Stat Attack: Doncaster Rovers vs. Notts County, Tuesday 13 March 2017

Notts County have met Doncaster Rovers 55 times over the years, with the first fixture coming on the 13th December 1930. On that occasion, an FA Cup tie, the Magpies triumphed 1-0.

Doncaster hold the most slender of advantages in the head to head - we've won 23 times, lost 24 times, and drawn 8 times.

The club was founded in 1879 and turned professional in 1885. They have spent the majority of their playing history between the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system and are one of four clubs to win the Division 3/League Two title three times, the last being in 2004.

Football League rules state that any team who wins a trophy three times can keep it. However, when Rovers tried to retain ownership of the actual Third Division trophy, the Football League claimed that Rovers could not keep the trophy because the league names had changed from Fourth to Third Division, and so they had not won that particular league three times.

The team's mascot is a brown dog known as Donny Dog, who wears the red and white Rovers jersey.

Before a scheduled appearance during the game against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium on 4 March 2006, police prevented Andrew Liney from entering the stadium in costume, citing unspecified "police intelligence", and refused him permission to wear any part of the costume within 50 metres of the stadium. Mr Liney later received a full written apology for these unfounded allegations from the head of West Yorkshire Police.

The mascot was next portrayed by Tracy Chandler and in June 2011, she was relieved from the position after she posed in her underwear for a Sunday newspaper. Later in the same week she was reinstated back as the club's mascot.

Arguably the club's most famous fan is One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson. The 25-year-old had agreed to play in a charity game at the Keepmoat several years ago to raise money for the Bluebell Wood Charity and was offered a deal by Donny to join the club on non-contract terms after impressing in the game.

Team news

Doncaster striker Liam Mandeville has suffered an injury setback and will play no part against Notts.

Mandeville had been hoping to return to the squad for Saturday's home win against Cheltenham after being ruled out since early February with an ankle injury, but strained a thigh in training on Friday.

Boss Darren Ferguson has no new injury or suspension problems and could be tempted to name the same starting line-up.

Midfielder Gary McSheffrey is likely to start on the bench again following his recent return from a long-term knee injury, while defender Joe Wright, Aaron Taylor-Sinclair and Lee McCullough (all knee) are still out.

Notts have captain Michael O'Connor available after serving a two-match ban but Magpies manager Kevin Nolan must decide if his skipper goes straight back into midfield.

Jon Stead and Curtis Thompson will need to prove their fitness after both players missed the home win over Hartlepool at the weekend.

Striker Stead has a dead leg while midfielder Thompson has a slight hamstring niggle.

Both will be given as long as possible to make themselves available but French defender Thierry Audel may not make the matchday squad again, despite being fit.

Carl Dickinson, Alan Smith and Adam Campbell are among the other options at Nolan's disposal should he make changes.

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