Limbs, tension and rivalries: Nottingham Sport In a Nutshell

Limbs, tension and rivalries: Nottingham Sport In a Nutshell

By Vivika Sahajpal, James Hadland, Ayman Ahmer & Vinay Patel

For those of you who are Nottingham newcomers, you might wonder how to spend your free time. Whether you’re an avid sports fan or not, Nottingham has you covered. So, take a look at some of Impact Sport’s recommendations for navigating the city’s sporting scene…

Nottingham Panthers: A red-hot atmosphere in an ice cold rink

Amongst the many and varied sports teams gracing Nottingham’s different grounds, you’ll find ice hockey’s Nottingham Panthers. Despite its sizable popularity in the likes of Canada and the United States, ice hockey still has a strong presence in the UK, with Nottingham’s own team helping to lead the charge. Donning black, gold and white, they sit with nine other teams in the Elite Ice Hockey League, the only league of any sport in the UK to have teams from all four nations.

Founded in 1939, the Nottingham Panthers have a history boasting 34 players who have represented Great Britain at World Championships and in Olympic qualifying, not to mention the 16 players enshrined in the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame. Just this year, Nottingham Panthers’ forwards Mike Hammond and Matthew Myers were named in GB’s 2023 World Championship squad.

Starting off in September with back-to-back matches against their arch-rivals, the Sheffield Steelers, the Panthers are in for a tumultuous season with new head coach Jonathan Paredes hoping to lead them to victory.

The Nottingham Panthers play in the National Ice Centre, which is just a short walk away from Lace Market. Each game provides an amazing opportunity to experience a competitive and exciting sporting atmosphere, with fans from both universities and the city itself filling the stadium with chanting and cheering. Every Panthers match has the potential to be full of fun and suspense, from their entertaining mascot, down to their tension-building commentaries and backing music.

The presence of the Panthers in Nottingham gives all UoN students the chance to discover something new and maybe even get into a sport they’ve never watched before!

Notts County are Back!

Notts County are back in the big time, but the real hard work starts here. After four painful years away from the Football League, the side have a major point to prove. It is imperative that they build off their solid form last season, demonstrating consistent performances against the greater set of competitors in League Two. County have made four key signings, all with EFL experience, to ease their transition onto the next rung of the footballing pyramid. The improvement of the playing standard between leagues can be taken for granted, but the squad seems well-prepared to continue evolving. Captain Kyle Cameron has mentioned how his side has to be “over prepared” for their new campaign against better opposition. Head coach Luke Williams implied that better decision-making will be key in adjusting to life in League Two. However, opposing sides should be wary of the talent that they have at their disposal. Macaulay Langstaff will be looking to continue his impressive form from last season, having scored 42 goals in 47 games. The euphoric feeling of play-off glory at Wembley certainly brought the squad together, reinforcing a sense of pride and self-esteem, a culture that County are keen to conserve at the club.

Another aspect they will want to maintain is the bouncing atmosphere at Meadow Lane, which is only a 15 minute walk from the train station. With a stadium capacity that is nearly double the average in League Two, County are truly back where they belong in the Football League. And with affordable pints, who can say no? While the challenge of entering a new league can seem daunting, County need to relish the opportunity of playing against higher-quality teams.

Sixes galore and shaking up traditions, why you should be following the Trent Rockets

While cricket might not be the sport for everyone, The Hundred offers a condensed, action-packed and entertaining form of cricket. The matches involve each side facing the same amount of deliveries as its namesake and whichever team scores the highest wins…

However, The Hundred have implemented a fun twist to the traditional rules of cricket to keep everyone on their toes. Interesting changes include but are not limited to: the fielding side change ends after 10 deliveries, bowlers can either bowl five or ten consecutive deliveries, which is up to the captain and during the 90 second timeout, coaches are even allowed to walk onto the pitch to discuss tactics. They certainly have a flair for the dramatic but the most crucial thing is that every ball counts in this competition.

The Trent Rockets are the team that represents Nottingham, with the men’s side boasting the likes of world-class all-rounder Rashid Khan and batsman Alex Hales, while skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt (famed for the ‘Natmeg’ shot) and Alana King feature in the women’s side. Sporting yellow and red jerseys, the Rockets will be very difficult to miss on the pitch, especially when playing their home games at Trent Bridge. Only a 20 minute walk from the train station, Trent Bridge promises to be a great way to spend your afternoon or evening if you fancy something different. The affordable tickets are great value for roughly two and a half hours’ worth of non-stop action.

The Hundred offers a new and exciting path into cricket and who knows, you may enjoy yourself more than you thought, so give it a go!

Will Nottingham Forest avoid second-season syndrome?

After signing 31 players in the last two transfer windows, has Nottingham Forest got a stabilised team prepared to fight relegation next season?

Escaping the drop by just four points last season demonstrated the work which manager Steve Cooper is cut out for, to ensure they don’t rely on luck once more to survive. Forest significantly switching formation due to injury and inconsistency indicated the side’s lack of a settled XI last season. However, after a winless run between February and April, a successful run-in was a promising sign that after all the manic transfer business last year, things may have finally settled under Cooper. They require reinforcement in key areas this summer if they are to survive. The departure of goalkeeper Keylor Navas has meant the Reds had to look elsewhere for a man between the sticks, eventually signing Matt Turner from Arsenal. Following Brennan Johnson’s departure to Spurs, Forest re-invested the money in Anthony Elanga and Callum Hudson-Odoi, who will hope to partner Morgan Gibbs-White in behind Tawiyo Awoniyi. Sought after holding midfielder Ibrahim Sangare has also joined the mould and players returning from injury will hopefully create a stronger squad for this season.

Cooper will look to improve upon his side’s poor away form, with the majority of their points coming at the atmospheric City Ground, hosting memorable wins over Arsenal and Liverpool. So why not get yourselves over there one weekend to watch a game?

As rival teams improve, it is clear that if Forest is going to stay up, they need to back Cooper yet again. It will not be easy, but they managed to once, so why not again?