Unrivalled History: Spotlight on the Notts County FITC Heritage Project

As the world’s oldest Football League club, Notts County Football Club really do have an unrivalled history.

It’s a fascinating story of great names and good times, dark days and disappointments – and it deserves to be told to and by more people of all ages.

This is why Notts County Football in the Community have launched the Heritage Project.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this important scoping project will develop recommendations to secure the heritage of Notts County for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.

As the oldest football league club in the world, founded in 1862, the club has a rich history, and recent induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame further cemented the importance of the club in the history of world football.

At present, however, there is no formal programme to manage the physical and other heritage assets connected to Notts, and much of this heritage is not owned or managed by the club, but is in the care of many organisations and individuals that have an interest in the Magpies.

The project seeks to answer several important questions:

- What historic material does the club own?

- What heritage items related to the club do other people and organisations have?

- How could the club's heritage be better protected and shared, so more people can enjoy it?

To go a long way towards answering these questions, FITC wants YOUR help!

FITC is keen to hear from you about:

- Your Notts County collection: For example, you might have a collection of match programmes, replica kit, fanzines, scrapbooks, t-shirts, former players’ shirts or boots .... in fact, anything to do with Notts County! And if you’re interested, FITC will happy to give you some free, expert advice about how you might keep your collection so that it lasts as long as possible – and/or put you in touch with other collectors of Notts County heritage items.

- Your ideas about how the history of Notts County could be told and shared: For instance, would you like more information and displays around the ground, more on the club website, or events for collectors of NCFC memorabilia? Any ideas are welcome – particularly those that involve supporters and give them the chance to share their stories and memories.

Here is how to get in touch:

- Start the conversation by sending an email to [email protected].

- If you put ‘Notts County collection’ in the subject line, FITC will send you a simple form that you can use to tell them more about what you have, and what help you might need.

- Use this email address to send FITC any suggestions about how the history of Notts County could be shared and told. All ideas are welcome, and they will be happy to discuss them with you.

- If you would like to receive an occasional e-newsletter about this project, just send FITC an email with ‘Heritage Newsletter’ in the subject line and your name in the message area.

Let's all join in and make Notts County Football Club stand out further in the annals of football history - after all, are we not the Pride of Nottingham?

The Heritage Project is in partnership with Nottingham City Council, the EFL Trust, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Premier League and MacMillan Cancer Support.

Share your thoughts about the Heritage Project on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.

Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.