Notts County F.C. facts for kids
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| Full name | Notts County Football Club | |||
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| Nickname(s) | The Magpies | |||
| Short name | Notts | |||
| Founded | 1862 | |||
| Ground | Meadow Lane | |||
| Capacity | 19,841 | |||
| Coordinates | 52°56′33″N 1°8′14″W / 52.94250°N 1.13722°W | |||
| Owner | Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz | |||
| Chairman | Christoffer Reedtz | |||
| Head coach | Stuart Maynard | |||
| League | National League | |||
| 2018–19 | League Two, 23rd of 24 (relegated) | |||
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Notts County Football Club, often called Notts, is a professional football team from Nottingham, England. They play in EFL League Two, which is the fourth level of English football. Notts County got promoted to this league in the 2022–23 season.
The club started in 1862, making it the oldest professional football club in the world! They first played in the FA Cup in 1877. In 1888, they were one of the 12 teams that created the Football League. Notts County has been promoted 14 times and relegated 17 times. They have played in all of the top five divisions in English football.
Notts County won the FA Cup once, in 1893–94. Their best league finishes were third place in 1890–91 and 1900–01. In 1947, a famous England player named Tommy Lawton joined Notts. Many fans came to watch him play. After he left, the club struggled and was in the fourth division by the 1960s.
Under manager Jimmy Sirrel, Notts County earned three promotions in the 1970s and 1980s. They reached the top division in 1981. Their last season in the top league was 1991–92, with manager Neil Warnock. He led them to two promotions in a row through play-off games at Wembley Stadium. In the early 2000s, Notts County faced many problems off the field. They were relegated to non-League football in 2019. After four years, they returned to the Football League in 2023.
The team has played their home games at Meadow Lane since 1910. Before that, they played at places like Trent Bridge. The club's black and white colours were chosen in 1890. This is why they are called the "Magpies". In 1903, Notts County even shared their colours with the Italian club Juventus. Notts County first played their local rivals, Nottingham Forest, in March 1866. This makes the Nottingham derby one of the oldest football matches. The player with the most games for the club is goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, who played 601 matches. Their top goal scorer is Les Bradd with 137 goals.
Contents
- Club History: From the Start to Today
- Club Identity: What Makes Notts County Unique?
- Home Grounds: Where Notts County Plays
- Fans and Rivalries
- Club Records and Statistics
- Club Ownership and Money Matters
- Notts County in the Media
- Players
- Managers
- Club Trophies and Achievements
- Images for kids
- See also
Club History: From the Start to Today
How Notts County Began
Notts County officially started on December 7, 1864, but its history goes back to 1862. Around that time, the first members met in The Park, Nottingham, to play football. These gatherings are seen as the club's beginning. Notts played their first recorded game on December 8, 1864, against Trent Valley. On January 2, 1865, they lost 1–0 to Sheffield. This was Sheffield's first game against a team from outside Sheffield.
Many early members were from middle-class families, like bankers and lawyers. Notts mostly played under Sheffield Rules back then. Some games were played under "Nottingham Rules."
Early Days and FA Cup Success
In 1872, Harwood Greenhalgh played for England in the very first international match against Scotland. He was Notts County's first player to play for his country. The club joined the FA Cup in the 1877–78 season. They reached the semi-finals in 1883 and 1884. During this time, Harry Cursham played for Notts. His 49 FA Cup goals are still a record for the competition.
In 1885, football became professional. Notts immediately made six of its players professionals. In 1888, even after a tough season, Notts County became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. They finished 11th in the first year and had to apply to stay in the league. They got enough votes to remain.
In 1891, Notts County reached the FA Cup final for the first time. They lost 3–1 to Blackburn. In 1893, they were relegated for the first time. But in 1894, they became the first team from the Second Division to win the FA Cup! They beat Bolton Wanderers 4–1 in the final. Jimmy Logan scored three goals in that game. Notts won the Second Division championship in 1896–97. They spent 18 of the next 19 seasons in the top league. In 1913–14, they won the Second Division title again.
Years Between Wars and Lawton's Impact
Football stopped for most of World War I. When it started again in 1919–20, Notts were relegated to the Second Division. In 1921–22, they reached the FA Cup semi-final again, losing to Huddersfield Town. In 1922–23, Notts won the Second Division championship and returned to the First Division. They stayed there for three seasons. The team was very good in 1924–25, almost winning the league. But they were relegated the next year.
Notts County dropped to the third division for the first time in 1930. But they immediately won promotion back to the Second Division as champions. In 1930–31, Tom Keetley scored 39 league goals for Notts. This was a club record for 92 years.
