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Ashling Court, NOTTINGHAM, NG2 3JA

Statue on Meadow Lane, Nottingham

A view through the gate from Iremonger Road, with the rear of the main stand at Notts County's Meadow Lane ground on the left and in the distance, on the other side of the River Trent, a floodlight pylon and part of the Trent End of Nottingham Forest's City Ground.

The sign on the end of the main stand reads "Notts County Football Club. The world's oldest Football League Club. Founded 1862". Sadly, that proud claim is no longer true as, after a terrible season, The Magpies dropped out of the league on 4 May 2019.

Half time in the FA Cup second round match between Notts County and Peterborough United which finished in a 2-2 draw

The home ground of Notts County. After relegation in 2019, the country's oldest professional football club had been a non-league side until beating Chesterfield on penalties in the National League Play-off Final at Wembley the Saturday before this picture was taken. The Derek Pavis Stand is on the left, The Jimmy Sirrel Stand, with its distinctive gable, on the far side of the ground and the Family Stand to the right.

Under the chestnut tree is the place to meet friends before a Notts County match. These enthusiasts were here to see the Magpies beat Barnet 2-1 and return to the top of the fourth-division table.

The statues outside the Meadow Lane ground are of Jimmy Sirrel (left) and Jack Wheeler, manager and trainer of the most successful Notts County teams in living memory. Unlike some football-ground statues, these are good likenesses - they are by Andrew Edwards, and were unveiled in May 2016.

Most people if asked to name a successful Nottingham football manager in the 1970s would suggest Brian Clough whose time at Nottingham Forest has become legendary. But no less remarkable, in their way, were the achievements of Jimmy Sirrel across the river here at Meadow Lane. Sirrel, a Scot who had played for Celtic, was appointed manager at Notts County in 1969; the club had been struggling for many years, hovering around the bottom of the old fourth division. Sirrel served two stints at the club taking them from the fourth division to the first in 1981. His statue commemorates him outside the ground where he is sitting next to Jack Wheeler who served as 'physio, coach, trainer and caretaker manager' over a period of 26 years.

The second half about to kick off in this FA Cup 2nd round match at Meadow Lane which turned out to be a game of 2 halves. Having dominated the first 40 minutes and taken a 2 goal lead Peterborough conceded a goal and then had a player sent off a few minutes before half time. In the second half the 10 men of Peterborough spent the entire half defending their goal and Notts County eventually scored an equaliser in injury time and forced a replay at The Abax Stadium, London Road, Peterborough. The draw for the 3rd round paired the winners of the replay with the Premier League leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge