Joe Jones

Notts County have thrown down the gauntlet to both League Two and the League Cup following a stunning 2-1 win over Championship outfit Huddersfield Town in Tuesday’s first round clash at the John Smith’s Stadium. The Magpies were quickest off the starting blocks as opposition goalkeeper Joe Murphy was called into action early on, racing out of his goal to kick clear as Kyle Da Silva chased Liam Noble's pass, then saving a header from ex-Terrier Jon Stead. Harry Bunn had the hosts’ first chance in the sixth minute when he let rip with a shot that Roy Carroll smartly palmed away for a corner. Da Silva then fluffed a great chance to put the visitors ahead after 14 minutes when he fired well wide from Stanley Aborah's dinked pass. Huddersfield enjoyed a good spell on the half-hour mark as Ishmael Miller had two attempts to open the scoring before Murray Wallace broke the deadlock on 35 minutes when he was left unmarked to head home from a corner. It then took a timely block by Thierry Audel to deny Nahki Wells before Notts levelled things up through Noble. De Silva got things underway as he fended off Martin Cranie, before sending a low cross to the edge of the box, where Noble took a touch and smashed beyond goalkeeper Joe Murphy into the corner. As good as that strike was, it was nothing compared to his second, spotting the Terriers stopper off his line and smashing a truly wonderful lob from 35 yards out which glided delightfully into the net. With Notts on the front foot, they succeeded in holding on and seeing the game out, although they made things difficult for themselves when Gill Swerts became the second Magpie to see red this season after being adjudged to have deliberately handled the ball. Ricardo Moniz’s charges, though, held on valiantly until full time, when celebrations broke out as they claimed the scalp of a team two divisions above them and put themselves through to the second round of the cup, where Premier League teams are in the hat.

Notts County have played Huddersfield Town 33 times in their history, the first fixture coming in December 1913, when the Magpies coasted to a 3-0 victory. Out of all the games, Notts have won 11 and lost 15, with seven draws. Our last game against the Terriers was in January 2012, a League One game which ended in a 2-2 draw. Notts haven’t beaten Huddersfield since March 2003, a 3-2 win in the old Second Division. Three defeats and the 2012 draw followed. Huddersfield entered the Football League for the first time in 1910, just three years after their formation. In 1926, it became the first English team to win three successive league titles – a feat that only three other clubs have been able to match. Huddersfield Town also won the FA Cup in 1922 and have been runners-up on four other occasions. During the club's heyday, on 27 February 1932 the club achieved a record attendance of 67,037 during their FA Cup 6th round tie against Arsenal at Leeds Road – this attendance has been bettered by only 13 other clubs in the history of the Football League. The town of Huddersfield is known for its role in the Industrial Revolution and for being the birthplaces of rugby league, British Labour Prime Minister Harold Wilson, and the international film star James Mason. Huddersfield railway station is a Grade I listed building described by venerable poet and writer John Betjeman as 'the most splendid station façade in England' second only to St Pancras, London. Iron Maiden immortalised the name of the town with a song called “Sheriff of Huddersfield”. -- Notts County defender Mawouna Amevor is suspended after being sent off in the 2-0 win over Stevenage. Amevor's fellow defender Civard Sprockel came off injured at half-time so is a doubt, but Blair Adams is expected to be fit. Huddersfield will be without Sean Scannell, Joe Lolley and James Vaughan as they are out with hamstring & shin injuries and concussion respectively.

Notts County got their League Two campaign to a near-perfect start with a 2-0 win away at a tricky and feisty Stevenage side in a game marred only by the late sending-off of Mawouna Amevor. The visitors had the edge in the opening quarter of an hour, though opposition forward Dipo Akinyemi came close with a goal-bound shot which deflected over. From the same period of pressure, the teenager was unmarked two yards out and somehow missed, while just after the half-hour mark Brett Williams fired straight at Roy Carroll. This proved the catalyst for a deadly counter-attack that saw Liam Noble maraud down Boro's exposed left side before passing to Jon Stead. The ex-Bradford man then cut the ball back across the box, where Curtis Thompson was on hand to slice home at the far post and send the visiting fans barmy. Notts looked the most likely to notch up another goal as Chris Day was forced to save at his near post from Julian Jenner shortly after the restart. Kyle De Silva also went close with a stinging volley which drew another excellent save from the opposition keeper, before Stead curled a shot just wide of the far post on the spin. Stevenage twice went close through Tom Hitchcock, while Williams also threatened, but Notts could have doubled their lead on 75 minutes when Thierry Audel’s powerful header was kept out by Day. It felt at times like Notts were riding their luck but luckily they killed the game off in the final few minutes of normal time as a long-range shot from Stead was stopped low by Day, before Amevor tucked in the rebound. In injury-time, a scuffle between Hitchcock and Amevor saw red cards for both, while Mark Hughes struck the bar with a 20-yard shot moments later, but the move was declared offside as Notts saw the game out and celebrated all three points. The result sees the Magpies end their first matchday in sixth place - it's a great start from Ricardo Moniz's charges, who put in a great display and were rewarded with three points and a clean sheet. (Credit to Dan Westwell for the article image)

