Trust team up with the Storytellers of Nottingham

Do you have a football story to tell?

Perhaps you have a particular recollection of a former player or manager, an anecdote from the dressing room or a tale of elation or utter despair from your time supporting the Magpies?

From this season the Supporters’ Trust are teaming up with the Storytellers of Nottingham – a local group of writers and performers - to try and capture some of your memories, with the aim being to share these to a wider audience whether through performance, an exhibition, publishing a collection of stories or having the stories printed in the match programme (or possibly all or some of these things).

Having met Pete Davis who runs the Storytellers of Nottingham he was keen to emphasize that one his group’s aims is to try and preserve the ancient art of storytelling, both by promoting storytelling (they meet monthly at Ye Olde Trip to Jerusalem to tell yarns on a host of themes from ghosts to crime, and supernatural stirrings to drinking tales) and by encouraging others to have a go at storytelling through running workshops.

In many ways football and storytelling is an ideal marriage. As supporters we all love talking football – for some the narrative of football is a kind of male therapy, for others it is the celebration of what it is to be a fan. Like football, storytelling is a game of two halves – firstly you must write (or record) the story and then you perform it for your audience.

From the start of the new season Pete and his team will coming down to Meadow Lane on match-days to encourage children and adults to share their football memories and stories. We have already got a number of ideas in the pipeline in terms of how best to preserve and promote these stories to a wider audience, but we are also keen to hear from you. If you have got any suggestions – perhaps we could run a story-writing competition for younger supporters or get current and former players to tell us their stories – or would like to get involved please get in touch.

For more information on the Storytellers of Nottingham, visit their website: http://www.storytellersofnottingham.co.uk/

Community Open Day a great success

Incessant rain failed to dampen supporters’ enthusiasm as crowds flocked to the Notts County Community Open Day on Sunday 15th July. Eager to make the most of the opportunity to venture behind the scenes and meet the players and the manager ahead of the new season, around 2,000 fans passed through the Meadow Lane gates.

The Community Open Day was once again organised by the Supporters Trust in partnership with the Club and after a years’ absence the event proved hugely popular, attracting visitors of all ages to look around areas of the stadium usually reserved solely for the staff and players (and in the case of the Kop, away supporters). Our heartfelt thanks go to the Club staff and all those who volunteered to spend their Sunday to act as stewards and pitch guarders – without whom, the day would not have been such a success. Special mentions should probably go to Radio Nottingham’s Colin Slater who from his usual vantage point of the commentary box drew a steady stream of interested visitors, and Bink Marshall who kindly invited supporters to browse through his impressive collection of Notts memorabilia, which included old team photographs, programmes and newspaper reports.


All of the current players and management were present at the event, including the latest acquisition Richard Butcher, signing autographs, and having their photographs taken, courtesy of the Club’s official photographer John Sumpter. The friendliness of the players, all of whom seemed to be more than happy to give up their time to chat to fans, was a striking feature of the day - epitomised by the manager who appeared to be more interested in spending time with supporters than watching the squad train.


The highlight of the day for many was indeed was the unique prospect of seeing assistant manager John Gannon put the squad through their paces in a specially arranged training session, just hours before departing for Cornwall to continue their pre-season preparations. For others it was the chance to meet players from yesteryear – including Don Masson, Iain McCulloch, Brian Stubbs, Brian Bates as well as current staff members Steve Cherry and Les Bradd.

This is not to belittle the other attractions on offer, of which there were many. As well as seasoned favourites such as a fiendish treasure hunt, face painting, and the Football in the Community target inflatable, there was a screening of old Notts County matches so that fans could relive Sir Charlie Palmer Day, the trip to Stamford Bridge in the League Cup, and the play-off victories. The 1991 Final against Brighton and Hove Albion was avidly watched by none other than Steve Cherry.

The new 2007/08 away strip – a fetching royal blue affair – was on show for the first time in the Club Shop, which appeared to be doing a roaring trade. Meanwhile next door in the Meadow Club fans could take part in a special Pro Evo football challenge, pitting their wits against some of the current squad - several of whom are keen players. The Magpie Brewery stand also seemed to be attracting a fair bit of interest - evidence if any is needed, that real ale would be a welcome addition to the Meadow Club bar.


In the Main Stand, the suites were utilised to accomodate a range of stalls from local community groups and organisations including the Meadows Partnership Trust, Notts County Unison, and the Signpost to Polish Success. Event organisers, Notts County Supporters Trust were also present with a display and membership stall alongside Notts County Supporters Club. In addition, there was a special exhibition in the Masson Suite on the history of black footballers, telling the story of black and Asian players’ contribution to the game in Britain from the beginnings of the professional game to the present day. Our thanks go to FURD (Fans United, Racism Divides) for organising the display.

All in all, the Community Open Day was a great success. Sadly the weather was once again awful but this didn't stop fans turning out in force and help create a real buzz around the ground. If this event was anything to go by, there are a lot of reasons to be positive at Meadow Lane.

