Sport in Nottingham
Encyclopedia
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.
(the second tier of English football). They are best remembered for their success under Brian Clough
, who was manager from 1975 to 1993 and guided them to a Football League title, two European Cups and four League Cups
. The club has been based at the City Ground
, which stands in West Bridgford
on the banks of the River Trent
, for over a century.
Notts County, who play at Meadow Lane
stadium on the opposite side of the River Trent to Nottingham Forest, is the oldest professional Football League team in the world, having been founded in 1862 - a year before the establishment of the Football Association. They were founder members of the Football League in 1888 and won the FA Cup
in 1894, but have spent most of their history outside the top flight of English football, the most recent spell ending in 1992 after just one season. The club's most notable manager was Jimmy Sirrel
who oversaw the elevation of Notts County from Division Four strugglers to an established Division Two side.
2018 FIFA World Cup Bid
. If the English bid is successful, a new stadium will have to be built, exceeding FIFA's
40,000 capacity requirement.
Trent Bridge
cricket
ground, located across the river in West Bridgford
, Rushcliffe
, is the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
, who were winners of the 2005 County Championship and runners-up in the 2006 Twenty20
cup competition. Trent Bridge is a major venue for international Test
matches, and also hosts other important cricketing events such as the Twenty20 cup finals and regular One Day International games. The ground, which has won architectural awards for the design of some of its newer stands, also houses a cricket academy, a hotel, and a gym, and also uniquely features not one, but two public houses built within the ground itself, most famously the world-renowned Trent Bridge Inn.
ice dancing
champions Jayne Torvill
and Christopher Dean
who collected a unanimous 6.0 score at the 1984 Winter Olympics
at Sarajevo
. The NIC is used as a training and competition venue for speed skating
, sledge hockey
and figure skating
and receives an annual grant from bodies such as Sport England
to maintain and fund these sports.
The NIC is the home of the Nottingham Panthers
ice hockey
team, founded in 1946. The team are currently managed by Canadian Corey Neilson who transitioned from a role as player to player coach in 2008. Neilson was a 3rd round draft pick (53rd overall) of the Edmonton Oilers
in 1994. In January 2009 it was announced that Neilson would remain as Panthers head coach for the 2009/2010 season. There is a thriving junior ice hockey programme which is also based at the centre. Since 2001, Nottingham has been the host city of the annual ice hockey Play-Off Championship Finals weekend, which attracts fans from many different parts of the country. Also calling the NIC home is the Nottingham North Stars recreational ice hockey team. Founded in 1989 North Stars are one of the oldest recreational clubs in the country.
side, Nottingham R.F.C.
are also based at Meadow Lane
and are currently members of the RFU Championship
(the second tier of rugby union in England).
, where the annual Nottingham Open
is held in the weeks immediately prior to Wimbledon and has been used as warm-up practice by various tennis stars.
The National Water Sports Centre is based at Holme Pierrepont
, with a 2000 metre regatta
lake for rowing
, canoeing
and sailing
, and a white water slalom canoe course fed from the river. A number of other sailing, rowing and canoeing clubs are also based along the River Trent, as is the boatbuilder Raymond Sims. The centre hosted the 1981 ICF Canoe Sprint
and 1995 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
.
taking in many of the city's historic and scenic sights. The race is run alongside a half marathon
and a fun run
among other events. The 2009 event took place on Sunday 13 September.
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest Football Club is an English Association Football club based in West Bridgford, Nottingham, that plays in the Football League Championship...
which, along with Liverpool
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
, is one of only two clubs in England
Football in England
Association football is a national sport in England, where the first modern set of rules for the code were established in 1863, which were a major influence on the development of the modern Laws of the Game...
to have won consecutive European Cups and Notts County
Notts County F.C.
Notts County Football Club are an English professional football club based in Nottingham. They are the oldest of all the clubs in the world that are now professional, having been formed in 1862. They currently play in League One of The Football League, the third tier of the English football system...
which is the oldest professional football club in the world. Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
is a top level county cricket club, whilst both the National Ice Centre and the National Watersports Centre
Holme Pierrepont National Watersports Centre
The National Watersports Centre, Holme Pierrepont is located in the hamlet of Holme Pierrepont near Nottingham, England and on the River Trent....
are also located in the city.
