Fans match: Notts v Juve

Notts County Fans FC will compete with Juventus supporters for the Tom Savage Memorial Trophy at Carlton Town FC on Saturday 20 May (kick-off 2pm).

The special relationship between Notts and Juventus is well known to football fans around the world. It can be traced back to the early 1900s, when Nottingham-born Turin resident Tom Savage gave Juventus a batch of Notts kits as a replacement. Juventus were so impressed with the stripes they decided to keep them as their home kit and have played in them ever since.

The two football communities were further strengthened in September 2011, when Juventus invited us to play in the opening game at their new stadium. The match finished 1-1 and this extraordinary gesture signalled to the rest of the world the unique bond between the clubs.

The idea for the supporters’ game began in 2019 when Notts fans Ian Baggott and Andy Black came together with the same vision. Andy was in touch with London-based Juventus fans and so was able to help organise the game.

The Juventus team will consist of players from England and Italy and will be managed by Antoni Sorgi and captained by Riki Canningham. The Notts team, meanwhile, will be managed by Matt Lawson and captained by Ian Baggott.

Ian said: “This is the culmination of years of planning delayed by the pandemic.

“We’re really excited to finally play the match and can’t wait to welcome the fans who will represent the Juventus supporters.”

Andy added: “I’m delighted that this game is finally on.

“I’m very good friends with the Juventus supporters and can’t wait to celebrate our special relationship with this game.”

There will also be a display of information to remember the 39 Juventus fans who lost their lives at Heysel Stadium on 29 May 1985.

Riki said: “This event presents the opportunity for both clubs to remember our 39 angels that lost their lives at Heysel.

“I’m excited to be representing Juventus fans in this historic game against our good friends, Notts County.

“We hope this becomes a regular event to help strengthen the bond between our two clubs.”

As this is an event celebrating the Notts and Juventus fanbase communities, the admission will be free of charge.

The event will partner up with local not-for-profit organisation Bottled up Blokes to encourage positive men’s mental health – something playing football can really help towards.

Fans interested in updates can follow @nottsfansteamfc and @slonottscounty on Twitter, Notts County Fans FC on Instagram and the club’s social media pages. The hashtag #nottsvjuvefans will be used to help promote the event.