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Joe Jones
A fundraising drive has begun to design and install a plaque outside the Nottingham hotel where a meeting was held to create Notts County Football Club.
On December 7, 1864, a group of individuals gathered in Suite 102 in what was then the George Hotel - now the Mercure Hotel - on George Street, Hockley, and created the first professional ‘foot-ball’ club in the world.
Notts fan Andy Black has started a crowdfunding page with the aim of raising £450 so a plaque - the idea of which was proposed by the Nottingham Civic Society - can be installed by the Mercure Hotel's entrance to pay tribute to this historic meeting.
He told the Nottingham Post: “I am just a football fan and I am passionate about my club. After helping to raise funds for the Jimmy and Jack statue outside the stadium, I was asked to help raise funds for this plaque.
"I want to give Notts County fans the opportunity to contribute to a plaque to go outside the hotel.
“Nottingham Forest have the Brian Clough statue right in the city centre and I’d like to see more recognition of County in the centre of town.
"It will be of interest to tourists too who come through the city centre and will want to learn about the history of the club."

Notts owner Alan Hardy added: "We are extremely proud of our status as the world’s oldest Football League club and commend Andy’s efforts to commemorate our birthplace.
"The meeting that took place inside the Mercure in 1864 was hugely significant for the sport and the plaque will be a fitting way for people to learn more about our club’s unrivalled history."
The Post has also revealed that the plaque is going to be black with white writing, the colours of the club, and that the fundraisers hope to have the money raised by the end of October so the plaque is ready to be unveiled on the anniversary of the club’s creation in December.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has revealed that several prospective signings backed out of a move to Notts County as he would not guarantee them first-team football.
The Magpies strengthened their squad throughout the summer but did not make any further additions on deadline day.
A number of players, such as Sheffield Wednesday's George Hirst and Nottingham Forest's Tyler Walker, plus an Everton academy forward, were all linked to the club, but no moves materialised.
On the subject of his goal-getters, Nolan told the Nottingham Post: “I have goals all over the pitch. It’s great because on the bench I know I can bring quality on as well.
“I’ve got Lewis Alessandra, Jon Stead, Jorge Grant, Jonathan Forte, Shola Ameobi, Richard Duffy and Shaun Brisley – they’ve all got goals in them.
“We have them all over the team and that’s why I was happy with our business and how early we did it.
“But like I said if that special one had come up, and it wasn’t for the want of trying, but we were either priced out of a move, or players didn’t think they could dislodge who we already had up front.
“They didn’t want to fight for their position and wanted guarantees they would play first-team football but I don’t offer guarantees to anyone even my players about playing week in or week out.”
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Joe Jones
Lewis Alessandra has expressed his delight with grabbing the winning goal for Notts County at Port Vale, but also hailed the togetherness and effort of the whole team.
The winger came off the bench on Saturday at Vale Park and, with his first touch, bundled home Jorge Grant's cross to open the scoring with what proved to be the winner.
However, the entire Magpies setup had to be at their best when they fell to 10 men following three substitutions and Shaun Brisley's departure due to injury.
“That’s what you want to do as a substitute - come on and make an impact and I was happy to do that within 30 seconds,” Alessandra told the official Notts site.
“I want everyone in this team to be doing well, but I’ve done my job today by coming off the bench and making an impact.
“It would have been nice to cap off a great day with a second goal but we’re more than happy with three points.
“Victories like this mean a lot when you’ve had to really work for it, as you could see by the reaction from the lads at the end of the game.
“The big thing in this team is the togetherness. There are five or six captains which is really good for us, especially with the blend of youth in the team.
“The manager has built a team full of great lads. We’re a tight-knit group and we enjoy working for each other.
"The camaraderie in the group is fantastic and, with regards to strength in depth, this is the best League Two side I’ve played in.”
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has found himself praising his Notts County substitutes once again as the Magpies claimed a 1-0 win at Port Vale.
With the League Two game evenly poised on a knife-edge, its solitary goal came through Lewis Alessandra, who came off the bench to score with his first tough, bundling home a Jorge Grant cross.
