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Joe Jones
Notts County have met Staffordshire club Port Vale a grand total of 91 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 won 37 games, lost 34, 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).
 
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 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!
Also, in 2005, Williams founded Los Angeles Vale F.C., 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.
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Notts County are without suspended centre-half Haydn Hollis, who serves a one-match ban for his sending off in last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Brentford.
Notts look likely to choose from Dean Leacock and Manny Smith to replace him.
Meanwhile, Port Vale are without skipper Doug Loft, who suffered an injury in training on Friday.
Assistant manager Mark Grew says that some of their fringe players may get a chance at Meadow Lane, with striker Jordan Hugill looking a strong contender.
Vale, who beat Notts 2-1 on Boxing Day, start the day seven points adrift of the League One play-offs.
(On the plus side, however, at least we don't have to face Lee Hughes again - he's now at Forest Green Rovers)
Joe Jones
Despite all the euphoria generated by Notts County's great three-match winning run against Carlisle, Crewe and Colchester, and all the positivity around the Great Escape campaign, the truth is that today's game away at Brentford was an incredibly tall order.

The Bees are on fine form this season and are expected to earn promotion to the Championship, not to mention the fact that they've managed to get none other than Alan Judge on their books, and we all know what happens when former players face up against their old clubs.
As a result, it should really come as no surprise that Brentford beat us 3-1 today, but there were sore points in that the home side raced into a three-goal lead before we got a consolation, not to mention the sending off of Haydn Hollis which will have repercussions in the remaining few games. And of course, though Judge owes Notts nothing and is a fine player able to make things happen, seeing him score twice against us is a bitter pill to swallow.
 
Manager Shaun Derry made just one change to his starting XI from the team that won against Colchester, as Nathan Tyson was picked ahead of Jack Grealish.
The Irish Messi caused trouble early on as he broke through on goal after a mistake by Hayden Mullins, but Hollis cleared the ball before any damage could be done, but the on-loan veteran made amends by denying Stuart Dallas not long after.
The Bees were on the front foot during this period, with Dallas and Judge causing no end of trouble for the Notts backline, and things got worse for the away side when Hollis was shown a straight red for a lunge on Clayton Donaldson just after the half-hour mark and gave away a penalty.
The nine outfield Notts men had to stand and watch as Adam Forshaw sent Bartosz Bialkowski the wrong way to put the Bees a goal ahead.
Just before the break came the heartbreaking blow, as Judge, who left Notts for greener pastures at Blackburn Rovers, only to be sent on loan back to League One, made it 2-0 just before the break. The talismanic midfielder collected Alan McCormack's pass and fired home at the near post following a mistake by substitute Dean Leacock.
Judge's second, his fifth goal since joining on loan from Blackburn in January, came after Bialkowski had twice denied Toumani Diagouraga from close range, the Irish prodigy hammering the ball into the net just after the restart to make the scoreline 3-0.
Notts fans were in despair at this grotesque scenario playing itself out - Judge should never have found himself playing against us in the league, he should have been either playing for us or for a higher tier club!
On the plus side, Jimmy Spencer's dry spell came to an end when he scored County's consolation with just seven minutes to go, when Mullins's ball found the youngster who then sent a lob over the away keeper to make the scoreline 3-1.
This victory is Brentford's first in four matches, and moves them six points clear of third place.
Wins for Tranmere, Carlisle and Crewe mean that we now slip back into the League One relegation zone, three points from safety and missing one of our form players for several games after yet another Magpies sending-off.
Joe Jones
Out of the last 28 English football seasons (going back to 1985/86), Notts County and Brentford have been in the same league 18 of those seasons. Bit of a regular fixture then.

Brentford certainly have the upper edge historically, winning 27 out of the 74 meetings. Notts have won 20, while 27 meetings have been drawn.

Notts haven't won against the Hounslow side since the 2003/04 season, when we did the league double over them in League Two.
 
