1948/49 season

[LilCrazyKim]

Was anyone on here lucky enough to be around for during this season? Obviously this was the second season of the Lawton era and there were several notable results - a 9-2 win over Ipswich, 9-0 win over Exeter and 11-1 win against Newport. We scored 102 goals, and were by far the highest scoring team in England. Yet we finished 11th in Third Division South! Luckily we went up the following year (with a meagre 95 goals, again the best in England), but it must have been quite a spectacle to see such a high-scoring team have such an average year.

[seriouspie]

Albeit as a young lad LCK I was going down the 'Lane (and before) the '48/49 season.

The memory obviously fades over time but I think I'm correct in saying the leagues were only re-formed again in '46 following the war. Notts & Forest were in division three (South) and gates were still relatively low until in '47 we signed Tommy. Don't forget that in those days all footballers were on a maximum wage of £20 per week (more or less) and therefore why move home and family when wages were the same throughout the leagues. I believe Tom moved to us as he was offered other things outside of football to boost his income and get away from possible personal problems he had while at Chelsea.

But to answer your question. Yes it was terrific to see gates rise to 20,000 on a regular basis and see the goals go in but the 2nd division was the highest we achieved. We had some wonderful players but so did other teams and also no team went out to defend in those days. Although the team was good, it would not have compared to the teams of Jimmy and Neil as the whole pattern of the game changed after the way the great Hungarian side of the mid 50's played.

Noting your avatar, I could say the same comparison could be made when Chick and Les et al played for the Panthers. Good though they were I doubt they would have lived with the present day Panthers. I don't think Chick ever played in the NHL and Les never played with the Edmonton Oilers first team. Again I may be wrong but I think the only Panthers player to play in the NHL was Sammy Quong as a one game last minute sub in a Stanley cup game. To sum up, sport moves on and players today in all sports are better than yesteryear but those who remember the old days will never forget how things were at that particular time.

[LilCrazyKim]

Thanks, SP! The maximum wage hadn't occurred to me, and I can certainly see why it would affect a club's ability to strengthen its team. It makes us finishing mid table despite scoring so many goals seem much more explicable. Ultimately it didn't matter as we were promoted the following year, but it was something I'd never noticed before.

You're right about Chick and Les with the Panthers, although in those days the NHL only had six teams and a lot of players that would get into a 31-team league like it is now played in the UK post-war. People who watched the Panthers in those days were very lucky to see the calibre of player the British league attracted then.

[maddogslater]

In November 1947, Notts stunned the footballing world with the recruitment of England international Tommy Lawton. The England number nine had left top-flight Chelsea to join the Third Division South Magpies - much like Wayne Rooney dropping down to League 1 nowadays.
Lawton's signing was for a British record fee but his arrival added around 10,000 to the gates at Meadow Lane. The average home crowds for the next eight seasons remain the highest in the club's history.
An example of the bolstered attendances was a Boxing Day encounter with Swansea that saw 45,000 pack into Meadow Lane, with an estimated 10,000 locked outside. A number of attendances were over 30,000 and 40,000, and, in 1949-50, with an average of over 34,000, Notts gained promotion to the Second Division.

[Old_pie]

Albeit as a young lad LCK I was going down the 'Lane (and before) the '48/49 season.

The memory obviously fades over time but I think I'm correct in saying the leagues were only re-formed again in '46 following the war. Notts & Forest were in division three (South) and gates were still relatively low until in '47 we signed Tommy. Don't forget that in those days all footballers were on a maximum wage of £20 per week (more or less) and therefore why move home and family when wages were the same throughout the leagues. I believe Tom moved to us as he was offered other things outside of football to boost his income and get away from possible personal problems he had while at Chelsea.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tommy_Lawton

As I recall from elsewhere Lawton owed some favour to Stollery which he fulfilled by coming to the Lane - it was always going to be for a relatively short while. Florest were in Division 2 and didn't get relegated for a couple of years.

