Memory Lane - 1910 and the Move to Meadow Lane

Trent Bridge Cricket Ground was the home of the Magpies from the 1883/84 season. The problem with this venue was that Notts had to play their home games elsewhere at the beginning and end of each season, when Trent Bridge was needed for cricket.

In 1902 they were asked by the Football League to find a ground where they could play all their home matches each season. It was not until they were given notice by Trent Bridge in 1908 that the hunt for their own ground started in earnest. Their lease ran out in 1910 and a new ground had to be found before the start of the 1910/11 season.

Initially, the directors favoured a piece of land off Loughborough Road in West Bridgford, which later became the Sir Julien Cahn Memorial Ground. They eventually decided on a piece of Corporation waste land that lay off London Road between Meadow Lane and the Cattle Market, which served as a snow-tip in wintry weather.

1910 found Notts County, like most years before and since, in financial difficulties. They had been drawn at home against Bradford City in the FA Cup, the tie to be played on Saturday 15th January. When City offered the Magpies a minimum of £1,000 plus 50% of receipts over £2,000 to change the venue from Trent Bridge to Valley Parade, the directors readily agreed. This decision did not go down too well with the supporters but was understandable with the ground move only a few months away.

The week before the Bradford game Notts had beaten Forest 4-1 and following a 3-0 win away to Sunderland the week after the cup game, which Bradford had won 4-2, County found themselves top of Division 1. Centre-forward Jimmy Cantrell had scored 20 goals at this stage.

Attachment 7218

The Magpies won their next match but then dropped out of contention by winning only one of their last twelve games, to finish 9th. Cantrell missed the majority of these matches and only scored another two goals. The final fixture of the season and their last game at Trent Bridge, was against the eventual champions, Aston Villa. In front of 11,000 fans Notts lost 2-3.

Attachment 7219

Following the final game of the 1909/10 season, adverts appeared in the local press in May 1910 for contractors to erect the stands and fencing at the new ground on Meadow Lane.

Nottingham Evening Post, 6th May 1910: “TO CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS - THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of about 340 Lineal Yards of FENCING to their new ground in Meadow Lane.”

Nottingham Evening Post, 18th May 1910: “TO BUILDERS, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHERS – THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of STAND, &c, in Meadow Lane.”

The directors had considered all the tenders by 30th May and they hoped to commence building operations in early June and have the ground finished by the middle of August. That meant the club expected to complete the ground in two and a half months, a couple of weeks before the opening home league game of the 1910/11 season, on Saturday 3rd September against, who else but Forest.

(to be continued on this thread)

Excellent read as always!

OK, I'm waiting! Great read as always.

Great stuff ........ COYP

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Originally Posted by 60YearsAPie

Trent Bridge Cricket Ground was the home of the Magpies from the 1883/84 season. The problem with this venue was that Notts had to play their home games elsewhere at the beginning and end of each season, when Trent Bridge was needed for cricket.

In 1902 they were asked by the Football League to find a ground where they could play all their home matches each season. It was not until they were given notice by Trent Bridge in 1908 that the hunt for their own ground started in earnest. Their lease ran out in 1910 and a new ground had to be found before the start of the 1910/11 season.

Initially, the directors favoured a piece of land off Loughborough Road in West Bridgford, which later became the Sir Julien Cahn Memorial Ground. They eventually decided on a piece of Corporation waste land that lay off London Road between Meadow Lane and the Cattle Market, which served as a snow-tip in wintry weather.

1910 found Notts County, like most years before and since, in financial difficulties. They had been drawn at home against Bradford City in the FA Cup, the tie to be played on Saturday 15th January. When City offered the Magpies a minimum of £1,000 plus 50% of receipts over £2,000 to change the venue from Trent Bridge to Valley Parade, the directors readily agreed. This decision did not go down too well with the supporters but was understandable with the ground move only a few months away.

The week before the Bradford game Notts had beaten Forest 4-1 and following a 3-0 win away to Sunderland the week after the cup game, which Bradford had won 4-2, County found themselves top of Division 1. Centre-forward Jimmy Cantrell had scored 20 goals at this stage.