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By 1935, Notts County was back in the Third Division South. Football stopped again for World War II. In 1947, after the war, Notts paid a lot of money (£20,000) to sign England player Tommy Lawton. This was a record transfer fee at the time. Lawton's arrival brought huge crowds to Notts County games. A match in 1947 had 45,116 fans, with many more trying to get in! Lawton and Jackie Sewell formed a great scoring team. Notts won the Third Division South title in 1949–50. They secured the championship with a 2–0 win over Nottingham Forest in front of 46,000 fans.
Sewell was sold in 1951, and Lawton left in 1952. Notts spent most of the 1950s in the Second Division. But they were relegated twice in a row in 1958 and 1959, falling into the Fourth Division for the first time. They quickly won promotion back as runners-up. In 1962, they celebrated 100 years as a club. Notts were relegated back to the Fourth Division in 1963–64. They struggled for a few years, almost being relegated again in 1966–67.
The Sirrel and Warnock Eras
In 1969, Jimmy Sirrel became Notts County's manager. He had talented players like Les Bradd, who became the club's top scorer, and Don Masson. In 1970–71, Notts won the Fourth Division championship. They earned 69 points, a record at the time, and didn't lose a single home game all season! They almost got promoted again the next year. In 1972–73, they finished second and moved up to the Second Division.
Sirrel left in 1975, but returned as manager in 1977. Masson also came back in 1978. In 1980–81, Notts finished second in the Second Division. This meant they were promoted to the First Division after 55 years! Their first game back was a 1–0 win against the league champions, Aston Villa. Many thought Notts would be relegated right away, but they finished 15th and stayed up.
In 1984, Notts were relegated back to the Second Division. Sirrel returned for a third time in 1984–85, but couldn't stop them from being relegated again. He stayed until 1987. In 1989, Neil Warnock became manager. In his first full season, 1989–90, Warnock led Notts to third place in the Third Division. They won promotion to the Second Division by beating Tranmere Rovers 2–0 in a play-off final at Wembley Stadium. This was their first game at Wembley.
Notts returned to Wembley a year later for the Second Division play-off final. They won 3–1 against Brighton & Hove Albion, earning two promotions in a row! Notts County's time in the First Division was short. They were relegated back to the second tier at the end of the 1991–92 season.
Recent History and Return to the League
Being relegated meant Notts County just missed out on playing in the first season of the Premier League. Warnock left in 1993. The team was relegated to the Second Division (now the third tier) in 1995. However, they did win the Anglo-Italian Cup that year. After losing a play-off final in 1996, Notts had a club-record 20 games without a win in 1996–97. This led to relegation to the Third Division.
Under manager Sam Allardyce, Notts won the Third Division championship in 1997–98. They were the first team since World War II to win promotion in March. They also broke several club records, like winning 10 games in a row. Allardyce left in 1999, and Notts finished eighth that season.
In the early 2000s, Notts County faced many serious problems off the field. Between 2002 and 2003, the club was in a difficult financial situation for a record 534 days. They avoided closing down, but the team was relegated to the fourth tier (now League Two) in 2004. In 2009, a group called Munto Finance took over the club. They said they were a rich group from the Middle East. They even hired former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson as director of football.
However, the takeover fell apart by December 2009. Notts was in danger of closing because of unpaid debts. Ray Trew took over and saved the club. The 2009–10 season ended well, with the team winning the League Two championship. The Magpies stayed in League One for five seasons before being relegated back to League Two in 2015.
Ray Trew sold the club to Alan Hardy in December 2016. Notts reached the League Two play-off semi-finals in 2018. But Hardy put the club up for sale in January 2019, with the team at the bottom of the league. Notts were relegated from the Football League for the first time in their history in 2018–19. Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz bought the club in July 2019.
Notts lost the 2020 National League play-off final to Harrogate Town. They stayed in the National League for three more years. In 2022–23, the Magpies earned 107 points. This was a record for a team finishing second, as Wrexham finished ahead of them. Notts finally won promotion back to League Two through the play-offs. They beat Chesterfield 4–3 in a penalty shootout after a 2–2 draw at Wembley Stadium.
Club Identity: What Makes Notts County Unique?
Team Name and Nicknames
When the club officially started in December 1864, they decided to call themselves "Notts Foot Ball Club." "Notts" is a short way of saying Nottinghamshire. In the early days, the club was called different names like Nottinghamshire, Nottingham, or Notts. The name Notts County likely came about to tell them apart from other local teams. Notts County is the only English club whose official name includes an abbreviation.
