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Joe Jones
Notts County finally stopped the rot and avoided an 11th consecutive League Two defeat after holding local rivals Mansfield Town to a goalless draw in Saturday's early kickoff at Meadow Lane.
The biggest crowd of the season - 7,843 Notts fans from a total of 11,328 - packed into the Lane for the derby, the first game of new owner Alan Hardy's tenure and also the first match for new boss Kevin Nolan.
It proved a tense, heated derby, with the Stags eager to inflict more pain on the Magpies, who in turn were galvanised from the change of ownership and management.
The only concrete chance of the first half came just after the half-hour mark, when Ben Whiteman charged into the Notts box and rattled an effort off a defender which looped into the air and looked to go in before Adam Collin clawed it away.
From the corner, Rhys Bennett headed wide, while at the other end, there were claims for a penalty as Jon Stead was hauled off the ball by Malvind Benning, but nothing was given.
Magpies captain Michael O'Connor saw a rifled shot charged down by a Mansfield defender after the restart, but in the 51st minute the hosts came within a whisker of conceding, only for former Magpie Yoann Arquin to sidefoot wide at the far post when it seemed easier to score.
That proved to be the best chance of the game, with both sides ultimately cancelling each other out and playing out a scoreless draw, which was incredibly well received by the Notts faithful, even if it did mean that the side slipped into the League Two drop zone after the 3pm kickoffs were played.
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Joe Jones
Nottinghamshire rivals Notts County and Mansfield Town have met 48 times over the years.
The first fixture between the two was in October 1937, a 2-0 win for the Magpies in Division Three (South).
Notts only just have the upper hand with 18 wins, 17 defeats, and 13 draws.
Between 1989 and 2001, the two sides met six times – and Notts won each time.
County's record over the last 10 meetings, however, is poor, standing at two wins, four defeats, and four draws.
This record is embellished by the fact Notts have beaten Mansfield twice in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the last two years.
In reality, the Magpies haven't got a league win over the Stags since August 2005.
The Stags were formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans, changing their name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910.
Mansfield won the Football League Trophy in 1987, in their first game at Wembley Stadium. After a 1–1 draw with Bristol City, they won the cup 5–4 in the deciding penalty shootout, thanks to Kevin Hitchcock saving two penalties.
That remains the only cup win in their history, though they did win the Division Four title in 1974-75, Division Three two seasons later, and the Conference in 2012-13.
Famous people from Mansfield include Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, media presenter Richard Bacon, FA Cup-winning goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic and award-winning fashion designer Elspeth Gibson.
Team news
Kevin Nolan will be in charge of Notts County for the first time when local rivals Mansfield Town visit Meadow Lane.
The former Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham midfielder, formerly manager at Leyton Orient, was named as John Sheridan's successor on Thursday and will look to halt a club-record run of 10 straight league defeats.
This has left the Magpies just one place and one point above the relegation zone.
Nolan said he will take guidance as regards team selection from Alan Smith and Mark Crossley, who took charge at Morecambe last weekend, before making the final decision based on what he sees in training on Friday.
Since the 4-1 defeat at the Globe Arena, loan pair Aaron Collins and Vadaine Oliver have returned to their parent clubs.
Mansfield, meanwhile, will be without central defender Kyle Howkins after he limped off in the EFL Trophy win over Oldham in midweek.
However, the West Brom loan player looks set to be replaced in the back four by Hayden White after he joined the Stags on loan from Peterborough for the rest of the season.
White is a right-back so Rhys Bennett will probably be moved into the centre to fill in for Howkins.
Recent signings Joel Byrom and Ben Whiteman come back into contention after being cup-tied against Oldham.
Stags boss Steve Evans hopes to make another signing in time for the short trip to Meadow Lane but it remains to be seen if that deal gets done in time.
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Joe Jones
Out with the old and in with the new.
The protracted Notts County takeover saga is now but a distant memory, with new owner Alan Hardy now officially in charge of the club.
Hardy appeared in front of the cameras on Thursday afternoon at Meadow Lane to introduce himself to the world and discuss his plans and hopes for the world's oldest Football League club.
Here is a breakdown of some of his key points, which were posted on the Notts Twitter page.
What he wants from the Notts players
"I have told the players that it is about unity. Today is the start of a new era and a blank piece of paper. What I am looking for is passion, desire and commitment. We have to show the fans that we want to win. They have to leave everything on the pitch. That is all we can ask of them.
