5 Defining Moments: Nottinghamshire's World Class Sporting Pedigree

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have some of the best sporting atmospheres found anywhere in the world with a pedigree sporting reputation to match.

Any great sports person will tell you that greatness is not defined by any single moment. It’s a constant process of improvement and pushing the limits of what’s possible. As a fan and spectator, however, it’s not the small moments that live long in the memory. It’s when we witness the pinnacle of performance and those ground-breaking moments that we will remember for the rest of our lives.

Nottingham and Nottinghamshire’s sports history is littered with such memorable moments that together have given the region it’s lofty reputation for being a hotbed of sporting prowess.

We’ve rounded up the top 5 moments that gave Notts it’s world class sporting pedigree for you below. So, kick back and prepare the bask in sporting greatness.

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1. Nottingham Forest’s European Exploits

Until the arrival of the late great Brian Clough, Nottingham Forest’s hadn’t defined itself as one of English football’s powerhouses.

At the time of ‘Big Head’s’ arrival at Forest in 1975, the club languished mid-table in the old second division, now the championship. Clough began working miracles, winning promotion to the first division in the following season, then winning the first division at the first time of asking.

Whilst these achievements alone would have been worthy of the highest praise, Forest weren’t done there. What followed has written the club into football history. Winning the European Cup was and still is today an outstanding achievement for any club, but to do it back to back has only been repeated by 8 other clubs since the competition began. Forest are European royalty, joined by the likes of both Milan clubs, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Ajax and Benfica!

No trip to Nottingham would be complete without a picture with the Brian Clough statue, found just off Old Market Square int he heart of Nottingham City Centre.

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2. Nottinghamshire’s First County Championship

Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club is one of the great historic County Championship sides, having won the competition on 6 different occasions. Coupled with their iconic ground, Trent Bridge, Nottinghamshire have been a staple of English cricket for over a century.

Notts’ first title is one of the most impressive seen in the history of cricket. Inspired by the unplayable bowling of Albert Hallam, Nottinghamshire went the whole season without losing a match and managed to win 15/19 of their games.

The season still stands as the highest proportion of wins by an undefeated side and the third highest proportion of wins in County Championship history. Albert Hallam and his bowling partner Wass took all but 50 of Nottinghamshire’s 348 wickets across 19 matches, powering Notts to their first County Championship and only one of two Championships right up to 1981.

Plan your visit to Trent Bridge this summer by visiting our pages here. They also offer tours of the grounds at certain points of the year.

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3. Founding of Notts County FC

Early association football in Great Britain has a very strong Midlands and North West contingency. The original 12 founders of the football league are all clubs based in these two regions, with the likes of Blackburn, Preston and Accrington representing the North East and Notts County, Derby County and Aston Villa just some of the teams represented from the Midlands.

County’s presence in early football is hugely influential. They’re currently the oldest professional football club in the world, and their iconic black and white kit was temporarily borrowed and later permanently adopted by Italian and European giants Juventus!

Their 1894 FA Cup triumph is arguably their largest achievement and means they’ve won the competition as many times as the likes of Leeds, Derby and Leicester.

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4. Torvill and Dean’s Bolero

Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean are two of the most iconic pairings in the world. Name us a better duo, we’ll wait…

Their Bolero in the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo in 1984 is one of the most iconic moments in the history of the winter games and is regularly voted as one of the best sporting moments time and again by the Great British Public.

More than 24 million people tuned into watch the event and is one of the most watched tv events ever in the UK. The duo didn’t disappoint either when it came to the big occasion, nailing 12 perfect 6’s and six 5.9’s. The performance made them the highest scoring figure skaters of all time in a single programme.

The pair are now synonymous with figure skating and known around the world. One of Nottingham’s finest exports.

The next generation of Torvill and Deans can now be found at the National Ice Centre where you can also try your hand at this majestic sport.

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5. Rebecca Adlington Wins Double Gold in Beijing

Back in 2008, at not even 20 years old, a young Olympian from Mansfield took to the world stage at the Beijing Olympic games. That young Olympian was Rebecca Adlington and she had a point to prove.

The young British athlete took the games in her stride, first winning the 400m freestyle and breaking a world record in the process. The win made her the first Briton to win a gold meal in the pool since 1988 (the year before her birth) and the first female Briton to win a gold in the pool since 1960.

But the young Becky Adlington wasn’t finished there. She went on to win the 800m freestyle to take her second gold of the Olympic games. Her feats at the games made her the first Briton to win more than one gold at the same Olympic games in the pool in exactly 100 years since Henry Taylor won 3 in 1908.

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Sport, as so often is the case, has the ability to leave audiences speechless and mesmerized, with memories that will last a lifetime for millions. Nottingham and Nottinghamshire have provided their fair share of glittering moments throughout the decades.

Notts’ sporting atmospheres are some of the best in the UK, with a pedigree and history to back them up and it’s waiting to be discovered.

To plan your next sporting visit to Nottinghamshire, visit our spectator sports page here to find out more.

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Our Expert Recommendation 

We asked Simon, our amazing manager at the Nottingham Tourism and Travel Centre and expert in recommending activities, to share his top suggestion for visitors wanting to expereince sport in Nottinghamshire. He said: 'As a life long fan there is no place I'd rather be than at the City Ground cheering on Forest - I just can't get enough...!'

For more local and expert reccomendations, visit the Nottingham Tourism and Travel Centre in the heart of Nottingham City Centre and talk to our friendly staff. 

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The Coolest Place in Nottinghamshire

One of the most popular sport attractions int he area is the National Ice Centre, located in the heart of Nottingham City Centre, near the Lace Market Area. This fantastic venue is home to fun public ice skating and events, ice hockey matches, ice skating lessons and profesional athletes. We spoke with them about this venue and what they have to offer:

They Best known as the training rink for Olympic legends and Dancing On Ice stars Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, the National Ice Centre is the hub for all things skating. Hundreds of people of all ages and abilities learn to ice skate at the rink each week, and thousands of others enjoy skating at leisure with family and friends. Alongside this, the rink plays host to many of Great Britain’s bright young skaters as they train for international competitions, and is home to the Speed Skating Performance Team, some of whom competed in the Winter Olympics this year. From ice hockey to figure skating, speed skating to synchronized skating, the National Ice Centre caters for all.

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More Than a Home for Cricket

As you have read, cricket has played a big role in shaping Nottinghamshire's sporting history and achievements. But when looking at sport today, this famous venue is more than just a cricket ground. instead, it is a hub for both tourists and locals alike, where you can experience something new and celebrate any occasion.

We spoke with Nottingham County Cricket Club to talk about what tourism means to Trent Bridge and their latest offerings:

We’re proud to represent our city and county on the global sporting stage, playing host to enthralling cricketing contests featuring some of the world’s finest players in historic surroundings. But we like to think a visit to Trent Bridge is about more than just the cricket. Whether sampling our off-field family entertainment, savouring lunch or dinner in our rooftop restaurant or simply soaking up the summer sun in the stands, the sound of leather on willow is just part of the Trent Bridge experience.

From tickets to our international fixtures to seats to witness Nottinghamshire’s finest in action, and from refined hospitality packages to tours of our inner sanctum, there are ample opportunities to visit us during the summer of 2022. Find more details at tickets.trentbridge.co.uk