Elliptical goalposts first used (1921*)
On this day in Nottingham Forest history in 1921* Forest first used Nottingham-made elliptical goalposts at the City Ground.
Nottingham Forest may have helped introduce one of football’s most familiar pieces of goalmouth design when elliptical goalposts were first used at the City Ground.
The innovation is linked to Nottingham-based Standard Goals, whose oval or elliptical-section posts were developed in the early 1920s. Unlike older square or round wooden posts, the elliptical shape became an important step in football goal design and is often connected with Nottingham’s role in shaping the equipment of the game. Elliptical posts were probably developed as a stronger, safer, more engineered alternative to older square or round wooden posts. They still looked like normal football goalposts, but the post/bar profile was oval-section rather than perfectly round.
The exact first match is not known. The date used here, 29 August 1921, is a possible date rather than a proven one. A Nottingham historical source says oval-section goalposts were first used at the City Ground later in 1921, and Forest’s first listed home match of the 1921-22 season was against Hull City on this date.
Other accounts give 1920 for the development of the elliptical post, while some later summaries connect the City Ground installation with 1922. That means this event should be treated as a year-based innovation entry with a careful calendar placement, not as a confirmed first-use match.
* Date note: 29 August 1921 is included as a possible date only. Sources support the wider claim that Nottingham-made elliptical goalposts were developed around 1920-22 and used at the City Ground, but they do not confirm this exact match as the first use.
Sources
Picture Nottingham; The City Ground; Harrod Sport; Leicestershire Football Archive
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