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| Full name | Notts County Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | EFL League Two | |||
| 2023–24 | EFL League Two, 14th of 24 | |||
| Website | https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/ | |||
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Notts County Football Club, commonly known as Notts,[a] are a professional football club based in Nottingham, England. The club 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.[4][5][6] They first competed in the FA Cup in 1877 and in 1888 became one of the 12 founding members of the Football League. Notts County have been promoted 14 times, relegated 17 times and have played in each of the top 5 divisions of English football.
Notts County have won the FA Cup once, in 1893–94, and their highest league finishes were third in 1890–91 and 1900–01. In 1947, Notts 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, Notts 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 have 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 in 1903 Notts lent their colours to Juventus. Notts County first played their neighbours Nottingham Forest in March 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.
- ^ Brodbeck, Sam (1 February 2019). "How Notts County – the Football League's oldest club – became its biggest basketcase". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 February 2019. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Williams, Richard (5 August 2019). "Notts County prove a trip to Eastleigh is not the end of the world". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 19 June 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Aloia, Andrew (7 May 2023). "Notts County 3–2 Boreham Wood: Magpies win extra-time thriller to reach promotion final". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 7 May 2023. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Conn, David (22 September 2016). "Another Notts County era begins with cautious optimism after £3.5m takeover". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
- ^ Smith, Rory (8 April 2023). "The Team Trying to Change the Ending of 'Welcome to Wrexham'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 9 April 2023. Retrieved 27 September 2023.
- ^ "Notts County have resources and ambitions to reach Championship, says CEO". BBC Sport. 28 December 2023. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 6 October 2024.
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