Joe Jones

22nd March 2014. Mark the date. Today was quite possibly one of the best single match days for all Notts fans. Derby County's 5-0 demolition of the Red Dogs, aside from being an amazing example of schadenfreude over the arrogant neighbours, must have spurred on the Notts players, because they then went out and played like a side chasing promotion, not on the verge of relegation, as they thrashed Carlisle United 4-1 and gave themselves a tiny, infinitesimal glimmer of hope. The match started in a scrappy manner, with the visitors having the game's first chances, courtesy of Brad Potts and Sam Byrne. On the quarter-hour mark, good play by Jimmy Spencer led to the youngster setting up Jamal Campbell-Ryce, the winger's subsequent cross nearly finding Jack Grealish at the back post. Carlisle nearly scored in the 21st minute when they broke quickly following an Alan Sheehan free kick, but the offside flag came up, while on the half-hour mark, Bartosz Bialkowski had to be at his best to thwart Lee Miller. Just a few minutes later, the under-pressure Magpies took the lead thanks to Haydn Hollis, his header sending the Notts fans into raptures. The offside flag rescued the home side once again after another chance by Miller, before Notts then doubled their lead to the delight of the Meadow Lane faithful. The brilliant Spencer held the ball up brilliantly before playing it to Gary Liddle, who then sent a low cross Ronan Murray's way for him to tap home. Caution was the order of the day for everyone involved with Notts, who have let this kind of lead slip one too many times this season, and the home side was nearly beaten from a David Amoo chance. Just after the restart, Hollis, who had only scored his first ever goal for the Magpies earlier on in the game, only went and doubled his personal career tally with an incredible header to put his side 3-0 up. The youngster, surely gunning for a hat-trick, then showed his great defensive credentials by clearing the ball when under pressure from David Symington. James Berrett then pulled a goal back for Carlisle just before the hour, his long-range shot bouncing off the post and beating Bart. However, the Cumbrians weren't about to embark on an amazing final 30 minutes and score a further three goals to break Notts hearts, not this time. The fantastic Liddle, whose presence has been sorely missed this season, scored arguably one of the greatest goals Meadow Lane has seen in recent years with an outstanding overhead kick past Jordan Pickford in the 70th minute. Take a bow, son. With Carlisle completely deflated, Notts were able to register several more chances, but the game would end 4-1. In the grand scheme of things, we have to remember that we are still bottom of League One, five points from safety. Things are still not looking rosy, we still have to keep plugging and repeating performances like today's if we're to survive this horrendous quagmire. But whatever happens, enjoy today, fellow Notts fans. This weekend, Nottingham belongs to the Magpies.

Carlisle United and Notts County have met on just 27 occasions since their first clash back in October 1959, a Fourth Division clash that was won by the Cumbrians 2-0. Out of those, the Magpies have won 15 and lost 9, with just 3 draws. Carlisle United is one of the northernmost clubs in the Football League, just 10 miles from the Scottish border, and one that’s normally mentioned among the most difficult away days – talk of “Carlisle away” is one for the most hardcore fans, especially in midweek. (Newcastle United are further north than Carlisle, however) The Cumbrians have spent a season in the top flight, back in 1974-75, and recorded a double over Everton, as well as home victories over eventual champions Derby County, former titleholders Ipswich Town, Arsenal, Burnley, Tottenham Hotspur and Wolverhampton Wanderers. They were sadly relegated at the end of the season though. Carlisle is the smallest location, by population, to have had a resident top-flight English football club since 1906. Prior to this, Accrington FC, Darwen, Grimsby Town & Glossop North End were smaller. Despite their small stature, the club has experience moderate success with regards to silverware – they have won a Third Division title back in 1965, two Fourth Division championships in 1995 and 2006, and two Football League Trophies, back in 1997 and 2011. They have also Carlisle are famous for one of the most dramatic Great Escape scenarios in all of English football, when on-loan goalkeeper Jimmy Glass scored in the last 10 seconds of their final game of the 1998-99 season against Plymouth Argyle to keep the Cumbrians in the Football League at the expense of Scarborough. Notts County have new loan signing Josh Vela available but are again without centre-half and captain Dean Leacock. Leacock suffered a thigh injury in the defeat against MK Dons earlier this month and is still not fit, so Haydn Hollis is likely to keep his place. Sean O'Hanlon is back in training for Carlisle United, but boss Graham Kavanagh is cautious about the defender's chances. Pascal Chimbonda is unlikely to be fit, while Liam Noble is out for the season.

Another game, another defeat, another nail in the League One coffin. Today's result, a 3-2 defeat away at Tranmere Rovers, means that Notts County remain rock bottom of the table, seven points from safety, and worse still, we have lost eight of the last ten games. Staving off relegation will truly be a miracle at this stage of the season. Shaun Derry lined the Magpies up in a 4-4-2 formation, shuffling things around across the board. Ronan Murray lined up on the left wing, with Jimmy Spencer and Nathan Tyson the two frontmen. Tranmere came out all guns blazing at the start of the game, winning four corner kicks in the space of two and a half minutes, but were unable to fashion anything from these set pieces. In the 10th minute, James Wallace headed wide a fourth corner from Jason Koumas, and just a minute later, Jake Cassidy fired a shot straight at Bartosz Bialkowski. Notts soon took the lead through Murray, as the away side’s first corner wasn’t cleared properly, and the ball fell to the young Irishman who made no mistake with an emphatic strike. The lead lasted for just over 10 minutes, because Notts soon encountered defensive problems of their own, failing to clear a ball that fell to Koumas. The former Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion attacking midfielder duly struck a powerful shot straight into the corner to level proceedings. Just a few minutes later, the game was turned upside down when the home side made the most of some more haphazard defending to take the lead. Ryan Lowe was allowed too much space following a straightforward cross, and the Birkenhead club’s top scorer this season didn’t need to be asked twice, smashing the ball home. More drama ensued when Gary Liddle was fouled in the Tranmere box, the outcome of which was a penalty to Notts. Alan Sheehan, previously flawless from the spot, lined up to take the shot, but this time, there was to be no luck of the Irish as he saw his shot saved by the feet of Owain Fon Williams. Midway through the first half, Murray came close, but once again Fon Williams made a great save, with Jimmy Spencer failing to convert the rebound, while just three minutes later, a desperate scramble in the Notts box saw Murray hack the ball off the line following an Ash Taylor header. The first half ended with Tranmere in the lead. The second half kicked off with some sterling work from Jamal Campbell-Ryce, who played in two great crosses just after the restart, which sadly lacked a finishing touch. Just after the hour, Notts won a free kick near the box, which Sheehan nominated to take. He more than made amends for his earlier penalty miss, because from nearly 30 yards out, he lashed in a simply sensational strike which smashed into the net to pull the score back to 2-2. After the game’s fourth goal, the match opened up immensely, and both teams registered numerous chances in the ensuing stages of the half, a flurry of end-to-end action. In the 32nd minute of the second half, Max Power, who had come on for injured Tranmere skipper James Wallace, unleashed a dangerous shot that stung Bart’s palms, but the ensuing corner was headed wide. Just a few minutes later, Fon Williams spilled a routine JCR cross, but Murray couldn’t make the most of the ensuing opportunity. Disaster then struck in the 84th minute as Steve Jennings tried an ambitious shot from distance. It was struck perfectly, flying into the back of the net and sending the home fans into raptures. 3-2 with just six minutes to go. Notts tried desperately to get something back from the game, but it proved too little too late.

