Jon Stead has revealed how close he was to leaving Notts County in the January transfer window because of how frustrating it was to be at Meadow Lane under the previous owners and manager.

Speculation had emerged linking the striker with a move to the United States as the Magpies were freefalling towards the bottom of League Two, John Sheridan in charge at the time.

However, Stead decided to stay put until at least the end of the season, when his contract expires, after Alan Hardy took over the club and Kevin Nolan was appointed manager.

"The way the season was progressing with the previous manager, he made it quite clear the players were all available to leave," Stead told the Nottingham Post.

"Things weren't going well and it was a frustrating place to be at, so I had to look at my future, given my contract is up at the end of the season.

"There's my age as well, which is something I don't like to talk about, but I will be 34 next month and I like to think I have a lot of football ahead of me.

"It would have been a big change because I've had 16-17 years of playing football in the UK.

"It's something that came up so I looked at it the same way as I would anything else.

"The appointment of Kevin changed my mind 100 percent. I spoke to him a couple of days after the Mansfield game and made him aware of the situation.

"We were in a transfer embargo at the time and he said he couldn't let me go. I understood the decision and the more I've seen of the gaffer and his staff, the more I like."

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Alan Hardy has thanked Notts County's fans for getting behind the new owner and increasing the Meadow Lane gates by almost 70 percent since his arrival.

Writing in an exclusive column for the Nottingham Post, Hardy said: "Securing our Football League status has been my ultimate focus since assuming ownership at Notts County.

"But bringing the crowds back to Meadow Lane has been a huge, huge part of that objective.

"I cannot begin to tell you how proud I am that Kevin Nolan and the players have been gathering those precious points.

"And how delighted and humbled I am with the response from Notts County supporters and the whole of the public of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

"I'm informed that for the six home games since the takeover was completed, we have averaged 7,350 fans per fixture . A truly marvellous achievement.

"Compare this with the average crowd from August to January which was 4,380. That's an average of 2,790 extra fans per game - or, put another way, an increase of 68 per cent.

"Stand up Notts County fans and take a bow. You deserve it."

To read Alan Hardy's full column on the Nottingham Post, click here.

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Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has hit out at the match officials in charge of Tuesday night's League Two fixture at Doncaster Rovers, which ended in a 3-1 defeat for the Magpies.

The visitors took the lead through Richard Duffy, but strikes from James Coppinger and John Marquis either side of the break put Donny in the lead.

Notts thought they had equalised when Haydn Hollis headed home in the second half, but the flag went up to rule the goal out, much to the bemusement of the travelling contingent.

Andy Williams added a third for the hosts in stoppage time as Notts sent goalkeeper Adam Collin forward, and Nolan was at a loss to explain why Hollis's goal was snuffed out.

"I still don't know why the goal wasn't given," he told the Nottingham Post. "It's the most disappointed I have been with the officials since I've been in management. I thought they were poor from start to finish.

"Why it was given for a free-kick I will never know. I've had a look at the video and I still don't see. I spoke to the referee briefly after the game and told him what I thought.

"It was disappointing because I thought the lads were fantastic."

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Notts County owner Alan Hardy has accused former manager John Sheridan and the League Managers Association of 'trying to run a coach and horses through the concept of respect in football' after appealing his dismissal for gross misconduct.

The 52-year-old was sacked by Hardy in January, just over three weeks after a verbal outburst at officials during the Magpies' 2-0 defeat by Wycombe Wanderers in mid-December, and the Notts owner admitted that Sheridan was let go due to gross misconduct rather than the side's poor form.

The Football Association handed out a five-match touchline ban and Hardy has hit out at both Sheridan - now managing at Oldham Athletic again - and the LMA for appealing his dismissal.

"I was astonished to receive notification from the LMA that Mr Sheridan has decided to appeal his dismissal," Hardy said in a statement released to Press Association Sport.

"We have sent back an extremely robust five page document re-affirming the transparent reasons behind our course of action.

"As well as being owner of Notts County, I am heavily involved in youth football, running a series of teams at Under 8s and Under 10s.