Notts County and Stevenage have only ever met seven times, the first meeting coming on 17 September 2011 at Broadhall Way (known as the Lamex Stadium). The result on that day was 2-0 to the Magpies. Our head-to-head record is pretty simple: three wins for Notts, four wins for Stevenage. We have never in our history drawn against Stevenage. Stevenage have only been in existence since 1976 - manager Teddy Sheringham is a whole ten years older than the club itself. Much like Doctor Who, there have been numerous incarnations of the club that stretch back over a century. A club called Stevenage FC was formed in 1894, but they soon adopted the name Stevenage Town. In 1951 the club were founder members of the Delphian League. In 1956 they merged with Stevenage Rangers to form Stevenage FC, before reverting to Stevenage Town four years later. They had some success in the Southern League but folded in 1967, after which Stevenage Athletic were created in their place a year later. This incarnation again knocked about in the Southern League but went bankrupt in 1976. This brings us to Stevenage Borough, formed shortly after Athletic's demise, and this time they managed to prosper and work their way up the leagues until finally reaching the Football League in 2010, at which point they took the whole thing full circle by dropping the Borough from their name and becoming Stevenage FC. Despite their relatively short history, Stevenage have won a number of trophies and competitions, including two FA Trophy cups in 2007 and 2009. The Lamex Stadium holds 6722 people, 3142 of which can be seated. To put it into perspective, three full houses at Stevenage could fit into the Meadow Lane stands with 45 seats to spare. The highest attendance recorded at the stadium was 8040 for a match against Newcastle United in the FA Cup fourth round on 25 January 1998. A temporary stand was erected behind the away end to increase the stadium capacity to 8100, enough to satisfy FA requirements. Two films were set in and around Stevenage, Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush and Boston Kickout. Spy Game was partly filmed in Stevenage but set in Washington DC. A number of famous sporting figures were born in Stevenage, the most notable of which are Lewis Hamilton, Jack Wilshere, Ashley Young, Ian Poulter, Kevin Phillips and Jason Shackell. --- Teddy Sheringham takes charge of Stevenage for the first time in competitive action against Notts County with few injury concerns. Striker Brett Williams, defenders Mark Hughes and Fraser Franks, plus midfielder Steven Schumacher could all make their competitive debuts. Striker Ben Kennedy, however, is a long-term absentee following an operation on a hip problem, while midfielder Chris Whelpdale is also out for a lengthy period with a groin injury. Notts, meanwhile, travel to Hertfordshire without several first-team players. Midfielder Rob Milsom, one of 18 summer signings, is nursing a knee problem while striker Ronan Murray and defender Taylor McKenzie are also sidelined through injury. Transfer-listed duo Nicky Wroe and Will Hayhurst are not expected to be involved. Left-back Blair Adams is striving to be fit after missing the final pre-season friendly fixture against Scunthorpe United.

Tomorrow, Saturday 1st August 2015, English football history will be made. The FA Women’s Cup final is being played at the iconic Wembley Stadium for the first time in its history. It’s set to be the biggest in the competition's history, with more than 26,000 tickets already sold. Neither Notts County nor Chelsea, the two teams contesting it, have ever won the showpiece of the women’s game in its 44-year history. And of course, given England’s wonderful showing at the World Cup, interest in the women’s game on these shores has never been greater. So great was the Lionesses’ impact in Canada that the final will now be shown on BBC One instead of BBC Two as previously planned. For anyone who’s forgot exactly what England’s campaign contained, let’s go through a checklist: - Opening day defeat in the group stage? Check. - The team rallying round and claiming two victories in the subsequent matches to qualify? Check. - Defeating a strong nation in the round of 16 and getting people to think 'we may be on to something'? Check. - Knocking out the hosts in the quarters and getting further than ever before? Check. - A heartbreaking defeat at the death which has created a valiant yet unlucky and heartbroken hero which everyone rallies round to show support? Check. - Beating Germany, one of the best sides in the world, by means of a penalty scored by a player who has overcome adversity the likes of which most people would have never experienced, and with a stunning redemptive performance by the previous round's hard done by player to secure World Cup medals and get further than any England side barring the 1966 winners? Check. England's class of 2015 effectively played out the perfect World Cup campaign, which contained hope, skill, passion, heartbreak and redemption. The last time I can think of an England football team that delivered anything close to the above was in 1996, or at a push, 2002. And if you want to remember the last time England actually got their hands on some medals, you have to go back 49 years, to… you guessed it, 1966. Needless to say, tomorrow’s game is going to be a very, VERY big deal. And Ray Trew’s decision to invest heavily in the women’s team at Notts County appears to have paid dividends. Myself, I cannot believe that I’m going to Wembley to watch my team represented on the biggest domestic stage of all, at the home of football. It’s absolutely incredible. It promises to be a wonderful day, and this is even before taking into consideration the fact that Notts could be bringing the first major piece of silverware to our city since 1990, when the noisy neighbours brought home the League Cup. No matter what happens, it’s going to be an amazing occasion, but if Laura Bassett, whose indomitable narrative during the World Cup was just as powerful as that which befell Paul Gascoigne on the Stadio Delle Alpi pitch 25 years, ends up lifting the trophy for the Lady Pies, it’ll be sensational beyond words. Lady Pies, I’d like to wish you all the best. We at Pride of Nottingham will be in the stands supporting you every step of the way, come rain or shine. You’ve made the city proud and, as one of the teams which play in the Women’s Super League and have contributed so many players to the Lionesses class of 2015, you’ve made the entire country proud. COME ON YOU PIES!!!

