BLACK & WHITE the Notts County fanzine
#8 - FEB ‘14 - £1
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION
What you’re seeing to the right of this intro is the front cover we wanted to go with for this latest issue. It just felt right you see - a new style for our front covers for what we felt at the time was a new era for the club.
To go with that we of course wanted to interview Shaun Derry himself, to get his thoughts on the start Greg Abbott and he had made since coming to Meadow Lane, about his Notts background and how he felt about the future at Meadow Lane. The feeling was that this would be a big deal, one which we were prepared to have more copies printed than the 500 we did for the Lee Hughes interview in issue 5. We had hoped to run an interview in December, but myself and Paul Smith were told in November that we would be better off waiting until the New Year when things had died down. A fair request we thought - we know this publication isn’t likely to rank highly in the club’s priorities so we were happy to wait our turn. Yet at the beginning of January, we were told we wouldn’t be getting the interview, nor would we in future be able to interview players for the fanzine - a key staple of each issue we’ve produced so far. But apparently it’s preferable from now on for interviews to go through “official lines”. Shaun Derry’s decision apparently, as he wants us to be seperated from official club channels. Obviously unexpected from our point of view - but what choice do we have? Obviously we’ll respect the manager’s decision at this time - it’s not as if the boat needs rocking more than it already has been this season. Still, we’re not going to let that get in the way of a good issue - even without our Plan A, this for me is still our best issue yet in my opinion. New Notts correspondent for the Nottingham Post Leigh Curtis introduces himself, the recently departed chief scout Matt Alexander lifts the lid on his recent departure. And as you’ll have seen from the front cover, there’s the small matter of Sir Charlie Palmer spending time with Paul to discuss our most famous of Derby Day wins on it’s 20th Anniversary. It’s on the page directly opposite this one in fact! And thanks of course to our contributors who stepped up for this issue! Nigel Natrass, Dean Fido, Paul Smith, Dannybob Hutchinson, Aston Perrin, David Fells, Adam Barlow, John McGee, Sean Redgate, Richard Ogando, Drew Dennis, Jacob Daniel, Adam Taylor and Helen Beighton. Thanks also to Notts County FC for the use of the image we adorns the front cover as well! Special thank you as well to Dave Jackson for setting us up with Sir Charlie! Nice one Jacko!
/blackwhitezine
Introduction ..................................... 2 Black & White Fanzine Interview: Sir Charlie Palmer ............. 3 Paul Smith Managing Expectations ...................... 7 Adam Taylor The Arthur Clamp Story ..................... 8 Dave Fells Chorley FC v Grantham Town ........... 10 Stuart Brothers McGrealishification .......................... 12 Jacob Daniel Relegation, Smelegation .................. 13 Drew Dennis Interview: Matt Alexander ................. 14 Stuart Brothers My Notts Top Three ........................... 16 Richard Ogando The Season So Far Quiz ................. 17 Danny Hutchinson Shaun Derry: One Of Our Own ........ 18 Nigel Nattrass Greg Abbott .................................... 19 John McGee Notts County Ladies ......................... 20 Adam Barlow RIP Tony Hateley ............................ 21 Dave Fells Your County Needs You .................. 22 Helen Faccio Do Human Rights Exist For Us? ...... 24 Aston Perrin Away Days ...................................... 26 Sean Redgate Interview: Leigh Curtis ................... 27 Stuart Brothers 12 Months Of Away Day Misery ....... 28 Stuart Brothers A Change In T’Dynamics .............. 30 Dean Fido
DISCLAIMER
Black & White is an independent release produced by fans and as such has no official affiliation with Notts County Football Club. The views in each publication reflect those of the individual contributors themselves.
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SIR CHARLIE
The date, February 12th 1994, is one etched on the minds of all Notts County fans. It was the day of the 86th Nottingham derby, and the most recent occasion the Magpies have met Forest in the league. Frank Clark’s Reds came into the game at Meadow Lane, played at what is now Championship level, on a three-month unbeaten run. They’d go on to win promotion to the Premier League. But in front of 17,911 fans, Mick Walker’s Notts achieved an historic 2-1 win with full-back Charlie Palmer heading home a memorable 86th minute winner. Gary McSwegan had given the Magpies – who went on to finish seventh that season – the lead, but David Phillips cancelled that out with five minutes remaining. Not to worry, just a minute later Palmer had the home support in raptures, scoring his ninth and final goal for the club.
“Then David Phillips equalised towards the Meadow Lane end, I think it might have been Bohinen who played him in actually, and he slipped down the right and put it in the net. I remember thinking ‘here we go again, they’ll get another now.’ “But Charlie had other ideas. It was at the Kop end, and it was majestic. Mark Draper put a great ball in, and I’ll tell you what you don’t realise just how good Draper was, we miss a player like him. “He wasn’t a prolific goalscorer, but that goal from Charlie was top-notch, like a centre-forward had scored it.
“We went ballistic, we’ll never forget it. The Forest Steve Smith, a Notts fan of more than 40 years, fans around us were all very quiet - what a brilliant took his seat in the old Main Stand that day and day! I think we went straight out after the game. It was one of them where we didn’t want to go home. here he recalls that famous day. “One of the things that sticks in my mind about the “And I’m confident we’ll have our time against that day is that there were plenty of Forest fans around lot again one day.” us in the Main Stand. Fans later gave Palmer the nickname Sir Charlie for “I remember they kept shouting ‘Bohinen’ after his iconic moment – but there was much more to their Norwegian midfielder, so we retorted his Notts career. Spanning six seasons and making ‘McSwegan’ after our own striker. There wasn’t any 221 appearances, Palmer was an integral part trouble, it was just good friendly chanting between of the side that won back-to-back promotions at Wembley and into the top-flight. the two sets of fans. “McSwegan got the first goal after putting the ball Paul Smith spoke to the former full-back as the through Colin Cooper’s legs – I’ll never forget that. 20th anniversary of his crowning moment in Black and White loomed. It was a great goal and a sweet moment.
FEB ‘14
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Charlie, it’s a pleasure to talk to you about one of the greatest moments in the club’s history. Does that winning goal, at the Kop end against Forest, really feel like 20 years ago? It’s flown by! The sad thing about it since then has been the demise of the club. I’m hoping now that the new management team will be given the time to start climbing back up the leagues and start putting Notts County back where they should be. When I look back and tell people that I played for Notts County, it doesn’t seem such a big thing because they are in the lower leagues now, but when I played for the club we were right up there in the top leagues.
headed in the winner showed quiet ones at my local. But knowing how much it meant to you what I know now and how big it was and the night they had I wish didn’t it? I’d have gone with them! After scoring the goal all the frustration I had, I let it out. If you How do you look back at that recall my celebration, I ran straight game now? past Mick Walker. I didn’t have much time for him. I considered I’m a professional person and I myself a team player and that enjoyed playing for Notts County, celebration was all about the full stop. I had my best days at Notts County and I just had to put frustration I was feeling. my issues with Mick Walker aside The goal itself came from a and get on with it. At the end of twice-taken free-kick by Mark the day Mick can say he was the Draper. What do you remember manager the day Notts beat Forest, and I’m sure it’s one of his of it? proudest moments too. You have to I had a feeling I was going to score. let bygones be bygones. The referee blew the whistle, Mark Draper was ready to take it, and I Did you realise just how much knew where the ball was going to that win meant to the Notts fans? go – it was instinct.
Set the scene for us; what do you remember of the season How did it feel knowing you had going into that Forest game? scored the winner against the It was actually a frustrating season club’s biggest rivals? for me. I’d played under Neil Warnock and I enjoyed some good Playing such a big game at home, times under him. Out of all the in front of a big crowd with that managers I played under he was local rivalry, was a huge thing. It’s the one that got the best out of me. nice to be remembered for scoring However, when he got sacked and that goal and it’s one of the best Mick Walker took over he made it goals I ever scored. very clear he didn’t see me as part of his plans. He said he was going I used to idolise Pearcey (Stuart Pearce) and I used to go and watch to go with his young lads. him play so to rise above him to Me being me, I kept my head get the winner was something down and did what I needed to special. I was experienced but also do. I’d picked up an injury for Mick inexperienced in (during the previous season) and a way because that I went through a lot of frustration after I for Mick. He took over and made celebration absolutely it very clear I wasn’t part of his was for plans. Mick and his young lads had knackered five or done well and he assumed they’d about be able to do it all over again but ten minutes so being an experienced player I knew if I’d have made it was one thing asking them to do a mistake that it for part of a season, and another cost us a goal in thing altogether to ask them to do that time I’d have it again over a full season. That’s been devastated. when you see the true colours of There must a player. have been of Everyone knew we were struggling plenty a bit and Mick Walker had to bite c e l e b r a t i o n s his lip and bring me back into the after the game side. Not many people realise this as well… but I was on a week-to-week deal for the whole of that season. I A few of the lads didn’t want to leave Notts County begged me to go and I wanted to play against Forest out afterwards in Nottingham but in a big game. I just wanted to The celebration when you have a couple of
At the time I didn’t to be honest, I think because I wasn’t from the area and had come up from down south. When you spoke to Mark Draper, Dean Yates, Michael Johnson – the local lads – you knew how important the game was. It was only really afterwards when the lads came back in for training and were still buzzing on the Monday and Tuesday, still on a high and talking about it, that you realise. They all said to me ‘Charlie, you missed a great night!’
Illustration by Steve Smith
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ISSUE #8
You were later christened ‘Sir Charlie’ by fans, giving you an honorary knighthood. How did that feel?
He said to me ‘Charlie, at your age it’s all about your preparation and making sure you are fit. You shouldn’t be doing what you are doing on a Friday before games.’ It’s a bit embarrassing to be He put five extra years on my honest! I’m a social worker now career with his advice. and a few people know I was a footballer and that I’m known as Going back to the game, it was ‘Sir Charlie’ at Notts. I’m honoured tight. For the first 30 minutes we and it’s nice to be remembered by played well but when we scored the fans. I played for Derby, Notts, Forest started to pass the ball well. Watford, Hull and Walsall but my Reidy kept us in check and in the best times were at Notts County game, using his experience and under Neil Warnock. Remembering giving us all good advice. As soon that day against Forest, I still have as I scored that goal Reidy pulled my shirt and a picture in my house. the strings and we could sense we would hang on. At the end of the Is it the famous picture of the game a lot of senior lads went up to Reidy and thanked him. goal celebration? I’m fortunate to have a picture of me where I’ve just headed the ball and it’s on its way in past (Mark) Crossley. The goal is now on YouTube – have you watched it back much?
I’m sure the lads wanted him to become the next manager – I certainly did - but obviously people knew that wouldn’t happen and within a few weeks he was out of the club. Peter was a big influence on me.
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Sounds extremely unfair… That’s football, you move on and I’m a bigger person now. I talk about the good times and how much I enjoyed playing for Notts County. Most people don’t know what happened with Mick Walker but it doesn’t change what we achieved.
Forest goal aside, under Neil Warnock you won two Wembley play-off finals and There’s a great picture of you became a regular in the topcelebrating with some angry- flight. Those must have been looking Forest fans behind you fantastic times? in the Kop. Have you seen that When you look back at it, Neil one? Warnock brought together a group I’ve seen it and I thought ‘flaming of players that had something to hell they are angry!’ I think if they offer but just needed a chance. could’ve got hold of me they’d have We had players like Craig Short, Dean Yates, Mark Draper and punched me – it was funny! Tommy Johnson who would go on Have you had to buy a drink to better things, but the rest of us since in the company of Notts were players who wanted to prove a point. fans?
The last time I watched it was probably 12 months ago. It’s nice, and it’s a good memory but you also have to move on if you’ll understand? Plenty of people talk about the goal and I know it’s the anniversary in February but I can Johnno (Michael Johnson) and the honestly say I don’t know which lads who went out came back in on the Monday morning still on a high date it is. and said, ‘Charlie, we didn’t spend The goal aside, was it a game a penny.’ A few fans had asked where I was and they told them we deserved to win? that grumpy Charlie never goes We started off really well. Gary anywhere! McSwegan scored a good goal but Forest came back and played some If I was a Nottingham lad and good football and scored a good if I knew how big it was for the equaliser. I remember it being a Nottingham people I’d have gone tight game that could have gone out. But not being from the area, it was only afterwards that I realised. either way. Peter Reid was playing for us and I remember after Forest scored he settled the lads straight back down with his experience. I learnt so much from him in that game and gained so much from his performance – he dictated the play.
I only got told by the Evening Post that I was being released. Pavis or Walker didn’t even have the decency to say thanks for the service, but we’re letting you go.
Neil Warnock put that team together and made you realise that team spirit and togetherness was a big part, but the quality in the squad got us into the first division as well – the Premier League as it is now. When you get there though, you need a bit more quality and class to survive. We ended that journey and then Warnock left and it all went to pot.