"Every week I see the influence that the professional game has on young boys and girls from as young as six years old.

"The conduct shown by Mr Sheridan towards the match officials in this instance was nothing short of scandalous. I am not prepared to tolerate any member of my staff abusing referees and officials in this manner.

"I fully appreciate that the League Managers Association have a duty of care to represent their membership.

"But surely even a professional body like the LMA realise they are being asked to defend the indefensible.

"Mr Sheridan clearly believes this 'industrial language' is used in everyday workplaces. Not in my place of work, it's not. And nor at my football club.

"The FA clearly felt that it was a case of the gravest nature.

"A five match touchline ban is one of the lengthiest and strongest punishments they have issued to any manager this season.

"For me, this is not just about John Sheridan, the LMA and Notts County.

"This case has much wider significance and repercussions for the English game as a whole.

"Over the past years, the FA have instigated a series of very admirable 'Respect' initiatives designed to improve conduct across the game.

"I'd think we'd all agree that excellent progress has been made but that much more clearly still needs to be done.

"Mr Sheridan and the LMA are effectively trying to run a coach and horses through the concept of respect in football. Potentially, they can set us back years if they continue to appeal the decision.

"Needless to say, we will be contesting any appeal by Mr Sheridan and the LMA, but I do genuinely think people should consider their actions very carefully before embarking on a course which may embarrass themselves in particular and the game of football in general."

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Kevin Nolan has admitted that he is looking to get Notts County past the 50-point mark as quickly as possible.

With just 10 games to go this season, the Magpies sit on 40 points, eight ahead of the bottom two in League Two.

Nolan says he is taking it a game at a time, with a tricky visit to table-topping Doncaster Rovers awaiting on Tuesday night.

But with Notts back on form, the manager is taking the opportunity to draw up more of a mid-term goal.

"We have gone with the attitude that we will try to get to 50 points as quickly as possible and then we will reassess when we get there," he told the Nottingham Post.

"But what we are looking at right now is three points and the next game.

"My plan is just about Doncaster and what we can do to make sure we give our team the best chance of beating them.

"Everyone says 50 is the safe mark in football but you just never know in football."

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Shola Ameobi has expressed delight with getting his first goal for Notts County, and thanked manager Kevin Nolan for having faith in him.

The striker signed on a free transfer for the Magpies in early February and opened his account for the club in Saturday's 2-1 win over Hartlepool United at Meadow Lane.

"Listen, I'm playing. This is what it's all about. I'm thankful to Kevin (manager Kevin Nolan) for having the belief in me," Ameobi told the Nottingham Post.

"It's great to be back in a dressing room with people who want to work and do things the right way. I'm a striker. Goals give you confidence.

"I've never been a striker who bags loads of goals, but for me it's all about the team, all about winning.

"If I score, great, if I help the team, great. I'd rather have the three points.

"Hopefully it's the first of many goals, but like I say, the team is the main thing.

"It was a big game. The first goal was always going to be important. I thought it would come from the penalty.

"It's been a while since I've taken one. The keeper made a good save.

"We didn't let our heads down. Fortunately for me the chance came and I put it away.

"The manager told us not to get down at the break. He made sure we went out with all guns blazing.

"Jorge (Grant) put me in and I'm delighted to get the goal. It's been a while coming but I'm delighted."

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Kevin Nolan has hailed Notts County's great character, spirit and togetherness as they claimed another three points in a 2-1 win over Hartlepool United.

The Magpies went two goals up through Shola Ameobi - who had earlier missed a penalty - and Jorge Grant, while Haydn Hollis's unfortunate own goal proved not to make a difference to the points haul in the end.

Nolan told the official Notts site: "The lads showed great character, great spirit, great togetherness - everything you want when you’re down at the bottom. I’m proud and delighted for them.

"I thought we dominated, but when we missed the penalty it got a bit jittery. It was just about calming them down at half-time and getting them to think clearly again."

The manager also singled Grant out for praise after bagging his fourth goal in seven appearances, a ferocious curling strike from outside the box which sailed into the top of the Pools net.