Nottingham Forest F.C.
Nottingham Forest are currently members of the Football League ChampionshipFootball League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
(the second tier of English football). They are best remembered for their success under Brian Clough
Brian Clough
Brian Howard Clough, OBE was an English footballer and football manager. He is most notable for his success with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. His achievement of winning back-to-back European Cups with Nottingham Forest, a traditionally moderate provincial English club, is considered to be...
, who was manager from 1975 to 1993 and guided them to a Football League title, two European Cups and four League Cups
Football League Cup
The Football League Cup, commonly known as the League Cup or, from current sponsorship, the Carling Cup, is an English association football competition. Like the FA Cup, it is played on a knockout basis...
. The club has been based at the City Ground
City Ground
The City Ground is a football stadium in the West Bridgford area of Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, on the banks of the River Trent. It has been home to Nottingham Forest Football Club since 1898, and has a capacity of 30,602 ....
, which stands in West Bridgford
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
on the banks of the River Trent
River Trent
The River Trent is one of the major rivers of England. Its source is in Staffordshire on the southern edge of Biddulph Moor. It flows through the Midlands until it joins the River Ouse at Trent Falls to form the Humber Estuary, which empties into the North Sea below Hull and Immingham.The Trent...
, for over a century.
Notts County F.C.
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
stadium on the opposite side of the River Trent to Nottingham Forest, is the oldest professional Football League team in the world, having been founded in 1862 - a year before the establishment of the Football Association. They were founder members of the Football League in 1888 and won the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
in 1894, but have spent most of their history outside the top flight of English football, the most recent spell ending in 1992 after just one season. The club's most notable manager was Jimmy Sirrel
Jimmy Sirrel
James "Jimmy" Sirrel was a Scottish football player and manager best known for his management career....
who oversaw the elevation of Notts County from Division Four strugglers to an established Division Two side.
2018 FIFA World Cup
In December 2009, Nottingham was selected by the FA as a candidate host city in England'sEngland
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
2018 FIFA World Cup Bid
English 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cup bid
England 2018 was the Football Association's unsuccessful bid for the right to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. FIFA invited bidding countries to bid for either the 2018 or the 2022 finals, or both...
. If the English bid is successful, a new stadium will have to be built, exceeding FIFA's
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
40,000 capacity requirement.
Trent Bridge Cricket Ground
Trent Bridge
Trent Bridge is a Test, One-day international and County cricket ground located in West Bridgford, Nottinghamshire, England and 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...
cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
ground, located across the river in West Bridgford
West Bridgford
West Bridgford is a town in the Rushcliffe borough of Nottinghamshire, England. It lies immediately south of the city of Nottingham, delimited by the River Trent; this proximity means that it forms a continuous urban area with Nottingham, effectively makes West Bridgford a suburb of the city, and...
, Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe
Rushcliffe is a local government district with borough status in Nottinghamshire, England. Its council is based in West Bridgford. It was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging the West Bridgford Urban District, the Bingham Rural District and part of Basford Rural District.-Political representation:The...
, is the home of Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club
Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the 18 major county clubs which make up the English and Welsh domestic cricket structure, representing the historic county of Nottinghamshire, and the current county champions. Its limited overs team is called the Nottinghamshire Outlaws...
, who were winners of the 2005 County Championship and runners-up in the 2006 Twenty20
Twenty20
Twenty20 is a form of cricket, originally introduced in England for professional inter-county competition by the England and Wales Cricket Board , in 2003. A Twenty20 game involves two teams, each has a single innings, batting for a maximum of 20 overs. Twenty20 cricket is also known as T20 cricket...
cup competition. Trent Bridge is a major venue for international Test
Test cricket
Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket. Test matches are played between national representative teams with "Test status", as determined by the International Cricket Council , with four innings played between two teams of 11 players over a period of up to a maximum five days...
matches, and also hosts other important cricketing events such as the Twenty20 cup finals and regular One Day International games. The ground, which has won architectural awards for the design of some of its newer stands, also houses a cricket academy, a hotel, and a gym, and also uniquely features not one, but two public houses built within the ground itself, most famously the world-renowned Trent Bridge Inn.
