The 1893–94 season was Notts County's sixth season in the Football League, and their first in the Second Division following relegation the previous season. The club was in a poor financial state, and there were suggestions it might decline to play in the Second Division, but it ultimately decided to do so. The team won 18, lost 7 and drew 3 of its 28 games, finishing third with 39 points. This qualified it for an end-of-season "test match" against Preston North End to decide which team would participate in the First Division the following season. This match was won 4–0 by Preston, meaning Notts County remained in the Second Division.

In the FA Cup, Notts County beat three First Division teams in the first four rounds to reach the final for the second time in the club's history. The team faced a fourth First Division club, Bolton Wanderers, in the final, played at Everton's Goodison Park. Notts County won the match 4–1, becoming the first Second Division club to win the FA Cup, with Jimmy Logan scoring a hat-trick, the second of three men to score three goals in an FA Cup final. Notts County also participated in the United Counties League, a competition to provide clubs with more competitive fixtures, and played friendlies throughout the season.

Logan was Notts County's top goalscorer; he scored 21 goals in the league and six in the FA Cup. George Toone played the most games, appearing in 40 of Notts County's 42 competitive matches. The highest attendance recorded at the club's main home ground of Trent Bridge was approximately 12,000 for the FA Cup third round replay, a Nottingham derby against Nottingham Forest. Background and pre-season In the 1890–91 season, Notts County had finished third in the Football League, and reached the FA Cup final. The salaries of the players were raised in the wake of this success; one writer in the Nottingham Evening News later suggested that only Everton and Sunderland had spent more on wages than Notts. Meanwhile, in 1892, the Football League expanded with the creation of its Second Division, with clubs in the latter having the chance to be promoted to the First Division in end-of-season "test matches". These were matches between the lowest-ranking First Division and highest-ranking Second Division teams, with the winners qualifying for the following season's First Division, and the losing sides playing in the Second Division. In the 1892–93 season, Notts County finished 14th in the 16-team First Division, requiring the team to play such a test match. This was played against Darwen at Ardwick's Hyde Road ground, and resulted in a 3–2 win for Darwen. In consequence, Notts County lost their place in the First Division.

Crowds had fallen and this, combined with the high player salaries, left Notts County in a poor financial state. In the immediate aftermath of relegation, there was speculation about the club's future. The Nottingham Evening News described Notts County's situation as "the very reverse of encouraging. It may even be that the existence of the club is at stake." The Derby Mercury suggested that Notts County might favour local football ahead of the Second Division:If it is decided that Notts are to be out in the cold [excluded from the First Division] it is pretty certain that they will run a purely local team next season, for they will be totally unable to pay the present high weekly wage bill with the class of matches they will be likely to obtain under those circumstances. Before relegation was confirmed, the members of the Football League considered proposals to reorganise the competition; Blackburn Rovers suggested the separating clubs into Lancashire, Midlands and Northern sections, Sheffield United proposed expanding the First Division to 20 clubs, while Newton Heath proposed increasing the First Division to 18 clubs. The latter two proposals were voted upon at the Football League's annual meeting; both were rejected. At the same meeting, Notts declined to join the Second Division, with officials saying that the club's committee first needed to approve the team's participation. Finally, at the club's annual meeting, it was agreed that the team would indeed enter the Second Division.

At the same meeting, club officials confirmed they had secured the signings of eleven players for the new season, of whom George Toone, Alf Shelton, David Calderhead and Harry Walkerdine were named. These players (with the exception of Walkerdine) featured in a practice match played at the Castle Ground on 15 August, alongside Charlie Bramley, Sam Donnelly, Jack Hendry, George Kerr and Arthur Watson. Dan Bruce, Harry Dixon and Archie Osborne had also signed for Notts by this point, though they were unavailable to play in the practice match. The former player Harry Daft also rejoined during pre-season from Nottingham Forest; Daft had demanded a transfer the previous season after being dropped for failing to report for a tour of Scotland (Daft claimed to be injured, the club's doctor believed him fit). The dispute between Daft and the club was however settled, and he returned to Notts. Second Division The team opened their Second Division campaign on 2 September with a 2–0 win at Crewe Alexandra. Notts County's first home match was played a week later at the Castle Ground, and resulted in a 3–2 win over Woolwich Arsenal. Bruce scored two, and the home side overcame a 1–2 deficit to win the game. Two away wins followed, at Northwich Victoria and Rotherham Town, before Notts played their first league match at their main home venue of Trent Bridge, a 1–1 draw with Liverpool. Notts secured the signing of two forwards, Jimmy McLachlan and Jimmy Logan in late September; Logan scored twice on his league debut in a 3–0 home win over Grimsby Town in Notts County's next game, and he scored again nine days later when Notts defeated Newcastle United 3–1. After seven games, Notts County were in second place with 13 points.

The team were beaten in the league for the first time in their next game, a 5–2 loss away at Grimsby. The club then hosted Burslem Port Vale on 26 October, the latter entering the match top of the table. Logan scored a hat-trick, and Notts won 6–1 to move into first place. A 0–0 draw at Ardwick followed, before Notts hosted Middlesbrough Ironopolis in their next match. It began with "a series of races from one end of the field to the other", before the home side went ahead, and Notts ultimately won 3–0. A 2–1 home defeat to Lincoln City in their next match left the team in second place behind their next opponents Liverpool, who would also defeat Notts 2–1 on a cold and windy day at Anfield. Logan scored another hat-trick and Bruce two in Notts County's next game, a 6–1 win over Northwich, who were "altogether outclassed". After 14 games, the team were in second place, with 20 points.