Attachment 7218

The Magpies won their next match but then dropped out of contention by winning only one of their last twelve games, to finish 9th. Cantrell missed the majority of these matches and only scored another two goals. The final fixture of the season and their last game at Trent Bridge, was against the eventual champions, Aston Villa. In front of 11,000 fans Notts lost 2-3.

Attachment 7219

Following the final game of the 1909/10 season, adverts appeared in the local press in May 1910 for contractors to erect the stands and fencing at the new ground on Meadow Lane.

Nottingham Evening Post, 6th May 1910: “TO CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS - THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of about 340 Lineal Yards of FENCING to their new ground in Meadow Lane.”

Nottingham Evening Post, 18th May 1910: “TO BUILDERS, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHERS – THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of STAND, &c, in Meadow Lane.”

The directors had considered all the tenders by 30th May and they hoped to commence building operations in early June and have the ground finished by the middle of August. That meant the club expected to complete the ground in two and a half months, a couple of weeks before the opening home league game of the 1910/11 season, on Saturday 3rd September against, who else but Forest.

(to be continued on this thread)

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Brilliant............

I know attendances were only estimates in those days but the 11k figure given for the final game at Trent Bridge v Aston Villa suggests that it wasn't considered a particularly special occasion and that supporters didn't have much affection for the place. 25,000 are said to have watched Notts at Trent Bridge the previous season v Everton, 11k was fairly typical whilst 18k is the figure for the game against Villa the following season at Meadow Lane.

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Originally Posted by upthemaggies

I know attendances were only estimates in those days but the 11k figure given for the final game at Trent Bridge v Aston Villa suggests that it wasn't considered a particularly special occasion and that supporters didn't have much affection for the place. 25,000 are said to have watched Notts at Trent Bridge the previous season v Everton, 11k was fairly typical whilst 18k is the figure for the game against Villa the following season at Meadow Lane.

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The attendance you quote against Everton was for a Boxing Day fixture.

The game against Villa was the last of the run of only 1 win in 12 games and as Champions I expect Villa brought quite a few fans with them, so yes the turnout by Notts’ fans was pretty poor. The attendance for the previous game (albeit a mid-week fixture) was 3,000.

Notts attendances had been falling for a while and towards the end of the previous season the following statement from the Notts County directors appeared in the Nottingham Journal on 10th March 1909, doubling the admission price from 6d to 1s. for the next four games. Season ticket holders would also have to pay the 1s. Imagine if that were done today!

“It is with regret that we feel it necessary to make an appeal to our supporters and football supporters generally for more generous support in our remaining home matches. The financial position of the club has never been such as is necessary for the successful carrying on of a First Division League club, and great responsibilities – greater than they should be – have been thrown upon the directors …….. The directors have decided to charge 1s. admission to the following matches: Aston Villa, Leicester Fosse, Manchester United, and Blackburn Rovers. This also means that all season ticket holders, reserved seat ticket-holders and shareholders will be asked to pay 1s. admission.”

It appears that Jack Dunnett wasn’t the first to appeal for more support!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 60YearsAPie

Trent Bridge Cricket Ground was the home of the Magpies from the 1883/84 season. The problem with this venue was that Notts had to play their home games elsewhere at the beginning and end of each season, when Trent Bridge was needed for cricket.

In 1902 they were asked by the Football League to find a ground where they could play all their home matches each season. It was not until they were given notice by Trent Bridge in 1908 that the hunt for their own ground started in earnest. Their lease ran out in 1910 and a new ground had to be found before the start of the 1910/11 season.

Initially, the directors favoured a piece of land off Loughborough Road in West Bridgford, which later became the Sir Julien Cahn Memorial Ground. They eventually decided on a piece of Corporation waste land that lay off London Road between Meadow Lane and the Cattle Market, which served as a snow-tip in wintry weather.

