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Shaun Brisley to miss Crawley Town game, confirms Kevin Nolan

Kevin Nolan has confirmed that Shaun Brisley will not be risked in Notts County's midweek League Two game with Crawley Town.
The 27-year-old, one of the club's most consistent performers this season, was forced off late on in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Exeter City due to a dead leg.
Although Richard Duffy is back in training after missing the weekend game at Meadow Lane, the Magpies boss admits that the team "cannot afford" to be without Brisley for more than two games.
“I am disappointed because he has a knock on his leg and he has a bit of a haematoma,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“He feels good within himself, and Tuesday may come a bit too soon for him. We won’t risk him anyway because he’s got to be 100 per cent if he plays.
“If he misses one or two games then that’s fair enough, but we cannot afford it to be any longer. We are just giving him as much time as we possibly can.”
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Joe Jones

Former Notts County star Alan Judge considering loan move away from Brentford

Alan Judge has admitted that he will seek a loan move away from Brentford this month if he's not involved in Saturday's Championship game against Norwich City.
The former Notts County winger had been out of action for nearly two years with a compound leg fracture but made his first-team comeback in the FA Cup third-round defeat against his former club.
However, Judge did not feature in the Bees squad for the subsequent two games against Bolton and Reading, and speaking to the Sunday Times, he expressed his frustrations at being overlooked.
“This is probably the hardest part,” Judge said in an interview reprinted by Get West London. “It’s massively frustrating. You are just there waiting, but the team is doing well, I totally understand that.
“I feel I am good enough to be involved, and I think I have shown that. I need minutes and the only way I can get them is by the manager putting me on the pitch. You don’t want to be told to be patient anymore.
“I’m not one to make a fuss, but if by the end of January I am not playing I will need to go on loan. Hopefully people will remember what I did two years ago and think ‘he’s worth taking a punt on’.”
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Joe Jones

Liam Noble: 'Crawley Town midweek game perfect for Notts County to conjure up reaction'

Liam Noble has stressed that Notts County need a reaction in Tuesday night's fixture against Crawley Town following their weekend loss to Exeter City.
The Magpies' proud unbeaten league home record, which stood since April 2017, came to an end on Saturday as goals from Jake Taylor and Jayden Stockley gave the visitors a 2-1 win.
Notts are in action again in midweek, the fixture having been rescheduled due to their FA Cup progress, and Noble says it works out well to have the chance to bounce back straight away.
“We were disappointed to lose the home record the way we did and it would have been a long week if we didn't have this game,” Noble told the official Notts website.
“We need a reaction from everyone and I'm sure we will get it. There are 18 games left and there will be a lot of twists and turns to go along the way.
“You're always going to get two or three weeks where you look at the scores after a defeat and everyone around you has won but there's no point looking at it or worrying until there are a few games left because it will keep changing.
“Teams will continue to take points off one another and plenty of them still have to play each other too. We just need to keep going because we have the squad to bounce back.”
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan pleased with performance of Notts County "team in transition" against Exeter City

Kevin Nolan has described Notts County as "a team in transition" and praised each of the home debutants in Saturday's League Two encounter with Exeter City.
The returning Liam Noble was drafted into the starting XI, as were youngsters Matty Virtue and Noor Husin, in a side which had to be rejigged due to the absence of Richard Duffy and Matt Tootle.
Nolan says he was happy with how the new players performed, and felt towards the end of the match that the Magpies played some of the best football during his reign so far, despite the 2-1 defeat.
"This is a team in transition with different types of players coming in who are finding their feet in the team," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
"We gave three home debuts today and I thought they all did terrifically well. I'm delighted with that and it's another positive for us.
"We played some wonderful stuff, some of the best under my tenure, but we didn't have the cutting edge at the end."
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Joe Jones

Meet the Fans: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County's superb unbeaten league home run has come to an end as Exeter City ran out 2-1 winners in Saturday's encounter at Meadow Lane.
The high-flying Grecians, who are in the promotion mix, took the lead after just seven minutes through Jake Taylor.
Jayden Stockley then doubled the visitors' lead just before half time as the Magpies struggled to click with several new players in the XI and in the absence of Matt Tootle and Richard Duffy.
Jon Stead pulled a goal back for the hosts with a second-half penalty, won after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box, but sadly Notts could not go on to find an equaliser.
Pride of Nottingham was at the game and interviewed a number of County fans prior to kickoff.
Questions asked include how Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan have done in their first 12 months, whether Matty Virtue will be a good replacement for Ryan Yates and whether they are happy with the transfer business conducted so far.
Check out what the Black and White Army had to say in our latest episode of Meet the Fans!
Share your thoughts about this week's Meet the Fans on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones

Match Reaction: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County lost their unbeaten home league record as Exeter City secured a 2-1 victory at Meadow Lane.
First-half goals from Jake Taylor and Jayden Stockley gave the promotion-chasing Grecians a two-goal advantage.
Although Jon Stead scored a penalty, the Magpies could not go on to find an equaliser
The result means that Notts have tasted their first defeat in the league in front of their own fans since Portsmouth won last April.
What was the reaction from the Notts boss, players and fans following the draw? Here is a collection of the best post-match reaction.
Kevin Nolan
“It was a disappointing afternoon and it always is when you lose a game. But I thought the lads’ reaction in the second half was absolutely fantastic.
“I thought we totally outplayed Exeter, and while we created lots of opportunities, the ball just didn’t seem to fall for us or we didn’t work the keeper well enough.
“I just thought the response was better all round because in the first half we showed them a little bit too much respect.
“But I did feel that the free-kick which led to the first goal shouldn’t have been given and when a team scores off the back of it shows how big those decisions are.
“I discussed that at the end with the referee because little decisions are just as important.
“It was the same for their second goal. Their lad can’t win the ball without going through Jorge Grant.
“There is a ref and a lineman there and I am bewildered as to why the free-kick wasn’t given.
“But these are the decisions they have to get right even though I thought the referee had a decent game.”
Liam Noble
“I was disappointed to not get something out of the game, but going 2-0 down in the first half wasn’t good enough.
“We showed a good reaction in the second half but we can’t put ourselves in that position.
“We just fell short and we didn’t pick up enough second balls.
“But it was nice to be back out there and it would have been better had we got the result we had wanted.”
Jorge Grant
 
The Black and White Army - PON Forum
Chris:
I have to say, I fell Notts performed very poorly yesterday.
The first half wasn't very good at all, we committed players to far up the field and nobody bar Dan Jones had the pace to track back. Stead shouldn't have been playing on his own up front, though why does he insist on dropping to his knees as soon as he gets the ball? Yes, sometimes there was force and pushing but he never draws the foul to a convincing point for me.
Our midfield seemed very capable but sluggish to drive forward anything remotely creative.
Second half I felt Notts played some great stuff, yet we never looked likely to score and we just have this habit of trying to force the play - we need an Alan Judge type player that isn't afraid to shoot from distance. Go on Kevin, get Noble and some of the others to practice this - even Grant seemed woeful!
The referee didn't help but we should play beyond this, we just seemed to allow his poor handling to be bigger than it should.
Exeter I felt was very poor also, they used school boy diversion tactics and frequently cheated. I noticed several incidents which went unpunished, from a two footed challenge to one of their players hitting out at Virtue (for no reason).
At the end of the day we was poor and, I struggle to suggest we deserved anything from it.
United Pie:
With that loss yesterday my nerves are starting to rattle exester are starting to have a late serge. That loss now puts us in danger of the casing pack closing in on us Accrington are a game in a hand and can now go second with a win we need to hold our nerve and play like we have been doing. Cause loosing games like yesterday day dose not get you promoted.
Liampie:
fans near me kept going on about us missing yates but i think even he would have struggled yesterday.
we started poorly and it became a game of chasing them after the early goal for exeter. i think the better team won tbh, we did not create enough clear chances and for that reason i am disappointed. i think they scored from their first two shots on target! standards are slipping nolan.
ARLukomski:
I feel like we are gonna bottle this if we keep going the way we are. Nolan got it completely wrong yesterday. If it ain’t broken, don’t try and fix it. No idea why we went with 4-2-3-1 when it’s untried, untested and unproven with this team. Why change a formation that’s been working all season. Hunt plays everyone on for the first goal. Second one is a woeful pass by Virtue. Husin was bought off when he was doing well. Noble and Walker looked quality in the centre of midfield yesterday.  Hewitt is not a centre back, we desperately need to sign some cover. Early in the second half, four good balls were put into the box with nobody’s on the end of them, showing again why we so badly need a striker. Alessandra missed a sitter at the back post. Ameobi won the penalty then afterwards didn’t look bothered. The problem is yesterday’s selection was caused by injuries and again we have no strength in depth. Luton can have injuries and replace them players with players who are just as good. Tootle is ill and we replace him with a grandfather clock.
The Black and White Army - Social media
Peter Walker: Still In a better place than last January! Either we play Jonathan Forte or we get a striker in not another midfield player
Steve Brewer: Didn't play bad. Ref had a hand in both of their goals although it was bad defending and the goalie should have stoppe d
Stuart Anderson: 1st half was awful, why the hell we started 1 up top beggers belief!! 2nd started ok but we dominated when we bought a 2nd striker on! We need a pacey striker who knows where the net Is!! I thought Noble was very good today.
Adrian Wheatley: If today dont make them look for defenders then nothing will nothing on the bench for central defence and let the only option leave for free?
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Joe Jones