Eight draws followed, but the impasse was broken by Brentford beating Notts home and away last season, both 2-1 wins. This season, we lost 1-0 at Meadow Lane a few months back.
Brentford FC started life in 1889 because the members of the Brentford Rowing Club wanted to engage in a sport as filler during the winter months. By 8 votes to 5, they opted for football instead of rugby.
Notts County legend Tommy Lawton played for Brentford directly after his talismanic spell with the Magpies, scoring 17 goals in 50 games between 1951 and 1953. He also served as player/manager in his final year with the club before leaving for Arsenal.
Since 1954, Brentford have experienced football higher than the third tier for just one season, in 1991/92. Last season, they came within one penalty kick of changing that. Then this happened...
/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peYzUns9YLs
(However, they may be on the verge of turning it round this season, what with being five points clear of third-placed Leyton Orient with a game in hand)
Brentford is a popular team with many musicians who grace the pages of NME. Hard-Fi lead singer and guitarist Richard Archer, Bluetones guitarist Adam Devlin, Status Quo bassist John "Rhino" Edwards, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend and Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman are all supporters of the Hounslow club.
Gunnersbury Park Museum is in Gunnersbury House, narrowly in Gunnersbury (the north-west of Chiswick) containing artifacts and former furnishings of the Rothschild family, who were culturally and financially pre-eminent across France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and North America (basically, one of the most powerful families in the world).
Kew Bridge Steam Museum houses the world's largest working beam engine and its narrow cuboid tower is an emblem of the town.
 
Brentford will be without winger Sam Saunders tomorrow, who is still sidelined after a knee operation.
Midfielder George Saville is fit again after a knock, while Harlee Dean, Tony Craig and James Tarkowski compete for two centre-back spots.
Also Alan Judge, who has served us so well over the last few years before his move to Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season, is expected to face us tomorrow.
Callum Ball is County's only doubt, having not featured since the 5-1 defeat at Walsall in January.
However, the striker, on loan from Derby County, is making good progress after a training ground ankle injury.
sadlad

PoN's March Round Up!

By sadlad, in News,

Well its getting close to the 'business end' of the season now as a lot of teams in League One thrust one concerted effort into either staying up or going up in the final few weeks of the season.

In the lower reaches, Notts County have managed stage one of their 'Great Escape' by reaching the dizzy heights of 19th thanks to back to back wins over Colchester, Crewe and Carlisle, giving County fans something to cheer about.

Stage two for them will be to stay out of the relegation zone.
Stevenage have that doomed look about them with just one win in eight games. They have drawn too many of late and have a poor goal difference. Shrewsbury had a similar March as Stevenage with four drawn games.
Crewe's misery continues with just one win from seven and Carlisle complete the last of the drop zone spots who failed to win and didn't even score in four games.
Of the teams above them, Tranmere's only success was against Notts County, Colchester squeezed nine games in-but could only win one of them as did Oldham from their eight.
Crawley obtained three wins and still have four games in hand over most so it looks like they could be safe-eventually. Up in 15th spot Bristol City continued their climb with four wins which included a 5-0 thumping of Port Vale. Gillingham had a steady three wins from six whilst Coventry continued their indifferent form.
Moving into the top half then, Bradford City and Port Vale had mixed fortunes whilst Sheffield United continued their previous month's good form with three wins..but ended March with three defeats!
MK Dons had a terrible month at home with four defeats yet obtained three away victories! The Sorry Saddlers went six games without a win then won their last two so Walsall are still chasing 6th spot.
Swindon had a right old mixed bag as did Peterborough. Rotherham went from strength to strength with five great wins whilst Leyton Orient started the month off well then let it slip a bit. Brentford and Wolves still look likely to go up. Brentford still managed four wins whilst champions-elect Wolves won six from eight and nothing will surely stop them now. April should be very interesting throughout the division.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Saturday the 5th of April, Notts will be making a trip to Griffin Park to take on Brentford FC. They currently sit 2nd, a total of 40 points divides both teams, which is the exact amount of points we currently have (40pts). Notts are currently 19th and require a good result and some luck to avoid falling back into the relegation zone.

Notts come into the game having beaten Colchester 2-0. Brentford drawn 0-0 in their last game against Oldham. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Brentford FC will be referee Charles Breakspear, with his two assistants Ian Cooper and Ian Fissenden. The fourth official will be John Busby.
 
Match Officials
 
Referee; Charles Breakspear has taken control of nineteen games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 91 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of eight players. He's featured seven times in League One, ten times in League Two and twice in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Charles Breakspear is the referee from our home game against Bristol City, the game which Gary Liddle was injured. The game finished 1-1, thanks to Alan Sheehan's 89th minute leveler. He booked a total of 8 players, 3 Notts (Leacock, Boucaud, Jamal Campbell-Ryce) and 5 Bristol City players.
 
