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Joe Jones
Carlisle United and Notts County have met on just 27 occasions since their first clash back in October 1959, a Fourth Division clash that was won by the Cumbrians 2-0. Out of those, the Magpies have won 15 and lost 9, with just 3 draws.

Carlisle United is one of the northernmost clubs in the Football League, just 10 miles from the Scottish border, and one that’s normally mentioned among the most difficult away days – talk of “Carlisle away” is one for the most hardcore fans, especially in midweek.
(Newcastle United are further north than Carlisle, however)
The Cumbrians have spent a season in the top flight, back in 1974-75, and recorded a double over Everton, as well as home victories over eventual champions Derby County, former titleholders Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were sadly relegated at the end of the season though.
Carlisle is the smallest location, by population, to have had a resident top-flight English football club since 1906. Prior to this, Accrington FC, Darwen, Grimsby Town & Glossop North End were smaller.
Despite their small stature, the club has experience moderate success with regards to silverware – they have won a Third Division title back in 1965, two Fourth Division championships in 1995 and 2006, and two Football League Trophies, back in 1997 and 2011. They have also
Carlisle are famous for one of the most dramatic Great Escape scenarios in all of English football, when on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored in the last 10 seconds of their final game of the 1998-99 season against Plymouth Argyle to keep the Cumbrians in the Football League at the expense of Scarborough.
 
Notts County have new loan signing Josh Vela available but are again without centre-half and captain Dean Leacock.
Leacock suffered a thigh injury in the defeat against MK Dons earlier this month and is still not fit, so Haydn Hollis is likely to keep his place.
Sean O'Hanlon is back in training for Carlisle United, but boss Graham Kavanagh is cautious about the defender's chances.
Pascal Chimbonda is unlikely to be fit, while Liam Noble is out for the season.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Saturday the 22nd of March, Notts will be defending all the points at Meadow Lane, as we welcome Carlisle United. They currently sit 20th, one position above the relegation zone. However, they're seven points above us and one above Stevenage who sit on the 21st position. This game will literally be do or die.

Notts come into the game having lost to Tranmere Rovers 3-2. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Carlisle United will be referee Graham Scott, with his two assistants Joe Clark and Richard Wigglesworth. The fourth official will be Nigel Smith.

Match Officials

Referee; Graham Scott has taken control of twenty-two games, he's been the referee in two F.A Cup ties, one Capital One Cup game and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 87 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of ten players. He's featured seven times in League One, three times in League Two and twelve times in the Championship.

Interesting Fact – Here's something different. In the seven games Graham Scott has officiated in League One, the only home team to win is Wolverhampton Wanderers. They beat our friends Tranmere Rovers 2-0. Whilst 4 games have all ended up as 0-1 wins for the away team, the two other games resulted in 1-1 draws. Hopefully we can break this pattern!

Assistant Referees; Joe Clark has been the 1st assistant seven times so far this season. He hasn't featured as the 2nd assistant in the football league and he's been the fourth official three times. The majority of games equally come from League One and Two at 5 a piece, whilst he hasn't featured at all within the Championship.

Richard Wigglesworth has featured as the 2nd assistant four times, he's been the referee five times within the conference and the fourth official once in League Two. The majority of games have been as the match official within the Conference, whilst two each come from League One and Two.

Interesting Fact – This is not the English rugby union star or a children's entertainer (which with the last name you'd expect as a fictional character to please children). Who infamously sent off Marcus Maddison, in a game Lee Hughes scored from the penalty spot.

Fourth Official; Nigel Smith has been the fourth official three times so far this season. He's featured five times within the Championship, three times in League One and twice in League Two. Nigel Smith has featured more times as a 2nd assistant than any other match official role.

Interesting Fact – He featured as the fourth official in our 1-1 draw against Bristol City, so some blame for the unpunished challenges on two of our players – more importantly the crucial injury to Gary Liddle falls on Nigel Smith's shoulders as he should have seen it!

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
Another game, another defeat, another nail in the League One coffin. Today's result, a 3-2 defeat away at Tranmere Rovers, means that Notts County remain rock bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and worse still, we have lost eight of the last ten games. Staving off relegation will truly be a miracle at this stage of the season.

