Notts County first played Oldham Athletic all the way back in 1910. To put it into perspective, Mark Twain and Florence Nightingale were still alive at the start of that year!

During the Division One fixture, played at the Oldham Athletic Ground (now known as Boundary Park), the home side ran out 2-1 winners against the Magpies.

The Latics hold the upper edge against Notts in the head-to-head, having won 36 games to our 34, while just 19 draws have taken place.

The club was formed in 1895 as Pine Villa F.C. When local rivals Oldham County F.C. folded in 1899, Pine Villa moved into their stadium, the Oldham Athletic Ground, and changed their name to Oldham Athletic.

The Latics' most successful season came in 1914-15, when they finished runners-up in the First Division by a single point. They also reached the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, after making the semis just a year earlier.

Boundary Park is less than 9 miles from the nearby stadiums of Bury, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Rochdale.

Oldham's mascot, Chaddy the Owl, has famously been flagged for offside in a game against Peterborough United in 2000, while in 2003, in a game versus Blackpool at Bloomfield Road, Chaddy was involved in a scuffle with Bloomfield Bear after throwing his foam boots into the crowd. Chaddy defended himself, stating that Bloomfield Bear was attempting to break his beak.

Near the end of the 2005–06 football season, Chaddy was ejected from Belle Vue in a game versus Doncaster Rovers. Chaddy was escorted off of the premises after inciting a riot and making obscene gestures.

Notable Oldham Athletic fans include comedy duo Cannon and Ball, professor Brian Cox, ex-Manchester United footballer Paul Scholes, glamour model Michelle Marsh and Hollyoaks star Alex Carter.

Now, time for the permutations.

After 45 games, 15 wins, four draws and 26 defeats, it is the outcome of one final 90 minutes which will decide Notts County's fate in League One.

Notts will avoid relegation by winning at Boundary Park, while a draw should be enough to secure our third tier status because of our superior goal difference.

Out of a possible 27 permutations involving relegation rivals Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers, one can send the club back to League Two - Notts would need to lose while both Crewe and Tranmere would have to win their games against Preston North End and Bradford City respectively.

In terms of players, the Magpies are without Hayden Mullins, after he returned to injury-hit parent club Birmingham City as they try and avoid relegation from the Championship. Alan Sheehan and Gary Liddle are the most likely to move into the centre of defence for Notts.

Oldham extended their unbeaten run to nine matches with a draw against Sheffield United in midweek.

Midfielder James Wesolowski and defender Jonathan Grounds may return after missing that game with knocks.

Stay tuned to Pride of Nottingham for all the day's developments, as Notts try and secure the Great Escape. It's do or die now! COME ON YOU PIES!!!

Notts County have met Swindon Town on 61 occasions, the first time being 103 years ago in the FA Cup. On that day in January 1911, the Robins beat the Magpies 2-0 at the County Ground.

Of the 61 clashes, 23 have been won by Notts, 25 by Swindon, and 13 have been drawn.

The club was founded in 1879 by Reverend William Baker Pitt. Yes, you read that right!

Whilst curate of Christ Church, the high church of Swindon, Pitt formed Swindon Association Football Club to provide recreation for young men in his parish.

Swindon won the Southern League championship in 1910-11, earning themselves a Charity Shield clash with Football League champions Manchester United. This, the highest-scoring Charity Shield game to date, was played on 25 September 1911 at Stamford Bridge with Manchester United winning 8–4! Some of the proceeds of this game were later donated to the survivors of the Titanic.

During World War II, The War Department – the government body responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces in the UK – took over the County Ground in 1940, where for a while prisoners of war were housed in huts placed on the pitch. For this, the club received compensation of £4,570 at war’s end.

Swindon Town were the first League club to use floodlights, having had them installed in 1951. The County Ground is also the only football stadium in the world with a Rolex watch acting as its timekeeper –the clock on the Stratton Bank stand featuring its name was erected to celebrate promotion in 1963.

Swindon have spent one season in the top flight, in 1992-93, during which Glenn Hoddle managed them. Sadly, they didn't do too well, being relegated at the end of the season after conceding 100 goals.

The most notable silverware in the Robins’ possession is undoubtedly the League Cup, won in 1969 after beating Arsenal in the final at Wembley.

Royle Family and Two Pints Of Lager actor Ralf Little was rumoured to be on trial at Swindon back in 2002, though the funnyman later claimed that he was just training with the squad. Pint-sized jazz singer Jamie Cullum is also a fan of the Robins.

On-loan midfielder Josh Vela is set to return to the County squad after recovering from a knock.

Notts are currently in 21st place, but are just a single point behind Crewe, Tranmere and Colchester. With just two games to go, it is do or die now for the Magpies.

Meanwhile, Swindon Town will need a win on Saturday to maintain their slim chances of reaching the play-offs.

