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Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Tuesday the 11th of March, Meadow Lane hosts League One side MK Dons. They currently sit 7th, one position outside of the play-offs. However, MK Dons are currently 6 points behind 6th place Peterborough united. All is to play for, as a side who's been aiming for promotion consecutively in recent years play Notts.

Notts of course come into the game having been defeated away from home to Rotherham United, yet managed to draw against 2nd place Leyton Orient. The Match Officials for Tuesdays game against MK Dons will be referee Geoff Eltringham, with his two assistants Nick Greenhalgh and Paul Thompson. The fourth official will be Mick Russell.
 
Match Officials
 
Referee; Geoff Eltringham has taken control of twenty games, he's been the referee in one F.A Cup tie and one Capital One Cup game. During these games he's issued a total of 70 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of four players. He's featured five times in League One, six times in League Two and nine times in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Three of the four red cards have taken place within Championship games, the fourth happened in a League One tie as Port Vale 2-2 to Stevenage FC (also to note a total of 7 yellow cards were also seen).
 
Assistant Referees; Nick Greenhalgh has been the 1st assistant five times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant three times and the fourth official twice. The majority of games come from the Championship, whilst he has featured in the League One and League Two a total of five times combined.
Paul Thompson has been the 2nd assistant eight times so far, these games feature four within League Two, once in League One and three times in the Championship. He hasn't featured with any of the competitive cups within the 2013/2014 season.
Interesting Fact – The highest amount of goals within one game for Paul Thompson stands at six, surprisingly all were scored by Charlton Athletic as they cast aside Barnsley. The highest amount of goals within a single game Nick Greenhalgh officiated was 3-1 Birmingham City win over Huddersfield Town.
 
Fourth Official; Mick Russell has been the fourth official once so far this season. He's featured as a referee four times within the Championship, twice in League One and twice in League Two. During these games he's officiated as the referee he's issued 22 yellow cards and avoided sending off a single player.
Interesting Fact – On Saturday 29th December 2012, Mick Russell made a staggering error as he booked Sheffield Wednesdays Jeremy Helan twice but failed to send him off! Are you thankful he's not the referee? Read about it here.
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Well, I hate to be a killjoy, but in the grand scheme of things, today's draw is a mere drop in the ocean with regards with what we need to do in order to secure League One status for next season, but nevertheless, it was a very good performance from Notts County to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Leyton Orient today at Meadow Lane.

New arrival Nathan Tyson was put straight into the Magpies' starting XI, but as big a coup as it was to have the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County man in our squad, it paled in relative insignificance compared to having key man Gary Liddle back to fitness and in the team.
Defenders Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya also returned to the squad after their own injury troubles, and the black and white outfit certainly benefited from the returning trio's presence on the pitch, as they more than matched the dangerous Waltham Forest outfit.
As early as the first minute, Tyson marauded into the opposition's box and attempted a shot, which was blocked by Scott Cuthbert.
Shaun Derry’s side continued to pour forward in search of an early goal which would have given them an early advantage as Liddle’s near post drive led to a fine save from away goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic.
Orient were struggling to stem the tide, with Alan Sheehan subsequently firing a shot just wide from 25 yards.
Gradually they began to claw their way back into the game, Chris Dagnall seeing a shot saved by Bartosz Bialkowski, but Notts soon piled forward again, as McGregor lashed a dangerous volley which landed just over from long range.
 
In the opening stages of the second half, the home side threatened first when Jamal Campbell-Ryce cut inside into space and fired wide of far post.
Sheehan later found Tyson on the left-hand side, the on-loan Blackpool player unlucky not to see his ball find McGregor.
Just before the hour, Orient had a dangerous spell of play as Lloyd James attempted a dangerous long-range effort, before Romain Vincelot’s curled delivery from the left wing forced a good save out of Bart.
Nine minutes later, Tyson picked out JCR with a pinpoint cross, which was met by a downward volley which only just missed the target, and towards the end of the match, Liddle very nearly secured himself legendary status by nearly scoring from a JCR pass.
The O's were under the cosh for the majority of the game, and were this a boxing match, the points would have surely been given to Notts (then again, with the referees we've had this season...).
Sadly, as it was a football match, the outcome of the match, a draw and an even share of the points, isn't an ideal result in the grand scheme of things, but nevertheless, the performance made for an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful, and, especially after last week's horror show, lifted some of the dark clouds away from the club, if only for this one weekend.
Joe Jones
The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 101 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0.

A total of 73 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically - but only just. 29 games have been won by the Magpies, with 26 O's wins and just 18 draws.
 
Leyton Orient were founded in 1881, and have had several name changes throughout the years, including Eagle Cricket Club, Orient FC and Clapton Orient FC.
The O's, who play in Waltham Forest, are the second-oldest league club in London behind Fulham.
The club's unusual name is alleged to come from one of the club's early players (Jack R Dearing) who was an employee of the Orient Shipping Company.
 
During the First World War. 41 members of the Clapton Orient team and staff joined up into the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (the Footballers' Battalion), the highest of any football team in the country and the first to join up en masse.
During the Battle of the Somme, three players gave their lives for King and Country: Richard McFadden, George Scott and William Jonas. Prior to the First World War, O's striker Richard McFadden had saved the life of a boy who was drowning in the River Lea as well as rescuing a man from a burning building.
History was made on Saturday 30th April 1921 when the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, visited Millfields Road to see the O's play Notts County. The Orient won 3-0 and this was the first time a member of royalty had attended a Football League match.
 