Shaun Derry lined the Magpies up in a 4-4-2 formation, shuffling things around across the board. Ronan Murray lined up on the left wing, with Jimmy Spencer and Nathan Tyson the two frontmen.
Tranmere came out all guns blazing at the start of the game, winning four corner kicks in the space of two and a half minutes, but were unable to fashion anything from these set pieces.
In the 10th minute, James Wallace headed wide a fourth corner from Jason Koumas, and just a minute later, Jake Cassidy fired a shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski.
Notts soon took the lead through Murray, as the away side’s first corner wasn’t cleared properly, and the ball fell to the young Irishman who made no mistake with an emphatic strike.
The lead lasted for just over 10 minutes, because Notts soon encountered defensive problems of their own, failing to clear a ball that fell to Koumas. The former Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion attacking midfielder duly struck a powerful shot straight into the corner to level proceedings.
Just a few minutes later, the game was turned upside down when the home side made the most of some more haphazard defending to take the lead. Ryan Lowe was allowed too much space following a straightforward cross, and the Birkenhead club’s top scorer this season didn’t need to be asked twice, smashing the ball home.
More drama ensued when Gary Liddle was fouled in the Tranmere box, the outcome of which was a penalty to Notts. Alan Sheehan, previously flawless from the spot, lined up to take the shot, but this time, there was to be no luck of the Irish as he saw his shot saved by the feet of Owain Fon Williams.
Midway through the first half, Murray came close, but once again Fon Williams made a great save, with Jimmy Spencer failing to convert the rebound, while just three minutes later, a desperate scramble in the Notts box saw Murray hack the ball off the line following an Ash Taylor header.
The first half ended with Tranmere in the lead. The second half kicked off with some sterling work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who played in two great crosses just after the restart, which sadly lacked a finishing touch.
 
Just after the hour, Notts won a free kick near the box, which Sheehan nominated to take. He more than made amends for his earlier penalty miss, because from nearly 30 yards out, he lashed in a simply sensational strike which smashed into the net to pull the score back to 2-2.
After the game’s fourth goal, the match opened up immensely, and both teams registered numerous chances in the ensuing stages of the half, a flurry of end-to-end action.
In the 32nd minute of the second half, Max Power, who had come on for injured Tranmere skipper James Wallace, unleashed a dangerous shot that stung Bart’s palms, but the ensuing corner was headed wide.
Just a few minutes later, Fon Williams spilled a routine JCR cross, but Murray couldn’t make the most of the ensuing opportunity.
Disaster then struck in the 84th minute as Steve Jennings tried an ambitious shot from distance. It was struck perfectly, flying into the back of the net and sending the home fans into raptures. 3-2 with just six minutes to go.
Notts tried desperately to get something back from the game, but it proved too little too late.
Joe Jones
Notts County’s history with Tranmere Rovers goes back 81 years, the first clash between the two coming in January 1933. Playing at Prenton Park – their ground since 1912 – the Birkenhead-based outfit defeated the Magpies 2-1 in the FA Cup.

There haven’t been many games between the two over the years – just 43 fixtures overall. The head-to-head is perfectly poised with both sides having won 17 games each, with nine draws. So tomorrow’s not just worth three points –it’s for the overall head-to-head!
 
Our form against Tranmere this millennium is not bad – three wins, three defeats and two draws. We beat them back in September 2-0 so hopefully it bodes well for tomorrow.
Our most significant game against Tranmere is undoubtedly the Third Division Playoff Final between us and them at Wembley 24 years ago. Goals from Tommy Johnson and Craig Short saw the Magpies clinch promotion to the second tier through the playoffs on the 27th May 1990, the first of two consecutive promotions.
 
Tranmere reached the League Cup final back in 2000, where they lost against Leicester City. This was the last League Cup to be played at the old Wembley ground.
One of the greatest English players of all time, Dixie Dean, made his debut for Tranmere aged 16 years 355 days back in 1924. He went on to play for rivals Everton and scored 60 goals in the 1927-28 season, a record that still stands to this day (he also played for Notts County, don’t you know!).
 
Legendary BBC commentator David Dimbleby is a Tranmere Rovers supporter. Meanwhile, during a gig in 2013, The Cult's lead singer Ian Astbury announced on stage he was a Tranmere Rovers FC supporter at the O2 Academy in Liverpool.
It has also been common knowledge among Rovers fans that singer Elvis Costello has also proclaimed to be a fan.
Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain.
Tranmere Rovers have failed to win any of their last three games and slipped into the relegation zone in midweek. However, caretaker manager John McMahon will select from the same squad that lost 2-0 at Brentford on Tuesday.
 
Notts County are without injured captain Dean Leacock, and midfielder Gary Liddle is a doubt after picking up a knock in the midweek loss to Milton Keynes Dons.
Midfielder Andre Boucaud is unavailable for ‘personal reasons’, but striker Jimmy Spencer returns after suspension.
sadlad

PoN's February Round Up!

By sadlad, in News,

Notts County endured a disappointing February with 0-2 defeats at Preston and Wolves and a 2-3 reverse at Shrewsbury but did chalk up a 3-0 home success over Coventry City. Shrewsbury only had that win V. Notts County to shout about with a draw and two defeats to complete their month. Crewe excelled themselves with two wins which were against Sheffield United (3-0) and at Port Vale (3-1). Meanwhile Stevenage and Tranmere had similar months with both teams chalking up two wins apiece. Carlisle suffered three 1-2 defeats but managed to take three points of Bradford City and Coventry. Oldham recorded two wins and a draw but were defeated twice and Bradford City has a mixed bag by winning two, drawing two and lost two.
 
Crawley only played two games all month which were both away due to games being postponed on their own pitch but were unbeaten with a win at Walsall and a draw at Swindon. Colchester had a quite terrible month with just one point and one goal scored in their five games.
There was two wins in the month for Gillingham as was the case for Bradford City. Coventry had a bad February with just one win to show for their efforts however it was a different story for ever-improving Sheffield United with four wins from five which rightfully earned Nigel Clough the manager of the month award.
Port Vale suffered a disappointing February with just a single win. Walsall played just three games which resulted in two defeats and a draw at Peterborough.
Swindon could only muster a single victory from their five games and it was a mixed bag for MK Dons whilst Peterborough won two of their three games.
Rotherham's fine form continued with three wins and a draw and Preston's three wins and three draws cemented their play off dream would continue.
Brentford only played three games and only won the once whilst Leyton Orient stuttered a little but still secured two more wins. Wolves won their three games with out conceding a goal and look good bets for an automatic place.
Chris

The Match Officials

By Chris, in News,

Saturday the 15th of March, Notts will make their way to Prenton Park to play Tranmere Rovers. They currently sit 21st, one position inside of the relegation zone. However, they share the same amount of points as Stevenage FC. This encounter will perhaps be a typical relegation class, with Notts desperately needing the points.

Notts come into the game having drawn to Leyton Orient, however they lost 3-1 to MK Dons. The Match Officials for Saturdays game against Tranmere Rovers will be referee Keith Stroud, with his two assistants Paul Graham and Scott Oldham. The fourth official will be Nicholas Gibbons.
 
Match Officials
 
Referee; Keith Stroud has taken control of twenty-three games, he's been the referee in three F.A Cup ties, three Capital One Cup games and one JPT clash. During these games he's issued a total of 135 yellow cards, whilst he's sent off a total of seven players. He's featured six times in League One, five times in League Two and twelve times in the Championship.
Interesting Fact – Keith Stroud is the man who officiated our opening game against Sheffield United, it finished 2-1 and Gary Liddle saw straight red. This was all shown live on sky, whilst 17,944 fans packed into Bramall Lane.
 
Assistant Referees; Paul Graham has been the 1st assistant ten times so far this season. He's been the 2nd assistant eight times and the fourth official fourteen times. The majority of games come from the Championship, whilst he has featured thirteen times in League One and eleven times in League Two.
Scott Oldham hasn't featured as the 2nd assistant so far, he has however featured as the fourth official three times. These games are a mix of games throughout the English leagues and he has featured as a lower league referee in a number of games.
Interesting Fact – Paul Graham's featured in quite a few high profile Midland games – Notably (especially for Super Ram) is Derby's 5-1 victory of Blackpool. He was also the fourth official at our away game against Shrewsbury Town that ended 1-0 in the favour of the Shrews.
 
Fourth Official; Nicholas Gibbons has been the fourth official four times so far this season. He's featured twice within the Championship, six times in League One and twice in League Two. Nicholas Gibbons has featured more times as a 1st assistant than as a fourth official but the majority does fall within League One.
Interesting Fact – He featured as the 1st assistant in my very first away game, which was our 2-1 defeat away from home (under Keith Curle) against Hartlepool United. This was on the 02/02/2013, a game I apologise for bringing up.
 
Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread
Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.
Joe Jones
So close, yet so far, and ultimately so futile.

Notts County were stunned in the first two minutes, destroyed by the hour mark, gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the final quarter of the game, then saw their gamble of committing every man to the final third backfire with a last-minute concession.

Ultimately, the Magpies fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Milton Keynes Dons, a loss which now surely renders the chasm between ourselves and safely insurmountable.
Shaun Derry was buoyed by the news that his previously injured trio of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya, who played against Leyton Orient on Saturday, were all fit for tonight’s clash.
 
The Magpies were quick off the starting blocks, and saw two great chances in the first 90 seconds as Callum McGregor struck with a powerful long-range effort and forced a corner. Immediately after, Hayden Mullins saw his great volley cannon off against the bar.
Before the home fans could get too excited, the perennial sucker-punch came a matter of seconds later. Dele Alli, the England U18 striker, was given too much room at the back, and was able to simply slot the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski for the first goal of the game.
With five minutes on the clock, Izale McLeod came close to doubling the Dons’ lead, but this time Bart was able to get a touch on the ball.
On-loan striker Nathan Tyson tried his luck after a great through-ball by Mullins, but the former Nottingham Forest man fired wide from 20 yards. This was then followed by another two attempts from McLeod for the opposition.
The first half was a frantic affair for both teams, but the Dons had the finer chances, thanks to efforts by Alli, Antony Kay and Daniel Powell, and were it not for Bart’s heroics, the Magpies could have easily been several goals down by the break.
One-time Manchester United and England player Alan Smith was also guilty of a dreadful tackle on Liddle midway through the first half, who let’s not forget has only just come back from a lengthy lay-off, but the frontman, who now plies his trade for the League One outfit, received just a yellow card.
The Magpies’ resistance came crumbling down in the 55th minute, when the young Alli, once again gifted the opportunity, was able to pretty much pass the ball into the net.
Eventually, Notts had a reprieve when Jordan Spence handled the ball inside the Dons box, and Alan Sheehan, ever reliable from the penalty spot, struck a shot into the bottom right corner to put his side within a goal of the opposition.
And so it came to injury time, and the Dons conceded a corner. Notts had no choice but to pile all their men, including Bart, forward, but as it is with this final throw of the dice, it can sometimes backfire, and sadly, with the Magpies backline exposed, the away side were able to break and score a third, once again courtesy of Alli.
I hate to say it, but based on our form and how much distance there now is between us – at the bottom – and safety, I think that we’re going to be playing in League Two next season. Despite being a not overwhelming five points behind, three of the teams immediately above us have a game in hand. Carlisle have two. And crucially, our form is atrocious - we have lost seven of our last ten games.
I would love, nay adore, to be proved wrong come May, but now it really is time to be realistic.
Joe Jones
If we take into account that the Milton Keynes Dons began their history in 2004, then Notts County have faced the club just 11 times. The first fixture took place in 2006, which was won by the Dons 3-2.

Its predecessor, Wimbledon, was around for over 110 years, but nonetheless, Notts have only played six games against them.

A depressing statistic: out of 17 games between the Magpies and both Dons incarnations, we’ve only won once.
 
The Buckinghamshire-based outfit has been the subject of much controversy since its former incarnation, Wimbledon, moved from London to Milton Keynes, discarded its previous history and became the Milton Keynes Dons. Many feel aggrieved that such a move should have taken place.
Just two former Wimbledon players are currently plying their trade for the new club: captain Dean Lewington, and goalkeeper David Martin.
The town of Milton Keynes has only been around since 1967, and is comically known for its statues of concrete cows and many, many roundabouts (300, or if you count painted bumps, over 1000!).
 
Notts County manager Shaun Derry is expected to name an unchanged team after his starting line-up impressed during the goalless home draw with Leyton Orient, which means that the trio of Gary Liddle. Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya would retain their places after returning from long-term injuries.
James Spencer will complete a three-match suspension but Derry has the likes of Tyrell Waite, Ronan Murray, Mark Fotheringham and Haydn Hollis to call on should he want to make any changes.
 
MK Dons do not expect to have any new problems for the clash. Jordan Spence received treatment for an ankle injury for around five minutes during the second half of their victory over Swindon on Saturday, but the defender completed the game at the County Ground and should be fit for tomorrow.
Larnell Cole's withdrawal at half time against the Robins was thought to be tactical and the midfielder should also be in the squad.
Mark Randall may be an addition to the away team tomorrow. The former Arsenal youngster has been training with the Dons and has agreed a deal with his hometown club until the end of the season.
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.

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Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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