Alex Pritchard will play the final game of his loan spell from Tottenham Hotspur, while Lee Cox is hoping to keep his starting spot after scoring the winner against Bradford City last Saturday.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town three times in their history. The first ever fixture between the two was a year and a half ago, on the 10th November 2012.

This milestone first meeting between the two, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on the 9th March 2013, ended as a goalless draw.
 

This season, at the turn of last year, we lost 1-0 to the Red Devils, a result that saw us drop to the foot of League One.

Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – ten years ago, while Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League!

Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later.

2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63).

Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”.

Crawley have the smallest stadium in League One; the Broadfield Stadium holds a meagre 5,996 people – nearly 800 fewer than the next smallest, Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium. You could fit just over three and a half Broadfields inside Meadow Lane!

The town of Crawley is known for being close - just three miles in fact - to Gatwick Airport, the world's busiest single-runway international airport.

Famous people who have links to Crawley include Australian footballer Kevin Muscat (born in Crawley), Gareth Southgate (attended the town's Hazelwick School), English rock band The Cure (formed in Crawley, several of its members attended St Wilfrid's RC School) and Gorillaz lead singer 2D (a fictional character, his back story claims he grew up in the town).

Shaun Derry has a fully fit squad to choose from for tomorrow's crucial fixture.

Defenders Mustapha Dumbuya and Gareth Roberts, midfielders Callum McGregor and Andre Boucaud, and forwards Tyrell Waite and Nathan Tyson are options for the manager.

Meanwhile, Crawley Town will be without Paul Connolly and Billy Clarke. The former is serving a five-match ban following his recent altercation with a Brentford fan, while the latter has a broken hand.

John Gregory has no other injury or suspension worries. Jamie Proctor, Gary Dicker and Sergio Torres will be among the players pushing to return to the starting line up.

Put simply - we need to win tomorrow, otherwise we are as good as relegated.

Notts County and Bristol City have faced each other a gargantuan 104 times over their history. This is because both clubs have been regularly playing each other since the 1900s.

Bristol City only just hold the upper edge, having won 41 games to Notts's 39. 24 matches have been drawn.

The first clash between the two took place on the 22nd December 1906 in Division One, Bristol City winning 3-2.

The city of Bristol is the largest metro area in England never to have won the English top tier championship.

City won the Welsh Cup – despite being an English club – in 1934.

In 1982, Bristol City became the first English club to suffer three consecutive relegations.

Ashton Gate is the only ground in the English football league not to accommodate executive boxes, and is so far the only football ground in the UK which has “safe standing” rail seats.

Bristol City shares the English football league record for consecutive wins, notching up 14 wins in a row during the 1905-06 season. This record is shared with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Preston North End.

Despite their underachievements, Bristol City is supported by some notable celebrities, including John Cleese of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, Formula 1 great Jenson Button, and actor Russell Crowe.

In 1497, John Cabot set sail in his ship, the Matthew, on a journey of discovery in which he reached mainland America. King Henry VI had ordered the then Sheriff of Bristol, Richard Ameryck, who some believe America was named after, to find the funds for Cabot’s journey.

Ribena was invented at the National Fruit & Cider Institute in Long Ashton. As sources of vitamin C dwindled during World War II, Bristol researchers found blackcurrants were the best alternative to oranges and Ribena was born.

Famous people who originate from Bristol include actors Cary Grant and Dave Prowse (aka Darth Vader), comedians Lee Evans, Bill Bailey, Matt Lucas, David Walliams and John Cleese, musicians Massive Attack, Roni Size, Portishead, Bananarama and Neneh Cherry, and graffiti artist Banksy.

Former Rams goalkeeper Frank Fielding is understood to be resting, after the narrow 1-0 win at Walsall with a bicep injury, instead Simon Moore will retain his starting position.

Winger Joe Bryan is also doubtful with a knee injury.

Midfielder Josh Vela is available for Notts County after he signed a month-long loan extension which keeps him with the Magpies until the end of the season. Whilst defender Haydn Hollis is set to return from a one-match ban.

Notts County just outside of the relegation zone by goal difference, while City are seven points clear with four matches remaining.

Bristol City are offering to refund tickets purchased for the game up until kick-off following the club's decision to move the fixture with only a week's notice.

Notts County have met Staffordshire club Port Vale a grand total of 91 times over the years, with the first two fixtures coming within a week of each other back in February 1921. The Magpies won the first game 2-1, but lost 1-0 at Meadow Lane.

Notts have won 37 games, lost 34, and drawn 20 against the Valiants, with the highest scoring matches coming in February 1927 (a 6-2 defeat) and April 1935 (a 5-3 defeat).

Port Vale is one of the few English league clubs not to be named after a geographical location. The name Port Vale exists on maps pre–dating the formation of the club, which probably occurred in 1879, and is a reference to a valley of ports on the Trent and Mersey Canal, associated with the city's pottery industry.

The club itself is actually based in Burslem, one of six towns that make up the city of Stoke-on-Trent.

Port Vale have never been in the top tier of English football, and the last time they were in the second tier was back in 1999-2000.

In terms of silverware, the Valiants have won the Staffordshire Senior Cup twice, in 1920 and 2001, whilst being runners-up in 1900 and 2010, as well as several other regional cups like the Birmingham Senior Cup, one of the oldest county football competitions still active.

The club, despite being fairly small, enjoys the support of some world-famous celebrities. Robbie Williams is a huge fan, to the point that he held £240,000 worth of shares in the club and has a restaurant at Vale Park named after him.

For the videogame FIFA 2000, he provided an original theme song called It's Only Us, on the condition that Port Vale should be included in the game, which they were, located in the Rest of World section!

Also, in 2005, Williams founded Los Angeles Vale F.C., a Super Metro League team in the United States, named after Port Vale and based at his Los Angeles home.

Darts star Phil “The Power” Taylor is also a big fan, while Blue (that Noughties boy-band) singer Simon Webbe was part of their youth setup until a ligament injury hampered any prospect of a career in football.

--

Notts County are without suspended centre-half Haydn Hollis, who serves a one-match ban for his sending off in last weekend's 3-1 defeat at Brentford.

Notts look likely to choose from Dean Leacock and Manny Smith to replace him.

Meanwhile, Port Vale are without skipper Doug Loft, who suffered an injury in training on Friday.

Assistant manager Mark Grew says that some of their fringe players may get a chance at Meadow Lane, with striker Jordan Hugill looking a strong contender.

Vale, who beat Notts 2-1 on Boxing Day, start the day seven points adrift of the League One play-offs.

(On the plus side, however, at least we don't have to face Lee Hughes again - he's now at Forest Green Rovers)

Out of the last 28 English football seasons (going back to 1985/86), Notts County and Brentford have been in the same league 18 of those seasons. Bit of a regular fixture then.

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

Notts haven't won against the Hounslow side since the 2003/04 season, when we did the league double over them in League Two.

Eight draws followed, but the impasse was broken by Brentford beating Notts home and away last season, both 2-1 wins. This season, we lost 1-0 at Meadow Lane a few months back.

Brentford FC started life in 1889 because the members of the Brentford Rowing Club wanted to engage in a sport as filler during the winter months. By 8 votes to 5, they opted for football instead of rugby.

Notts County legend Tommy Lawton played for Brentford directly after his talismanic spell with the Magpies, scoring 17 goals in 50 games between 1951 and 1953. He also served as player/manager in his final year with the club before leaving for Arsenal.

Since 1954, Brentford have experienced football higher than the third tier for just one season, in 1991/92. Last season, they came within one penalty kick of changing that. Then this happened...

/>http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peYzUns9YLs

(However, they may be on the verge of turning it round this season, what with being five points clear of third-placed Leyton Orient with a game in hand)

Brentford is a popular team with many musicians who grace the pages of NME. Hard-Fi lead singer and guitarist Richard Archer, Bluetones guitarist Adam Devlin, Status Quo bassist John "Rhino" Edwards, The Who guitarist Pete Townshend and Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman are all supporters of the Hounslow club.

Gunnersbury Park Museum is in Gunnersbury House, narrowly in Gunnersbury (the north-west of Chiswick) containing artifacts and former furnishings of the Rothschild family, who were culturally and financially pre-eminent across France, Germany, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and North America (basically, one of the most powerful families in the world).

Kew Bridge Steam Museum houses the world's largest working beam engine and its narrow cuboid tower is an emblem of the town.

Brentford will be without winger Sam Saunders tomorrow, who is still sidelined after a knee operation.

Midfielder George Saville is fit again after a knock, while Harlee Dean, Tony Craig and James Tarkowski compete for two centre-back spots.

Also Alan Judge, who has served us so well over the last few years before his move to Blackburn Rovers at the end of last season, is expected to face us tomorrow.

Callum Ball is County's only doubt, having not featured since the 5-1 defeat at Walsall in January.

However, the striker, on loan from Derby County, is making good progress after a training ground ankle injury.

Notts County have met Colchester United a modest 39 times over the years, all league encounters except for one Sherpa Vans Trophy tie in 1988.

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

The last encounter, back in December 2013 away at the Colchester Community Stadium, ended in a resounding 4-0 win for the Magpies!

Here's hoping for more this time round at Meadow Lane. Colchester United Football Club is a baby in English football club terms, having been born in 1937. However, Colchester Town Football Club, the club's predecessor, was around since 1873.

Despite dwindling crowds in the mid-1930s, though, they refused to follow its neighbours Ipswich Town in turning professional, much to the disapproval of its fans and players. As a result, Colchester United was formed, with the intention of playing professionally, and went on from strength to strength while its stubborn neighbour fell into decline and eventually folded.

Colchester United are responsible for one of the FA Cup's greatest ever upsets, when, in February 1971, they defeated the infamous Don Revie's Leeds United, an established top flight side who would finish second that season, by three goals to two. The U's were in the fourth division at the time.