Wages were also a big issue, no doubt some "bungs" were involved.

Nonetheless some folk must have got very rich off the Meadow Lane gates for those years because not much of it went back into the club.

[i961pie]

Was anyone on here lucky enough to be around for during this season? Obviously this was the second season of the Lawton era and there were several notable results - a 9-2 win over Ipswich, 9-0 win over Exeter and 11-1 win against Newport. We scored 102 goals, and were by far the highest scoring team in England. Yet we finished 11th in Third Division South! Luckily we went up the following year (with a meagre 95 goals, again the best in England), but it must have been quite a spectacle to see such a high-scoring team have such an average year.

I wasn't born then but in 1963 a teacher at my school was a Notts fan and he gave me his scrapbook of the 49/50 season with write ups and pictures from the football post. I was lucky to get Tommy Lawtons autograph in the book later on. Great pic of Tommy scoring that header against Forest.

[downunderpie]

Little bit early for me but living on Kirkewhite St east and playing on the street i can remember the crowds of fans coming off Arkwright St and going up Kirkewhite St by the thousands from that time and stayed that way well into the 50s dropping off as we slipped down the league,I well remember standing outside the sec's office (Dennis Marshall) waiting for the result from Lincoln after their great run which put us down(walked home crying) I do believe Lincoln won a game that season after being down 3-0 when game was abandoned ,can anyone back that up,it was a long time ago.....

[seriouspie]

Thanks, SP! The maximum wage hadn't occurred to me, and I can certainly see why it would affect a club's ability to strengthen its team. It makes us finishing mid table despite scoring so many goals seem much more explicable. Ultimately it didn't matter as we were promoted the following year, but it was something I'd never noticed before.

You're right about Chick and Les with the Panthers, although in those days the NHL only had six teams and a lot of players that would get into a 31-team league like it is now played in the UK post-war. People who watched the Panthers in those days were very lucky to see the calibre of player the British league attracted then.

A quickie reply.

Ref the Panthers. Apologies it was LARRY Quong not Sammy, my girlfriend tells me. Her sister married Dave Ritchie who played for the Panthers with Chick, Les and Larry. Dave was a Scotsman who came down from Scotland along with Sammy Strachan who's name I had confused with Larry's. I personally only watched a few games on a Friday night and remembering the likes of Streatham, Wembley Lions, Haringay Racers, Brighton Tigers etc playing among others. For any questions about the Panthers (or their 2nd string the Wolves) during this era I use Margaret as my encyclopedia!

[seriouspie]

Little bit early for me but living on Kirkewhite St east and playing on the street i can remember the crowds of fans coming off Arkwright St and going up Kirkewhite St by the thousands from that time and stayed that way well into the 50s dropping off as we slipped down the league,I well remember standing outside the sec's office (Dennis Marshall) waiting for the result from Lincoln after their great run which put us down(walked home crying) I do believe Lincoln won a game that season after being down 3-0 when game was abandoned ,can anyone back that up,it was a long time ago.....

You're absolutely correct about the hordes walking to the 'Lane via Kirkwhite Street when Notts were at home. Many of course lived in the old proper 'Medders' and also worked there on a Saturday morning before going to the match. Great days when football really was the working mans game. Many a flat cap worn at the lane in those days!

[downunderpie]

A quickie reply.

Ref the Panthers. Apologies it was LARRY Quong not Sammy, my girlfriend tells me. Her sister married Dave Ritchie who played for the Panthers with Chick, Les and Larry. Dave was a Scotsman who came down from Scotland along with Sammy Strachan who's name I had confused with Larry's. I personally only watched a few games on a Friday night and remembering the likes of Streatham, Wembley Lions, Haringay Racers, Brighton Tigers etc playing among others. For any questions about the Panthers (or their 2nd string the Wolves) during this era I use Margaret as my encyclopedia!

Not forgetting the Paisley Pirates always good for a fight or two........