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Notts County reclaimed their status as the ‘world’s oldest football league club’ after beating Chesterfield on penalties in an astonishing National League promotion final at Wembley. Substitute goalkeeper Archie Mair saved spot-kicks from Darren Oldaker and Jeff King before Cedwyn Scott sealed a dramatic 4-3 shoot-out triumph. Victory for the 161-year-old Magpies ended their four-year non-league exile while defeat consigned Chesterfield to a sixth season in the National League. Chesterfield took the lead early on when Andrew Dallas put them ahead from the spot after a calamitous start from Notts goalkeeper Sam Slocombe. Notts veteran John Bostock caught Chesterfield goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons out with a set-piece that skipped in at the near post to level the score. Armando Dobra restored Chesterfield’s lead in the first period of extra time, but Ruben Rodrigues bounced a volley off the turf and over Fitzsimons to level at 2-2 in the second half of extra time, ensuring the showdown would be decided from the spot. After four years and three failed play-off attempts, Notts finally secured their English Football League (EFL) return at the end of a record-breaking season. Luke Williams’ side were pipped for automatic promotion and the title by Hollywood-funded Wrexham, who topped the table with an all-time high 111 points. The 107 points the Magpies collected to finish second would have got them straight up as champions in every other season before this one. Chesterfield finished one spot below Notts in the table, but the gap between the two was 23 points. They pushed Notts to their limits at Wembley in an incredible energy-sapping game. On-loan keeper Mair played an instrumental role off the bench with his penalty saves and Scott kept his cool to secure victory. Have your say inside the Pride of Nottingham match report as Notts County returns to the Football League. Take a look at the site’s activity and get involved with the Notts County fan community.

The Pride of Nottingham awards have been finalised. All the comments and votes across all of our social media have been counted, and each poll has been tallied to enable us to narrow down one of the hardest selections for us today. On the back of a truly amazing season, with many joyful memories made, plenty of goals and wins, it was always going to be action-packed! The club has recruited extremely well, bringing excellent new additions to the squad such as Sam Austin, Macaulay Langstaff and Cedwyn Jones to name a few. With a squad that was already capable of finishing within the playoffs, who could ever imagine that Notts would enjoy most of the season sitting at the top of the National League in a title race with Wrexham? It’s been a truly remarkable season. As we finalise the Pride of Nottingham awards, let’s remind ourselves to go to Wembley tomorrow and make the most of another exciting moment in our beloved club’s history! Pride of Nottingham's Member of the Year: The Pride of Nottingham is grateful to have a community full of members. These members not only help run an independent site, but also drive much of the reason why fans join. That is the reason is the discussions. Having a solid talking point requires effort and every member always tries their best. The Pride of Nottingham encourages readers to get involved. In the meantime, let’s congratulate @Piethagoram on being voted as the Pride of Nottingham Fan of the Year. This accolade is truly deserved by such a hard-working member. Next up! Away Game of the Season: Choosing the Away Game of the Season is no easy task, but the fans have spoken and cast their votes for the game they believe stands out above the rest. In a season where Notts County has broken records and finished 2nd in the National League, narrowly missing out on automatic promotion to Wrexham, there have been many memorable moments to choose from. Winner: Chesterfield vs. Notts County [Final Score 1-2 on 11/02/2023] Signing of the Season: Macaulay Langstaff has been chosen as the Pride of Nottingham's Signing of the Season because he broke records by scoring 42 goals in a single season. He has been a talisman up front for the Magpies and has been ever-present in our promotion push back to the Football League. Winner: Macaulay Langstaff! Next up! Goal of the Season: With a perfectly placed free-kick which sent the away end at Wrexham into raptures, in a season where 107 goals had been scored. It was always going to prove to be difficult to name which goal truly deserves to be named as the Goal of the Season, however Notts fans took to voting and decided that this is one. Fancy putting a free-kick in the back of the net at Wembley, John? That would be great tomorrow! Winner: John Bostock Free-Kick against Wrexham. And finally, the Pride of Nottingham's Player of the Season: Since joining Notts County as a free agent in 2021, Matt Palmer has shown himself to be an exceptional midfield powerhouse, always putting in the hard work and determination required to succeed. As a key member of the squad, he has become an indispensable presence at the heart of the Notts County midfield. In 2022, his performances have been nothing short of outstanding, and he fully deserves to be named as the Pride of Nottingham Player of the Season. Congratulations Matt Palmer! A heartfelt thank you to each one of you who participated in the Pride of Nottingham awards. Don’t miss out on the latest news and discussions - head over to the Pride of Nottingham Facebook Page and Group now! Stay up-to-date with all things Notts County by following the Pride of Nottingham on Twitter!

Last Sunday at Meadow Lane, Notts County made a stunning comeback from 2-0 down to beat Boreham Wood 3-2 in the National League Playoff Semi Final. The winner of this match would progress to the final and have the opportunity to secure promotion to League Two. The Magpies’ victory was secured by a brace from Aden Baldwin and a goal from Jodi Jones. The atmosphere at Meadow Lane was electric, with vocal support from both Notts County and Boreham Wood fans. The Magpies’ had even placed a material banner reading “Come On You Pies” on the seats of every fan in the KOP to add to the occasion. Boreham Wood took the lead in the 37th minute with a goal from Femi Ilesanmi, followed by a second from Lee Ndlovu in the 45+3rd minute. However, Notts County fought back in the second half with Aden Baldwin scoring in the 47th minute and again in the 90+7th minute. In the dying moments of added time, just before the match would have gone to penalties, Jodi Jones scored the winner for Notts County in the 120th minute. Colin Sisson, a Notts County fan who attended the match with his family, described the atmosphere at Meadow Lane before and during the match as electric. "It felt like an event," he said. "Even when we caught the tram, with fellow Notts fans sharing nods of apprehension as we got closer to the ground." The unseasonal sunshine added to the excitement, with fans wearing their shirts and making their way to Meadow Lane together. "What an atmosphere was created by the Trent Navigation too!" Colin exclaimed. "I walked part of the way with my lads just as The Wheelbarrow Song was sung, and we all just stopped and smiled." When asked about how the fans reacted to the 2-0 deficit, Colin shared that his eldest son cried. "To be honest, I wasn't far behind him," he admitted. "He'd witnessed us lose playoff semis against Coventry and Grimsby either side of a relegation, so the emotion was completely understandable." In the Family Stand, there was no anger, just stunned silence as Notts County had dominated a fair proportion of the match. In Colin's opinion, there were two turning points in the match for Notts County. One was tactical: Borehamwood had been successful in pressing and crowding the middle of the pitch, meaning Notts often tried to operate out wide or in the half-spaces between the centre and flank. However, their full-backs were dogged in their job and suppressed Chicksen and Nemane quite well. The introduction of Jones and his skill against tired legs meant he got the better of wide positions, reflected in a goal and assist. Cedwyn Scott also deserves praise for his directness, which caused chaos and concern in the latter stages. The second turning point was more unexplainable. Colin shared that he muttered silent prayers towards the memorial of Jason Turner. "I'm not religious in any way," he said. "But I simply asked that all the effort of this season - including his - should not be forgotten. And what happened next won't be forgotten for a very long time." When asked about how fans celebrated after Notts County's victory, Colin described scenes of joy at Meadow Lane. "The emotional whiplash of Jones' goal was pretty vicious and seemed to take an age to register with me," he said. "I must've checked for an offside flag about five times before the realisation sank in that we'd somehow turned this around." Colin grabbed his coat and bag and told his kids they were going on the pitch. "We'd watched Portsmouth and Luton celebrate on Meadow Lane - it was our turn," he explained. "The look of absolute joy on my two's faces will stay with me forever," Colin shared. "They touched the grass, sang their hearts out, and punched the sky." He was also delighted to shake hands with Luke Williams and congratulate him on playing such a significant role in making it all possible. Looking ahead to the National League Playoff Final against Chesterfield, Colin admitted it's hard to have solid expectations when it still feels like such a dream. "But we have to be realistic too - Chesterfield pose a substantial threat," he said. Dobra and Colclough have the ability to pin Notts County's wing backs which could nullify how they like to build attacks. "So the significant battles may be won and lost in the middle of the pitch," Colin explained. However, if Palmer, Bostock, and Rodrigues rise to the occasion as they know they can, Colin remains hopeful. Ryan Raynor, another Notts County fan who has supported the club for 14 years, shared that he can't even put into words what the club means to him. "It is the one thing at the end of every week that I look forward to: getting down to the lane with my fiancé, my brothers and my sister, and cheering on the Magpies," he said. When Notts County fell behind 2-0, Ryan admitted that he lost his head. "I was so angry because of the manner in which the goals were conceded, especially the second," he said. He didn't think they would be able to come back, knowing Borehamwood's defensive record. "But my God, it was the best feeling when that second goal went in," he exclaimed. Ryan described the comeback and eventual victory as massive for both the club and its fans. "A chance to get back into the EFL after the season we have had," he said. "In my opinion, we deserved to go up automatically." The roar from the fans when that second goal went in was unlike anything he had ever heard before. "It means the world to all of us," he said. Matt Wyer, another Notts County fan who used to attend every home game and around 5 or 6 away games, shared that he now attends fewer matches due to having two young children. He usually attends matches with his dad, wife, and uncle. When Notts County fell behind 2-0, Matt admitted that he thought the tie was over. "I said to a few people I know that we could not let Boreham Wood score 1, never mind 2, as I knew they’d sit back, and they have the best defence in the league," he said. "I was gutted." As Notts County started their comeback, Matt shared that he knew it was possible because he had seen them play some amazing football this year. "But when we scored the first goal, I thought due to the opposition it would only be a consolation," he said. "How wrong was I!" When the second goal went in, Matt cried. "We were 50 or so seconds away from bowing out," he said. When asked about how he celebrated Notts County's victory, Matt shared that it was all a massive blur. "I know it ended with me on the Meadow Lane pitch with everybody else who also got a bit carried away," he said. "What a win!" Looking ahead to the National League Playoff Final against Chesterfield, Matt is quietly confident. "We have already beaten them at their place under pressure, and we have come from 2 behind at home to draw 2-2," he said. “We have the ability.” The only thing that slightly worries him is that it’s a local derby in a cup competition and anything can happen. “However, who would bet against Notts after Sunday?” he asked. Check out all the latest articles on the Pride of Nottingham, including Ryan Reynolds attending the playoff final, Aden Baldwin’s reaction to the Boreham Wood win and Jodi Jones reflecting on one of his favourite moments in his career. Join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion ahead of the Playoff Final against Chesterfield and share your thoughts and predictions.

Wrexham’s co-owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney will be travelling to Wembley to support their National League rivals Notts County in the play-off final, according to the club’s captain. Last month, the two teams played a crucial match where Wrexham, funded by Hollywood, won 3-2. Former Premier League goalkeeper Ben Foster saved a penalty in injury time. Wrexham has since secured promotion and won the league title. While Wrexham players have been celebrating their victory in Las Vegas, County is preparing to face Chesterfield in the final. They hope to return to the football league after being relegated in the 2018/2019 season. Reynolds and McElhenney have praised Notts County, who finished the season with what would have been a record 107 points. Wrexham was four points ahead with 111. Wrexham’s captain Ben Tozer revealed on TalkSport that the co-owners will fly back to the UK from the United States to support Notts County. He said: "I know a few of lads who play for both teams, actually. I might be going to the game on Saturday. Fortunately or unfortunately we missed having to play those games (National League semi-finals) they sounded pretty epic. "Rob who was out there with us, he took the time to stay up to watch the games. In fact, I believe him and Ryan are flying over to watch the game on Saturday. That’s something they want to honour. We are genuinely all rooting for Notts County because of the way they pushed us this season, and we think they’re the ones who deserve it." Reynolds and McElhenney have expressed their support for Notts County quite openly. After winning promotion, Reynolds stated: "We are rooting for Notts County. We want to see them go up to League Two and face them next year. They're incredible. "I have such enormous respect for everything they've built and everything that they've done, and it's just insane for me that only one goes up automatically. "It's something Rob and I feel quite strongly about." Don't miss out on this opportunity to relive the excitement of Notts County's playoff win. Head over to the Pride of Nottingham Facebook page or website to see the Faces of PON gallery today! And don't forget to share it with your friends and get involved with the Pride of Nottingham community across social media and via our website.

Aden Baldwin couldn’t have chosen a better time to score his first goals for Notts County. His brace ensured their play-off match against Boreham Wood went into extra-time, before the Magpies won in a dramatic fashion. Notts County secured their spot in the Wembley final this Saturday (3.30pm kick-off) after coming back from a two-goal deficit to beat Luke Garrard’s team on a memorable afternoon at Meadow Lane. Despite being behind due to goals from Femi Ilesanmi and Lee Ndlovu, Notts only needed two minutes after the break to get back into the game when Baldwin struck the ball into the bottom corner from distance. But when it seemed all was lost, substitute Jodi Jones delivered a dangerous ball from the right that central defender Baldwin headed home to double his tally for both the afternoon and the season. When questioned about his opinion on the match, Aden Baldwin stated: "I don't even know how to explain it, "It is one of the best feelings I have ever felt - for Jodi to cut in and hit it as hard as he did, I just needed to connect with it, which I did, and I had that realisation that we could only go on to win the game from there. It sent shivers down my spine. It was just a surreal feeling." Luke Williams’ side emerged victorious and booked their place in this Saturday’s final against Chesterfield. Jones’ effort found the back of the net with assistance from a touch by Joe McDonnell’s fingertip, sparking wild celebrations at Meadow Lane with supporters flooding onto the pitch. "It just shows the togetherness between us, the staff and everyone involved with the club, along with the fans. It was a great feeling and we're off to Wembley now." Check out all of our recent articles on the Pride of Nottingham for the latest news and updates! There are plenty of forum-based discussions for Notts fans to participate in and share their own opinions - have a look here.

