Meadow Lane: Notts County
By Lasse1974 (Own work) [GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons
Notts County Football Club was formed in 1862 and spent their first fifty or so years of existence playing at Trent Bridge, the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As you’d expect at such a place, cricket took priority over football and Notts County were sometimes forced to play their fixtures elsewhere. The Football League decided this wasn’t acceptable and demanded that County either figure out a deal with the cricket club or else find a new ground to play their fixtures in.
In 1910 they found some ground opposite Trent Bridge that was ideal for a new stadium, so they leased the area from Nottingham City Council and began to build a new ground. Part of their new home was a temporary stand that had been at Trent Bridge, and it was literally floated across the river to be erected at the stadium that would become known as Meadow Lane.
Stats
| Meadow Lane Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Opened | 1910 |
| Capacity | 19841 |
| Average Attendance | 10524 |
| Record Attendance | 47310 (Notts Couty v York City (1955)) |
| Pitch Size | 104 x 69 (7176) |
| Owner | Notts County Football Club |
| Clubs Hosted | Notts County F.C., Notts County Ladies F.C., Nottingham R.F.C. |
| First Fixture | Notts County v Nottingham Forest (03/09/1910) |
| Notts County Stats | |
|---|---|
| Year Founded | 1862 |
| Nickname | The Magpies, County, Notts |
| Club Mascot | Mr. and Mrs. Magpie |
| Rivals | Nottingham Forest, Mansfield Town, Derby County, Leicester City, Lincoln City, Chesterfield |
| Previous Stadiums | Trent Bridge |
| Kit | Black & White Stripes (Home) / Blue (Away) |
| Training Ground | Eagle Valley Stadium |
| Shirt Sponsor | John Pye Auctions |
| Team Owner | Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz |
| Record Goalscorer | Les Bradd (125) |
| Record Appearances | Albert Iremonger (564) |
Meadow Lane Photos
Meadow Lane Seating Plan and Where to Sit
Meadow Lane is a stadium in the typical ‘English Style’, with a stand on each side of the pitch. At the North end of the ground is The Kop Stand, a single-tier structure that has supporting pillars holding up the roof. Directly opposite it is The Haydn Green Family Stand that contains the family area funnily enough; there is a small tier of seats with executive boxes behind as well. This stand was named after the man who saved the club from liquidation in 2003. Along one side of the pitch is The Jimmy Sirrel Stand, which is where the away supporters are housed. The Derek Pavis Stand, meanwhile, is the largest part of the ground and is the main stand in the stadium, housing the club’s facilities such as the dressing room and players’ tunnel.
Notts County Ticket Prices
It couldn’t be much easier to understand the pricing at Meadow Lane, because all of the tickets are exactly the same price wherever you sit and whoever The Magpies are playing against. The only thing that will affect how much you pay for your ticket is your age. Below are the prices for adults and concessions:
- Adults: £22
- Concessions: £16
Just be aware that these are the advance prices. Buying tickets on the day will cost you £2 more for your lack of organisation.
How To Get Notts County Tickets
Tickets for Notts County games are available via the club’s official website, by calling the ticket office on the phone or by dropping in there in person. They strongly advise booking in advance however as they no longer take cash on the turnstiles.
Where to Buy
Getting To Meadow Lane
Nottingham is quite close to the centre of the country, so it’s not too difficult a place to reach no matter where you’re coming from. Here are the usual routes you’ll think about using:
Train – Nottingham Railway Station is about ten to fifteen minutes walk from the ground and is accessible easily from London and the North.
Bus – There’s a good bus system in Nottingham, with bus numbers 44, 44A and 11 all running from the centre towards Trent Bridge.
Car – Leave the M1 at Junction 26 onto the A610, following the signs for Melton Mowbray and then Meadow Lane itself.
By Air – East Midlands Airport is the closest to Nottingham, about twenty miles away. It’s got good transport links to the centre of the city, too.
Taxi – A taxi from Nottingham Railway Station to the ground will take less than five minutes and should cost about £6+.