If Warnock had stayed, do you You left the club at the end think we’d have got back up? of that season. How did your Yes, but he needed to move on and departure come about? go higher. He had the potential and I’d been on a week-to-week deal needed to move up. A lot of people and was told I could have a new say bad things about him but when two-year contract. I’d lost a lot of you work under him you realise money being on the week-to-week what a man he is. I will always deal. (Derek) Pavis and Walker stand by Neil Warnock. offered me a £25 increase without any signing-on fee and told me it What was he like as a manager? was to be a pay-as-you-play deal. After six years at Notts County I He was very clever. To the lads in turned around and said for what the changing room he didn’t have I’ve given you, you’re only offering any time for Pavis because Pavis had his own agenda. Warnock me that? – No chance.
ISSUE #8
would say ‘you are doing this for yourself and me – not for the board.’ He turned my career around and helped me make some good money from the game and have some success at Notts County. You returned for the most recent match between Notts and Forest, a 3-3 draw in the Capital One Cup at the City Ground in 2011. Is it right you were there as the guest of then Notts boss Martin Allen, who asked you to go on the pitch pre-match on enemy territory?
under Neil Warnock who put a lot of trust in him so he’ll be the right Were you surprised by the great sort and it’s nice he’s got the job. reaction you got from the 6,000 He’s started to turn it around and has got some good results and if Notts fans behind that goal? that carries on I might go and catch It was a surprise if I’m honest. I a game at Meadow Lane. remember walking across to the supporters and thinking the Forest Finally Charlie, what are you fans don’t know who I am, and what doing with yourself now? if the Notts fans don’t recognise me? Then I lifted my head up and I live in Derby where I’m a social some started to recognise me. As worker and also the manager of soon as they started cheering me Long Eaton which is interesting I really felt good that they still and a challenge because we are working with players who think remembered who I am. they are better than what they are! County were really good in that game and should have won, they I got the job last April and said were unlucky. Martin Allen knew it was going to be a challenge, what he was doing. He got that but I’m enjoying it. As a player crowd going and it was 1-0 to Notts you only think about your own before the game had even kicked preparations and your own game off. I thought Martin Allen would but as a manager you’ve got a be the one to take the club back squad of players you need to think up through the leagues but I don’t about and prepare – and that’s a know what happened with him in challenge. the end. You don’t realise how consuming it Did you ever come across the can be, but I’m there and I’m doing new Notts manager Shaun okay – it keeps me busy and out of trouble! Derry during your career? stood by his words.
I played against Martin Allen – he was a character! I came to a Notts match and got talking to Martin and he said to me, ‘Charlie, can you do me a favour?’ He said, ‘come over to Forest with us and get that away crowd going.’ Knowing Martin Allen, I just thought ‘is he taking the piss?’ He said, ‘I haven’t told Forest, but go out there and walk onto the pitch. Come and talk to me and then just keep on walking over to the County fans and as soon as they see you they will recognise who you are.’ I thought, is he bullshitting me? But on the day I did just walk out there and he I didn’t, but I know he played
Paul Smith
@PSmithyJourno
Behind EVERY great team! 0115 8456 490 www.oncallrecruitment.co.uk
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MANAGING EXPECTATIONS
Notts County are an unusual team. When probing for a common topic of conversation with new acquaintances, the revelation that you follow Notts is often met with bemusement by those supporting far flung Premier League teams via satellite TV. Often this is manifest in a comment along the lines of ‘nice one’ or an enquiry as to ‘oh, how are they doing these days?’ as you both realise you will soon need to find something else to talk about. It hasn’t always been this way. As a youngster growing up in Nottingham in the late 80s to early 90s, following in the family tradition of supporting Notts seemed like a sensible lifestyle choice. How times change. Excepting two promotions from the bottom division and a few enjoyable months spending imaginary money in cloud-cuckoo land, the general direction Notts have been headed since we last rubbed shoulders with the big boys (forcibly in the case of Chris Short & Ryan Giggs) has been down.
you only have to appear to be thinking and acting big to generate enthusiasm and a swell in support (‘There’s only one Peter Trembling’ so sang The Kop). This is not to endorse mass deception as a means of improving the club’s fortunes, as expectations must be managed to a realistic level, however where the lesson lies is the importance in conveying the perception that the club are looking to move forwards as opposed to stagnating, or even going backwards.
Indeed, in the last 20 years or so the Meadow Lane faithful have witnessed league fixtures at both ends of the football pyramid. Within recent living memory Chelsea were humbled at home in the top flight despite the best efforts of Andy Townsend (a much better player than commentator) and an electrical fault reducing the number of working floodlights by 25%.
The usual internet naysayers derided the Shaun Derry appointment as a cost cutting measure destined to consign the club to the conference. This viewpoint ignores the nature of Derry as a player, a man who maximised every small percentage and in whom managers could rely on to embody the fighting spirit required to take games at a higher level by the scruff of the neck. He is, in short, a ‘winner’ and is not afraid to act like one, a trait which appears to be permeating the dressing room, onto the pitch and into the stands. For the first time in what seems like a long time, the club look to be legitimately facing in the right direction.
Fast forward to 2006 and many of those same fans endured the sight of Notts scraping a last minute draw with Bury to preserve our Football League status (albeit results elsewhere etc.). In entertainment terms punters had gone from striking it rich to floating to the bottom The board deserve some credit here, not just for resisting of the pool, faster than you can say Michael Barrymore. a merry-go-round appointment when the pressure was on. If a large proportion of the fan base has supported Notts One view is that by employing one of our own, an olive at every level, off the pitch similar extremes have been branch has been extended from the boardroom following experienced over an even shorter timescale. Following a series of mixed messages, culminating ultimately in the a record breaking spell in administration and near bizarre appointment of Chris Kiwomya. For the club to bankruptcy, the parsimonious Supporters Trust relied on progress, this should be embraced with an acceptance less-than-able seamen such as Dan Chillingworth, Lee of the reasonable expectation that Derry implement a Cannoville and Hector Sam to paddle us away from the strategy geared towards developing talent and blending in the right measure of experience in his own image. precipice. In stark contrast, a total disregard for the balance sheet (who cares if the money is fictional?) then recruited a crack A-Team of players and programme vendors to storm the beaches of League 1, with not a paid milk bill in sight. Complete opposite ends of the spectrum, from Brian O’Callaghan to Sol Campbell and all in the relative blink of an eye.
Despite positive early signs, this is unlikely to be a smooth journey as the manager himself learns on the job, however it should avoid the violent turbulence of recent years if courage of conviction can be found to persevere, requiring patience in the boardroom, on the terraces and (not least) on social media outlets.
Talk of long-term strategy and realistic expectation seems a little alien and it could even be argued detracts from the unique joy we as Notts fans enjoy over the typical armchair supporter. The Sky-generation fan essentially subscribes to a product and cannot begin to comprehend that the perennial crushing lows we suffer as Notts supporters perversely make the isolated highs all the more euphoric, hence the twinge of contempt you can’t help but feel for someone who grew up down the road but ‘supports’ another more successful club in someone Nevertheless, even accepting these difficulties in else’s town. formulating a clear strategy, expectations have clearly been poorly managed of late. Statements to the Nevertheless as fans we have lived a life of excess in effect that the budget has been cut by 30% (even if recent years, the peaks and troughs comparable to the subsequently retracted) only lead to negativity and ill- football equivalent of a Happy Mondays’ world tour. If we feeling, as reflected by poor attendances and increased are to avoid ending up like Bez it may finally be time to shy away from the extremes, don the metaphorical pipe and vitriol towards the board this season. slippers and take pleasure in steady progress forwards, The Munto episode was complex, however in broad terms beginning first and foremost with finishing anywhere from their objective was to artificially boost the modest value 20th upwards this season. of their parent company through an association with sporting achievement. Whilst certainly not providing a @Adam3663 viable template, their modus operandi demonstrated that This is the situation Notts find themselves in today, operating in the third tier against a backdrop of extremes, both on and off the pitch. As such it becomes difficult to establish meaningful objectives on which success can be measured that strike the right chord with a battlehardened core support; one that has seen almost literally everything and developed a 1000 yard stare which sees past boardroom rhetoric.
Adam Taylor
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ISSUE #8
THE ARTHUR CLAMP STORY
Each time I see Steve Clamp presenting the sports news on ITV Central I remember one evening when, only fleetingly, he mentioned that his great-grandfather had played football for Notts County FC but that he hadn’t survived the First World War. As 2014 brings up the one hundred year anniversary of the start of the Great War I thought that now might be the time to look back to see what I could find of Steve’s great-grandfather Arthur Clamp, who made almost three hundred appearances for the Magpies. Arthur was born locally, in Dennett Terrace in Sneinton in 1884 to parents Thomas, a joiner and his wife Caroline with Arthur being the youngest of four children.
£200 was accepted. Notts played three games against Danish XI’s, winning two and drawing the other.
When not carrying out his work as a bricklayer Arthur honed his football skills playing at full-back for local junior teams Radford Rangers FC and Scotholme Rangers FC before stepping up a level to play for Sneinton FC in the Notts Alliance League, where he was a member of Arthur Clamp the Sneinton team which won the Notts FA Junior Cup in 1905/06. This would be Arthur’s final season in non-league football as his potential had been noted by Notts County FC and he joined them at the start of the 1906/07 season.
Four days after the final game of the 1910/11 season at home to Woolwich Arsenal Arthur was at the All Saints church in Radford marrying local girl Annie Lea with one of the witnesses being his team-mate, centre-forward and the club’s regular top scorer Jimmy Cantrell. The couple moved to live in Sedgley Street in Sneinton Dale.
When the team arrived home from Denmark it was to a new home because during that same summer Notts moved from their Trent Bridge ground to their new home at Meadow Lane. Arthur played in the opening game at the new ground, a 1-1 draw against Forest in September in front of 27,000 fans.
Early 1912 saw the birth of Arthur and Annie’s first child, a daughter, Constance. In December 1912 Notts applied for, and were given permission by the FA to award Arthur a benefit game for his five years of tremendous service to the club during which time he had missed very few games. The league game at Meadow Lane against Blackburn Rovers on 25th January 1913 was nominated as the said benefit and Arthur would have been delighted with the 3-1 win – and also the above average crowd of about 15,000!
Now playing centre-half, Arthur was a no-nonsense defender, firm in the tackle and although not the tallest, was dependable in the air. After making his debut in December 1906, away at Bolton, Arthur soon became an important component in a defensive unit that played together for over five seasons.
During Arthur’s time in the Notts County first team the club were an established top flight team (Division One) and would usually be found in mid-table. But in season 1912/13, Jimmy Cantrell left Notts to join Tottenham Hotspur in the October for the huge sum at the time of £1,500. His goals were sorely missed and Notts finished next to bottom of the division and were relegated to Division Two.
Albert Iremonger was in goal, Herbert Morley and John Montgomery were at full back with Teddy Emberton, Arthur Clamp and Reuben Craythorne the half-back trio. All six men made over 250 appearances each for the Magpies. Arthur missed only three games between 1908/9 and 1912/13 through injury - including an unbroken run of 128 games.
Season 1913/14 saw Notts bounce straight back to the top flight. They had unearthed a couple of quality strikers in Jack Peart (28 goals in 30 games) bought for £600 from Newcastle United and Sam Richards (21 in 36) who had come through the club’s reserves after he had arrived from local side Bulwell Forest Villa a few years earlier.
Arthur only scored three times during his career for the Magpies which confirms the fact that he rarely ventured beyond the half-way line. His first, in his debut season, was in a 4-1 win over Woolwich Arsenal, his second, about a year later, was the only goal of the game against Manchester City, and his third, in 1909, was scored in a 5-1 romp once again against Woolwich Arsenal. He may have scored only three goals in his career but I am sure the Notts County fans at the time were well aware that when Arthur scored Notts always went on to win the game.
Notts finished the season as champions four points clear of second placed Bradford Park Avenue.
During the summer of 1910 Arthur was a member of Notts County FC’s first ever touring party abroad when they visited Denmark for three games as guests of Akadezuisk Boldklub of Copenhagen after a guarantee of
SEPT ‘13
At the end of April all the club officials, players and a number of their staunchest supporters enjoyed a promotion banquet at the Welbeck Hotel in Nottingham where they were entertained late into the night by
ITV Central’s Steve Clamp
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September that he was posted to the front line in France. Arthur had only been in the trenches for three days when Ironically, after Arthur’s tremendous appearance record, he suffered serious injuries. He was brought home to a he only played in 18 of the 38 league games due to an military hospital in Newcastle-under-Lyme, near Stokeankle injury and after only a few games on his return to on-Trent. the team he then managed to rupture a blood vessel in his thigh which put him out for the remainder of the season. Sadly, on 19th September 1918 Arthur died from his This caused a problem for the club because Arthur was wounds, aged just 34. only 12th on the list of players and their appearances for the season and at the time the FA presented only eleven The funeral cortege passed through the streets of Nottingham and it was clear the high esteem in which medals to the club winning the league. Arthur was held as the coffin, borne on a gun carriage, Eventually, Notts obtained permission from the Football was witnessed by thousands of tearful supporters. Association to present Arthur with an extra medal. The interment was attended by many members of the Towards the end of 1914 Arthur and Annie had their football club, the directors, representatives from the FA, second child, a son, George (Steve Clamp’s grandfather). representatives from Nottingham Forest FC, soldiers he had met in those few short months in the forces, his 1914/15 would be the last season of the Football League work colleagues at Raleigh and many players, both past before World War One caused the football to stop – and present, including George Toone from the 1894 cup with the young fit men of the country having far more winning team, Tom McLean, Walter Bull and the friends important duties to perform than playing football. Arthur he had played with at Notts including Albert Iremonger played in the last game before the war, a 2-0 home and Jimmy Cantrell. victory over Chelsea. The Nottingham Evening Post said of Arthur; “He was one Regional leagues took place during the war years with a of the best defenders Notts had. A sturdy centre-half, he Notts County team, made up of many guest players who possessed remarkable stamina and above all excelled as were working locally, competing in the Midland Division a breaker-up of combination. and Arthur turned out for Notts in some of these games whenever he was able to get a break from his work at No game was too long for him and no opposition too hard for him to tackle.” Raleigh. Mr. T. Farnsworth at the piano and the Welbeck Quartet.
In April 1918 Arthur was called up to join the armed forces and after his training he served in the 7th Battalion, The Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment but it wasn’t until
Dave Fells
@MagpieDave
NOTTS COUNTY GOLF SOCIETY We play eight qualifying games a season – one per month - beginning in March and playing through until October. Playing at eight courses throughout the Notts area, games alternate from a Sunday in the first month, to a Wednesday the next and so on. We start with tee times in the morning moving over to after lunch in the Summer then back to mornings.
Games are played In the Stableford format with only the best five scores to count from the eight games. All scoring and handicapping is done online via HandicapMaster which you can log in and view anytime. By the end of the season, the member with the most points is the 1862 Champion for the season, also a singles competition is also held throughout the season. Anyone wishing to join irrespective of your handicap is most welcome, all details on our web site.
www.nottscountygolfsociety.co.uk
CHORLEY FC v GRANTHAM TOWN
This season has been pretty stop and start to be quite honest. Where as in previous seasons the weather has put paid to many a weekend's plans,this year it's been international callups. Or sadly most recently, a lack of FA Cup activity. So how do we fill these Notts-less weekends? Shopping with the partners, visiting parents or household chores seem to be the most common replacements - but that's just not for me sorry. Saturdays have become strictly a time for friends and football. And so myself, Dean and Aston looked towards the fixture list for where to spend a Saturday afternoon. Of course there were plenty of borderline-attractive FA Cup ties, but for whatever reason, we just didn’t fancy any of them.
enough. And so we wander into town in an attempt to find the ground. We fail miserably, even with our phones' map apps at our disposal. A near two mile walk (I checked), as opposed to what should have been a quarter of that ends with us being taxi'd in. Embarrassing, but we've made it! Once we’re done with the usual photos of the surrounding area that later find themselves on Instagram, we head for the clubshop and are greeted by Robert, who I had emailed earlier in the week regarding ticket prices (£5 with a season ticket from a Football League club – not to be sniffed at). To my dismay the matchday programmes had all gone, a printing error had meant they were in short supply.
We looked for some kind of Notts connection no matter how vague, and decided on a trip to Chorley FC for their visit of Grantham Town for whom County prospect Kyle Dixon has been sweeping up Man Of The Match awards recently. As it happens, by the end of our day it wasn't It doesn’t make the conversation any less too difficult to see why, but I'll get to that enjoyable of course, Robert speaks with great pride of the club, even telling us how they’re momentarily. likely to double the attendance in a week’s time The day began with a train out of Nottingham at for their game at Tamworth. Notts are at home 10.40am with the other boys joining my train at to Sheffield United, but we assured him that if Alfreton and Chesterfield - alcohol and mixers in our game succumbed to the elements, we would hand of course, got to have something to help see him there! Regardless, with five supporter pass a six hour roundtrip. Being a Saturday of coaches already booked, it’s safe to safe they’ll course the carriage wasn't short of fans from get by just fine without us. other clubs on their away days. Man City (you're late?), Blackpool (Bishop played what position last With no programme available, I had to seek out week?) and Sheffield Wednesday (why are your some kind of souvenir from the day. And almost arms only gesturing towards us now the train has as soon as I left the shop there was somebody departed?!) all share space with us at one point. ahead of me selling the Chorley FC fanzine! Now whichever ground I go to if there's someone A Franchise FC fan even brags to us later on in selling a fanzine, they'll get my money - partly the day his club have forced the FA Cup holders because I want to support them and that I to a replay - steady pal, it's only Wigan after all! hope they would do the same one day, but also for research purposes. In my mind it would be Upon arrival in Chorley, for some reason there absurd not to pay attention to what other 'zines is an over the top police presence - officers are doing. stationed on both platforms and outside. We ask why, but the attitude we're met with is thoroughly This addition to the pile is so gloriously, repugnant, we can't get away from them quick unashamedly old school. There's no modern
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ISSUE #7
software being put to use here and it's hard not the cafe was a cheese and onion pie at just £1.70! to love it for it that. And it's only a quid too - the Now it's no understatement to suggest I love a perfect price point in our opinion of course. good pie, and generally I don't find much fault Inside the ground, the boys have long seen Dixon with the £3.30 Pukka Pies at Meadow Lane warming up and make their presence known but this at Chorley put our offerings firmly in – much to his embarrassment I imagine. We’d the shade. Compliments very much to the chef! another half hour until kick off so I wander around Lindleys, get on the phone please. pitchside where my next mission is to collect a teamsheet, apparently available from the tunnel. The second half was a very different affair from With none on hand a supporter offers me his own a Grantham perspective. Josh Hine and Dale from his pocket - a very friendly gesture. I'm the Witham scored unanswered goals for the home type who can't go to a game of football and not side in a half in which their superiority really have a programme you see, so the teamsheet shone through. As the second half progressed, was obviously the next best thing. It at least Dixon saw even less of the ball as his side’s would keep my sleepless nights at bay I thought! play descended into one hoofball after another. It wasn’t pretty, and on a playing surface only Sheet in hand, we take up positions in the terrace degrading more and more, I was left wondering behind the goal at the far end. By luck it’s the end how this kind of experience was benefiting Kyle that Dixon’s Gingerbreads attack in the first half. Dixon. Moments before kick off however someone from the club approaches with another teamsheet for Of course game time is important, but given us, obviously unaware that we'd been provided Grantham’s fifth from bottom position in the league, It’s not difficult to imagine a lot of games one. panning out the same way for him. With his loan In the grand scheme of the story it might expired by the time you’ll read this, I sincerely appear a largely irrelevant plot point, but it's hope Notts have re-assessed where he needs to these moments that go a long way towards you being playing next. I hope that manager Shaun Derry takes a look at him and takes him under appreciating the friendly nature of the club. his wing. After all the two share a similar tenacity, When the referee had the game under way, it's a passion for the game, and perhaps most within minutes that Kyle has made his mark, fantastically – Notts County runs through their out-jumping, out-muscling a player a fair wedge blood. bigger than him. This is the same bite we’ve seen from him since his first appearances alongside With the game drawing to it's conclusion, Robert Notts’ seniors in pre-season a few years back again approached us to ask how our day had gone. under Martin Allen. In truth he doesn’t find the Of course by this point we had nothing but good ball at his feet all too often, but when he does his things to say about his club. He again extended driving runs have defenders back peddling often. an invitation our way for the following week's And not one do his efforts go unappreciated from Tamworth encounter, to which we reiterated that postponement-permitting we would see him the 20 or so travelling Grantham fans. there. They’re rewarded by their side taking the lead in the 20th minute when Alex Burbeary converted At the full time whistle, Kyle showed his a fortuitously awarded penalty, awarded for appreciation for our efforts was a nice, unexpected a handball just inside the area. For Chorley, touch. All in all, by the time I got back home it the fantastically monikered James Dean levels had been 12 hours on the road, all worth it. There matters shortly afterwards but Grantham were were certainly no regrets on our parts for taking still very much in the game and very much not the opportunity to hit a road less travelled from looking a team without a win in their last ten Notts County's point of view. And it only took us games. Dixon and Jamie Jackson were very much 10 minutes to find the station once we left the the most dangerous players for the visitors, whilst ground! Bonus. at the other end Dan Haystead’s performance between the sticks raised applause from the Better was to follow the following Tuesday when home fans on several occasions. Were it not for a matchday programme landed on my doormat, a his performance, the scoreline would have been gift from Chorley fan Mark Oldham who had seen my appeal on Twitter for a spare if anyone should far more one sided than it would end up. have a spare! There was even a Forest fan living At half time I made my way to the other end of in Chorley, Paul Metcalfe offering me his at one the ground for the Magpies Nest snack bar, taking stage! more photos en route trying to catch the setting sun in the background. My weapon of choice in @BlackWhiteZine
Stuart Brothers
SEPT ‘13
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McGREALISHIFCATION
What were the two most celebrated moments in January from a Notts perspective, do people think? Callum Ball's deflected daisycutter sealing three points in a relegation six pointer at Stevenage? Ronan Murray turning home at the near post to put us two goals ahead at London Road, before he threw it away with a rib-jabbing meltdown? Both great moments, but the joy emanating from the club paled in insignificance when compared to the reaction fans had to two loanees extending their deals until the end of the season. This has broken a long traditional at Meadow Lane, with the Notts faithful traditionally having been suspicious of loanees, short term interlopers who are mostly terrible and, on the odd occasion one is actually quite good, they just leave as soon the one month deal that they signed runs out. Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor, however, have been different. They are both massively talented footballers with huge amounts of potential, which has shown itself on occasion during their time at Meadow Lane. Perhaps more importantly, however, they are both part of the team – that both seemed so keen to stay at the club, McGregor even stayed to train with the Magpies when his initially deal expired, goes against the long accepted trope of the half-arsed, fly-by-night loanee. The two also seem inseparable – when Grealish was interviewed after his return to the club he seemed to say “Callum” once every sixteen words, straining his neck to the door in the hope that his Scottish bosom buddy would burst in waving a signed contract aloft. Whilst it's kind of nice to see two kids making friends (I mean, whose heart isn't warmed by a couple of toddlers playing with an Action Man or something), there is a genuine concern that the duo's reliance on each other is having some negative effects on Notts' play. Such as the hysteria surrounding the requirement to bring the two back to Nottingham this January it was easy to forget that we actually have a whole other squad of footballers to choose from and, I would suggest, that it may not entirely be coincidence that Notts won two out of the three games in which Jack was forced to operate without Callum – and would've won the third but for Murray's momentary loss of self control.
out as we allow the opposition enough time to regain their shape. With three quick, tricky attacking midfielders in the line-up Notts should be looking to exploit the space that teams leave, particularly in the wide areas with neither Grealish nor Jamal CampbellRyce particularly willing to track full backs into defensive areas. Sadly this is something that hasn't been forthcoming, with Notts' entire team seemingly having been caught by the bug of McGrealishification. In those games when McGregor was in a state of flux, not really either a Notts or a Celtic player, the Notts side showed something different, however. It was most aptly illustrated by the opening minutes at Peterborough, when Notts raced into a 2-0 lead with a display of ruthless counter attacking footballer, pouncing on the ball and driving into space – the two crosses that led to Notts' goals were both delivered by full backs overlapping their wingers and, crucially, receiving the pass, something that never seems to happen when Grealish and McGregor force our play to be condensed into the centre. How exactly do you go about solving this, however? Returning to a McGregorless state would probably be unthinkable, if only because the Scot's ability to score goals from nothing may prove to be one of the things that can give us a chance of escaping relegation. Indeed, dropping either of the loanees would perhaps not be a smart move, they are undoubtedly our most creative players and are unlikely to have returned to Meadow Lane without guarantees of first team football - reneging on such a promise would almost certainly harm Notts' prospects of picking up the best loan players in the future.
The key, for me, is to prise apart the system that sees McGregor in behind and Grealish on the left, a set-up that actively encourages the two to occupy the same space. Even by swapping the two around, as Derry briefly did to good effect at Deepdale, McGregor's desire to move onto his left foot would help Notts After the win over Sheffield United at Meadow Lane, keep their shape better and stop the two converging Grealish tweeted that he was “still looking for Callum on the edge of the area, pulling all of the space with McGregor in the ground so I could pass to him”, which them. perhaps illuminates the problem more succinctly than I ever could. With McGregor operating as a shadow The return of Murray could also be key, perhaps striker in Notts' 4-2-3-1 system and Grealish given allowing Derry to play just two of the three attacking license to drift inside from the left wing, the two find midfielders, with the Irishman a far more direct themselves occupying the same area of the pitch, attacking midfielder who will link play and get into the something which largely leads to little more than the box without overcomplicating matters in the manner two playing three yard passes to each other but not of McGregor. Either way, what has been one of Notts' biggest positives this season is becoming one of our really to any eventual end. biggest problems and Shaun Derry faces another One problem with Notts' play that i've found massive test in his maiden managerial season if he particularly frustrating recently, noteable in the is to solve it. defeat at Preston, is the midfield's propensity to pass to feet rather than into space, something which has @JacobNCM led to a number of promising counter attacks petering
Jacob Daniel
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ISSUE #8
RELEGATION, SMELEGATION
In this article, I intend to take a look at a League One relegation battle which has the potential to be one of the most closely fought in years. At time of writing (shortly after the Pies’ 3-0 win over Coventry), Notts sit 19th with 30 points; a solitary point above the relegation zone. Granted, we’ve played more games than everyone below us, though I’m prepared to argue that I’d rather have the points on the board. Before the end of the season, we have to play almost every other team in trouble - Shrewsbury (h), Tranmere (a), Carlisle (h), Crewe (a), Bristol City (a) and Crawley (h). With that rabble to play and 20 more points to reach the “promised land” of 50, I reckon we’ve got it in our own hands. The way we played against Coventry gave me hope and optimism – Hayden Mullins, Gareth Roberts and James Spencer (yes, even him) made excellent starts to their Magpies careers, and with Grealish, McGregor and Sheehan playing well, with 15 games to go, I think we’ll be safe before we travel to Oldham on the last day. Moving to the others sides at the bottom, Stevenage are 24th managed by our old mate Graham “Park The Bus” Westley. They’re not blessed with much talent and few Magpies would be sad to see them drop to League Two (and then non-league) where they belong. Bluntly, they’re a bunch of cloggers, who, when faced with skill and ability, kick it up in the air, then lose anyway. They’re currently five points from safety, and with a tough run-in, with matches against Leyton Orient, Rotherham, Peterborough, Preston, MK Dons and Brentford, along with games against their relegation rivals to come, it doesn’t look good… Shame! Better get your Tom Tom set for Fleetwood,
Graham. Next sit Shrewsbury Town with 27 points, a team currently dropping like a stone who haven’t won since November - losing manager Graham Turner on the way. Prior to their 1-1 draw with Brentford last week, they’d not scored at home in over eight hours of football. Looking at their run-in, apart from lining up against the Mighty Magpies in a fortnight, on paper you could argue that if they could get their act together, they’ve got some winnable games coming up, playing all the teams at the bottom except Sheffield United. The Shrews have made several loan signings recently in a bid for safety, including Joseph Mills from Burnley, but on current form, they look League Two bound. Two down, two to go. In 22nd place sit Bristol City with 28 points, and I think it’s fair to say that few predicted the Robins would be in a relegation spot this term. I’ve never quite got over the opening day, 5-0 Balloon Festival debacle of 2003, and it gives a perverse sort of pleasure to see them down there. But with Steve Cotterill as manager, the extremely talented Jay Emmanuel-Thomas and the rest of the attacking talent City possess, I think they’ll escape. They have a tricky run-in, with away games against Orient, Sheffield United, Peterborough and Walsall to come, but with Cotterill’s sheer bloody mindedness and the talent available, they should be OK. The final relegation place is currently held by Sheffield United with 29 points. They hardly sparkled whilst dispatching us at Bramall Lane back in August and starting with Fabien Brandy was perhaps an indicator that the Blades aren’t the force they once were, but a club of their size and stature struggling so badly remains a shock. They recorded a crucial victory against Shrewsbury yesterday, their first in five games, and I think they will
FEB ‘14
have an important role in who drops, as they play Tranmere and Stevenage in the final three weeks of the season. Looking at their squad, even though Harry “I only score against Notts County” Maguire is their top scorer with 6, they should have enough to stay up, especially with Nigel Clough in charge. If they did slip into the basement, mind you, it would send shockwaves throughout the lower Leagues, showing once again you’re never too big to go down. Sitting just above the relegation zone are Carlisle with 30 points, below us on goal difference. They had a shocking start to the season, and have never quite recovered (they still beat us though, not that that’s saying much under Kiwomya). They’ve currently got Graham Kavanagh in charge, who took over in September 2013. Whilst he’s stopped the rot to some extent, they’ve had a dreadful 2014, racking up six defeats from seven so far and with games to come against the entire top 6 and the Magpies, I fancy the Cumbrians to drop. Their squad is nothing special and would fit in nicely in League Two – the days of Micahel Bridges are long behind them. Looking slightly further up the table, but by no means safe, come Crewe, Crawley and Tranmere. If you took a poll amongst Notts fans of League One clubs we like, I think it’s safe to say that neither Crawley or Tranmere would rank particularly highly. Crawley still have the spectre of Steve Evans looming over them combined with their tinpotness, and as for Tranmere – where do you start? Even Ben Burgess had the grace to promptly retire when he realised where he’d ended up. We have to play all three teams before the end of the season, and they are all extremely beatable. Crawley have six games in hand over Notts, so they’ve certainly got the opportunity to escape, and given their relatively healthy goal difference in comparison to the others in the bottom 8, you’d fancy them to escape. Looking at the squads available and the run-ins, I fancy Crewe to drop. They have a porous defence, lack confidence away from home and their goal difference is -24. So, my four to go? Stevenage, Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Crewe. Over to you, Shaun.
Drew Dennis
@DrewNotts
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THE EXIT INTERVIEW: MATT ALEXANDER
Having recently left the club and it’s position of Chief Scout, we caught up with Matt Alexander for the inside line on his time at Meadow Lane: What was it that brought you to Notts?
being behind closed doors because it was never about winning - it was about developing and improving.
Ray Trew. I was doing well at Bradford City and Ray had heard I believe. So he contacted me and the rest is history. I also understand the supporters want to follow their club so I have a lot of respect for Ray so when he called there was I can see it from their point of view as well. never any doubt in my mind. If you could make one change to the DS set up today When people hear the word scout, they think of – what would it be? someone who merely goes out to watch players with No comment. an eye to bringing them in. Was that your role? My role was a little different to a ’normal’ chief scouts role. I oversaw the under-21s - so everything from organising our whole fixture list and some contract negotiation to food and driving the bus. I also collated information from our match scouts.
Recently Tyrell Waite, Kyle Dixon and Malachi Lavelle-Moore have been given time out on loan. How beneficial will these moves be? I believe that loan moves are very beneficial. But the club who are taking the player has to be in the same thinking as the parent club with philosophy and tactic - or have a very good set up so the player can learn a different side of the game. Its easy to say ’they will man up’ or ‘it will toughen them up’, But there needs to be more background info on the club taking our asset and strategic.
Each manager is unique and wants different things from match reports so we had to tailor them to each individual. I’d create a database of players to recommend to the manager, and then try to get them to watch the players. Sort out expenses for U21’s and organise the odd accommodation. And I was a mentor to some of the under18s when possible. Oh and I’d create links with clubs to loan What was it that led to you handing in your resignation at Meadow Lane? out players to other clubs!
For someone who was hands on with the Development A number of things really. I felt I couldn’t do anymore than Squad (DS), how much disruption would it bring with I was doing. Plus I wanted to give Shaun and Greg the opportunity to bring their own guy in. They are good people. managers chopping and changing like they do? Yeah there was quite a bit disruption simply because each Do you plan to monitor it’s progress even if you’re not manager had a different view on its importance. at Notts anymore? Of the players you had a hand in the development of, Of course! Firstly, all the lads are like family to me and who were the standouts for you? secondly I have no doubt that with the right coaching and I genuinely still believe that there are some talented boys support, one day I will come back and buy one of them!! at Notts and all they need is a little bit of time and correct coaching. All you have to do is look at their performances How much have things changed for the better or in the Premier League U21 Cup and you will see that - worse since you first took on your role at the club? especially against Coventry and Doncaster. No comment. I would take each and everyone with me if I was a manager and work on them. Some just need a confidence boost but Social media is obviously a part of the modern game – how have your experiences been with Notts fans they won’t let your club down. whilst you were at Meadow Lane? Not that I’d expect you to name names (although you can!) were any of the players you worked with just Notts fans have on a whole have been very good to me. Im still learning the game and I think they understood that. not worth the hassle? There are probably a few things I would’ve and probably There is NEVER a player that has a contract that isn’t worth should’ve done different but I don’t think I could’ve worked your time. They are an asset to the club and should be any harder or given any more. treated as one no matter how difficult. The day I give up on The notts fans are usually appreciative of honesty and hard a young player is the day I give up on football. work and with me you will always get both. From the outside looking in, some supporters feel the DS might be stifling the progress of some of the And finally, would be rude to not ask - but what are your plans now for life after Notts County? players we have on the books. I would say thats wrong. If done correctly a development I’m not quite sure what my future is just yet. I have been squad is the ideal way a player can make the step up to lucky enough to be contacted by a couple of clubs and a possible opportunity abroad that I had whilst at notts has first team football. become available again! So luckily there are options. But Do you wish supporters were able to see more of the at the minute I’m very happy to spend more time with my daughter and focus on my other passion in dealing with DS in action? Sports Image Rights. Yes and no. The majority of supporters (and people in general) are very reactionary so if a player has a bad game Keep up with Matt on Twitter via @MattAlexander81, or at heythatsfootball.wordpress.com. then he’s not good enough. I liked a number of the games
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ISSUE #8
Wishing both Notts County FC and Black & White all the best and hoping both the fanzine and Shaun Derry’s Notts take us all the way to extra time and penalties this year!
electricaloptions.co.uk
LuSam
Photography -Wedding-Portraiture-Nature-Architecture07446 118177 facebook.com/lusamphotography I also sell framed photos of the Meadow Lane Stadium, with 10% discount for Notts Co. fans (just quote Black&White when ordering)
MY TOP THREE
In a new regular feature for Black & White we ask fans to share their top three Meadow Lane memories. In this issue Richard Ogando picks three of his favourite moments. Get in touch to submit yours! When I first put pen to paper on this piece I thought coming up with three games would be easy, after all we have had so many great Meadow Lane occasions to remember over the years. But it was much harder than I first thought. In the end it was personal sentiment and not necessarily football that helped me to decide.
Notts County 1 (Masson) Oldham Athletic 1 (Halom)
still this game holds something truly magical to me.
Just a few days earlier Notts had capped off an amazing season by securing promotion to Division one following a drama filled victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. This On paper not a game you would expect someone, 35 years meant that the game against Cambridge was nothing less than one giant celebration. a supporter to list as one of their Meadow Lane highlights. October 13th, 1979 League Division Two, att: 8,540
I chose this match because it was the very first game I attended at Notts with mates and without parental supervision. I had been to see Notts play once before some 4 or 5 years earlier when a Florist loving uncle decided to treat me to a night in the Kop, where surrounded by those who had made the short trip over the river we watched the team in red run out comfortable 4-2 winners in the County Cup. As it happens I had no allegiance to any club at that time and you would have put money on an impressionable 9 year old leaving that game a Florist fan. Strangely and to my uncle’s confusion and no doubt despair I had no such feelings, and to be fair I didn’t feel anything for Notts either. Then one rainy Saturday morning a few years later my life was about to change forever. Me and a few mates were loitering around the local shops deciding what mischief we were going to get up to when someone suggested going to watch a football match. It just so happened Notts were playing at home so after some deliberation and counting of pocket monies off we set.
And the team didn’t disappoint with a comfortable 2-0 victory further cementing a second place finish above Swansea City. In truth, the result was never in doubt, Cambridge were just making up the numbers having secured a comfortable mid table finish and the Magpies were flying high. A first half goal by Trevor Christie and a second half Iain McCulloch finish was enough to secure what would be Notts County’s last ever two points as the following season heralded the revolutionary three points for a win. But again this wasn’t about the game as such, it was about being a part of something that only a football supporter can truly appreciate. Before satellite navigation devices were invented we would benchmark directions by pubs, factories and churches, and in the same way we as fans bookmark our life’s history by remembering world cups, european championships, FA Cup Finals, promotions and of course relegations. This is one such occasion.
The celebrations started immediately after McCulloch’s 78th minute winner as fans started to clamber over the barriers On arriving at the ground we accidently went in the Kop not around the ground, edging ever closer to the pitch, in what realising this was the away end. It was chucking it down with was to be one of the most emphatic Meadow Lane pitch rain and there was a huddle of some 150 fans sheltering invasions in my memory as a fan. from the elements underneath the old scoreboard. No sooner had the ref blown the final whistle than the pitch It wasn’t until Oldham scored the opening goal, and this became engulfed with a throng of black and white. And it huddle of fans suddenly became a deranged celebratory didn’t stop there as after the celebrations started to die mob, charging out and straight at us from beneath their down at the ground a few thousand of us decided a late temporary shelter that we acknowledged our mistake and night invasion of Slab Square was in order. Quite simply … after a short sprint down the Kop terraces a friendly copper SCENES! came to our rescue, granting us entry to the relative safety of the main stand.
