The official history book joins the dots between the original lambs of the slums, a pitch invasion at a cricket match in 1817 at the Forest rec. which referred to 'the lambs' and then Notts rough tactics in the early days.

"Lambs" always seem to be associated with Narrow Marsh today, but I think there were two other slums not far off the market square - Queen St/King St area and Vic centre? It could be that other areas had their own gangs but we're obviously not talking paid up membership cards and printed t-shirt, so you would imagine that any group of youths involved in bad behaviour would be labelled "lambs" even if that wasn't how they identified themselves. I'd guess this was the case with Notts - ie not a nickname the club chose for itself or a gang they were directly associated with but a label journalists with allegiances to other clubs came up with due to our players or locals who didn't like this new game and the type of people it was beginning to attract. If Notts hadn't been lumbered with the nickname then I dare say Fword would have taken it if they had been the first to get themselves a reputation for rough play or crowd bother.