Meadow Lane (Nottingham)

Meadow Lane Stadium is a football stadium in Nottingham, England. It is the home ground of Notts County. Meadow Lane lies just three hundred yards (270 metres) away from the City Ground, home of Nottingham Forest. The Trent End of the City Ground is visible from parts of the Jimmy Sirrel stand and the Spion Kop. The stadium also hosts the men’s and women’s football in the Varsity Series – a sporting series contested by Nottingham Trent University and the University of Nottingham.

General information

Arena capacity: 19,841 spectators

Address: Meadow Lane, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, England, NG2 3HJ

GPS coordinates for the navigator: 52°56′33″N 1°8′14″W

Year of construction: 1910

Field: grass lawn with dimensions of 104 x 69 m

Seating plan of Meadow Lane

The Kop

The Kop consists of two tiers of black seating with the lower level twice the size of the tier above. The letters NOTTS are spelt out in yellow across the upper tier blocks, and the letters COUNTY FC are spelt out in yellow along the very bottom of the lower tier.

Two supporting pillars come down from the roof above. These may restrict your view slightly if you are sat towards the middle of the upper tier, but should not get in your way at all, if you are sat at either end of the stand or in the blocks at the front of the lower tier.

Windshields at either end of the Kop cover the entire upper tier and the top half of the lower tier, with just black fences in place to provide protection for those sat towards the front.

Jimmy Sirrel Stand

The Jimmy Sirrel Stand consists of two tiers of black seating.

The upper level is much larger than the one below, but you can freely get between the two of them. The letters MAGPIES are spelt out in yellow across the upper tier blocks, and each letter has a sliver of white seating in place that gives them a 3D effect.

The view from inside the Jimmy Sirrel Stand is almost perfectly clear, albeit for a row of small pillars that come down at the back. If you are in the back rows of any block, these will likely restrict your view, though not by very much.

Windshields cover every row in the upper tier, but there are only black fences in place to provide protection for those sat at either end of the lower tier.

Haydn Green Family Stand

The Haydn Green Family Stand is the smallest of the four at Meadow Lane, consisting of a single tier of black seating with a row of executive boxes up at the back and the Stadium Control Box based next to the southwest corner. The letters NCFC are spelt out in yellow across the central blocks, and a sliver of white seating is used to give each letter a 3D effect.

Two large pillars come down along the central yellow staircase, which also has a metal bar running down it as the stand used to be split between home and away supporters on a matchday. There is a slight chance that either one or both of these two supporting pillars could restrict your view slightly if you are sat in the middle of the stand, particularly in the rows up at the back. The rest of The Haydn Green Family Stand however has a perfectly clear view of the pitch, with large windshields that cover all but the very front rows at either end.

The stand also has a large electronic screen attached to its roof that can only be seen by supporters on the other three sides of the stadium.

Derek Pavis Stand

The Derek Pavis Stand is the largest of the four at Meadow Lane.

It is technically divided into two tiers, though you can very easily get between them. The three innermost blocks are made up of black seats, with the block either side of here made of yellow seating. Inside these yellow blocks are two magpies, the same ones that feature on the Notts County club crest, made out of black and white seating. The rest of the Derek Pavis Stand blocks at either end are coloured black.

The stand’s executive seating area, including the directors’ box, press boxes and matchday camera gantry, is based towards the back of the middle blocks.

Right down at the front is Meadow Lane’s tunnel and dugouts, with the changing rooms based inside.

The view from inside the Derek Pavis Stand is almost perfectly clear, albeit for a row of small pillars that come down at the back. If you are in the back rows of any block, these will likely restrict your view, though not by very much.

Large windshields at either end cover all but the very front rows, with just black fences in place for those sat right at the front.

Away Fans

Away fans are not housed behind the goal. They are instead kept in the Jimmy Sirrel Stand, with a certain amount of blocks given to them depending on how big the travelling crowd is set to be.

Small followings are typically given only a couple of blocks starting from the southeast corner, with larger crowds taking up more of the stand. Stewards and large sheets are then used to segregate these away fans from any home supporters sat in the rest of the stand.

Away fans are also normally kept away from the lower tier blocks down the front of the stand, so as to keep them away from the pitch on a matchday.

The lower tier blocks will only be made available on occasions when Meadow Lane is expected to have a sell-out crowd.

Where to buy tickets?

It couldn’t be much easier to understand the pricing at Meadow Lane, because all of the tickets are exactly the same price wherever you sit and whoever The Magpies are playing against. The only thing that will affect how much you pay for your ticket is your age.

Tickets for Notts County games are available via the club’s official website, by calling the ticket office on the phone or by dropping in there in person. They strongly advise booking in advance however as they no longer take cash on the turnstiles.

How to get there?

Nottingham is quite close to the centre of the country, so it’s not too difficult a place to reach no matter where you’re coming from. Here are the usual routes you’ll think about using.

Train

The Meadow Lane ground is a 10-15 minute walk away from Nottingham Railway Station. As you come out of the main station entrance, turn left from the station across the car park and then turn right at the traffic lights. The ground is about a 1/4 of a mile down the dual carriageway on the left.