The U's won the Football League Trophy (now the Johnstone's Paint Trophy) in 1996-97. and also compete in a competition called the Essex Senior Cup, a tournament contested by mostly non-league clubs within the region (Colchester usually field a youth/reserve team for this), winning this trophy back in 2009-10.

Micky Cook holds the all time club record for appearances with Colchester United, having played nearly 700 games between 1969 and 1984! Talk about loyalty!

Notable former players include Titus Bramble, Alec Chamberlain, Mark Kinsella, Kevin Lisbie and Newcastle cult hero Lomana LuaLua.

The town of Colchester is said to be the oldest recorded town in Britain on the grounds that it was mentioned by Pliny the Elder, who died in AD 79. It was for a time the capital of Roman Britain, and is a member of the Most Ancient European Towns Network.

Since 2006, Colchester has been one of 12 places in the UK where Royal Salutes are fired to mark Royal anniversaries and visits by foreign heads of state.

For more facts about Colchester, check out https://twitter.com/colchesterfacts *

Mustapha Dumbuya is expected to be fit but may struggle to replace Curtis Thompson in a Notts side chasing a third consecutive victory and eager to complete The Great Escape.

We will actually climb out of the relegation zone if we win, Shrewsbury fail to win and Carlisle and Tranmere, who play each other at Prenton Park, draw.

Defender Alex Wynter is expected to make his Colchester debut after joining on loan from Crystal Palace.

Sanchez Watt's quad problem is easing but he is unlikely to feature.

* May not necessarily be true facts!

Notts County’s head-to-head history with Crewe Alexandra dates back to September 1893, when the Magpies faced the Railwaymen at the Alexandra Recreation Ground. The result was a 2-0 win for Notts.

After several further meetings in the late 1890s, the fixture would experience a hiatus of 63 years; between 1896 and 1959, the two teams didn't play each other.

The Alex have been on the receiving end of several thumpings at the hands of the Magpies – in 1894, we beat them 9-1 and 5-1, in 1896 we won 6-0, in 1959 we recorded a 4-1 victory, 1970 brought a 5-1 victory… oh, and we thrashed them 4-0 just five months ago at Meadow Lane!

The origins of the “Alexandra” moniker in the club name aren’t fully known. Whether they took the name from a hotel, patronised by those connected with the railway works and where they held their meetings, or whether it was after Princess Alexandra of Denmark, who married Queen Victoria’s eldest son, later King Edward VII, is open to speculation.

Crewe is synonymous with arguably one of the greatest and most longevous managers in the English game: Dario Gradi. He is the Alex’s very own Sir Alex Ferguson, having managed the club between 1983 and 2011, with the exception of a hiatus between 2007 and 2009 where he nevertheless took the reins on a caretaker basis for a period. He currently manages the Academy. Speaking of which…

Crewe Alexandra’s academy is one of the best and most renowned in the English lower leagues. The Academy is known to stress technical excellence, which accords with the aim to have the first team play attractive, passing football.

Most of the club's achievements in youth development have come from none other than Gradi, and alumni include Geoff Thomas, David Platt, Robbie Savage, Neil Lennon, Steve Jones, Rob Jones, Danny Murphy, Seth Johnson and Dean Ashton and David Vaughan.

Impressively, Crewe’s final fixture of the 2012-13 season, a 2-0 win against Walsall, involved a starting XI made up entirely of Academy players.

In 2013, the club won its first-ever major silverware after beating Southend United 2-0 in the Johnstones Paint Trophy final at Wembley.

Crewe are known as the Railwaymen because of the town’s links to the British train network. Crewe station was completed in 1837 and is one of the most historic railway stations in the world. Nowadays, as well as serving the town of Crewe that has grown near it, it still operates as a major junction on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). It also serves as a major station on the WCML and as a major rail gateway for the North West.

The town of Crewe has an interesting roll call of local legends, including rugby player Mark Cueto, professional BMX racer Shanaze Reade, 1990s heartthrob Adam Rickitt (ask a female friend or relative between the ages of 25 and 30), Olympic gymnast Beth Tweddle, and Jimmy MacDonald, also known as the voice of Mickey Mouse!

(And if anybody here is or knows a fan of Adam Rickitt, he’s going to be in the Big Reunion 2014. I’m literally jumping for apathy)

Crewe are without suspended midfielder Anthony Grant after his late red card in Saturday's 3-1 win at Gillingham.

Abdul Osman comes in as the Alex, now two points clear of trouble, bid to build on their unbeaten three-game run.

Meanwhile, Shaun Derry seems likely to name the side that started Saturday's 4-1 win over Carlisle.

Dean Leacock was among the substitutes against the Cumbrians after a thigh injury but may have to wait for his recall.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Notts County and Shrewbury Town don’t go very far back, as the Shropshire outfit spent the majority of its early history in the lower leagues. They were promoted into the Football League Third Division North in 1950, and first met the Magpies in the 1960-61 season. Sadly, it wasn’t a very good day for Notts, because, away at Gay Meadow, we got beaten 4-0 by the Shrews!