The Faces of PON is a fan gallery taken at Notts County games by the Pride of Nottingham Gaffer, Chris Buckley. The gallery can be found on the Pride of Nottingham Facebook page and website, inside the gallery section. The latest addition to the gallery includes match day photos taken from the Notts County playoff win over Boreham Wood. This win sees Notts County reach the Playoff Final and gives them a chance to return to the Football League. "I always enjoy taking pictures of the fans, the response from the York City game was incredible, and I have missed taking the photos which everyone has always been kind about," said Chris Buckley. "It was nice to take photos at such a game, as with all the lows in supporting Notts County this was most certainly a high for the club. The fans were incredible, from the build-up to the final whistle. Through my lens I see a lot of emotion and passion, it's always there and the Notts County community means the world to me." One highlight of the game was when the third goal went in. Chris looked around and quickly snapped a father and young fan who were in the middle of reacting to the goal. The reaction by the young fan is considered to be one of his favourite photos. Since returning to taking the fan gallery in the last home game of the season, Chris decided he would take pictures at the Semi Final against Boreham Wood. Fans will be able to relive the match, seeing how fans responded throughout the game and hopefully enjoying seeing the photographs. Looking ahead to future events, Chris said: "I will be trying to snap pictures of Wembley using my smartphone. It's not ideal but the risk of stewards taking my camera at Wembley is just too high. The quality should still be of a high standard, but I will mostly hope to capture photos of groups of fans and families if they wish to appear on the big day. As for next season, the plan is to return for every home game." Don't miss out on this opportunity to relive the excitement of Notts County's playoff win. Head over to the Pride of Nottingham Facebook page or website to see the Faces of PON gallery today! And don't forget to share it with your friends and get involved with the Pride of Nottingham community across social media and via our website.

Jodi Jones, the match-winner for Notts County, has declared that his 120th-minute winner against Boreham Wood was one of the greatest moments of his professional career. The Magpies overcame a two-goal deficit to secure their spot in the National League play-off final in one of the most thrilling matches the fifth division has ever witnessed. Substituted in for Adam Chicksen, the 25-year-old blasted the ball past Joe McDonnell in the final moments of the game at Meadow Lane - his first goal since joining on loan from Oxford United in January. Jodi Jones elaborated on the significance of scoring the goal that propelled Notts to Wembley, he said: "I would say it was up there with one of the best moments in my career. "I have had, not to take it back to these moments, but I have had some tough times when I have been at previous teams when I have got to the play-offs, I have always had to miss it, and it has always been a sad time for me and my family, but that just tops of everything - it is an amazing feeling." However, the Magpies didn't have an easy time, as they were trailing 2-0 at half-time due to goals from Femi Ilesanmi and Lee Ndlovu. Jones described the half-time message he gave to his teammates before being brought into the game - emphasising his eagerness to come on and make a difference under such challenging conditions. "When we were 2-0 down, it was a gutting feeling, but I said to the boys myself that we could have been three-nil up in the first 15 minutes, so why can't we score three goals in the second half? "After that I was itching to get on because after that I knew I could get at their full-backs and new I could get the better of both of them and I knew what I could do when I got on the pitch. "I was excited to get on and to get an assist and a goal and I can't really ask for more than that." The final whistle was met with joyous celebrations from the home fans, who took to the Meadow Lane pitch to congratulate this exceptional team of players. "It was crazy to be fair, I didn't expect it, but the fans were quality, and they have backed us all the way, and they did not stop singing. "These are the things might not understand how much the fans have pushed us, so without the fans we would have never been able to win the game today, and we would never have been to be where we are in the season." Join in with your thoughts on the incredible comeback by Notts County against Boreham Wood in the National League play-off semi-final on the Pride of Nottingham match discussion forum. Join in with the content on the Pride of Nottingham website and share your thoughts and opinions with fellow Notts County fans!