Have you ever wondered what happens in the moments before the Magpies charge down the players’ tunnel and onto the pitch at Meadow Lane?

Can you imagine the pre-match tension in the changing room as Steve Thompson issues the last few instructions, or the frustration of being laid up on the physio’s treatment table?

Perhaps you would like a closer look at where the Board of Directors have their deliberations, or take a seat next to Radio Nottingham’s Colin Slater from the vantage point of the press box.

On Sunday 15th July Meadow Lane will once again be opening its gates to the local community, allowing hardened fans and new comers like the opportunity to ‘access all areas’ of the stadium. Preparations are now well underway for this summer’s Community Open Day, with our aim of making this year’s event even more inclusive by inviting new audiences to Notts County as well as giving something back to loyal supporters.

There will be something for everyone – young and old alike – with an array of exhibits, stalls, workshops and competitions. As well as seasoned favourites from previous open days, including the Football in the Community giant target inflatable, bouncy castle, Radio Nottingham marquee, a display of Notts County memorabilia, and of course the opportunity to meet the manager and the players ahead of the new season, there will also be a host of new attractions. There will be a history of black footballers’ exhibition, and an arts workshop, whilst plans are being put in place for a number of very special guests including a number of past players and a certain local outlaw!

At the time of writing the Trust’s Community Sub-committee is feverously putting together the arrangements for the Open Day and so here we have only been able to give a flavour of some of the attractions. In particular we are hopeful of attracting a wide variety of stalls and exhibits from local community groups which will give the event a true ‘gala’ feel.

Putting an event of this size together takes a fair bit of organising, as well as needing a small army of volunteers on the day to help things run smoothly. If you are able to help, or perhaps have a suggestion as to what you would like to see at the Open Day, then we would love to hear from you. Please contact Dave Hindley via e-mail: community@nottscotrust.org.uk or call 07847 381712.

Come on you greens!

In the last few years, ethical living has gone mainstream. Having a greater awareness of the environmental and social impacts of our lifestyles is no longer just a political issue but has penetrated the high street. According to the Co-Operative Bank, the UK’s ethical consumerism was worth £29.3 billion in 2005 and continues to rise steeply. Interestingly, the sporting arena hasn’t been immune to this growing social conscience. The London 2012 Olympics have been dubbed the ‘Green Games’ referring to the lasting legacy of the games that will benefit sport, the environment, and the local and global community. And even football is now getting in on the act.

Can you imagine a football stadium with its own wind turbine generating enough energy to power the ground and thousands of nearby homes? Or how about a club committed to source local produce where possible to minimise their carbon count and recycling a range of items, including paper, card, glass, grass cuttings and some waste foods? This isn’t pie-in-the-sky thinking, but reality. The club in question is Manchester City who is working with a range of partners to consider ways of promoting positive environments, which are set out in their inspirational blue:print community strategy document. Already Manchester City has, amongst other things, reduced its landfill by 85 per cent, moved to electric vehicles on site, and reduced the use of packaging, whilst a future project includes the reuse of rain water for toilet flushing and grass watering.

Such adaptations don’t have to be extreme and clearly the resources available to a Premier League Club are worlds apart from those in the basement of the Football League. One only needs to look at Dartford FC of the Ryman League to see what is possible with more meagre finances. In November the Kent club opened its new Prince’s Park stadium which claims to be the world’s first ‘eco-friendly’ football stadium. Water run-off from specially curved roofing is channelled through pipes and gullies into two lakes, which is used for maintaining the pitch, which requires up to 20,000 litres a day. Solar panels meanwhile power most of the hot water and under-floor heating in the clubhouse.

Of course there is little point in being concerned about social and environmental justice if this isn’t followed by action to improve the situation. Furthermore taking action not only has a direct effect but can also influence others. So what are we doing and what plans have we got for the future?

Earlier in the year you may recall the Supporters’ Trust promoting Fairtrade Fortnight (26th February – 11th March) supported by articles and a competition in the matchday programme and the respective Official Club and Trust websites, whilst FITC used fair-trade footballs during their halftime entertainment. Whilst the promotion wasn’t well received by everyone, it did provoke this response on the Trust website: “I would like to see Notts County adopt a fair-trade policy. All the produce sold in the catering facilities and the shop should be fair-trade whenever possible. We could follow Brentford’s example of having fair-trade footballs, and how much better to warm the heart as well as the hands at halftime with a fair-trade drink.”

It is early days but we hope that from small steps in the right direction we can begin to make a difference. Part of the problem is football is steeped in habit and tradition and a ‘that is how we do things around here’ mentality. It needn’t be like this. In Germany public waste bins, including those in the football grounds, are divided into four sections: paper, cans, plastic and general waste. How difficult would it be to motivate more supporters – and players – to put their rubbish in the right place for recycling, thus reducing the huge amounts of waste after every game.