The two teams, however, have met quite regularly in recent years – since that first fixture between the two, they've faced off 44 times. The Shrews currently hold the ever so slight upper edge, with 15 wins and 16 draws, while Notts have won 13 games.

Since 2005, Notts have played Shrewsbury every season bar 2010/11 and 2011/12. The longest period between meetings is eight years, between 21st December 1963 and 11th September 1971.

The Shrewsbury v Notts game on the 17th April 1990 is believed to have been the genesis of the renowned “I Had A Wheelbarrow” chant. Shrewsbury were winning 2-0 and began singing a traditional American folk song, On Top Of Old Smoky, in celebration. This was sung in such a strong West Country accent that the Notts fans began singing back jokingly what they believed it sounded like, which was “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off”. Notts then pulled two goals back in the last ten minutes, and as such the chant was seen as a source of good luck, being sung by Notts fans ever since.

Until 1995, some English teams from cities not far from the Welsh border could play in the Welsh Cup, but winners would have to concede the subsequent European Cup Winners’ Cup place to the best-placed Welsh side as per league and European rules. As a result, Shrewsbury have a rather healthy trophy cabinet, having won the competition six times - 1985 was their last trophy victory - and finishing as runners-up thrice, making them the most successful non-Welsh side ever to compete in the Welsh cup!

Shrewsbury are known for one of the greatest giant killings of all time, as they defeated Premier League Everton in the FA Cup in January 2003. The Shropshire side, in Division 3 and free-falling towards relegation out of the Football League, beat the top tier side 2-1, no small feat against a team who, just a few months prior, broke a rampant Arsenal’s 30 game unbeaten run, courtesy of a young 16-year old prodigy by the name of Wayne Rooney.

The town of Shrewsbury has helped cultivate two of the greatest minds in British history. Charles Darwin was born and bred in Shrewsbury, while Charles Dickens spent plenty of time in the town, having been fond of the Lion Hotel and performing his one-man shows at Shrewsbury’s Music Hall.

Footballers who have plied their trade for both clubs, either as footballer or as manager, include Richie Barker, Glynn Hurst, Lee Canoville, Luke Rodgers and Mark Stallard.

Notts will have Kwesi Appiah available for tomorrow's League One clash at Meadow Lane after the striker extended his loan from Crystal Palace until the 22nd of March.

Mustapha Dumbuya is back in training after a thigh injury, but Dean Leacock and Callum Ball remain sidelined.

Shrewsbury's Tom Bradshaw misses the first game of what could be several weeks out with a knee injury.

Joe Jacobson will assessed before kick-off, as will Luke Summerfield and Aaron Wildig.

Notts County and Wolverhampton Wanderers have a long history of facing each other. The first fixture came all the way back in January 1889 (about a century before I was born! –JJ), with the Magpies securing an emphatic 3-0 win.

Over the years, County’s record hasn’t quite lived up to the standard of the first game. We’ve won 23 games, but lost 37. Out of the 83 fixtures that have taken place over the years, 21 have ended in a draw.

Wolves have played Notts three times since the turn of the century: On the 21st September 2010 in the Carling Cup, where Wolves won 4-2, just over four months ago, on the 8th October 2013, in the Johnston's Paint Trophy, where Notts won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, and in League One a month later, in November, where we lost 1-0.

Prior to the 2010 clash, you have to go back all the way to 1994 for the last encounter between these two: a 1-0 defeat in Division 1 (back then this was the second tier).

That's nothing, however. The longest period of time between Notts and Wolves facing off is from January 1935 to November 1976 - a huge 41 years! To put that into perspective, Elvis Presley was four days old at the time of the 1935 fixture, while the 1976 fixture was just nine months before his untimely passing.

Wolves became founder members of the Football League in 1888, and finishing 3rd in the inaugural season as well as reaching the FA Cup final (where they lost 3-0 to the Preston North End).

Wolves were the first club to score to 7000 League goals - Wolves achieved this when Seol Ki-Hyeon scored in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on the 10th December 2006.

The Black Country side suffered the ignominy of successive relegations, tumbling out of the Premier League during the 2011-12 season and then finishing in the Championship bottom three in 2012-13.

Wolves boast three top-flight titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups, in addition to four Charity/Community Shields. That places them on a par with Newcastle United (13) and just under Manchester City (15) in terms of total trophies won in their history.

Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme is fit to challenge Aaron McCarey for a place between the sticks after six weeks out with a broken hand.

Kenny Jackett's outfit, second in League One after four straight victories, play for the first time in a fortnight following last Saturday's postponement at Stevenage.

Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is out of favour at Molineux, has been allowed to travel to the United States to undertake a three-week training programme in Los Angeles.

Notts are still without Dean Leacock, who is struggling with a calf and thigh injury, but striker Ronan Murray is back after suspension.

The Pies have not won a league game at Molineux since 1991, but we did win on our last visit in October when the boys in black and white knocked the beleaguered Black Country club out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy 3-1 on penalties.

There haven’t been many fixtures between Notts County and Coventry City, in all fairness: just 35 in the last 94 years. The first took place on the 6th November 1920, the Meadow Lane match ending in a 1-1 draw.

Plenty of high-scoring games between the two, with several 5-1s, 3-0s and 4-2s over the years.

Notts County have the upper hand in the head-to-heads – 17 victories over the Sky Blues, 11 defeats and 7 draws.

In 2001, Coventry were relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the first tier. At the time, only Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal could boast longer tenures in the top flight.

In 2012, Coventry were relegated to the third tier in English Football for the first time in 48 years.

Coventry’s new stadium, the 32,609-capacity Ricoh Arena, was opened in August 2005, but following a rent dispute with the ground's owners the club opted to play their home games at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium starting in the 2013–14 season, a move which hasn’t proved popular with Sky Blues fans.

The club’s proudest moment was undoubtedly the 1987 FA Cup final at Wembley, which was won by the Sky Blues after an enthralling 3-2 win after two hours of football.

None other than Notts County old boy Brian Kilcline, who will be present tomorrow at Meadow Lane, held aloft the famous trophy!

Following Tottenham Hotspur player Gary Mabbutt’s own goal in extra time, which set Coventry on the way to their FA Cup final win, a fanzine was created called GMK – Gary Mabbutt’s Knee!

Notts County are without Callum Ball, who recently suffered an ankle ligaments injury, for six weeks, while fellow striker Ronan Murray is suspended so new boy James Spencer may start.

Bartosz Bialkowski missed the game at Preston but should be fine to replace goalkeeping coach Kevin Pilkington on Saturday.

Left-back Gareth Roberts and midfielder Hayden Mullins made their debuts during the 2-0 defeat to Preston last weekend. Mullins, on loan from Birmingham, came on as a substitute at Deepdale and will hope to be involved from the start on Saturday.

Dylan McGeouch will hope to finally make his debut for Coventry away at Notts County.

The midfielder arrived on loan from Celtic ahead of the close of the January transfer window but saw last weekend's clash against Walsall fall victim to a waterlogged pitch before missing Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Bristol City due to illness.

Fellow new arrivals Nathan Delfouneso and Mark Marshall made their bows at Ashton Gate, although striker Rory Donnelly returned to parent club Swansea for personal reasons before pulling on a City shirt.

Long-term absentee Callum Wilson remains sidelined with his shoulder injury.

These two clubs, two of the oldest in the country (and by extension, the world) go back over 125 years. The first fixture between the two took place in November 1888, when Preston North End defeated the Magpies 7-0 in the first ever season of the Football League.

The 1888-89 season saw Preston remain unbeaten throughout, and would go on to become English football's first "Invincibles", a feat which remained unbroken until 2003-04 when Arsenal also went the whole season without losing. So really, Notts being thumped so heartily wasn't quite such a worrying thing!

Aside from Preston going the whole season unbeaten, they were also the first EVER winners of the Football League. Oh, and they won the FA Cup that year too!

The two clubs have met a total of 86 times, and sadly (for us Notts fans) the Lilywhites have the upper hand by quite a significant margin. They're won 40 times, while the Magpies have won 23 games. 23 draws have taken place.

The two teams that have played the most games overall in the Football League are, in fact, Notts County and Preston North End!

Meanwhile, Preston are ranked as the fourth most-successful English football club of all time domestically.

Over the years, there have been some varied scorelines. We've talked about the 7-0 back in 1888, but we've also had 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 4-3 and 4-2.

Recently, meetings have been tamer (from a goal-scoring perspective). Since the turn of the millennium, we've clashed seven times, and between the two teams, a mere five goals have been scored.

The National Football Museum was originally situated in Deepdale, Preston, but was moved to Manchester in 2012.

Deepdale was used as the venue for the England U21s when they played Iceland in March 2011. Deepdale was used again at the end of the 2011-2012 season to host three U19s Elite Round matches with England, Slovenia and Switzerland all taking to the famous pitch. The three games were held at the end of May over six days.

Preston have made the play-offs in a record eight seasons, spanning all three league divisions, but have not yet been promoted via this route.

Preston have Neil Kilkenny available for tomorrow's game.

The midfielder, who penned a permanent deal with North End at the start of January, was sent off against Bradford in midweek and was due to serve a three-game ban before the FA overturned the decision on Thursday.

Striker Kevin Davies, meanwhile, will complete a three-match suspension of his own, but will return for the FA Cup replay with Nottingham Forest next Wednesday.

Otherwise, Lilywhites boss Simon Grayson has a full squad to choose from with the likes of Keith Keane, Chris Humphrey and Lee Holmes ready to replace Kilkenny.

Notts County have no new problems ahead of the trip to Preston and manager Shaun Derry will select from an unchanged squad.

