Robbie

Thomas Keetley (16 November 1898 – 18 August 1958) was an English professional footballer who played as a centre forward. He scored 284 Football League goals between 1919 and 1934 Tom Keetley, a footballer who played for Notts County between 1929 & 1933 scoring 98 goals from 110 appearances including FA Cup, a phenomenal number at nearly a goal a game.Tom held the record for most goals in a season for Notts till Macaulay Langstaff beat Tom's record in the 2023/23 season. Life and Career. Keetley was one of eleven brothers and one sister he was born in Derby and came from a footballing family with several other brothers who played professionally including Arthur, Harry, Joe, Frank and Charlie. The first Football League side he played for was Bradford Park Avenue, and he first played in the league for them in 1919–20, going on to make 22 league appearances for them over a four-season period. In 1923–24 he first played league football for Doncaster Rovers, a club which three of his brothers (Harry, Joe and Frank) played for in their careers. He remains the all-time top scorer for Doncaster with 180 league goals. He also holds the club record for scoring six goals in one game, against Ashington in the Third Division (North) on 16 February 1929. In 1929 he moved to Notts County for £750, where he scored his first hat-trick for the club on his debut, in a 3–1 win against Bristol City on 30 August 1929. Keetley scored 39 league goals for Notts during the 1930–31 season, a record that would stand for 92 years until surpassed by Macaulay Langstaff in 2023. He left Notts in 1933 to join Lincoln City, having scored 94 goals in 103 league appearances and four goals in seven FA Cup ties. He played just ten games for Lincoln in 1934 before briefly moving onto non-League Gresley Rovers in 1934, and then Heanor Town. He is 29th in the all-time top scorers list in league football in England and Scotland having the 9th highest goals per game ratio of 0.75. As of June 2005 he was ranked 19th in the all-time list of highest scoring players scoring in English league football, having scored 284 goals between 1919 and 1934. After his professional career ended he was landlord of the Rose and Crown in Chellaston, Derby. (Source Wiki)

@Ohh Tommy Johnson I agree, I wouldn't like us to change to a direct style even half of the time, because trying to play attractive football is great ethic and it must continue, but we see teams week after week now executing the same tactics to counter our style & unfortunately it is working, so we have to try to counter it.

Well put @Ohh Tommy Johnson agree with what you say. All I would say is. If a system of play clearly isn't working it needs to be modified. What worked in the national league is clearly not working for us defensively in league two. We've scored several times by employing the direct approach. That & being more defensively minded may be an option when playing away.

@Fan of Big Tone Those photos bring back memories for me even as a 4 year old. How time has flown. Victoria Station, Trolley Buses, Wollaton & Clifton Coal mines all gone now.

I agree @DonnyNotts . Our total football style of play worked well in the National League but this is a step up and at away matches we must be much more cautious and play more defensively. I know it's not Luke's way but it is a case sometimes of having to adapt to new realities.

The positive thing to point out is that because we have the best offense in league 2, we are still in the playoff mix, & we will continue to score goals, but I think we need changes in defense & goalkeeping position & we need to be more defensive minded away. We have some tough away games to play and if we keep playing like this, we will finish in the lower mid table, come season's end.

Our defence is lacking confidence and I think that stems partly from the performance of Stone who's lacking confidence too, but it has to be said that I don't think Stone is comfortable with the way Luke wants him to play. Stone's not a good distributor, or is he comfortable on crosses either. I think we do need a new goalie to come in asap.

Welcome @Thomas Cotton great to have you on board.

I agree with your first point @Fozzy but I believe, while we are going through this bad patch, we have to tone the attacking intent down and be more defensive away from home. By all means go for it at home, but for me, not considering going to a plan B away from home is only helping the opposition, because they have worked us out and every team has the same plan against us now. One of the Tranmere players talked about their plan in his post match interview.

