Notts Alumni

Born on 14 April 1972 in Erdington, Birmingham, Paul John Devlin carved out an impressive football career that spanned two decades.  Known for his versatility as a midfielder and forward, Devlin made over 500 appearances across the Football League, Premier League, and League of Ireland, earning ten caps for the Scotland national team along the way.  His journey from non-league football to the top tiers of English football is a testament to his determination, skill, and love for the gam

Born on 16 November 1898 in Derby, Tom Keetley was a legendary English footballer who played as a centre forward. He was part of a footballing family, with several of his brothers, including Arthur, Harry, Joe, Frank and Charlie, playing professionally as well. Keetley started his career with Bradford Park Avenue before joining Doncaster Rovers in 1923. He played for Doncaster for a decade and became their all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 180 goals in 231 appearances. Keetley's impressi

Born on May 13, 1942, in the small Nottinghamshire mining town of Eastwood, Jeffrey Astle would become one of the most beloved footballers in the history of Notts County and West Bromwich Albion. Astle grew up in a family of seven, with three brothers and three sisters, and his childhood was far from easy. But from an early age, he showed a talent for football that would eventually lead him to play at the highest levels of the game. Astle began his career with Notts County, signing his

Much is being made recently of the Jamie Vardy phenomenon, that is looking at the non-league for players who are late bloomers and may just have what it takes to flourish at the top, but really it's something that has been going on for years and years. Take Andy Legg, for example. Born in Neath on 28 July 1966, he did not join the professional ranks until 1988, at the age of 22. As a teenager, Legg attended Glan Afan Comprehensive School in Port Talbot. After he left, he worked for the

As Notts County alumni go, David "Dave" Watson has to go down as one of the most well-travelled players with one of the most comprehensive careers to have donned the black and white stripes. Born in Stapleford on 5 October 1946, Watson worked as an electrician before getting his footballing break with the Magpies in 1966. Watson made 26 appearances for Notts over two seasons before being signed by Rotherham United, then under the management of future Scotland and Manchester United mana

Since its inception, Notts Alumni has provided an interesting look at the careers of renowned football players who have at some point worn the black and white stripes of Notts County. Sometimes they’ve covered professionals who began or flourished at Meadow Lane and are currently still active (Kelvin Wilson, Kasper Schmeichel). Other examples regard veteran players who are in their professional twilights or even semi-retired (Mike Edwards), recent retirees (Mark Draper, Michael Johnson) or

Young people often follow in their parents' footsteps. A person's behaviour, opinions and actions will doubtlessly filter through to their children, and the same can be said about a person's career - as they have inside knowledge of their chosen field, this will influence the son or daughter, and the likelihood of them entering the same field is high. This is also the case in football, with professional players' kids often getting into the sport, where they can benefit from the parent's knowledg

Arthur Mann was born in Falkirk, Scotland on 23 January 1948 and began his footballing career at Heart of Midlothian in 1967. A versatile player who could line up in both defence and midfield, he played for Hearts in the 1968 Scottish Cup Final, although he ended up on the losing side as Dunfermline won 3-1. It was not long before his talents were spotted across the border and he moved to Manchester City for £65,000, then a record for a Scottish defender transferring to an English side

Born in the Maryhill area of Glasgow on 24 September 1970, Gary McSwegan came through the ranks at Rangers, one of the city's - and indeed the country's - top clubs, joining as a child and becoming a professional in 1986, aged just 16. Although McSwegan struggled for game time at Ibrox, he nonetheless helped the club to one of its standout results of its history, scoring against Marseille - one of the marquee European clubs at the time - in the 1992-93 Champions League, a trophy which the F

As we know all too well, a footballer's credentials for his club do not always translate into international recognition. And the England squad is littered with such examples over the years. Take Matt Le Tissier. One of the most talented players the nation has ever produced, he simply wasn't given the chance to do for the Three Lions what he did with Southampton. Likewise Chris Sutton, one half of the SAS strike partnership at Blackburn Rovers, was not really considered by England and only w

The 1960s. A truly exciting time to be in Britain. After the post-war hardship and belt-tightening of the 1950s, the 60s were the decade of social change in Britain. Contraception became available, fashion became more risque, hedonism, optimism and the feeling of being able to change the world was on the agenda for many youngsters. On the footballing side, England officially became the greatest team in the world in 1966. George Best was thrilling crowds (and ladies) on and off the pitc

