 | |
| Location | Nottingham, England |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 52°56′22″N1°08′54″W / 52.9395°N 1.1484°W |
| Record attendance | 12,000 |
| Surface | Grass |
| Tenants | |
| Nottingham Forest (1878–1881) Notts County (1880–1894) | |
The Castle Ground was a cricket and football sports ground in the Meadows area of Nottingham, England. The ground was used by Nottingham Forest between 1879 and 1881, [1] and by Notts County between 1880 and 1894.
The Castle Ground was primarily a cricket ground, and aside from a pavilion at the northern end of the ground, had few spectator facilities. [2] Notts County started using the ground in 1880, before moving to Trent Bridge in 1883. [3] However, when Trent Bridge was in use by Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club in March, April and September, County played at the Castle Ground, as well as Nottingham Forest's Town Ground and later the City Ground. [2] [4] [5]
Notts County were founder members of the Football League in 1888, and the first League match played at the Castle Ground was on 5 March 1889, with 3,000 spectators seeing Notts County beaten 4–0 by Bolton Wanderers. The record League attendance at the ground was set on 17 September 1892 when 12,000 spectators saw Notts County and Derby County draw 1–1. At the end of the 1892–93 season it was used as a neutral venue to host the promotion/relegation test match between Sheffield United and Accrington, with Sheffield United winning 1–0 in front of 6,000 spectators. [2]
The final Notts County match at the Castle Ground was played on 15 September 1894, with 10,000 spectators seeing a 2–1 win over Darwen. The western part of the site was later bought by the Great Central Railway to build the line into Nottingham Victoria station, whilst the remainder had housing built on it. [2]
Notts County Football Club is a professional association football club based in Nottingham, England. The team is due to compete in League Two, the fourth level of the English football league system, as of the 2023–24 season. Founded on 28 November 1862, it is the oldest professional association football club in the world and predates the Football Association itself. The club became one of the 12 founder members of the Football League in 1888. They are nicknamed the "Magpies" due to the black and white colour of their home strip, which inspired Italian club Juventus to adopt the colours for their kit in 1903. After playing at different home grounds during its first fifty years, including Trent Bridge, the club moved to Meadow Lane in 1910 and remains there. Notts County has a local rivalry with city neighbour Nottingham Forest, as well as with other nearby clubs such as Mansfield Town.
Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is a cricket ground mostly used for Test, One-Day International and county cricket located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, just across the River Trent from the city of Nottingham. Trent Bridge is also the headquarters of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club. As well as international cricket and Nottinghamshire's home games, the ground has hosted the Finals Day of the Twenty20 Cup twice and will host the final of the One-Day Cup between 2020 and 2024.
Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England. It is the home ground of Notts County, who have played there since it opened in 1910. The stadium was also home to Notts County Ladies F.C. from 2014 to 2017.
The City Ground is a football stadium in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest F.C. since 1898 and has a capacity of 30,455.
William "Billy" Gunn was an English sportsman who played internationally in both cricket and football. In first-class cricket, Gunn played professionally for Nottinghamshire from 1880 to 1904 and represented England in 11 Test matches. In football, he played for both Notts County and Nottingham Forest as an amateur and played twice for England, scoring one goal in the inaugural 1884 British Home Championship.
The following are events in the 1860s decade which are relevant to the development of association football. Included are events in closely related codes, such as the Sheffield Rules. All events happened in English football unless specified otherwise.
Henry Alfred Cursham was an English footballer and cricketer. He played football mostly for Notts County, with spells at Corinthian, Grantham Town and Thursday Wanderers. In cricket, he played two first class games for Nottinghamshire.
Harry Butler Daft was an English footballer who played for Notts County, with whom he won the FA Cup in 1894, as well as making five appearances as a left winger for the national side. He was also an accomplished first-class cricketer, playing 200 matches for Nottinghamshire between 1885 and 1899.
The 1892–93 Football League season, was the fifth season of Football League. This season saw the introduction of the Second Division.
Nottingham is home to several high-profile sports clubs. These include two notable Football League clubs in the shape of Nottingham Forest which, along with Liverpool, is one of only two clubs in England to have won consecutive European Cups and Notts County which is the oldest professional football club in the world. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is a top level county cricket club, whilst both the National Ice Centre and the National Watersports Centre are also located in the city.
Notts Rangers Football Club was an English football club, founded in 1868 under the name Nottingham St James. They became Nottingham Rangers in 1880 and by 1886 were habitually referred to as Notts Rangers.
Thomas Widdowson was an English footballer who played in The Football League for Notts County.
Staveley F.C. was a football club in Staveley, a village in Derbyshire, England.
The 1892–93 season Test Matches were played on 22 April 1893. Accrington of Division One played Sheffield United of Division Two in a game at Trent Bridge, Nottingham which United won 1–0. A goal from United's Scottish forward John Drummond was enough to clinch victory for the Yorkshire side and saw them promoted to play in the First Division for the following season, with Accrington taking their place in the second.
The Town Ground was a football ground in Nottingham in England. It was the home ground of Nottingham Forest, and the first ground to host a football match using crossbars and goal nets.
The Chuckery was a cricket and football ground in the Chuckery area of Walsall, England. It was the home ground of the Walsall Swifts and Walsall Town football clubs until they merged in 1888, after which it was used by the new Walsall Town Swifts club.
John O'Gaunts was a football ground in Lincoln in England. It was the home ground of Lincoln City from 1884 until 1895.
Arthur Pike was an English first-class cricketer active 1894–1901 who played for Nottinghamshire as a wicketkeeper. He was born and died in Keyworth.
Nottingham Wanderers F.C. was an English association football club from Nottinghamshire.
Jardines F.C. was an English association football club from Nottingham, England.