The big news for Notts County with regards to playing staff is that sidelined trio Dean Leacock, Gary Liddle and Mustapha Dumbuya could all return to action tomorrow.
Meanwhile, new loan signing Nathan Tyson, who used to play across the Trent, is earmarked for a start.
 
Leyton Orient will check on captain Nathan Clarke and fellow defender Mathieu Baudry, who have knee and hamstring injuries.
Forwards Shaun Batt and David Mooney will also be assessed.
Goalkeeper Jamie Jones is some way off a comeback with a back injury, while fellow stopper Ben Alnwick is absent on medical grounds.
Orient manager Russell Slade began his coaching career at Notts County, spending time as caretaker manager in 1994-95 and serving as a coach under Mick Walker and Howard Kendall at Meadow Lane.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

On the 8th of March this Saturday, Notts County will be taking on 2nd position Leyton Orient. They will be seeking this opportunity to keep within distance of Championship chasing Wolverhampton Wanderers. Leyton Orient have picked up 10 points in their last 5 games, they have David Mooney and Kevin Lisbie partnering successfully – a key aspect to their progression this season.

Notts will have to put aside the disappointment of being slaughtered by Rotherham United. We have some key games coming up, one's which we should win regardless and the home matches will be vital.
The Match Officials for Saturday's game at the Meadow Lane Stadium will be referee Graham Salisbury, with his two assistance Andrew Fox and Stephen Ross. The fourth official will be Danny Gratton.
 
Match Officials;
 
Referee; Graham Salisbury has taken control of nineteen games, he's been the referee in one F.A Cup tie and two Capital One Cup games. During these games he's issued a total of 61 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off one player. He's featured seven times in League One, seven times in League Two and five times in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Graham Salisbury is now in his 13th season as a Football League referee and he's been joined by his son Michael, who's also an assistant referee within the Football League.
 
Assistant Referees; Andrew Fox has been the 1st assistant three times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant 5 times and the fourth official twice. The majority of games come from League One, although equally are the amount of times Andrew Fox has featured in the Championship and League Two a total of three times each.
Stephen Ross has been the 2nd assistant four times so far, these games feature two within League Two, once in League One and once in the Championship. He's refereed several lower division games, including the F.A Trophy.
Interesting Fact – If you swapped Stephen Ross's name around, you would find a player with the exact name playing in the Welsh league with Prestatyn Town. If the end assistant is poor on Saturday, sadly this is not the reason!
 
Fourth Official; Danny Gratton has been the fourth official twice, once within the Championship as Wigan Athletic beat Charlton Athletic 2-1 and again in League One as Rotherham United beat Shrewsbury Town 3-0. He's featured as the 2nd assistant three times and the 1st assistant four times.
Interesting Fact – Sadly I couldn't track down anything interesting with regards to Danny Gratton, I did however learn a lot about a person with a similar name. However, this wouldn't be beneficial for this feature!
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Chris
In our next five games, Notts will have to face the following League One teams – Leyton Orient, MK Dons, Tranmere Rovers, Carlisle United and Crewe Alexandra. A real mixed bag of fixtures, as this covers teams in various positions. Notts County head into the first fixture at home, it's very important that Shaun Derry uses the home advantage. Last time around Notts managed to pick up 6 points, both of which were home wins against Tranmere Rovers and Crewe Alexandra. The capture of Nathan Tyson might play an important role, however this is just an emergency loan for 1 month.
Pride of Nottingham's last edition mentioned how I saw our side potentially pick up between 7 and 5 points. However, just like all great escapes thing's don't always go to plan. This couldn't be any more true, as we only managed 3 points! Almost 6, had James Spencer not been sent off in the game against Shrewsbury Town.
This leaves the task at hand for Shaun Derry and Greg Abbot nearly impossible, any further slip ups and any hope will surely be halted.
 
Leyton Orient are not a side to be easily dismissed, earlier in the season they beat us 5-1. Danny Haynes almost put us back into the game, however several mistakes and quick breaking resulted in our downfall. They're a side who's eagerly impressed so far this season!
Dave Mooney is their highest goal scorer with a total of 18 goals. Kevin Lisbie's scored 14, whilst Dean Cox has netted 11 so far. Romain Vincelot is Orients most persistent fouler with 11 yellow cards. Dave Mooney is their only player to see the colour red, who has been sent off only once.
n their last four games, they've picked up an impressive 10 points after first originally losing to Bristol City, drawing to Preston North End, beating Stevenage 2-0, beating Stevenage 2-0 and beating Colchester United 2-1.
 
MK Dons have been fairly average this season, they're however a side which can pick sides apart and leave vulnerable defences exploited.
Ben Reeves is their highest goal scorer with a total of 10 goals, Izale McLeod is not far behind with 7 – However, MK Dons next highest goal scorer is only on a total of 3 goals. Stephen Gleeson and Darren Potter share an equal 8 yellow cards each and Tom Flanagan is their only player to be sent off once.
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 7 points. Their current form is a little iffy with a narrow win over Oldham Athletic 2-1, a bore draw against Preston North End 0-0, losing narrowly to Bradford City 1-0, they then beat Oldham Athletic away from home 2-1 and they recently lost to Sheffield United by 1 goal to nothing.
 
