Joe Jones

Notts County completely and disgracefully fluffed their lines in front of the nation as they fell to a meek, embarrassing 2-0 defeat away at Salford City in the first round of the FA Cup. The only solace was that the overblown media love-in regarding the Class of ’92 and Richie Allen’s classy second goal put the focus solely on the achievements of Mini Man Utd as opposed to the clear and obvious failings of what the BBC effectively labelled as nondescript opposition. Were it not for the Man Utd connection of Kevin Pilkington, Alan Smith and Roy Carroll, the coverage may as well have had us in black silhouettes and question marks. The warning signs were there in the first half as the likes of James Poole, Jordan Hulme and Lewis Hardcastle weighed in with dangerous chances, while the hosts’ overall play was slick and confident, in contrast to a Magpies side that, on the whole, failed to get out of second gear in the opening 45. Ricardo Moniz’s charges enjoyed a few short bursts of attacking intent, most notably when Mike Edwards fired narrowly wide early on and Thierry Audel’s cross intended for Jon Stead was cleared away by Stephen O'Halloran. Notts did well to survive the first half unscathed, but just 20 seconds into the second half – after they had kicked off, no less – they were a goal down, in the comical manner of Harry Enfield’s vintage Miles Chormondley-Warner spoof: “And they’re off… and it’s a goal.” That is literally what happened, as a tentative foray forward by the visitors was halted, sent upfield towards Poole, who bear Audel on the right and whipped a cross into the six-yard box for Webber to slide past Roy Carroll and into the net, all within less than half a minute. Trailing 1-0, it almost got even worse for the Magpies, Hulme firing against the crossbar on 57 minutes after seizing onto a pass from O'Halloran and slicing through a lacklustre Notts defence like butter. Webber then went close to doubling his tally, racing onto the ball inside the box and forcing Carroll into a good save at his near post. Notts, however, came within a whisker of getting back level when a clearance struck Adam Campbell and trickled towards goal, but agonisingly for the Black and White Army, Andy Dawson ran back to clear off the line. Then came the humiliating sucker punch. Allen claimed the ball and headed towards the left-hand byline, drawing three Notts defenders towards him. A deft Cruyff turn was all it took to put the trio completely out of action and, after a somewhat flaky one-two, he recovered to curl the ball past Carroll and send the BBC… I mean, send the home crowd completely barmy. Notts knew they were down and out, struggling to see out the game without conceding yet again as they made their non-league opponents seem like a top-flight side. As I said before, it was almost a relief that all the focus was on Salford, because it somewhat masked the fact that Notts were awful. And it’s not just us saying it – Colin Slater called the team a “disgrace”, while Mark Stallard – one of Notts County’s greatest players of the last 15 years – described them as “inept”, “abject” and embarrassing”. Enough said.

Notts County came through their biggest test of the season thus far with flying colours as they held on to clinch a 2-1 win over high-flying Portsmouth at Meadow Lane for their sixth home win in seven. The visitors created two good chances in the first 10 minutes as Adam Webster headed inches wide from Ben Davies’ corner before Adam McGurk’s through ball freed Gareth Evans, but Roy Carroll was equal to his effort. Ricardo Moniz’s side replied with Izale McLeod and Graham Burke forcing Brian Murphy into two quickfire stops, but Pompey took the lead through Caolan Lavery after 20 minutes as he guided home Enda Stevens’s cross from a couple of yards out. County were not behind for long, however, came a couple of minutes later with an Alan Sheehan free kick cleared only as far as Graham Burke, who volleyed home from the edge of the box to put his side level. Portsmouth's response was swift and Lavery almost restored his side’s lead with a near-post drive that was beaten away by Carroll, who in turn then palmed Adam Webster's shot onto the post. In the second half the Magpies gained the advantage as a long free kick from Sheehan was not dealt with and went straight past Murphy to send the home crowd wild. Paul Cook’s side responded admirably and ensured a scary, nail-biting finale to the game, appropriate given the date, but there was a happy ending for Notts fans as they secured a first win against a top ten side this season.

Notts County and Portsmouth have met a total of 26 times over the years, the first meeting coming on the 20th November 1926, which the Magpies lost 3-2 at Meadow Lane. Notts have beaten Portsmouth 11 times and played out six draws, with the South Coast side winning on nine occasions. Between December 1992 and December 1994 the two teams played each other six times, with Notts failing to get a win in a run that saw three draws and three defeats. More recently, the Magpies won three consecutive games against them between September 2012 and January 2013, two in League One and one in the FA Cup. The last meeting was on the 29th January 2013 at Fratton Park, where two goals in the last ten minutes from Jeff Hughes and Francois Zoko gave ten-man Notts - Neal Bishop was sent off late on - a 2-0 win. Portsmouth have been champions of England twice, in 1949 and 1950. The club has also won the FA Cup on two occasions, firstly in 1939 and most recently in 2008, and also reached the final of the competition in 2010. Portsmouth were moderately successful in the first decade of the 21st century, especially during the 2007–08 Premier League season, when they won the FA Cup, beating Cardiff City 1-0 in the final. They subsequently qualified for the 2008–09 UEFA Cup competing against European heavyweights such as seven-times European Cup winners A.C. Milan. During this period, Portsmouth were recognised to have a large number of international footballers, including England players Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe, as well as Peter Crouch, David James and Sol Campbell. However, financial problems soon set in and Portsmouth were relegated to the Football League Championship in 2010. In 2012 they were again relegated, to League One, and again, in 2013, to League Two. They began the 2013–14 season in the fourth tier of the English football league system for the first time since the late 1970s. Portsmouth became the largest fan-owned football club in England, after the Pompey Supporters Trust (PST) successfully gained possession of Fratton Park in April 2013. --- Thierry Audel remains the only injury concern for Notts County ahead of the visit of Portsmouth, as he is still struggling with the knock that forced him off against Bristol Rovers last week. Fellow defender Mawouna Amevor comes back into the reckoning after serving a one-match ban at Exeter City. Striker Ronan Murray made his long-awaited return from a groin injury for the reserves this week but he is nowhere near ready for the first-team after being out for eight months. The same can be said of Taylor McKenzie, who has also been sidelined for a long time but is now training again. Portsmouth can welcome back Gareth Evans from suspension. The midfielder, who has scored three goals this season, has completed a three-match ban after he was sent off at Cambridge United three weeks ago. Striker Adam McGurk is pushing to be involved for the first time in six weeks having returned from an ankle injury as an unused substitute in the goalless draw with Mansfield. Goalkeeper Paul Jones, defender Jack Whatmough and forward Jayden Stockley, meanwhile, are still sidelined with knee and ankle injuries.