Parking Near Meadow Lane
You can park at the Cattle Market, opposite the stand the away supporters sit in, and there’s a council car park close by too. The city also operates an excellent park and ride system to take you to Meadow Lane.
Useful Resources
- Parking - Just Park
Meadow Lane Hotels
Nottingham is a big city, so there are a fair few hotels that are ideal for access to Meadow Lane. Here are some of the ones we like the most:
Leonardo Hotel Nottingham Hotel - £60+
The Bentinck Hotel - £75+
Mercure Nottingham City Centre Hotel - £100+
Pubs and Bars Near Meadow Lane
Nottingham is a student town, with two major universities darkening its doors. There are therefore loads of brilliant places to go for a drink and a night out before you go to watch the game. Here are some of the ones we love:
The Trent Bridge Inn
The Brewhouse and Kitchen
Hooters
Facilities
Given that most of the stands at the stadium are reasonably newly built affairs, the facilities are of quite a good standard. The catering there is of the quality you’d expect and the views from around the ground are generally good, unless you’re behind on of the supporting pillars.
Prices
- Programme: £3
- Pie: £3
- Cup of tea: £2
- Beer: £3.5
Hospitality
Notts County offer a few options when it comes to match day hospitality, with the premium choice being the Directors Club. This is more than just a fancy name, however, as you will get to have a fabulous meal with the chairmen, the directors and their guests before the game, as well as premium seating and more. If that’s out of your budget then the Club 155 with a three course carvery and man of the match interview could be for you; or else Club Carlsberg which promises a one course meal and padded seats to enjoy the game from.
Private Hire
Notts County’s conference and events facilities are amongst the best in Nottinghamshire. Business events, presentations, conferences and private parties have all been held at Meadow Lane in the past, and with room for up to 300 people over 6 different suites there is bound to be something to fit your needs. There’s even been a wedding or two hosted there in the past.
Stadium Tours & Museum
There are tours of Meadow Lane available, but they seem to come and go. When they are running, they cost for £10 if you are an adult and £5 if you are a concession. There is also a virtual tour available too which is free.
About Notts County
Notts County Football Club have always lived in the shadow of their more illustrious neighbours, Nottingham Forest. They have got a claim to fame that Forest can never have, however, in that they are the oldest professional football team anywhere in the world. Despite never hitting the heights that Brian Clough’s old side managed to reach, County have enjoyed their own spells of success. They’ve been in the top-flight a number of times, have won the FA Cup once, the old second division three times and Anglo-Scottish Cup once.
The first known colours of Notts County were shirts with amber and black hoops, with the club not adopting their famous black and white striped kits until 1890. Another team owes its black and white kit to Notts County: Juventus. The most successful club in Italian football used to play in pink and black kits, but the colour faded when it was washed so they went searching for a different kit. One of their team members was an Englishman who had a friend living in Nottingham who sent him spare Notts County shirts, with the Turin club playing in black and white stripes ever since.
Meadow Lane History
Notts County might forever be cast in the figurative shadow of Nottingham Forest, but Meadow Lane also stands in the literal shadow of Forest’s County Ground stadium. The two grounds are about three hundred yards from each other and are the two closest grounds in England. Only Dundee and Dundee United’s grounds are closer to each other in the whole of the United Kingdom.
Meadow Lane is built on the site of an old cattle market, and ten years after it opened it looked as if it might yet have to make way for some animals. The owner of the land, the Nottingham Corporation, nearly sent County packing in order to knock the ground down and build an abattoir. The stadium was later bombed during World War Two, with The Main Stand getting badly damaged. During the 1990s the stadium was almost completely redeveloped, meaning it’s not really the same ground that it was all of those years ago when it was first built.
Future Developments
There are no immediate plans to redevelop Meadow Lane, though cosmetic changes are ongoing for stadiums around the country and the home of Notts County is no different. The ground behind the stadium is being redeveloped to create a sports centre and Fan Zone though, so it will be a bit nicer around there in the not too distant future. They are calling it The Nest.