Match Highlights: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County's superb unbeaten league home run has come to an end as Exeter City ran out 2-1 winners in Saturday's encounter at Meadow Lane.
The high-flying Grecians, who are in the promotion mix, took the lead after just seven minutes through Jake Taylor.
Jayden Stockley then doubled the visitors' lead just before half time as the disjointed Magpies struggled to cope against their opponents.
Jon Stead pulled a goal back for Notts with a second-half penalty, won after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box, but sadly the hosts could not go on to find an equaliser.
Should you wish to see them, here are the official Notts YouTube highlights from the game.
Share your thoughts about the game on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones

Tactical Talk: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County's superb unbeaten league home run has come to an end as Exeter City ran out 2-1 winners in Saturday's encounter at Meadow Lane.
The high-flying Grecians, who are in the promotion mix, took the lead after just seven minutes through Jake Taylor.
Jayden Stockley then doubled the visitors' lead just before half time as the Magpies struggled to click with several new players in the XI and in the absence of Matt Tootle and Richard Duffy.
Jon Stead pulled a goal back for the hosts with a second-half penalty, won after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box, but sadly Notts could not go on to find an equaliser.
How did the game pan out? Pride of Nottingham's Chris takes a look with this weekend's Tactical Talk.
Was the result fair?
It’s very hard to say it the result was fair or not, I feel a draw may have been deserved but ultimately I do acknowledge that Notts were poor yesterday – likewise I feel Exeter equally unimpressed but we massively lack any real quality on goal.
How did Notts play?
For me we seemed too focused on attacking, rather than retaining the ball – we frequently gave it away very cheaply and the whole way we played made it very difficult to match the speed/creativity which Exeter did process.
In the second half things did change, we held the ball and knocked it around – yet we never drawn Exeter’s player out or made space available. We tended to waste chances by trying to force the play, and only until Shola Ameobi came on did we look like a team able to get through the oppositions defence – simply we played a game of two halves. 
How did Exeter play?
They played okay, at times quite exciting but for some reason they always insisted on doing something which wasn’t really required. I considered them to be a very good team coming into the game, yet I feel their schoolboy tactics and efforts to cheat really became unimpressive. When they focused on playing ‘football’ they looked a useful side but I think they’d have struggled to score if Notts had performed better and had noticed what they were doing.
Did our tactics work out?
Not very well in the first half. In midfield, we had too many new faces, this really meant that Notts had to have a little more creativity on the ball and we never really saw this until the second half. We focused on attacking more than we did retaining the ball or even defending – it was clear a few minutes in that Exeter would push us due to how far we seemed to be playing up the pitch. Second half Notts played better, yet at no point was it really enough – it highlighted exactly why we need a striker and a defender as outlined in my January transfer window article (please link)
How did the referee perform?
I felt he was poor, yet his decisions seemed more ‘blinded’ than negligent – I do feel he favoured Exeter, who’s players seemed to get away with everything but really he’s the standard of your typical League Two referee and I feel Notts should be smarter to this.
Who do we play next?
Crawley Town – another test in terms of the physical side of the game. They won’t be pushed off the ball or bullied and they will pressure us for the ball. We need to be stronger and more creative, as I feel these are points to be claimed.
How should we play them?
Notts need to be focused defensively, we can’t play too far up the field and if Nicky Hunt starts – he needs to be told to only go forward when we can afford his absence.
In midfield I think we need to be calmer, more patient with our build-up play and attempt to draw the opposition out – as against Exeter we seemed to pack the centre of the park and this really limited the space that we could have exploited.
With Crawley being your typical ‘physical’ League Two team, we need to be mindful about giving them any sort of space on the pitch.
Whilst we lack pace at the back, wise positional play would give the magpies advantage and I think any attacks should be phased and risk assessed for being caught out.
I’d like to see us use Jorge Grant and Liam Noble as a way to draw the opposition out, these played apart from each other would give us a means to break the Red Devils down and to allow some ‘creativity’ to get started.
Really, Notts should look to thrive under possession-based football and look to be more dynamic with awareness going forward.
Pressure the opposition defence, use link-up play to support the attacks and just pass the ball into space whereby this may release someone goal side – it’s not exactly difficult but if we give Crawley an inch they will take a mile.
Exeter fan views (from Exeweb)
Billy the Fish: The first half we took the game to them and was as complete a performance from City as I have seen in a long while. The second half County came out entirely differently and looked like promotion candidates, dangerous in attack but strangely vulnerable to our counter attacks. Lee Holmes looked out of sorts and Jordan Tillson is obviously just filling a position until the big boys are back. He works hard and gets his challenges in but today he was like a rabbit in the headlights whenever he found himself with the ball at his feet. All the others impressed, TAH rode his luck at times but otherwise every one them can be proud of themselves. I couldn't see the incident which saw Troy penalised and booked for the penalty but it came from a free kick awarded in front of us and the linesman and for which there was no discernable infringement. One of many strange refereeing decisions which infuriated both sets of fans. Great three points and a great day out.
Red Bill: Just watched the goals, what a great goal the second was. Fantastic ball from Harley and a great finish from Stockley. I feel making the most of Harley, who i hope has done a lot to silence his critics with some terrific peformances lately, could be key to a serious promotion push.
Andrew P Long: We went too defensive after going two up. Instead of trying to prevent them scoring we should've gone for their throat. If we had done that we'd have won more easily and comprehensively, say 1-4, and RHK was cheated out of more than a grand etc.
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Chris