Notts County managed to secure a second successive away point by holding Exeter City to a 1-1 draw at St James’ Park. The hosts dominated proceedings in the first 20 minutes, Tom Nichols firing wide from distance following Jack Barmby’s dispossession at the hands of David Wheeler. In the 25th minute the Grecians took the lead in controversial circumstances when Izale McLeod was brought down in midfield by a clumsy challenge from Joel Grant, but despite the incident happening in front of referee Graham Salisbury, play was allowed to continue. The ball was soon switched to Nichols, who curled a shot into the right corner of the net, giving Roy Carroll no chance. Notts players were furious with the match official, but they responded well and found themselves back on terms by the break. First Liam Noble’s close-range strike was blocked by Jordan Moore-Taylor and then Adam Campbell dinked a cross to the back post for McLeod to head an effort against the post. The equaliser finally arrived when Jon Stead did superbly to nod the ball into the path of Noble, who controlled with his chest and volleyed past goalkeeper Bobby Olejnik. It could have been worse for the Grecians before the break as McLeod turned Jordan Tillson too easily on the edge of the box and brought a good save out of the stopper. Nicholls had the first chance of the second half as his shot from just inside the area was charged down, but after that the visitors started to look the more threatening. First Alan Sheehan headed goalwards from a corner, forcing David Noble to clear the ball off the line, and then Olejnik had to produce another good stop to deny McLeod a chance to put the Magpies ahead. The visitors then had appeals for a penalty turned down when a City player appeared to have handled the ball in the box, before Jon Stead was crowded out in the area just as he was about to fire at goal from the edge of the six-yard box. Both sides stepped it up a gear in the latter stages of the game in a bid to find a winner, but neither side could find the breakthrough as Ricardo Moniz’s side made it three games unbeaten and remained 16th in the League Two table, with 19 points from 15 games.

Notts County and Exeter City have met a total of 40 times over their history, the first meeting coming at St James’ Park in Division Three (South) which finished as a 3-3 draw. The Magpies have an excellent record against the Grecians; out of those 40 games, Notts claimed a result in 33, with 16 wins and 17 draws. Exeter was formed in 1901 as St. Sidwell's United and played in the Southern League from 1908 until 1920, when that league's top division was absorbed into The Football League as its new Division Three. The club was the first ever team to play the Brazilian national team in 1914, a match which was commemorated in a 2014 friendly game against Fluminense. City took 60 years to achieve their first ever promotion, finishing fourth in Division Four in the 1963–64 season. Since then, the club have mostly oscillated between the third and fourth divisions, spending five years in the Conference between 2003 and 2008; having been promoted a further four times (in 1976–77, 1989–90, 2007–08 and 2008–09) and relegated five times (in 1965–66,1983–84, 1993–94, 2002–03 and 2011–12). Famous fans include Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, Adrian Edmondson, Mark Nicol and Noel Edmonds. Singer Joss Stone signed up as a member of the supporters trust, being introduced to fans on the pitch as a new member during a League Cup match against Liverpool. In 2002 pop singer Michael Jackson was made honorary director of Exeter City. He visited St James Park with celebrity friend Uri Geller, who was also a director. The crew of the HMS Defender also adopted Exeter City as their home team and use their strip if playing games whilst on tour. --- Exeter boss Paul Tisdale has Tom McCready, Ryan Harley and Manny Oyeleke available after they missing the Grecians' last two games, last weekend's defeat at Carlisle and the 1-0 home victory over Cambridge on Tuesday. Winger Lee Holmes had to be employed in a central role in midweek but he is now likely to revert to a more familiar role as Exeter seek to build on their first win in four games. They will however be without skipper Matt Oakley, who is sidelined for the rest of the month with a knee injury, while Craig Woodman has a calf problem. Thierry Audel is a doubt for the visitors after the defender limped off during the goalless draw with Bristol Rovers. His potential replacement Mawouna Amevor received his fifth yellow card of the season at the Memorial Stadium and must serve a one-match ban. With Blair Adams loaned to rivals Mansfield this week, Gill Swerts could fill in at left-back should Audel not pass a fitness test. Midfielder Rob Milsom and winger Kyle De Silva continue to build up their fitness following lengthy injury layoffs while striker Ronan Murray and defender Taylor McKenzie are also closing in on returns.

