The two biggest league grounds Notts have played in

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

I remember going to Vale Park for a match in the early 1970s, which Notts won (3-0 I think) despite Tony Hateley being sent off. It was a strange place, quite smart on three sides and with a grand players’ tunnel on the fourth side - one that was in keeping with the planned 80,000 capacity. But above that tunnel there was virtually nothing, just a small structure, which I believe contained the directors’ box and possibly a press box . This was where the main stand should have been, but it wasn’t built until a few years ago.

[Notsohumblepie]

I remember going to Vale Park for a match in the early 1970s, which Notts won (3-0 I think) despite Tony Hateley being sent off. It was a strange place, quite smart on three sides and with a grand players’ tunnel on the fourth side - one that was in keeping with the planned 80,000 capacity. But above that tunnel there was virtually nothing, just a small structure, which I believe contained the directors’ box and possibly a press box . This was where the main stand should have been, but it wasn’t built until a few years ago.

That player's tunnel was like something out of " Gladiator". You expected wild animals at half time, although the Vale supporters did their best .

[flukieireland]

no idea but one of the welsh clubs...Cardiff, Swansea, Wrexham

[dobbsad]

That player's tunnel was like something out of " Gladiator". You expected wild animals at half time, although the Vale supporters did their best .

I went to that Vale game, never forgot what happened - apart from much of the footy!
We had just lost at home to Bolton on the Saturday and faced a trip to Vale on August Bank Holiday evening.
Tootled off on my own (aged 17) on the packed Footy special from the Midland statIon, fell into conversation with another ****ager and agreed to go to the match together. After the rough night ahead, it was no wonder we ended up being each other’s best man and still go to see Notts some 50 years later.
First melodrama came when the train stopped at Longport station, which we had to exit by crossing over the twin tracks of the West Coast Mainline, behind our train. Over 400 Notts fans were meandering across the line, only to be interrupted by the Euston express, which fortunately had seen us and given sufficient warning to avert disaster.
Next came a one and a half mile walk thru the delights of Burslem, including being threatened in the toilet of some sh**hole pub. The match as uneventful as could be, apart from big Tone being sent off - retaliation I think. He, The Don and Sir Les scored and we were untroubled even with ten men.
Then the return to the station! Our black and white scarves had provided a disguise as we made out we were Vale fans, until we decide to stop off at a chippy. Big mistake! Four Vale “grebos” came in and spotted us and started hustling us. They then went outside, waiting for us. The chippy owner, (a Stokie?) saw what was happening, came out the door ahead of us and confronted the grebos with a wooden baton. We then legged it, having dumped the fish and chips, somehow making it to Longport. Tired, hungry, still shaking and with two points. Happy days!

[navypie]

I went to that Vale game, never forgot what happened - apart from much of the footy!
We had just lost at home to Bolton on the Saturday and faced a trip to Vale on August Bank Holiday evening.
Tootled off on my own (aged 17) on the packed Footy special from the Midland statIon, fell into conversation with another ****ager and agreed to go to the match together. After the rough night ahead, it was no wonder we ended up being each other’s best man and still go to see Notts some 50 years later.
First melodrama came when the train stopped at Longport station, which we had to exit by crossing over the twin tracks of the West Coast Mainline, behind our train. Over 400 Notts fans were meandering across the line, only to be interrupted by the Euston express, which fortunately had seen us and given sufficient warning to avert disaster.
Next came a one and a half mile walk thru the delights of Burslem, including being threatened in the toilet of some sh**hole pub. The match as uneventful as could be, apart from big Tone being sent off - retaliation I think. He, The Don and Sir Les scored and we were untroubled even with ten men.
Then the return to the station! Our black and white scarves had provided a disguise as we made out we were Vale fans, until we decide to stop off at a chippy. Big mistake! Four Vale “grebos” came in and spotted us and started hustling us. They then went outside, waiting for us. The chippy owner, (a Stokie?) saw what was happening, came out the door ahead of us and confronted the grebos with a wooden baton. We then legged it, having dumped the fish and chips, somehow making it to Longport. Tired, hungry, still shaking and with two points. Happy days!

One of my favourite ever stories on here. I wouldn't be surprised if my ode man wasn't on that train with you.