Faces of PON: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County's impressive unbeaten league home run in League Two has unfortunately come to an end at the hands of Exeter City.
The visitors raced into the lead at Meadow Lane after just eight minutes through Jake Taylor's tap-in.
Jayden Stockley, the Grecians' top scorer, then struck the decisive second just before half-time.
Jon Stead scored a second-half penalty after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box but the Magpies couldn't find an equaliser and so it ended 2-1.
Pride of Nottingham was at the Lane to watch the action unfold and took plenty of photos of the Notts fans.
Have a look through our gallery in this week's Faces of PON, published on our Facebook page, and don't forget to tag yourself and your loved ones!

Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Chris

ARLukomski's Match Vlog: Notts County 1-2 Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County's superb unbeaten league home run has come to an end as Exeter City ran out 2-1 winners in Saturday's encounter at Meadow Lane.
The high-flying Grecians, who are in the promotion mix, took the lead after just seven minutes through Jake Taylor.
Jayden Stockley then doubled the visitors' lead just before half time as the Magpies struggled to click with several new players in the XI and in the absence of Matt Tootle and Richard Duffy.
Jon Stead pulled a goal back for the hosts with a second-half penalty, won after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box, but sadly Notts could not go on to find an equaliser.
Notts vlogger and Pride of Nottingham contributor ARLukomski discussed the fixture ahead of kickoff, gave his thoughts as the game went on, and talked about the performance and result after the final whistle.
Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here.
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ARLukomski

Kevin Nolan: 'Key refereeing decisions cost Notts County against Exeter City'

Kevin Nolan has bemoaned Notts County's 2-1 defeat to Exeter City and rued a number of key refereeing decisions which he felt cost his side dear.
The visitors raced into the lead after just eight minutes through Jake Taylor's tap-in before Stockley struck the decisive second just before half-time.
Jon Stead scored a second-half penalty after Shola Ameobi was hauled down in the box but the Magpies couldn't find an equaliser and so lost their unbeaten home record which stretched back to April 2017.
“It was a disappointing afternoon and it always is when you lose a game,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “But I thought the lads’ reaction in the second half was absolutely fantastic.
“I thought we totally outplayed Exeter, and while we created lots of opportunities, the ball just didn’t seem to fall for us or we didn’t work the keeper well enough.
“I just thought the response was better all round because in the first half we showed them a little bit too much respect.
“But I did feel that the free-kick which led to the first goal shouldn’t have been given and when a team scores off the back of it shows how big those decisions are.
“I discussed that at the end with the referee because little decisions are just as important.
“It was the same for their second goal. Their lad can’t win the ball without going through Jorge Grant.
“There is a ref and a lineman there and I am bewildered as to why the free-kick wasn’t given.
“But these are the decisions they have to get right even though I thought the referee had a decent game.”
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County unbeaten home run ends against Exeter City

Notts County have lost their superb unbeaten home record in League Two after fellow promotion chasers Exeter City claimed a 2-1 win at Meadow Lane on Saturday.
Boss Kevin Nolan fielded a different-look side to their usual XI, with Richard Duffy and Matt Tootle both sidelined, and a much-changed midfield including Matty Virtue, Noor Husin and the returning Liam Noble.
The Magpies fell behind after just eight minutes as a contentious free kick whipped in by Lee Holmes was met by Dean Moxey, who struck the post before the rebound was converted by Jake Taylor.
Notts mustered a couple of half-chances as a Jon Stead header from Dan Jones's delivery bounced tamely to Christy Pym and Lewis Alessandra also failing to beat the Exeter keeper with a shot from the corner of the box.
However, Pym was largely untroubled in the first half, while the visitors were more dangerous and doubled their lead on 42 minutes through Stockley.
The Grecians top scorer latched on to a long ball forward, got the better of Shaun Brisley and found the bottom corner from the edge of the area to leave the Notts contingent reeling at the break.
The second half saw Notts grow into the game, but not before several more dangerous attempts from Stockley, one denied by Elliott Hewitt's goalline clearance and the other cannoning off the woodwork.
However, the deficit was halved on 73 minutes when Troy Archibald-Henville hauled substitute Shola Ameobi down in the box, prompting the referee to point to the spot.
Jon Stead then subsequently despatched the penalty, sending Pym the wrong way, but despite a late flurry of attacks, they couldn't find an equaliser to prolong their unbeaten home record.
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy: 'Notts County are £250,000 inside the budget'