Notts County secured a valuable point at the Memorial Stadium as they held a dangerous Bristol Rovers at bay on the way to a goalless stalemate. The hosts’ first chance came courtesy of Ellis Harrison, who picked up a pass from Lee Brown and fashioned a shot that was blocked by Elliot Hewitt. On five minutes, unmarked skipper Mark McChrystal got himself in a good position from a Jake Gosling corner, only to put the ball over from ten yards. Rovers came then closest to a goal in first-half stoppage time when Billy Bodin's right-footed shot from 12 yards following a corner cannoned back off Roy Carroll's crossbar. Notts improved defensively as the game progressed, but rarely threatened. An Izale McLeod shot from 20 yards, deflected narrowly wide on 53 minutes, was the closest they came. Jermaine Easter, whose red card at Mansfield Town on Saturday was rescinded on appeal, appeared as a second half substitute for Rovers and grazed the crossbar with a 73rd minute shot. Late on, Rovers won another free-kick in a promising position after Daniel Leadbitter was hacked down by Mawouna Amevor, but again the visitors stood firm to complete a frustrating night for Rovers and remain five points away from the League Two playoffs.

Notts County and Bristol Rovers have met a grand total of 85 times over their history, with the first fixture coming on the 11th January 1913, a 2-0 win for the Pirates in the FA Cup at their former home ground, the Eastville Stadium. The Magpies have claimed 31 wins and 28 draws against Rovers, whilst falling to 26 defeats. Meadow Lane was the scene of the last meeting between these two on the 19th March 2011, a League One fixture, as Will Hoskins scored just after the hour to give the Gas a 1-0 win. The club was founded in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C., and were also known as Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers before finally changing its name to Bristol Rovers in 1899. The club's official nickname is The Pirates, reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. The local nickname of the club is The Gas, from the gasworks next to their former home Eastville Stadium, which started as a derogatory term used by fans of their main rival Bristol City but was affectionately adopted by the team. Rovers were admitted to the Football League in 1920 and have played there ever since, apart from spending the 2014–15 season in the Conference Premier. They previously came close to losing their league status in 1939, when they were re-elected after finishing bottom of Division Three (South), and in 2002 when the team finished one league position away from relegation to the Football Conference. Their highest finishing positions were in 1956 and 1959, on both occasions ending the season in 6th place in Division Two, then the second tier of English football. The only major cup competition won by Bristol Rovers is the 1972 Watney Cup, when they beat Sheffield United in the final. The club also won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934–35, as well as winning or sharing the Gloucestershire Cup on 32 occasions. The team has never played in European competition; the closest Rovers came was when they missed out on reaching the international stage of the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1992–93 season on a coin toss held over the phone with West Ham United. In the FA Cup, Rovers have reached the quarter-final stage on three occasions. The first time was in 1950–51 when they faced Newcastle United at St James' Park in front of a crowd of 62,787, the record for the highest attendance at any Bristol Rovers match. The second time they reached the quarter final was in 1957–58, when they lost to Fulham, and the most recent appearance at this stage of the competition was during the 2007–08 season, when they faced West Bromwich Albion. They were the first Division Three team to win an FA Cup tie away to a Premier League side, when in 2002 they beat Derby County 3–1 at Pride Park Stadium. They have twice reached the final of the Football League Trophy, in 1989–90 and 2006–07, but finished runners-up on both occasions. On the second occasion they did not allow a single goal against them in the competition en route to the final, but conceded the lead less than a minute after the final kicked off. Actor Nick Frost is a Bristol Rovers fan, with his character Danny Butterman seen wearing a club shirt in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz. The retired Conservative MP for Hayes and Harlington Terry Dicks, is also a Gas fan. He mentioned the club in parliament on 5 May 1994 when debating with Labour MP and Chelsea fan Tony Banks. -- Rovers have appealed against the red card shown to Jermaine Easter during Saturday's Sky Bet League Two win over Mansfield Town. The striker was given a straight red for allegedly headbutting a Stags player just before half-time in the 2-1 victory and Rovers will find out if they are successful in their appeal against a three-match ban on Tuesday afternoon. Rovers boss Darrell Clarke will also be concerning himself with the fitness of another of his forwards, Billy Bodin, who was forced to miss Saturday's match through injury. If Easter is unavailable then Ellis Harrison, who came on at half-time at Field Mill, could start. Notts have no real injury problems any longer as players begin to return to contention. Midfielder Rob Milsom has yet to make his debut for the club because of a knee problem but he is back in training and closing in on a return. The same can be said of winger Kyle De Silva, who has recovered from the thigh injury he sustained during the first month of the season.

Notts County ended a run of three straight defeats and made it five wins out of six at Meadow Lane with a 2-0 win over Yeovil Town, a result that sees the Magpies climb to 15th in League Two and five points away from the playoffs. The Magpies showed their attacking threat early on as Elliott Hewitt and Izale McLeod both had speculative shots, their side dominating possession with a high defensive line as the Glovers struggled to get out of their half. Little happened in the early stages of the game, though Matthew Dolan made a hash of a half-volley from 20 yards, while Adam Campbell played McLeod clean through on goal, but the ex-Crawley man struck the post. It was then Campbell's turn to hit the woodwork with a swerving shot-cum-cross before Liam Noble forced Artur Krysiak to punch away a vicious 30-yard drive. The second half continued in a similar vein as Notts poured forward and fittingly it was the impressive Stanley Aborah who broke the deadlock. After Wes Fogden had brought down the midfielder just outside the area, he stepped up to take the free kick and, courtesy of a deflection off the wall, it wrongfooted Krysiak and bundled into the back of the net. County’s lead was doubled not long after as a clearance from Mike Edwards was cleverly flicked on by Alan Smith, and McLeod rushed in to beat Krysiak with a ferocious drive. Campbell almost made it 3-0 midway through the second half as he went in one-on-one himself, but Krysiak did well to close him down. At the other end, Dolan had a shot blocked and Connor Roberts tested Carroll for the first time in the game. Ultimately, Yeovil proved no match for Ricardo Moniz’s side, who made it an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful.