In 1883, a newspaper called them the "Patricians." Before being known as the "Magpies," Notts were called the "Lambs." This might have been a reference to a group from Nottingham in the 1800s. After Notts started wearing black and white striped shirts, they quickly got the nickname "Magpies." But people still used "Lambs" for a while. The "Lambs" nickname stopped being used by the early 1900s.
Colours and Kits
Notts wore blue caps in a game in January 1865. In February 1867, a newspaper said Notts wore orange and black hoops in a game. This is the first known report of a team wearing a special kit. In 1880, Notts wore chocolate and blue shirts. They wore these until 1890, when they first wore black and white striped shirts.
Except for the 1934–35 season, when they briefly went back to chocolate and blue, black and white have been the club's colours since 1890. Black and white stripes are normal, but there have been some changes. In 1923, they wore white shirts with a black V-shape. During World War II, they sometimes wore hoops. From 1946 to 1952, they used a white shirt with a black collar and cuffs.
In 1903, the Italian club Juventus wanted new shirts. Their old ones were pink. An English player on Juventus, John Savage, arranged for a Notts-supporting friend in England to send new kits to Turin. Juventus has played in black and white stripes ever since! In 2011, Juventus invited Notts County to be the first team to play at their new stadium, to celebrate this connection.
Club Crest
A crest first appeared on Notts County's shirts in 1923. It was a magpie on the chest. This lasted until 1926. From 1948, a large black shield with "NCFC" was on the shirts. This stayed until 1950. Then, the club adopted a new crest with a magpie on a football, surrounded by the club's initials. However, the team started the season badly. The chairman thought the magpie was bad luck and ordered it removed. The team won their next game, and the crest never returned.
A crest based on Nottingham's coat of arms was used from 1962. A magpie came back on the shirts in 1977. A crest with two magpies has been common since 1986. The current badge was adopted in 2010.
Home Grounds: Where Notts County Plays
Early Playing Fields
Before the club officially started, members met at Park Hollow in The Park, Nottingham, to practice football. These meetings moved to the Meadows Cricket Ground by 1863. This is where the club's first organized games took place. The Meadows was their main home until October 1877. Sometimes, they played important games at Trent Bridge.
In 1877, Notts moved home games to a cricket ground in Beeston. Between 1878 and 1880, they played games at the Meadows, Trent Bridge, and Beeston. In 1880, Notts moved to the Castle Ground, where they stayed until 1883.
Trent Bridge Stadium
Notts moved to Trent Bridge in 1883. Football was played on one side of the ground. The facilities were simple at first, with only a small stand. Later, a stand was built that Notts would take with them when they moved to Meadow Lane in 1910. Notts County's record attendance at Trent Bridge was 25,000 fans. This happened for an FA Cup game in 1907 and a league match in 1908.
Cricket was the main sport at Trent Bridge. So, Notts had to play early and late season games at other grounds. They used the Meadows and the Castle Ground at first. Later, they started using Forest's grounds. Notts first played at the Town Ground in 1895. They first played at the City Ground in 1899. They used the City Ground as their alternative venue until 1908.
In 1901, there was a problem when Stoke beat Notts at the City Ground. Other clubs said Stoke had an unfair advantage because Notts didn't play at their main home. In 1902, the Football League asked Notts to play all home games at one ground. In 1908, the owners of Trent Bridge decided not to let the football club use the ground anymore. This gave Notts two years to find a new home.
Meadow Lane Stadium
Notts leased land on Meadow Lane in 1910. They quickly built a new stadium there. It opened on September 3, 1910. Notts drew 1–1 with Forest in front of 27,000 fans. Originally, a stream ran next to the stadium. The club hired a person to get the ball out of the water with a long pole. In 1925, the stream was covered, and a new stand was built. In 1941, during World War II, the stadium was badly damaged by bombs. Notts had to stop playing in wartime competitions for a season. In 1949, they made the "Spion Kop" end of the stadium taller to fit more fans.
One end of the stadium was taken down in 1978. It was replaced with a new building that had a social club and other facilities. In 1985, the pitch was made shorter because fans in the new boxes couldn't see the goal below them. Big changes were made in the 1990s to make Meadow Lane an all-seater stadium. Three stands were rebuilt in one summer in 1992. The main stand was replaced in 1994. In 2019, the stadium could hold 19,841 fans for football games. In the 2023–24 season, the average number of fans at games was 10,905. This was the third highest in League Two.