The Notts County Football Club Official Supporters’ Association are pleased to announce that they have made a substantial donation of much-needed equipment to the club’s Academy. Ahead of the start of the new season, the committee liaised with Academy director Peter Jarvis about what was needed to take the youth team to the next level. He highlighted the need for the Academy to adopt a video analysis system, which would enable two more jobs to be created to help film matches and give detailed feedback to both players and coaches. Jarvis said: “This is one area that we struggled in resourcing last season – the equipment would make a huge difference to the Academy and the support we can give to the players.” Following the consultation, the OSA duly dipped into their coffers and provided a cheque for the purchase of the appropriate equipment at a value of £765. This kind-hearted gesture is not a one-off – just five months ago the committee gave the Academy a cheque for £1,300 and, over the years, have raised a total of £1,800. The Association works hard throughout the year, both on-season and off-season, raising money through raffles, competitions and other fundraising initiatives. We spoke to OSA Membership Secretary Lois Brough who told us that the fundraising is beneficial both to the club and to the Academy’s youngsters. She said: “All fundraising is hard work but it is a way of getting to people who do not know of the work of the Academy and also supporters who do not realise the good work done by those running the Academy. “When I think of the footballers that have made it to the first team from the Academy I feel we must help these young ones achieve their dream. “Equipment is so expensive and we will do all we can to help them and we have very good and loyal supporters who willingly support us in this.” Lois also highlighted the importance of getting more fans on board with the Association, which would enable them to have a voice within the club and to make new friends. She said: “By joining the OSA Supporters have the chance to have their voice heard the chance to meet one another at events and also meet at the AGM. “I believe all renewals and welcome letters should have a personal message to each and every member, new and old. They will always receive a welcome when either visiting the office or emailing us.” “I hope that with all these new players coming to the club, our supporters can join with us at the OSA.” The OSA will be at the Open Day at Meadow Lane on 2nd August. If you want to donate money to go towards the Academy or join the Association, pop down and have a chat with the members. In addition the OSA is looking for prizes for the tombola, so if anyone has any please contact the Secretary by emailing Lois at [email protected]

When the final whistle blew at Priestfield on Sunday 3rd May, I surely cannot have been the only person who felt numb, drained, disappointed and fearful. Notts had lost 3-1 to Gillingham despite leading 1-0 until the 88th minute, and following a season that began so promisingly but collapsed quicker than a sixth form leaver on his first lads’ trip abroad after his tenth shot of tequila, the Magpies’ relegation was confirmed. But not only that, it was also the uncertainty that followed. The rot had started to set in the season before, when survival was also at stake on the final day of the season. In the end we were lucky as we held on with that exhilarating 1-1 draw at Oldham, but nobody can argue that the team built on that reprieve. If anything, the spine of the team was then ripped out as our remaining best players left, and let’s face it, with the exception of Roy Carroll, they weren’t adequately replaced. And with Notts now slipping into League Two, what chance would we have had to rebuild the mess? What would happen to the team, the finances, and ultimately, our future as a club? Well, I must say, as I write this at the tail end of June, around two months after the end of the 2014-15 season, I’m a hell of a lot more confident for the future. First of all, Roy Carroll has signed a contract extension and will be with Notts for another season. I wouldn’t have blamed him at all for leaving the club following relegation and signing for a team in League One or even the Championship. He went above and beyond the call of duty for us – not least for playing for Notts the day after turning out for Northern Ireland – but in sticking with the club despite dropping to the fourth tier, he’s effectively ensured himself a status at the club not unlike that of Gigi Buffon, who stayed with Juventus following their relegation to Serie B nine years ago. Alan Smith also committed his future to the club, meaning that he will be able to use his experience and know-how both on the pitch and in training as a coach and mentor to help other players out. The new signings we have made so far have been very shrewd too. Four so far, all very promising – Scot Bennett, Rhys Sharpe, Robert Milsom and now Gill Swerts, who let’s not forget, has played for Feyenoord and Belgium and has won the Eredivisie with AZ. A great blend of youth, hunger and experience between the four. And the icing on the cake – a two-year shirt sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes described by chairman Ray Trew as the most lucrative in the club’s history. An absolute coup of a deal to have pulled off, which hints at an increased budget and the chance not only to build just for the season ahead, but for the next few years. In my humble opinion, last season ended up being a bit of a farce, and relegation was frankly deserved, but it looks like the board is doing all the right things in this vacuum that is the close-season / pre-season gap. Gone are the stopgap loans and the friendly team sheets that had four or five trialists listed – this appears to be a real rebuilding process, with the right players coming on board, on decent contracts, and all under a new manager with a great track record who is now looking to stamp his authority on the team after being thrown in at the deep end last season. I’m not going to lie, I really wasn’t looking forward to the start of the new season back in May, but things appear to be heading in the right direction now and, with another five weeks yet to go before the league kicks off again, I feel a lot more reassured and raring to go. The future is bright – the future is Black and White!

It pains me to say this folks, but Notts County have been relegated from League One. Despite a decent enough start to our season that saw us in the playoff places, it's been a freefall towards the bottom of the table, culminating in a 3-1 defeat away at Gillingham that sees us end the season in 21st place. The Magpies began matchday 46 outside of the relegation zone on goal difference, so a win would see them survive the drop. Ricardo Moniz's charges set about trying to find an early goal to settle nerves as Balint Bajner forced a corner after just 30 seconds. The Gills, however, were deft on the counterattack and enjoyed a good spell with the likes of Cody McDonald, John Marquis and Bradley Dack all weighing in with chances. Notts soon picked themselves up and Garry Thompson, Graham Burke and Haydn Hollis all test the opposition back line. The first half finished goalless, which would not have been enough for the Magpies to survive as other results were going against them. This changed for the better when Burke opened the scoring to the rapturous delight of the travelling Notts fans, the on-loan Aston Villa man picking up a Liam Noble pass and rifling past Glenn Morris. There was genuine belief that the Magpies could hold onto the win and secure League One football for another season, but sadly it would all go pear-shaped in the latter stages of the game. With two minutes left the Gills levelled the game as Egan powered home Doug Loft’s cross and in stoppage-time, as Notts struggled to clear, Ben Dickenson smashed the ball home to put the hosts ahead. Dickenson then turned provider moments later, as the Gills burst forward, laying off the ball for Luke Norris to fire home a third and condemn Notts to the bottom tier of the Football League.

Notts County's head-to-head record against Gillingham is historically pretty poor, winning 10 games, drawing seven 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. --- There are no new injury or suspension problems for Gillingham but Mahlon Romeo will not be involved after he left the club by mutual consent earlier this week. Notts will once again check on Paddy McCourt as they look for the win to guarantee their League One survival. McCourt hobbled off injured during the defeat at relegation rivals Crawley on April 18 and the problem has seen the Northern Ireland international winger miss the last two matches. Defender Mustapha Dumbuya is the other injury doubt for Ricardo Moniz's charges, who go into the final game of the season outside the drop zone on goal difference.

So this is it then. It'll go down to the final day. Notts County managed to tear up their formbook as they secured a 2-1 win against Doncaster Rovers that edged the hosts just out of League One's drop zone - on goal difference. The Magpies were quickest out of the starting blocks as Gary Jones and Balint Bajner saw efforts blocked in the early stages of the game.Donny countered through Nathan Tyson, who drilled wide from 12 yards out, but the Magpies would break the deadlock eight minutes in when Garry Thompson slotted past goalkeeper Marko Marosi after connecting with Graham Burke's cross. The visitors, who had nothing to play for, got into their groove as the first half minutes ticked away, twice going close through long-range shots from James Coppinger and Kyle Bennett. It would get even better for Notts after the restart as Burke floated a cross into the area and Noble lost his man, brought down the ball and slotted it past Marosi. A Donny consolation came deep into injury time when Haydn Hollis was adjudged to have fouled Tyson in the box, allowing the striker to slot home from the spot, but it proved too little too late for the visitors. Notts moved out of the bottom four as a result of this win after Crawley blew a 3-2 lead to lose 4-3 at Peterborough. However, Colchester also gave themselves hope of survival with a 3-2 win at Fleetwood and a win for them at Swindon on Tuesday will put the Magpies back into the drop zone.

Notts County have met Doncaster Rovers 53 times over the years, with the first fixture coming on the 13th December 1930. On that occasion, an FA Cup tie, the Magpies triumphed 1-0. Rovers have the upper edge head-to-head, but only just. They have 23 wins against Notts and 22 defeats, with eight draws. We've played them twice this season already - we beat them in a JPT tie in December, before a goalless draw in the league the following month. The club was founded in 1879 and turned professional in 1885. They have spent the majority of their playing history between the third and fourth tiers of the English football league system and are one of four clubs to win the Division 3/League Two title three times, the last being in 2004. Football League rules state that any team who wins a trophy three times can keep it. However, when Rovers tried to retain ownership of the actual Third Division trophy, the Football League claimed that Rovers could not keep the trophy because the league names had changed from Fourth to Third Division, and so they had not won that particular league three times. The team's mascot is a brown dog known as Donny Dog, who wears the red and white Rovers jersey. Before a scheduled appearance during the game against Huddersfield Town at the Galpharm Stadium on 4 March 2006, police prevented Andrew Liney from entering the stadium in costume, citing unspecified "police intelligence", and refused him permission to wear any part of the costume within 50 metres of the stadium. Mr Liney later received a full written apology for these unfounded allegations from the head of West Yorkshire Police. The mascot was next portrayed by Tracy Chandler and in June 2011, she was relieved from the position after she posed in her underwear for a Sunday newspaper. Later in the same week she was reinstated back as the clubs mascot. Arguably the club's most famous fan is One Direction singer Louis Tomlinson. The 23-year-old had agreed to play in a charity game at the Keepmoat to raise money for the Bluebell Wood Charity and was offered a deal by Donny to join the club on non-contract terms after impressing in the game. Tomlinson also put himself forward to take over the club alongside John Ryan, but the deal fell through in July last year. --- Paddy McCourt is a major doubt after limping off in the defeat by Crawley, while Jamal Campbell-Ryce is not expected to feature. Doncaster boss Paul Dickov has no new injury or suspension concerns. Rovers' season is effectively over as they have nothing to play for - they are unable to reach the League One play-offs. Notts, meanwhile, are two points adrift of safety and without a win in 11 games.