National Ice Centre
The National Ice Centre consists of two ice rinks, one of which is olympic-sized; the city's links to ice skating can be traced back to arguably its most famous children of recent times, OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
ice dancing
Ice dancing
Ice dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
champions Jayne Torvill
Jayne Torvill
Jayne Torvill, OBE is a British ice dancer. With Christopher Dean, she won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics and a bronze medal at the 1994 Winter Olympics.-Early life:...
and Christopher Dean
Christopher Dean
Christopher Colin Dean, OBE is a famous British ice dancer who won a gold medal at the 1984 Winter Olympics with his skating partner Jayne Torvill...
who collected a unanimous 6.0 score at the 1984 Winter Olympics
1984 Winter Olympics
The 1984 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIV Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated from 8–19 February 1984 in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia. Other candidate cities were Sapporo, Japan; and Gothenburg, Sweden...
at Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. The NIC is used as a training and competition venue for speed skating
Speed skating
Speed skating, or speedskating is a competitive form of ice skating in which the competitors race each other in traveling a certain distance on skates. Types of speed skating are long track speed skating, short track speed skating, and marathon speed skating...
, sledge hockey
Sledge hockey
Sledge hockey is a sport that was designed to allow participants who have a physical disability to play the game of ice hockey. Ice sledge hockey was invented in the early 1960s in Stockholm, Sweden at a rehabilitation center...
and figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
and receives an annual grant from bodies such as Sport England
Sport England
Sport England is the brand name for the English Sports Council and is a non-departmental public body under the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
to maintain and fund these sports.
The NIC is the home of the Nottingham Panthers
Nottingham Panthers
The Nottingham Panthers are a British professional ice hockey club based in Nottingham, England. They are members of the Elite Ice Hockey League...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team, founded in 1946. The team are currently managed by Canadian Corey Neilson who transitioned from a role as player to player coach in 2008. Neilson was a 3rd round draft pick (53rd overall) of the Edmonton Oilers
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division in the Western Conference of the National Hockey League ....
in 1994. In January 2009 it was announced that Neilson would remain as Panthers head coach for the 2009/2010 season. There is a thriving junior ice hockey programme which is also based at the centre. Since 2001, Nottingham has been the host city of the annual ice hockey Play-Off Championship Finals weekend, which attracts fans from many different parts of the country. Also calling the NIC home is the Nottingham North Stars recreational ice hockey team. Founded in 1989 North Stars are one of the oldest recreational clubs in the country.
Rugby Union
The city's rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
side, Nottingham R.F.C.
Nottingham R.F.C.
Nottingham Rugby Football Club are a rugby union club based in Nottingham, England. The club's first team currently play in the Championship, the second tier of English Rugby....
are also based at Meadow Lane
Meadow Lane
Not to be confused with The Meadow, home of Southern Football League Premier Division football team Chesham UnitedThe Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England...
and are currently members of the RFU Championship
RFU Championship
The RFU Championship replaced National Division One as the second tier in the English rugby union system in September 2009. Unlike National Division One, which is semi-professional, the RFU Championship is a fully professional league.-History:...
(the second tier of rugby union in England).
Rugby League
Nottingham is home to the Nottingham Outlaws RLFC who were recently added to the National conference league which is the fourth tier of English rugby league. They train regularly throughout the summer at Lady Bay (also known as 'the Bay') and have a number of junior teams.Tennis
There is a large tennis centreNottingham Tennis Centre
Nottingham Tennis Centre is a tennis venue in Nottingham, England. The centre holds a range of tournaments throughout the year, such as the Nottingham Open, which is held before The Championships, Wimbledon.- External links :*...