Alan Hardy has revealed that Notts County are quarter of a million pounds inside their budget at present.
Since taking over the club, Hardy has overseen a change in fortunes both in the pitch and off the pitch, with the Magpies near the top of League Two and in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Speaking about the round four fixture, which sees Notts host Premier League strugglers Swansea City, the club owner spoke about how a giant-killing would potentially be even better for the club's finances.
"If we can go on to cause a shock, it would certainly help with the financial side of the football club," Hardy told the Nottingham Post in his weekly column.
"On Wednesday we had a six-hour budget meeting with the group financial director to run through our half-year results. We are £250,000 inside the budget.
"That means our losses are a quarter of a million less, which has been helped by the TV coverage of the Oxford City game and the fact we are regularly selling more tickets and hospitality.
"We are delighted to be £250,000 inside where we thought we were going to be and, while it looks unlikely we’ll meet our overall target of £500,000 by the end of the season, we might get halfway there.
"If we do manage to beat Swansea, however, I would expect we’d be likely to have another TV game as the odds are enhanced for us to draw one of the big boys.
"That would be amazing but, first and foremost, I’m looking forward to what will be a special day next weekend, as well as a big league game against Exeter City this Saturday."
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Notts County vs. Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Head to head
Notts County and Exeter City have met a total of 45 times over their history.
The first meeting came at St James’ Park in Division Three (South) on 1 November 1930, and it finished as a 3-3 draw.
The Magpies have an excellent record against the Grecians; from 45 competitive encounters, Notts have won 18 and drawn 19.
Our last meeting was on September 26 at St James' Park, where Notts outlined their promotion credentials with a 3-0 win over their fellow high-flyers.
Notts are unbeaten in their last three League Two matches against the Grecians (W2 D1), keeping clean sheets in two of those matches.
However, Exeter have avoided defeat in each of their last two visits to Meadow Lane in League Two (W1 D1), including a 4-1 away win in this exact fixture in the 2015/16 campaign.
Stats
Along with Brentford, The Magpies are currently enjoying the longest home unbeaten run in the 2017/18 campaign only of all the sides in the English Football League (13 games - W10 D3), last losing at home in the league back in April 2017.
Exeter on the other hand, have lost each of their last five league games on the road, failing to score more than one goal in any of those matches. They last lost more away games on the bounce when they were defeated in nine such consecutive games between February and April 2012.
Jorge Grant has scored three goals in his two league appearances for Notts County against Exeter despite starting neither of those games, averaging a goal every 22 minutes on the field against the Grecians.
History
Exeter was formed in 1901 as St. Sidwell's United and played in the Southern League from 1908 until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into The Football League as its new Division Three.
The club was the first ever team to play the Brazilian national team in 1914, a match which was commemorated in a 2014 friendly game against Fluminense.
City took 60 years to achieve their first ever promotion, finishing fourth in Division Four in the 1963–64 season.
Since then, the club have mostly yo-yoed between the third and fourth divisions, spending five years in the Conference between 2003 and 2008; having been promoted a further four times (in 1976–77, 1989–90, 2007–08 and 2008–09) and relegated five times (in 1965–66,1983–84, 1993–94, 2002–03 and 2011–12).
Famous fans include Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Adrian Edmondson, Mark Nicol and Noel Edmonds.
Singer Joss Stone signed up as a member of the Supporters' Trust, being introduced to fans on the pitch as a new member during a League Cup match against Liverpool.
In 2002 pop singer Michael Jackson was made honorary director of Exeter City. He visited St James Park with celebrity friend Uri Geller, who was also a director.
The crew of the HMS Defender also adopted Exeter City as their home team and use their strip if playing games whilst on tour.
Team news
Shola Ameobi returned from a four-match injury absence as a second-half substitute in last weekend's draw at Lincoln City and is expected to feature against Exeter.
Should Magpies manager Kevin Nolan opt to restore Ameobi to his starting line up, Lewis Alessandra could be the player to make way.
Nolan was this week boosted by the news that Nottingham Forest will let Jorge Grant remain on loan at Meadow Lane for the remainder of the season.
Exeter captain Jordan Moore-Taylor is rated a 50/50 chance to be fit in time for Saturday's game - the 23-year-old has not played since December 30 due to injury.
Fellow defenders Troy Brown and Luke Croll, who have been absent even longer than Moore-Taylor are also back in training but are not yet ready for first team action.
Midfielder Hiram Boateng will be hoping for a place in the starting line-up after coming off the bench against Coventry last week.
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Joe Jones