After seeing his side thrashed 5-1 at home by Walsall last weekend Derry must decide whether to give those players a chance to redeem themselves or make changes at Deepdale.

The likes of Kwesi Appiah, Curtis Thompson, Greg Tempest, Haydn Hollis and Callum Ball are waiting in the wings should Derry opt to freshen things up.

Forward Ronan Murray will serve the second game of his three-match suspension while Mustapha Dumbuya and Gary Liddle remain out injured.

The new boys, Gareth Roberts and Hayden Mullins, will also be eager to make their Notts debuts.

Notts and Walsall’s fixture history dates back to the 1890s, but there haven’t been that many fixtures despite over a century of head-to-heads.

The first game took place on the 20th January 1894 and resulted in a 2-0 win for the Magpies.

In total, there have been 62 fixtures between the two sides, and this time, Notts holds the upper edge with 26 wins. The Saddlers have won 19 times, and 17 draws have taken place.

Walsall were formed as Walsall Town Swifts in 1888 when two local teams, Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. merged. The newly formed team’s first match was against Aston Villa, and resulted in a draw

Two players from this early era received England caps while at the club: Alf Jones and Albert Aldridge. They remain the only Walsall players to be so honoured.

In 1896, the Swifts changed their name to Walsall FC, the name that lives on today.

The club's nickname, The Saddlers, reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture.

Walsall had Arsenal and England legend Paul Merson on their books a decade ago, as player and player-manager.

Sky Sports' Soccer AM have given Walsall the nickname "Warsaw" due to the similarity when pronouncing Walsall and Warsaw. The presenters of Soccer AM often refer to Walsall as "our friends from Poland".

Notts County are without suspended striker Ronan Murray, who was sent off in Tuesday's 4-3 loss at Peterborough.

Kwesi Appiah, who impressed making his debut as a substitute in that game, is pushing to replace Murray - as are fellow loan signings Callum Ball and, yes, Callum McGregor.

Walsall are without left-back Andy Taylor (knee), so Malvind Benning is likely to deputise.

The Saddlers are unbeaten in five and boast the best away defensive record in League One, having conceded 10 goals.

Notts County and Peterborough have met a grand total of 43 times over the years, dating back to the 1960s.

The first meeting between the two, a Third Division fixture on the 7th September 1961, ended in a 2-2 draw.

Our record win over the Posh is a 6-0 drubbing at Meadow Lane in the 1970-71 season, while our record defeat to them is a 5-1 loss in 1963.

Peterborough United are nicknamed "The Posh" because Pat Tirrel, then manager of Fletton United - the current club’s previous incarnation - was reported to say he was "looking for posh players for a posh new team".

Fletton, previously known as the 'Brickies', re-formed as Peterborough and Fletton United in 1923, and both nicknames were in use through the 1920s, although supporters complained that 'Posh' references were sometimes used by newspapers in a derisory manner.

Peterborough and Fletton United folded in 1932, the present club was formed two years later and a Midland League debut against Gainsborough Trinity on 1st September 1934 was greeted with cries of 'Up The Posh' from the crowd.

14 years ago, Peterborough United clashed with Victoria Beckham, aka “Posh Spice”, over the use of the “Posh” nickname. She had apparently objected to Peterborough's plans to register "Posh" and "The Posh" as registered trademarks, but eventually backed down after realising the club had been using that nickname some 50 years before she was born.

Notts and Peterborough played a blinder of a game back on the 28th September 2010 at London Road, the Magpies surging into a two-goal lead courtesy of Ben Davies, before Gabrial Zakuani’s header halved the deficit. Craig Westcarr restored the away side’s two-goal lead, before Craig Mackail-Smith made things tense for the last half hour thanks to his angled shot.

The game is also known for a 22-man brawl at the final whistle, which resulted in an FA charge for both teams and a £15,000 fine.

Not many injuries to talk about before tonight’s game. Lee Tomlin is back from suspension for Posh but Tommy Rowe (thigh) and Michael Bostwick (hamstring) are doubts.

For Notts, Jack Grealish is a doubt, the club and manager not indicating whether he will start or not.

Callum Ball is pushing to start after scoring the only goal as a substitute in the win at Stevenage.

This edition of Pride of Nottingham's popular feature the "Stat Attack" focuses on the rise of Stevenage FC, formerly known as Stevenage Borough, are part of a “new guard” of Football League clubs that have risen up from the non-league in the last decade or so. As such, there haven’t been many fixtures between themselves and Notts County. All meetings between the two have come in the last three years. Stevenage have been a bit of a bogey team for the Magpies over the (three) years. They’ve won four of the six encounters, while Notts have won the other two.

The Boro were the first team to win a competitive final at the new Wembley Stadium in 2007, beating Kidderminster Harriers 3–2 to lift the FA Trophy in front of a competition record crowd of 53,262. They then went on to win the same trophy again just two years later and were runners up the following year. #NonLeagueBarcelona

Stevenage, after being promoted into the Football League in 2010, earned back-to-back promotions when they beat Torquay United 1–0 at Old Trafford in the 2010–11 League Two play-off final.