Notts County’s history with Tranmere Rovers goes back 81 years, the first clash between the two coming in January 1933. Playing at Prenton Park – their ground since 1912 – the Birkenhead-based outfit defeated the Magpies 2-1 in the FA Cup. There haven’t been many games between the two over the years – just 43 fixtures overall. The head-to-head is perfectly poised with both sides having won 17 games each, with nine draws. So tomorrow’s not just worth three points –it’s for the overall head-to-head! Our form against Tranmere this millennium is not bad – three wins, three defeats and two draws. We beat them back in September 2-0 so hopefully it bodes well for tomorrow. Our most significant game against Tranmere is undoubtedly the Third Division Playoff Final between us and them at Wembley 24 years ago. Goals from Tommy Johnson and Craig Short saw the Magpies clinch promotion to the second tier through the playoffs on the 27th May 1990, the first of two consecutive promotions. Tranmere reached the League Cup final back in 2000, where they lost against Leicester City. This was the last League Cup to be played at the old Wembley ground. One of the greatest English players of all time, Dixie Dean, made his debut for Tranmere aged 16 years 355 days back in 1924. He went on to play for rivals Everton and scored 60 goals in the 1927-28 season, a record that still stands to this day (he also played for Notts County, don’t you know!). Legendary BBC commentator David Dimbleby is a Tranmere Rovers supporter. Meanwhile, during a gig in 2013, The Cult's lead singer Ian Astbury announced on stage he was a Tranmere Rovers FC supporter at the O2 Academy in Liverpool. It has also been common knowledge among Rovers fans that singer Elvis Costello has also proclaimed to be a fan. Birkenhead Park is acknowledged to be the first publicly funded park in Britain. Tranmere Rovers have failed to win any of their last three games and slipped into the relegation zone in midweek. However, caretaker manager John McMahon will select from the same squad that lost 2-0 at Brentford on Tuesday. Notts County are without injured captain Dean Leacock, and midfielder Gary Liddle is a doubt after picking up a knock in the midweek loss to Milton Keynes Dons. Midfielder Andre Boucaud is unavailable for ‘personal reasons’, but striker Jimmy Spencer returns after suspension.

So close, yet so far, and ultimately so futile. Notts County were stunned in the first two minutes, destroyed by the hour mark, gave themselves a glimmer of hope in the final quarter of the game, then saw their gamble of committing every man to the final third backfire with a last-minute concession. Ultimately, the Magpies fell to a 3-1 defeat at the hands of the Milton Keynes Dons, a loss which now surely renders the chasm between ourselves and safely insurmountable. Shaun Derry was buoyed by the news that his previously injured trio of Gary Liddle, Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya, who played against Leyton Orient on Saturday, were all fit for tonight’s clash. The Magpies were quick off the starting blocks, and saw two great chances in the first 90 seconds as Callum McGregor struck with a powerful long-range effort and forced a corner. Immediately after, Hayden Mullins saw his great volley cannon off against the bar. Before the home fans could get too excited, the perennial sucker-punch came a matter of seconds later. Dele Alli, the England U18 striker, was given too much room at the back, and was able to simply slot the ball past Bartosz Bialkowski for the first goal of the game. With five minutes on the clock, Izale McLeod came close to doubling the Dons’ lead, but this time Bart was able to get a touch on the ball. On-loan striker Nathan Tyson tried his luck after a great through-ball by Mullins, but the former Nottingham Forest man fired wide from 20 yards. This was then followed by another two attempts from McLeod for the opposition. The first half was a frantic affair for both teams, but the Dons had the finer chances, thanks to efforts by Alli, Antony Kay and Daniel Powell, and were it not for Bart’s heroics, the Magpies could have easily been several goals down by the break. One-time Manchester United and England player Alan Smith was also guilty of a dreadful tackle on Liddle midway through the first half, who let’s not forget has only just come back from a lengthy lay-off, but the frontman, who now plies his trade for the League One outfit, received just a yellow card. The Magpies’ resistance came crumbling down in the 55th minute, when the young Alli, once again gifted the opportunity, was able to pretty much pass the ball into the net. Eventually, Notts had a reprieve when Jordan Spence handled the ball inside the Dons box, and Alan Sheehan, ever reliable from the penalty spot, struck a shot into the bottom right corner to put his side within a goal of the opposition. And so it came to injury time, and the Dons conceded a corner. Notts had no choice but to pile all their men, including Bart, forward, but as it is with this final throw of the dice, it can sometimes backfire, and sadly, with the Magpies backline exposed, the away side were able to break and score a third, once again courtesy of Alli. I hate to say it, but based on our form and how much distance there now is between us – at the bottom – and safety, I think that we’re going to be playing in League Two next season. Despite being a not overwhelming five points behind, three of the teams immediately above us have a game in hand. Carlisle have two. And crucially, our form is atrocious - we have lost seven of our last ten games. I would love, nay adore, to be proved wrong come May, but now it really is time to be realistic.

If we take into account that the Milton Keynes Dons began their history in 2004, then Notts County have faced the club just 11 times. The first fixture took place in 2006, which was won by the Dons 3-2. Its predecessor, Wimbledon, was around for over 110 years, but nonetheless, Notts have only played six games against them. A depressing statistic: out of 17 games between the Magpies and both Dons incarnations, we’ve only won once. The Buckinghamshire-based outfit has been the subject of much controversy since its former incarnation, Wimbledon, moved from London to Milton Keynes, discarded its previous history and became the Milton Keynes Dons. Many feel aggrieved that such a move should have taken place. Just two former Wimbledon players are currently plying their trade for the new club: captain Dean Lewington, and goalkeeper David Martin. The town of Milton Keynes has only been around since 1967, and is comically known for its statues of concrete cows and many, many roundabouts (300, or if you count painted bumps, over 1000!). Notts County manager Shaun Derry is expected to name an unchanged team after his starting line-up impressed during the goalless home draw with Leyton Orient, which means that the trio of Gary Liddle. Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya would retain their places after returning from long-term injuries. James Spencer will complete a three-match suspension but Derry has the likes of Tyrell Waite, Ronan Murray, Mark Fotheringham and Haydn Hollis to call on should he want to make any changes. MK Dons do not expect to have any new problems for the clash. Jordan Spence received treatment for an ankle injury for around five minutes during the second half of their victory over Swindon on Saturday, but the defender completed the game at the County Ground and should be fit for tomorrow. Larnell Cole's withdrawal at half time against the Robins was thought to be tactical and the midfielder should also be in the squad. Mark Randall may be an addition to the away team tomorrow. The former Arsenal youngster has been training with the Dons and has agreed a deal with his hometown club until the end of the season.