Tranmere Rovers are not the same side they were last season, they are currently a very average and boring side. A team we beat earlier within the season, they also appear destined for League Two.
Ryan Lowe is their highest goal scorer with a total of 18 goals. Ryan Lowe is also their most persistent fouler with 6 yellow cards and Andy Robinson slightly behind with 5 yellow cards. They have four players all on equal red cards – James Wallace, Ian Goodison, Danny Holmes and Ash Taylor.
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 8 points. This might be their shinning light, with their result form and ability to seek out much needed points. They beat MK Dons 1-0, lost 2-1 to Preston North End, draw 2-2 to Bristol City, they beat Coventry City 3-1 and drawn 2-2 to Oldham Athletic.
 
Carlisle United is another one of our misfortunes, very average League One side who should be able to be cast a-side within our home encounter.
David Amoo is their highest goal scorer with a total of 11 goals, Lee Miller's scored 7 and Matty Robson's scored 6. Liam Noble's seen 8 yellow cards, whilst Kenny Miller's seen 2 red cards.
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 7 points. They lost 2-1 to Gillingham, beat Bradford City 1-0, beat Coventry City 2-1, lost to Rotherham United 2-1 and drawn to Brentford Town 0-0.
 
Crewe Alexandra are very similar to ourselves, they've relied on bringing youngsters through and they have a very good youth system at this level. They're a side which can be very impressive on the day, however inconsistent and awful on others.
Chuks Aneke is their highest goal scorer with a total of 11 goals. George Evans has seen 6 yellow cards, team mates Kevin Mellor (5) and Abdul Osman (4). They have yet to see a player sent off!
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 5 points. They drew 3-3 to Bradford City, lost 3-1 to Brentford Town, beat Port Vale 3-1, lost 1-0 to Stevenage and drawn to Swindon Town 1-1.
 
I see Notts picking up 6 points, with our current recent form who knows but there's between 4 to 9 realistically available.
 
My key game is against MK Dons – they're a side we often fail to win against, to set things right this game would go along way towards that. Tranmere Rovers and Carlisle United are games which strike me as 'winnable', we need not slip up against either and Crewe Alexandra is a really possibility.
 
COYP!!
Joe Jones
Frankly, I would be surprised if anyone actually decided to take the time to read the following match report, but for those of you who for some reason have decided to open this link and actually read about one of the worst results in the club's recent history, I will try and make it somewhat easier for you to read by keeping it concise and being brutally honest.
Today was shocking and embarrassing beyond belief. Notts County went to Rotherham United and weren't just beaten, not even thrashed, but outright demolished by a score of six goals to nil.
With striker Jimmy Spencer suspended, on-loan Crystal Palace forward Kwesi Appiah made his first start for the Magpies up front. Jack Grealish dropped out of the starting line-up and was replaced by Mark Fotheringham.
Notts adapted a diamond formation that saw Fotheringham join Hayden Mullins and Andre Boucaud to pack out the centre of midfield. Meanwhile, Callum McGregor lined up in an attacking midfield role behind a front two of Appiah and Jamal Campbell-Ryce.
Enoch Showunmi had left a day earlier to go on loan to Torquay United, yet another departure, and the lack of experience on the bench was telling.
The first serious chance actually fell to Notts when McGregor found JCR in the area, but the former Miller's resulting ball across the goal was just too heavy for Appiah.
After that effort, Rotherham began running riot. Their first goal was a tad controversial, to be fair, as a Kieron Freeman tackle on Kieran Agard resulted in a free kick for the home side in the 11th minute. James Tavernier made no mistake from the dead ball.
The Millers soon made it 2-0 when Haris Vuckic’s shot in the 16th minute took a heavy deflection to deceive Bartosz Bialkowski and trickled over the line.
The shellshocked Magpies would soon be picking the ball out of their own net for a third time just 10 minutes later, when Andre Boucaud was caught out in his own defensive area. Alex Revell seized possession from him and proceeded to drive a low shot beyond Bart into the bottom corner.
And before half an hour had even passed, Rotherham were 4-0 up, thanks to Bart's foul on Agard which led to a penalty. The Pole was lucky not to have been sent off, to be fair, but nevertheless, the Millers striker blasted a shot high into the centre of the goal to pile extra misery on the Notts players and fans.
 
Fast-forward to the second half, and Vuckic soon grabbed his second of the game on the hour as he cut inside from the right-hand side and his deflected shot curled into the top corner.
Goal number six then came just seven minutes before the end, when Tom Hitchcock was able to tap the ball in from close distance.
The Notts away following, which began the game in high numbers and spirits, was a mere shadow of itself by the 90th minute, much like Notts County have been for most of the season.
Some of the Rotherham fans were singing "We want seven! We want seven!". The majority, however, were almost embarrassed, feeling guilty and sheepish about having delivered the footballing equivalent of a public execution.
There was no passion, no enthusiasm, no structure... today could very well be the day when Notts County waved the white flag and gave up on their League One status.
Combined with other results - namely, the other teams in the relegation zone doing well - Notts are now rock bottom of League One once again after a six-goal defeat, five points from safety, with some teams above us having two or even three games in hand, and with just 12 games left for us in the season.
 
We need a miracle.
Joe Jones
Notts County’s history with Rotherham United stretches back just over 60 years, the Magpies losing 2-0 against the Millers at Millmoor on the 17th of November 1951.

However, Notts played the current club’s predecessor, Rotherham Town, all the way back in 1893, and our fans will be glad to know that the Magpies won that first clash by two goals to nil.

The man widely regarded as the first black professional footballer, Arthur Wharton, played for the club, whose first incarnation was “Lunar Rovers”, from 1889 to 1894.
 
Historically, Notts have fared better in the head-to-head statistics, winning 18 games, drawing 13 and losing 15 against the Millers.
But on the flip side, our last eight fixtures against the South Yorkshire club have ended in five defeats (including that horror show in the FA Cup at home last season), two draws and just one win.
 
Rotherham United’s best days came in the early to mid-2000s, when they played in Division One (second tier of English football at this point in time), recording wins against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham United. They also spent the majority of the 2002-03 season in the play-offs, but tailed off towards the end of the season.
Over the years, the Millers have got their hands on several trophies – they were third tier champions in 1951 and 1981, and fourth tier champions in 1989. They also won the Football League Trophy in 1996, and reached the first ever final of the League Cup in 1961.
 
Plenty of players have turned out for both clubs, including Les Bradd, Steve Cherry, Julien Baudet, Jonathan Forte, Gary Martindale, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Kevin Pilkington.
Rotherham’s most famous sons include Gordon Banks, David Seaman, Howard Webb, William Hague MP, Dean Andrews (Life on Mars actor) and the Chuckle Brothers. Meanwhile, Top Gear’s James May went to school in Rotherham.
 
Rotherham United have a doubt over Wes Thomas, who is nursing a thigh injury, but the striker should feature as the Millers look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches.
Notts are without striker Jimmy Spencer who is suspended after being sent off in the home defeat against Shrewsbury Town last Saturday. Enoch Showunmi, Kwesi Appiah and Ronan Murray are all possible replacements.
 
Elsewhere on the pitch, Mustapha Dumbuya, Dean Leacock striker Callum Ball are not likely to return.
Chris
Rotherham United are one of the current in form teams in League One, in their past six games they've drawn 2 and won 4. Their away form in the last 10 to 6 games would put them top of the league. Notts will need to buckle down for this game, however The Millers form would suggest that they will keep our defence busy. In our earlier encounter Notts lost narrowly by one goal.

This week we have spoken to Pride of Nottingham resident 'BradtheMiller', we have asked a series of questions aimed to share the sight of a Rotherham United fan.
 
Firstly, could you please tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself such as how long you've been a Rotherham Unuted fan?
Hi, i'm Ian, a 52 yr old Millers fan from Rotherham. I attended my first game v Wrexham at Millmoor in the 1971/72 season in the old Third Division & was quickly hooked. The game ended 1-1 (still remember)
 
You did our “Opposition View” for our last encounter, you mentioned how you would like to get into the championship but remained realistic by adding that mid table was your goal. There's a real chance you might make the play-offs, how do you feel now?
This season has exceeded my & most other Millers fans expectations & even the most pessimistic Rotherham fan (me) is starting to believe that the play-offs are possible.
 
The progression Rotherham's made in the past two seasons is very impressive, how important is it for you to see stability within the players and coaching staff?
Evans & Raynor, our manager & number two may not be everyones cup of tea (me neither) because of their touchline antics & cringeworthy interviews but you have to say they are very successful & their managerial record speaks for itself.
Player wise, apart from the 8 to 10 core squad members, it has been a bit of a revolving door this season with many players going in & out of the club, mainly on loan. Fans were dissapointed to lose some of last seasons promotion heros such as Nardiello & Mullins, but some of the players Evans has brought in have been quality, such as full backs Tavernier & Skarz, midfielder Smallwood from Middlesbrough, & Striker Wes Thomas, though not all have been a success. Evans chased Bournemouth striker Matt Tubbs for a year before he brought him to NYS on a six month loan with a view to him being a 200k club record signing & in the sixmonths we had him, he scored ONE goal & couldn't hit a barn door with a bazzooka!
 
Can you tell our members and readers about your passion for football? You have an hobby of watching quite a few games all across England, why is that?
I consider myself to be a football fan first, & a Millers fan second, which might sound a bit mental, but there is something great about going to a match with no vested interest, a true neutral & enjoy the whole day, soak up the atmosphere, & arrive home after an enjoyable day out without wanting to smash the house up when you come home. I still make most Millers home games though!
(I even went to ML this season as a neutral)
 
What's your biggest achievement so far within this season and what's really disappointed you?
Biggest achievement was beating BOTH massive Sheffield clubs at NYS in successive home games early in the season, so, so, satisfying after decades of them calling us "toytown"! Shut them up for a bit!!
 
Please tell us about your goal scorers so far this season, do you have confident strikers or do have goals being scored from all over?
Kieran Agard is our top scorer so far with 16 goals & we play him on the right side of midfield!!
In fact, our next two top scorers are also midfielders, Lee Frecklington (9) & Ben Pringle (7), with striker Alex Revell also on 7. Recent signing Wes Thomas who is a striker has scored in his last three games
 
What formation(s) have you been using and how do you expect your starting line up to look on Saturday?
We normally go 4-4-2 at home but we can adapt to either 4-5-1 or 3-5-2 depending how the game is going.
 
Name three teams which have impressed you at New York Stadium and three teams which have impressed you at their home ground?
The three teams who impressed me at NYS were Swindon, who murdered us 4-0, Preston who looked very strong in a 0-0 draw & surprisingly enough Crawley, who outplayed us but we managed a 2-2 draw with a last minute equaliser.
I've only been to three away games this season (Notts, York in the JPT, & Bradford) & we won all those, so I can't say i've been impressed with any of them
 
Over the years, which three players that you have seen play (for any team) have been the best and was they playing within the league suited to their talent?
Gerry Forrest, my all time favourite Millers player, finally achieved the top division with Southampton, playing in the same side as Le Tissier.
Cesc Fabregas; made his Arsenal debut v the Millers in the league cup 2002/03 season at Highbury, the rest is history.
Teddy Sherringham; played for West Ham v The Millers in the early 00's, sheer quality
 
Who are your main threats within your squad, which players would you highlight as possible tricky players for Notts?
Our main threats are our midfield, who I regard as the best in League 2, Frecklington & Pringle in particular. Watch out too, for Alex Revell, our target man, who is so important to the way we play, your centre backs will know they've been in a game.
 
Which Notts players do you think are likely to cause Rotherham's defence some problems and how do you see the score ending?
For Notts, McGregor looks impressive, & Grealish, your loan signing from Villa seems to have done well. I can't see past a Millers victory, sorry guys, so i'll stab at Millers 3 Pies 1
 
What is Rotherham like for travelling fans? Can you tell us where you would recommend to spend time, perhaps go for a drink and what is parking like?
With the ground being in the town centre & 5 minutes from the train station, all the eating & drinking outlets are within easy walking distance; eg McDonalds, KFC, THREE weatherspoons pubs, cafes etc. There is also a licenced bar inside all the stadium concourses.
There is a Liquid night club just up the road with a huge car park. I think they charge but i dunno how much.
 
Pride of Nottingham would like to thank 'BradtheMiller' for his time answering our questions and for sharing his views with regards to this upcoming game. It is always nice to see the opinions of our resident opposition friends.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

On the 1st of March this Saturday, Notts County will be taking on Rotherham United. They've risen from League Two and are currently one of the top teams on form in this league. If we based the league on the last six games they would be positioned 2nd. However, if we stretched to four games making it 10, they would be one position lower at 3rd.

Notts will be seeking to pick themselves up after back to back defeats.

The Match Officials for Saturday's at the New York Stadium will be referee Tim Robinson, with his two assistants Jason Whiteley and Ollie Yates. The fourth official will be David Richardson.
 
Match Officials;
 
Referee; Tim Robinson has taken control of eighteen games, he's been the referee in one F.A cup tie, one Capital One Cup game and one JPT encounter. During these games he's issued a total of 66 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off three players. The majority of them have been League Two standard, a total of 8 games. He's featured seven times in League One and three times in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Mark Cooper, Swindon Town's manager hit out with regards to the level of referring standards when Tim Robinson took charge in a game back at the start of this month (February), however this could be due to the fact his side was beaten by Oldham Athletic and Tim Robinson red carded Swindon's Archibald-Henville after a second bookable offence - Make up your own mind by reading this.
 
Assistant Referees; Jason Whiteley has been the 1st assistant once so far. He's been the referee five times within the Conference Division and the 2nd assistant four times. During the games he's been the referee, he has yellow carded a number of 12 players and has only sent off one player.
Oliver 'Ollie' Yates has been the 2nd assistant eight times so far, these games feature four within the Championship, two in League One, three in League Two and one F.A Cup game. Oliver Yates has been the fourth official twice.
Interesting Fact – Jason Whiteley was the 2nd assistant in Rochdale's win over Mansfield 3-0, while Oliver Yates was the fourth official in Mansfield's 1-0 narrow win over Fleetwood Town.
 
Fourth Official; David Richardson has been the fourth official twice, once within the Championship as Leeds United draw 1-1 to Ipswich Town and again in League Two Rochdale beat Bristol Rovers 2-0. He's featured as the 2nd assistant three times and the 1st assistant once. These range from the Championship, Leagues One/Two and the Conference N/S.
Interesting Fact – 27 goals have been scored within the games David Richardson's officiated. The most amount of goals is 9, as Gainsborough Trinity beat Altrincham FC 5-4. The second highest game was when Sheffield Wednesday saw off Macclesfield Town 4-1 in the F.A Cup. The least was 1-0, Burton Albion winning away from home against Morecambe.
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Many notable players have turned out for Notts County over the years.
Some, who turned out for the club in the decades following its creation have been virtually committed to folklore, with the occasional grainy black-and-white photo.
The club's longest-ever serving player, early 20th century goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, falls into this category. 
Some, like post-war prodigy Tommy Lawton, may be remembered by the likes of our grandparents or parents.
The further we go through the decades, the more likely it is that the younger generations may have a recollection of them, either through our older relatives or first-person.
In terms of recent players, that is, those who have played for Notts County in the 21st century, there are few more lauded by fans than the man I'm writing about now.
You ask a few dozen twenty-something and thirty-something Notts fans about who their favourite player is, and chances are, a sizeable amount will say "Mark Stallard".
Stallard was born in Derby in October 1974, and began his career with local team Derby County, signing schoolboy terms in 1991. During those fledgling years, he made over 30 appearances for the Rams, as well as being sent out to gain experience at Fulham and Bradford City.
He was on Derby’s books until January 1996, when the Baseball Ground outfit – the club moved to Pride Park the following year – accepted a bid from the Bantams in the region of £110,000 for the then 21-year-old striker.
Stallard etched himself into the Bradford fans’ hearts when he scored the second goal in the club’s Second Division play-off final victory against Notts County of all teams, just four months after joining the Valley Parade outfit.
With the Yorkshire club in the First Division, Stallard spent some time on loan at Preston North End, before being sold to Wycombe Wanderers, then of the Second Division, in March 1997. His time with the Chairboys was fruitful, netting on average a goal every three games in the league.