Notts County 1 (Bishop) Manchester City 1 (Dzeko)
As for the game it was not the most exciting affair, a Don January 30th, 2011 Masson equaliser before half time and a handful of missed FA Cup 4th Round, att: 16,587 chances by Notts in the second half meant Oldham and their fans travelled home the happier of the two teams with their There is nothing I had longed for more as a supporter than point. to see Notts play a top flight team again in front of a capacity crowd at Meadow Lane. So my final choice is the 2011 FA For me and a couple of my mates though it was a revelation. Cup draw between the world’s oldest football league club We were hooked and didn’t miss a home game for the and the perhaps at the time, the world’s wealthiest football remainder of what was a pretty uneventful season on the club. pitch as Notts finished 17th in the league. As the teams lined up for kick off I cast a cautionary eye over the team facing our boys and like most of us at the time just Notts County 2 (Christie, McCulloch) thought to myself, bloody hell, how many shredded wheat Cambridge United 0 did that lot eat for breakfast today! May 5th, 1981 League Division 2, att: 12,489
Of all of my Meadow Lane memories this still remains my favourite of all time. Yes I’ve witnessed victories against them over the river, a couple of 4th tier league titles, some cracking Anglo Scottish and Anglo Italian cup ties and FA Cup and League Cup victories against top flight teams, but
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But I shouldn’t have worried as for a while it looked like the class of 2011 would go on to emulate the class of 1991 by beating the Premier League big boys after Neal Bishop guided in a 59th minute header from an Alan Gow corner in front of a bursting, vociferous and now ecstatic Kop. However, with 10 minutes remaining Micah Richards with
ISSUE #8
fans had to do our bit from the terraces, and I have to say that is exactly what transpired as TV pundits, reporters and Man City fans alike left Meadow Lane scratching their heads, wondering how a team in the bottom half of the third tier of English football had managed to match and indeed for a while have the Premier League giants running scared.
a powerful run down the right flank managed to completely bamboozle Jon Harley (not too difficult a task) leaving him cross legged and most likely crossed eyed, before firing in a low cross for City’s new marque signing, Edin Dzeko to volley home his first goal in English football. In the closing seconds we were left wondering what could have been as Lee Hughes failed to connect properly with a far post header, the ball passing agonisingly wide of the City goal. Unfortunately it was not to be and a replay at the City of Manchester Stadium lay ahead. But it was again the occasion and not the football that made me decide to include this game ahead of so many other choices. The game was broadcast live around the globe and the most important thing to me, and I’m sure for most Notts fans was that as a club we didn’t let ourselves down.
But that’s the unpredictability of football, and of course for the elitist pundits and columnists there had to be a leveller, a reason for the inexplicable nature of the near shock result and of course, it was blindingly obvious that the leveller was the inhospitable, rugby churned, ploughed field of a Meadow Lane pitch. After all, how can you expect anyone to play football on a pitch like that for only £200k per week?
Richard Ogando
The players had to do their bit on the pitch and us the
@ncfcog
THE SEASON SO FAR IN QUIZ FORM!
1 Gary Liddle was sent off 13 minutes into our first game of the season at Sheffield United. Which player was then sent off in our next game, a League Cup 1st round tie against Fleetwood?
sponsor. Which gambling company sponsored us that night?
2 In our home game against Peterborough United in August, which defender scored the opener?
7 Thanks to some truly woeful spot kicks in the Football League Trophy match against Wolves, Notts only needed to score 3 penalties in the shootout to go through. Name the three players that scored for County that night.
3 Which Aston Villa loanee made his debut in the League Cup game against Liverpool?
8 Which team did we beat 3-2 at the end of October, to lift ourselves off the bottom of the League One table?
4 Striker Danny Haynes recently joined Hibs on loan until the end of the season. How many league goals had he scored before moving up north?
9 The very next game put us back at the bottom - a 3-0 loss away to Coventry at Northampton. Which player was sent off for the magpies that day?
5 Marcus Haber scored 2 goals while on loan from Stevenage. True or False Both of these goals came in wins? 6 In the League Cup match against Liverpool at Anfield, Notts sported a special shirt
began the task of keeping us up. Which teams put us out of the FA Cup, and then the Football League Trophy? 12 Late November saw us draw 1-1 away at Bradford City. Continuing our fine Red Card consistency this season, yet another Notts player was sent off. Name him. 13 Notts have just recently signed James "Jimmy" Spencer after his release from Huddersfield. What squad number has he been given? 14 After 7 games (in all competitions) without a win, early December saw us beat Gillingham at home. Which 2 ex-Notts players lined up for the Gills that day?
10 Yoann Arquin recently 15 In the 4-0 demolition of joined Scottish Premier side Ross County. In his 53 Colchester in mid-December, appearances for County, how which loanee scored the only goal of his spell with the many goals did he score? magpies? 11 November saw us crash 16 Manager Shaun Derry out of 2 cups in the space has been known as a tough, of 4 days as Shaun Derry
combative midfielder and has appeared in the Premier League. But how many Premier League goals has he scored? 17 Callum McGregor scored again in the New Years Day home win against Bradford. Who scored the third goal in that game? 18 In the 2-1 home win against Sheffield United in January, Conor Coady opened the scoring for the blades. From which club is Coady on loan from? 19 The January win away at Stevenage lifted us to our highest league position so far this season. What spot did we occupy after the game? 20 Goalkeeping coach Kevin Pilkington recently played against PNE. True or False He has now appeared more than 150 times for Notts County.
Dan Hutchinson
@Nottscountydan
1 Manny Smith; 2 Dean Leacock; 3 Enda Stevens; 4 Three; 5 True – versus Tranmere & Crewe; 6 Ladbrokes; 7 Haynes, Labadie & Fotheringham; 8 Oldham Athletic; 9 Danny Haynes; 10 10; 11 Hartlepool & Oldham Athletic; 12 Marcus Haber; 13 16; 14 Stuart Nelson & Myles Weston; 15 Morgan Fox; 16 One; 17 Jack Grealish; 18 Liverpool; 19 16th; 20 False – he’s on 150!
FEB ‘14
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SHAUN DERRY: HE’S ONE OF OUR OWN
There’s an old adage in football that you should never return to the scene of past glories. Whether as a player or as a manager, if you’ve achieved notable success at a given club, returning to work there later in your career is seldom a good idea. The chances are you won’t repeat the trick. You’ll most likely end up staining the happy memories of your previous spell. Just ask Gary Mills, Craig Short or Ian McParland. Shaun Derry doesn’t really carry a huge burden of success from his previous spell at Meadow Lane. After breaking into the first team squad in August 1996 he quickly established himself as a regular first choice. He made 55 appearances, but suffered relegation in his first League season. Sam Allardyce, who was appointed in January 1997, was unable to haul the club out of the disastrous position he’d inherited from the equally disastrous Colin Murphy.
on his back.
The history books indicate that we didn’t really miss his presence on the field in the second half of that recordbreaking season, and Derek Pavis must’ve been laughing all the way to the bank.
Top priority was always going to be retaining the services of the two young loanees whose skills and goals had been our main glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel, so after a couple of weeks of uncertainty the news that both Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor would be returning to Meadow Lane for the duration of the season was a massive boost. Add to that the removal of some dead wood, and Notts go into 2014 looking leaner, meaner, and ready to give many teams at this level a good run for their money.
There was no so-called “new manager syndrome” for Derry. No instant reverse of fortunes. His tenure began with four straight defeats, which was claimed to be the worst ever start for a new Notts. County manager. However, there was a noticeable difference in the body language of the players. A renewed urgency in their play, a bit of team spirit, a slightly more direct approach, and a lift in the overall work Derry remained in big Sams’ plans for the following season rate. The fans could see things changing for the better, and of course, and played 34 times as Notts stormed to an faith in, and support for, the new gaffer began to grow. ultimately unassailable position at the top of what was then “Shaun Derry! He’s one of our own” chimed the Kop choir. called Division Three. In January 1998 Sheffield United tabled an offer that Notts absolutely couldn’t refuse for the Fingers crossed, he was the right man to lift us out of the relegation dogfight, but it was clear that there were still a solid but unspectacular Derry. number of freeloading passengers on this bus. They needed I remember being shocked and amused that Sheffield were to be put off at the next stop, and replaced with some who prepared to fork out a reported £700,000 for his services. could pay their fare. Come the January transfer window, Notts snatched their hands off before they changed their the board of directors had to equip Derry with the tools he required to do the job. minds.
Derry - by his own admission never the most gifted of players - went on to justify that price tag by forging for himself a more than respectable playing career, based on principles of sheer hard work, dedication and discipline, and without ever taking it for granted that he was privileged to be earning a very good salary just for kicking a ball around. Ironically, having made that last statement, I’m writing this the day after the home game against Walsall. We got Fast forward 16 years, and Shaun Derry is back at the off lightly with a 5-1 defeat in my humble opinion. But I’m Lane. When news broke of his impending appointment, the going (for now) to write that one off as simply a bad day at universal reaction was one of surprise, and many fans were the office. We all have them from time to time. Let’s draw a convinced that more experienced applicants must’ve been line under it and go again next week, eh ? overlooked, in favour of yet another cheap rookie. We all voiced our opinions, but in the end we all came to the same As it stands, Notts are sitting 18th in the table, a single conclusion: As supporters we had little choice but to get point above the drop zone. If that’s where we finish the behind Shaun and his team, and give him a fair crack of season you’ll hear few complaints from me. Derry will then have the opportunity to wheel and deal a little, bring one the whip. or two new faces into key positions, and prepare for a first From day one in the job, it was clear that Derry was going full season in management with a squad largely of his own to have quite an impact. He had brought with him all the making. qualities and high standards he set for himself as a player, and one way or another anyone who wanted to work with So far, he looks as though he knows what he’s doing, so I him was going to have to meet those standards. He was think he deserves a proper crack at it. embarking on a journey, and people could either travel with him, or get off the bus. But nobody was going to simply ride
Nigel Nattrass
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ISSUE #8
GREG ABBOTT: HE’S SOMEONE ELSE’S!
If you catch him in the right mood, and with the requisite number of pints of fizzy beer in his belly, Greg Abbott will delight in telling you his favourite training ground tale from his time as manager at Carlisle United. It’s a tale I’ve heard many times – first hand, second hand, third hand – and has taken on its own mythology at the club in the same way that everyone claims to have been present when Jimmy Glass scored, or when we beat Newcastle at St. James’. a limited individual who made the utmost of his talent in Bradford’s late 80s renaissance. He is revered in that corner of West Yorkshire for his effort, commitment and connection with the fans which showed itself no less than through his personal heroics in rescuing the stricken during the infamous The tale concerns central defender Bradford fire. Josh Gowling, signed amid some fanfare by Abbott’s mahogany His shortcoming is that he wants faced predecessor John Ward. every single player he works with Gowling was, Ward told us, the to be the same, to want to be a essence of the modern centre footballer so much that they bleed half – a baby Rio Ferdinand with themselves to the bone in every footballing skills to match his size training session. He has no truck and commitment. And much like with the modern prima donna Ferdinand it turned out he also had footballer, and Gowling isn’t the an ego and image to maintain. I only awkward customer to feel the only ever saw Gowling play once bony edge of his managerial elbow. for Carlisle, in Ward’s final game as gaffer, a chastening 3-0 reverse The same brace of words and at Stockport, who went on to be phrases littered Abbott’s every engagement with the local press – relegated. ‘effort’, ‘determination’, ‘honesty’, It swiftly became apparent ‘hard yards’, put in a shift’. This fact that Abbott didn’t share Ward’s itself turned many fans off him, prognosis of Gowling and he found perhaps unfairly so, but the feeling himself in tactical Siberia, the that the man was playing a game club’s highest paid player, as his of blagger’s bingo never really left teammates toiled. The story goes Greg during his time in Cumbria, that Greg’s reasoning for shelving even in the good times. Gowling came down to questions over his commitment – specifically Word has it that Abbott turned relating to a singular training down the club’s overtures that he ground incident in which Gowling undertake some media training showed a rather sheepish degree – ‘Why the fuck would I need that?’ – and whilst it allowed the of effort during a heading drill. continued output of chucklesome When Abbott pulled him up, cliché and occasional belly laugh suggesting that, as a centre half, at a plucky interviewer’s expense, this was bread and butter stuff, it also highlighted that inner core Gowling told that he’d had his hair of pig headed, bloody mindedness braided the previous day and it’d that is at once both Abbott’s charm set him back a few hundred quid, and his curse. that he wouldn’t duck out in a straightforwardness is match situation. Abbott had heard This enough, and never engaged with absolutely at the root of Greg Gowling again, sending him on Abbott’s charm, though. Whilst loan to Hereford and Gillingham he may dream that he’s Clough and binning him off at the first reincarnated, the reality is that he’s two parts Harry Bassett, one part opportunity. Jimmy Tarbuck. A man wedded to When Abbott relates the tale with the past, and to old ideals, through his trademark invective pocked his own footballing glories. brio it is unquestionably hilarious. But it gives so much away about No-one, not even his greatest would ever have Greg, too. Abbott the player was detractor, The reason for that is that it speaks volumes about modern footballers. But it also serves as a handy crib sheet for the psyche of Greg Abbott the man, ‘a football man’ as he’ll proudly boast to be, a man ‘who’s most at home on the grass’ to borrow his own epithet.