It’s not just about changing attitudes on an individual level, but also in terms of the way the clubs themselves operate. Recycling is just the first step – how about Notts County making a pledge to favour local goods and services wherever possible? So instead of Pukka Pies (admittedly only from Syston in Leicestershire) we could return to sourcing award-winning produce from Chambers in Arnold. Magpies Brewery is situated just a stone’s throw from the ground or Castle Rock Brewery (the biggest brewer in Nottingham shire’ following the closure of Hardys and Hansons) is situated next door to the Vat and Fiddle and yet the only appearance their beers have made recently at Meadow Lane was during the Magpies Beer Festival organised by the Trust. By using local suppliers not only will we reduce our carbon footprint but we are supporting the local community.

We could also do more to encourage supporters to cycle, walk, and use public transport or car-share to get to games. Such an approach would fit neatly alongside the Greater Nottingham’s Transport Partnership (GNTP) which is backing The Big Wheel, the strategy for Nottingham’s transport network. You never know this might help not only to promote sustainable transport, and reduce congestion and parking on match days, but potentially lead to profitable business and sponsorship opportunities.

Alterations could also be made to Meadow Lane to make the stadium greener and more energy efficient. There may even be grants or public funding available to help the Club make the transition and in the process help to raise awareness by using football as a driving force for environmental change. How about adopting a Club-wide policy of using energy-saving lighting and using proximity switches, which turn lighting on only when people are present and off when people leave an area, thus saving energy? There would be an initial outlay in the short-term but this would be offset in the longer-term by the savings in the energy costs.

If these words are not to ring hollow then it is important that we all take responsibility. As a Trust we could and should be doing more and not just encouraging the Club to change. We could ask our members to download newsletters and other Trust literature via e-mail rather than sending a hard copy. Meanwhile using recycled paper for our newsletters, raffle tickets, ballot papers, letters etc. is a no-brainer. Each tonne of recycled paper can save 17 trees, 1700 litres of oil, three cubic metres of landfill space and 32,000 litres of water.

The bottom line is that football holds a powerful influence over children and adults – if we can harness that to raise awareness and drive change we can make a real difference.

'Community' at the heart of football

One of the primary objectives of Notts County Supporters Trust is to foster links between the club and the community it serves. Of course this is not a new idea. Historically, football clubs in the late Victorian and Edwardian era were set up primarily assporting and community institutions. Arsenal, for example, was initially conceived as an armaments factory team in Woolwich whilst Celtic was formed to alleviate poverty in Glasgow's East End.

More recent focus on the relationship between football clubs and their communities has been to some extent business or finance driven. Arising out of the financial difficulties faced by clubs have been examples of clubs embracing community ownership as a mechanism for delivering long-term financial stability. We can learn a considerable amount from the community delivery partnerships that have been developed by lower league clubs such as Brentford, Chesterfield and Lincoln. The former is owned by the supporters' trust, Bees United whose vision is to enable a sustainable future for their club as a valued and successful part of the community. Their work on developing Griffin Park into a community `hub' that provides a range of health, education, cultural and social services, including a multi-purpose learning zone, has made Brentford a nationally recognised model of best practice, and in March of 2006 were awarded the title of the Football League Community Club of the Year. Brentford's transformation has been remarkable and one wonders what could be achieved at Meadow Lane with the same enthusiasm, desire, and collective approach.

Since the Trust was formed in April 2003 our energies have understandably been focused on putting the club on a financially even keel. Subsequently our achievements in strengthening the bonds with the local community have been small scale – running one-off events such as the Open Day and the Big Draw, distributing tickets to local schools and community groups,and supporting the work of Kick Racism out of Football. It is hoped that the Trust's majority shareholding will bring a fresh impetus to our vision of developing Notts County into a community club, and help us in furthering our work with the local communities. In order to do this it is crucial that we have the `buy in' of the Chairman, the Chief Executive and the current Board of Directors. To this end the Trust is organising a presentation from a group of researchers who have recently completed a study commissioned by the Football Foundation into how football clubs and organisations interact with their local communities.

The report, `Football and its communities', was carried out over three years and is based on case studies of the relationships between three football clubs – Leeds United, Manchester City and Sheffield United – and their communities, as well as other communitysports programmes in those and other cities. The authors of the report highlight the importance of supporters being recognised as communities of fans who come together around football clubs and matches, demonstrating the game's ability to bring people together. Moreover, they stress that supporters are avaluable and often willing resource, and yet rarely actually engaged in clubs' community activities.

We have begun to address this by setting up a Community Sub-committee, tasked with looking at ways in which the Trust can work proactively with the club to increase its community profile within the Nottingham population, and engage with `hard to reach' groups that traditionally have been under-represented amongst the club's fan-base. If you have any ideas about how the Trust can engage withand involve the wider community of Nottingham, or can spare sometime to help the Trust then please e-mail community@... or contact the Trust's community officer David Hindley via the Trust desk on match days.