After a 1–0 defeat at Burslem Port Vale, Notts would again score six, this time in a 6–2 win over Burton Swifts in which George Kerr scored a hat-trick. The next match, played at Newcastle on 9 December, began quietly, with "scarcely any play to rouse the spectators". After withstanding several shots from Notts, Newcastle took the lead, and they would ultimately prevail 3–0. Notts returned to the north east of England the following week, and the resulting 0–0 draw with Ironopolis left the team in fourth place. Logan scored both goals in Notts County's final league match of 1893, a 2–0 win away at Burton Swifts, and Notts ended the year back in third position. Bruce scored a first-half hat-trick, and Notts led 3–0 at half time in their first match of 1894, a home game with Rotherham. The away side rallied in the second half, reducing the deficit to 3–2, but a goal from Kerr made the final score 4–2 to Notts. Notts then defeated Walsall Town Swifts 2–0 at home in driving wind and rain, leaving the team in third place with 29 points from 21 matches.

In their first match of February, Notts played second place Small Health at Trent Bridge, and they were able to reduce the gap on their opponent to one point with a 3–1 win. The team's next league match was also at Trent Bridge, a 9–1 win over Crewe played "with sleet and rain falling almost perpendicularly down" and the players "ploughing through inches deep of slush". The conditions meant "even the most ardent enthusiasts shirked the game", and the reported gate of 300 is the lowest in Notts County's history. The team lost its next match 2–1 at Walsall, but then defeated Ardwick 5–0 at the Castle Ground in its final home game of the season, with all five goals being scored in the first half. Notts ended the season with three away games, beginning with a 2–0 win at Lincoln. The following day, the team travelled to Plumstead to take on Arsenal, where they overcame a 0–1 deficit to win 2–1. Notts County's final league match of the season, their first after winning the FA Cup, was a 3–0 defeat at Small Heath. The team would end the season in third place, with 39 points from 28 matches. League match details Key

In result column, Notts County's score shown first H = Home match A = Away match

pen. = Penalty kick o.g. = Own goal

+ResultsDateOpponentsResultNotts County goalscorersAttendance2 September 1893Crewe Alexanda (A)2–0Bruce, Watson9 September 1893Woolwich Arsenal (H)3–2Bruce (2), Watson11 September 1893Northwich Victoria (A)1–0Bruce16 September 1893Rotherham Town (A)2–0Bramley, Daft30 September 1893Liverpool (H)1–1Watson5 October 1893Grimsby Town (H)3–0Logan (2), Bruce14 October 1893Newcastle United (H)3–1Daft, Logan, Watson21 October 1893Grimsby Town (A)2–5Logan, (o.g.)26 October 1893Burslem Port Vale (H)6–1Logan (3), Daft, , Watson28 October 1893Ardwick (A)0–04 November 1893Middlesbrough Ironopolis (H)3–0Watson, Logan, Daft16 November 1893Lincoln City (H)1–2Bruce18 November 1893Liverpool (A)1–2Bruce23 November 1893Northwich Victoria (H)6–1Logan (3), Bruce (2), Watson25 November 1893Burslem Port Vale (A)0–130 November 1893Burton Swifts (H)6–2 (3), Logan, Daft, Watson9 December 1893Newcastle United (A)0–316 December 1893Middlesbrough Ironopolis (A)0–030 December 1893Burton Swifts (A)2–0Logan (2)not recorded11 January 1894Rotherham Town (H)4–2Bruce (3), 20 January 1894Walsall Town Swifts (H)2–0Bruce, Shelton3 February 1894Small Heath (H)3–1Logan, Watson, Jenkyns (o.g.)17 February 1894Crewe Alexandra (H)9–1Watson (4), Bruce (2), Logan (2), Daft12 March 1894Walsall Town Swifts (A)1–2Logan15 March 1894Ardwick (H)5–0Logan (2), Allsopp, Bruce, 23 March 1894Lincoln City (A)2–0Bruce, Daft24 March 1894Woolwich Arsenal (A)2–1Bruce, Logan7 April 1894Small Heath (A)0–3 Partial league table

Test match Having finished third in the Second Division, Notts County entered a "test match" to decide whether the team would play in the First or Second Division the following season. The team's opponent was Preston North End, who had finished 14th in the First Division. The game was played at Olive Grove, Sheffield, on 28 April, with about 8,000 spectators present. The Nottingham Evening Post opined that, while the FA Cup final had been played only with "honour" at stake, "many pounds, shillings, and pence" depended on the outcome of this game. Preston took on the lead on 25 minutes, and scored a second four minutes later. They then hit the crossbar, before adding a third five minutes before half time. The First Division side struck the crossbar again early in the second half, and made it 4–0 in the 52nd minute. This was the final score, and the loss meant that Notts would remain in the Second Division. Test match details Key

In result column, Notts County's score shown first N = Match played at neutral venue

+ResultsDateOpponentsResultNotts County goalscorersAttendance28 April 1894Preston North End (N)0–48,000

FA Cup