FEB ‘14
questioned Greg’s commitment to Carlisle United – that he sweated the best interests of the club from every pore, that he was infected by the local pride and passion for the club, that he and those around him became bona fide Carlisle fans. In five years at Brunton Park he gave the club everything he had to offer – his time, his nous, his contact book, his 1970s stand up routine, his life. The problem is that despite of the character he is, and probably in part because of the character he is, he came up short. That isn’t to say that Carlisle fans don’t owe the man more respect. In time his achievements will be seen for what they are – a triumph against the odds. Our history will be kind to Greg Abbott, Carlisle United manager. In the meantime he writes his own next chapter at Meadow Lane, away from the spotlight and in the company of one the ‘great mates, good footballing men’ he was so fond of telling us all about up in Cumbria. It’ll suit him; there’s more room for diffidence, and for eccentricity, in the number two spot. It should suit you as Notts fans too – you’ll get to see the full bore of this passionate, strong-willed, quick witted and occasionally hilarious man without ever questioning whether he’s fit to be in charge. At some point you’ll find him getting under your skin. Do yourselves a favour and go with him, wherever it is he’s taking you. Far too many Carlisle fans missed out on Greg Abbott’s rollercoaster up, too cynical and ill-tempered to let go. I’m glad that I did – it was the ride of my life, bumps, thrills and all.
John McGee
@epouvantail
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NOTTS COUNTY LADIES
With Notts County Ladies seemingly making waves in their field, we wanted some coverage within the issue to talk about the players they’re bringing in and what their chances are of success this season. So for that we approached Adam Barlow - the Women’s football correspondent for Sports International magazine and co-host of the Women’s World Football show (and Nottingham Panthers fan). Things may not be going great for the Pies in League One this season, but whatever happens this season there is a ray of sunshine on the horizon as the Lady Pies season will start at the end of March. So here’s a little taste of what to expect from the side, a few players to look out for, and what to expect from the league as a whole. So what can we expect from the Notts Squad? I must admit that I don’t know a huge amount about some of the new arrivals from Australia and New Zealand etc, so I will go through a few of the players I know about and what to expect from them. The club may have been dealt a blow when England number one keeper Karen Bardsley left to join Manchester City, but to their huge credit the Pies have managed to sign Carly Telford from Chelsea who was the best keeper realistically available over the winter. Telford had a nightmare season in 2013 as she missed the start of the season with an injury. Upon her return she made a howler against Liverpool and never regained her place in the Chelsea team. There is no doubt though that a fit and focused Carly Telford is still one of the top keepers in this league and although her England days may be over she is still a huge signing for the club. She has played for manager Rick Passmoor at Leeds in the pre FAWSL days so if there is anybody who can get the best out of her it’s him. In front of her expect Nottingham born and bred England international Sophie Bradley to be the organiser of the back four/five. Sophie isn’t a bawling and shouting kind of defender and prefers to let her football do the talking. She will get on with the job without fuss and her positional sense is one of the best in the league. She will be partnered by Rachel Corsie; a winter signing from Glasgow City who have dominated the Scottish league for the past decade. There is a large gap however in quality between the English and Scottish leagues (sounds familiar doesn’t it?) So it will be interesting to see how she does. Last season the big problem
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for the club was the lack of goals but this looks like it has been addressed. Notts really sent out a message when they signed Ellen White from Arsenal and a lot will be riding on her shoulders this season. White is a target girl kind of striker who is tall, good in the air and can finish very well. By her own high standards she had a quiet season at Arsenal last season as she spent far too much time with her back to goal. To get the best from her she needs to be left up front to chase down defenders and get on the end of crosses. This brings us nicely to Jess Clarke who is another player with something to prove this season. Jess can play either out wide or just behind the main striker and has pace to burn. Put simply if she is on her game she is unstoppable. She had a fantastic season in 2012 but she really suffered in 2013 as the defensive set up the side employed stifled her game and her form dropped off. This led to her getting frustrated as she started trying to do too much, she more often than not lost the ball when she tried to beat one player too many or spent much of the game running down dead ends away from goal. She wasn’t selected for the England training camp in Spain last month which was seen as a bit of a shock and a sign of how her form has dipped over the past 12 months.
I for one really hope she can regain her 2012 form because when she is on form she is a pleasure to watch and a nightmare for opposing defenders. Just ask England defender Alex Scott who always seems to struggle against her. So how do I think Notts will get on this year? Given the quality in the squad I really can’t see them being anywhere near the relegation spot (I have either Birmingham or Everton down for that). Notts do have a lot of new players to gel however, and with the season being relatively short compared to the men’s it will be important they hit the ground running. Personally I think that they will finish around 5th spot with Liverpool taking the title from Arsenal. I have been lucky enough to interview manager Rick Passmoor and I can say that no other FAWSL side will be as organised that Notts and his attention to detail is frighteningly good. They may get off to a slow start but given time I genuinely believe that given time Rick will get the team sorted and become one of the better sides in the FAWSL and it wouldn’t be a surprise given his track record if we see Notts in one of the two cup finals this season.
Adam Barlow
@ferretimp
L: following with us regarding NCFC Chairman Ray Trew shared the Board from input from myself no other MK DONS 2
en the two. No comparisons can be made betwe franchise and The fact is Ladies football is a the FA, with ent agreem ise under the new franch entry into Lincoln Ladies would not have gained s factor but the the WSL. This was for a variety of d a license main one being that clubs being grante a University either had to have a association with Unfortunately, of a Mens Professional Team. criteria but the Lincoln Ladies could not meet this in the WSL. club still exists but just does not play
Apart ll Club has member of Notts County Footba anything to do with it.
FINANCES
financing yet, The ladies team whilst not self the men’s does not take away anything from a ladies team team. I have owned and funded do so. since 2006 and I will continue to
THE PITCH
FA on this and We are working closely with the a better playing over the I am very hopeful we will have As I had invested quite a bit of money have. tly d to make a bid surface than we curren years into ladies football I decide Brand with the under the Notts County Ladies FOR THE UNINITIATED ements of knowledge we could satisfy the requir rs at Meadow sful in our We are looking at double heade succes were we the FA. Fortunately, of watching ding of Lane, but I can tell you now the cost rebran a not is this arise summ to bid. So cheap. We are also ll Team and I the ladies team will be very ticket Lincoln Ladies this is a new Footba season y be offering current Notts Count am proud of it. ladies. holders free half season ticket for
A DISTRACTION
is a separate Certainly Not. The Ladies Team person basically entity and has its own CEO. This top to bottom runs the whole football club from ns game and sits on the FA Board of the wome
is available I would recommend whilst this offer it because I as many of you as possible watch sed at the think you will all be pleasantly surpri standard.
ISSUE #8
RIP TONY HATELEY
I was very sad to see the passing of my ex Notts County hero Tony Hateley on Saturday, February 1st. Tony was a terrific goal scorer for Notts in two spells, scoring 109 league goals in only 188 appearances – including seven hat-tricks! Tony possessed an outstanding ability to head the ball really well – some people have even compared it to that of the great Tommy Lawton. Tony was born in Derby in 1941 and joined Notts as an amateur in May 1956 before turning professional two years later. Initially, Tony was a centre-half but during training one day, with a couple of forwards out injured, manager Tim Coleman gave him a chance to see what he could do ‘up front’. Tony scored a couple of goals and found himself selected at centre-forward for the reserves in a game away at Shrewsbury. Tony scored five! His days of playing centrehalf were over. His first team debut came during the 1958/59 season, at the age of only 17, away at Stockport where he was once again on the score sheet. He was given a spell in the reserves learning his new position and then at the end of the following season Tony was recalled to the first team and played the last ten games, scoring eight times. From that point on first team football was assured.
England squad for the 1966 World Cup but a serious injury and a resulting operation meant that Tony missed out on the World Cup – and never did gain an England cap. In November 1970 Jimmy Sirrel brought Tony back ‘home’ to Notts County giving many Notts fans, like myself, the chance to see him in regular action – and over 21,000 were in Meadow Lane that day to see his return against Northampton. While he was never the most stylish player with the ball at his feet, he was big, powerful and fearless with any centre-half given the job of marking him knowing he would be in for a very busy and bruising afternoon.
In that first spell at Notts from 1958 to 1962 Tony scored 77 league goals in only 131 appearances and in doing so earned himself many admirers in the First Division and it was inevitable that Tony would be playing at a higher level than the Third Division place that Notts County were occupying at that time. By regularly getting on the end of quality crosses from Jon Nixon on the right and Charlie Crickmore on the left, his 22 Aston Villa, Chelsea, Liverpool, Coventry City and goals in 29 appearances that season were a major factor in Birmingham City all had Tony wearing their colours over Notts County being crowned champions. the next seven years, with Tony’s transfer fee of around £100,000 being a record for both Chelsea and Liverpool at He continued scoring the following season with ten goals in that time. 28 appearances before, in a home game against Chesterfield,
a big defender fell right across his knee damaging his medial During his successful time at Villa, while scoring 68 goals ligament and effectively ending his career. in 127 appearances and being their top scorer for three successive seasons, Tony was included in Sir Alf Ramsey’s At the time of Tony’s retirement his combined transfer fees were a record for a single player in English football. After his playing days were over, Tony enjoyed watching his son Mark play at such clubs as Milan, Monaco and Rangers and also watching him represent his country as he gained 32 England caps. Mark’s son and Tony’s grandson, Tom, also a footballer, has just joined polish side Śląsk Wrocław on a two-and-a-halfyear contract. Tony worked as Everton’s lottery manager at Goodison Park and for several years was a rep for Thwaites’ Brewery in the Liverpool area. In an interview, despite playing for some of England’s top clubs, Tony was quoted as saying about his time at Notts County and winning the Fourth Division title: “It was my happiest time in football.” The word legend is overused these days – but definitely not in this case. RIP Tony Hateley – A Notts County legend.
Dave Fells
@MagpieDave
FEB ‘14
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YOUR COUNTY NEEDS YOU!
So as we enter February and the end of the season becomes visible far away on the horizon, we are again faced with a relegation scrap. It wasn’t too long ago that I thought our days of fighting to stay in whichever league were long gone. When Munto ‘came in’ with all of its money, I was as convinced as anyone else that our only concerns would soon be how high up the Premier League we could finish. That dream soon turned sour and this year is not the first since we arrived back in League One following that unforgettable season that our place in the third tier has been in jeopardy. Last time our SOS smoke signals were answered by Martin Allen in 2010/11, whose mad cap ways and ‘we’re all in this together’ attitude managed to pull us away from the dreaded drop zone. He had form for saving clubs from relegation and luckily for us, his formula worked again. I still remember the day when I knew we were actually going to stay up – we were playing Swindon away and I was up a ladder painting my bedroom, listening to the match on the radio. Goals from Alan Judge and Lee Hughes sealed a 2-1 victory and suddenly there was daylight between us and the relegation zone. A couple of draws later and it was all over – we lived to fight another day. Since then we have had a couple of good to average seasons, but this season has been basically a nightmare from day one. I would summarise where it went wrong with two basic statements – an inexperienced manager and the fact that we have replaced good players with those who are not as good. Our squad has been severely lacking ever since and we have never been able to secure the strength in depth that we really need. Put simply, our team this year has not been as good as it was last year. At this late stage, stating the bleeding obvious will do us no good though. Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott have done their best to strengthen where they can and have secured the services until the end of the season of the best loan players that we have ever seen in Callum McGregor, Jack Grealish and Kieron Freeman (credit to Chris Kiwomya and Mick Jones for finding the first two in the first place). This gave everyone a lift momentarily but three defeats later and we are again staring League Two straight in the face.
League Two. We had taken just two points from the last 30 available – a run that was much worse than this season even. A last day 2-1 win at home to Huddersfield as Bournemouth lost to Wrexham and we were safe. Big sigh of relief all round. What was remarkable about The Great Escape though was the way the fans got behind the team. Yes we went on a great run of wins which definitely helps give the gate a boost, but the last few home games attracted crowds of 7,500 before a staggering 15,000+ turned out for the Huddersfield game. And that is exactly what we need now. Attendances this season have dropped like a stone - we have often struggled to get above 5,000 fans into Meadow Lane, while Forest take that many to an away game. That is a somewhat embarrassing statistic. I know they are challenging for promotion to the Premier League, but even if they were in our position they would get much larger crowds. Notts fans seem to vote with their feet a lot more readily than our counterparts across the Trent, but now is the time for stay-away fans to make a return. We have seen the team pull off some great wins since Derry came in, but we all too often struggle against teams that we should be able to compete with. And having a larger, louder and more supportive 12th man/woman/child in the stands will really help lift the whole team. Notts have more than 27,000 likes on its Facebook page and nearly 18,000 followers on Twitter. Now it doesn’t take a lot of commitment to click a like button or follow button on a website, but that just suggests the interest there really is in the club. Every supporter knows at least one person who counts themselves as a County fan but who doesn’t go down to games. Maybe if we could all convince them to make the effort at least once before the end of the season, we could help re-create that Great Escape atmosphere.