The task of holding on to the lead was made all the more difficult after Shaun Brisley had to be taken off following a head knock and, with all three substitutions already made, Notts had to see the game out with 10 men.
“I was delighted with the win and I spoke about it a lot in my recent press conferences and after games in that the lads coming off the bench were making an impact,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“Rob Milsom came on and was absolutely first class and really steadied us. He made a fantastic contribution.
“Fortes and Lewis also played their part. If you look at Lewi he played right-back at the end after the injury to Shaun.
“It’s not his position but was fantastic. We knew what to do when we went down to 10 men because we’ve practised it.
“As soon as it happened, the lads knew exactly what to do and what their responsibilities are.
“We leave no stone unturned and It’s a credit to the lads that they take it all on board.
“It wasn’t the greatest spectacle but when you go away and you get a clean sheet and win 1-0, then it’s fantastic.
“The fans will go away not remembering anything about the game, but knowing they’ve won the match.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County's season continues to go from strength to strength after a solid 1-0 win over Port Vale in Saturday's League Two fixture at Vale Park.
Lewis Alessandra came on as a substitute and scored with his first touch of the game in the second half to edge the visitors ahead.
The Valiants didn't offer much and, even with Shaun Brisley coming off injured and leaving the Magpies down to ten men having made all their substitutions, they still couldn't find a way back into the game.
County's victory means that they are unbeaten in five games in all competitions (and if you were to specify it as "in the 90 minutes", then we drew with Scunthorpe United too, technically speaking!) and, in League Two, sit an impressive fifth in the table, with 10 points from five games.
Here is some of the reaction from some of the Notts players, the manager, and the Black and White Army.
Kevin Nolan
"It wasn't the greatest spectacle but when you go away, get a clean sheet and a win it's just fantastic. And then you hear all the fans singing at the end, not remembering much from the game but knowing they've won!
"Port Vale are under a bit of pressure so we knew they were going to come out all guns blazing and trying to put their stamp on the game. But I thought we rode that out well and didn't give them many opportunities.
"Thankfully, when the chance came our way, Lewis was on hand to put it in the back of the net. We're absolutely delighted."
The players
Lewis Alessandra
“Victories like this mean a lot when you’ve had to really work for it, as you could see by the reaction from the lads at the end of the game.
“The big thing in this team is the togetherness. There are five or six captains which is really good for us, especially with the blend of youth in the team.
“The manager has built a team full of great lads. We’re a tight-knit group and we enjoy working for each other. The camaraderie in the group is fantastic and, with regards to strength in depth, this is the best League Two side I’ve played in.”
Jorge Grant
Adam Collin
Carl Dickinson
Ryan Yates
Liam Walker
The fans (from PON's Port Vale match discussion thread)
Liampie
Brill result yesterday, its wins like this which will impact our final league position so i am delighted.
Upthepies
Good win but Port Vale could have easily got the victory themselves. In the first half they had a cracking chance which they wasted and the performance was not good enough. It was an awful game for both teams. Very scrappy.
Ell100t
Didn't get to see the match, but only needed to watch the highlights to see what an impact Dan Jones had on the game. Two moments of defensive brilliance. I know it is only one game, but personally I am very relieved with our start to the season as it doesn't feel like it is over before it has began for the first time in a while. Not getting too carried away, but just very thankful to finally see some more positivity around the players and the fans.
Countyman
Very uninspiring performance but the players kept at it and got the win. Port Vale don't look like much of a side in league two but I just hope nobody gets carried away. If we win a few or lose one, people just get all OTT.
The Skipper
Port Vale wasn't really bad they just looked like a team without any real ideas. They could have taken the win for themselves after two early chances which Collin saved and then Jones running back when they was clear through. I am not all that bothered about the performance because the training ground will sort that. At this stage its just good to get the points!
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Joe Jones
Notts County's impressive run this season continues to gather pace after a 1-0 win at Port Vale on Saturday.
The Magpies faced their third League One-relegated opponent in their first five League Two games of the season at Vale Park in the first weekend of September.
However, the Valiants have not been in good form this campaign, and they succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Notts thanks to substitute Lewis Alessandra's second-half strike.