"I understand the frustration of the fans and I have conveyed it to the players. The players need to rise to this challenge. The passion and determination in this club needs to go up a few notches and I think it will."
On speculation linking the club to Harry Redknapp
"I have had lots of conversations with Harry Redknapp this week but they were never about him becoming manager here. I like to surround myself with people who know more than I do and Harry fits that bill with regards to football."
On the appointment of Kevin Nolan as the club's new manager
"Kevin is an outstanding leader. We have 20 games left and we need immediate change on the pitch to ensure our EFL safety. He shares my ambition and desire to have young players come through into the first team."
On the transfer embargo
"It is no secret that there is a transfer embargo in place and we have a court hearing with HMRC on 6 February. It is a hugely complex situation. It is not as easy as me writing a cheque and writing off the debt. I expect to make the last seven days of the transfer window to be able to bring players in. That is my target. I cannot say the embargo will be lifted by Monday. My solicitors are now working on resolving that situation."
On grassroots football and appointing a new academy director
"I have been brought up on local football. I love grassroots football. We have scouts from Forest, Derby, Leicester but never one from Notts watching games. That will change. I will appoint a new Academy Director tomorrow... coming from West Bromwich Albion.
"Once we have secured survival this season I want to bring academy players into the first team. We need to start breeding our own. I want Notts County to be the club of choice for local 12 and 13 year olds who want to become professional footballers."
On the Notts fans
"I have been astounded by the passion of Notts County fans. I think we will get 10,000 people through the gates on Saturday. I want all of the fans to get behind the football club and give us a chance. Come for a few games and we will show this is a new club. I want to encourage children under 12 to be able to come to every game for free. They are our Magpies of the future."
On the Notts training facilities
"One thing holding us back is the lack of a proper training facility. That is one of the key deliverables to unlock success here."
His personal thoughts on becoming the new Notts owner
"Driving into the Chairman's space in the car park was the first time it really sank in for me. The last few weeks have been so stressful. I have not slept for more than 3 hours a night. It is probably 90% a decision [to buy the club] with the heart and 10% with the head. I am torn between excitement, nervousness and being incredibly humbled."
Where he sees Notts in the next five years
"There is no reason that we cannot be as big as our neighbours... there is no reason that we cannot be in the Championship in five years. This is a massive football club but that is not reflected by the success on the pitch. We have a 1, 3 and 5 year plan. We want the debts cleared in 3 years but if it takes 5 then so be it. I am here for the long haul. If this deal did not happen there was a good chance the club would have become extinct."
Joe Jones
Notts County have confirmed the appointment of Kevin Nolan as the club's new manager.
The 34-year-old became the youngest boss in the Football League last January when he became player-manager of Leyton Orient.
He enjoyed a long playing career as he made his name as a combative midfielder at Bolton Wanderers, and also enjoyed fruitful spells at Newcastle United and West Ham United,
Nolan's appointment comes as Notts welcome new owner Alan Hardy, who took over the club from Ray Trew on Wednesday after a few issues had to be ironed out.
Hardy told his first press conference on Thursday: "Kevin is an outstanding leader. We have 20 games left and we need immediate change on the pitch to ensure our EFL safety."
Nolan also spoke to the press and said: "I am delighted to be offered the job and I am looking forward to a top day on Saturday.
"We have a squad capable of staying in this league. I am aware of what I am walking into. I feel I can improve things. I wouldn't be sitting here as manager otherwise. It will be difficult but I have never been one to shy away from a fight.
"Sam Allardyce encouraged me to come here. I worked with Allardyce for almost 14 years. If I can emulate his success here it will be absolutely fantastic."
Nolan takes the reins at Meadow Lane with the club 22nd in League Two and reeling from 10 consecutive league defeats ahead of Saturday's visit of Mansfield Town.
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Joe Jones
Notts County have confirmed that Alan Hardy is the new owner of the club.
The Nottinghamshire businessman declared yesterday on Twitter that he "finally got there" and the takeover is now officially rubber-stamped.
It had been a tense few days this week as the transfer of ownership was expected to be completed on Monday, but a snag over the payment of a loan was successfully overcome.
Hardy, who takes over from Ray Trew, told the official Magpies site: “I am absolutely delighted to have brought these discussions to a positive conclusion and I am immensely proud and humbled to be the owner and chairman of this great football club.
“Clearly we all face a challenging time ahead but I am determined we should all meet these challenges head on.
"We have a huge amount of work to undertake and it is crucial that everyone connected with the club pulls together in the same direction.
