Stat Attack: Notts County v Colchester United

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!