Despite going down to ten men due to Shaun Brisley's injury after all three substitutions had been made, Kevin Nolan's charges continued to impress and saw the game out with little trouble.
The result sees the Magpies in an impressive fifth-place position (or joint-third if you will) in the table, with 10 points from five games.
Admittedly, it was not the prettiest of games, but a win's a win's a win.
And if you want to relive the performance - and of course the celebrations for the goal and the final score - Notts County's official YouTube channel has got the highlights up.
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Chris
Notts County's season continues to go from strength to strength after a solid 1-0 win over Port Vale in Saturday's League Two fixture at Vale Park.
Lewis Alessandra came on as a substitute and scored with his first touch of the game in the second half to edge the visitors ahead.
The Valiants didn't offer much and, even with Shaun Brisley coming off injured and leaving the Magpies down to ten men having made all their substitutions, they still couldn't find a way back into the game.
In this piece, Chris has taken an in-depth look at how both sides played, whether the result was fair, and how to move forward.
Was the result fair?
I feel the result may have probably been fairer as a draw, however I do think Notts performed better than Port Vale – so victory to the Magpies isn’t unjust or unworthy for the Valiants.
How did Notts play?
Notts tried to change the tempo of the game at times, only for Port Vale to bring it back down to the ground to which slowed down the game massively. Notts could have done with creating more clear chances, with a cutting edge, but overall the win wasn’t pretty at all.
How did Port Vale play?
They played like a team struggling to adapt to the division, despite having signed some new players – this probably also impacted their play. Port Vale struggled to get hold of the game and looked largely ineffective throughout the pitch.
Did our tactics work out?
The simple answer would be yes, yet this type of game is where in-game tactics could have been used to give Notts more of an edge. I’m not complaining though as everything worked well, yet from a tactical point-of-view there could have been positive changes. Yesterday’s game was largely down to performances and the type of play which emulated from it.
How did the referee perform?
Average League Two referee is how most would sum up Robert Lewis. There will always be something questionable decisions, yet he allowed the game to flow and generally didn’t interfere too much.
Who do we play next?
Morecambe – this will be a difficult game in terms of the physicality for Notts. They’re a side which we must show we can play against, and well.
How should we play them?
It’s quite obvious that Kevin Nolan already has the basis of his starting 11, any changes will merely reflect on the opposition or injuries/knocks picked up.
Personally, I would look into forming a holding midfield and include the absentee Rob Milsom – he will allow Notts to fight the type of tactics which Morecambe will try to play with, whilst his ‘move forward’ frame of mind will allow Notts to go forward in a positive way.
I highly suspect there won’t be any changes up top, however I would start with a bit more pace there if possible. Shola Ameobi will be influencing the midfield and anchor play, so if Jon Stead starts he must play closer to the Morecambe defence.
He could use Jorge Grant, as someone who could release him but there’s no doubt in my mind that Notts must look to retain the ball and move promptly with it. Draw the fouls and use it to gain ground, whilst any free-kicks outside of the penalty will be key.
Port Vale fans view (courtesy of One Vale Fan):
Jeffers: We can't score goals as we don't play with strikers other than the cart horse up front. It's not Tom Pope's fault but his best days are behind him. Where is the pace to frighten defenders... lying on the sick bed.
Jacko51: In our last 12 league games we have failed to score in 9 of them. Brown won't solve this problem by playing Tom Pope on his own up front with no one within 30 yards of him. Tom won't outrun the defence so you can't play the ball in behind. There is no point hoofing the ball in the air to Pope if no one is near him to pick up the knock downs. It's absolute madness to keep doing the same thing game after game and expecting a different outcome.
Jeffers: Tom played well against Crewe but not today. Jones gave him 20 yards and caught him. Don't be blinded by Toms heart on the sleeve attitude, but he will be lucky to get 10 goals. He never was blessed with pace, but my frustration is that he needs legs around him which Brown doesn't see.
Bluedevil: Why did Brown make his first substitution when he did? We had no shape or threat after his changes, County couldn't have believed their luck. Brown snatched a defeat from the jaws of victory today.