Bus

There’s a good bus system in Nottingham, with bus numbers 44, 44A and 11 all running from the centre towards Trent Bridge.

Car

Leave the M1 at Junction 26 and take the A610 towards Nottingham and then follow the signs for Melton Mowbray. Turn left before the River Trent in to Meadow Lane. Parking is available at the Cattle Market (opposite the away end) which costs £3.50 a car or at Nottingham City Council’s Eastcroft depot (NG2 3AH) at £4 a car. The depot is a five-minute walk from Meadow Lane, located just off London Road (A60), opposite Hooters. The entrance is signposted with banners and is manned by security guards throughout the match. Streets around the ground have a number of on-street pay and display displays, but these need to be paid via telephone or via the RingGo App. Check lamposts for information.

Taxi

A taxi from Nottingham Railway Station to the ground will take less than five minutes and should cost about £5.

Parking

Free street parking is available further away. There is a relatively new, secure multi-storey car park at Nottingham Railway Station, which offers match day parking at £5 all day on Saturdays and £3.50 evenings (after 6pm). You enter the car park via Queens Road. There is also the option of renting a private driveway near in the local area via YourParkingSpace.co.uk.

If you would prefer not to drive into Nottingham centre, then there is a ‘Park and Ride’ scheme now in operation. If leaving the M1 at Junction 24 and following the A453 towards Nottingham, then the Clifton South Park & Ride site is clearly signposted. If coming in from the North and leaving the M1 at Junction 25 and following the A52 towards Nottingham, then the Totan Lane Park & Ride signposted off the first roundabout you reach. Parking is free and then you can take a tram to Nottingham Railway Station.

If you show your matchday ticket then you can buy a tram ‘event’ ticket for £2 return, otherwise it costs £4 return for Adults and Under 19’s £2.30. Note that you need to purchase your ticket before getting on the tram. The journey time into Nottingham is 15 minutes and trams run every 10 minutes (or less) during the day and every 15 minutes in the evenings. The service runs until midnight.

Where to eat and sleep?

Nottingham is a big city, so there are a fair few hotels that are ideal for access to Meadow Lane. Here are some of the ones we like the most.

1. Jurys Inn Nottingham Hotel. This 3-star hotel is so close to the ground you might be able to see it out of your window. It has a restaurant, a bar some meeting rooms and free Wi-Fi available.
2. The Bentinck Hotel. Right next door to the train station is this hotel with a restaurant and bar. There’s also free Wi-Fi and you’ll only have a half mile walk to get to Meadow Lane, too.
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3. Mercure Nottingham City Centre Hotel. This member of the Mercure chain of hotels is about a mile from the stadium, with free Wi-Fi, a restaurant and bar, a fitness centre and numerous meeting rooms.

Nottingham is a student town, with two major universities darkening its doors. There are therefore loads of brilliant places to go for a drink and a night out before you go to watch the game. Here are some of the ones we love.

1. The Trent Bridge Inn. Just across the river and close to Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is this JD Wetherspoon pub. You’ll get tasty food and cheap drinks as well as locals that are nearly as colourful as the carpet.
2. The Southbank Bar. The Southbank specializes in sport and live music, so if you enjoy watching things on the TV and having a jam then this is the place for you. They also have a decent menu if you fancy having a bite to eat with your pre-match pint.
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3. So close to Meadow Lane that you can hear the crowd roar when Notts County score, Hooters is technically a family restaurant with an American heritage.

Facilities

The facilities are of quite a good standard. The catering there is of the quality you’d expect and the views from around the ground are generally good, unless you’re behind on of the supporting pillars.

Notts County offer a few options when it comes to match day hospitality, with the premium choice being the Directors Club. This is more than just a fancy name, however, as you will get to have a fabulous meal with the chairmen, the directors and their guests before the game, as well as premium seating and more. If that’s out of your budget then the Club 155 with a three course carvery and man of the match interview could be for you; or else Club Carlsberg which promises a one course meal and padded seats to enjoy the game from.

Notts County’s conference and events facilities are amongst the best facilities in Nottinghamshire. Business events, presentations, conferences and private parties have all been held at Meadow Lane in the past, and with room for up to 300 people over 6 different suites there is bound to be something to fit your needs. There’s even been a wedding or two hosted there in the past.

History

Notts County might forever be cast in the figurative shadow of Nottingham Forest, but Meadow Lane also stands in the literal shadow of Forest’s County Ground stadium. The two grounds are about three hundred yards from each other.

Meadow Lane is built on the site of an old cattle market, and ten years after it opened it looked as if it might yet have to make way for some animals. The owner of the land, the Nottingham Corporation, nearly sent County packing in order to knock the ground down and build an abattoir. The stadium was later bombed during World War Two, with The Main Stand getting badly damaged. During the 1990s the stadium was almost completely redeveloped, meaning it’s not really the same ground that it was all of those years ago when it was first built.