Nolan went on: "Jorge has been fantastic. The lad's delighted be to here. I'm delighted to have him. Hopefully we keep him for a bit longer.

"We'd definitely like to have him beyond the end of the season. He should be playing week in, week out.

"When he gets that football he blossoms and then he can move up. Hopefully we're the club that gives him that chance to blossom.

"It was a first class strike. I'm delighted for him."

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Kevin Nolan has urged his Notts County charges to put last week's 3-0 defeat at Stevenage behind them, think about how far the team has come in the last 10 games, and focus on "another big game" this Saturday.

The Magpies saw their five-match unbeaten run come to a halt at the Lamex Stadium last week with the heavy loss in Hertfordshire, cutting the gap between them and the bottom two to five points.

However, the manager is hopeful that Notts can bounce straight back when they host Hartlepool tomorrow.

"We had a fantastic run previous to the result last weekend, and it just shows how far we've come," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

"Go back 10 games to when I first walked in we'd just gained a point after the first weekend and gone into the bottom two, and we were looking up at a lot of teams who weren't around us.

"It looked like a three or four-way scrap, but what we've managed to do in that time is bring a lot of teams around us into the scrap.

"We've got a cushion at the minute, but we knew we weren't safe. I kept telling you, and you didn't believe me.

"It's going to be a battle and every game is going to be tough, because every game in this league is tough.

"One bad result last week has not changed my mind. The positives out of it all was that we went five games unbeaten and that's what we've got to try and achieve again.

"The lads are working hard, they are buying into it. It was unfortunate we didn't reach our standards last week, but it wasn't all bad.

"At 3-0 it looks as if it's terrible, but we had a spell in the first half when we could've clawed a goal back and that would have changed the whole sense of the game.

"But it wasn't to be and we've got to take it on the chin, and we go again.

"It's another big game now because it's a home game. We've been fantastic at home since I've come through the door.

"I'm sure Hartlepool are going to come here and show us respect and we'll show them respect, but hopefully we're going to do enough to claim all three points."

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Notts County owner Alan Hardy has admitted that he still has to pinch himself to check he isn't dreaming.

Hardy, a Nottinghamshire businessman and staunch Magpies fan, took over at Meadow Lane in January from the previous owners, and has led the club upwards in a short space of time.

Successfully overcoming a transfer embargo, bringing in reinforcements in the squad at short notice, increased gates thanks to offers and improved optimism, and arresting a freefall towards the bottom of League Two are just some of the things he has achieved in the last two months.

Writing a column for the Nottingham Post, he says the last eight weeks have been a "whirlwind", but he has learned a lot in a short space of time and continues to do so.

He wrote: "In all honesty, my time at the club so far has felt like a complete whirlwind.

"I knew I was taking on a big job but I've had to learn a huge amount in a very short space of time – and I fear I haven't yet scratched the surface.

"Thankfully I have inherited a brilliant behind-the-scenes team, led by our vastly experienced chief executive Jason Turner.

"I am delighted with the way the staff have bought into my vision and we are already seeing positive progress.

"There are still times when I have to pinch myself to check this isn't all a dream.

"Take transfer deadline day for example.Having exited our transfer embargo at the last minute - a different story altogether - we wanted to take advice on potential signings from those respected in the game.

"That's exactly how we managed to sign players like Marc Bola and Josh Clackstone, who have been integral to our recent upturn in form.

"Coming from a corporate background where it's all about minimising risk and thinking strategically, I have to say I was completely out of my comfort zone on deadline day.

"Thankfully the knowledge of people like Kev and Jason saw us through – although I expect our summer business to be carried out in a far more measured fashion."

To read the full article on the Nottingham Post, just click here.

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Kevin Nolan's sensational impact since taking over at Notts County has been rewarded with a nomination for the League Two Manager of the Month award for February.

The Magpies manager claimed 11 points over the month as he led his side to a five-match unbeaten run, stopping their freefall towards relegation and putting them eight points clear of the bottom two prior to March's first fixture.