[feeb]

at a guess , as the record was held for decades my first guess would be
Manchester City Maine road , 1934 fa cup replay v Aston Villa ( some books Quote Stoke) crammed about 84,000 in. the capacity was est to be around 88,000
and My best Mates uncle Bob Marshall from Hucknall played in that game, as he he did in 1933 and 1934 when man city won the cup at the
Old Wembley Stadium 1923 FA cup Final, inc Bolton Wanders had 123000 in.
plus Notts used to play Scottish teams before 1888 so if they played Queens park Its going to be That Big un in Glasgow.
they also played Barcelona away prior to the first world war, friendly we won 13-2 but i dont think their ground was as massive as it is nowadays.

if those three dont Qualify then its going to be Villa Park, or Charltons ground

[MagicBoots]

Notts played there in 1875, lost 6-0 to Queens Park. Highest attendance at HP was kust over 149,000 in 1937

An interesting thread indeed.... I also had thought of Hampden (thinking this was a catch question and Queens Park was the answer) but having looked it up there have been 3 stadiums called Hampden, so we would have graced the first. I can’t find the capacity of this one but looking at fixtures played there, even cup finals only got 10-15K.

The fact that it was built on the site of a lawn bowling club also suggests it was never going to support large numbers.

Back to the drawing board.

[upthemaggies]

An interesting thread indeed.... I also had thought of Hampden (thinking this was a catch question and Queens Park was the answer) but having looked it up there have been 3 stadiums called Hampden, so we would have graced the first. I can’t find the capacity of this one but looking at fixtures played there, even cup finals only got 10-15K.

The fact that it was built on the site of a lawn bowling club also suggests it was never going to support large numbers.

Back to the drawing board.

Just to clarify, because this is a long thread and it could easily be missed.

The top five for a Notts league fixtures is.....

1. Thames AFC (Ground A) at West Ham Stadium - 120,000
2. Aston Villa at Villa Park - 104,000
3, Chelsea at Stamford Bridge - 100,000
4. QPR (Ground B ) at White City Stadium - 93,000
5. Probably Man City at Main Road.

So what's the smallest, capacity wise, for a Notts league fixture?
With more seats in grounds than ever before, it's most likely a ground we've visited in the last 25 years or so. In the early days there'd be grounds with one stand and open space on other sides, so impossible to say what the capacity was, but this season the smallest ground is Eastleigh with a capacity of 3,000.

[Frigiliana Pie 1]

A lot depends on whether you consider claims of maximum capacity to be accurate or not. The West Ham Stadium, home of Thames FC was claimed to have a capacity of 120,000 but never actually held more than 64,000 (for a speedway fixture not long after it opened in 1928). Similarly, Villa Park claimed a capacity of 104,000, but the record attendance was “only” 76,588 (1946).

If you look at actual attendances, the biggest are White City (92,000 for a greyhound fixture in 1939), Maine Road (82,950 in 1948 for a Manchester United home game - they were playing at Maine Road because of bomb damage to Old Trafford) and Stamford Bridge. The position for Stamford Bridge is complicated. The official record attendance was 82,905 (1935) but there was also a friendly in 1945, Chelsea v Moscow Dynamo, when many thousands broke into the ground without paying, so although the official attendance was 74,496, estimates at the time put the total number in the ground at between 90,000 and 100,000.

So I’m not sure that we’ll ever know which was the largest ground on which Notts have ever played a league fixture, but it’s an interesting discussion!

Incidentally, Notts played an FA Cup replay away to Queens Park in 1885. This would have been at the second Hampden Park. I’m not sure what the capacity was, but only 10,000 watched Scotland v England a year earlier so it obviously isn’t a contender.

[upthemaggies]

A lot depends on whether you consider claims of maximum capacity to be accurate or not. The West Ham Stadium, home of Thames FC was claimed to have a capacity of 120,000 but never actually held more than 64,000 (for a speedway fixture not long after it opened in 1928). Similarly, Villa Park claimed a capacity of 104,000, but the record attendance was “only” 76,588 (1946).

If you look at actual attendances, the biggest are White City (92,000 for a greyhound fixture in 1939), Maine Road (82,950 in 1948 for a Manchester United home game - they were playing at Maine Road because of bomb damage to Old Trafford) and Stamford Bridge. The position for Stamford Bridge is complicated. The official record attendance was 82,905 (1935) but there was also a friendly in 1945, Chelsea v Moscow Dynamo, when many thousands broke into the ground without paying, so although the official attendance was 74,496, estimates at the time put the total number in the ground at between 90,000 and 100,000.

So I’m not sure that we’ll ever know which was the largest ground on which Notts have ever played a league fixture, but it’s an interesting discussion!

Incidentally, Notts played an FA Cup replay away to Queens Park in 1885. This would have been at the second Hampden Park. I’m not sure what the capacity was, but only 10,000 watched Scotland v England a year earlier so it obviously isn’t a contender.

Good points, a list of "Grounds with the biggest record attendance's that Notts have played a league fixture in" would be a more reliable way of doing it and still makes for surprising reading with QPR coming out on top.