Fan of Big Tone: A Lifetime of Supporting Notts County

Fan of Big Tone, a devoted Notts County fan, has been supporting the club for many years. When asked how being a fan of Tony Hateley influenced his support for Notts County, he replied with great fondness. 

He recalls the excitement and buzz in the city when it was announced that Hateley had re-signed with Notts County for the 70/71 season. Fan of Big Tone was one of the 21,000 fans who packed into Meadow Lane to see the return of the messiah, Tony Hateley. He describes it as an unforgettable experience that still brings a lump to his throat.

That season, Tony Hateley scored 22 goals in 29 matches, leading Notts County to win the 4th division title. It was Fan of Big Tone’s favourite season ever. As an 18-year-old with no ties, he had the freedom to travel far and wide to watch Notts play. He travelled by train with a group of friends and also in the back of a friend’s battered old van. Those were happy days indeed.

Although Fan of Big Tone had been an ardent fan of Notts since he was around 9 years old, that game and that season cemented his love for the club. Tony Hateley is and always will be his all-time favourite Notts player.

In a recent interview, Chris Buckley asked Fan of Big Tone about his expectations for Notts County before the start of the past National League season. Fan of Big Tone responded with cautious optimism. "To be honest, I was hopeful that this would be our year.

"The owners gave me confidence that we could make it a special season along with the new management team and some promising sounding signings. 

"But as always, being a Notts fan for over 60 years, I’ve had too many false dawns, so I wasn’t counting my chickens."

Fan of Big Tone’s cautious optimism is understandable given his long history of supporting the club and the many false dawns he has experienced. However, when asked about the play-off final, he said: "It was an unbelievable end to an incredible match. 

"I’m not ashamed to say I cried even though I wasn’t there but watching on the television.

"The tension was unbearable and not really good for my 70-year-old heart, but I survived and enjoyed celebrating afterwards with more than a few pints of real ale, which in the morning I did regret having a few too many." He added.

"In a word ecstatic, I was particularly pleased that we have regained the “Oldest Professional Football League Club in the World” accolade. 

"Notts are too big a club to be languishing in the 5th tier of English football, but they don’t have an automatic right to be in the league, and they had to have the right ownership, management and players in order to achieve that. 

"This season it all came together to give the fans the thing they most wanted, a return to league status."

Matt Palmer and Macaulay Langstaff have been instrumental in Notts County’s push for promotion to League Two this season. Their performances have not gone unnoticed by the fans, who have rewarded them with prestigious awards. 

Palmer was voted as the Pride of Nottingham Player of the Season, while Langstaff received the club’s Player of the Season accolade.

"Matty is an incredible player and must be one of our best signings. Everything seems to go through him, and it’s very rare he has an off match. 

"He reminds me of a player from my era who was known as “The King” and his name was Don Masson. Matty in my opinion is the new king." he replied,

When asked about Macaulay Langstaff, Fan of Big Tone said: "Well his record speaks for itself, and it’s an award he very much deserved, although the player of the season could have been won by a few players this season I believe that Macaulay richly deserved the honour. 

"Regardless of whether he stays with us or not, his record-breaking season in front of goal will go down in history and will be talked about for years to come. I don’t think the record will be beaten for a long, long time if ever, in my many years of watching Notts I’ve never seen anything quite like it."

Notts County ended their four-year exile from the Football League by beating Chesterfield on penalties in the play-off final. The Magpies' smart recruitment and consistent performances under manager Luke Williams paid off as they secured promotion to League Two.

"As long as we have the Reedtz brothers as owners, I think we will be okay. I see no reason why we can’t progress and eventually reach the championship. 

"It may take several years, but I really believe it’s achievable. However, let’s take it one step at a time and secure our place in League 2. If we reach the playoffs, that will be a bonus."

We encourage all fans who have read this article to get involved and join in with the Pride of Nottingham discussions.

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