with Jackie Sewell, culminating in the Magpies winning the Third Division South title in the 1949–50 season. The championship was secured with a 2–0 home win over Nottingham Forest played before 46,000 spectators.
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Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club is a professional football club in Nottingham, England, which competes in EFL League Two, the fourth tier of English football, following promotion from the National League in the 2022–23 season. Founded in 1862, Notts County are the oldest professional football club in the world. They first competed in the FA Cup in 1877 and in 1888 became one of the twelve founding members of the Football League. Notts County have been promoted fourteen times, relegated seventeen times and have played in each of the top five divisions of English football.
Notts County won the FA Cup in 1894; their highest league finishes were third in 1890–91 and 1900–01. In 1947, they signed England international Tommy Lawton, whose presence attracted large crowds, but the club fell into decline after his departure and was in the Fourth Division by the 1960s. Under Jimmy Sirrel's management, they won three promotions in the 1970s and 1980s to reach the First Division in 1981. Notts County's most recent season in the top division was 1991–92 under Neil Warnock, who had overseen back-to-back promotions via the play-offs at Wembley Stadium. Beginning in the early 21st century, Notts County were affected by a series of serious off-field problems, culminating in relegation to non-League football in 2019. They spent four years as a non-League club before returning to the league in 2023.
The team has played their home games at Meadow Lane since 1910, having earlier played at a number of venues including Trent Bridge. The club colours of black and white were first adopted in 1890, inspiring their nickname of the "Magpies", and at the end of 1901 Notts lent their colours to Juventus. Notts County first played their neighbours Nottingham Forest in 1866, making the Nottingham derby one of football's oldest fixtures. The club's record appearance holder is goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, who played 601 games in a 22-year spell with the team, and their record goal scorer is Les Bradd with 137 goals.
Although formally organised on 7 December 1864, Notts County's traditional foundation date is 1862. From about this time, the founding members had met in The Park, Nottingham, to practice football amongst themselves, and these gatherings came to be regarded as the club's beginning. Notts played their first recorded match on 8 December 1864 at Nottingham's Meadows Cricket Ground, against a team known as Trent Valley. On 2 January 1865, Notts were beaten 1–0 by Sheffield at the Meadows, the latter's first match against an opponent from outside of Sheffield. The club's early members were overwhelmingly from middle class backgrounds, including bankers, solicitors and men involved in Nottingham's lacemaking industry. Notts are thought to have mostly played under Sheffield Rules in their early days, though certain matches are recorded as being played according to "Nottingham Rules".
In 1872, Harwood Greenhalgh played for England in the first international match against Scotland, so becoming Notts County's first international representative. The club entered the FA Cup for the first time in the 1877–78 season, and the team reached semi-finals in 1883 (losing to Old Etonians) and 1884 (losing to Blackburn Rovers). It was during this period that Harry Cursham played for Notts; his 49 FA Cup goals remains the competition record. The Football Association legalised professionalism in 1885, and Notts immediately recognised six of its players as professionals. In 1888, the club had just experienced what Mark Metcalf described as their worst ever season, but nevertheless Notts County became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. Notts finished 11th in the competition's inaugural year and were obliged to apply for re-election to the League for the following season; the club received seven votes, the fewest of the four League clubs required to reapply for their place, but nonetheless were re-elected.
In 1891, Notts County reached the FA Cup final for the first time. The week before the final, Notts defeated their opponents Blackburn 7–1 in a league match, a result that left the former as a strong favourite to win the Cup. However, Blackburn won the final 3–1 at Kennington Oval. The Magpies were relegated for the first time in 1893, but in 1894 became the first Second Division team to win the FA Cup. The team defeated Bolton Wanderers 4–1 in the final at Goodison Park, Liverpool, with Jimmy Logan scoring a hat-trick, one of three men to score three goals in an FA Cup final. Notts won the Second Division championship in the 1896–97 season, and won promotion to the First Division following a series of "test matches". The Magpies spent 18 of the next 19 seasons in the first tier; in 1913–14, their only season outside of the First Division, the team won the Second Division title.
League football was suspended for most of World War I. Upon its resumption in 1919–20, Notts were relegated to the Second Division. In 1921–22, while still a Second Division club, the Magpies reached the FA Cup semi-final, losing 3–1 to Huddersfield Town at Turf Moor, Burnley. In 1922–23, Notts won the Second Division championship and promotion back to the First Division, where they remained for three seasons. The team conceded only 31 goals and were in contention for the league championship for much of the 1924–25 season, but they were relegated the following year; Keith Warsop speculates that a change to the offside law was the reason for Notts County's swift decline. The Magpies were relegated to the third tier for the first time in 1930, but they immediately won promotion back to the Second Division as champions of the Third Division South. It was during 1930–31 that Tom Keetley scored 39 league goals for Notts, a club record which stood for 92 years.
By 1935, Notts County were back in the Third Division South, where they remained at the outbreak of World War II; once again, competitive football was suspended. In 1947, after the league had resumed, and whilst still a third tier club, Notts paid £20,000, then the British transfer record, to sign England international forward Tommy Lawton. Lawton's presence resulted in a significant increase in Notts County's crowds. A home match with Swansea Town on Boxing Day 1947 was attended by 45,116 spectators, with an estimated 10,000 locked outside. Over the next three seasons, Lawton forged a productive goalscoring partnership with Jackie Sewell, culminating in the Magpies winning the Third Division South title in the 1949–50 season. The championship was secured with a 2–0 home win over Nottingham Forest played before 46,000 spectators.