In the lower reaches of the Football League, the turnaround of players at football clubs is generally quite high. Contracts tend to be one or two year deals, and players who fail to make the grade are shipped out or let go before long, while better players are more inclined to make the step up to bigger clubs in higher divisions who can offer better wages and challenge for honours.  Mike Edwards, however, bucks that trend. Over two spells, the combative defender has been on the books o

Over the years, many football clubs with a proud history and tradition have found themselves staring into the abyss. Manchester City, Portsmouth FC, Luton Town, Leeds United, Southampton FC, Sheffield United, and in recent times Swindon Town. Many more have come close to extinction because of problems, financial or otherwise. Notts County in the mid-2000s were one such club, administration and near-liquidation on the verge of condemning the club to a long spell outside the football league and po

The relationship between a great player and the football clubs he plays for is one of the most diverse aspects of football. Some players spend most or all of their career at one club - Jamie Carragher, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville come to mind. Some players will transfer between clubs multiple times, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Nicolas Anelka. And some are in between, who have played for just a few clubs but made enough of an impact at each of them to be loved by each set of fans. Michae

Every Notts fan, young and old, will know about, or at least have heard of, Jimmy Sirrel. The Glaswegian is undisputably the greatest manager in the history of Notts County. Once asked who was the best player in his legendary team of the early 1980s, he nominated his goalkeeper, giving the following reason: "In my opinion, the goalkeeper is the number one man in your team. You start with a point, and if he doesn't lose a goal, you get that. So if you score one, you've won." The goalkeeper h

As a football fan, it’s always a pleasure when a born-and-bred local lad is nurtured at your club, before making it to the upper echelons of the game. It’s all the better when said player supports and loves that team too, and continues to give to the club and the community even after their playing career is over. Mark Draper fits in this category one hundred per cent. Born on the 11th November 1970 in Long Eaton, Draper was scouted by the Notts County academy as a youngster and pr

In theory, footballers will play at clubs which befit their abilities, skills and talents. The top players will obviously turn out for the most lucrative, competitive, highest-profile teams, while average players will wear the shirts of average teams, or play in average leagues. However, this theory has been confounded many times. Who could have predicted that Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, having just had a great World Cup campaign with Argentina, would end up being signed by struggli

Born on the 12th October 1981 in Dublin, Ireland, Thompson began his football career with his local team River Valley Rangers, before joining Home Farm FC, a club famed for its illustrious youth system. During his time there, he was called up to the Irish Under-16 team, and helped the Boys in Green to a first UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, defeating the mighty Italy in Scotland. At the age of seventeen, he signed for Forest, another team with a strong youth system, and b

Whilst some players are able to drag a team to the next level, others are able to stop a team from falling into the previous one, inspiring their team mates and excelling where others are failing. A rare shining light during two of Notts County's darkest seasons, Glynn Hurst's goals helped keep the Magpies safe when they were at their lowest ebb, when "previous level" meant "non-league" and possibly "extinction". The Barnsley-born player, much like a lower-league Dimitar Berbatov, delighted

Football is a sport of many styles, many methods, many tactics, many demographics. It’s one of the most inclusive sports in the world, which adds to its global appeal. You can carve out a career if you’re a skinny 5’5’’ tactician and you can become a star if you’re a 6’6’’ giant built like a brick outhouse. You can be elegant and refined, or you can be uncompromising and sturdy. Lionel Messi, Nobby Styles, Yaya Toure and Peter Crouch have all been capped multiple times for their respec

With Notts County having such a rich history, there are dozens of illustrious former players for every generation over the last 150 years, with some individuals having excelled for the club so far back that nobody currently alive will have seen them play. This is the case of James "Jimmy" Logan, who was born in a time when Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Queen Victoria were still alive. Born on 24 June 1870 in the Scottish town of Troon, Logan began his career at Ayr United, j

Every remarkable Notts County team over the years has comprised of quality players in every position of the pitch, and as arguably the most important one in any squad, the goalkeeper slot has also been filled by some great names at Meadow Lane. From Albert Iremonger in the early 20th century to the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Bartosz Bialkowski in the 2010s, via Jimmy Sirrel's protege Raddy Avramovic in the early 80s, every generation of Notts fans will fondly remember at least one quali