Tuesday, January 25, 2011

A well-grounded football education - Notts County FC


*Ground Name: Meadow Lane (opened 1910)
*Address: Meadow Lane Stadium, Meadow Lane, Nottingham NG2 3HJ
*Main Club Number: 0115 952 9000
*Club Founded: 1862
*Club Nickname: The Magpies
*Ground Capacity: 19,588
*Current League status: Npower League One
*Official Club Website: www.nottscountyfc.co.uk
*Email address: office@nottscountyfc.co.uk
*Record Attendance: 47,310 vs York City, FA Cup 6th Round, 12th March 1955
*Record League Victory: 11-1 vs Newport County, Division 3 South, 15th Jan 1949
*Nearest Train Station: Nottingham station is a 10-15 min walk from the ground
*Pubs for away fans: Vat and Fiddle, Ye Olde Trip To Jerusalem and the Brewhouse Yard

The Ground:
County moved to Meadow Lane in 1910, but today it is a modern all-seater stadium with a near 20,000 capacity, excellent views and modern facilities. The Main Stand or Derek Pavis Stand is a single-tier stand that runs the length of the pitch, and houses offices and the changing rooms. At the far end behind the goal is the two-tier Kop. Away fans were housed there until the 2008/09 season. Now away fans are housed in a section of the Jimmy Sirrel Stand, named after the club's greatest manager. The stand runs the length of the pitch and has a flag pole on the front of the roof on the half-way line. Behind the other goal is the single-tier Family Stand. The ground sits on one side of the River Trent, located only 300 metres away from rivals Nottingham Forest's City Ground, which lies on the other side of the River Trent.

Meadow Lane - home of Notts County FC

Rivals:
Fiercest - Nottingham Forest. However, during recent stints in the lower levels of the Football League, rivalry has increased with Nottinghamshire neighbours Mansfield Town. Other clubs sharing local rivalries with Notts County are Derby County, Leicester City and Chesterfield United.

Famous/Celebrity fans:
Kenneth Clarke - Politician (former Chancellor)
Harold Shipman - Britain's worst ever serial killer was a Notts County fan.

Legends that have worn the shirt:
Dixie Dean - 1938–1939
Tommy Lawton - 1947–1951
Tony Hateley - 1958–1963
Jeff Astle - 1959–1964
Les Bradd - 1967–1978
Don Masson - 1968–1974
Mark Draper - 1988–1994
Tommy Johnson - 1989–1992
Also Jimmy Sirrel (Manager): 1969-1975 & 1978-1982

County Villans:
Sam Allardyce (Manager): 1997–1999
Tony Hackworth: 2001–2004
Darren Caskey: 2001–2004

Trivia/Facts:
Notts County are the oldest Football League club in the world, and are founder members of the Football League. They are set to celebrate their 150 year anniversary next year, 2012.

Cray Wanderers, based in Bromley, Kent were founded in 1860 and currently play in the Isthmian League Premier Division, the seventh tier of English football. If they are ever promoted to the fourth flight, they will take the place of Notts County as the oldest professional team in the world.


# Next time I shall be picking another English Football League club at random, in my efforts to give all my readers the opportunity of 'a well-grounded football education.'

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