"I wish to pay thanks to all Notts supporters for their backing, encouragement and humour in recent weeks and months.
"Our home fixture with Mansfield on Saturday has already adopted huge significance and I hope we will be able to see a huge groundswell of Notts support at Meadow Lane.
"My message to everyone would be to come down and support your club. We need it now as much as at any point in our club's illustrious history."
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Joe Jones
Saying it's not easy being a Notts County fan is as much a case of stating the obvious as proclaiming that bears probably go for number twos in forested areas.
Four years ago, almost to the day (9 January 2013), then-owner Ray Trew declared that he was not prepared to invest more money in the club, due to falling attendances and a lack of support.
This was at a time when the club was in the midst of relative stability and success, having enjoyed tilts at the League One playoffs and boasting talented, hardworking players like Alan Judge and Gary Liddle (Lee Hughes, sadly, had just left Notts at the time).
From then on, the Magpies went on a downward spiral - final-day survival in 2013-14, relegation back into League Two in 2014-15, and the soul-crushing almost-second-consecutive-relegation near-miss that was 2015-16.
With off-the-pitch turmoil going hand in hand with the poor footballing displays, it was getting increasingly difficult to keep the faith, and the gates duly dropped to reflect this.
The last three days have been especially difficult as Alan Hardy's takeover stalled and appeared in jeopardy, but finally it's been confirmed, and for the first time in months (we started this season quite well, after all), Notts fans can smile again.
A local businessman and devout Notts fan, Hardy is the owner that fans at Meadow Lane wanted, and his eagerness to post and reply to fans on Twitter is also reassuring, as it denotes transparency and a willingness to communicate.
Of course, the celebrations can only last so much, because there is much work to be done, and Hardy will no doubt hit the ground running.
Notts risk being dragged into the relegation dogfight following ten consecutive League Two defeats, a new manager needs to be appointed, the transfer window is open for incomings and outgoings to take place , and then there are those rumours of missed payments, all of which needs to be addressed swiftly.
But the key thing about Hardy is that he truly seems to care about the club and its fans, being one himself, and being from Notts, he will understand the role the club plays in the community.
This is what endears him to fans, so for the first time in a long time, the outlook for Notts is moderate to fair, rather than stormy and cloudy.
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has announced that he "finally got there" after a tense few days of negotiations to become Notts County's new owner.
The deal to take over the club was originally planned to go ahead on Monday, but the deal hit a snag following reports of a loan needing to be paid off.
Notts fans waited anxiously on Wednesday for an announcement regarding the future of the club, but at around half past 12 Hardy announced the news.
He posted on Twitter: "Finally got there guys, thank you for all your tremendous support! Now let's get this Club back where it belongs! New World starts today!", which the Notts page retweeted.
In addition, Hardy changed his profile on the social media platform back to "Chairman and owner of Notts County FC".
An official announcement, potentially about a new manager at Meadow Lane, is due on Thursday.
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has moved to reassure Notts County fans that his takeover of the club is still on the cards.
The Nottinghamshire businessman sent alarm bells ringing on Monday evening when he removed the phrase 'Notts County chairman' from his Twitter profile's biography.
On Tuesday morning, Hardy wrote on Twitter: "Really sorry for the radio silence. Still trying desperately to structure long term financial security for this great football club."
Around the same time, BBC Nottingham Sport reported that the "delay of Notts County takeover is due to a £1m loan the club arranged some while ago with trustees of Haydn Green estate.
"The issue regards repayment of the loan. Lawyers for Mr Hardy & Mr Trew spent yesterday trying to find solution, but without success."
When advised on Twitter to prioritise club communications over the social media platform, Hardy replied: " In hindsight, you're prob right, I'll refrain in future. We never envisaged this snag, hindsight etc."
In reply to a fan who said Hardy was the only option for the Magpies, he said: "Believe me, I have only one item on my To Do List today!"
The takeover of Notts was meant to take place on Monday as Hardy earmarked the Nottinghamshire derby against Mansfield Town as the first game of his tenure.
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Joe Jones
Notts County caretaker boss Alan Smith has slammed individual errors for costing his side dear against Morecambe on Saturday.
The Magpies fell to their 10th consecutive defeat in League Two as the Shrimpers claimed an easy 4-1 victory at the Globe Arena.
As has often been the case, Notts conceded early, and by the half-time point they were three goals down.
The player-coach did find some solace in the impending arrival of new owner Alan Hardy, who comes in at the start of next week.
