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The Football Association has agreed to a rebalancing of the number of teams in FA WSL 1 and FA WSL 2 for the 2017-18 season in the wake of Notts County Ladies folding. The decision has been made to continue with 10 FA WSL 1 teams for the forthcoming 2017-18 season, which begins in September, ensuring there is even numbers in both divisions. FA WSL 2 clubs are now able to apply for the remaining place in FA WSL 1. The application process will require clubs to demonstrate how they w

New Worcester City joint-manager Lee Hughes has claimed that Notts County owner Alan Hardy has agreed to a pre-season friendly encounter between the two clubs. Hughes remains a fan favourite at Meadow Lane, having netted 65 goals in 144 games in three-and-a-half seasons between 2009 and 2013. The 40-year-old was appointed at the Victoria Ground earlier this month to work alongside John Snape at the seventh-tier club. He told Worcester News: “I was on a question and answer at Notts

Matt Tootle has claimed that Notts County are more than capable of challenging for promotion from League Two next season. The former Crewe Alexandra man had suggested last summer that the Magpies could have been up in the playoffs, but the season ended up being a slog for safety in the end. Tootle told the Nottingham Post: "When I signed here last summer I probably looked a bit of an idiot to some people because I said we would get promoted. "We were third at the start of the seas

Notts County have released their end-of-season retained list, with nine players being released and another nine offered new contracts. The out-of-contract players who have been offered new deals are Jon Stead, Shola Ameobi, Richard Duffy, Curtis Thompson, Elliott Hewitt, Haydn Hollis, Rob Milsom, Alan Smith, and Mike Edwards. Meanwhile, the players who have been told they can leave Meadow Lane are Thierry Audel, Adam Campbell, Mark Yeates, Scott Loach, Jack McMillan, Luther Wildin, Wes

Notts County defender Matt Tootle has opened up on his battles with anxiety and depression, saying nobody is immune from mental health struggles and urging people to seek help. The 26-year-old revealed how he had enjoyed a superb season at Crewe Alexandra going into the summer of 2014, but "something then just triggered" in his mind while he was on holiday in the off-season. Speaking during Mental Awareness Week, Tootle told Leigh Curtis of the Nottingham Post: "I was on top of the wor

Scott Loach has confirmed that he is leaving Notts County. The 28-year-old goalkeeper will see his deal at Meadow Lane expire in the summer, and he will not be offered a new contract by the club. Loach spent the latter part of the season on loan at York City in the National League, with the Minstermen suffering relegation on the final day of the season. He is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying: "I have loved every minute of my time at the club and it's been a pleasure to play

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has admitted that he wants a word with the EFL over the standard of refereeing in League Two. The Magpies boss claims the Magpies were denied clear penalties against Crewe Alexandra and Portsmouth, and feels Newport County's spot-kick on the final day of the season shouldn't have been given. "I am not really happy about it," he told the Nottingham Post. "If we keep moaning about it, will anything get done? It's something I am going to have to think

Alan Hardy has revealed how Notts County are in talks with non-league players, free transfers from the Football League and Premier League youngsters as he looks to forge a winning team for next season. Only five players are contracted to the club past the summer and, although he says contract negotiations are under way with some of them, he suggests a need to rebuild. With League Two boasting quite a few teams from the Midlands or otherwise not too far away from Nottingham, Hardy is al

Notts County owner and chairman Alan Hardy insists he has not ignored the fans' opinions after the club voted to retain the current EFL Trophy format. The competition has found itself boycotted over the last year after a shake-up which saw academy teams included, and with lower-league teams sanctioned if they played weaker teams. Despite the uproar from fans, the Magpies nonetheless voted for its continuation, which seemingly flew in the face of nearly 95 percent of Notts supporters no

Notts County have confirmed that they have voted for the EFL Trophy to remain in its current 64-team format. The EFL had asked clubs eligible for the competition to vote for one of four options to establish their preference for how they want the tournament's format. The options were to keep a 64-team format with 16 "invited" teams, a 48-team straight knockout setup, a 48-team format with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, or the scrapping of the competition altogether. On

Kevin Nolan has admitted that he wants Jorge Grant to stay at Notts County as post-season contract talks with players begin this week. The Nottingham Forest loanee scored his sixth goal of the campaign in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Newport Town and is highly regarded among Magpies fans and club staff alike. Grant's contract at the City Ground expires in the summer, although the Reds do have the option of extending it by a further year, but Nolan will try and recruit him to the black and