Eventually came his move to the mighty Magpies in the spring of 1999 for the princely sum of £10,000, and though the club was going through some tumultuous times, Stallard remained a shining beacon of light throughout his entire spell at Meadow Lane, scoring 67 goals during his five years with Notts.
His manager at Meadow Lane, Billy Dearden, said Stallard helped the club through some dark times.
"We went into administration for 18 months, and it was only because of people like Stallard that we kept going," he told the BBC. "He was a top man to work with. He was a very good trainer, and most importantly, he was a goalscorer. He could have probably played at an even higher level."
Stallard was rewarded for his exploits at Meadow Lane by being named the club’s player of the year and players' player of the year in 2003, after scoring 25 goals as Notts battled against relegation and financial adversity during the difficult 2002–03 season.
Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so too did Stallard’s stay at Notts County, as he decided to up sticks and move to Barnsley.
Things didn’t quite work out for the striker at Oakwell; after 15 appearances, he was allowed to go on loan to Chesterfield, before making a return to Meadow Lane in February 2005.
After his second spell at Notts came to an end, Stallard moved to Shrewsbury Town at the start of the 2005-06 season, and stayed there for a year, before again upping sticks for another return to the East Midlands, this time with Lincoln City, where he hooked up with former youth teammate Adie Moses.
His time at Sincil Bank was fruitful, the first few months yielding seven goals and yielding the striker the League Two Player of the Month award for September 2006.
Stallard spent two years with the Imps, scoring 17 goals in 66 league appearances, but with his second season being affected by injuries and suspensions, he was let go by the club at the end of the 2007-08 season.

He decided to remain in the East Midlands alongside Moses as they hooked up with Mansfield Town, and for a short period of time, the duo were made caretaker managers of the Conference club and maintained a 100% record of two wins in two games.
Stallard then moved to Corby Town at the end of his contract with Mansfield, after being impressed by the club's ambition, but with the striker looking to forge a career in financial advising – a shrewd investment considering his footballing career was in its twilight he decided to leave the Northamptonshire outfit, citing an unwillingness to draw a wage from the club if he could no longer produce his best football for the team.
It proved to be a gesture that drew praise from the Blue Square North side's manager Graham Drury, who said: "I wish I could work with more people as honest and professional as Mark Stallard.”
And in one short sentence, Drury described Stallard’s career in a nutshell. An honest, hard-working, professional, skilled player, one who played his best football for Notts County and kept the club smiling during testing times.
Luckily for the Notts faithful, Stallard continues to be heavily involved with the Magpies, co-commentating on the club's matches for BBC Radio Nottingham alongside Charlie Slater, having previously done so with the legendary Colin Slater, and regularly offering his footballing services for charity games linked with the club and around the East Midlands. His day job, meanwhile, sees him managing his own financial advice firm.
Mark Stallard, you are a Notts County legend, and a proud inductee of Pride of Nottingham’s Notts Alumni!
Discuss Mark Stallard's career and any memories you have of him by signing up to Pride of Nottingham, visiting the forum, and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Today has to go down as one of the most painful defeats we've suffered in recent months. Against a team we were more than capable of defeating, we raced into a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes. And then we go on to concede a goal, get a man sent off in dubious circumstances, and lose the game.

The worst thing? This isn't first time something like this has happened this calendar year. Although rather than taking place away (London Road to be exact), this horror show took place in front of our own fans.
So, just to confirm, Notts County have today squandered a two-goal lead as the club's League One survival hopes suffer yet another blow with a 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town.
The Magpies scored the first goal when Kieron Freeman lashed a cross into the Shrews box on eight minutes, which was delicately finished by Jack Grealish from close range.
Five minutes later, the on-loan Aston Villa youngster won a penalty when he was brought down by Tamika Mkandawire. Alan Sheehan fired his shot down the middle to double his side's lead.
After taking such a commanding lead so early in the game, any team has to be careful not to get complacent and consider their work done, and Notts sadly failed to do this. Just after the half-hour mark, Jon Taylor was able to latch onto Tom Eaves' cross to slot past Bartosz Bialkowski and pull a goal back for Shrewsbury.
Two minutes before the break came the game-changer as referee Seb Stockbridge decided to show a straight red card to Jimmy Spencer for an apparent elbow against Connor Goldson. Once again, Notts were down to ten men.
 