Two games to go. That's all Notts have left if they are to salvage their League One status after succumbing to a 3-1 defeat at home to seemingly Championship-bound Preston North End. The Lilywhites broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Jermaine Beckford produced a thundering finish from Joe Garner's setup. Garner then got on the scoresheet himself just after the half-hour mark when he fired in from inside the six-yard box after some poor Magpies defending. Notts set about trying to reduce the deficit and saw Graham Burke twice force goalkeeper Sam Johnstone into saves. The hosts' persistence paid off with just under 20 minutes left when Jimmy Spencer scored his first goal of the season after holding off a defender before turning and firing home. Meadow Lane roared their boys on and were rewarded with some great attacking play as they searched for an equaliser. Garry Thompson spurned a massive chance to draw level when put through by Liam Noble, but he could only fire at Johnstone's legs. And it proved costly as Beckford bagged his second five minutes from time when he raced through to drive past Roy Carroll and kill the game off.

Notts County and Preston North End are two of the oldest football clubs in the country (and by extension, the world), whose history goes back over 125 years. The first fixture between the two took place in November 1888, when North End defeated the Magpies 7-0 in the first ever season of the Football League. The 1888-89 season saw Preston remain unbeaten throughout, and would go on to become English football's first "Invincibles". This feat which remained unbroken until 2003-04 when Arsenal also went a whole top-flight season without losing - so really, Notts being thumped so heartily wasn't quite as bad a result as it seems! Aside from Preston going the whole season unbeaten, they were also the first EVER winners of the Football League. Oh, and they won the FA Cup that year too! The two clubs have met a total of 89 times, and sadly (for us Notts fans) the Lilywhites have the upper hand by quite a significant margin. They're won 42 times, while the Magpies have won 23 games. 24 draws have taken place. The two teams that have played the most games overall in the Football League are, in fact, Notts County and Preston North End! Meanwhile, Preston are ranked as the fourth most-successful English football club of all time domestically. Over the years, there have been some varied scorelines. We've talked about the 7-0 back in 1888, but we've also had 6-2, 6-1, 6-0, 4-3 and 4-2. Recently, meetings have been tamer (from a goal-scoring perspective). Since the turn of the millennium, only ten goals have been scored in the ten games we’ve played. We've played them twice this season, first in the league, a 1-1 draw away in August, and then a 1-0 defeat at Meadow Lane in the JPT. The National Football Museum was originally situated in Deepdale, Preston, but was moved to Manchester in 2012. Deepdale was used as the venue for the England U21s when they played Iceland in March 2011. Deepdale was used again at the end of the 2011-2012 season to host three U19s Elite Round matches with England, Slovenia and Switzerland all taking to the famous pitch. The three games were held at the end of May over six days. Preston have made the play-offs in a record eight seasons, spanning all three league divisions, but have not yet been promoted via this route. --- Paddy McCourt is an injury concern for Notts as he hobbled off after 33 minutes of the 2-0 defeat at Crawley on Saturday. Midfielder Liam Noble trained on Sunday and he could come back into the Magpies' squad after missing the last three games, while winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce will miss the remaining three matches with a knee injury. For Preston, Scott Laird, Jermaine Beckford and Paul Huntington all overcame problems to start at Port Vale last Friday as North End stretched their unbeaten run to 16 League One games, but three successive draws have seen MK Dons breathing down their necks in the bid for automatic promotion.

Well folks, it's looking grim now. Notts have three games to save their season after succumbing to a 2-0 defeat away at Crawley, compounding a run of 11 games without a win which puts us two points from safety. The opening goal at the Broadfield Stadium came on 15 minutes as defender Kelly Youga converted Anthony Wordsworth's corner with a spectacular overhead kick to leave Roy Carroll stranded. Notts were right up against it just two minutes later when Wordsworth's free kick was nodded home by Darren Ward. The visitors set about trying to reduce the deficit and went on to threaten as Blair Adams’ cross found the head of Jimmy Spencer, who forced Brian Jensen to tip the ball over the bar. Jensen then made another fine stop minutes later, diving to save Garry Thompson’s header, before coming up trumps later on when he kept out Gary Jones's volley. Youga had the sheer audacity to try out another overhead kick in the latter stages of the first half, but this time it sailed over the crossbar. Notts came out with intent after the restart, but failed to provide much of a threat as Izale McLeod’s header dropped wide on 57 minutes, before the same player forced Carroll into a stop just after the hour. With ten minutes to play, Crawley squandered a huge chance when Jordan Williams miscontrolled the ball and McLeod raced through. The striker was denied one-on-one by Carroll and, from the rebound, substitute Dean Morgan missed an open goal. Notts weren't able to muster up anything special in the last few minutes as Crawley sealed all three points and came out of the drop zone. Meanwhile the Magpies' descent into League Two creeps ever closer, unless Ricardo Moniz's boys are able to rip up their current form book and conjure up another Great Escape.

Notts County have only ever played Crawley Town five times in their history. The first ever fixture between the two was two and a half years ago, on November 10th 2012. This milestone first meeting between the two, played at Meadow Lane, finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on the 9th March 2013, ended as a goalless draw.The last meeting was an exhilarating 5-3 win for the Magpies back in November, as Garry Thompson's hat-trick helped his side up into the playoffs. Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history – 11 years 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 unlikable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”. Crawley have the smallest stadium in League One; the Broadfield Stadium holds a meagre 5,996 people. You could fit just over three and a half Broadfields inside Meadow Lane! 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). --- Crawley defender Darren Ward is back fit after a heel injury, while midfielder Josh Simpson could feature for the first time since November. Marvin Elliott will be assessed after an infection, but Dean Leacock and Conor Henderson are ruled out. Notts County midfielder Curtis Thompson is fit again and Balint Bajner's late equaliser against Barnsley has him pushing for a starting place. Both sides are in the relegation places with 47 points each. Leyton Orient, who are one place above the League One drop zone, are also on 47 points, but Crawley have played one more game than Notts and Orient.