Good point @Fozzy we have Jones on the left doing a great job, so he could always move to the right occasionally if needed. We have Scott Robertson now who I believe is more defensively minded who could do a roll for us in the final centre of midfield. Nemane may be the person to give way for him or another signing

Gary scored 21 goals in 62 appearances over two seasons for Notts. Remembered him well and he was a firm fan favourite.

Another great article by Joe Jones. I love reading about Notts County's history. Bishop was a good servant to Notts and he played a big part in our promotion year.

I've seen on his stats that Scott doesn't get many goals. Hope he can come into central midfield and he can improve our defensive frailties. We need a ball winner in our final third who's tenacious and hard working.

We are now into Jan 2024 as I reply to this topic. Dan has been a revelation having scored 10 goals from midfield as I write. Trouble is, we are leaking goals like a sieve even though we are scoring freely. Dan is doing well but I can't help feeling that the balance of the side is too weighted toward offense to the detriment of the defense.

That's a good point 6 months down the line.

That's a worrying Stat @Piethagoram Everyone plus myself is waiting for new players to come in, but should we be looking to be a little bit more defensive, at least in away games by changing the way we play by defending our last third in numbers, then look to break when we can?

Our back 3 plus goalie today had very low ratings from me. Nemane and Bostock not up to it today. Our defense is simply not good enough at this level, so we need to have more bodies defending our last third of the field especially away. We need to change our system playing away. Every team has found us out. They concede possession, and hit us on the break, and it is working for them. I believe we should be more defensive minded away. Concede possession & defend our own third & hit them on the break.We cannot keep playing the same system when we have 65% or more of possession and still get hammered.

I agree @Morten Johansen Mark Stallard on match day has mentioned possibly changing the system for away matches. I'm sure we are capable of being more defensive minded and hitting on the break.

As much as we are brilliant in attack we are woeful in defence. If our defence had been anywhere decent we would be running away with this league. Our defence is just not good enough at this level and it has been apparent for a long time. I love what Luke has done for us in 2023, but there needs to be movement in the transfer window for two defenders asap, otherwise if this continues we won't make the playoffs. Very disappointed with the performance today.

William Eric Houghton, (Eric) born 29/06/10 was an English footballer, Manager, & Cricketer. Football Career. Houghton signed for Aston Villa in 1927 as a seventeen-year-old & played in the Villa side until 1946, scoring 170 goals in 392 games (The total including wartime matches was over 200 goals.) He also won 7 caps for England. Houghton scored 30 goals in the 1930-31 season for Villa, in which Villa scored 128 league goals, a First Division record. Houghton transferred to Notts County in 1946 & over a three year period, he scored 10 goals in 55 games for Notts. Managerial Career In 1949, Houghton became Manager of Notts County & Eric is regarded as being the Manager of Notts who guided them through their first golden age, with players in the side including Tommy Lawton, & Jackie Sewell, who helped their side win the Third Division South Title in Eric's first season as Manager, in front of record attendances. Eric remained Notts County Manager until 1953. In 1953 Eric Moved to Aston Villa as their Manager, guiding Villa to a FA Cup triumph in 1957. He left Villa in 2958. He later returned to Villa as a director. Cricket Career. Houghton played seven first-class matches as a right-handed batsman and a right-arm bowler for Warwickshire County Cricket Club (1946–1947) and also minor counties cricket for Lincolnshire County Cricket Club. He also played club cricket for Sleaford, Aston Unity and Olton Cricket Clubs. Houghton died in Sutton Coldfield on 1 May 1996, aged 85. (Source Google) Legacy. William Eric Haughton will be remembered at Notts County as Managing & guiding a great side that won the Third Division South Title. Eric is a Notts Managerial great and legend.

I remember the trolley buses. They would be very handy right now, but I suppose they wouldn't work very good with the amount of traffic we have today, nor would the old fashioned trams

My 1, 2 and 3 favourite Managers are:- Jimmy Neil Big Sam

It's Matchday. CMON U PIES

Good blog, great read.