This included an impressive 2-2 draw at home to Exeter City after coming from two goals down in injury time, as well as a 1-0 win at promotion-chasing Plymouth Argyle.

Nolan told the official club website: "It's always nice to receive recognition for your hard work but I have to stress this is a nomination for my entire backroom team, not only me.

"Everyone has put in a huge effort behind the scenes to help the team turn their form around and, while we all have a huge amount of work left to do, this is another positive sign that we are moving in the right direction."

Other candidates for the gong include Stevenage boss Darren Sarll, Jim Bentley of Morecambe and Luton Town boss Nathan Jones, with the winner revealed on Friday morning.

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Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has admitted that Michael O'Connor was missed at Stevenage, where the Magpies fell to a 3-0 defeat on Saturday.

The Lamex Stadium saw Notts' five-match unbeaten run come to a halt as Matty Godden and Jack King scored three unanswered goals between them for the hosts.

Magpies captain O'Connor did not feature as he is suspended following an accumulation of ten yellow cards, and Nolan said the absence of "one of the top players" for the club was notable.

"He was always going to be a massive miss for us especially when you are coming to teams like these (Stevenage)," he told the Nottingham Post. "Occy (O'Connor) has been one of the top players since I came in. He's been brilliant.

"But we have got good players and we just didn't turn up. It will be a learning experience for them and some of them have got to take it on the chin a bit quicker and get out of the rut they put themselves in so early in the game.

"There were a lot of players who started sloppily and it took them 10 to 15 minutes to get out of it. When you make that first mistake, it's important you don't make the second, the third and the fourth. It just seemed that we weren't at the races."

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Kevin Nolan has bemoaned the "terrible start" Notts County made in their trip to Stevenage on Saturday, which resulted in a 3-0 defeat.

The Magpies were a goal down after just three minutes when Matty Godden pounced from close range to head in Steven Schumacher's centre.

Stevenage were nearly pegged back on several occasions but they went on to seal the win with two quickfire second-half goals at the Lamex Stadium.

Nolan told the Nottingham Post: "The lads knew what to expect. Stevenage have been on a fantastic run and you can see why.

"It was a terrible start. No matter what level you play at, the way you start a game is massively important. It was not good enough.

"We didn't deserve to win the game and I think the result is a fair reflection of that.

"It is a disappointing day all round but we go again – we cannot get too low when we lose in the same way we did not get too high when we were winning games.

"We were unbeaten in five games before today and the lads have been fantastic during that time so now we need to go on another run like that.

"We will go through this game again and I have told the players it will be a long day in the video room but once we put it to bed we will focus on Hartlepool, which is a huge game at home for us."

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Notts County defender Elliott Hewitt has spoken favourably his centre-back partnership with Haydn Hollis, saying the trust between the two has been key to the team's recent clean sheets.

The Magpies shut out Yeovil Town in last week's goalless draw before claiming an impressive 1-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in midweek, two results which have helped the club edge further away from the League Two bottom two.

Richard Duffy is back from a two-match suspension this Saturday for the Stevenage trip but it is likely that Hewitt and Hollis will retain their starting XI berth following their fruitful partnership.

Speaking of Hollis, Hewitt told the Nottingham Post: "Haydn heads everything, he heads anything he can.

"We played together twice last season which was Crawley away and Luton away. We kept two clean sheets then too. It seems to be a good partnership we have together.

"He loves heading so I just know if he goes up for one, I can just tuck round. You've got to trust each other."

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Kevin Nolan has called for Notts County to give another "complete performance" when they visit Stevenage on Saturday.

The Magpies claimed an impressive 1-0 win at Plymouth Argyle in midweek to edge further away from the League Two relegation zone.

While the gaffer is aware of the threat posed by the weekend's in-form opponents, he is confident of a positive result if Notts replicate Tuesday's display.

He told the official site: "Stevenage are on a great run, aren't they? They've won six out of seven so it's going to be a tough one.