Well, I hate to be a killjoy, but in the grand scheme of things, today's draw is a mere drop in the ocean with regards with what we need to do in order to secure League One status for next season, but nevertheless, it was a very good performance from Notts County to secure a hard-fought 0-0 draw against promotion-chasing Leyton Orient today at Meadow Lane. New arrival Nathan Tyson was put straight into the Magpies' starting XI, but as big a coup as it was to have the former Nottingham Forest and Derby County man in our squad, it paled in relative insignificance compared to having key man Gary Liddle back to fitness and in the team. Defenders Dean Leacock and Mustapha Dumbuya also returned to the squad after their own injury troubles, and the black and white outfit certainly benefited from the returning trio's presence on the pitch, as they more than matched the dangerous Waltham Forest outfit. As early as the first minute, Tyson marauded into the opposition's box and attempted a shot, which was blocked by Scott Cuthbert. Shaun Derry’s side continued to pour forward in search of an early goal which would have given them an early advantage as Liddle’s near post drive led to a fine save from away goalkeeper Eldin Jakupovic. Orient were struggling to stem the tide, with Alan Sheehan subsequently firing a shot just wide from 25 yards. Gradually they began to claw their way back into the game, Chris Dagnall seeing a shot saved by Bartosz Bialkowski, but Notts soon piled forward again, as McGregor lashed a dangerous volley which landed just over from long range. In the opening stages of the second half, the home side threatened first when Jamal Campbell-Ryce cut inside into space and fired wide of far post. Sheehan later found Tyson on the left-hand side, the on-loan Blackpool player unlucky not to see his ball find McGregor. Just before the hour, Orient had a dangerous spell of play as Lloyd James attempted a dangerous long-range effort, before Romain Vincelot’s curled delivery from the left wing forced a good save out of Bart. Nine minutes later, Tyson picked out JCR with a pinpoint cross, which was met by a downward volley which only just missed the target, and towards the end of the match, Liddle very nearly secured himself legendary status by nearly scoring from a JCR pass. The O's were under the cosh for the majority of the game, and were this a boxing match, the points would have surely been given to Notts (then again, with the referees we've had this season...). Sadly, as it was a football match, the outcome of the match, a draw and an even share of the points, isn't an ideal result in the grand scheme of things, but nevertheless, the performance made for an enjoyable afternoon for the home faithful, and, especially after last week's horror show, lifted some of the dark clouds away from the club, if only for this one weekend.

The first time that Notts County faced Leyton Orient was 101 years ago, when the Magpies travel to Millfields Road for a Division Two fixture. The East London outfit won 1-0. A total of 73 fixtures have taken place between the two, with the Nottingham outfit holding the upper hand historically - but only just. 29 games have been won by the Magpies, with 26 O's wins and just 18 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. The big news for Notts County with regards to playing staff is that sidelined trio Dean Leacock, Gary Liddle and Mustapha Dumbuya could all return to action tomorrow. Meanwhile, new loan signing Nathan Tyson, who used to play across the Trent, is earmarked for a start. Leyton Orient will check on captain Nathan Clarke and fellow defender Mathieu Baudry, who have knee and hamstring injuries. Forwards Shaun Batt and David Mooney will also be assessed. Goalkeeper Jamie Jones is some way off a comeback with a back injury, while fellow stopper Ben Alnwick is absent on medical grounds. Orient manager Russell Slade began his coaching career at Notts County, spending time as caretaker manager in 1994-95 and serving as a coach under Mick Walker and Howard Kendall at Meadow Lane.

Frankly, I would be surprised if anyone actually decided to take the time to read the following match report, but for those of you who for some reason have decided to open this link and actually read about one of the worst results in the club's recent history, I will try and make it somewhat easier for you to read by keeping it concise and being brutally honest. Today was shocking and embarrassing beyond belief. Notts County went to Rotherham United and weren't just beaten, not even thrashed, but outright demolished by a score of six goals to nil. With striker Jimmy Spencer suspended, on-loan Crystal Palace forward Kwesi Appiah made his first start for the Magpies up front. Jack Grealish dropped out of the starting line-up and was replaced by Mark Fotheringham. Notts adapted a diamond formation that saw Fotheringham join Hayden Mullins and Andre Boucaud to pack out the centre of midfield. Meanwhile, Callum McGregor lined up in an attacking midfield role behind a front two of Appiah and Jamal Campbell-Ryce. Enoch Showunmi had left a day earlier to go on loan to Torquay United, yet another departure, and the lack of experience on the bench was telling. The first serious chance actually fell to Notts when McGregor found JCR in the area, but the former Miller's resulting ball across the goal was just too heavy for Appiah. After that effort, Rotherham began running riot. Their first goal was a tad controversial, to be fair, as a Kieron Freeman tackle on Kieran Agard resulted in a free kick for the home side in the 11th minute. James Tavernier made no mistake from the dead ball. The Millers soon made it 2-0 when Haris Vuckic’s shot in the 16th minute took a heavy deflection to deceive Bartosz Bialkowski and trickled over the line. The shellshocked Magpies would soon be picking the ball out of their own net for a third time just 10 minutes later, when Andre Boucaud was caught out in his own defensive area. Alex Revell seized possession from him and proceeded to drive a low shot beyond Bart into the bottom corner. And before half an hour had even passed, Rotherham were 4-0 up, thanks to Bart's foul on Agard which led to a penalty. The Pole was lucky not to have been sent off, to be fair, but nevertheless, the Millers striker blasted a shot high into the centre of the goal to pile extra misery on the Notts players and fans. Fast-forward to the second half, and Vuckic soon grabbed his second of the game on the hour as he cut inside from the right-hand side and his deflected shot curled into the top corner. Goal number six then came just seven minutes before the end, when Tom Hitchcock was able to tap the ball in from close distance. The Notts away following, which began the game in high numbers and spirits, was a mere shadow of itself by the 90th minute, much like Notts County have been for most of the season. Some of the Rotherham fans were singing "We want seven! We want seven!". The majority, however, were almost embarrassed, feeling guilty and sheepish about having delivered the footballing equivalent of a public execution. There was no passion, no enthusiasm, no structure... today could very well be the day when Notts County waved the white flag and gave up on their League One status. Combined with other results - namely, the other teams in the relegation zone doing well - Notts are now rock bottom of League One once again after a six-goal defeat, five points from safety, with some teams above us having two or even three games in hand, and with just 12 games left for us in the season. We need a miracle.

Notts County’s history with Rotherham United stretches back just over 60 years, the Magpies losing 2-0 against the Millers at Millmoor on the 17th of November 1951. However, Notts played the current club’s predecessor, Rotherham Town, all the way back in 1893, and our fans will be glad to know that the Magpies won that first clash by two goals to nil. The man widely regarded as the first black professional footballer, Arthur Wharton, played for the club, whose first incarnation was “Lunar Rovers”, from 1889 to 1894. Historically, Notts have fared better in the head-to-head statistics, winning 18 games, drawing 13 and losing 15 against the Millers. But on the flip side, our last eight fixtures against the South Yorkshire club have ended in five defeats (including that horror show in the FA Cup at home last season), two draws and just one win. Rotherham United’s best days came in the early to mid-2000s, when they played in Division One (second tier of English football at this point in time), recording wins against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and West Ham United. They also spent the majority of the 2002-03 season in the play-offs, but tailed off towards the end of the season. Over the years, the Millers have got their hands on several trophies – they were third tier champions in 1951 and 1981, and fourth tier champions in 1989. They also won the Football League Trophy in 1996, and reached the first ever final of the League Cup in 1961. Plenty of players have turned out for both clubs, including Les Bradd, Steve Cherry, Julien Baudet, Jonathan Forte, Gary Martindale, Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Kevin Pilkington. Rotherham’s most famous sons include Gordon Banks, David Seaman, Howard Webb, William Hague MP, Dean Andrews (Life on Mars actor) and the Chuckle Brothers. Meanwhile, Top Gear’s James May went to school in Rotherham. Rotherham United have a doubt over Wes Thomas, who is nursing a thigh injury, but the striker should feature as the Millers look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches. Notts are without striker Jimmy Spencer who is suspended after being sent off in the home defeat against Shrewsbury Town last Saturday. Enoch Showunmi, Kwesi Appiah and Ronan Murray are all possible replacements. Elsewhere on the pitch, Mustapha Dumbuya, Dean Leacock striker Callum Ball are not likely to return.

Many notable players have turned out for Notts County over the years. Some, who turned out for the club in the decades following its creation have been virtually committed to folklore, with the occasional grainy black-and-white photo. The club's longest-ever serving player, early 20th century goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, falls into this category. Some, like post-war prodigy Tommy Lawton, may be remembered by the likes of our grandparents or parents. The further we go through the decades, the more likely it is that the younger generations may have a recollection of them, either through our older relatives or first-person. In terms of recent players, that is, those who have played for Notts County in the 21st century, there are few more lauded by fans than the man I'm writing about now. You ask a few dozen twenty-something and thirty-something Notts fans about who their favourite player is, and chances are, a sizeable amount will say "Mark Stallard". Stallard was born in Derby in October 1974, and began his career with local team Derby County, signing schoolboy terms in 1991. During those fledgling years, he made over 30 appearances for the Rams, as well as being sent out to gain experience at Fulham and Bradford City. He was on Derby’s books until January 1996, when the Baseball Ground outfit – the club moved to Pride Park the following year – accepted a bid from the Bantams in the region of £110,000 for the then 21-year-old striker. Stallard etched himself into the Bradford fans’ hearts when he scored the second goal in the club’s Second Division play-off final victory against Notts County of all teams, just four months after joining the Valley Parade outfit. With the Yorkshire club in the First Division, Stallard spent some time on loan at Preston North End, before being sold to Wycombe Wanderers, then of the Second Division, in March 1997. His time with the Chairboys was fruitful, netting on average a goal every three games in the league. Eventually came his move to the mighty Magpies in the spring of 1999 for the princely sum of £10,000, and though the club was going through some tumultuous times, Stallard remained a shining beacon of light throughout his entire spell at Meadow Lane, scoring 67 goals during his five years with Notts. His manager at Meadow Lane, Billy Dearden, said Stallard helped the club through some dark times. "We went into administration for 18 months, and it was only because of people like Stallard that we kept going," he told the BBC. "He was a top man to work with. He was a very good trainer, and most importantly, he was a goalscorer. He could have probably played at an even higher level." Stallard was rewarded for his exploits at Meadow Lane by being named the club’s player of the year and players' player of the year in 2003, after scoring 25 goals as Notts battled against relegation and financial adversity during the difficult 2002–03 season. Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so too did Stallard’s stay at Notts County, as he decided to up sticks and move to Barnsley. Things didn’t quite work out for the striker at Oakwell; after 15 appearances, he was allowed to go on loan to Chesterfield, before making a return to Meadow Lane in February 2005. After his second spell at Notts came to an end, Stallard moved to Shrewsbury Town at the start of the 2005-06 season, and stayed there for a year, before again upping sticks for another return to the East Midlands, this time with Lincoln City, where he hooked up with former youth teammate Adie Moses. His time at Sincil Bank was fruitful, the first few months yielding seven goals and yielding the striker the League Two Player of the Month award for September 2006. Stallard spent two years with the Imps, scoring 17 goals in 66 league appearances, but with his second season being affected by injuries and suspensions, he was let go by the club at the end of the 2007-08 season. He decided to remain in the East Midlands alongside Moses as they hooked up with Mansfield Town, and for a short period of time, the duo were made caretaker managers of the Conference club and maintained a 100% record of two wins in two games. Stallard then moved to Corby Town at the end of his contract with Mansfield, after being impressed by the club's ambition, but with the striker looking to forge a career in financial advising – a shrewd investment considering his footballing career was in its twilight he decided to leave the Northamptonshire outfit, citing an unwillingness to draw a wage from the club if he could no longer produce his best football for the team. It proved to be a gesture that drew praise from the Blue Square North side's manager Graham Drury, who said: "I wish I could work with more people as honest and professional as Mark Stallard.” And in one short sentence, Drury described Stallard’s career in a nutshell. An honest, hard-working, professional, skilled player, one who played his best football for Notts County and kept the club smiling during testing times. Luckily for the Notts faithful, Stallard continues to be heavily involved with the Magpies, co-commentating on the club's matches for BBC Radio Nottingham alongside Charlie Slater, having previously done so with the legendary Colin Slater, and regularly offering his footballing services for charity games linked with the club and around the East Midlands. His day job, meanwhile, sees him managing his own financial advice firm. Mark Stallard, you are a Notts County legend, and a proud inductee of Pride of Nottingham’s Notts Alumni! Discuss Mark Stallard's career and any memories you have of him by signing up to Pride of Nottingham, visiting the forum, and joining the conversation.

Today has to go down as one of the most painful defeats we've suffered in recent months. Against a team we were more than capable of defeating, we raced into a 2-0 lead within the first 15 minutes. And then we go on to concede a goal, get a man sent off in dubious circumstances, and lose the game. The worst thing? This isn't first time something like this has happened this calendar year. Although rather than taking place away (London Road to be exact), this horror show took place in front of our own fans. So, just to confirm, Notts County have today squandered a two-goal lead as the club's League One survival hopes suffer yet another blow with a 3-2 defeat to Shrewsbury Town. The Magpies scored the first goal when Kieron Freeman lashed a cross into the Shrews box on eight minutes, which was delicately finished by Jack Grealish from close range. Five minutes later, the on-loan Aston Villa youngster won a penalty when he was brought down by Tamika Mkandawire. Alan Sheehan fired his shot down the middle to double his side's lead. After taking such a commanding lead so early in the game, any team has to be careful not to get complacent and consider their work done, and Notts sadly failed to do this. Just after the half-hour mark, Jon Taylor was able to latch onto Tom Eaves' cross to slot past Bartosz Bialkowski and pull a goal back for Shrewsbury. Two minutes before the break came the game-changer as referee Seb Stockbridge decided to show a straight red card to Jimmy Spencer for an apparent elbow against Connor Goldson. Once again, Notts were down to ten men. As luck would have it, Kwesi Appiah, who came on for Callum McGregor in the second half, was then injured by a flailing Goldson arm. Was the Shrews player also sent off? Ha! Don't be daft. On 66 minutes, the visitors were level when Taylor looped a finish from just inside the Notts box beyond Bart, and just three minutes later, the collapse was well and truly complete for the beleaguered Magpies when David McAllister nudged the ball home, courtesy of a scrappy, improvised finish. The game ended 3-2 to the visitors and, for Shaun Derry's men, it was a fifth defeat in their last six outings as they dropped to 23rd place in League One, a defeat in a game we should have won and desperately needed to win.

Notts County and Shrewbury Town don’t go very far back, as the Shropshire outfit spent the majority of its early history in the lower leagues. They were promoted into the Football League Third Division North in 1950, and first met the Magpies in the 1960-61 season. Sadly, it wasn’t a very good day for Notts, because, away at Gay Meadow, we got beaten 4-0 by the Shrews! The two teams, however, have met quite regularly in recent years – since that first fixture between the two, they've faced off 44 times. The Shrews currently hold the ever so slight upper edge, with 15 wins and 16 draws, while Notts have won 13 games. Since 2005, Notts have played Shrewsbury every season bar 2010/11 and 2011/12. The longest period between meetings is eight years, between 21st December 1963 and 11th September 1971. The Shrewsbury v Notts game on the 17th April 1990 is believed to have been the genesis of the renowned “I Had A Wheelbarrow” chant. Shrewsbury were winning 2-0 and began singing a traditional American folk song, On Top Of Old Smoky, in celebration. This was sung in such a strong West Country accent that the Notts fans began singing back jokingly what they believed it sounded like, which was “I had a wheelbarrow, the wheel fell off”. Notts then pulled two goals back in the last ten minutes, and as such the chant was seen as a source of good luck, being sung by Notts fans ever since. Until 1995, some English teams from cities not far from the Welsh border could play in the Welsh Cup, but winners would have to concede the subsequent European Cup Winners’ Cup place to the best-placed Welsh side as per league and European rules. As a result, Shrewsbury have a rather healthy trophy cabinet, having won the competition six times - 1985 was their last trophy victory - and finishing as runners-up thrice, making them the most successful non-Welsh side ever to compete in the Welsh cup! Shrewsbury are known for one of the greatest giant killings of all time, as they defeated Premier League Everton in the FA Cup in January 2003. The Shropshire side, in Division 3 and free-falling towards relegation out of the Football League, beat the top tier side 2-1, no small feat against a team who, just a few months prior, broke a rampant Arsenal’s 30 game unbeaten run, courtesy of a young 16-year old prodigy by the name of Wayne Rooney. The town of Shrewsbury has helped cultivate two of the greatest minds in British history. Charles Darwin was born and bred in Shrewsbury, while Charles Dickens spent plenty of time in the town, having been fond of the Lion Hotel and performing his one-man shows at Shrewsbury’s Music Hall. Footballers who have plied their trade for both clubs, either as footballer or as manager, include Richie Barker, Glynn Hurst, Lee Canoville, Luke Rodgers and Mark Stallard. Notts will have Kwesi Appiah available for tomorrow's League One clash at Meadow Lane after the striker extended his loan from Crystal Palace until the 22nd of March. Mustapha Dumbuya is back in training after a thigh injury, but Dean Leacock and Callum Ball remain sidelined. Shrewsbury's Tom Bradshaw misses the first game of what could be several weeks out with a knee injury. Joe Jacobson will assessed before kick-off, as will Luke Summerfield and Aaron Wildig.

Well, it was always going to be a difficult game, away at a team that was plying its trade in the Premier League two years ago, but one can't help but feel a little deflated after today's display, as Notts County came crashing to a 2-0 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers, thanks to a brace from midfielder Michael Jacobs, whose goals came either side of half time. Shaun Derry named an unchanged starting line-up following the 3-0 victory against Coventry City last week, with the only change coming on the bench, as youngster Ronan Murray, back from suspension, came in place of Curtis Thompson. Wolves had the better of a scrappy opening period, and their first attempt on goal came in the 12th minute as Nouha Dicko cut in from the right and curled a left-footed shot just off target. The same player came close again two minutes later after some good build-up play. On the quarter-hour mark, however, Bakary Sako was able to pick out Scott Golbourne on the overlap and the left-back’s cross was nodded home at close range by the unmarked Jacobs. Wolves continued to dominate after their opener, Sako’s powerful effort from a tight angle having to be turned around the post by Bartosz Bialkowski. County nearly pulled one back midway through the first half, as James Spencer picked out Callum McGregor in the box with a fine ball, but the County youngster poked his shot just wide. Wolves were soon back on the attack as Sako’s powerful shot was parried by Bart, Alan Sheehan having to make a frantic clearance from the rebound. The Molineux outfit were 2-0 up just before the hour, as Richard Stearman strode forward into the final third and squared a ball for Jacobs. The 22-year-old proceeded to bend home a 25-yard shot that squirmed past Bart. It could easily have been 3-0 moments later when Jacobs’ through-ball sent James Henry racing clear but the Polish shot-stopper made a smart save in a one-on-one. The home side kept threatening and consolidating their dominance throughout the rest of the game, but with 11 minutes of the game left, Notts missed a great chance to pull a goal back when Jack Grealish headed over from Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s cross. The Magpies are now back in the relegation zone.

Notts County and Wolverhampton Wanderers have a long history of facing each other. The first fixture came all the way back in January 1889 (about a century before I was born! –JJ), with the Magpies securing an emphatic 3-0 win. Over the years, County’s record hasn’t quite lived up to the standard of the first game. We’ve won 23 games, but lost 37. Out of the 83 fixtures that have taken place over the years, 21 have ended in a draw. Wolves have played Notts three times since the turn of the century: On the 21st September 2010 in the Carling Cup, where Wolves won 4-2, just over four months ago, on the 8th October 2013, in the Johnston's Paint Trophy, where Notts won on penalties after a 0-0 draw, and in League One a month later, in November, where we lost 1-0. Prior to the 2010 clash, you have to go back all the way to 1994 for the last encounter between these two: a 1-0 defeat in Division 1 (back then this was the second tier). That's nothing, however. The longest period of time between Notts and Wolves facing off is from January 1935 to November 1976 - a huge 41 years! To put that into perspective, Elvis Presley was four days old at the time of the 1935 fixture, while the 1976 fixture was just nine months before his untimely passing. Wolves became founder members of the Football League in 1888, and finishing 3rd in the inaugural season as well as reaching the FA Cup final (where they lost 3-0 to the Preston North End). Wolves were the first club to score to 7000 League goals - Wolves achieved this when Seol Ki-Hyeon scored in the 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace on the 10th December 2006. The Black Country side suffered the ignominy of successive relegations, tumbling out of the Premier League during the 2011-12 season and then finishing in the Championship bottom three in 2012-13. Wolves boast three top-flight titles, four FA Cups and two League Cups, in addition to four Charity/Community Shields. That places them on a par with Newcastle United (13) and just under Manchester City (15) in terms of total trophies won in their history. Wolves keeper Carl Ikeme is fit to challenge Aaron McCarey for a place between the sticks after six weeks out with a broken hand. Kenny Jackett's outfit, second in League One after four straight victories, play for the first time in a fortnight following last Saturday's postponement at Stevenage. Wolves midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who is out of favour at Molineux, has been allowed to travel to the United States to undertake a three-week training programme in Los Angeles. Notts are still without Dean Leacock, who is struggling with a calf and thigh injury, but striker Ronan Murray is back after suspension. The Pies have not won a league game at Molineux since 1991, but we did win on our last visit in October when the boys in black and white knocked the beleaguered Black Country club out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy 3-1 on penalties.

Another match day, another turn of events. Just when it seemed that we were perilously edging back towards the drop zone, comes another great performance, another great result, and another reassessment of our chances of surviving the drop. Notts County comprehensively beat Coventry City this afternoon, as goals from Hayden Mullins, Jimmy Spencer and Alan Sheehan secured a fantastic 3-0 win. Shaun Derry gave Spencer his full debut less than a week after signing from Huddersfield Town, as he replaced the big man Enoch Showunmi in attack. Meanwhile Mullins, who had made his first County appearance off the bench against Preston North End, lined up in the starting XI in place of Mark Fotheringham. And despite Kevin Pilkington's immense performance between the sticks in last week's defeat at Preston North End, Bartosz Bialkowski was restored as the Magpies' Numero Uno. The club paid tribute to former Notts legend Tony Hateley, who sadly passed away a week ago at the age of 72, by staging a minute's applause before the game. Once proceedings got underway, the Sky Blues had the first chance of the game, as on-loan forward Nathan Delfouneso struck a shot that whizzed past the Notts post. The Pies hit back with a free kick from Callum McGregor that flew high above Joe Murphy. Just before the quarter-hour mark, however, Notts were in the lead, thanks to a great run and cross from Jamal Campbell-Ryce that was met by the head of Birmingham City loanee Mullins. His goal sent the home stands into raptures. Sheehan very nearly scored a few minutes later, but Murphy made a good save to thwart the left-back, before denying Manny Smith twice in quick succession. Just after the half-hour mark, Notts doubled their lead courtesy of a simply fantastic strike from Spencer. The 22-year-old, let go by the Terriers on Transfer Deadline Day, certainly gave his former employers some food for thought after he won the ball in the final third, before striking a sumptuous 30-yard howitzer into the top-right corner. Kieron Freeman and McGregor could have scored more goals before half time, but Coventry did just enough to keep the score down to 2-0. The Sky Blues made two changes at the break, highlighting their desperation, but Notts weren't to do a Peterborough this time, and in fact increased their lead when JCR was fouled in the Coventry box three minutes before the end. Sheehan stepped up and, making amends for his earlier miss, struck a great penalty to take the scoreline past "respectable" into "thrashing". We've now stuck our heads just out of the relegation mire again, but with the sides below us having several games in hand, we've got to home that they don't make the most of the potential points up for grabs. Notts currently occupy 19th place in the League One table, but are a solitary point above Sheffield United in 21st.

Football is a sport of many styles, many methods, many tactics, many demographics. It’s one of the most inclusive sports in the world, which adds to its global appeal. You can carve out a career if you’re a skinny 5’5’’ tactician and you can become a star if you’re a 6’6’’ giant built like a brick outhouse. You can be elegant and refined, or you can be uncompromising and sturdy. Lionel Messi, Nobby Styles, Yaya Toure and Peter Crouch have all been capped multiple times for their respective international teams despite widely differing heights, builds and styles of play. Brian Kilcline, English centre-back and former Notts County and Coventry legend, was able to get his hands on top-level silverware and forged a highly successful career in the English game, thanks to his tough, uncompromising style, which spread to his appearance – his long hair and beard, combined with his demeanour and passion, ensured that opposition players knew he wasn’t one to mess with. Born on 7 May 1962, Kilcline began his footballing career with Notts County at the tender age of 16 after being scouted for South Notts Schoolboys, when he signed associate schoolboy forms in 1978. He got arguably the best birthday present a young aspiring footballer could hope for when he signed a professional contract in 1980, though he already had senior team experience by this point. He made his professional debut for Notts nine months earlier against Torquay United in the League Cup, before appearing in the league against Bristol Rovers a month later. Kilcline made 184 League and Cup appearances, and was a key player in the squad that took Notts into the First Division in 1981. A strong, uncompromising defender with a Neanderthalesque appearance, he was the bane of opposition frontlines. In the summer of 1984, Notts were relegated from the First Division, but Kilcline had the chance to remain in the top flight when Coventry City enquired about the tough tackler. The Sky Blues paid the Magpies £60,000 to secure Killer’s services, putting an end to his time at Meadow Lane. Over at Highfield Road, Kilcline showed the same commitment and skills that served him so well at NG2, and was eventually made captain of the side. Arguably his greatest moment in a Coventry jersey came 30 years ago, in 1987, when he led the Sky Blues out at Wembley in the FA Cup final, against highly fancied Tottenham Hotspur. During the game, which finished 2-2 in normal time, such was his eagerness and drive that he ended up receiving an injury after a tackle on opposition player Gary Mabbutt and had to be substituted before the end of the regulation 90 minutes. According to an interview, he ended up suffering from a blood clot in his leg and, despite it being a sunny day, he “watched extra-time through thick fog because I was sat beside our two doctors, who were chain smoking to calm their nerves”. Mabbutt then scored the winner… for Coventry, that is, as he kneed the ball into his own net in the 95th minute. The underdogs then weathered the subsequent Spurs attacks to secure a 3-2 win and, crucially, the fabled, precious FA Cup. Despite his injury, Kilcline was able to slowly hobble up the famous Wembley step to receive the trophy for the first time in Coventry's history. Killer recalled an amusing anecdote about the aftermath of the game to The Mirror, where he had to spend time in hospital and wasn’t able to celebrate the cup win. “We came back to Coventry, showed off the Cup, and I was straight out of the back door at the town hall and off to hospital. All the lads went on an end-of-season trip to Magaluf except me. “There was no get well-soon card, just a gloating phone call from Dave Bennett and Cyrille Regis to say what a brilliant time they were having. I thought: 'You jammy b******s, I'm not having this' - so I flew out three days later and did my own exhaustive research of Magaluf's licensed premises!” Oldham Athletic came in for Kilcline in the summer of 1991, paying Coventry a fee of £400,000. However, his time at Boundary Park didn’t work out, so he found himself upping sticks when former England legend Kevin Keegan, now manager of Newcastle United, enquired about his services. Killer duly became Kleine Kevin’s first signing with the (other) Magpies. During five years at St James' Park, he captained Newcastle to the First Division title in 1993. Keegan later remarked that Kilcline was the most important signing he had ever made for the club. This was echoed by fans, who considered him partially responsible for saving the club from relegation and possible bankruptcy. During the 1993-94 season, he briefly played for Swindon Town in the Premier -League, before returning to Nottinghamshire for a two-year spell with Mansfield Town, where he made 50 appearances. His final season was that of 1997-98, where he had a brief spell with eventual Conference champions Halifax Town, before hanging up his boots. According to The Mirror, Kilcline went backpacking around the world with his wife once his career wound down, then spent time with National Express as an ambassador and became involved in property renovation in Britain and overseas. With 2017 signaling the 30-year anniversary of Kilcline lifting the FA Cup, the tall, eccentric now-55-year-old was interviewed by the Guardian in March, where he divulged several new anecdotes, including living on a boat, getting married the day after the Swindon Town Christmas night out, where he was found worse for wear outside the town's train station, taking wedding pictures in a graveyard, arm-wrestling Kanu, and setting up home in Holmfirth where he lives with his wife Lynn. And in true Killer spirit, he shares the house with an eight-foot dragon and a mermaid. Share your thoughts about this Notts Alumni feature about Brian Kilcline on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.