, where the annual Nottingham Open
Nottingham Open
The Slazenger Nottingham Open was a tennis tournament on the ATP Tour that was held in Nottingham, Great Britain...
is held in the weeks immediately prior to Wimbledon and has been used as warm-up practice by various tennis stars.
National Watersports Centre
Holme Pierrepont
Holme Pierrepont is a hamlet located south of the city of Nottingham in Nottinghamshire, England. It is in the Gamston ward of the Rushcliffe local authority in the East Midlands region....
, with a 2000 metre regatta
Regatta
A regatta is a series of boat races. The term typically describes racing events of rowed or sailed water craft, although some powerboat race series are also called regattas...
lake for rowing
Watercraft rowing
Watercraft rowing is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of oars in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.This article...
, canoeing
Canoeing
Canoeing is an outdoor activity that involves a special kind of canoe.Open canoes may be 'poled' , sailed, 'lined and tracked' or even 'gunnel-bobbed'....
and sailing
Sailing
Sailing is the propulsion of a vehicle and the control of its movement with large foils called sails. By changing the rigging, rudder, and sometimes the keel or centre board, a sailor manages the force of the wind on the sails in order to move the boat relative to its surrounding medium and...
, and a white water slalom canoe course fed from the river. A number of other sailing, rowing and canoeing clubs are also based along the River Trent, as is the boatbuilder Raymond Sims. The centre hosted the 1981 ICF Canoe Sprint
1981 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships
The 1981 ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships were held in Nottingham, Great Britain.The men's competition consisted of six Canadian and nine kayak events. Three events were held for the women, all in kayak....
and 1995 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
1995 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships
The 1995 ICF Canoe Slalom World Championships were held in Nottingham, Great Britain under the auspices of International Canoe Federation. Nottingham became the first city to host the canoe slalom and canoe sprint world championships, having hosted the sprint championships previously in...
.
Robin Hood Marathon
Every year since 1981 Nottingham has played host to the 'Robin Hood Marathon'Nottingham Marathon
The Nottingham 'Robin Hood' Marathon, is a race in Nottingham, England held every year since 1981. The race today incorporates a half-marathon, and a fun-run, in addition to the full marathon, whilst many businesses and charities take part in the popular "Hoofers Marathon Relay", in which teams of...
taking in many of the city's historic and scenic sights. The race is run alongside a half marathon
Half marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...
and a fun run
Fun run
A fun run is a friendly race that involves either road running or cross country running with participants taking part for their own enjoyment rather than competition. A fun run will usually be held to raise funds for a charity, with sponsors providing the revenue to cover organisational costs...
among other events. The 2009 event took place on Sunday 13 September.
Other
- Motorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedwayMotorcycle speedway, usually referred to as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. Speedway motorcycles use only one gear and have no brakes and racing takes place on a flat oval track usually...
racing was staged in Nottingham before the Second World War. The original venue known as Olympic Speedway was redeveloped by the building of the White City stadium which also featured speedway. A book by Philip Dalling, published by Tempus Publishing, chronicles speedway events in Nottingham. For a short spell in the 1980s the promotion based at Long EatonLong EatonLong Eaton is a town in Derbyshire, England. It lies just north of the River Trent about southwest of Nottingham and is part of the Nottingham Urban Area...
raced under the Nottingham Speedway banner and the team was known as Nottingham Outlaws.
- Nottingham is the home town of current WBC Supermiddleweight Champion Carl "the Cobra" Froch. Carl Froch won the title at the city's Ice Arena in December 2008. Carl is a proud Nottingham man, and supports many local charities.
- Nottingham is also home to, American football team, Nottingham CaesarsNottingham CaesarsThe Nottingham Caesars are an American football team playing in the United Kingdom. The Caesars field a senior team in Division 1 Central of the BAFA Community Leagues . The team is affectionately known by its players and fans as "The Big C"....
who have recently been promoted to British American Football League (BAFL) First Division. In 2009 they started a youth kitted team which is currently an associate member of the BAFL Youth League.