Assistant Referees; Ian Cooper has been the 1st assistant seventeen times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant four times and the fourth official seven times. The majority of league games come from League One, whilst he's featured 10 times in the Championship and seven times in League Two.
Ian Fissenden has featured as the 2nd assistant six times, he has been the 1st assistant nine times and he currently has featured as the fourth official four times within the 2013/2014 season. Four of these games have taken place in the Championship, a further four more within League One. Again four within League Two, the rest are from cup appearances.
Interesting Fact – Ian Cooper originally started out in the Sunday League as a player, he told sabotagetimes “I played in a few Sunday League teams with my mates and wasn’t as good as them,” says Ian Cooper, a 26-year-old car bodywork repairer from Kent. “So I thought if I can’t make it at the top level as a player maybe I can do it as a referee.”. (please note the source is trying to be amusing here).
 
Fourth Official; John Busby has featured five times as the fourth official so far this season. He's featured eleven times as the 1st assistant and a total of three times as the 2nd assistant. He's featured five times within the Championship, ten times within League One and four times within League Two.
Interesting Fact – John Busby was an English-born surveyor and civil engineer, active in Australia. Oh wait, Oppps... I have the wrong John here! Sadly I couldn't anything worthy of mentioning regarding John Busby, however I did manage to locate this interesting snippet of news. "It was a great day for County who comprehensively outplayed the league leaders to earn a richly deserved success on a Spytty surface that fully justified the work of the ground staff and the judgement of match referee John Busby who declared it fit." This is from Newport County dated 11th of April 2010, let's hope our County can replicate this.
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Notts County are looking to strike a positive note with fans by offering trials to two of the nation’s hottest musical talents, it has been reported.

Jake Bugg, arguably the biggest artist to come out of Nottingham in years, is expected to arrive at Highfields later today to train with the first team, according to sources close to the club.
 
Meanwhile, One Direction singer Niall Horan is scheduled to visit the training ground tomorrow morning to show the Magpies if he can light up their world like nobody else.
The Irish heartthrob is said to have been inspired by bandmate Louis Tomlinson’s affiliation with his local club Doncaster Rovers, which led to the 22-year-old joining the Championship club on a non-contract basis.
Should either or the two youngsters be deemed good enough to play for the club, it is expected that they will put pen to paper on a short-term deal until the end of the season.
20-year-old Bugg, from Clifton, is a proud Notts fan, and has previously stated that the Meadow Lane outfit “should just bang me in the team.”
Meanwhile Horan, also 20, is an avid Derby County fan, but is allegedly open at the idea of playing for the Magpies, given the warm relationship between the two clubs and the common rivalry they share with Nottingham Forest.
Were the duo to turn out together on the pitch, it could also signal the end of the long-running rivalry between Bugg and 1D that has seen both entities slate each other in public.
Chris

On The Table

By Chris, in News,

Pride of Nottingham introduces 'On The Table', a new weekly feature which will focus on how the League One table has changed, which teams have made the most movement and their results.

The top half of the third tier, from the 1st place to 6th, hasn't seen any changes. However, Leyton Orient, Rotherham United and Preston North End have all moved closer to each other. Wolves currently lead the division by 6 points, whilst Orient are 4 points behind Brentford.

Let's see how the League One table compares now!
 
MK Dons have fallen from 7th to 9th after losing at home 0-1 to Wolverhampton Wanderers. Swindon Town have moved up from 8th to 7th, they beat Sheffield United 2-1. Walsall FC who came in at 9th before yesterdays narrow 1-0 win over Shrewsbury Town. This was their second back to back win since having beaten us 5-1 at Meadow Lane.
Sheffield United remain 10th after losing to Walsall.
Port Vale also remain at 11th, they drew 1-1 to Stevenage FC.
Gillingham have fallen from 12th to 14th due to not playing. Bristol City have moved from 13th to 15th, they lost 2-1 to Rotherham United.
Crawley Town have fallen from 14th to 16th, they lost narrowly by 1 goal to Preston North End.
Bradford City have moved up from 15th to 12th after beating 3rd place Leyton Orient, the final score ending with 1-0 away win for the Bantams.
Colchester United have fallen from 16th to 18th, they're now only 3 points off safety and are back in danger after being beaten by us at Meadow Lane.
Oldham Athletic remain at 17th, they drew to Brentford 0-0 which is exactly the outcome Pride of Nottingham is hoping for (or better) this upcoming Saturday, as we take them on away from home.
Coventry City have moved up from 18th to 13th, the Sky Blues enjoyed a 2-1 win over Crewe Alexandra – who fell from 19th to 22nd as a result of the Sky Blues win.
Tranmere Rovers remain 20th after drawing to Carlisle 0-0.
Carlisle United also remain in the same position - 21st after they didn't manage to score against Tranmere Rovers.
Shrewsbury Town have fallen from 22nd to 23rd, they suffered that narrow 1-0 defeat to Walsall FC.
NOTTS COUNTY who's unlikeliest of results, 3 wins, back to back – have seen our club move from 23rd to 19th. A much healthier position, however before we all get excited. Please remember we take on Brentford! However, if Oldham can draw to them, why can't we? Notts enjoyed a 2-0 win at Meadow Lane over fellow struggler’s Colchester United.
Stevenage FC remain bottom, they haven't managed to move but they have a game in hand.
 
The 'Race for Survival' clearly isn't finished, as many teams continue to battle for their safety. Whilst others are trying to fight their way into the automatic positions and play-off zone. Pride of Nottingham is just glad to see us reunite, our next six features are bigger than ever.
 
League One Table - The Race for Survival  
Joe Jones
Well, well, WELL!

What can I say? I am speechless. After losing eight games out of ten previously, which is the kind of form that would relegate teams without excuses, we now have three wins in three games. Just unbelievable.

All this talk of Great Escape, premature though it may be, is actually proving a fantastic galvanising agent for Notts County, given today's 2-0 win against Colchester United. There was an amazing feel-good atmosphere at Meadow Lane, and all the positivity clearly filtered to the players.
The only change for Shaun Derry's team was the reinstating of Mustapha Dumbuya to the starting XI after his absence in midweek. A tad harsh on Curtis Thompson perhaps, but he shouldn't feel too downbeat; we cannot take chances at the moment with our season in the balance.
In the first few minutes, the man everyone's now talking about, Ronan Murray, did it again. He struck a composed finish past the Colchester goalkeeper to send the fans into raptures, as the Great Escape theme was sung and played with determined glee.
To be fair, the away team became very dangerous after our first goal, and had several chances to pull a goal back or even get a few, thanks to chances from Freddie Sears, which Bartosz Bialkowski had to be alert to thwart, and Alex Gilbey, who headed over from six yards.
Midway through the first half, Sears and Dominic Vose combined to give the Magpies a huge scare, thanks to a low cutback followed by a powerful shot which cannoned off the post.
Remember how I'd always use the word "sucker-punched" to describe when we'd concede after being dominant in a half or game? Well, this time it was the other way round - despite being under the cosh for most of the half, a foul on Jack Grealish led to a free kick on the edge of the area. Alan Sheehan whipped in the set piece, which was met by the head of Haydn Hollis for goal number two.
 
Early in the second half, Notts nearly scored a wonderful goal thanks to a punt from Bart, which was met on the volley by Murray. Sadly, the keeper stopped the ball from going in.
Jimmy Spencer also came close with an improvised effort following another good cross from Sheehan, though Colchester did cause panic when Sears, ever the danger man, fired over from close range.
In the final stages, Gary Liddle's header was easily caught by the opposition keeper, but as the final whistle went, there was no hiding the celebrations - Notts County were out of the drop zone with six games to go.
Yes, there is still work to be done, and we can't rest on our laurels yet because Tranmere, Carlisle and Stevenage each have a game in hand and could potentially overtake us, but now the situation is no longer hopeless.
Fingers crossed, folks, because there may still be more twists and turns in this epic saga...
Chris

View of our upcoming games

By Chris, in News,

In our next three games, Notts will be playing Colchester United at home. They will then be travelling to play Brentford away from home, upon the return the following game is again at Meadow Lane, this time it will be against Port Vale. This will leave us with the final run down of fixtures, only four remaining for the fight of survival. These three fixtures will be what makes the grades for Notts, without good results here then the previous two wins will be for almost nothing. The interesting factors are the two home games, both teams are in poor form and are sides we could get results over. The partnership of Murray and Spencer, especially any goals from Ronan Murray will be vital to our great escape.
Pride of Nottingham's last edition mentioned how I saw our side potentially pick up between 4 and 9 points. Notts managed to pick up 7, we also mentioned how 'great escapes don't always go to plan'. Something which upon reflection seems to be very true, as we have once again placed ourselves back within a good chance of surviving. A lot will go down on these next three games, it is now do or die time.
 
Colchester play with a similar system to us, they're a side which can create chances but often fail to make them count. Although they're struggling now, they did start the season off fairly well.
Jabo Ibehre is their highest goal scorer with 8 goals so far this season, Freddie Sears is not far behind with 7, whilst Marcus Bean is their 3rd highest goal scorer with just 4 goals. Craig Eastmond is their most persistent booked player, he currently stands on 9 yellow cards. Brian Wilson and Marcus Bean share 8 each. Three players share a single red card, these being Sanchez Watt, Magnus Okuongae and Daniel Pappoe.
 
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 4 points. They narrowly lost by one goal to Crawley Town, against Shrewsbury they managed to win 1-0, a 2-2 draw is all they could muster against Bristol City and they lost 4-2 last Saturday to Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Brentford are a very capable League One team, they possess a lot of fire power and on their day they can play some very crisp football.
Clayton Donaldson is their highest goal scorer with 17, Marcello Trotta is their second highest goal scorer with 13 goals to his name. Harlee Dean and George Saville share 8 yellow cards each, whilst Tony Craig and keeper David Button are they only two bee's players to be sent off.
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 9 points. Their form is very impressive, as to be expected with a side competing for an automatic place. They beat Tranmere Rovers 2-0, overcame the Orient by winning them by 1 goal, they cruised past Coventry City 3 goals to 1 and stumbled to our friends Rotherham United (great result for you BradtheMiller).
Port Vale are surprising me this season, however they're now without former County marksman Lee Hughes. This is great for me, as I wouldn't want to see him score against us! They're a good side on the day, however they often come very in-complacent.
Tom Pope is their highest goal scorer with 15 goals, Jennison Myrie-Williams is their second highest marksman with 9 goals. Carl Dickinson is their most persistent fouler with 13 yellow cards to his name, whilst Chris Lines is on 9. Chris Lines is also the only Vale player to be sent off once.
In their last four games, they've picked up a total of 4 points. They lost 2-0 to Leyton Orient, drew 2-2 to Coventry City, beat Tranmere Rovers 3-2 but received a whipping of their own last Saturday against Bristol City who score 5 goals against them.
I see Notts picking up 4 points, with our current form we might be able to get 6 to 7 points. Stranger things have happened, prior we was sunk and renewed hope keeps our battle going! Could we beat Brentford?
My key game is against Port Vale – this game will help us see if we can or can't survive the drop, however knowing Notts it will leave us setup like a tv cliff hanger. Colchester United are clearly beatable, Brentford will be a tough test but we could get something. Port Vale at home, without Lee Hughes will certainly be more promising and they're a side we could get something from. A win would be fantastic, which should be our aim.
 
COYP!!
Joe Jones
Notts County have met Colchester United a modest 39 times over the years, all league encounters except for one Sherpa Vans Trophy tie in 1988.

Notts hold the marginal upper edge, having won 17 games to Colchester's 14, with 8 draws. All league encounters between the two have never taken place higher than the third tier.

The last encounter, back in December 2013 away at the Colchester Community Stadium, ended in a resounding 4-0 win for the Magpies!
Here's hoping for more this time round at Meadow Lane. Colchester United Football Club is a baby in English football club terms, having been born in 1937. However, Colchester Town Football Club, the club's predecessor, was around since 1873.
Despite dwindling crowds in the mid-1930s, though, they refused to follow its neighbours Ipswich Town in turning professional, much to the disapproval of its fans and players. As a result, Colchester United was formed, with the intention of playing professionally, and went on from strength to strength while its stubborn neighbour fell into decline and eventually folded.
 
Colchester United are responsible for one of the FA Cup's greatest ever upsets, when, in February 1971, they defeated the infamous Don Revie's Leeds United, an established top flight side who would finish second that season, by three goals to two. The U's were in the fourth division at the time.
The U's won the Football League Trophy (now the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) in 1996-97. and also compete in a competition called the Essex Senior Cup, a tournament contested by mostly non-league clubs within the region (Colchester usually field a youth/reserve team for this), winning this trophy back in 2009-10.
Micky Cook holds the all time club record for appearances with Colchester United, having played nearly 700 games between 1969 and 1984! Talk about loyalty!
Notable former players include Titus Bramble, Alec Chamberlain, Mark Kinsella, Kevin Lisbie and Newcastle cult hero Lomana LuaLua.
The town of Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, who died in AD 79. It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain, and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.
 
Since 2006, Colchester has been one of 12 places in the UK where Royal Salutes are fired to mark Royal anniversaries and visits by foreign heads of state.
For more facts about Colchester, check out https://twitter.com/colchesterfacts *
Mustapha Dumbuya is expected to be fit but may struggle to replace Curtis Thompson in a Notts side chasing a third consecutive victory and eager to complete The Great Escape.
We will actually climb out of the relegation zone if we win, Shrewsbury fail to win and Carlisle and Tranmere, who play each other at Prenton Park, draw.
Defender Alex Wynter is expected to make his Colchester debut after joining on loan from Crystal Palace.
Sanchez Watt's quad problem is easing but he is unlikely to feature.
 
* May not necessarily be true facts!
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Saturday the 29th of March, Notts return to action at Meadow Lane against Colchester United. They currently sit 17th, four points off the relegation zone and six points above Notts County. However, we have already beaten Colchester United earlier away from home this season.

Notts come into the game having beaten Crewe 3-1. Colchester lost 4-2 in their last game against Wolves. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Colchester United will be referee Lee Collins, with his two assistants David Avent and Mark Russell. The fourth official will be Neil Hair.
 
Match Officials
Referee; Lee Collins has taken control of twenty-one games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 57 yellow cards, whilst he's only sent off a total of three players. He's featured eleven times in League One, nine times in League Two and once in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Unlike Uncle Colin's claims last Tuesday regarding our last match official, this is spot on. Lee Collins sent off Danny Haynes in our away game against Coventry City. He issued 4 yellows and a single red card, however I personally feel the scissor kick on Greg Tempest not long after deserved the colour red.
 
Assistant Referees; David Avent has been the 1st assistant five times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant once and the fourth official three times. The majority of league games come from the Championship, whilst he's featured five times combined in League One and Two.
Mark Russell has featured as the 2nd assistant six times so far, he has been the 1st assistant three times and he currently hasn't featured as the fourth official so far within the 2013/2014 season. Four of these games have taken place in the Championship, a further four more within League One. None have taken place in League Two, however Mark Russell has made an F.A Cup appearance.
Interesting Fact – This one is for Super Ram, both assistants have featured in both home and away ties for Derby County against QPR. On the 10/02/14 David Avent was the 1st assistant in Derby's 1-0 home win over QPR. However Mark Russell featured as the 2nd official on the 02/11/13 in QPR's 2-1 over Derby County.
 
Fourth Official; Neil Hair hasn't yet featured as the fourth official so far this season. He's featured once within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Neil Hair has been the referee in four conference games, all of which have been high scoring games - 1-4, 3-2, 5-3 and 3-3.
Interesting Fact – Neil Hair has recently stepped up within the 2013/2014 season, after officiating numerous U21's matches within the highest division at U21's level. In the 3 games Neil's officiated at the U21 level, within this season. He hasn't booked or sent off a single player!
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Oh my days. Can this season get any more topsy-turvy? How many times have we been dead and buried this season? How many times have we turned a corner, only to find ourselves in the quagmire again? The saga continues with today's impressive 3-1 victory away at Crewe Alexandra.

Shaun Derry made one change from the XI that routed Carlisle United on Saturday, replacing Mustapha Dumbuya, who suffered a groin injury on against the Cumbrians, with Curtis Thompson.
Notts were quick off the blocks, Jimmy Spencer firing over with a long-range effort. Gary Liddle also threatened in early on when he got a header on target from an Alan Sheehan free kick.
In the 10th minute, the Magpies drew first blood when Jamal Campbell-Ryce's cross towards the back post was met by the head of Liddle. The ball beat Ben Garratt to give Notts the lead, much to the chagrin of the home crowd.
The away side continued to pile on the pressure in the first half, efforts from Spencer and Jack Grealish causing more panic in the Alex box.
Crewe, to their credit, nearly scored towards the end of the first half when defender Matt Tootle picked out Chuks Aneke, but the on-loan Arsenal youngster's effort flew wide of the mark.
 
After the break, the Railwaymen were determined to pull a goal back, and Uche Ikpeazusaw a dangerous header fly onto the roof of the net in the early stages.
JCR was a constant threat, and nearly doubled his side's lead midway through the second half, were it not for a great stop from Garratt, while at the other end, the ever-impressive Bartosz Bialkowski pulled off an amazing stop from a long range Abdul Osman howitzer.
Just when it seemed that Notts players, staff and fans would run out of self-grown keratin to nervously consume, in went the second goal to send the Magpies faithful into raptures, courtesy of Ronan Murray. Following some more great work from JCR, the 22-year-old Irishman, whose stock is constantly rising, was able to cut inside and fire a shot inside the left-hand post.
Notts made it three with just three minutes to go, and once again it was Murray, who pounced on a long ball and rounded Garratt to net his second of the game.
Crewe did manage a scant consolation in injury time, Mark Ellis's heavily deflected shot, but despite Bart's frustration at having had his clean sheet soiled, the rest of the Notts faithful could shrug it off, for the final whistle went not long after.
So then! Notts are now off the bottom! There is still work to do, because new table-proppers Stevenage have two games in hand, but the relegation battle has been blown wide open - just two points separate the Magpies from safety now.
Well, I've written Notts off several times this season - I'm sure I'm not the only one - but the club continues to defy all logic and form to keep things interesting. Can we do it? Can we stay up?
 
Watch this space.
Joe Jones
Notts County’s head-to-head history with Crewe Alexandra dates back to September 1893, when the Magpies faced the Railwaymen at the Alexandra Recreation Ground. The result was a 2-0 win for Notts.

After several further meetings in the late 1890s, the fixture would experience a hiatus of 63 years; between 1896 and 1959, the two teams didn't play each other.
 
The Alex have been on the receiving end of several thumpings at the hands of the Magpies – in 1894, we beat them 9-1 and 5-1, in 1896 we won 6-0, in 1959 we recorded a 4-1 victory, 1970 brought a 5-1 victory… oh, and we thrashed them 4-0 just five months ago at Meadow Lane!
The origins of the “Alexandra” moniker in the club name aren’t fully known. Whether they took the name from a hotel, patronised by those connected with the railway works and where they held their meetings, or whether it was after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who married Queen Victoria’s eldest son, later King Edward VII, is open to speculation.
Crewe is synonymous with arguably one of the greatest and most longevous managers in the English game: Dario Gradi. He is the Alex’s very own Sir Alex Ferguson, having managed the club between 1983 and 2011, with the exception of a hiatus between 2007 and 2009 where he nevertheless took the reins on a caretaker basis for a period. He currently manages the Academy. Speaking of which…
Crewe Alexandra’s academy is one of the best and most renowned in the English lower leagues. The Academy is known to stress technical excellence, which accords with the aim to have the first team play attractive, passing football.
Most of the club's achievements in youth development have come from none other than Gradi, and alumni include Geoff Thomas, David Platt, Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon, Steve Jones, Rob Jones, Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson and Dean Ashton and David Vaughan.
Impressively, Crewe’s final fixture of the 2012-13 season, a 2-0 win against Walsall, involved a starting XI made up entirely of Academy players.
In 2013, the club won its first-ever major silverware after beating Southend United 2-0 in the Johnstones Paint Trophy final at Wembley.
 

Crewe are known as the Railwaymen because of the town’s links to the British train network. Crewe station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Nowadays, as well as serving the town of Crewe that has grown near it, it still operates as a major junction on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). It also serves as a major station on the WCML and as a major rail gateway for the North West.
The town of Crewe has an interesting roll call of local legends, including rugby player Mark Cueto, professional BMX racer Shanaze Reade, 1990s heartthrob Adam Rickitt (ask a female friend or relative between the ages of 25 and 30), Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, and Jimmy MacDonald, also known as the voice of Mickey Mouse!
(And if anybody here is or knows a fan of Adam Rickitt, he’s going to be in the Big Reunion 2014. I’m literally jumping for apathy)
Crewe are without suspended midfielder Anthony Grant after his late red card in Saturday's 3-1 win at Gillingham.
Abdul Osman comes in as the Alex, now two points clear of trouble, bid to build on their unbeaten three-game run.
Meanwhile, Shaun Derry seems likely to name the side that started Saturday's 4-1 win over Carlisle.
Dean Leacock was among the substitutes against the Cumbrians after a thigh injury but may have to wait for his recall.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Tuesday the 25th of March, Notts will make their way to Gresty Road to play Crewe Alexandra. They currently sit 19th, one above Tranmere and two above Carlisle. They're two points off the Carlisle and only 1 between Tranmere. However, we beat Crewe Alexandra 4-0 at home earlier in the season.

