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1Port Vale14+830
2Walsall13+1226
3Notts County14+1026

4Doncaster14+426
5Crewe13+424
6Chesterfield14+1322
7Bradford14+522

8MK Dons14+521
9Barrow14+421
10Grimsby14-721
11Gillingham14+320
12Salford14-220
13AFC Wimbledon11+919
14Newport County14-619
15Fleetwood Town13+418
16Cheltenham14-317
17Harrogate Town14-815
18Bromley13-214
19Tranmere13-814
20Accrington Stanley13-713
21Colchester13-412
22Swindon14-512

23Carlisle14-168
24Morecambe14-137

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Three Points Please!
Three Points Please!

Notts County v Grimsby Preview

By: Sam Kinnaird
Date: 25/12/2009

GRIMSBY head to Notts County looking to continue their improved recent displays and come away from Notts County with a minimum of one point. The match is subject to a 11am pitch inspection but is widely expected to still take place.

Home > 2009-2010 Season > Previews > Notts Co (a)


Who are they?

Who are ya?

Notts County are quite simply the oldest professional football club in the world, having been formed way back in 1862. But the real fun stuff began only this summer when rich Middle Eastern company Qadbak Investments bought the club and promised to bring Premier League Football to Meadow Lane in the not-too-distant future. They began to put their money where their mouths are, bringing in former England boss Sven-Goran Eriksson on a £100,000 per week five-year contract as Director of Football. A short time later, England defender Sol Campbell was snapped up for a mere £60,000 a week, although he left after just one game with the club, a defeat by Morecambe.

In December of this year, the owners sold their shares to Executive Chairman Peter Trembling, who became overall Chairman. Swedish coach Hans Backe was brought in as County’s manager replacing Ian McParland in October, and he too went the same way as the owners in December. County are currently without a manager, but have received some 40 applicants for the job, although the club have confirmed that an appointment will not be made until the New Year.

Looking back slightly further into the past, Notts County’s achievements include an FA Cup Final win in 1894, and a losing finalist appearance three years prior. They also hold the prestigious honour of being the most promoted and relegated side in England, having won promotion 12 times and suffered relegation on 15 occasions. Famous ex-managers include Sam Allardyce, Neil Warnock and Jimmy Sirrell. Fascinatingly, Italian giants Juventus took the design of their black and white stripes not from the Mariners, but from Notts County.

This Season

County began the season in blistering form, and threatened to run away with the title. They thrashed Bradford City 5-0 on the opening day, and went on to earn convincing wins against Macclesfield, Dagenham and Northampton before the middle of September. Throughout the season their home form has been top notch, with six wins and only one home defeat thur far. Away form has been problematic however, with only three wins to their name this season, and defeats at Rochdale, Morecambe and Barnet have left County in 6th place in League Two on 34 points. Still, they are 17 places and 17 points above the Mariners in the league, and look on course for a play-off finish at least. Strike pairing Lee Hughes and Luke Rodgers have 21 league goals between them so far this season.

Famous ex-Players

County legends include Les Bradd (137 goals) Tony Hately (114 goals) and Albert Iremonger (601 appearances) but perhaps the most famous player to have worn the black and white shirt is Tommy Lawton. The England international played over 150 games for the club shortly after the Second World War, writing his name into Notts County folklore during his spell. Throughout the war Lawton served as a training instructor in the army, before signing for County from Chelsea in 1947. The striker netted 103 times in 166 appearances and scored an incredible 22 goals in 23 games for England. Interestingly, Lawton played despite having ‘flat feet’ and being forced to wear orthotics during games, but his pace and finishing ability meant he became a hero for County fans in the lat 1940s.

Key Man

28 year old midfielder Ben Davies was snapped up on a free from League Two rivals Shrewsbury Town in the summer. Davies came to the club with a reputation for scoring goals from midfield in the past, and since signing for County he has already netted five times. Despite spells with Walsall and Kidderminster in his younger days, Davies made his name with Chester City where he played over 150 games for the club. He moved to Shrewsbury in 2006, scoring 12 goals in his first season at the club before being named club captain in 2008, although he was stripped of the role when he turned down a new contract later in the campaign. Davies admitted it was a tough decision to leave Shrewsbury, but he soon put the departure behind him with a goal on his debut against Bradford City. Town fans may remember it was Davies who scored the equaliser in a 1-1 draw at Shrewsbury last season.