Scouting Report: Notts County vs. Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County will take on fellow promotion chasers Exeter City in Saturday's League Two meeting at Meadow Lane.
How have the Grecians done in recent weeks? Who are their key players? What style of football do they play?
Find out with Pride of Nottingham's latest Scouting Report.
Head to head
Notts are unbeaten in their last three league matches against the Grecians, boasting two wins and a draw, and keeping clean sheets in two of those matches.
However, Exeter have avoided defeat in each of their last two visits to Meadow Lane in League Two, including a 4-1 away win in this exact fixture in the 2015/16 campaign.
Notts and Exeter have met 45 times in competitive actions, with 18 Magpie wins, 19 draws and just 8 losses.
Run-down of their last six features
Saturday 9th December – Colchester United 3 Exeter City 1
Saturday 16th December – Exeter City 2 Stevenage 1
Saturday 23rd December – Yeovil Town 3 Exeter City 1
Saturday 30th December – Exeter City 2 Barnet 1
Monday 1st January – Newport County 2 Exeter City 1
Saturday 13th January – Exeter City 1 Coventry City 0
The Players – Fact Sheet
Highest Goal Scorers; Jayden Stockley 13, Pierce Sweeney 5, Jake Taylor 4 and Liam McAlinden 4.
Persistent Foulers; Lloyd James 8 yellow cards, Jordan Tillson 5 yellow cards and 1 red card, Jake Taylor 5 yellow cards and Kane Wilson 1 yellow card and a single red card.
The Key Players
Striker Jayden Stockley has come into his element this season, on goal he possesses the calm finishing required to be a top scorer in the leagues above and is currently playing with a lot of confidence.
Jake Taylor has been a pivotal piece within Exeter City’s midfield, having created chances through his creativity and also chipping in with his own goal – his creativity and energy is hard to suppress and he enjoys taking on opposition players.
In goal Christy Pym is a very capable League Two keeper, who’s shot-stopping ability makes him very difficult to beat.
Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses
Exeter express themselves very well, creatively they are very forward-thinking and like dominate heavily with spells of possession.
They can break well using a very narrow formation; however, this tends to leave space to exploit at the back.
On the ball they are calm, yet can be pressured when well-marked – mistakes don’t frequently occur and they usually make good use of the ball.
Their ability to overthink play can mean chances do become limited, whilst they resemble a typical side that becomes frustrated by a lack of clear opportunity on goal.
Defensively they’re organised, yet don’t rely on staying deep – this again in turn leaves opposition teams space to attempt to break them down.
They struggle to defend during breaks and pace is an area where they usually start to see individual mistakes at the back.
Overall they’re a good team but can easily be pressed, their inconsistency to perform does allow good sides to find a way to break them down, and even in cases where they do struggle sides can punish them by pushing for a goal during an heavy attack.
The key for Notts will be limit their time on the ball, whilst ensuring that any chances that do fall Exeter City’s way ultimately end up being half chances.
I expect frustration to build up if we do keep them quiet, so again set pieces may play a vital part for us during the game.
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Chris

Alan Hardy: 'Notts County looking at special player from three-man shortlist'

Alan Hardy has revealed that Notts County currently have a three-man shortlist of players they are looking to sign before the January transfer window closes.
So far this month, the Magpies have brought in the midfield trio of Matty Virtue, Noor Husin and Liam Noble, who was registered after linking up with the club last year.
The general consensus among fans is the need for a new centre-back and forward and, although Hardy has not spoken of positions, he believes each of the three players being looked at will help "push us over the line".
“We are still looking for that special player and there are three on the list,” he told the Nottingham Post.
"But, as (Kevin Nolan) said all along, whoever comes in needs to go straight into the first team.
“It has to be a player who can make a difference and help push us over the line.
“We are still in the hunt for all three but it is unlikely we are going to hear anything until the closing week of the window.
“That’s because a lot of players wait it out to see which other moves might become available.
“But what it does mean is that it all builds to an exciting finish in the window.”
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Chris

Kevin Nolan delighted to have Jorge Grant at Notts County until end of season

Kevin Nolan has thanked Nottingham Forest for confirming that Jorge Grant would remain at Notts County on loan until the end of the season.
The youngster spent the second half of last season at Notts and returned this term alongside Ryan Yates, the duo instrumental in the club's rise to the upper echelons of the League Two table.
Forest decided to recall Yates last week and ship him out on loan to Scunthorpe United, causing friction among the Notts fans plus anxiety regarding Grant's immediate future over the Trent.
However, owner Alan Hardy went on to confirm that Forest - new manager and all - will let Grant stay put until the end of the campaign and Nolan was pleased with the outcome.
“I am delighted to have Jorge here until the end of the season,” the Magpies boss told the Nottingham Post.
“With everything that happened with Ryan, we had that fear that Jorge would be going back to go to a number of clubs in League One.
“But Jorge said he wanted to stay and Forest were really happy for him to stay too.
“We thank Forest for helping us with Ryan at the beginning of the season and we wish him the best of luck going forward.
“And we thank Forest for allowing us to keep Jorge so we can continue helping him with his development so that he goes back a better player and he is closer to the first team.”
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Joe Jones

