The Nottingham derby is the name given to football matches contested between Nottingham Forest and Notts County.
History The two clubs are amongst the oldest football clubs in the World. County were formed in 1862 and are the oldest professional association football club in the world. Forest were formed three years later by a group of men playing bandy.
The first meeting between the two clubs was a friendly on 22 March 1866. The match was a 0–0 draw and was probably on the Forest Recreation Ground.
The first competitive meeting in the FA Cup came on 16 November 1878 and resulted in a 3–1 victory for Nottingham Forest. The first league game occurred on 8 October 1892 and resulted in a 3–1 victory for Notts County.
The last league Nottingham derby occurred on 12 February 1994 and resulted in a 2–1 victory for Notts County. Charlie Palmer (or 'Sir' Charlie Palmer as he has been dubbed by Notts County fans) scored with just four minutes remaining and only ninety seconds after Forest had equalised. The date, 12 February, is now known to local fans as Charlie Palmer Day.
The rivalry was resurrected on 9 August 2011, when the clubs met in the first round of the Football League Cup at the City Ground, with Forest winning a penalty shootout after the match had ended 3–3.
The two clubs rarely meet as they are in different tiers of the league system and supporters generally view other regional clubs as more prominent rivals. However, recent years have seen incidents of trouble between supporters. In 2007, a 'friendly' match between the clubs saw violence erupt after the final whistle. And in 2017, several followers of both sides were convicted of taking part in a prearranged mass brawl in a pub in Nottingham. Another friendly match the previous summer also saw four arrests. Trouble broke out once again at a pre-season 'friendly' in July 2022, with fighting between County fans and Forest fans sat in the home end spilling on to the pitch. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. The teams met again in July 2023 and July 2026 with Forest coming out respectively 1-0 and 2-0 winners.
Statistics
The two clubs have met a total of 94 times in the League, FA Cup and League Cup. The two sides have contested games in a number of other competitions including the Nottinghamshire County Senior Cup and the Anglo-Italian Cup. The results and statistics from those games are not included below.
CompetitionCounty wins DrawsForest winsCounty goalsForest goals League 28 23 35 99 114 FA Cup 2 1 3 10 11 League Cup 0 1 1 3 7 Total 30 25 41 112 132
League
Notts County at home
DateVenueScoreCompetition8 October 1892Trent BridgeFirst Division9 October 1897Trent BridgeFirst Division8 October 1898Trent BridgeFirst Division11 November 1899Trent BridgeFirst Division26 December 1900Trent BridgeFirst Division16 November 1901Trent BridgeFirst Division26 December 1902Trent BridgeFirst Division28 November 1903Trent BridgeFirst Division25 March 1905Trent BridgeFirst Division4 November 1905Trent BridgeFirst Division4 April 1908Trent BridgeFirst Division21 November 1908Trent BridgeFirst Division8 January 1910Trent BridgeFirst Division3 September 1910Meadow LaneFirst Division25 December 1913Meadow LaneSecond Division18 September 1920Meadow LaneSecond Division5 November 1921Meadow LaneSecond Division22 September 1923Meadow LaneFirst Division20 September 1924Meadow LaneFirst Division18 September 1926Meadow LaneSecond Division22 February 1928Meadow LaneSecond Division20 October 1928Meadow LaneSecond Division4 January 1930Meadow LaneSecond Division13 February 1932Meadow LaneSecond Division8 October 1932Meadow LaneSecond Division17 February 1934Meadow LaneSecond Division29 September 1934Meadow LaneSecond Division22 April 1950Meadow LaneThird Division (South)15 September 1951Meadow LaneSecond Division30 August 1952Meadow LaneSecond Division27 February 1954Meadow LaneSecond Division12 February 1955Meadow LaneSecond Division11 February 1956Meadow LaneSecond Division20 October 1956Meadow LaneSecond Division26 December 1974Meadow LaneSecond Division25 March 1975Meadow LaneSecond Division13 April 1976Meadow LaneSecond Division9 April 1977Meadow LaneSecond Division12 April 1982Meadow LaneFirst Division4 December 1982Meadow LaneFirst Division31 March 1984Meadow LaneFirst Division24 August 1991Meadow LaneFirst Division12 February 1994Meadow LaneFirst Division (tier 2)
Nottingham Forest at home DateVenueScoreCompetition25 February 1893Trent BridgeFirst Division4 September 1897Trent BridgeFirst Division4 February 1899City GroundFirst Division17 March 1900City GroundFirst Division24 November 1900City GroundFirst Division26 December 1901City GroundFirst Division15 November 1902City GroundFirst Division26 December 1903City GroundFirst Division26 November 1904City GroundFirst Division26 December 1905City GroundFirst Division7 December 1907City GroundFirst Division27 March 1909City GroundFirst Division4 September 1909City GroundFirst Division26 December 1910City GroundFirst Division31 December 1913City GroundSecond Division11 September 1920City GroundSecond Division14 November 1921City GroundSecond Division29 September 1923City GroundFirst Division24 January 1925City GroundFirst Division5 February 1927City GroundSecond Division17 September 1927City GroundSecond Division2 March 1929City GroundSecond Division7 September 1929City GroundSecond Division3 October 1931City GroundSecond Division18 February 1933City GroundSecond Division7 October 1934City GroundSecond Division9 February 1935City GroundSecond Division3 December 1949City GroundThird Division (South)10 October 1953City GroundSecond Division3 January 1953City GroundSecond Division10 October 1953City GroundSecond Division25 September 1954City GroundSecond Division1 October 1955City GroundSecond Division1 May 1957City GroundSecond Division3 March 1974City GroundSecond Division28 December 1974City GroundSecond Division30 August 1975City GroundSecond Division8 March 1977City GroundSecond Division23 January 1982City GroundFirst Division23 April 1983City GroundFirst Division16 October 1983City GroundFirst Division11 January 1992City GroundFirst Division30 October 1993City GroundFirst Division (tier 2)
Cup matches DateVenueMatchesCompetitionTeam 1ScoreTeam 216 November 1878Trent BridgeNotts CountyNottingham ForestFA Cup8 November 1879Trent BridgeNottingham ForestNotts CountyFA Cup1 December 1883Trent BridgeNotts CountyNottingham ForestFA Cup26 November 1887Trent BridgeNottingham ForestNotts CountyFA Cup24 February 1894Trent BridgeNottingham ForestNotts CountyFA Cup3 March 1894Trent BridgeNotts CountyNottingham ForestFA Cup25 October 1977City GroundNottingham ForestNotts CountyLeague Cup9 August 2011City GroundNottingham Forest Notts CountyLeague Cup
References
External links Violence mars 'friendly' match between city rivals Nottingham derby head-to-head British Pathé footage from a Nottingham derby, 1953