User:Curlymanjaro/sandbox2
History
[edit]Foundation and early success, 1862–1901
[edit]
Founded in 1862, Notts County claims to be the world's oldest professional football club. Initially, its middle-class members played among themselves at The Hollow, a patch of waste ground near The Park Estate. They followed Sheffield Rules, and the team's centre-forward Richard Daft recalled that "often very rough play was indulged in". On 7 December 1864, the club was established as Notts Foot Ball Club at the George Hotel, where officers and a committee were elected. The next day, Notts hosted its first competitive fixture against Trent Valley at the Meadows Cricket Ground. With football lacking organised leagues during this era, the team proceeded to play more standalone matches against Sheffield, Lincoln and other opponents. On 22 March 1866, Notts faced Nottingham Forest in the inaugural Nottingham derby.
The club moved to Trent Bridge for the 1873–74 season.