Notts County have faced Barnsley a total of 65 times in their history, with the first meeting going back over a hundred years, on November 29, 1913. The result? A 3-1 win for the Magpies. Prior to this season, the two sides hadn't faced off for a decade, what with different leagues separating them both. The last game before this season, a Division 2 league match at Meadow Lane on January 21, 2004, ended in a 1-1 draw.Earlier in the season Notts beat Barnsley 3-2 away, thanks in part to Michael Petrasso's brace. That win saw us climb to fifth in the league... Barnsley FC was established in 1887 by a clergyman, Tiverton Preedy, under the name Barnsley St Peter’s, and played in the Sheffield and District League from 1890 and then in the Midland League from 1895. They joined the Football League in 1898, and struggled in Division Two for the first ten years, due in part to ongoing financial difficulties. In 1910 the club reached the FA Cup final, where they lost out to Newcastle United in a replay match. However, they would then reach the 1912 FA Cup Final where they would defeat West Bromwich Albion 1–0 in a replay to win the trophy for the first and only time in their history. Their sole season in the top flight came in 1997-98, where they were there for one year before going straight back down. The Tykes have played at Oakwell, a 29,003-seater stadium, since 1888. Also, they’ve spend more time in the second tier of English football than any other club in Football League history. Barnsley were one of a quartet of teams that made the 2007-08 FA Cup so special, as they beat Liverpool and Chelsea to join West Brom, Cardiff City and Portsmouth in the semi-finals. The following season, the Tykes fielded the youngest ever player in the history of the Football League at Ipswich Town when Reuben Noble-Lazarus came on aged 15 years and 45 days. Famous Barnsley fans include cricket umpire Dickie Bird, cricketer Darren Gough, and legendary chat show host Michael Parkinson. --- Jamal Campbell-Ryce is unlikely to feature on Tuesday night as he is nursing a knee injury sustained against Yeovil Town at the weekend. Notts are awaiting the results of a scan. Lee Johnson will assess his Barnsley squad after a couple of unnamed players missed training on Monday. The Tykes boss admitted that some of his players had picked up niggles during Saturday's 1-1 draw with Chesterfield and they will be checked before the trip down the M1. Jean Yves Mvoto remains doubtful with a groin injury, so Peter Ramage looks set to keep his place in defence.

A strange game in which to welcome two new managers to a football club, six games before the end of the season, saw Yeovil Town relegated from League One as Notts County held them to a 1-1 draw at Huish Park this afternoon. Ricardo Moniz secured his first point as Magpies boss, while Paul Sturrock's immediate project with the Glovers is to see out the season then rebuild for life in League Two.Notts were quickest off the starting blocks as Garry Thompson was denied by a Stephen Arthurworrey last-ditch challenge. The hosts then countered in the 10th minute through a Sam Foley free-kick and, with Byron Webster pressuring Haydn Hollis, the defender headed into his own net to give Yeovil the lead. The visitors tried to regroup and looked dangerous going forward, but the Yeovil defence managed to hold back their opponents. Hollis then nearly made his second major mistake of the match when he misjudged a back pass to Roy Carroll. The goalkeeper had to sprint from his box to beat the onrushing James Hayter to the ball. The Northern Irishman rescued the Magpies from conceding further with two great saves to deny Stephen Kingsley and then Chigozie Ugeu from close range. There was a warning moment for the hosts on the stroke of half time as Jimmy Spencer set up a good opportunity for himself just outside the box, but his left-footed effort went just wide of Artur Krysiak's post. Yeovil came out all guns blazing in the second half as Hayter had a shot saved easily by Carroll, before Ugwu showed his pace to beat Mullins but sliced his effort wide. Notts continued to push hard for an equaliser but found Krysiak in good form with the big Pole pulled off a stunning save to deny substitute Graham Burke. The Magpies eventually succeeded in pulling level with just 11 minutes remaining when Campbell-Ryce whipped a fine cross into the box for Garry Thompson to head in from a few yards out. Sensing all three points were now a realistic prospect, Moniz's charges pushed forward and, after a fine pass from Thompson, it took a brilliant diving block from Liam Shephard to thwart Burke's shot on goal. Yeovil then nearly grabbed an unexpected winner when Seth Twumasi sent a ball forward to Kieffer Moore and, after bringing the ball under control, his shot went just wide. Moore and Twumasi combined once more in added time, although this time it was the striker who was the provider and the latter's shot was well saved by Carroll. The final whistle ultimately blew on the game as both sides were left feeling distinctly glum. Yeovil's relegation to the bottom tier of the Football League was confirmed, while Notts continue to sit in the bottom four, though a mere point separates them from safety.