Kevin Nolan has poured cold water on suggestions that Notts County can be considered title challengers in League Two next season. Sky Bet has put the Magpies joint-fourth to win the championship outright, while promotion is at a mere 3/1. This is following the resurrection of the club following Alan Hardy's takeover and Nolan's shrewd management, culminating in a 16th-placed finish just weeks after being on the brink of relegation. However, Nolan insists that there is a lot of wor

Kevin Nolan has hit out at his Notts County players for conceding at the death in their 2-1 defeat at Newport County, their final League Two game of the season. The Magpies fell behind to a contentious Mickey Demetriou penalty but drew level through Jorge Grant's sixth goal in Notts colours. However, Mark O'Brien struck a winner in the 89th minute to set off wild celebrations in the Rodney Parade stands as the Exiles secured Football League safety. Despite their supporting role in

Rob Milsom has expressed his delight with putting a frustrating first season for Notts County behind him. The 30-year-old has impressed in midfield in 2016-17 and was rewarded with the Fans' Player of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year awards. Milsom is happy with having secured the accolades, but more so because of redemption after an indifferent, injury-disrupted maiden season at Meadow Lane. "I've come a long way because I struggled in the first season," the 2015 sign

Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County to finish the season on a high with a win at Newport County and get momentum going into the 2017-18 campaign. The Magpies have the luxury of not having to worry about their League Two future at Rodney Parade, while the hosts need to win to make sure of a place in the Football League. However, Nolan insists that he does not want the players to mentally be on their holidays and warns that a lot of them may not see each other again, so must make the most

Rob Milsom has expressed his desire to "put down roots" at Notts County after enjoying an impressive and award-winning season at Meadow Lane. The 30-year-old midfielder was voted the club's 2016-17 player of the year as well as the players' player of the year for his consistency in the middle of the park. His contract is up at the end of the season but manager Kevin Nolan has publicly declared that he wants to keep Milsom at the club. Now the former Rotherham United man says the f

Alan Hardy has vowed to keep using Twitter to interact with Notts County fans, but insists that abusive messages sent to him on the platform are not acceptable. The Magpies chairman often tweets updates about the club and engages with supporters, though he has sometimes come under criticism for doing so rather than using the official club site. He wrote in the Nottingham Post: "As the chairman and owner of Notts County, I am a firm believer that engaging with the fans is essential to m

Richard Duffy has praised Kevin Nolan for helping improve his game and says he wants to remain at Notts County past the end of the season. In January, the defender agreed to waive a clause in his contract that would have automatically triggered a one-year extension at Meadow Lane, with the club's League Two future in the balance at the time. His contract now runs out at the end of the season, but his performances improved since Nolan's arrival, helping the club survive in the Football

Kevin Nolan has praised Rob Milsom after the midfielder picked up two Notts County awards last week, admitting that he would like to keep him at Meadow Lane next season. The 30-year-old collected the Players' Player of the Year and the Fans' Player of the Year awards before Saturday's 1-0 win over Blackpool as a reward for his impressive and consistent form. Milsom is one of many players out of contract at the club in the summer, but his manager is hoping to keep hold of him for the 20

Richard Duffy has echoed Kevin Nolan's comments in being delighted about Notts County's winning home finish on Saturday. The Magpies fans, who have put up with a lot of grief this season, were treated to a victory in the club's last home game of the season, a 1-0 win over Blackpool. Duffy, the club's stand-in captain as Michael O'Connor recovers from injury, named several players who he thought stood out and admitted the dressing room is happy at present. He told the official Nott

Kevin Nolan has claimed that Saturday's League Two fixture at Meadow Lane between Notts County and Blackpool could have gone either way, but is happy to have capped off their home programme on a high note. The Magpies edged the encounter 1-0, Richard Duffy scoring on the rebound after Jorge Grant had forced the Tangerines goalkeeper into a save from a free kick. Nolan told the Notts website after the game: "I don't think it was a great spectacle and it could have gone either way.

Kevin Nolan has played down suggestions that Notts County are to make a move for Dover Athletic striker Ricky Miller, claiming that he costs a lot of money and could invest his budget more wisely. The 28-year-old has scored 37 goals this season to top the National League goalscoring charts and was also named the division's player of the year. Notts were quoted with an interest in the player both in January and heading into the summer, but Nolan says he could get "a lot of good players"