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Joe Jones
The one-club man. Uncommon even in the olden days, such an entity is now rarer than a unicorn. Though there have been some in recent years - Jamie Carragher, Francesco Totti - they are a dying breed, although you do get some who spend 99 percent of their pro career at one club and then have one final payday elsewhere - nobody could begrudge Steven Gerrard his swansong at LA Galaxy, for example.
One example of a fully-fledged bona fide one-club man at Notts County is Brian Stubbs. Born on 8 February 1950 in Keyworth, he is a prodigal son of Nottingham who, despite his impressive performances and illustrious career, was never swayed by a move away from Meadow Lane.
Stubbs was a student at the illustrious sporting institution of Loughborough University in the late 60s and was impressing for their football team when, during the 1967/68 season he was offered a trial by Nottingham Forest.
However, this was not to be his step into the professional game - he waited one more year before penning a deal with Notts County, under the then manager Billy Gray - who departed soon after to be replaced by caretaker manager Jack Wheeler.
Stubbs made his debut at inside-right for the Magpies, who were toiling in the Fourth Division at the time, but given his power, toughness and determination, he was soon converted to a central defender, which as the years went on, turned out to be a stroke of genius.
He made just two appearances in 1968/69 as Notts finished 19th in the table, just three points clear of the bottom four, but there was a storm - of a good kind - brewing at the club, because as we all know, the 1969/70 season would herald the arrival of a certain Scottish manager by the name of Jimmy Sirrel.

As the Swinging Sixties rolled to an end, Stubbs revelled in his new role in defence and, with the Glaswegian taking the helm in November 1969, the 19-year-old made 35 appearances as Notts entered the summer of 1970 with a much-improved seventh-placed finish in the fourth tier.
Sirrel's impressive work truly came to fruition the following season, when the Magpies became champions of the Fourth division, finishing nine points clear of runners-up Bournemouth, and Stubbs had by this point developed into such a quality defender that he was voted Player of the Year.
Stubbs had developed an impressive centre-back partnership with David Needham, who was at the club between 1965 and 1977, and despite other clubs sniffing around Stubbsy, he was never persuaded to leave Meadow Lane, as third division status became second division status and, following eight years in the second tier, the dream had finally been accomplished - Notts became a top tier club in 1981.
Sadly, it would seem that Stubbs never did get the chance to turn out in the First Division - According to David McVay in Steak Diana Ross II, "he was denied his moment of glory and an appearance in the top flight by the management duo who refused to pick him despite his outstanding service."

Stubbs made 426 league appearances in total for Notts, scoring 21 goals and played for eleven years at the club, his entire professional career, and to this day he is still welcomed back with open arms at Meadow Lane.
According to The League Paper, Stubbs still lives in his native Keyworth and "worked in the building industry and before becoming a painter and decorator until his ­retirement", and, back to McVay's book, "still socialises and throws the odd dart in public houses south of the River Trent".
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has given a positive update on Shaun Brisley after the defender suffered a blow to the head in Notts County's 1-0 win over Port Vale on Saturday.
The centre-back was knocked to the ground after the blow late on in the game and had to be taken off.
This left the Magpies to see the rest of the match out with 10 men after they had already made all three substitutions.
However, Nolan is not worried about the long-term prognosis, telling the Nottingham Post: “He’s okay, he was up and about afterwards.
“Shaun is a great lad and he wanted to stay on. He could remember everything which is always a good sign.
"But we have to make sure we look after him and the welfare of the boy.
“He’s a strong competitor and hopefully we won’t miss him for too many games. But we will do what is right by him because that’s the type of club we are.”
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ARLukomski
Notts County's impressive run this season continues to gather pace after a 1-0 win at Port Vale on Saturday.
The Magpies faced their third League One-relegated opponent in their first five League Two games of the season at Vale Park in the first weekend of September.
However, the Valiants have not been in good form this campaign, and they succumbed to a defeat at the hands of Notts thanks to substitute Lewis Alessandra's second-half strike.
Despite going down to ten men due to Shaun Brisley's injury after all three substitutions had been made, Kevin Nolan's charges continued to impress and saw the game out with little trouble.