Fans and Rivalries
In 2003, fans got a say in how the club was run through the Notts County Supporters' Trust. The Trust later owned most of the club. But in 2009, they gave control to Munto Finance. This takeover didn't work out. Notts County has been used as an example of when fan ownership of clubs goes wrong. A 2007 study said Notts County was the most stressful team to support. This was because of their frequent struggles on the field and money problems.
Notts County fans often sing the "Wheelbarrow Song." It goes "I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off." In 1981, some fans made a record to celebrate the team's promotion. A radio host later played it in a competition for the worst record ever made! Fans also made their own magazines, called fanzines, from the 1980s to the 2000s. The longest-running one was The Pie. In 2024, a project helped put all issues of The Pie online.
Notts County first played their neighbours, Nottingham Forest, in March 1866. This was Forest's first-ever game. This makes the Nottingham derby one of the oldest football matches. A team of 17 Forest players played against 11 Notts players, and the game ended 0–0. The two teams have played 94 league and cup matches. Notts has won 30 times, Forest 39 times, and there have been 25 draws. They don't play each other very often now. Since 1957, they have only been in the same league for nine seasons. Their last game was a League Cup match in 2011. Notts County also has a local rivalry with Mansfield Town. They played each other in the 2023–24 season.
Club Records and Statistics
Goalkeeper Albert Iremonger holds the record for most Notts County appearances. He played 601 games for the club between 1904 and 1926. He also played in 222 games in a row. A road near Notts County's stadium is named after him. Les Bradd is the club's all-time leading goal scorer. He scored 137 goals between 1967 and 1978. The record for most goals in one season is held by Macaulay Langstaff. He scored 42 goals in 2022–23.
Notts had their biggest win on October 24, 1885. They beat Rotherham Town 15–0 in an FA Cup game. Their biggest league win is by ten goals. This happened in a 10–0 win in 1895 and an 11–1 win in 1949. The 2022–23 team broke several club records. They earned 107 points and won 32 league matches. They also scored 117 league goals and went 25 league matches without losing.
Notts County's record home attendance was on March 12, 1955. 47,310 fans watched them play York City in an FA Cup quarter-final. The record home attendance for a league game was 46,000 fans. This was for a match against Forest in 1950. In the 1949–50 season, the average crowd at Meadow Lane was 35,176. Notts County also holds the record attendance for a National League game. 16,511 fans watched a 0–0 draw in 2022. The largest crowd Notts County has ever played in front of was 61,003. This was for an FA Cup game against Liverpool in 1949.
In total, Notts County has been promoted 14 times and relegated 17 times. They have played in all five top divisions of English football. They were founding members of the Football League (the first tier) in 1888. They first played in the second tier in 1893, the third tier in 1930, the fourth tier in 1959, and the fifth tier in 2019. Notts County's highest league finish is third place. They achieved this in 1890–91 and again in 1900–01. Notts played their 5,000th Football League match in October 2023. Before being relegated in 2019, they had played the most Football League matches of any club.
Club Ownership and Money Matters
Notts County became a company in 1890. After a good season in 1890–91, the club planned to open a clubhouse. But fewer fans came to games, and player salaries increased. This left Notts in a difficult financial situation. When the team was relegated in 1892–93, the chairman and four directors resigned. The club even thought about not playing in the Second Division. But they decided to continue, and their money situation improved after winning the 1894 FA Cup.
In 1928, the chairman said Notts County's finances were "the worst in the club's history." They tried to start a new company and sell shares, but it didn't work well. In 1966, the club was in serious danger of closing. But an investment of £10,000 saved them. In 1968, Jack Dunnett, a local politician, became chairman. He also became President of the Football League in 1981.
By 1986, Notts had a large debt, and the club's future was again uncertain. A meeting with 1,500 fans was held. The board presented a plan to save the club. This led to the start of Lifeline, a program to raise money that still runs today. Derek Pavis became chairman in 1987. During his time, the club received large fees for selling players. Meadow Lane also saw big improvements. Pavis stayed until 2000, when he sold his shares to an American businessman, Albert Scardino.
Notts spent a lot of money on players to try and get promoted. But the team barely avoided relegation in 2001–02. Soon after, the club faced financial difficulties and was put into a special management process. Fans helped save the club from closing. The Notts County Supporters' Trust also gained a say in the club's decisions. In 2007, the main investor sold his shares to the Trust, making them the majority owner.
In 2009, the Trust gave control of the club to Munto Finance. They said they were a rich group. Sven-Göran Eriksson was hired as director of football. He said he wanted Notts to reach the Premier League. The club started spending a lot of money. They signed goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and England international Sol Campbell. However, the takeover was not real, and the promised money didn't exist. The scheme fell apart, and the club was again in danger of closing.