"I told the players in the dressing the performance in the second half is what we need to be putting in for 90 minutes week in, week out," Smith told the Nottingham Post.
"Individual errors have cost us goals again. We were a bit naive at times in terms of not using the width as much as we should do when they went down to 10 men.
"I'd like to thank the fans who travelled in their numbers again. I'm gutted that we did not give them the result they wanted.
"It is going to be a big week for this football club. It's a fresh start for everyone with the new owner coming in on Monday and hopefully the club can start moving forwards and upwards."
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Joe Jones
Notts County have fallen to a tenth League Two defeat in a row today at Morecambe, as the Globe Arena hosts ran out 4-1 winners against the abject Magpies.
Caretaker manager Alan Smith saw his boys fall a goal down after just two minutes when Lee Molyneux received the ball on the right and was given all the space in the world, cutting inside before firing a low left-footed effort that beat Scott Loach low to his right.
Paul Mullin then added a second on 27 minutes when he was in the right place at the right time to slot home the loose ball after Loach could only parry a Kevin Ellison cross back into the 22-year-old striker's path.
Four minutes later the Shrimpers were three goals to the good after they were awarded a penalty for a Richard Duffy foul on Mullin, and Michael Rose stepped up to send the Magpies custodian the wrong way from the spot.
The one sore point for Morecambe was that they ended the first half with ten men after Andy Fleming received a straight-red card for a tackle on Curtis Thompson late on.
Notts did pull a goal back with 10 minutes to go when Jon Stead flicked the ball round the corner cleverly for Jonathan Forte, who slotted it into the far corner.
However, Morecambe restored their three-goal lead late on when Kevin Ellison slotted home the rebound after substitute Luke Jordan hit the woodwork following a fine run and shot.
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Joe Jones
Notts County and Morecambe have met nine times in their history, with the first ever clash taking place less than 10 years ago, in September 2007.
On that day, it ended as a 1-1 draw, Michael Twiss putting the visitors ahead at Meadow Lane in the first half, before Richard Butcher equalised in the 87th minute.
The Shrimpers have a slight advantage, with four wins over Notts, three draws and two defeats.
Our last meeting, in October 2016, saw Morecambe claim a 2-1 win, as Tom Barkhuizen's brace put them two goals to the good at the Lane, before Vadaine Oliver grabbed a consolation in the 90th minute.
The fixture on 19 September 2009 was former Arsenal and England legend Sol Campbell's only game in a Magpies shirt, while the rematch later in the season, on 17 April 2010, is when Notts mathematically secured promotion to League One.
Football in the town dates back to the turn of the 20th century; however, it was not until 7 May 1920 that Morecambe FC was formed. The club then took its place in the Lancashire Combination League for the 1920–21 season.
The fourteen years from 1960 could be said to be Morecambe's golden era. This included an FA Cup third round appearance in 1961–62, a 1–0 defeat to Weymouth; a Lancashire Senior Cup Final victory in 1968, a 2–1 win over Burnley; and an FA Trophy success at Wembley in 1974, a 2–1 win over Dartford in the final.
Morecambe, a non-league side for most of their history, were promoted to the Football League for the first time in 2007 after winning the Conference Playoff Final, beating Exeter City 2–1 at Wembley in front of over 40,000 fans.
Morecambe was a thriving seaside resort in the mid-20th century. While the resort of Blackpool attracted holiday-makers predominantly from the Lancashire mill towns, Morecambe had more visitors from Yorkshire, due to its railway connection, and Scotland.
Between 1956 and 1989 Morecambe was the home of the Miss Great Britain beauty contest.
Team news
Morecambe boss Jim Bentley will begin a two-match touchline ban when his side host Notts on Saturday in League Two.
The Football Association said Bentley would serve the suspension with immediate effect after being charged over an incident in the 2-1 loss to Cheltenham on December 17, when he was sent to the stands for his reaction to a red card for Alex Kenyon.
Kenyon is now available to make his comeback having completed the suspension that resulted from that red card.
Cole Stockton, Ntumba Massanka, Alex Whitmore and James Jennings have all returned to their parent clubs with their loans at Morecambe having expired, while Aaron McGowan looks set to miss out after coming off injured in Monday's 0-0 draw with Crewe.
Alan Smith is set to take charge of his first game as Notts County's interim player-manager at Globe Arena.
John Sheridan was sacked following Monday's 4-0 defeat by Cambridge United, their ninth league loss in a row.
Winger Alex Rodman was released on Thursday and joined Shrewsbury Town, while defender Matt Tootle will hope to feature after missing the last two games with a knock.
