| The residents of the city of Nottingham are | | | | Market is the enormous ice skating rink known |
| passionate about sport, in all of its many | | | | as the National Ice Centre (or more commonly |
| varieties. There are numerous sport venues | | | | NIC). After extensive redevelopment, the |
| and facilities hosting professional and | | | | current building opened for business in 2000, |
| amateur competitions for local spectators. | | | | but an ice rink has existed on the site since |
| Also, opportunities abound for every resident | | | | 1939. The NIC is the home of the Nottingham |
| to get involved themselves in a sport that | | | | Panthers, a competitive ice hockey team that |
| interests them. | | | | was founded in 1946 and is now a member of |
| | | | the Super League. The Ice centre hosts the |
| Three major sports facilities lie within | | | | yearly hockey play off championship. It is |
| sight of each other along the River Trent: | | | | also used as a venue for training and |
| | | | competition for other sports, including |
| One of the most popular sports in England is | | | | figure skating, ice dancing, speed skating, |
| football (that's association football, or | | | | and sledge hockey. Native Nottingham skaters |
| soccer, not to be confused with the American | | | | Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean trained at |
| variety). | | | | the NIC, and went on to win medals at the |
| | | | 1984 Winter Olympics. There is also an |
| The city of Nottingham is the home of teams | | | | active youth program for both hockey players |
| from two different football leagues. Each | | | | and competitive skating. When ice skaters of |
| game day, Meadow Lane Stadium on the | | | | various types are not using the facilties, |
| outskirts of the city holds 20,000 cheering | | | | the Ice Centre can be converted into the |
| supporters of the Notts County Football Club, | | | | Nottingham Arena, a venue for a wide variety |
| which competes in Football League Two (the | | | | of musical performances, including some of |
| fourth tier of the English league system). | | | | rock and pop's biggest names. |
| Founded in 1862, the Notts County team is | | | | |
| actually the oldest Football League team in | | | | The Nottingham Rugby Football Club plays |
| the world, established a year before the | | | | rugby union at Ireland Avenue in the nearby |
| Football Association itself. The team wears | | | | town of Beeston, while a new rugby facility |
| black and white stripes at home, and are | | | | called Lady Bay is under construction near |
| known as the Magpies. | | | | the cricket ground. |
| | | | |
| Just three hundred yards to the south, across | | | | The City of Nottingham Tennis Centre has |
| the Trent River and technically in the suburb | | | | professional-quality facilities and numerous |
| of West Bridgford, is the City Ground, the | | | | classes and resources for adult and youth |
| largest football ground in England with a | | | | tennis enthusiasts. Every summer in the week |
| capacity of over 30,000 in its four stands. | | | | before the Wimbledon tennis tournament, the |
| It is home to Notts' rivals, the red and | | | | Nottingham Tennis Centre hosts the Red Letter |
| white Nottingham Forest Football Club which | | | | Days Open tennis tournament (formerly the |
| is a member of Football League One (the third | | | | Samsung Open), attracting many of the world's |
| tier). The Reds won two European Cups at the | | | | top tennis players who wish to test their |
| beginning of the 1980s. Though it's often | | | | competitive mettle before the big tournament. |
| assumed the team was named after Nottingham's | | | | |
| famous Sherwood Forest, it actually took its | | | | In Holme Pierrepont to the east of the city, |
| name from its original home at the Forest | | | | the National Water Sports Centre is the focus |
| Recreation Ground, an open field which now | | | | of a unique complex of facilities for rowing |
| hosts the city's famous Goose Fair every | | | | and sailing competitions. Alongside the |
| year. | | | | River Trent and Colwick Country park, the |
| | | | Water Sports Centre features a two thousand |
| The game of cricket is another essential part | | | | metre regatta lake, and courses for canoeing, |
| of British sporting culture, and Nottingham's | | | | white water and slalom competitions. Many |
| people are no exception to this rule. The | | | | other sailing, rowing and canoeing clubs (and |
| Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club resides | | | | the businesses which cater to them) have |
| at the Trent Bridge cricket ground, which | | | | grown up around the centre and along the |
| sits cheek by jowl next to the City Ground. | | | | river. |
| The Trent Bridge ground hosts many | | | | |
| international Test matches and One-Day | | | | The Sport Nottingham Health and Fitness |
| International matches, and numerous other | | | | Complex focuses on martial arts training and |
| large and small cricketing events. The ground | | | | fitness resources, including a gym and two |
| has been expanded and redesigned several | | | | racquets and squash courts. A small arena |
| times over its history, and now boasts | | | | frequently features martial arts displays and |
| architectural awards for some of its newer | | | | competitions, as well as boxing and |
| stand designs. A cricket academy, a | | | | wrestling. The complex regularly rents out |
| gymnasium, a hotel, and two pubs share space | | | | its facilities for local teams in many sports |
| with the cricket pitch and its stands and | | | | for practice and competition. |
| facilities. | | | | |
| | | | Those who love personal activity and those |
| While these three grounds get the lion's | | | | who simply love to watch others give it their |
| share of the attention, Nottingham also has | | | | all will all find something worth pursuing |
| several other notable sporting facilities. | | | | among the many sporting options in the City |
| | | | of Nottingham. |
| In the centre of the city near the Lace | | | | |