Notts come into the game having beaten Carlisle United 4-1. Crewe enjoyed a 3-1 victory over Gillingham. The Match Officials for Tuesdays game against Tranmere Rovers will be referee Sebastian Stockbridge, with his two assistants Amy Fearn and Ken Haycock. The fourth official will be Alan Clayton.
 
Match Officials
Referee; Sebastian Stockbridge has taken control of eighteen games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 72 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of six players. He's featured eight times in League One, nine times in League Two and once in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Sebastian Stockbridge was the match official in our home game against Tranmere Rovers which ended 2-0 to us. He issued 4 yellow cards in that game, two a piece to each team. Leacock and Labadie were the players of ours to be cautioned.
 
Assistant Referees; Amy Fearn has been the 1st assistant once so far this season. She's been the 2nd assistant twice and the fourth official once. The majority of league games come from League One, whilst she's featured five times in the conference division(s) as a referee.
Ken Haycock has featured as the 2nd assistant once so far, he has been the 1st assistant six times and the fourth official twice. Six of these games have taken place in League Two, whilst he's only featured so far once in League One. Two games however fall within the Championship, one as the 1st assistant and the other as the fourth official.
Interesting Fact – In November 2006, Amy officiated games under her maiden name which was Raynor. After a Non League game, Mike Newell made controversial comments about Rayner by saying "It is bad enough with the incapable referees and linesmen we have but if you start bringing in women, you have big problems". Mike Newell was fined £6,500 and warned by Luton Town. On a more positive note, Amy became the first female referee within the Football League back in 2010.
 
Fourth Official; Alan Clayton has been the fourth official three times so far this season. He's featured four times within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Alan Clayton has featured equally within three match official roles - 1st official 3 times, 2nd official 3 times and the fourth official 3 times.
Interesting Fact – Alan Clayton has officiated four games which have ended in being a draw, two games ending with home wins and three games with an away win. Hopefully after the 25th, it will be four away wins.
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
22nd March 2014. Mark the date. Today was quite possibly one of the best single match days for all Notts fans.

Derby County's 5-0 demolition of the Red Dogs, aside from being an amazing example of schadenfreude over the arrogant neighbours, must have spurred on the Notts players, because they then went out and played like a side chasing promotion, not on the verge of relegation, as they thrashed Carlisle United 4-1 and gave themselves a tiny, infinitesimal glimmer of hope.
The match started in a scrappy manner, with the visitors having the game's first chances, courtesy of Brad Potts and Sam Byrne.
On the quarter-hour mark, good play by Jimmy Spencer led to the youngster setting up Jamal Campbell-Ryce, the winger's subsequent cross nearly finding Jack Grealish at the back post.
Carlisle nearly scored in the 21st minute when they broke quickly following an Alan Sheehan free kick, but the offside flag came up, while on the half-hour mark, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be at his best to thwart Lee Miller.
Just a few minutes later, the under-pressure Magpies took the lead thanks to Haydn Hollis, his header sending the Notts fans into raptures.
The offside flag rescued the home side once again after another chance by Miller, before Notts then doubled their lead to the delight of the Meadow Lane faithful.
The brilliant Spencer held the ball up brilliantly before playing it to Gary Liddle, who then sent a low cross Ronan Murray's way for him to tap home.
 
Caution was the order of the day for everyone involved with Notts, who have let this kind of lead slip one too many times this season, and the home side was nearly beaten from a David Amoo chance.
Just after the restart, Hollis, who had only scored his first ever goal for the Magpies earlier on in the game, only went and doubled his personal career tally with an incredible header to put his side 3-0 up.
The youngster, surely gunning for a hat-trick, then showed his great defensive credentials by clearing the ball when under pressure from David Symington.
James Berrett then pulled a goal back for Carlisle just before the hour, his long-range shot bouncing off the post and beating Bart.
However, the Cumbrians weren't about to embark on an amazing final 30 minutes and score a further three goals to break Notts hearts, not this time.
The fantastic Liddle, whose presence has been sorely missed this season, scored arguably one of the greatest goals Meadow Lane has seen in recent years with an outstanding overhead kick past Jordan Pickford in the 70th minute. Take a bow, son.
With Carlisle completely deflated, Notts were able to register several more chances, but the game would end 4-1.
In the grand scheme of things, we have to remember that we are still bottom of League One, five points from safety. Things are still not looking rosy, we still have to keep plugging and repeating performances like today's if we're to survive this horrendous quagmire.
But whatever happens, enjoy today, fellow Notts fans. This weekend, Nottingham belongs to the Magpies.

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