There haven’t been many fixtures between Notts County and Coventry City, in all fairness: just 35 in the last 94 years. The first took place on the 6th November 1920, the Meadow Lane match ending in a 1-1 draw. 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 – 17 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 hasn’t proved popular with Sky Blues fans. The club’s proudest moment was undoubtedly the 1987 FA Cup final at Wembley, which was won by the Sky Blues after an enthralling 3-2 win after two hours of football. None other than Notts County old boy Brian Kilcline, who will be present tomorrow at Meadow Lane, held aloft the famous trophy! Following Tottenham Hotspur player Gary Mabbutt’s own goal in extra time, which set Coventry on the way to their FA Cup final win, a fanzine was created called GMK – Gary Mabbutt’s Knee! Notts County are without Callum Ball, who recently suffered an ankle ligaments injury, for six weeks, while fellow striker Ronan Murray is suspended so new boy James Spencer may start. Bartosz Bialkowski missed the game at Preston but should be fine to replace goalkeeping coach Kevin Pilkington on Saturday. Left-back Gareth Roberts and midfielder Hayden Mullins made their debuts during the 2-0 defeat to Preston last weekend. Mullins, on loan from Birmingham, came on as a substitute at Deepdale and will hope to be involved from the start on Saturday. Dylan McGeouch will hope to finally make his debut for Coventry away at Notts County. The midfielder arrived on loan from Celtic ahead of the close of the January transfer window but saw last weekend's clash against Walsall fall victim to a waterlogged pitch before missing Tuesday's 2-1 victory at Bristol City due to illness. Fellow new arrivals Nathan Delfouneso and Mark Marshall made their bows at Ashton Gate, although striker Rory Donnelly returned to parent club Swansea for personal reasons before pulling on a City shirt. Long-term absentee Callum Wilson remains sidelined with his shoulder injury.

Well, where do we start? An amazing performance by Kevin Pilkington, but a pretty mediocre performance by Notts County, as we went down 2-0 to Preston North End today at Deepdale. The goals were scored by Craig Davies and Joe Garner - a contentious penalty - but were it not for Pilks's sterling performance, it could have been much worse. Shaun Derry was forced to pick the Notts goalkeeping coach today as Bartosz Bialkowski was unavailable through illness, while regular stand-in Fabian Spiess was still sidelined with a hand injury. As a result, the 39-year-old took place between the posts, while youth teamer Harry Andrews was on the subs' bench. In addition, Gareth Roberts took place in the starting XI today, at left-back, while Alan Sheehan shifted into central defence as a replacement for Dean Leacock. Following Andre Boucaud’s trip on Garner in the very first minute, a dangerous free-kick from Paul Gallagher was pushed clear by Pilks. At the other end, Jamal Campbell-Ryce burst down the flank before setting up Callum McGregor. The young Scot couldn't find Jack Grealish though. A few minutes later, McGregor was able to set up Mark Fotheringham, but his shot was then deflected wide for a corner. On the quarter-hour mark, The ball fell to Davies, who cracked off a volley from 20 yards on the turn. Pilks then pulled off a stunning save to thwart the Preston man, while two minutes later, Enoch Showunmi's thumping header cleared the bar by inches. Midway through the first half, ex-Forest man Garner got his head onto a cross from John Welsh, but his effort was just off target. The Magpies were then able to launch a quick counter-attack and nearly scored through Grealish, his effort swerving away from goal. A few minutes before half-time, Fotheringham nearly drew first blood for the away side through a deflected shot, but his effort, which wrong-footed Preston keeper Declan Rudd, went just wide and into the side netting. After the break, Preston came back with intent, and very nearly scored if not for Welsh defender Roberts's timely last-gasp interventions. Midway through the second half, North End broke the deadlock. Neil Kilkenny fed the ball to Davies, who was then given the space and time to turn towards goal before sending a shot soaring into the top-right corner. Pilks had no chance with that one. To make matters worse, the home side doubled their lead within seven minutes. A penalty was gifted to Preston for a foul on Davies, despite the tackle being made outside of the Notts box. Sadly, when a referee tells you that a red flower is a yellow flower, it's a yellow flower. Garner stepped up and converted the penalty for his 14th goal of the season, as well as giving Preston an insurmountable two-goal lead. The game finished 2-0, and, well, we're right back in the mire.

