Stoke City have refused to budge on their claims that they will become the oldest Football League club should Notts County suffer relegation on Saturday.
Leading football historian Mark Metcalf argued last month that Nottingham Forest would take the mantle from their bitter cross-Trent rivals, despite the Potters' claims that they are older.
City's club crest claims that they were founded in 1863, two years before Forest, however Metcalf argues that they weren't actually formed until five years later.
"Official records show that a club known as Stoke Ramblers was formed in October 1868 when they played their first game," he said.
"That club later merged with Stoke Victoria Cricket Club and eventually became Stoke City."
Despite being questioned on their claim, the Potters this week revealed their new Macron home and away kits for the 2019/20 season with the words 'EST 1863' etched on the back of the collar.
Notts, founded in 1862, have just one game left to survive relegation from the Football League but the odds appear to be stacked against them.
Neal Ardley's side must rely on League Two strugglers and horribly out of form Cambridge United to beat Macclesfield Town, while also winning their own game away at Swindon.
Relegation would see them fall out of the Football League for the first time in their 157 year history, thus bringing to an end a run of 130 consecutive seasons of league football.
