Formed in 1862, Notts County are the oldest professional league club in the world. They have tasted victory in the FA Cup, although the last time they won it was in 1894. Even though there are older clubs in existence, such as Sheffield or Hallam FC, these clubs have never played in the Football League. County is, interestingly, credited for inventing team uniforms, with one of the committees first tasks being to “obtain caps and uniforms to distinguish themselves from other clubs”. Before long, County became one of the most respected clubs in the midlands and they were invited to become founder members of the Football League in 1888. They continue to play in the League to this day.

 

Notts County’s first significant achievement was finishing third in division two in 1891. On the 25th of March of that year, they also reached the FA Cup final. There, they were defeated by Blackburn Rovers, despite beating that team 7-1 in the league just one week earlier. As such, the loss came as a bitter disappointment to Notts County fans. County wanted to make up for this, and they did so in 1894 by claiming victory over Bolton Wanderers in the final. In this match, Jimmy Logan scored the second hat-trick in the history of the FA Cup final. This victory made Notts County the first club outside of the top division to win the FA Cup. The following year, they achieved their highest ever league finish by claiming a commendable third spot on the table. Notts County were an extremely influential football club during the developmental period of the game, having a large impact on the rules of the game, the rise of professionalism and the development of other clubs, and it can be said that football would be a very different game today, had they not existed.

Achievements: Achievements: FA Cup – Winners x1, Finalists x1
English Second Division – Champions x1

Star player: James Logan DOB: 24 June 1870, Ayr, Scotland
Logan’s primary claim to fame is scoring a hat trick in Notts County’s 4-1 1894 victory over Bolton Wanderers. He also scored on his Scotland debut which brought him to Sunderland’s attention, only making two appearances before returning to Ayr FC and finally being picked up by Aston Villa for a huge £30. After scoring 7 goals in 10 games for them, Notts County came along and claimed him. At the time, they were a Second Division club and Logan enjoyed more playing time, scoring 21 goals in 21 games and helping the team to the FA Cup final. Finally, he moved on to Loughborough FC, and it’s here that his career, and his life ended. On their way to play Newton Heath, Loughborough discovered that their kits were left behind. They couldn’t borrow a set from anywhere, so they were forced to take to the field in their ordinary clothes. They played in constant heavy rain, lost 2-0, and after all that, had to go all the way home wearing the same drenched clothes they had played in. Logan unsurprisingly caught a cold, which he shook off, but not long after, he relapsed, caught pneumonia and passed away at just 25.