Inducted 23 March 2019
Three years after the blow of losing to Blackburn Rovers in the 1891 FA Cup final, Notts County again reached the showpiece game and beat Bolton Wanderers by a convincing 4-1 margin.
In doing so, the Magpies became the first team from outside the top flight to lift the trophy, beating first division opposition on the way.
Rank outsiders when the draw for the semi-finals was made, Notts upset the odds to beat favourites Blackburn in the last four and Bolton in the final at Goodison Park.
The following players were the heroes that day and wrote themselves into the Magpies' history books:
George Toon: Born in Nottingham in 1868, the goalkeeper started his career as a half-back for Forest Olympic. A broken leg kept him out of the '91 final but he gained his winner’s medal three years later. Toon won two England caps with one writer describing him as one of the best goalkeepers ever to play for the Three Lions.
Fay Harper: The right back signed for Notts' reserve side in 1892 but soon graduated to the first team and made his debut against Everton at Goodison Park in January 1893. He was virtually ever-present in league and cup matches in '93-94 where he returned to the scene of his debut to lift the FA Cup.
Jack Hendry: He lined up at left back in the FA Cup final of 1891 before being on the winning side in 1894. Hendry joined Notts from Glasgow Rangers in July 1890, making his debut at the start of the '90-91 season at Bolton Wanderers. His consistency was such that he played in every league and cup match in his first three seasons, making 116 consecutive appearances in all competitions.
David Calderhead: The centre-half and captain was at the heart of all of Notts' early successes, proving quite a capture when he came to Meadow Lane from Dumfries in August 1889. More than 10 years’ service was acknowledged when he was awarded two benefit matches, and his standing in the game was also recognised when he was elected to the Players’ Union Management Committee in 1898. He went on to become the distinguished manager of Chelsea, twice guiding them to promotion to the First Division. He held the position for 26 years before retiring from the game in 1933 at the age of 69. In 1922 he was awarded the Football League Long Service Medal, the first former professional player to be honoured in this way.
Charles Bramley: Born in Nottingham, the right half-back joined Notts in 1891 and made his league debut in a home fixture against Stoke City. During his 139 league and cup appearances, he featured in the FA Cup winning team of 1894 as well as the side that won the Second Division three years later. He suffered the misfortune of sustaining a serious broken leg in a second round FA Cup tie later in 1897 and played just one game the following season before retiring.
Alf Shelton: Capped six times by England and appearing in both FA Cup finals, Shelton signed for Notts in August 1888. In 1892 he was offered the opportunity to captain the newly-formed Liverpool FC with what, at the time, was regarded as a most generous offer - £250 a year! But he was not tempted to leave and became a director of the club from 1900 to 1910.
Arthur Watson: The right winger was known for possessing electric pace and a splendid shot. A native of Hucknall, he joined Notts from Mansfield Town in May 1893, figured in the FA Cup final success of 1894 and was transferred to West Bromwich Albion for a fee of only £25 two years later. He had the distinction of scoring on his debut for both the Magpies (against Crewe in September 1893) and the Baggies. In his first season with Notts he found the net on 13 occasions and scored in the FA Cup final victory.
Sam Donnelly: Hailing from the Ayrshire village of Annbank which produced many fine players, the inside-right joined Notts in July 1893. He worked hard to acclimatise himself to the English game, becoming a regular in time for the FA Cup final in March 1894. Sadly, during the following season he suffered a broken leg which put him out of the game for over a year and he moved on to Blackpool in June 1896.
Dan Bruce: Lining up at inside left, he was another recruited from Scotland, signing from Glasgow Rangers in October 1892 and making his debut the same month. Bruce proved to be as versatile a player as Notts had, featuring at centre forward, outside left and right full-back as well as in his usual position. Leading the Notts attack against Burslem Port Vale, he hit five goals in a 10-0 rout in February 1895. He gained one international cap for Scotland and cost Small Heath (now Birmingham City) £100 when moving there in November 1895.
Harry Daft: The left winger was skilled in a range of sports, representing Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club 190 times and gaining honours in Lacrosse, as well as his FA Cup winner's medal and five England caps. Daft's career was not without controversy, though. In January 1893 Notts dismissed him for refusing to travel to Scotland on a New Year tour, claiming a foot injury as his reason. He was snapped up by Forest, where he played just four times before returning to the Magpies that summer. He hit 78 goals in 173 league and cup appearances for Notts, including the winner in the 1-0 victory over Blackburn to book a place in the FA Cup final.
Jimmy Logan: The hat-trick hero in the final scored in all but one round of the FA Cup run. Joining from Aston Villa in 1893, after spells with Ayr and Sunderland, he soon found his shooting boots at Notts, ending his first season with 21 goals in as many appearances. In the '94 final, Logan set up the opener before scoring the next three as he became only the second player to score a hat-trick in an FA Cup final - there has only been one since. He passed away aged 25 after being diagnosed with pneumonia following an apperance for Loughborough United in torrential rain.