Opposition View: Notts County vs. Exeter City, Saturday 20 January 2018

Notts County are back in League Two action this weekend with a home game against one of League Two's trickier propositions, Exeter City.
The Grecians topped the table earlier in the season and remain well in promotion contention as they sit fifth in the table.
Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Exeter fan Matt to get an insight on Saturday's opposition.
About Matt: I'm 27 years old, been supporting the team as far back as I can remember, and my favourite player is Richard Logan.
How have Exeter City done so far this season?
On the whole it's been fantastic, we picked up from where we left off last season and went top of the table and even though our form has gone a bit wobbly - mostly due to the poor away form - we're still just a point off third place, so it's all up for grabs!
Was 2017 a good year for the Grecians?
Definitely. From bottom of the table in November 2016 to a playoff place and a trip to Wembley, obviously it was a massive shame not being able to get the job done against Blackpool but having picked up from where we left off, it's a great platform and we hope 2018 can see Exeter finally go up!
Who has been your standout player this season?
Jayden Stockley, our record signing, has had a brilliant campaign so far, with 13 goals in all competitions. Apart from being a clinical finisher, he's also able to pull off stunning pieces of skill, like when he flicked the ball over that Morecambe defender before scoring in our 4-1 win a couple months ago.
What's your favourite memory as an Exeter fan?
The 1-0 win at Rotherham on the last day of the 2008-09 season, which gave us our second successive promotion - from non-league to League One in two years. What an amazing day that was!
Where do you think you'll finish this season?
If we can sort out our away jitters and keep on performing and getting results at home, there's no reason why we can't finish in the top three. Even Luton and Notts, who seemed like they were shoe-ins for 1st and 2nd, are beatable on their day, so there's bound to be a lot more twists and turns this season.
Score/scorer prediction?
I'll go for 2-2. Grant is probably the best player in League Two so he could get one or two for you, but Holmes and Stockley to get ours.
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Joe Jones

Chris Buckley: Good transfer window so far but Notts County still need a striker and defender

January has been the quiet month that I had expected from the club, going into the transfer window I only felt two positions needed reinforcing – however the loss of Ryan Yates did mean that the midfield required some patching up.
I am pleased with how Notts have conducted their business so far, bringing in Matty Virtue on loan and Noor Husin on a permanent deal seems good business. Also, the long awaited arrival of Liam Noble appears to add a bit more depth – however we will need to see him fully match fit first.
The departure of Haydn Hollis for me highlights Kevin Nolan’s clear plan towards improving the squad, however with no replacement yet introduced to the ranks, it’s a position I feel has more importance now.
There’s no denying that the Magpies require a striker up top, I’ve been saying this all season (in fact since Coventry). In addition, with the questions always hanging over Jonathan Forte's playing time, it does leave things looking somewhat bleak up top.
Yet from a defensive point of view, I would be extremely disappointed if another solid CB wasn’t brought into the squad. And whilst I hope that we do also bring in a striker that has pace and knows where the opposition’s net is – I really don’t feel we will be seeing this wish granted.
The two areas are vastly important, with the midfield looking stronger than ever on paper.
I struggle to recall the last time that we looked so capable on paper in this department and, the reaffirmation from Forest that Jorge Grant will remain on loan is nothing more than an added bonus.
I feel the loss of both Yates and Grant would have caused us some teething problems, especially at a point of the season which is well known for being tricky and demanding.
It’s honestly refreshing to see a manager go about ‘improving’ the squad and quickly identifying ways to fix key areas.
Previous managers seemed destined to retain some of the weaker links within the squad and I feel this never really allowed us to strengthen properly – in fact I think it’s one of the underlining issues which hindered our true chances of progression previously.
This said, it would be that negative if we weren’t able to sign a striker and I do believe we have adequate cover in defence.
It’s just that wishful to see the club continue their improvements throughout the squad and I honestly believe that these areas being reinforced would strengthen our promotion chances – yet also give us more flexibility when it comes to knowing where we are next season.
Securing another solid CB would take the burden off playing someone that perhaps isn’t as comfortable at the back as Shaun Brisley or Richard Duffy.
It would be a massive addition that would give us cover if injury or poor form set in, or even just a tactical advantage if we required something a little different.
Likewise, a striker would take the burden of our ageing stars Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi.
I keep saying it, yet I feel the right player coming in could learn a vast amount from these two players – their experience alone is something, which would appeal to a player looking to progress the leagues.
That fight and hunger would be something would no doubt help us when the time arrives to replace either of the two – as let’s face it, this doesn’t seem that far a way.
However, the togetherness of the squad and current spirit I believe will be enough to ensure there’s no slip ups.
I also do feel the club is in good shape for attracting players of that extra quality, whilst being able to work with other clubs' players does seem like an advantage at this stage.
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Chris