Notts fans like to moan and some seem to almost relish the misery of slumping to another deserved defeat. But what we all really like is to see us doing well and to feel that shared emotion of euphoria There are still plenty of games left for us to pick when we come back against all the odds. up the necessary points that we need to stay up but it won’t be easy. So what we need is everyone So now is the time that we need to stand up and be pulling together to coax us over that finish line. We counted. Yes, the team needs to do its bit, but we need a ‘The Great Escape’ sequel. Surely everyone also need to do ours. remembers something about that season? It was 2002 and with 10 games to go, we were seven points adrift and heading for what is now
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Helen Faccio
@HelenBeighton
ISSUE #8
FEB ‘14
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DO HUMAN RIGHTS EXIST FOR US?
Notts fans are a largely well behaved bunch and very rarely do we see any sort of trouble at Meadow Lane or on our travels, but look around on social media sites and every week you will come across fans treated as criminals, just for being football fans. Granted, sometimes the police may well be acting appropriately to prevent trouble, but on the whole, it is the law abiding, run of the mills fans who are increasingly falling foul of some ridiculous laws and the power crazed enforcers. ‘Bubble matches’ and restrictions of such ilk are drastically on the rise and just the start of the problem. Such ‘bubble matches’ force every away fan to travel at a certain time and a certain way, from a certain place taking away peoples right to free movement, this often leads to cases of fans having to travel hundreds of extra miles if they wish to attend. Fortunately, we’ve never had such restrictions placed on us and reassuringly, Nottinghamshire Police stated that they would not wish to impose such restrictions, when asked about the possibility of Forest vs Leicester/Derby being a ‘bubble match’. However, across the country, they are widely used, Cardiff for example have had over 30 games in 10 seasons where the only way of getting to a game is on official buses and this isn’t just a problem in the top leagues either, as we’ve seen it at Telford vs Luton and Chester vs Wrexham in the conference, just to give an example of how widespread it is. Despite all this, bubble matches are only an inconvenience and conditions are giving in advance, so you can always simply choose to just not go. What is more concerning are the laws which are in place and used against football fans. Ever consumed alcohol on a bus to a game? You’ve
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committed a crime. Ever entered a game after having an alcoholic drink? You’ve committed a crime. These laws are just ridiculous considering you can buy alcohol inside and sometimes directly outside the ground and that no poor behaviour even needs to have been shown. Okay, so the number of fans who are stopped from entering grounds and arrested just for having a drink is very low, but that’s no consolation for those that are stopped. You can gain a criminal conviction, ruin your job prospects, receive a huge fine & be banned from watching football and for what? Essentially, the law is in place to give the police a safety net, so they can arrest someone because they want to and many fans are blisfully unaware of this. At our game against Liverpool, I myself nearly became a victim of this. Sat next to the Notts fans, myself and a friend were ejected after some Liverpool fans took exception to us not celebrating Liverpools third goal. We were dragged underneath the away stand and a policeman came and took all of our details and then announced that he would be arresting me, I was naturally bemused by this as I had done nothing wrong and asked the policeman what for and with what evidence, but he replied he didn’t need any, he believed I had consumed alcohol, so that was enough for him to make
ISSUE #8
against football fans, an issue which has been highlighted a number of times by the Football I was astonished by this and genuinely thought Supporters Federation. the policeman was pulling my leg, it was just a wholly ridiculous situation, but as I later Fortunately, with the rise of social media found out, he was acting fully within the law and fan groups such as the FSF, people are and was entitled to arrest us if he wanted to. becoming more aware of what is happening and Fortunately, one steward called the policeman the tide is turning. Rivalries are being tossed over to have a word, while another steward told aside and fans are uniting for the sake of their us to quickly go while the policeman was gone, basic rights. Huddersfield fans held a public not entirely sure what the policemans response protest against the police enforcing draconian was, but we remained free. Whether we’re restrictions on visiting Hull fans; Newcastle & both on Merseyside’s most wanted list, I dont Sunderland fans came together to oppose the know, but the consequences of what could have ‘bubble’ restrictions, which were subsequently happened if it wasn’t for the stewards, are a dropped; Manchester United fanzine ‘Red Issue’ scary thought. What has happened in a number has compiled a dossier of evidence highlighting of cases, is the police tend to offer a caution misconduct by Greater Manchester Police and (which many accept, not realising it is still put is currently being investigated; and in Scotland on your criminal record), or drop the charges if almost everyone has united to slam the farcical you refuse, but then go on to impose a banning law. order, even though they have effectively Amanda Jacks, CaseWorker for the Football admitted you are innocent! Supporters’ Federation says that to some There’s a similar emerging problem in Scotland, extent supporters have an “expect and accept” in regards to new legislation around anti- mentality and will take how they may be treated sectarian singing which is solely aimed at football for granted and not complain as they may well do fans. The law is vague, so vague it doesn’t even in similar but a non football context. Hopefully define what sectarian songs are, which words you will never need to use the services, but if it deems to be offensive or anything which you do, Amanda is well placed to offer advice would help fans to know what they are or arent and assistance to supporters who may find allowed to do, and when asked, the law makers themselves arrested, or on the receiving end of heavy handed policing or stewarding. The do not provide an answer. FSF are very fortunate in that they have two It’s simply another tool that the police can excellent solicitors, who will offer advice free of use, to potentially arrest someone who has charge and Amanda will support fans through done nothing wrong. Over 300 people have their complaints against stewards/police or, in been arrested under this legislation, in just 18 some cases, legal proceedings against them. months! The bill has been attacked by a number of Sheriffs (scotlands version of a judge), with You are a football fan and have a reasonable a low conviction rate and it faces an early expectation of proportionate and reasonable review, but this wont be finished by 2015, so treatment; sadly this isn’t always the case but Scottish fans face at least another 18 months unless fans are prepared to challenge it little of potentially being arrested for doing the same will change. We all know the sanctions for thing they’ve already done hundreds of times, supporters when they step out of line, with this in mind, why not challenge the authorities when not knowing it was a crime. things go wrong or you feel you’ve been treated The last gripe I have with the law and its harshly? enforcers, is the continued use of section 27 dispersal notices, forcing fans to leave towns/ While we continue to be down in League One cities at any given point, or face arrest. Mostly with a relatively small following, we are still used after games, but it has been known to be very unlikely to encounter any of the above, used before games, forcing fans to miss the but hopefully this has made you more aware of game and waste their time and money. Again, what could happen and what is happening to this can be enforced just on a policemans whim, other fans and the help that is available if you no crime needs to have been committed and do have any complaints to make! If you do wish there doesnt even need to be a suspicion that to contact Amanda, she can be found at either a crime may occur. This was initially a power @fsf_faircop (twitter), amanda.jacks@fsf.org. given to police for warning people to go home uk (e-mail), 07703 519555 (phone). at closing time on a Friday/Saturday night, Aston Perrin but is increasingly being used and abused the arrest.
@AstonP
FEB ‘14
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AWAY DAYS
#RIGHTFULOWNER
To see Notts play on foreign soil in a European competition i'd clutch at any straw going. Well on the 16th November 1993 i did just that. So having decided that this was probably too good to miss we made plans for our first european away day watching Notts. Not one to do coach travel, me, our kid Simmo, and Phil Marshall decided to fly to Milan and get a further train connection to Brescia - approximately a further 50 miles away. Having booked the flights the next issue was securing tickets. For some reason only known to the club, you had to collect the tickets from a Notts representative on the night from outside the ground. I’m not dwelling on this charade, but the poor lad in question came in for some horrendous abuse on the night trying to distribute the tickets to hoards of drunken Notts fans.
entered the stadium, which through drunken eyes could only be described as a concrete bowl with some seats over the far side. The Notts section with 300 of us who had made the journey was down the opposite side in what was their main stand.
Now those who know me by now know the match is often secondary and gets in the way of a good away day, but tonight my team was playing in Europe - the Zenith of my footballing travels. It transpired that the Romanian internationals which included Gheorghe Hagi were not playing due to International duty - good job really or the score might have been greater than the 3-1 defeat Mick Anyone who has flown to Malpensa airport knows it’s Walker’s team suffered. absolutely miles from Milan. So having sorted out a shuttle bus to the city centre we sought out our digs for the night. The highlight of the night was a goal from Mark Draper, For some strange reason we chose a cheap hotel in the red followed by us dodging the bottles and missiles that rained down on us at the final whistle behind the stand from the light area of Milan. local Brescia Ultras. The next morning with a few hours to kill, Phil decided to try and educate me culturally, deciding it would be an idea So having dodged the rocks and stray punches we made our to go and visit the painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo way back to the town centre for a pizza and a beer or two Da Vinci. Even to my untrained eye it was quite a sight to to kill time before our overnight train back to Milan. We’d behold. So having had a taste of renaissance art I said lets then have to connect with our 7am flight back to Gatwick. go and see the San Siro as i thought we needed to get in the mood for the game that night. So having trekked across After getting back to Nottingham and catching up with Milan we arrived at the Guiseppe Meazza Stadium but to our other fans, it seems that some coaches were attacked disappointment found it closed to the public. All we could do and windows smashed. Who knows, maybe Brescia was twinned in advance with Wolverhampton? was marvel at the size of the thing. Wanting to savour the pre match atmosphere (beers) we got the train to Brescia just after lunch for an hours journey. After disembarking at the station, we bumped into some faces from Nottingham who were doubling up on the football and travelling on to watch England play San Marino in Bologna the next night. This was the infamous World Cup qualifier, the 7-1 game where England went 1-0 down after 10 seconds due to that number three from over the river. So having decided that the town square was the best place to set our stall out, we set about showing the locals how to sup beer. As the afternoon passed the Notts fans who had travelled by coach started to arrive and quite a contingent had assembled sampling the local brews. After a trouble free session we set off for the ground in a taxi hoping to find our tickets. Having secured them we
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As history will show, we reached the final only to come up against Brescia again in a Wembley Final. This game was a closer affair with Notts losing out to a solitary goal from Ambrosetti. On this occasion I did get to see the great Hagi parade his talents. Notts did set the record straight a year later in the competition, albeit against Ascoli, but it was an emotional sight to see skipper Phil Turner lift the last European football trophy to bought back to Nottingham by a football team. Following Notts you don't expect european awaydays every week and it would be a further 18 years until my next European excursion watching Notts in Turin against Juventus.
Sean Redgate
@Seanystaxi
ISSUE #8
INTERVIEW: LEIGH CURTIS
Stepped down after six years covering Notts for the Nottingham Post, James Pallatt has just recently passed the torch on to Leigh Curtis previously of the Lincolnshire Echo. We caught up with Leigh briefly to find out a bit more about him and what his plans are regarding our club and the Red Rag.
Firstly, in our best Cilla Black voice Lane so far? – what’s your name and where do Ray was a huge loss because he had you come from? drive and a desire to succeed. I’ve no My name is Leigh Curtis. I have been doubt he would have heavily invested called ‘Shaggy’ on occasions but that’s in the playing squad. He is a winner for my gangly exterior rather than and, as Notts have seen, not afraid my ability at solving mysteries. I am to back his manager in the transfer from Lincoln, a lovely city. I have two market. children, Lottie and Louie, and am married to Sam, but not for much Lincoln have just not had the cash to longer if I carry on my six-hour FIFA compete for the kind of players who would make a difference in recent 14 sessions. years which is why they have tumbled What experiences have you had out of the league. covering Notts over your career? Has the previous Notts I have covered Lincoln v Notts County correspondent James Pallatt given on numerous occasions. They’ve you much warning into what you always been good games from can expect covering this club? memory. One that sticks out very well is one that I didn’t cover but watched James has been terrific in showing me with my dad who is a mad Lincoln fan. around the place, but it will have a lot It was in the 1997/98 season. Big to live up to considering the drama of Sam’s team came strolling to Lincoln Lincoln over the last few years. who were chasing promotion. County ripped into a 3-0 lead, but incredibly I’ve covered an EGM in which some Lincoln hauled it back to 3-3. Steve shareholders attempted to overthrow Brown scored one of the best goals I’ve the board, I’ve seen holding companies seen from a Lincoln player which was being formed, managers on gardening this acrobatic effort from a corner. In leave, relegation from the Football the end though County won 5-3. It was League and much more. a hell of a game. One of the best I’ve The Nottingham Post has long been seen in the flesh. dubbed The Red Rag by Notts fans. And coming from Lincoln, what’s How do you feel you can go about your relationship been like in the changing people’s view? past with our current board? One of my tasks is to significantly I’ve always had a decent relationship improve Notts coverage and that will with Ray who actually wanted to take not happen overnight. I pride myself Lincoln over a few years ago. It never on delivering as much coverage as happened which was a major turning possible. When the Echo was a daily point in Lincoln’s recent history. Had he it was not uncommon to have two been successful, Lincoln would not be pages on Lincoln in the paper every day. Providing the access is there, then in non-league. hopefully, over time, I can help Notts A big statement to make - how big gain much more exposure. It will be a loss was he at Lincoln then? What good for them and good for us. do you make of his time at Meadow
FEB ‘14
Do you envisage the club getting more column inches in the paper in the near future or is that something out of your control at present? As I mentioned above, much of it is to do with access. There has to be trust on both sides. Jon Mattos and Mike Sassi have already told me they want to increase the coverage and I’ve already been asked about a column on Notts. Obviously it’s a bit difficult to write with authority at the moment because I’ve yet to see a game. We are introducing a fans panel. So if anybody is interested get in touch! Does it not put you at a disadvantage when the club puts it’s press conferences with managers and players online in full? Are there ways you can combat this? This is something that is unavoidable, but I am hoping, having spoken to the press team, that we can engineer interviews that can give us more exclusive content and enhance the coverage of Notts. Whether it comes off or not we will have to wait and see, but it won’t be from the lack of trying. You come in with Notts not having the best of seasons. What have been your impressions about the club that you’ve seen so far since coming in? I’ve been hugely impressed not just with what I’ve seen on the pitch, but also how welcome I’ve been made to feel off it. It really is a fantastic football club and one that I am privileged to be covering given the history. Shaun and Greg are extremely good men and the football I’ve witnessed has been terrific. There are some excellent players here and the mind boggles as to why they are where they are in the table.
