Help us make Nottingham and Nottinghamshire England's Home of sport!

As you might already be aware, VisitEngland is on a quest to find the country’s capital of sport. There were over 2,000 nominations, but in the end, only six locations could be chosen for the final shortlist of VisitEngland’s bid to crown, once and for all, England’s Home of Sport. This week, we waited with baited breath for the announcement, and were delighted to see that Nottingham has not only made it to the final shortlist, but that we’ve done so with more nominations than any other location. As ‘The People’s Choice’ candidate, we’re in with a fantastic chance of being crowned the winner, but we need your help. A public vote is now open, so be sure to log onto EnglandHomeofSport.com and cast your vote!   We’ve already had a great response, with local hero Stuart Broad casting his vote, as well as nominations from the newly crowned US Open Grand Slam Champion Jordanne Whiley MBE, who nominated us during her success at the Wheelchair Tennis Championships in Nottingham. Considering the incredible competition, simply making the cut is a huge endorsement of the city’s sporting credentials in itself, and a glowing endorsement of our iconic venues, illustrious sporting history, and world conquering sports people. Just to refresh your memory, here are just some of the reasons why we think Nottingham should be crowned England’s Home of Sport: Home of great sporting events & facilities:

• Top international tennis stars recently performed at the Aegon Open Nottingham at the Nottingham Tennis Centre, including Feliciano Lopez and James Ward.
• England famously took on Australia in the fourth Investec Ashes Test at Trent Bridge this summer and won the series here in Nottingham thanks to a heroic performance from local boy Stuart Broad
• Home of great cycling events such as The Milk Race and Cycle Live, and not forgetting Stage Six of The Aviva Tour of Britain arrived in Nottingham on 11 September this year
• Nottingham’s redeveloped Harvey Hadden Sports Complex with Olympic sized state of the art facilities including a 60m indoor running track, 8 lane 400m running track and publicly accessible 50m swimming pool with adjustable floor that can be split
• The first Nottingham 2015 CPISRA World Games in fifteen years was hosted at the Harvey Hadden Sports Complex this August, bringing Cerebral Palsy sport competitors from around the world to the city.
• Nottingham has more sports facilities per head of the population than anywhere else in Europe
• Nottingham is home to the National Water Sports Centre offering facilities for kayaking, canoeing, white water rafting and plenty of other great water sports.

Home of sporting firsts:

• Notts County Football Club is the oldest football league club in the world.
• Shin pads were invented in Nottingham and it’s where football goal nets were first used.
• In 2014 Nottingham was crowned England’s first City of Football by Sport England.
• The National Ice Centre is home to the UK’s first twin Olympic-sized ice rink

Home of sporting legends:

• Brian Clough is one of the most famous and loved football managers of all time and synonymous with Nottingham where his statue stands proudly in the heart of the city,
• Under the helm of Cloughie Nottingham Forest Football Club rose to League and European Cup victory in the 70’s & 80’s and were undefeated in 42 consecutive matches during 1977 & 1978. This year NFFC celebrates its 150 year anniversary
• Nottingham born boxing legend Carl Froch is an Honorary Freeman of the city he calls home.
• Skating legends Torvill & Dean started their skating career at the Nottingham Ice Stadium, now the National Ice Centre located on Bolero Square!
• The National Ice Centre is the home of the GMB Nottingham Panthers, one of the most successful ice hockey teams in the country

Voting closes on October 19th, so make sure you get yours in ASAP. The winning destination will then be announced on 23rd October. Check out some of our favourite nominations here, and spread the word!