The result sees the Magpies in an impressive fifth-place position (or joint-third if you will) in the table, with 10 points from five games.
ARLukomski, a Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor, discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle.
Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has declared himself "absolutely delighted" with Notts County's gutsy display in their 1-0 win at Port Vale on Saturday.
Lewis Alessandra came on as a substitute and bundled the ball into the hosts' net with his first touch of the game for what would turn out to be the winner.
Even when Shaun Brisley was taken off through injury and the Magpies had already made all their substitutions, the 10 men still managed to impose themselves on their opponents.
"It wasn't the greatest spectacle but when you go away, get a clean sheet and a win it's just fantastic," Nolan told the official Notts site.
"And then you hear all the fans singing at the end, not remembering much from the game but knowing they've won!
"Port Vale are under a bit of pressure so we knew they were going to come out all guns blazing and trying to put their stamp on the game. But I thought we rode that out well and didn't give them many opportunities.
"Thankfully, when the chance came our way, Lewis was on hand to put it in the back of the net. We're absolutely delighted.
"We were ready for going down to 10 men. We've practiced it, so as soon as it happened the lads knew exactly what their roles and responsibilities were.
"We don't leave any stone unturned and it's a credit to the lads that they've taken it on board. I thought they saw the game out really well."
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Joe Jones
Notts County have got their September off to an ideal start with a clean sheet and three points from a tough League Two fixture, winning 1-0 at newly relegated side Port Vale in Burslem.
The prettiest game it was not. But the result is what counts, and Kevin Nolan's charges could not have asked for a better result, particularly given they played the latter stages of the game with ten men.
Neither side managed to stamp their mark on the game in the first half, the only effort of note coming from David Worrall's strike on 24 minutes which cannonned off the woodwork.
With Nolan opting again to use Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi up front, while Vale used Tom Pope as a lone striker, perhaps it wasn't much of a surprise that chances were few and far between.
There was more in terms of goalmouth action in the second half, as Dan Jones had to be alert to make a last-ditch tackle to deny Tom Pope and then clear Gavin Gunning’s header off the line.
The breakthough - which would turn out to be the winner - came in the 67th minute, as Jorge Grant's cross was met by substitute Lewis Alessandra, who bundled home from close range to send the Black and White army barmy.
Notts were then reduced to ten men when Shaun Brisley suffered an injury and had to be helped off the pitch, with all three of their substitutions having already been made.
Even when eight minutes of injury time was awarded, giving the Valiants plenty of time to try and find an equaliser, the hosts had little in response, ensuring that the full-time whistle would bring joy to the travelling pack.
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Joe Jones
Notts County defender Shaun Brisley has claimed that Port Vale's last-minute spending will not have any bearing on the Magpies' tactics ahead of today's League Two meeting at Vale Park.
The Valiants strengthened their ranks with the arrival of Harry Middleton from Doncaster Rovers and Burnley defender Tom Anderson, both expected to make their debuts against Notts.
Brisley told the Nottingham Post: “I don’t think it matters who teams sign. When you get out on to the pitch it’s just 11 v 11.
“We’ve just got to focus on ourselves and make sure we do what we are good at. We’ve got a good squad here with such strength in depth.
“So we don’t need to worry about anybody else, we’ve just got to take care of ourselves.”
Brisley also opened up about County's improvements with each passing game and believes things will continue to get better as the season rolls on.
He added: “We’ve started well apart from the opening loss to Coventry. It was a bit of a weird day and we were second best, which is the best way to put it.
“But there was a good reaction from the lads at Scunthorpe and we’ve improved each game as we’ve gone.
“Hopefully we will carry on and continue to get even better. You can see in the performances each week since Coventry and we are looking a good outfit.”
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has hit out at suggestions that Notts County need reinforcements up front, describing the current strike force as "the best at the club in a long, long time."
Many fans over the last few weeks have called for the Magpies to recruit a new forward, given the mixed form of the ones currently in the role, as well as their advancing ages, while Callum Saunders is believed to be more of a reserve-level player.