Back in April, the Glovers and the Magpies played out a 1-1 draw at Huish Park, with Curtis Thompson's 79th-minute strike cancelling out Haydn Hollis's 10th-minute own goal - the result relegated Yeovil that afternoon. Yeovil Football Club was founded in 1890, and shared their ground with the local rugby club for many years. Five years later they were renamed Yeovil Casuals and started playing home games at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground. In 1907 the name Yeovil Town was adopted, which on amalgamation with Petters United became Yeovil and Petters United. The name reverted to Yeovil Town prior to the 1946–47 season. The Somerset outfit have spent most of their existence in the lower leagues, though they briefly made a name for themselves in the 1948-49 season when they beat Sunderland 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round. In the 1980s, Yeovil were founder members of the Football Conference, where they remained for the next two decades, save for a few relegations to the Isthmian League which usually resulted in an instant return to the above tier. Yeovil Town earned promotion to the Football League in the 2002-03 season, by winning the Football Conference by a record 17 points margin, accumulating 95 points and scoring 100 goals, remaining unbeaten at Huish Park. In their second ever season in the Football League, the Glovers went one better by achieving promotion to the third tier as champions of League Two, and in the following years even reached the League One playoffs, beating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals in 2006-07 before losing to Blackpool in the final at Wembley. Six years later, however, Yeovil achieved what had been deemed unthinkable a decade earlier - they reached the second tier of English football after beating Brentford in the 2013 League One play-off final. Their stay in the Championship was brief, however, and they went on to suffer back-to-back relegations, leaving them in the bottom tier of the Football League. Yeovil is a pretty small town, home to just 40,000 people - two Meadow Lanes could comfortably take in the entire population! In the 21st century, Yeovil became the first town in Britain to institute a system of biometric fingerprint scanning in nightclubs, and the first English council to ban the children's craze Heelys (those trainers with wheels that popped out from the heels). --- Jack Barmby and Roy Carroll return to the Notts County squad for the visit of Yeovil. On-loan midfielder Barmby is fit again after missing the defeat to Plymouth last weekend, while goalkeeper Carroll is back from international duty with Northern Ireland. Kyle De Silva has resumed training and was considered fit enough to play 10 minutes against Argyle, so he may be considered on Saturday. Rob Milsom is edging closer to a return from a serious knee injury while Taylor McKenzie and Ronan Murray need minutes under their belts before they can be considered for first-team places. Yeovil boss Paul Sturrock will be able to call on defender Connor Roberts after his loan spell from Swansea was extended by a further month this week. However, midfielder Jake Howells, who like Roberts played in last weekend's 2-2 home draw with Dagenham & Redbridge, has returned to Luton following the end of his loan stint. Sturrock must also do without injured sextet Kevin Dawson, Simon Gillett, Ben Tozer, Jack Compton, Omar Sowunmi and Jamie Burrows once again.

Notts County striker Jon Stead has expressed his disappointment in being asked to drop deeper by manager Ricardo Moniz, but insists that he is willing to do all he can to help his team climb up the table. Speaking at the weekly Magpies press conference, the ex-Sunderland forward said: "The system we're playing, the only way I can get into the team is to play that deeper role. "And that's what the manager wants because he wants that three in midfield which he sees as being a bit stronger. "It's a bit of a sacrifice for me, for where I want to play, but if it's doing a job and I can get that defensive side of it right, which is the bit that I struggle with, then I can play. "I scored two in two and then didn't play the next game, so that's obviously disappointing but I've been doing all I can. "I'll keep working hard on the training ground and every chance I get, show him what I can do. I'd play left-back or I'd play in goal if it meant I was starting a football match. I just want to be on the field. "It's a little bit frustrating but it's where I am at the minute. That's where my opportunity is to get in the team, so I've got to go for it. "I don't believe that's where the club will get the best out of me but I want to play football and I'm not going to go banging on his (Moniz's) door saying, 'I'm not playing there, I want to play up top'. That's not in my make up one bit. "I'll do my very best in the position wherever I'm asked to play. I think I'm improving in that role anyway, so it might help me to be more of a complete player with that other side of my game. "I just keep going. I'm not going to throw my toys out the pram, I'm going to get on with it. But yes, it's been difficult. It's a different side to my game.”

Notts had a rare Sunday matchday as they welcomed Plymouth Argyle to Meadow Lane, eager to extend their great home run. As always Pride of Nottingham interviewed a number of Notts fans ahead of kickoff to garner their thoughts on the game ahead. >https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfKW4S1Wao0

Notts County midfielder Nicky Wroe has joined National League side FC Halifax Town on a month’s loan, subject to FA confirmation. The 30-year-old midfielder started his career with Barnsley, making 49 appearances for the South Yorkshire side. He has also had spells at York City, Torquay United, Shrewsbury Town and Oxford United. Wroe’s loan sees him join a team currently stuck in the Conference relegation zone. A signing under Shaun Derry in the summer of 2014, he has made just 17 appearances for the club, and was transfer-listed in the summer along with Will Hayhurst, Jordan Cranston and Billy Daniels. Wroe’s exit comes on the back of Scot Bennett's three-month loan move to Newport County. The former Exeter City captain signed a two-year deal in the summer but has already been deemed surplus to requirements. We at Pride of Nottingham would like to wish Nicky Wroe and Scot Bennett all the best at their loan clubs.