The Herts club was involved in a bitter spat with Premier League Newcastle United back in 1998, as they clashed in the FA Cup.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/fa_cup/9345266.stm

Stevenage should be unchanged after ending a seven-match winless run in midweek by beating Swindon Town.

Francois Zoko, ex-Magpie and scorer of 12 goals in 22 appearances for his new club, will start in attack against Notts, but defender Ben Chorley serves the second game of a three-match ban.

Notts County have no new injury or suspension problems.

And last but not least, Jack Grealish is available after extending his loan from Aston Villa!

Sheffield United’s first match against our beloved Notts took place on the 17th Jan 1891 in the FA Cup. Just to give you an idea how long ago this was… Sir Winston Churchill was a mere 16 years old when the game was played! The scoreline is also of note: Notts won 9-1! Since then, the Blades have undisputedly held the upper hand in head-to-head statistics: they have won 45 games against the Magpies. We’ve beaten then just 23 times, and there have been 12 draws. Their ground, Bramall Lane, is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches.

Bramall Lane opened in April 1855 – Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin were still alive back then!

Jessica Ennis-Hill, who just this Friday announced she was expecting her first child, has a stand named after her at United’s ground, following her goal medal in heptathlon at the 2012 Olympics.

A game between Sheffield United and Oldham in February 1984 had to be postponed when a wartime bomb was found near Bramall Lane!

A number of films and television programmes have included references to Sheffield United over the past few decades:

- The 1996 film When Saturday Comes stars Sean Bean as a part-time Hallam FC player who is scouted by Sheffield United, who then goes on to play in a FA Cup semi-final.

- The character 'Gaz' in British comedy The Full Monty is seen wearing a replica United shirt at one part of the film, and promises his son a ticket for a game at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United & Manchester United.

- Even Hollywood has got in on the act: a scene in Batman Begins features a child wearing a 1990s Blades shirt!

Notts left-back Alan Sheehan returns from the one-game ban he served in the 3-0 win over Bradford City.

Striker Callum Ball, who has extended his loan stay, could potentially start.

For the Blades, Billy Paynter, signed on loan from Doncaster Rovers on Friday, is expected to make his debut against Notts.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town twice in their history! The first ever fixture between the two was thirteen months ago, on the 10th November 2012. The League One game, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1, while the away fixture was a goalless draw.

Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – ten years ago, while Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League!

Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later.

2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63). Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikeable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”.

Crawley have the smallest stadium in League One; the Broadfield Stadium holds a meagre 5,996 people – nearly 800 fewer than the next smallest, Stevenage’s Lamex Stadium. You could fit just over three and a half Broadfields inside Meadow Lane!

Crawley Town forward Billy Clarke is suspended following his red card in the Boxing Day defeat to MK Dons, but centre-back Kyle McFadzean is available again after serving a one-match ban.

Josh Simpson is expected back following hamstring trouble but fellow midfielder Dannie Bulman is likely to miss out.

Notts will be missing Gary Liddle and possibly Callum Ball, after the duo suffered injuries against Bristol City, while Mustapha Dumbuya is set to face his former club.

Notts County and Bristol City have faced each other a gargantuan 103 times over their history. This is because both clubs have been regularly playing each other since the 1900s. However, tomorrow will be their first league meeting in ten years! Bristol City only just hold the upper edge, having won 41 games to Notts's 39. 23 matches have been drawn.

The city of Bristol is the largest metro area in England never to have won the English top tier championship.

City won the Welsh Cup – despite being an English club – in 1934.

In 1982, Bristol City became the first English club to suffer three consecutive relegations.

Ashton Gate is the only ground in the English football league not to accommodate executive boxes.

Despite their underachievements, Bristol City is supported by some notable celebrities, including John Cleese of Monty Python and Fawlty Towers fame, Formula 1 great Jenson Button, and actor Russell Crowe.

Bristol City shares the English football league record for consecutive wins, notching up 14 wins in a row during the 1905-06 season. This record is shared with Arsenal, Manchester United, and Preston North End.

If Bristol defender Louis Carey plays against Notts on Saturday, he will tie with striker John Atyeo, who played for the club in the 50s and 60s, on 645 appearances for the South-West club, the current club record.

Some familiar faces will be returning to Nottingham with the club on Saturday. Steve Cotterill, who helped Notts to the League Two championship in 2010, will be facing his former club, while Marlon Harewood, who played for the other team in the city, will be back on Nottingham soil after having played for a variety of other clubs, including one in China.

Notts County also have no new injury worries and could have striker Danny Haynes available after tonsillitis.

Fellow striker Marcus Haber's loan spell has ended while defender Mustapha Dumbuya could return to action before the new year.

Bristol City manager Steve Cotterill has no new injury concerns, but loanee Stephen McLaughlin has returned to parent club Nottingham Forest after picking up a knee injury.