Ashling & Sutton Streets (behind the main stand)

[upthemaggies]

This piccy looks to have been taken after some demolition had taken place, but not all.

That's pre-Iremonger Road when there was nothing there. The streets always came to a dead end like that, either because of land ownership or flooding issues.

I'm sure I read somewhere somebody mentioning that Notts purchased houses on Sutton Street to knock them down for staff parking space, which is why I thought they might have gone earlier than Ashling Street - which likely did go around 1975.

When I first started going (1982) I never went anywhere near the main stand, we used to park on the cattle market and then walk straight into the County Road stand towards the Kop end. With no roof on the kop I could clearly see Saint Saviour's Church spire and the top of that multi-barrelled roof of the building on Iremonger Road that's still there. Then panning left all you could see was the Main Stand until you got to one of the trees in the main stand/Meadow Lane corner where I could watch people walking into the ground. I'm quite certain all of the houses would have been gone for some years by then.

First time I walked around Iremonger was the late Sirrel/Barnwell era for night matches when I was commenting on the train, I'd just wander around town for a bit, buy chips and gravy on Trinity Square and then walk back up London Road in the freezing cold mist past the old Boots factory with nobody about. I'd often get to the ground before the gates were open so I'd slowly circle around Iremonger and it did feel a bit spooky around there in the pitch dark.

[ncfcog]

Pretty sure by 1982 those houses had gone and all that was left was Iremonger Road and the Industrial buildings/units were already built? I was 13/14 yrs old when I started going on my own with mates, 78/79 season and I can’t remember seeing any of that housing.

Also, in the pic the Kop looks like it may have been redeveloped after that pic as it doesn’t look as steep as it was, could just be the perspective in that photo?

[Mark_Ross]

The scoreboard was at that time at the far side of the old ML stand. The text on the ML stand is advertising, (I think)? Though ferg knows who would be able to see it? Have you noticed the tree that stands outside of ML gates and the one that (stood) inside the gates were actually originally in people's gardens?

It's great / surprising that the trees have survived & indeed prospered. Probably more by good fortune than intention.

[pjace]

There used to be a little cafe on the corner of Ashling St/Meadow Lane I have seen players in there after training.

[nw6pie]

Pretty sure by 1982 those houses had gone and all that was left was Iremonger Road and the Industrial buildings/units were already built? I was 13/14 yrs old when I started going on my own with mates, 78/79 season and I can’t remember seeing any of that housing.

Also, in the pic the Kop looks like it may have been redeveloped after that pic as it doesn’t look as steep as it was, could just be the perspective in that photo?

Was the Kop given concrete steps at the end of the 1970s? Pretty sure it was all concreted when the dreaded fences were introduced, which must have been at the start of the 1980s. I guess we should be grateful they never put fencing in front of the Main Stand. Talk about “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

[ncfcog]

Was the Kop given concrete steps at the end of the 1970s? Pretty sure it was all concreted when the dreaded fences were introduced, which must have been at the start of the 1980s. I guess we should be grateful they never put fencing in front of the Main Stand. Talk about “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…”

My first game was circa 74/75 season (I think?). I went with a florist supporting uncle who took us on the Kop with the rest of the red rabble. Was definitely concrete steps then from what I can remember but the surge control frames (barriers) were still the old round one's from what I remember. I think they got replaced to the black square framed ones after Man Utd fans decided to pull the old ones up for us.

I think the high fences on the Kop for segregation only went up maybe '77/78? Definitely remember them being up around 1980/81.

I may be slightly out on my years btw.

[LaxtonLad]

Uh... one other thing... what is that text on the old Meadow Lane Stand roof? Who on earth would be able to read it ?? ?

I think it says "ARDLEY OUT".

[upthemaggies]

My first game was circa 74/75 season (I think?). I went with a florist supporting uncle who took us on the Kop with the rest of the red rabble. Was definitely concrete steps then from what I can remember but the surge control frames (barriers) were still the old round one's from what I remember. I think they got replaced to the black square framed ones after Man Utd fans decided to pull the old ones up for us.

I think the high fences on the Kop for segregation only went up maybe '77/78? Definitely remember them being up around 1980/81.

I may be slightly out on my years btw.

The Kop was completely dug up and replaced in 1980 with less shallow steps and, that was when the new black barriers were introduced along with the segregation fences ((the one's at the front to keep people off the pitch had probably been there since 1975.76). This rebuilding would likely have been done because they knew more people would need to go in that end after the Meadow Lane end was closed completely, having been in a two year interim period between the ancient stand at the back being pulled down (after Les Bradd's last home appearance) and the terracing at the front eventually been bulldozed.

Incidentally the Saviours church I mentioned - visible from the County Road stand - was fittingly built in the period of Notts formation and opened just before we played our first game against another club. It would be nice to imagine that spire had also been visible to spectators at the old Meadows Castle Cricket Ground where Notts had played before moving permanently to Trent Bridge, though it may have been obscured by trees or buildings. It is a possibility though.

Back to Sutton St. Somebody on another forum mentioned there being a sweet shop on it and he would see players in there buying sweets before the match!

[ncfcog]

The Kop was completely dug up and replaced in 1980 with less shallow steps and, that was when the new black barriers were introduced along with the segregation fences ((the one's at the front to keep people off the pitch had been there since 1975.76). This rebuilding would probably have been done because they knew more people would need to go in that end after the Meadow Lane end was closed completely, having been in a two year interim period between the ancient stand at the back being pulled down (after Les Bradd's last home appearance) and the terracing at the front eventually been bulldozed.

Incidentally the Saviours church I mentioned - visible from the County Road stand - was fittingly built in the period of Notts formation and opened just before we played our first game against another club. It would be nice to imagine that spire had also been visible to spectators at the old Meadows Castle Cricket Ground where Notts had played before moving permanently to Trent Bridge, though it may have been obscured by trees or buildings. It is a possibility though.

Back to Sutton St. Somebody on another forum mentioned there being a sweet shop on it and he would see players in there buying sweets before the match!

Ah yes, thanks for jogging the memory UTM. I remember going in the Kop in the 1-1 draw at home to Oldham in 1979 with the Oldham fans, at 14 years old we thought we were dead hard until Oldham scored and a few of them realised we were Notts fans, gave my mate at the time a right kick up the ar5e and a friendly copper kindly escorted us back into the main stand.

Have to say I can't remember at that point what the kop steps were like.

[ncfcog]

Regarding Asling Street, the small factory units behind the main stand are on Ashling Court. Does anyone know when that was developed or does it all tie in with previous posts? Apologies if I've missed something obvious.