These two clubs, two of the oldest in the country (and by extension, the world) go back over 125 years. The first fixture between the two took place in November 1888, when Preston 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", a feat which remained unbroken until 2003-04 when Arsenal also went the whole season without losing. So really, Notts being thumped so heartily wasn't quite such a worrying thing! 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 86 times, and sadly (for us Notts fans) the Lilywhites have the upper hand by quite a significant margin. They're won 40 times, while the Magpies have won 23 games. 23 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, we've clashed seven times, and between the two teams, a mere five goals have been scored. 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. Preston have Neil Kilkenny available for tomorrow's game. The midfielder, who penned a permanent deal with North End at the start of January, was sent off against Bradford in midweek and was due to serve a three-game ban before the FA overturned the decision on Thursday. Striker Kevin Davies, meanwhile, will complete a three-match suspension of his own, but will return for the FA Cup replay with Nottingham Forest next Wednesday. Otherwise, Lilywhites boss Simon Grayson has a full squad to choose from with the likes of Keith Keane, Chris Humphrey and Lee Holmes ready to replace Kilkenny. Notts County have no new problems ahead of the trip to Preston and manager Shaun Derry will select from an unchanged squad. After seeing his side thrashed 5-1 at home by Walsall last weekend Derry must decide whether to give those players a chance to redeem themselves or make changes at Deepdale. The likes of Kwesi Appiah, Curtis Thompson, Greg Tempest, Haydn Hollis and Callum Ball are waiting in the wings should Derry opt to freshen things up. Forward Ronan Murray will serve the second game of his three-match suspension while Mustapha Dumbuya and Gary Liddle remain out injured. The new boys, Gareth Roberts and Hayden Mullins, will also be eager to make their Notts debuts.

Well, here we go again. So much for progress. After a brave but ultimately fruitless effort in midweek against Peterborough United, today was a case of reverting back to the hapless, embarrassing displays of the first half of the season, as Notts capitulated 5-1 to Walsall in front of a home crowd. The Magpies were boosted by the return of Callum McGregor, who had been so effective in 2013 for the boys in black and white. He lined up just behind striker Enoch Showunmi in place of the suspended Ronan Murray, with wingers Jack Grealish and Jamal Campbell-Ryce either side. The first ten minutes were quite even, Walsall's Sam Mantom getting a shot in after two minutes, but McGregor replying with a great attempt not long after. This impasse would be broken in the 24th minute, as former Notts player Craig Westcarr spotted Febian Brandy’s forward run with an incisive through-pass. Brandy, another former Magpie, simply rounded Bartosz Bialkowski with his first touch and placed the ball into an empty net. Less than 10 minutes later, Brandy scored his second, after Notts were caught out following on from a corner. Milan Lalkovic beat Kieron Freeman and lashed a ball through to the Saddlers striker, who fired a shot into the top-left corner. On the stroke of half-time, Brandy proceeded to seal his hat-trick, as another great Westcarr cross-chip fell to his teammate, who duly finished with his head. 3-0 at half time. Things didn't get better after the restart, as a free kick taken by Sam Mantom fell to the unmarked Andy Butler, who had an easy header into Notts net. Not even an hour on the clock and Walsall were 5-0 up, as Westcarr, ever the tormentor, grabbed a goal for himself against his former club, a simple route one strike following a long punt from the Walsall keeper. The only positive from Notts was a stunning free kick from McGregor just after the hour, a scant consolation after having been thoroughly eviscerated. Walsall have scored five or more goals away from home today for the first time since 1997 – a 7-0 FA Cup win at Macclesfield. Meanwhile, Notts have conceded nine goals in two games and currently sit in 18th. Don't let that fool you - we're only a point clear of the relegation zone, and have played the most games in the division (29). Four of the six sides below us have THREE games in hand. Today's storms over Meadow Lane look set to stay for a lot longer.

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 62 fixtures between the two sides, and this time, Notts holds the upper edge with 26 wins. The Saddlers have won 19 times, and 17 draws have taken place. 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". Notts County are without suspended striker Ronan Murray, who was sent off in Tuesday's 4-3 loss at Peterborough. Kwesi Appiah, who impressed making his debut as a substitute in that game, is pushing to replace Murray - as are fellow loan signings Callum Ball and, yes, Callum McGregor. Walsall are without left-back Andy Taylor (knee), so Malvind Benning is likely to deputise. The Saddlers are unbeaten in five and boast the best away defensive record in League One, having conceded 10 goals.

What a manic game. Seven goals, two of which came in the first seven minutes, a sending off after quarter of an hour, a candidate for the League One Goal Of The Season, various penalty appeals turned down and more corners and set pieces that we care to remember. This was tonight’s game between Notts and Peterborough. With plenty of news having unfolded throughout the course of the day, including a pitch inspection, players coming in and others being transfer listed, there was plenty to talk about before the game, never mind afterwards. Notts got away to the perfect start as a cross from Alan Sheehan fell to Enoch Showunmi, who thumped the ball from six yards past Joe Day. Four minutes gone on the clock, advantage Magpies. Buoyed by this great opening spell, things would get even better, because just three minutes later, a cross from Kieron Freeman fell to young Ronan Murray, who finished off the move by striking low past the Posh keeper. Peterborough, blown away by this early rampage which saw them having to chase a two-goal lead after just seven minutes, upped the tempo and nearly pulled a goal back almost immediately, were it not for a last-ditch save from Bartosz Bialkowski’s legs. Notts were able to weather the Posh advances initially, whilst getting a couple more efforts on goal, though not as effective as the early strikes. On the quarter-hour mark, an off-the-ball incident saw Murray receive a straight red, meaning Notts would have to play the rest of the game - 75 minutes - with just ten men. The dynamic start to the first half continued when the home side had a penalty appeal turned down, as Andre Boucaud allegedly fouled Danny Swanson in the box. The ref, however, gave nothing. Unrelented, Posh kept coming, and eventually halved the deficit when Nicky Ajose, showing good control, fired the ball past Bart and into the net. The Pole just about got to it, but it squirmed past his fingertips. 2-1 and a sending off, all within 30 minutes. Showunmi was then subbed off in the 32nd minute, Derry replacing the big man with Danny Haynes, who just today had been placed on the transfer list. Haynes very nearly scored after coming on, Manny Smith playing him in over the top. The ex-Charlton man then fired a low shot, but Day managed to save the effort. The Notts fans that paid £28 for a ticket weren’t to be disappointed, because the game would keep on giving drama. A period of end-to-end football ensued, with Notts chances coming from Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Andre Boucaud and Haynes, while Britt Assombalonga and Swanson weighed in with chances for the Posh. The second half began with Peterborough fired up and eager to equalise. With less then ten minutes played since the restart, a rampant Posh duly got their equaliser, courtesy of Assombalonga’s header. Peterborough took their foot off the pedal somewhat after their second goal, and Notts began the unenviable task of trying to redeem their wasted two-goal advantage. However, just as Notts pushed forward in a bid to retake the lead, in came the third Posh goal, an unstoppable long-range strike from Ajose. That wasn’t to be the end of the story. Almost immediately, Jack Grealish, the young prodigy whose presence tonight was in doubt following on from his dead leg at the hands of Stevenage last weekend, drilled a left-footed shot past Day to make it 3-3. Ajose, having already scored a brace, went one better and got his hat-trick with five minutes to go, as a goalmouth scramble took place in the Notts box following a corner, and the ex-Manchester United striker bundled the ball into the net. There would be no last-ditch Notts equaliser; the game would finish 4-3, and though you cannot bemoan the sheer effort put in by Derry's boys, one cannot help but wonder what it could have been, had there been eleven men on the pitch.