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12 MONTHS OF MISERY ON THE ROAD
As we approached the last day of 2013, one of our contributors Aston highlighted the horrifying statistic that for that calendar year, Notts County had only registered three wins away from Meadow Lane in the league - a stark contrast to a 2012 in which we'd only lost that same amount away! Three wins - the same amount of managers we went through Talk about slim pickings for an article aiming towards looking at a year's worth travels. Then again I suppose it makes the task easier! Yet still 2013 was a big year for me, it being my first year as a Nottingham native. No longer did I need to factor in an hour' train journeys into Nottingham, if any of the boys were driving (and mostly, either Sean or Dean have), I could be there. And I flipping love an away day. From the day tickets go on sale right up until the journey itself with it's mix CDs, Toby Carverys and car beers. When the football can be as turgid as it was in 2013, it’s those people you travel with that you lean on the most to keep you going.
travelled – in the south coast wind and rain, Notts did their utmost best to not beat a beleaguered Pompey side fielding a side no more experienced than most park teams. This was the night it hit hit home just how much Notts County Football Club had forgotten the basics of their sport. Curle would last only one more game in charge.
In fact it’s testament to the match day company I keep that whilst the league table might say differently, the camaraderie on the road meant it never felt anything like as bad as it has It would be the last away win for been. nearly three whole months, with the Whilst it might not have been the best penultimate game of the season at of years on the road as we entered Doncaster Rovers eventually bucking 2014, it’s almost impossible to fathom the trend. This was of course the day that Keith Curle’s Notts were in the Chris Kiwomya’s Notts side spoiled middle of their incredible unbeaten run their hosts’ promotion party. Sitting away from home just 12 months ago. top of League One, Donny needed just We’re Notts County, Unbeaten Away to win the game to clinch promotion went the now long forgotten chant. I to the Championship. Thanks to a bring this up because it’s quite some Joss Labadie 25 yard thunderbolt of a time into the year before there’s a free-kick however, Rovers' Chairman game away from Meadow Lane that’s John Ryan’s impassioned plea for home worth noting. Well, unless you’d rather fans to not go on the pitch at full time I looked at the defeat at Leyton Orient was to prove unnecessary. The County which brought to an end the unbeaten fans in attendance lapped the whole afternoon up In front of a football field run of 22 games? No, didn’t think so. baring more resemblance to a beach The first away win of the calendar year more than anything else. This was 90 came away at Portsmouth, a 2-0 win minutes of noise from the travelling thanks to goals from Francois Zoko Magpies treated to a fully committed, and Jeff Hughes. This was a horrible backs to the wall display - the type you evening for 87 brave (absurd?) who clinged to in the Summer months in the hope Kiwomya was the man. This year of course began with the honour of the first away day of the Football League season being bestowed upon us, at Bramall Lane against Sheffield United. We of course lost 2-1, but the performance was one that did nothing to suggest how bad things would turn under Kiwomya in due course. You can’t discuss the year’s travels without mentioning Anfield though. Again, it ended in defeat – but what an evening we all had! You turn up at these fixtures not expecting much in your more prestigious opponent’s lineup. But what a
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shock we all got turning up to see the likes of Danny Sturridge, Kolo Toure, and national treasure Steven Gerrard in the starting XI. You knew it was going to be a long night – but just how long and why was not quite so immediate! Trailing to goals from Raheem Sterling and Daniel Sturridge inside half an hour, all you could do at half time was be relieved the deficit wasn't any wider. The second half however though would be a completely different story. Yoann Arquin - a now departed figure (some will say thankfully) at Meadow Lane – headed us back into the game latching onto Manny Smith’s towering header. And whilst perhaps we edged the football, that wouldn’t do anything to prepare anyone for the scenes that would follow when Adam Coombes (WHO?!) slotted in with unerring coolness to level the game! Gary Liddle collected the ball in his own half, offloading swiftly to Callum McGregor inside the centre circle. His deft ball into the path of Arquin behind the defence. The Martinique international broke into the Liverpool area where his ball across the box was swept into an empty net when it looked momentar like the chance had gone. Behind the goal, there were bodies strewn everywhere in the celebrations – Coombes however trotted away as if he'd bagged a tap in on his local park. Such outstanding nonchalance. Of course Liverpool scored twice in extra time, and how we all laughed at the audacity of Jordan Henderson to wag his finger at Notts fans when he scored the fourth – but what an experience extra time was. Little old Notts County, in front of 42,000 at Anfield, and all the Liverpool fans could sing was “Who Are Ya?”. We had them
ISSUE #7
on the ropes, albeit momentarily, but this was a defeat we were able to walk away from with our heads held high. Chris Kiwomya features once more in this article, and for the game in which he tasted his last success as Notts County manager. Buoyed by improving league performances going into a Johnstones Paint Trophy game at Wolverhampton Wanderers, still nobody would have given County much chance going into the game given the international-caused absences of Callum McGregor and Jack Grealish. But right off the bat, you could make a case of the majority of the opposing starting XI that night being able to walk into a Notts side. Leigh Griffths, ex-loanee ‘Pie Kevin MacDonald, Jake Cassidy (so prolific in our division a year earlier at Tranmere Rovers) – talent we’d bite your hand off to be able to draft in. County however were the better side for the whole of the 90 minutes, and anything less than the penalty shootout success they clinched would have been most harsh. They edged the possession statistics and had nearly twice as many shots as Kenny Jackett’s side over the course of the evening – in fact Wolves’ solitary shot on target was Leigh Griffith’s penalty kick. If Henderson's finger wave at Anfield made us laugh, Sloth's stunt double putting his finger to his lips had us rolling on the floor
SEPT ‘13
after an evening's keeper before stroking the ball into an abuse from the empty net. Notts faithful. Bliss. Fabian Spiess was one of many Our first away win in the league this of the night’s season, and it was a 4-0 smothering of heroes (loosest a side sitting comfortably in mid-table. sense of the You could tell by that point things were term of course, picking up under Derry and Abbott. this is the JPT) in Erm...Dabbott? saving the crucial last penalty. The Shame then that we ended the greatest crime calendar year with consecutive defeats of the night was against Lee Hughes FC and Crawley that only 102 Town - a performance so bad, it served Notts fans made only to remind you how different things the journey – had become under Derry in the weeks many deciding to leading upto it. stay back home and watch the Obviously not the best of years the game live on Sky club has had by any stretch of the imagination. From beginning 2013 four obviously. points adrift of the League One playIt took new management team Greg offs, they were ending it five points Abbott and Shaun Derry five games adrift of safety. to put anything on the board for the club - a 1-1 draw at always sepia- Not that there wasn’t cause for toned Bradford. By the time their next optimism of course with the new roadtrip came about they’d secured a management team - the big question is first victory at Meadow Lane. But the whether they had too little time to face first win away is about as good as our the task in front of them. league campaign has got so far! I would say as well however there’s one It was Saturday, December 14th, away more away game worth bringing up – at Colchester that things really picked that which saw the club’s youth team up for us this year with consecutive contest the Midland Youth Cup away wins for the first time. It’s hard to at Walsall on the last weekend of the imagine away days getting much better season. Heavily unfancied going into the game on account of a 7-2 trouncing this season actually. they’d taken at the hands of the same Following up his first goal in senior opponents just two months earlier, football just a week earlier, Jack Notts twice came from behind to force Grealish opened the scoring. Charlton the game into extra time. Athletic loanee Morgan Fox doubled that lead just before half time and things Though they would eventually concede had scarcely looked so comfortable. two unanswered goals, not one of the It was only to get better with Callum 150 or so travelling County fans walked McGregor adding a third on 85 minutes away feeling anything but pride for before Gary Liddle for want of a better the club’s young representatives. The vocal backing the side received that expression - really took the piss. night was certainly one to remember It started with Andre Boucaud on the particularly amongst players like edge of his own area, plucking the ball Romello Nangle and Kyle Dixon went out of the air with the outside of his on to join the club's professional ranks boot. He squares for Jack Grealish, in the Summer. who just like against Bradford City a few weeks earlier ran half the length of the field. He threaded the ball into the area for Lidds who simply let the @BlackWhiteZine ball do the work, rolling past the home
Stuart Brothers
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A T’CHANGE IN DYNAMICS
Notts fans are currently enjoying the exciting football at the Lane. Even posters on MAD are applauding the efforts of Derry and the players. Starting off the season however with high hopes of the play-offs, maybe even more, this soon teetered away with even core fans predicting relegation. After a series of loses and poor refereeing decisions, fans were rewarded with displays of poor team ethic, eventually leading to the sacking of Chris Kiwomya. But now our faith lies in Shaun Derry. And just a few games into the second half of the season, this article discusses what’s changed in our two league meetings with Sheffield United, and asks where we go from here. Bramall Lane was chosen to house the first league one fixture of the campaign as Sheffield United played host to Notts County. The stats for the opener made grim reading for any Notts fan. With Liddle being rightly sent off after 15 minutes, Notts were able to grasp just 29% of possession, being firmly pushed onto the back foot defending 28 shots from the home team, 7 of which were on target. On reflection we did well to escape with only a single goal deficit. The recent 11 on 11 encounter at the Lane yielded more even results with possession evenly split, and although Notts delivered fewer shots, had a greater on target percentage (38% vs 7%). Between the two meetings both Sheffield United and Notts made 5 changes to their starting line-ups. Changes to the right side of the Notts defence saw Kieran Freeman (on loan for the second time this season) and Manny Smith come in for injured Dumbya and Liddle. Liddle missing what is likely to be the rest of the season as a result of a ‘fair tackle’ which lead to a goal kick against Bristol City. In
midfield,
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whilst
Fotheringham
and Boucard still occupy the central area with JCR on the right wing, Joss Labadie, currently on loan at Torquay, was replaced by Aston Villa starlet Jack Grealish. Fotheringham and Bouchard have developed a partnership, and whilst JCR has vastly improved, Grealish adds flair to the line up. The sloppiness of Labadie, notably giving a foul away within 30 seconds of the United away game, is now a fading Notts memory. In attack, the prospective pairing of Haynes and Arquin were exchanged for a one-up/one-deep pairing of Showumni and Murray. Since the opening day of the season, Arquin has found his way to Ross County, and Haynes transfer listed. Showumni appeared as sub for Haynes in the away fixture yet played the full 90 minutes at home, scoring on both occasions. The first was a low volley chested down after out-muscling Maquire from a long Bart free kick and the second, an intended chested effort past goalkeeper Long from a precise cross from the by-line by JCR.
a cracking opener by Coady at 1.46 saw a Notts come back to be proud of. Making just one change in the 90 minutes, Enoch’s reply gave way to a Fotheringham left boot into the bottom corner. Alongside the goal he picked up a yellow for the celebration in front of the Kop with the team evidencing the togetherness and passion of the players in my eyes. Both managers changed between the two meetings. Derry stepping in for Kiwomya and former Derby County manager Nigel Clough took David Weir’s seat for United. Many blame the poor start to the season on awful refereeing decisions such as the incorrectly given free kick at United away resulting in Maguire collecting their second, and underperforming players such as Arquin, Labadie, and Zoko.
Though it was Kiwomya’s inability to lead Notts to safety that mostly contributed to his sacking. Since the arrival of Derry, a fan and former player, he’s rid us of the dead wood and Whilst it would be easy to associate the reinstalled life into those trailing. change in emphasis of the latter half of the season to the coming and going of It seems a combination of a new particular players, the County faithful manager placing trust and grit in know that it is more than that. The players who want to contribute to whole dynamic of the club has shifted. Notts’ success is working, and I have Passes are being completed, players all the faith he will keep us up. It’s look interested, and the desire to fight going to hard but we’ll get there. our way out of another relegation He’s the man for the job and a player struggle is evident from the whistle. motivator, though whether even he Earlier in the season, if we were to could produce a performance from Tom concede early; heads would drop and Williams, I doubt. we would have been picked apart with little return. However, something @dfido1 was different in the home fixture as
Dean Fido
ISSUE #8
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