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Joe Jones
Alan Smith has stressed that Notts County must go back to basics to restore their belief and confidence, but believes that the players are good enough to get results.
The former Leeds United and Manchester United forward has been given the responsibility of managing the struggling Magpies on an interim basis following John Sheridan's dismissal.
"What we have tried to emphasise is that it's about getting that belief and confidence back into the players," Smith told the Nottingham Post.
"In the last 18 months, performances and results haven't been good enough. When you are not getting results, you struggle for confidence and that applies to any sport.
"I am not going to play on Saturday. I am going to try to help the lads as much as possible and from now until Saturday is all about getting a result.
"There is no reason why we can't. Although every game in this league is difficult, I keep emphasising to the group that they don't become bad players overnight.
"There are players in the dressing room who have played Championship or League One football for most of their career.
"If I didn't think the team could win, I wouldn't be sat here trying to motivate them. Hand on heart, I do think we have good enough players to get results.
"One of the first things I said to the players was that in this short period of time could they take on board what I want them to do, which is to go back to basics.
"We have to try everything we can to get a result. It's pretty straight forward and we can't reinvent the way we want to play because there just hasn't been the time.
"I think collectively we are underachieving, but there is no quick fix for that. It doesn't happen overnight.
"We are going to Morecambe with commitment and passion, everything you would expect from a team."
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Joe Jones
Notts County assistant manager Mark Crossley has revealed that the club's players argued with each other after their 4-0 defeat to Cambridge United.
The former goalkeeper hopes that the squad holding each other to account will spark a reaction and mark a turning point in the club's fortunes.
"They fell out between themselves after the game and that's the first time I've seen that for a while," Crossley told the Nottingham Post.
"We wanted that six weeks ago. Unfortunately it's gone from the game a bit where players fall out in dressing rooms.
"By doing that you tend to get a reaction and better performances.
"I hope that's the spark that can take us into Morecambe in that they realise the trouble we are in and they can hopefully get us out of it."
Notts will take on the Shrimps away at the Globe Arena this weekend, with Alan Smith taking the reins as caretaker manager for the first time after John Sheridan was sacked.
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Joe Jones
Notts County player-coach Alan Smith has been placed in temporary charge of the first team while the club look for a new permanent manager.
The former Leeds United and Manchester United man replaces John Sheridan, who was sacked on Monday night after the Magpies were beaten 4-0 by Cambridge United, their ninth successive loss.
Smith, a Notts player since the summer of 2014, will be assisted by Mark Crossley, who will continue in his current role as assistant manager.
The 36-year-old told the official club site: “The most important thing right now is for everyone - players, staff and fans - to stick together.
“There’s no getting away from it, it’s been a very, very disappointing season so far. But there are lots of points still to play for and we are determined and confident of putting things right.
“The fans are doing their bit. Our following at Cambridge, given our recent form, was phenomenal. As players and staff we have to repay that loyalty.
“We have some huge games coming up, starting at Morecambe on Saturday and, until a new manager arrives, I will be working closely with Mark and the rest of the staff to hopefully lead an upturn in our fortunes.”
Notts County are set to be taken over by local businessman Alan Hardy after current owner Ray Trew agreed to sell the club in December.
It has been reported that the former will not appoint Smith on a permanent basis, instead wanting a manager with proven lower-league experience.
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Joe Jones
John Sheridan has been sacked from his position as manager of Notts County, the club have confirmed.
The 52-year-old took over the reins at Meadow Lane in May last year following the departure of Mark Cooper, signing a three-year deal.
Notts began brightly under his tenure and, by the end of October, were sixth in League Two after 15 games played.
However, things took a turn for the worse going into November as the club had to come from behind to scrape a 2-2 draw against non-league Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.
This preceded a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Blackpool and, from then on, Notts plunged down the table as they racked up nine consecutive defeats in the league, as well as missing out on a FA Cup third-round tie at Chelsea.
In addition, Sheridan was given a five-match touchline ban in December after being sent to the stands during their defeat by Wycombe Wanderers.
Notts released a statement saying: "Notts County FC can confirm that John Sheridan is to leave his position as manager with immediate effect. The club will be making no further statement at this time."
Sheridan, who won just six of his 24 league games, leaves with Notts 22nd in the table on 22 points, one above the bottom two.
The Magpies, who are in danger of dropping into non-league football for the first time in their history, are now looking for their 11th full-time manager since Steve Cotterill left after leading them them to the League Two title in May 2010.
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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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