As luck would have it, Kwesi Appiah, who came on for Callum McGregor in the second half, was then injured by a flailing Goldson arm. Was the Shrews player also sent off? Ha! Don't be daft.
On 66 minutes, the visitors were level when Taylor looped a finish from just inside the Notts box beyond Bart, and just three minutes later, the collapse was well and truly complete for the beleaguered Magpies when David McAllister nudged the ball home, courtesy of a scrappy, improvised finish.
The game ended 3-2 to the visitors and, for Shaun Derry's men, it was a fifth defeat in their last six outings as they dropped to 23rd place in League One, a defeat in a game we should have won and desperately needed to win.
Joe Jones
Notts County and Shrewbury Town don’t go very far back, as the Shropshire outfit spent the majority of its early history in the lower leagues. They were promoted into the Football League Third Division North in 1950, and first met the Magpies in the 1960-61 season. Sadly, it wasn’t a very good day for Notts, because, away at Gay Meadow, we got beaten 4-0 by the Shrews!

The two teams, however, have met quite regularly in recent years – since that first fixture between the two, they've faced off 44 times. The Shrews currently hold the ever so slight upper edge, with 15 wins and 16 draws, while Notts have won 13 games.
Since 2005, Notts have played Shrewsbury every season bar 2010/11 and 2011/12. The longest period between meetings is eight years, between 21st December 1963 and 11th September 1971.
 
The Shrewsbury v Notts game on the 17th April 1990 is believed to have been the genesis of the renowned “I Had A Wheelbarrow” chant. Shrewsbury were winning 2-0 and began singing a traditional American folk song, On Top Of Old Smoky, in celebration. This was sung in such a strong West Country accent that the Notts fans began singing back jokingly what they believed it sounded like, which was “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off”. Notts then pulled two goals back in the last ten minutes, and as such the chant was seen as a source of good luck, being sung by Notts fans ever since.
Until 1995, some English teams from cities not far from the Welsh border could play in the Welsh Cup, but winners would have to concede the subsequent European Cup Winners’ Cup place to the best-placed Welsh side as per league and European rules. As a result, Shrewsbury have a rather healthy trophy cabinet, having won the competition six times - 1985 was their last trophy victory - and finishing as runners-up thrice, making them the most successful non-Welsh side ever to compete in the Welsh cup!
Shrewsbury are known for one of the greatest giant killings of all time, as they defeated Premier League Everton in the FA Cup in January 2003. The Shropshire side, in Division 3 and free-falling towards relegation out of the Football League, beat the top tier side 2-1, no small feat against a team who, just a few months prior, broke a rampant Arsenal’s 30 game unbeaten run, courtesy of a young 16-year old prodigy by the name of Wayne Rooney.
 
The town of Shrewsbury has helped cultivate two of the greatest minds in British history. Charles Darwin was born and bred in Shrewsbury, while Charles Dickens spent plenty of time in the town, having been fond of the Lion Hotel and performing his one-man shows at Shrewsbury’s Music Hall.
 
Footballers who have plied their trade for both clubs, either as footballer or as manager, include Richie Barker, Glynn Hurst, Lee Canoville, Luke Rodgers and Mark Stallard.
Notts will have Kwesi Appiah available for tomorrow's League One clash at Meadow Lane after the striker extended his loan from Crystal Palace until the 22nd of March.
Mustapha Dumbuya is back in training after a thigh injury, but Dean Leacock and Callum Ball remain sidelined.
Shrewsbury's Tom Bradshaw misses the first game of what could be several weeks out with a knee injury.
Joe Jacobson will assessed before kick-off, as will Luke Summerfield and Aaron Wildig.
Chris

Can We Do It Again?

By Chris, in Media,

Pride of Nottingham is undergoing the task of comparing the last time Notts County were in a similar position as we find ourselves now. The last time Notts found themselves to be in the bottom half of the table in this league was back in the 2010/2011 season.

The majority seem to share similar views to myself that we can avoid the drop but no doubt Derry/Abbott have a task on their hands. Yet until the maths are virtually impossible, we should try to remain optimistic about surviving. We can get behind the squad, even when games are difficult and this might impact the game more than some might realize.
 
Back on 19/02/2011 Notts County found themselves in the 18th position. This was the year we first returned to League One and perhaps underwent our progression a little too quickly, as the squad who helped us gain promotion from winning the League Two title was sadly dismantled.
By the start of March Notts were a position higher, with 4 to 6 games in hand of the teams beneath. However, only Tranmere Rovers could move a place ahead if they won and Notts lost their upcoming game against Leyton Orient. Yeovil Town couldn't move ahead due to -15 goal difference, so things were vastly different than what we see today.
Notts slipped to 19th by the start of April, after we lost 3-0 to Huddersfield Town away from home. Dagenham & Redbridge who would go on to be relegated after finishing 21st, had played one game more than Notts at 37 and the difference in points was only 1.
 
Right now on the 19/02/2014 things are very different, we sit 21st ourselves with 30 points and various teams above and beneath have games in hand.
The final game of the season was at home to Brighton, which we drew 1-1.
By the end of the 2010/2011 season Notts had avoided relegation by finishing 19th. Walsall finished 20th 2 points beneath Notts who stood on 50.
 