In what has so far proved a very mediocre season far below expectations, Notts had an impressive home form to refer to at least. This sadly, has now taken a knock after Plymouth Argyle claimed a 2-0 victory at Meadow Lane, with Reuben Reid notching up a brace to bring an end to a run of four straight wins at home for the Magpies. Reid got the game's opener 18 minutes in, turning into space before firing into the far corner of Scott Loach's goal, with the hosts nearly levelling moments later when Graham Burke latched onto Elliott Hewitt’s cutback but crashed against the post. Liam Noble then came close with a header at the back post, before Burke tested goalkeeper Luke McCormick with a ferocious low drive. Notts continued to attack in the second half but could not find a way past the resolute Pilgrims defence, as Burke failed to convert from two decent chances, putting a header over the bar before lashing wide inside the box. In the latter stages of the clash, Reid struck again for Plymouth, breaking the offside trap and seeing his first effort saved by Loach before firing in from the rebound to hand his side all three points. Ricardo Moniz’s side moves down a place to 16th in the League Two table, while Derek Adams’s team edges up to the top of the standings.

Another away day, another defeat, this one more embarrassing than most as Notts fell to a humbling 5-1 defeat at Sheffield United, with the only sliver of positivity coming from the fact that, rather than being in the league, it was in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy. Jose Baxter opened the scoring at Bramall Lane from the spot in the 20th minute after Jamal Campbell-Ryce was brought down by Thierry Audel in the box, prompting the referee to award the home side a penalty. Liam Noble went close to equalising not long after when his chip beat Blades goalkeeper George Long, but the ball cannoned off the bar and out. Just three minutes after their first goal, United doubled their lead when Matt Done beat the offside trap to find himself one-on-one with Scott Loach, and with the stopper rushing out, a simple lob was all it took to get the ball into the back of the net. And by the break the hosts had notched up a third goal when Baxter scored his second penalty after Haydn Hollis fouled Che Adams, leaving the Magpies with an Everest-sized mountain to climb. Ricardo Moniz’s side set about trying to get back into the game and looked like they were on the right track when substitute Jon Stead bundled the ball in from close range after connecting with a low cross from Elliott Hewitt. Stefan Scougall, however, restored United's three-goal advantage in the 67th minute with a neat finish from inside the area. And on 74 minutes things truly turned farcical when Notts gifted their opponents a third penalty, with Hollis receiving his marching orders for his foul on Adams in the box, and the man brought down opted to do the honours himself, putting his side 5-1 up – and so the game would finish.

Sheffield United’s first match against Notts took place on the 17th January 1891 in the FA Cup - and we won 9-1! Since then, however, the Blades have undisputedly held the upper hand in head-to-head statistics. They have won 49 games against the Magpies. We’ve beaten then just 26 times, and there have been 14 draws. Our last game was back in February, which ended in a 2-1 defeat at Meadow Lane in League One. Their ground, Bramall Lane, is the oldest major stadium in the world still to be hosting professional football matches. Bramall Lane opened in April 1855 – Charles Dickens and Charles Darwin were still alive back then! Jessica Ennis-Hill, the darling of the 2012 London Olympics, has a stand named after her at United’s ground, following her gold medal in heptathlon two and a half years ago. A game between Sheffield United and Oldham in February 1984 had to be postponed when a wartime bomb was found near Bramall Lane! A number of films and television programmes have included references to Sheffield United over the past few decades: The 1996 film When Saturday Comes stars Sean Bean as a part-time Hallam FC player who is scouted by Sheffield United, who then goes on to play in a FA Cup semi-final. The character 'Gaz' in British comedy The Full Monty is seen wearing a replica United shirt at one part of the film, and promises his son a ticket for a game at Bramall Lane between Sheffield United & Manchester United. Even Hollywood has got in on the act: a scene in Batman Begins features a child wearing a 1990s Blades shirt. United have a decent cup pedigree - they won the FA Cup in 1899, 1902, 1915 and 1925. They were also beaten finalists in the FA Cup in 1901 and 1936, and reached the semi-finals in 1961, 1993, 1998, 2003 and 2014 - and reached the semi-finals of the League Cup in 2003 and 2015. Notable Blades fans include Game of Thrones actor Sean Bean, former Sports Minister Richard Caborn MP, singer Paul Heaton, musicians Joe Elliott, Antony Genn and Toddla T, athlete Jessica Ennis-Hill, boxer Kell Brook, cricketer Joe Root and Monty Python member and presenter Michael Palin. --- Sheffield United will be without injured pair Ryan Flynn and David Edgar for their Johnstone's Paint Trophy tie against Notts at Bramall Lane. Both players were withdrawn at half-time in Saturday's defeat at Port Vale, midfielder Flynn struggling with a groin injury and defender David Edgar sustaining a hamstring problem. Boss Nigel Adkins will also be without defender Chris Basham, who sits out a one-game ban after reaching five yellow cards. George Long is expected to be handed a start in goal in place of Mark Howard, with Adkins likely to make several other changes. Alan Sheehan is an injury doubt for Notts County after coming off shortly before half-time against Leyton Orient on Saturday. Stanley Aborah missed that 3-1 league loss at Brisbane Road and Magpies manager Ricardo Moniz is preparing to be without the midfielder for some time. Moniz surprised everyone at the weekend by making nine changes, with only full-back Sheehan and central midfielder Alan Smith retaining their places in the starting line-up following the 1-1 draw at Dagenham. Roy Carroll, one of the big names dropped against the O's, is unavailable as he is away on international duty with Northern Ireland.

Notts County’s travel sickness continues to take hold of the boys in black and white as Leyton Orient claimed their first win in six games as they beat the beleaguered visitors 3-1 at Brisbane Road. The Magpie faithful were astounded by the news that Ricardo Moniz had made nine changes to his seemingly functional line-up prior to the game, the kind of move only carried out following heavy defeats or change of competition level (say league to cup or friendly). Midfielder Sammy Moore opened the scoring just after the quarter-hour mark when he sprung the offside trap to rifle the ball past Magpies goalkeeper Scott Loach from close range. This would be his first goal in an Orient shirt since his summer move from AFC Wimbledon. Having dominated the first half, the hosts were then rocked when Notts equalised mere seconds into the second period, with Jon Stead finding himself unmarked at the far post following some neat play from Alan Smith and Adam Campbell and drilling home. Orient, however, regained the advantage in the 79th minute after substitute Blair Turgott found Sean Clohessy, whose shot was parried by Loach straight to the feet of Jay Simpson for his seventh league goal of the campaign. The hosts went on to kill the game off seven minutes from time with a wonderful strike from Moore, who smashed the ball into the top-right corner from around 30 yards out for their third goal and all three points.

The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 102 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0. A total of 75 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically, as 30 games have been won by the Magpies, with 26 O's wins and 19 draws. Leyton Orient were founded in 1881, and have had several name changes throughout the years, including Eagle Cricket Club, Orient FC and Clapton Orient FC. The O's, who play in Waltham Forest, are the second-oldest league club in London behind Fulham. The club's unusual name is alleged to come from one of the club's early players (Jack R Dearing) who was an employee of the Orient Shipping Company. During the First World War. 41 members of the Clapton Orient team and staff joined up into the 17th Battalion Middlesex Regiment (the Footballers' Battalion), the highest of any football team in the country and the first to join up en masse. During the Battle of the Somme, three players gave their lives for King and Country: Richard McFadden, George Scott and William Jonas. Prior to the First World War, O's striker Richard McFadden had saved the life of a boy who was drowning in the River Lea as well as rescuing a man from a burning building. History was made on Saturday 30th April 1921 when the Prince of Wales, later to become King Edward VIII, visited Millfields Road to see the O's play Notts County. The Orient won 3-0 and this was the first time a member of royalty had attended a Football League match. Leyton Orient were involved in a dispute with the Premier League over its decision to allow West Ham to use the Olympic Stadium in London, with the O's expressing an interest in the 2012 Olympics venue, but this has now been settled with a "confidential agreement". Arguably the most famous fans of the club are Andrew and Julian Lloyd Webber. The album Variations, used as the theme tune for London Weekend Television's South Bank Show, was written by Andrew as the result of his losing a bet to his brother on the result of a Leyton Orient match. Julian later presented a gold disc of Variations to the club chairman at half time during a game with Leicester City. In addition, David Beckham and Alfred Hitchcock were born in the borough. -- Orient will be without striker Paul McCallum for Saturday's League Two match at home to Notts County. The 22-year-old is expected to be out for at least six months after scans confirmed cruciate ligament damage to his right knee. O's boss Ian Hendon otherwise has a fully fit squad to choose from for the clash at Brisbane Road, in which his side are looking to end a five-match winless run which has seen them slip from the top of the table to fifth. Ricardo Moniz, meanwhile, has hinted at changes to the team which, at Dagenham in midweek, surrendered a winning position for the third away league game this season. The Dutchman has a squad of 35 players to choose from so he is not short of options and he could hand on-loan Leicester midfielder Jack Barmby his full debut. The likes of Curtis Thompson, Julian Jenner, Gill Swerts, Jon Stead and Civard Sprockel are also options. Midfielder Rob Milsom has resumed training after a knee injury but the summer signing will have to wait at least another week for his first appearance for the club, while Ronan Murray is also making inroads in his recovery from a pelvis injury.

Though Notts County have improved at home no end, it remains a different story on the road, with another game in which the Magpies relinquished the lead – though at least this time we were able to hang onto a point at Dagenham & Redbridge, the final result a 1-1 draw. In a game of few chances, Adam Campbell went on to open the scoring just after the half-hour mark after receiving possession on the left, weaving into the box and coolly slotting the ball into the far corner for his first goal of the season. Ayo Obileye went close with a half-volley just before the hour after his initial free-kick from 30 yards hit the wall. Campbell then nearly doubled his side's lead in the 71st minute, only for O'Brien to brilliantly deny him a second from close range, He would rue that failed opportunity because, only moments later, the impressive Jodi Jones marauded forward, cut inside onto his left foot and curled a wonderful effort into the top corner from 25 yards. Notts had a great chance to edge back in front when Jack Barmby was fouled in the Daggers box, prompting the referee to award the visitors a penalty. Izale McLeod stepped up, but his spot-kick was saved by O'Brien before being cleared out for a throw-in, the chance subsequently disappearing. Jon Stead came on McLeod soon after and the former Huddersfield striker almost clinched a winner when a powerful 20-yard drive hit the inside of the post, but ultimately the Magpies had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Notts County and Dagenham & Redbridge have met just eight times, and all the meetings have come in the last eight years. The first clash was back on 15 September 2007, when the Magpies beat the Daggers 1-0 at Meadow Lane in League Two. Last time round, on 9 April 2011, the East London side beat Notts 3-1 at Victoria Road in League One. Notts are slightly ahead in terms of head-to-head, with four wins to their opponents’ three, plus one draw. Based in Dagenham, in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, the club was formed in 1992 through a merger between Redbridge Forest and Dagenham. The club can trace back its ancestry to 1881 as Redbridge Forest was an amalgamation of three of the amateur game's most famous clubs, Ilford, Leytonstone and Walthamstow Avenue. Between the clubs they won the FA Trophy once, FA Amateur Cup seven times, Isthmian League 20 times, Athenian League six times, Essex Senior Cup 26 times and London Senior Cup 23 times. Tony Roberts, the club’s record appearance holder with 507 games over 10 years, is the only goalkeeper in the history of the FA Cup to have scored a goal from open play. He netted against Basingstoke Town in October 2001, it was a fourth qualifying round. The highest ever scoreline in the first leg of a play off game is now held by Dagenham & Redbridge, who defeated Morecambe 6–0 on 16 May 2010, although they could not build on this afterwards with a 2–1 defeat in the second leg. The Daggers also hold the record for highest scoring penalty shootout in professional football history, defeating Leyton Orient in the second round of the Football League Trophy 14–13, 27 penalties in total, on 8 September 2011. This was later equalled, but not bettered, by Liverpool who beat Middlesbrough in a League Cup penalty shoot out by the same score in September 2014. In addition, they hold the joint highest aggregate score in a League Cup match, with 12 – On 12 August 2014, Dagenham & Redbridge drew 6–6 after extra time at home with Brentford in the first round of the League Cup. They went on to lose 4–2 on penalties. - Dagenham have no new injury worries, though manager Wayne Burnett may decide to change his personnel following last weekend’s 3-1 defeat at Barnet which left them in the drop zone. Burnett took off Ashley Hemmings and Nicholas Hamalainen at half-time at The Hive as Zavon Hines and Jodi Jones were brought on. Hines is yet to complete 90 minutes since a serious knee injury in February 2014 and will be pushing for a start, as well as Jones, who scored Dagenham's consolation goal at Barnet with a well-struck free-kick. Meanwhile Notts travel south after back-to-back home wins and manager Ricardo Moniz has players returning from injury. Summer signing Rob Milsom is back in training after injuring a knee during pre-season while fellow midfielder Kyle De Silva and defender Taylor McKenzie are also working their way back to full fitness.

All of a sudden, the outlook at Notts County is much rosier – four wins on the spin at home, a climb up to 13th place in League Two, and best of all, just one point off the playoffs! A good, if frustrating, day at the office saw the Magpies register possibly the lowest-scoring thrashing in recent years as, despite a dominant display, they sealed a 1-0 win against York City. Ricardo Moniz’s charges started brilliantly, with Izale McLeod showing his quality by weighing in with a number of dangerous efforts in the first ten minutes alone. He didn’t have to wait much longer to break the deadlock, however, finally getting onto the scoresheet in the 12th minute when opposition goalkeeper Scott Flinders completely misjudged a seemingly routine Liam Noble punt to leave the ex-Crawley man with an open goal, in which he nonchalantly slotted the ball. Notts continued to dominate proceedings on the pitch but a second strike evaded them, which nearly saw them pegged back when James Berrett’s drive forced Roy Carroll into a great save. The hosts continued from where they had left off in the second half but again failed to get the ball into the back of the net for a second time, with Mike Edwards connecting with the post and Adam Campbell forcing Flinders into a low save. Gauging the home side’s increasing tension, York piled forward and could have struck back through David Tutonda and Anthony Straker, but unlike their game against Wimbledon, they managed to see this game out and claim their second three points of the week.

Notts County and York City have met a total of 37 times over their history. The first meeting came on 12th March 1955, with the Minstermen winning 1-0 at Meadow Lane in the FA Cup. The Magpies have 19 wins and 10 draws, only losing 8 times. Our recent record is also very good – in the last 27 clashes, Notts have only lost twice! Our last meeting was all the way back in October 2001, when Notts welcomed York to Meadow Lane in the LDV Vans Trophy and beat them 2-0. Founded in 1922, York joined the Football League in 1929, and have spent most of their time in the lower divisions. The club briefly rose as high as the second tier of English football, spending two seasons in the Second Division in the 1970s. At the end of the 2003–04 season the club lost its League status when it was relegated from the Third Division. York remained in the Conference Premier until the end of the 2011–12 season, when they were promoted back into the League via the play-offs. York have enjoyed more success in cup competitions than in the league; highlights include an FA Cup semi-final appearance in 1955. In the 1995–96 League Cup, York beat Manchester United 3–0 at Old Trafford; Manchester United went on to win the FA Premier League and FA Cup double that season. Also, in the FA Cup, York beat Arsenal in 1985, and held Liverpool to a draw in two consecutive seasons in the mid-1980s. York made an appearance at Wembley Stadium in 1993, beating Crewe Alexandra in the Third Division play-off Final. After defeats in the 2009 FA Trophy Final and the 2010 Conference Premier play-off Final, York finally recorded a victory at the new Wembley against Newport County in the 2012 FA Trophy Final. - Jack Barmby and Alan Sheehan are expected to go straight into the Notts squad for Saturday’s home clash against York. Barmby, a former Manchester United trainee, joined the Magpies on Thursday on loan from Leicester, while Sheehan is back at Meadow Lane on loan from Bradford. Mike Edwards and Alan Smith are almost certain to retain their places in the team following the 4-1 midweek win over Crawley. Rob Milsom and Kyle De Silva are nearing returns from injury and should be back in first-team contention in around a fortnight. York striker Vadaine Oliver will begin his three-match suspension after the club failed in their appeal against his red card in the 2-2 draw against Carlisle last weekend. The Minstermen may opt to hand a starting place to Josh Carson, who came off the bench to score a second-half equaliser against the Cumbrians, or to Emile Sinclair. Jake Hyde remains on the club's long-term injury list while Michael Coulson has resumed training following a groin operation but is at least a fortnight away from a return.

