The city of Nottingham is famous for Robin Hood and the lace industry, but it is also the home of England’s oldest pub and Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football league club. Founded in 1862, they are older by a year than the Football Association itself and were one of the founder members in 1888 of the Football League.
Today, Notts County play in the third tier of English football at a 20,000 capacity all-seater stadium on Meadow Lane, near the banks of the River Trent in Nottingham.
The Birth of Notts County
Originally called the Nottingham Football Club, they played their early games at Park Hollow in the grounds of Nottingham Castle before moving to the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground in 1883. Most of the early games were friendlies but in 1877 they entered the FA Cup and reached the semi-finals in 1883 and 1884.
In 1888, twelve football clubs including Notts County formed the Football League; in their first season, they finished eleventh. The club’s form improved though, leading to a third place finish in 1891 and an appearance in the FA Cup final, where they lost to Blackburn Rovers.
Two years later they were relegated to the second division and the following year Notts County became the first second division club to win the FA Cup, beating Bolton Wanderers in the final. Promotion back to the top tier followed in 1897, and in 1900, they equalled their best ever top-flight finish by coming third. In 1910, they moved to their current ground at Meadow Lane.
Notts County in Decline
The following years were not good for the club. Despite returning to the top division again in 1913, they went down in 1920, back up in 1923 and then down in 1926. Four years later, they were relegated to Division Three South for a season.
Despite the shock signing of England international Tommy Lawton from Chelsea in 1947 and the resultant boost to attendances, the club could get no higher than the second tier when they won promotion from the third in 1950. By then, their rivals from across the River Trent – Nottingham Forest – were establishing themselves as the city’s biggest football club.
Relegation back to the third tier followed in 1958 and then to the fourth division in 1959. They popped back up to the third a year later but were relegated again in 1964.
Financial problems followed and the club came close to dropping out of the league altogether.
The Jimmy Sirrel Era
The appointment of former Celtic player Jimmy Sirrel as manager in 1969 signalled the start of a new era for the club. It did not take him long. They were unbeaten at home for all the following season, clinching promotion back to the third division. The rise continued, and in 1973 they were promoted to the second division.
Jimmy Sirrel left for Sheffield United in 1975 but returned to Meadow Lane two years later and in 1981 led them to promotion back to the top division. In their first top flight match, they beat champions Aston Villa.
The glory days lasted only three years though, and they were relegated back to the second division in 1984 and to the third in 1985. Jimmy Sirrel retired in 1987 but remains a hero in the eyes of Magpies’ fans to this day.
The Wheelbarrow Song
The appointment of Neil Warnock as manager in 1988 saw them return the following season to division two. In 1990, they played away at Shrewsbury Town and were losing 2-0 when one of the groundsmen went past with a wheelbarrow and the County fans started singing “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off” to the tune of On Top of Old Smokey. They sang the song throughout the second half and it inspired the team to fight back to earn a draw.
The song became the club’s anthem the following season as they were again promoted to the top flight, albeit for just a year. Neil Warnock left early in 1993.
Two years later, a trip to Wembley saw Notts County winning the Anglo-Italian Cup but were relegated to the third tier the same season. Two years later, they were back in the basement division. The appointment of Sam Allardyce as manager helped them return to the third tier the following season.
Financial Ups and Downs
By 2003, the club’s financial situation has almost reached the point where they could have dropped out of existence. Local businesses and supporters clubbed together to save the club financially but not on the field as they were relegated back to the fourth tier in 2004 and in 2006 they narrowly escaped relegation out of the Football League. The same happened again in 2008, surviving by the skin of their teeth at the end of the season.
In July 2009, it looked like the club’s fortunes had changed again when a Middle East consortium called Munto Finance bought the club, injected money to buy new players and installed former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as director of football. But the joy was short lived after doubts were raised over the consortium and a lack of funds resulting in a management buy-out early in 2010. Sven-Goran Eriksson left shortly afterwards but there was enough momentum still there to win promotion to the third tier where they still are today.
Those visiting Notts County today, should try one of these excellent pubs for a pre or post match pint of beer.
Other Football Club Histories
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Steve Rogerson - Steve Rogerson is a UK-based writer specialising in television, technology, sports and beer.
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