"We're going to study the DVDs and give the lads the best opportunity to see their strengths and weaknesses. Hopefully we can combat them on Saturday and put in a complete performance like we did on Tuesday. If we do that, we'll give ourselves a fantastic chance of getting three points again.

"They're going for the play-off places and we're trying to get ourselves away from the relegation zone as quickly as possible. All the signs are there that it's going to be a great Saturday afternoon. Hopefully it'll be a fantastic game that goes our way."

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Kevin Nolan has praised Notts County following their impressive 1-0 win at Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night, describing their showing as "a perfect performance".

Loanee Jorge Grant grabbed his third goal in four games in the first half at Home Park as the Magpies more than matched their opponents, who are looking to secure promotion from League Two.

The result puts Notts eight points clear of the bottom two and a step closer to safety, when a month ago it looked like they were standing on the brink of oblivion.

"It was a perfect performance," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.

"It could have been three, four or even five as we created plenty of chances. We also handled them well when they were going forward and we kept another clean sheet.

"They (the players) were fantastic because we haven't been able to get out on the pitch much with the travelling and so on.

"It was all about being in the classroom and everything we said to them they took it all on board. I was delighted with their output."

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Kevin Nolan says Notts County will respect Plymouth Argyle in tonight's League Two match at Home Park, but cannot fear them.

The Magpies are looking to make it five games unbeaten against a side sitting second in the table and appearing to be well on their way to promotion.

Although the Pilgrims are being touted as favourites to win the game due to their superior league position, Nolan says his side will not be fazed by the task ahead.

"We can't fear anyone, but we will respect them because they are a good side," he told the Nottingham Post.

"We knew it was going to be a tough week which started off on Saturday against Yeovil.

"Teams are not going to come here and roll over. They are respecting us after our results in the last few games.

"I expect a really tough game against Plymouth and we will have to match them if we are to get something out of it.

"They do all the right things the majority of the time which is why they are up at the top of the league."

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Josh Clackstone says he is happy to be getting first-team football at Notts County and hopes that the experience, as well as the help from older players, will benefit him when he returns to parent club Hull City.

The 20-year-old full-back has impressed since his January loan move to Meadow Lane, putting in a good performance in Saturday's goalless draw with Yeovil Town.

"They [Hull] wanted me to get games in the league and get used to first team football because I wasn't getting that back at Hull," Clackstone told the Nottingham Post.

"You want to play regardless of where it is and the fact that it's at a club like Notts County makes it even better. I think there is a massive difference from playing in academy teams and first teams.

"It means something. You are playing against more experienced players so you learn a lot more. There's a lot of experienced players here too and they are helping the young lads develop.

"This can only help me when I go back to Hull. They can see I've played in the league and hopefully I will get a shot there.

"I have got used to the way (Notts) play and the game plan, Saturday was my best game so far.

"It's really good, we have a great bunch of lads and we know what we need to do. We want to stay up and all the lads are heading in the right direction if we keep clean sheets and put points on the board.

"We are getting more consistent in how we play. We just need to keep going, keep getting more points and get to safety sooner rather than later."

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Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has admitted that his players "were all disappointed in the dressing room" following their goalless draw with Yeovil Town on Saturday.

The League Two fixture at Meadow Lane saw the visitors defend stoutly, with the Magpies failing to break them down, and almost struck a late winner when Alex Lawless was denied by Adam Collin.

Despite the disappointment of failing to get all three points, Nolan admits that his charges seeing a stalemate as a bad result shows how far they've come from when he took over amid a 10-match losing run.

Nolan told the Nottingham Post: "We have to look at this result in the right way in the fact they have respected us. They have come to Meadow Lane and put 10 men behind the ball and made it difficult for us.

"When we did get into the final third, we found it hard to break them down and our quality wasn't what it was of previous weeks.

"But it felt like one of those days when the ball just wouldn't drop for us in the box and when it did it probably fell to the wrong person.

"The lads were all disappointed in the dressing room and I was delighted with that because it shows how far we have come in such a short space of time.

"The fans were fantastic again and while there were lots of positives to take out of the game, the disappointment was we didn't get the win."

