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