Ray Trew took over and saved the club. Eriksson left, giving up money the club owed him. Trew remained chairman until 2016. The club faced more financial problems, but Alan Hardy bought it in December 2016. Hardy then put the club up for sale in January 2019. Notts faced more financial issues, and staff went unpaid. But Christoffer and Alexander Reedtz bought the club in July 2019. Their ownership has led to more fans coming to games and new projects, like "The Nest" fanzone.
Notts County in the Media
In 1959, Colin Slater started reporting on Notts County for a local newspaper. He became BBC Radio Nottingham's Notts County reporter in 1968. He reported or commented on over 2,500 matches before retiring in 2017. Slater was known as "the voice of Notts County." He passed away in 2022. Before his funeral, his funeral procession visited Meadow Lane, where fans honored him.
In 2002, the BBC showed a TV drama called Paradise Heights. A character in the show was a Notts County fan and sang the "Wheelbarrow Song." In 2003, journalist David McVay wrote a book about his time as a Notts player in the 1970s. In 2012, a play based on McVay's book was performed in Nottingham.
During the 2022–23 season, Notts County was in a close race with Wrexham for promotion. Because of this, Notts was featured in the TV show Welcome to Wrexham. This show documented actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's takeover of Wrexham.
Players
Current Squad
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Players on Loan
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Famous Former Players
Managers
For the first 50 years, a committee chose the team. When Albert Fisher became the first manager in 1913, his choices still needed committee approval. Fisher stayed for 14 years, the longest of any Notts manager. During his time, the Magpies won promotion twice and reached an FA Cup semi-final. Horace Henshall followed Fisher and helped the team get promoted in 1931.
After World War II, Arthur Stollery became manager. He helped convince Tommy Lawton to join Notts. Stollery resigned in 1949. His replacement, Eric Houghton, led Notts to promotion. Lawton himself managed the team in the 1950s, but it was not a successful period. Frank Hill led the Magpies to promotion in 1960.
Jimmy Sirrel had three different times as manager between 1969 and 1987. He led the Magpies to promotion from the Fourth, Third, and Second Divisions. Sirrel is seen as Notts County's greatest manager. A stand at Meadow Lane is named after him. There's also a statue of him and his assistant Jack Wheeler near the stadium.
Neil Warnock became manager in 1989. He led the team to two promotions in a row, from the Third to the First Division. They spent one season in the top league. By 1997, the Magpies were in the Third Division (the fourth tier). Sam Allardyce led them to win that division's title.
Notts started the 2009–10 season with Ian McParland as manager. He was replaced by Hans Backe, who only stayed for seven games. It was under Steve Cotterill that the Magpies won the League Two championship. Cotterill left after that successful season. There were many manager changes under Ray Trew's ownership, which caused problems for the club. By 2019, Notts was not in the Football League. Under head coach Luke Williams, the Magpies returned to the Football League in 2023. The current head coach is Stuart Maynard, who started in January 2024.
Club Trophies and Achievements
Notts County has won two main cup competitions. They won the FA Cup in 1893–94. They also won the Anglo-Italian Cup in 1994–95.
Notts has won eight league titles in total. They have been champions of the second tier three times. They won the third tier championship twice. And they won the fourth tier championship three times. Their most recent championship was the League Two title in the 2009–10 season. Notts has also earned six other promotions. Their most recent promotion was in 2023, when they beat Chesterfield in the National League play-off final.
League Titles
- Second Division (level 2)
- Champions: 1896–97, 1913–14, 1922–23
- Runners-up: 1894–95, 1980–81
- Play-off winners: 1991
- Third Division South / Third Division (level 3)
- Champions: 1930–31, 1949–50
- Runners-up: 1972–73
- Play-off winners: 1990
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (level 4)
- Champions: 1970–71, 1997–98, 2009–10
- Runners-up: 1959–60
- National League (level 5)
- Play-off winners: 2023
Cup Wins
- FA Cup
- Winners: 1893–94
- Runners-up: 1890–91
- Anglo-Italian Cup
- Winners: 1994–95
- Runners-up: 1993–94
- Anglo-Scottish Cup
- Runners-up: 1980–81
- Notts Senior Cup
- Winners: 1884–85, 1899–1900, 1900–01, 1902–03, 1910–11, 1911–12, 1924–25, 1928–29, 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36
Images for kids
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Statue of Jimmy Sirrel (left) with his trainer Jack Wheeler.
See also
In Spanish: Notts County Football Club para niños