That was the game that was

Mariners 4-0 Notts County – 27th September 2005

Town earned an impressive win against ten-man County with two goals either side of half time. The Mariners went ahead mid-way through the first half when Rob Jones nodded in an Andy Parkinson cross, and the lead was doubled when Martin Gritton scored a diving header on the stroke of half-time. Just seconds after the break, Jean-Paul Kalala thumped in a 25 yard thunderbolt that smacked the crossbar before crossing the lane to make it 3-0. County went down to ten men shortly after when Lewis McMahon was judged to have elbowed Paul Bolland. Town wrapped up the points when Gary Cohen raced clear to rifle home Tom Newey’s cross with ten minutes left to ensure a comfortable victory and move the Mariners to the summit of League Two.

Recent Form

TownNotts Co
DMorecambe(h)1-1
DShrewsbury(a)0-0
DDagenham(h)1-1
DMacclesfield(a)0-0
LBradford(h)0-3
Currently 23rd in League Two.
LAccrington(h)1-2
WHereford(a)2-0
WDarlington(h)4-0
WBournemouth (FAC)(a)2-1
LRochdale(a)1-2
Currently 6th in League Two.

Top Scorers

TownNotts Co
Sweeney6
Conlon4
Hughes15
Rodgers6

Team News

TownNotts Co

  • Olly Lancashire has recovered from the hamstring problem which forced him off early at Shrewsbury.

  • Joe Widdowson (foot) and right winger/striker Nathan Jarman (foot) are both pushing for a start after recovering from injuries.

  • Robbie Stockdale is still injured.
  • Midfielder Johnnie Jackson (knee) is fit again.

  • Other than that no changes are expected unless caretaker boss Dave Kevan wants to change the teamn to fit his own vision of how County should play.
  • Squads

    TownNotts Co
    1GKNick Colgan
    2DFRobbie Stockdale
    3DFJoe Widdowson
    5DFMatthew Heywood
    6MFPeter Sweeney
    7MFAdrian Forbes
    8FWNathan Jar man
    9FWAdam Proudlock
    10FWBarry Conlon
    11MFDanny Boshell
    12DFJamie Clarke
    13MFNick Hegarty
    14MFPeter Bore
    15DFMatthew Bird
    16DFPaul Linwood
    17MFGrant Normington
    18FWChris Jones
    19MFMichael Leary
    20MFJammal Shahin
    21FWMichael Coulson
    23MFOliver Lancashire
    24DFDamien McCrory
    25DFRob Atkinson
    26FWJean-Louis Akpa Akpro
    27FWDanny North
    28FWJosh Fuller
    29FWBradley Wood
    31MFNicky Featherstone
    32MFMark Hudson
    33FWBen Wright
    35GKLeigh Overton
    1 GKRussell Hoult
    2 DFBrendan Moloney (on loan from Nottingham Forest)
    3 MFMatt Ritchie (on loan from Portsmouth)
    4 DFMike Edwards
    5 DFGraeme Lee
    6 DFJohn Thompson (captain)
    7 MFMatthew Hamshaw
    8 MFRicky Ravenhill
    9 FWLee Hughes
    10 MFNeal Bishop
    11 MFBen Davies
    14 FWSean Canham
    15 FWKarl Hawley
    16 FWBen Fairclough
    17 DFJamie Clapham
    18 DFStephen Hunt
    19 FWLuke Rodgers
    20 FWCraig Westcarr
    21 MFJohnnie Jackson
    22 FWDelroy Facey
    23 GKKasper Schmeichel
    24 MFDaniel Jones (on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers)
    30 FWAde Akinbiyi
    45 MFNathan Fox

    Head to Head

    Of the 76 games the two clubs have played against each other, the Mariners edge the head-to-head with 32 wins to Notts County’s 26. Town have a decent record against County in recent seasons, with only three defeats in the last the last ten games, but have only won one of the last six. A 2-0 win at Meadow Lane last season all but confirmed the Mariners’ survival in League Two, and a battling 1-0 win in March 2006 courtesy of a Michael Reddy goal was Town’s final away triumph of the campaign

    P76 W32 D18 L26 F 105 A 107

    Head-to-Head (31st The Opposition Ladder)

    Last Meeting

    Notts Co 0 Grimsby 2 (Sat 13th Apr 2009)

    One of the most memorable games of last season. Grimsby had to win after relegation rivals Chester had won in a lunchtime kick off. Town responded superbly and backed by over 1000 vocal fans they went away from Meadow Lane with an extra spring in their step and three invaluable points.

    Report

    Prediction

    The Fishy Prediction

    County are strong at home, but the Mariners will be confident of another good away performance and may snatch a surprise victory.

    Notts County 1-3 Mariners

    Reader's POMs

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