Lloyd James: 'Exeter City will put bodies on the line at Notts County'

Exeter City midfielder Lloyd James has claimed that his side will "put their bodies on the line" at Notts County in a bid to turn around their poor away form.
The Grecians were top of the table earlier in the season but their form ended up tailing off somewhat as they now sit in the playoff area.
They have 7 wins from their last 10 home games, but on the road, they have 6 defeats and 2 draws from their last 10.
Ahead of Saturday's League Two meeting at Meadow Lane, James was in defiant mood and insists Exeter will "get better" as they seek to build on last weekend's 1-0 win over Coventry City.
“Our home form has been excellent, we just hopefully need to change our away form against Notts County,” James is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying.
“It’s about more performances like last Saturday – working hard and I think everyone put their bodies on the line, so we’ll do that against Notts County and show the character we do have, so hopefully that will bode us well.
“We know some of our performances haven’t been good enough and we will get better. We’ve had some good wins on the road and hopefully we can get one at the weekend.”
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Joe Jones

League Two news roundup: 11-18 January 2018

What's been happening in League Two over the last week?
Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.
- Forest Green Rovers boss Mark Cooper accused his top scorer Christian Doidge of diving twice in an attempt to win a penalty in their 1-0 defeat at Swindon Town. He said: "I'm very angry with Christian. He dived twice in the box. Nobody is near him and he's chosen to fall on the floor when he had a chance to score his 18th and 19th goals."
- Crewe Alexandra midfielder Tom Lowery has signed a new three-and-a-half-year contract at the club. A graduate from the Alex academy, he has made 29 league appearances this season, with his contract having been due to expire this summer.
- Barnet have named former Newport County boss Graham Westley as their new head coach to take charge of first-team affairs. Mark McGhee was originally announced as Barnet's new manager in November but the Scot is now in the role of head of technical.
- Cambridge United have appointed Mark Bonner as their first-team coach after Mick Halsall left the club. Bonner had previously been the U's  academy manager and will now assist Shaun Derry and assistant Joe Dunne.
- Swindon have signed forward Marc Richards on a free transfer following his release by Northampton. The 35-year-old has agreed an 18-month deal with the Robins, who are ninth but just two points off a top-three spot.
- The Robins have also have signed Crystal Palace forward Keshi Anderson on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee, having been on loan with them this term, scoring four goals in 22 league games.
- Nottingham Forest midfielder Jorge Grant is to see out his season-long loan deal with Notts County, according to Magpies owner and chairman Alan Hardy. The news follows a spat between the two clubs after Ryan Yates was prematurely recalled by the Reds.
- Wycombe Wanderers duo Nick Freeman and Yves Ma-Kalambay have agreed extended contracts with the club - the former has signed a deal until 2020 while the latter will stay with Wycombe until the end of the season.
- Brandon Comley has agreed a permanent move to Colchester United from Queens Park Rangers for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old midfielder, who joined the U's on loan in August, has signed a contract until the summer of 2020.
- Swindon have made an offer to acquire the freehold of their County Ground home. The Robins say representatives engaged in "several positive meetings" with Swindon Borough Council last year and the club have now made a formal offer to purchase the stadium.
(Sources: BBC Sport and Sky Sports News)
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Joe Jones

Jon Stead discusses Ryan Yates departure and Matty Virtue first impressions

Jon Stead has spoken about Ryan Yates's recall from Notts County and also praised replacement loanee Matty Virtue.
The Nottingham Forest youngster impressed on loan at Meadow Lane but was recalled before being sent out to Scunthorpe United in League One.
It wouldn't be long before another highly-rated youngster arrived at the club, however, in the shape of Liverpool Under-23 captain Virtue.
“We were not really surprised (about Yates's departure) because Ryan did fantastically well for us,” Stead told the Nottingham Post.
“We just took it in our stride really because there are other lads vying for that position and ready to come and step in.
“We wish him all the best and thank him because he was terrific for us.
“He’s a great lad and a top, top professional. He’s a throwback to the old school professionals and I’ve no doubt he will go a long, long way in the game.”
Speaking about Virtue, Stead added: “He did very well (in his debut against Lincoln).I think he was in the dressing room scratching his head a little bit.
But he held his own very well and I think we will see a lot more of him throughout the games, especially at home.  That’s when he will be able to get on the ball a little bit more.
“His neck was probably a bit sore from watching it go over his head last weekend. But he was very combative and he dealt with the physical side of it very well.”
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Joe Jones

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