Stat Attack: Notts County v Gillingham

Notts County's head-to-head record against Gillingham is historically pretty poor, winning 9 games, drawing 7 and losing 15 since our first fixture on 25th October 1930.

Fixtures between the two tend to come thick and fast for a certain period of time before ceasing to be for years on end; between 1985 and 1989 we played each other nine times, then no meeting for seven years, squaring up again in October 1996.

Since that league meeting (lost 1-0), another five games took place until March 2000, and then, nothing for eight years!

For over 50 years, the record for the fastest hat-trick in the Football League belonged to Jimmy Scarth, who scored three goals in two minutes and 30 seconds against Leyton Orient, on the 1st November 1952.

Sadly in 2004, James Hayter of Bournemouth dispossessed Scarth of said record; he came on as an 84th minute substitute in their game against Wrexham, and scored three times in two minutes and 20 seconds!

Gillingham do however retain one record; having conceded the fewest goals in a 46-match season, when the team conceded only 20 goals during 1995–96.

The Gills could have radically changed the face of English football had they not lost against Manchester City in the 1998/99 Second Division play-off final.

Had they won, City may have never recovered from a second year on the bounce in the third tier, by their own admission. And let's not forget Gillingham were leading 2-0 will less than two minutes left on the clock!

Instead, as things went, City were back up in the top tier within a few years, just in time to catch the eyes of some very wealthy people casually window shopping in the Premiership.

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Shaun Derry has no new injury concerns, but has to decide if Alan Smith, Curtis Thompson, Blair Adams and Zeli Ismail will return ahead of the fixture against the Gills.

Mustapha Dumbuya, Garry Thompson, Shaun Harrad and Stephen McLaughlin all came in for the 3-0 midweek win over Crewe.

For Gillingham, Aaron Morris s fit to return after missing the defeat at Sheffield United.

Striker Danny Kedwell is still sidelined, while ex-Magpie goalkeeper Stuart Nelson is closing in on a return.

The 33-year-old is progressing well in his recovery from the ligament injury he picked up on the opening day of the season, but will not feature at Meadow Lane.

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Shaun Derry's thoughts on signing a new contract.

http://www.prideofnottingham.co.uk/community/public/media/ShaunDerry(NewContract).mp3