However, Nolan thinks the current batch of marksmen are the envy of the rest of League Two, and revealed that many suitable strikers they've been in touch with over the summer either wanted huge money, priced themselves out of a move, or did not feel they could replace the first-team trio.
He is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying: “We’ve got the best strike force in a long, long, time at this club so everyone should be happy.
“It baffles me because I think if it was any other club in this division, they would be delighted with the strikers we have. They wouldn’t be worrying, but apparently we are.
“I did ring a lot of strikers over the summer and the quality we were looking at either went for big money, or pricing themselves out of a move.
“If people think that I haven’t spoken about strikers, then they are completely wrong. But the reason why nobody has come in is because they don’t feel as if they can replace Jon Stead, Shola Ameobi or Jonathan Forte.
"Then we’ve got Callum Saunders and Alan Smith which is great back-up.
“I know there is a lot of talk about me playing Jonathan Forte but I didn’t have that complaint back in January when I first walked in through the door.
“I am frustrated about being asked about a striker, because I feel we have enough.
“It’s quite funny because everybody who has been promoted, apart from one team in the last 10 years, hasn’t had a 20-goal striker.
“I’ve done my research and I know what I need. If I needed a 20-goal striker, Alan (Hardy) would have given me one – that’s how he works.
“I am delighted with the squad I have. It is hungry, and I feel the more time they spend together, they will get better.
“But if we have to revisit signing players again in January then we will, but it will be our decision and our decision only.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County have met Port Vale a grand total of 101 times over the years, with the first two fixtures coming within a week of each other back in February 1921. The Magpies won the first game 2-1, but lost 1-0 at Meadow Lane.
Notts have the upper edge having won 45 games, lost 36, and drawn 20 against the Valiants, with the highest scoring matches coming in February 1927 (a 6-2 defeat) and April 1935 (a 5-3 defeat).
Last time these two played, at Meadow Lane in League One in February 2015, Vale won 1-0.
Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location.
The name Port Vale exists on maps pre–dating the formation of the club, which probably occurred in 1879, and is a reference to a valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal, associated with the city's pottery industry.
The club itself is actually based in Burslem, one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent.
Port Vale have never been in the top tier of English football, and the last time they were in the second tier was back in 1999-2000.
In terms of silverware, the Valiants have won the Staffordshire Senior Cup twice, in 1920 and 2001, whilst being runners-up in 1900 and 2010, as well as several other regional cups like the Birmingham Senior Cup, one of the oldest county football competitions still active.
The club, despite being fairly small, enjoys the support of some world-famous celebrities. Robbie Williams is known to be a huge fan, to the point that he held £240,000 worth of shares in the club and has a restaurant at Vale Park named after him.
For the videogame FIFA 2000, he provided an original theme song called It's Only Us, on the condition that Port Vale should be included in the game, which they were, located in the Rest of World section (back in the days when the smaller teams weren't included).
Also, in 2005, Williams founded Los Angeles Vale FC, a Super Metro League team in the United States, named after Port Vale and based at his Los Angeles home.
Darts star Phil “The Power” Taylor is also a big fan, while Blue (that Noughties boy-band) singer Simon Webbe was part of their youth setup until a ligament injury hampered any prospect of a career in football.
Team news
Port Vale will be without veteran midfielder Michael Tonge through suspension for the visit of Notts as he is serving a three-match ban for his sending off in last weekend's home loss to Crewe.
Goalkeeper Rob Lainton is hoping to return after four games out with a thigh injury but defender Tyrone Barnett (hamstring) is not yet fit despite making good progress.
Striker Rekeil Pyke (hamstring) will also be assessed while forward Anton Forrester (thigh) and midfielder Danny Pugh (knee) are longer-term absentees.
Notts will be without the suspended Matt Tootle after defender was sent off late on in the 2-2 home draw with Accrington Stanley, and he will serve a one-match ban at Vale Park.
Magpies manager Kevin Nolan will probably choose between Carl Dickinson and Nicky Hunt to replace Tootle at full-back.
Striker Jonathan Forte continues to push for a starting place after impressing from the bench in recent matches.
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Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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