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Michael O'Connor has said he cannot guarantee avoiding a suspension for reaching 10 yellow cards because of his combative nature on the pitch.

The Notts County captain is currently on nine bookings and, should he earn another before March 12, he will be slapped with a two-match ban.

Richard Duffy will be sitting out the next two fixtures due to this and, despite O'Connor admitting he needs to be careful, he does not want let the ban put him off his style of play.

"I need to be careful for the next three or four games because I am on nine bookings," the Northern Irishman, expected to line up against Yeovil Town, told the Nottingham Post.

"I spoke to the gaffer about it. He's just said, 'try to be smart about it'. I will try to, but when you see the ball, I'll go for it.

"I'll try to see it through to the cut-off point, but I can't guarantee anything.

"When you are on the pitch you don't think of being on nine bookings when the ball is there to be won. It's just natural instinct."

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Michael O'Connor has praised Notts County boss Kevin Nolan for having faith in the Northern Irishman's leadership qualities.

The midfielder was made captain this season under former boss John Sheridan and has continued in that role under Nolan.

O'Connor is also delighted to be able to take advice from a man who has captained each of his former clubs, wearing the armband at Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United.

The 29-year-old told the official club site: "On his first day he spoke to me and said 'I want you to be my captain'. It was a big help for him to have that belief in me and since then I have kicked on.

"I'm probably on my best run of form since I signed. I know what the manager wants from me. I'm feeling good, I'm feeling fit and hopefully it can continue.

"Obviously the gaffer was captain wherever he went in his career - Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham - and it is my first season as a captain so he has spoken to be about what he wants from me and I think I'm taking it on board.

"You have teammates looking at you to lead and I try to do that in every game I play."

Up next for Notts, who are battling to survive in League Two, is Saturday's game with Yeovil Town at Meadow Lane.

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Kevin Nolan admits he and his Notts County side cannot rest on their laurels ahead of Saturday's League Two home game with Yeovil Town, but insists that they can match anyone on their day.

The Magpies boss is yet to taste defeat at Meadow Lane since taking charge on January 12 and his side are unbeaten in their previous three matches, which has seen them rise from dead-certs for relegation to having a fighting chance.

"I was always confident of staying in the division and I was always confident of doing it with this squad," Nolan told the Nottingham Post. "But it's alright saying that, we've got to prove it.

"While we took seven points out of nine in the last week, we could go and lose the next three games. Everybody would then be saying we are back in a scrap at the bottom so we can't rest on our laurels.

"We have proven we are a good side and that we can match anyone on our day. That's what we have to prove again on Saturday. They have set the standard and the players cannot drop below it, or they will have me to answer to."

"To pick up seven points out of nine was a massive week for us, and I was delighted. It gives us a bit of breathing space from the bottom two but that's all it was – a good week.

"My priority now is the home form which has been fantastic since I came in and we are going to keep working hard to make sure we try to do our best to win the three points on Saturday."

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Notts County chairman Alan Hardy has announced that current season ticket holders will benefit from a discount should they wish to renew for next season.

Prior to the change of ownership, the Magpies had endured a difficult campaign which saw them freefalling towards League Two's relegation places, though the last few weeks have seen the team rally round and give themselves hope of survival.

An email sent out by Hardy to season ticket holders sees him acknowledge concerns that, due to reduced ticket prices since he took over, fans may feel that their packages are being devalued.

The email says: "As you will be aware, since becoming chairman and owner I have made it my priority to engage with the local community and increase attendances by putting a number of ticketing initiatives in place.

"Quite rightly, a number of season ticket holders have voiced concern that their package is being devalued as a result of the reduced pricing. I would therefore like to assure you that 2016-17 season ticket holders will benefit from an exclusive discount on season tickets for the 2017-18 campaign. I will confirm full details in due course.

"In addition, I can confirm that your Bring a Friend voucher, if you haven’t already used it, is valid for any of this season’s remaining home matches.

"I apologise for any frustration caused by the reduction in matchday pricing - it is fully understandable. However I am sure you share my desire for bigger attendances at Meadow Lane."

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