Saturday is just the 11th time that Notts County have faced Yeovil Town. The first meeting between the two came back in 1961, with the Magpies winning this FA Cup tie 4-2, but a whole 43 years passed until the second meeting, which came in 2004! Back in November the Glovers beat Notts 2-1 at Meadow Lane, thanks to two goals in the last six minutes by Jordan Clarke. 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 after being relegated at the end of the season, they've found themselves struggling back in the third tier, currently sitting at the foot of the table. 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) --- Saturday's game will see both sides with new managers in charge, somewhat of a rarity this late on in the season. Paul Sturrock, appointed as the Glovers' new boss on Thursday, will most likely miss captain Joe Edwards as he continues to struggle with an ankle problem. The likes of Nathan Smith, James Berrett and Kieffer Moore will all hope to feature at Huish Park. Six defeats in a row have left Yeovil 13 points adrift at the bottom of League One and defeat to County would see them relegated to the fourth tier. Meanwhile, Ricardo Moniz will also take charge of Notts County for the first time. Ronan Murray, Curtis Thompson and Taylor McKenzie remain unavailable to the Dutchman through injury. Blair Adams and Jordan Williams are defensive options for Moniz should he wish to make any changes to the starting line-up, while midfielder Liam Noble and forwards Leroy Lita and Balint Bajner provide alternatives in attack.

Shaun Derry will always have a place in the hearts of Notts County fans after his miraculous work in keeping the Magpies up during the 2013-14 season. Born in Nottingham, he began his career at Meadow Lane before making a name for himself at a host of clubs including Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers, proving a popular figure in every team he graced. In November Derry was appointed Notts manager, where six wins in his last nine games and a draw on the final day of the season kept the Magpies up despite having been eight points from safety just a few weeks earlier. After a bright start this season, results ended up tailing off and Derry was dismissed in March, but nobody will ever forget the exhilarating “Great Escape” of 2013-14. Derry appeared on talkSPORT this week to discuss his time at Notts as well as his general career across the many clubs he’s played for. Are you enjoying being out of management after the intense period you’ve had at Notts? I was disappointed when the news came my way on Monday, but I am an optimistic person whose mindset is “don’t get too down and disillusioned”. I’m enjoying being back in London, spending more time with my kids and wife. I’m not going to lie, I am disappointed with what happened, but I’m looking forward. How did you find that transition from player to manager? It was very strange and it happened so quickly. As a player I always respected managers who told me the truth. I can’t say that I had a strategy of what I was doing because I’d come from being a player. I had an experienced assistant in Greg Abbott, and when I spoke to him I said, “I’m going to try and be honest with all the players”, and that’s what I was. When you got the job did you ask for advice from fellow managers, or look to do things your way? I made a claim to do it my way and I wanted to have a go at it. Older players have a strong opinion, and the opinions of confident older players can sometimes get in the way. When I was playing at QPR and Millwall I wanted to have a go at management. I was given the opportunity at Notts to state my own ethos and I wanted to be me. How far are you in terms of doing the coaching badges? I’m not yet on my pro licence, I’m just on the A licence at the minute. I think there’s a huge scope of improvement on the badges, if I’m honest. The badges give you a platform to build on the experience you gain, but I don’t think any badges could have got me ready for the past 17 months I’ve had. How do you feel about having managed Notts? Notts County is a club that will always be close to my heart. Nottingham is the place where I was born, I played my first game for Notts on my tenth birthday, so to go ahead and manage them was a dream come true and I thoroughly enjoyed my 17 months there. Why did things turn so bad towards the end of your spell at Notts? Ultimately as a football manager you get judged on results. When Greg and I walked into the club, it was very low on confidence. The structure wasn’t there, and we managed to put that structure ready for the next person to take control and I think in time it will be a very good football club to manage. At this moment in time, the reason I got sacked was because the results weren’t good enough; it’s as simple as that. Derry also talked about Jimmy Spencer: Jimmy is a talisman they’ve missed all season. He’s a thorough-back. He was our main signing and we were waiting for him to recover from his injury. Now he’s back, it will be down to him if Notts are to stay up. He’s your old-fashioned number nine. He gets the ball, holds it, heads it and brings players in. With JCR on the right wing, if they can get the right service to Jimmy, he will cause so many problems for opposition defenders. He’s also shown very strong character to recover from his cruciate ligament injury in the space of seven months, which is why I reckon Notts have a good chance of staying up this year.

Notts County remain in the bottom four following a third draw in a row, a goalless stalemate against Coventry City at Meadow Lane. After a cagey start from both sides, Alan Smith played Hayden Mullins in, the latter letting rip from 25 yards and forcing a diving save from goalkeeper Lee Burge. Garry Thompson was then brought down moments later to gift the Magpies a free kick, but Gary Jones' dead-ball effort cannoned into the wall, with the rebound drilled wide. The Sky Blues had a decent spell towards the end of the first half, winning several corners that put pressure on the hosts, but as it was, there was no breakthrough come the half-time whistle. Coventry continued to look bright after the restart, with Adam Barton latching onto a cross at the back post but firing wide. Paul Hart's charges countered with a series of attacks, one of which saw Burge spill the ball the way of Nicky Wroe. The 29-year-old headed towards goal but the Coventry defence was able to frantically clear. Just after the hour there was more reason for Notts fans to raise their voice as Thompson smacked a header against the post. Both sides went hell for leather in the latter stages of the game, as Coventry saw Jordan Willis force a save from Roy Carroll with a flukey cross that seemed goalbound, while Liam Noble combined well with Mullins and Balint Bajner to curl an effort just wide. The Sky Blues nearly sealed all three points at the death through a goalbound Barton header, but the veteran Notts stopper pulled off a marvellous save to secure a point for his beleaguered side. Notts will visit relegation-bound Yeovil Town at the weekend in what will be an incredibly nervy and edgy game, because time is running out on our stay in the third tier as things stand.