1910 found Notts County, like most years before and since, in financial difficulties. They had been drawn at home against Bradford City in the FA Cup, the tie to be played on Saturday 15th January. When City offered the Magpies a minimum of £1,000 plus 50% of receipts over £2,000 to change the venue from Trent Bridge to Valley Parade, the directors readily agreed. This decision did not go down too well with the supporters but was understandable with the ground move only a few months away.

The week before the Bradford game Notts had beaten Forest 4-1 and following a 3-0 win away to Sunderland the week after the cup game, which Bradford had won 4-2, County found themselves top of Division 1. Centre-forward Jimmy Cantrell had scored 20 goals at this stage.

Attachment 7218

The Magpies won their next match but then dropped out of contention by winning only one of their last twelve games, to finish 9th. Cantrell missed the majority of these matches and only scored another two goals. The final fixture of the season and their last game at Trent Bridge, was against the eventual champions, Aston Villa. In front of 11,000 fans Notts lost 2-3.

Attachment 7219

Following the final game of the 1909/10 season, adverts appeared in the local press in May 1910 for contractors to erect the stands and fencing at the new ground on Meadow Lane.

Nottingham Evening Post, 6th May 1910: “TO CONTRACTORS AND OTHERS - THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of about 340 Lineal Yards of FENCING to their new ground in Meadow Lane.”

Nottingham Evening Post, 18th May 1910: “TO BUILDERS, CONTRACTORS, AND OTHERS – THE DIRECTORS of the Notts County Football Club require TENDERS for the ERECTION of STAND, &c, in Meadow Lane.”

The directors had considered all the tenders by 30th May and they hoped to commence building operations in early June and have the ground finished by the middle of August. That meant the club expected to complete the ground in two and a half months, a couple of weeks before the opening home league game of the 1910/11 season, on Saturday 3rd September against, who else but Forest.

(to be continued on this thread)

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What a great read... good on ya boy

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Originally Posted by irish_pie

What a great read... good on ya boy

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Seconded

Notts originally applied to lease the land on Meadow Lane in January 1909 but were turned down, mainly because of objections from the Works and Ways Committee, who wanted it for their own use.

This decision was eventually overturned by the Estates Committee and their recommendation was put before the Nottingham City Council meeting on 22nd November 1909. There was opposition to the proposal, notably from Sir John Turney, but when put to the vote the motion was carried by 27 votes. 35 voting for, 8 voting against and 13 abstaining.

County had wanted a lease of 21 years but it was decided that the Council did not want to tie up the land for that period of time. The final terms agreed were:

1. A lease to be granted for the term of 10 years
2. The Corporation to have power to determine the lease at any time during the said term subject to their paying the club compensation for money expended upon the land; the maximum compensation to be £2,000, and to be reduced at the rate of £200 for each expired year of the lease.
3. The rent to be £125 per annum clear of all deductions
4. The club to be allowed at the termination of the lease to remove all buildings and materials placed on the land by the club.
5. In the event of a breach by the club of covenants to which the land is subject, the lease is to terminate forthwith.

In other words, for a rent of £125 a year Notts had the use of the land for 10 years or until the Council decided otherwise, in which case they would be paid £200 compensation for each year of the lease remaining. The club would also be allowed to take anything they’d placed on the land with them. Stands, terracing, fencing presumably!

One or two of the councillors had protested that it would be impossible to get the land back from the club because of the uproar such an action would create. They have been proved correct, as almost 100 years after the original lease expired the club still occupies the Meadow Lane land.

The ground was completed on time and on Monday 29th August 1910, The Athletic News reported:

“Never in their long history have Notts County entered upon a season under such happy circumstances. For the first time they are housed in a home of their own and one which they have had the opportunity of making to their own liking. They have not stinted matters. The original estimate of the cost was between £3,000 and £4,000, but the expenditure will exceed £6,000. They have, however, obtained a splendidly equipped ground. Nothing is wanting. There are well appointed offices, dressing, bath, and other rooms, and the accommodation for spectators is complete.”

Attachment 7231

Apologies for the poor quality of the picture, which is a scan of a very poor picture from the 1910 Athletic News.


(to be continued on this thread)