Well, what a relief. When Notts fell behind at home to Crawley Town, it looked like it was going to be a long evening. Instead, it turned out to be a very pleasant one, as the Magpies came from behind to rattle four goals past the visitors and clinch an emphatic, if not completely straightforward, 4-1 win at Meadow Lane. Mark Yates’s side weathered the early storm and countered through Lewis Young, who was left with just Gill Swerts and Roy Carroll en route to goal, but the Belgian did enough to dispossess him. Luke Rooney then picked up the ball outside the area and drifted into dangerous territory, but his near-post strike was brilliantly saved by the Northern Irish stopper. Crawley kept on coming and eventually took the lead through Rhys Murphy, who seized on a miscued clearance which cannoned off Bobson Bawling and into the debutant’s path, before slotting the ball into the empty net. Just after the half-hour mark Ricardo Moniz’s charges were level when a long throw ghosted through the Red Devils defence and into the path of Mike Edwards, who glanced a header into the far corner. And just moments after the restart, Liam Noble latched on to Adam Campbell’s pass and curled a rocket into the top corner to put the hosts in the lead, much to the relief of the home faithful. It would get even better just after the restart when Izale McLeod was fouled in the Crawley box, prompting the referee to award the Magpies a penalty, which Noble duly rifled past goalkeeper Freddie Woodman for a third home goal. Notts were dominant by this stage and piled on the pressure time and time again, getting their just reward late on through Steady Eddie, who raced to the near post to thump in a header from Noble's corner. Crawley were down and out at this stage, and despite a few audacious forays into Notts’s final third, they were unable to get any more goals as the final whistle blew on an emphatic Notts victory.

New Notts County striker Izale McLeod has made an immediate mark at Meadow Lane since his arrival a month ago, nabbing two goals in three league games plus another in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy to give the Notts faithful a hint of hope for the season ahead. Prior to his arrival in the East Midlands, however, the 30-year-old was involved in a long and protracted transfer saga with former club Crawley Town – who the Magpies face tonight. A number of transfer bids came and went, and his stock with the Red Devils fans appeared to fall as stories about how he was allegedly handling his departure began to surface. It was no surprise that, given tonight’s fixture at the Lane, he would be asked about his take on the whole debacle. He said: "I knew from the end of the season there was interest from other clubs. It was left to my agent and for the club to try to sort out. "Listen… I've been around the block. I know what transfers are all about. I just kept my head down and worked on my fitness. "But I know what football clubs are like. Everybody talks about individual players and they say players are doing this and they are doing that. "But what people outside of football don't realise is how clubs manipulate situations to make the players look bad. "However, I've got nothing bad to say about Crawley, I made a lot of friends there and I wish them all the best." To discuss Izale McLeod's views on his former club, there's a forum thread up on the site. To check out the build-up to tonight's game, visit the Pride of Nottingham match thread and join the conversation.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town six times in their history, and all six games took part in the last three years. The first ever fixture between the two was on 10th November 2012. The League One game, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1, while the away fixture was a goalless draw. The head-to-head record is evenly poised with two wins, two draws and two defeats. The last game was a 2-0 win for the Red Devils, a League One tie on 18th April 2015 at the Broadfield. Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – around a decade ago, while Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League! Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later. 2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63). Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikeable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”. The town of Crawley is known for being close - just three miles in fact - to Gatwick Airport, the world's busiest single-runway international airport. Famous people who have links to Crawley include Australian footballer Kevin Muscat (born in Crawley), Gareth Southgate (attended the town's Hazelwick School), English rock band The Cure (formed in Crawley, several of its members attended St Wilfrid's RC School) and Gorillaz lead singer 2D (a fictional character, his back story claims he grew up in the town). --- Ricardo Moniz said on Saturday that he was "ashamed" by the way his team conceded two late goals to lose 2-1 at Wimbledon and he vowed to freshen things up for the visit of Crawley. The Dutchman has options at the back with Mike Edwards, Rhys Sharpe and Scott Bennett pushing for recalls while Elliott Hewitt and Civard Sprockel are nearing returns from injury. Curtis Thompson, Liam Noble and Julian Jenner are options elsewhere for Moniz while striker Izale McLeod will hope to keep his place in the starting line up against the club he left last month to join the Magpies. Crawley boss Mark Yates, meanwhile, was only able to name four substitutes for Saturday's 1-0 home defeat to Yeovil due to a lengthy list of injuries and suspensions. Gwion Edwards is still banned while new signing Rhys Murphy is a doubt after missing Saturday's loss due to tonsillitis. Fellow new boy Ross Jenkins could make his first start after coming off the bench on Saturday while Lewis Young and Bobson Bawling will be pushing for a return to the starting XI.

It feels surprisingly familiar what happened today at Kingsmeadow, with Notts County leading until the latter stages of the game against Wimbledon yet succumbing to a 2-1 defeat by the time the final whistle was blown. The Magpies started brightly and saw Genaro Snijders volley wide of the post before Stanley Aborah fired a low effort just wide. Adam Campbell was next to try his luck as he cut inside and forced a save from James Shea through a deflected shot. Eventually Ricardo Moniz’s side took the lead just after the quarter-hour mark when a free kick from Graham Burke was nodded home by defender Haydn Hollis. The visitors then made a bright start to the second half as Adam Campbell’s cross for Izale McLeod was glanced just over, while Liam Noble’s long-range strike forced a good save from Shea. Wimbledon, however, grew into the game after the restart and were soon dominating proceedings on the pitch, getting their just rewards five minutes from time when George Francomb's cross was converted by Bulman at the back post. And then, almost predictably, Notts threw the game away right at the death as Adebayo Akinfenwa nodded in a cross from the right wing to loot the win.