There haven’t been many fixtures between Notts County and Coventry City, in all fairness: just 37 in the last 95 years. The first took place on the 6th November 1920, the Meadow Lane match ending in a 1-1 draw. There have plenty of high-scoring games between the two, with several 5-1s, 3-0s and 4-2s over the years. Notts County have the upper hand in the head-to-heads – 19 victories over the Sky Blues, 11 defeats and 7 draws.In 2001, Coventry were relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the first tier. At the time, only Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal could boast longer tenures in the top flight. In 2012, Coventry were relegated to the third tier in English Football for the first time in 48 years. Coventry’s new stadium, the 32,609-capacity Ricoh Arena, was opened in August 2005, but following a rent dispute with the ground's owners the club opted to play their home games at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium starting in the 2013–14 season, a move which didn’t prove popular with Sky Blues fans. On 21 August 2014, it was announced an agreement had been reached allowing the club to return to the Ricoh Arena for the next two years with the option of another two years. The club’s proudest moment was undoubtedly the 1987 FA Cup final at Wembley, which was won by the Sky Blues thanks to an enthralling 3-2 win after two hours of football. Following Tottenham Hotspur player Gary Mabbutt’s own goal in extra time, which set Coventry on the way to their win, a fanzine was created called GMK – Gary Mabbutt’s Knee! --- Notts County have no new injury problems for Monday's game. Ronan Murray, Curtis Thompson and Taylor McKenzie all remain sidelined for the hosts while Alan Smith and Liam Noble could be in line for a recall. Nick Proschwitz may return for Coventry with Dominic Samuel returning to parent club Reading and Marcus Tudgay injured. Reda Johnson is unlikely to be risked but James Maddison may be on the bench after three months out.

Notts have made it two games unbeaten as they performed admirably against a tough Walsall side at the Banks's Stadium and secure a point in a 0-0 draw. The hosts had the first sniff of goal just two minutes in when Haydn Hollis's mistake allowed Jordan Cook to surge into the area, but despite the one-on-one opportunity, he clipped the ball wide of the post.Notts then threatened as Sean Newton sent a cross the way of Jimmy Spencer, who failed to get his head over the ball to trouble goalkeeper Richard O'Donnell. Walsall enjoyed the bulk of possession in the first half without truly testing Roy Carroll, and seven minutes before the break the Magpies could have taken the lead through Graham Burke's rocket from 25 yards, only for O'Donnell to tip the ball over. The Saddlers continued to push on after the restart and saw Cook head against the post before firing against the woodwork in a frantic two-minute spell. Cook thought he had scored when he saw a header clip the bar and drop onto the line before it was hacked clear, before he was denied again by a superb save by Carroll. Substitute Liam Noble proved a livewire for the visitors as he shot wide of the post shortly after coming on before testing O'Donnell with a low drive. During the attack, Garry Thompson appeared to have been held back by Adam Chambers, prompting penalty calls which were not answered. With the ball still in play, Jordan Williams then let rip with an effort towards goal that took a deflection and went out for a corner. In the final stages of the game, Gary Jones was sent clean through from a Noble pass and tried to beat O'Donnell at his near post, but the Walsall keeper pulled off a smart save to ultimately see the game end goalless.

Notts and Walsall’s fixture history dates back to the 1890s, but there haven’t been that many fixtures despite over a century of head-to-heads. The first game took place on the 20th January 1894 and resulted in a 2-0 win for the Magpies. In total, there have been 63 fixtures between the two sides, and this time, Notts hold the upper edge with 26 wins. The Saddlers have won 21 times, and 16 draws have taken place, with the last game back in November 2014 being won by them 2-1 at Meadow Lane. Walsall were formed as Walsall Town Swifts in 1888 when two local teams, Walsall Town F.C. and Walsall Swifts F.C. merged. The newly formed team’s first match was against Aston Villa, and resulted in a draw Two players from this early era received England caps while at the club: Alf Jones and Albert Aldridge. They remain the only Walsall players to be so honoured. In 1896, the Swifts changed their name to Walsall FC, the name that lives on today. The club's nickname, The Saddlers, reflects Walsall's status as a traditional centre for saddle manufacture. Walsall had Arsenal and England legend Paul Merson on their books a decade ago, as player and player-manager. Sky Sports' Soccer AM have given Walsall the nickname "Warsaw" due to the similarity when pronouncing Walsall and Warsaw. The presenters of Soccer AM often refer to Walsall as "our friends from Poland". In the film Fever Pitch, the day Arsenal were beaten by Walsall in the League Cup Fourth Round in 1984 is mentioned by Mark Strong as Steve during a game of pool with Colin Firth as Paul. Rob Halford from Judas Priest grew in in Walsall, while drum and bass musician and actor Goldie was born in the city. --- Tom Bradshaw is out as he is struggling with a hamstring problem. Romaine Sawyers is back, though, after being on international duty with St Kitts and Nevis last week. Rico Henry has returned to full training after a dislocated shoulder which had left him sidelined since February. Roy Carroll and Paddy McCourt return to the Notts squad following international duty with Northern Ireland. Paul Hart and Mick Halsall drew their first game in charge against Scunthorpe last weekend and may keep an unchanged side. Ronan Murray, Curtis Thompson and Taylor McKenzie are all set to miss out with injury for relegation-threatened Notts.