The teams relegated were Dagenham & Redbridge, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth Argyle and Swindon town.
Dagenham & Redbridge –P 46 - 47pts
Bristol Rovers –P 46 - 45pts
Plymouth Argyle –P 46 - 42pts
Swindon –P 46 – 41pts
 
Interesting is the amount of games played compared to the final total of points. On the 12/03/2011 Notts had 42 points compared to our current 30 points.
One of our contributing factors to the current season 8 out of 14 home games, however we can't rely on solely winning at home. We must start picking up wins and draws, if Derry can motivate the players further and avoid the drop he would have achieved no doubt what some fans would've felt impossible.
I have every faith personally that we can avoid the drop.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Shrewsbury Town started the 2013/14 campaign quite well, as a side which has struggled in the past few seasons. Their fans will no doubt have thought things might have turned a corner, however there is one thing to be said. They know how to scrap and fight for their League One status! In their past six games, they've only managed to pick up two points. Brentford 1-1 at their home, whilst they drawn away to Port Vale 0-0. Notts come into the game having lost to promotion chasing Wolves, however we have picked up six points from our last six games. We now take a look at the match officials! On Saturday the match officials at Meadow Lane will be referee Sebastian Stockbridge, with his two assistants Christopher Kavanagh and Ben Toner. The fourth official is Andy Newbold.
 
Match Officials;
 
Referee; Sebastian Stockbridge has taken control of fifteen league games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup games and one JPT tie. During these games he's issued a total of 66 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off four players. The majority of games have been League Two standard, a total of 8 games. He's featured six times in League One and once in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Sebastian Stockbridge actually officiated our game against Tranmere Rovers back in September 2013, in which we won 2-0. Goals coming from Joss Labadie 7th minute mark and Marcus Haber 79th minute.
 
Assistant Referees; Christopher Kavanagh has been the 1st assistant a total of four times, he's been the 2nd assistant once and the fourth official twice. He has however spent the majority of time officiating lower league games, where he once issues 8 yellow cards and 1 red all within the same game.
Ben Toner was the 1st assistant once, he's been the 2nd assistant three times and the fourth official once. Like Christopher Kavanagh, Ben Toner has been the referee in a number of lower league games. He's issued 25 yellow cards in 5 games in the conference.
Interesting Fact – In 15 conference games and 1 F.A Cup tie, Christopher Kavanagh has issued a total of 51 yellow cards. He has only issued 6 red cards – Compared to Ben Toner's 16 conference games and 1 F.A Cup Tie, 42 Yellows and 3 red cards.
 
The Fourth Official; Andy Newbold has been the fourth official twice so far in this season, he's been the 1st official three times and the 2nd official 5 times. He's officiated four times within League One, three times within the Championship and twice in League Two.
Interesting Fact – Back in 2009, Andy Newbold was an assistant in a famous Premiership encounter. No, this wasn't a local derby between either Liverpool, Manchester or London big occasions. This was a simple tie between Sunderland vs Liverpool, so why was this exactly a famous encounter? You might recall if you watch the attached video below.
 
[center]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5O8ch-rSFY
The beach ball goal of 2009! Despite the calls for rematch, it was decided the result was final. Let this be a warning to anyone considering having a bit of harmless fun by throwing items onto the pitch, it might just backfire!
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Well, it was always going to be a difficult game, away at a team that was plying its trade in the Premier League two years ago, but one can't help but feel a little deflated after today's display, as Notts County came crashing to a 2-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers, thanks to a brace from midfielder Michael Jacobs, whose goals came either side of half time.

Shaun Derry named an unchanged starting line-up following the 3-0 victory against Coventry City last week, with the only change coming on the bench, as youngster Ronan Murray, back from suspension, came in place of Curtis Thompson.
Wolves had the better of a scrappy opening period, and their first attempt on goal came in the 12th minute as Nouha Dicko cut in from the right and curled a left-footed shot just off target. The same player came close again two minutes later after some good build-up play.
On the quarter-hour mark, however, Bakary Sako was able to pick out Scott Golbourne on the overlap and the left-back’s cross was nodded home at close range by the unmarked Jacobs.
Wolves continued to dominate after their opener, Sako’s powerful effort from a tight angle having to be turned around the post by Bartosz Bialkowski.
County nearly pulled one back midway through the first half, as James Spencer picked out Callum McGregor in the box with a fine ball, but the County youngster poked his shot just wide.
Wolves were soon back on the attack as Sako’s powerful shot was parried by Bart, Alan Sheehan having to make a frantic clearance from the rebound.
The Molineux outfit were 2-0 up just before the hour, as Richard Stearman strode forward into the final third and squared a ball for Jacobs. The 22-year-old proceeded to bend home a 25-yard shot that squirmed past Bart.
It could easily have been 3-0 moments later when Jacobs’ through-ball sent James Henry racing clear but the Polish shot-stopper made a smart save in a one-on-one.
The home side kept threatening and consolidating their dominance throughout the rest of the game, but with 11 minutes of the game left, Notts missed a great chance to pull a goal back when Jack Grealish headed over from Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s cross.
The Magpies are now back in the relegation zone.

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Pride of Nottingham

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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