Archived News from February 2006
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STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
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The Stags' longest away trip this season, successfully ventured due to the 2-0 win at Torquay, will be followed by the shortest. Or in other words: The Torquay trip is followed by the short trip to Meadow Lane, Notts County headquarters. And if the Stags beat County, our Nottinghamshire rival will be leap-frogged in the League Two table.
And last season's local derby at Meadow Lane was the Stags' 3000th league fixture since election way back in 1931, and it also marked the Stags' first league win at Magpies headquarters since September 27, 1958, thanks to a Barker header after just 20 minutes, sending the 3600 travelling Stags fans wild. What a way to mark a milestone in league history! But now the Stags seek revenge for the 2-3-defeat at home on the August Bank Holiday Monday despite leading 2-1 with ten minutes to spare. Then, County topped the League Two table but have faltered badly since then, now sitting in mid-table having lost their last two home games, albeit against sides challenging for promotion. But the Magpies player who scored twice at Field Mill on August 29, 2005, Glynn Hurst, is no longer at County after having fallen out of favour with the management. Hurst has since then joined Shrewsbury. The teams first met in 1937-38, when the Stags were moved to the southern section of the old third division due to the relegation of Barnsley and Stockport from the old 2nd division with the effect of both those sides being placed in the old Div 3 (N). The Stags lost both games against County in the 1937-38 season. The crowds then: 13632 at Meadow Lane and 11190 at Field Mill. The following season, the last before the outbreak of World War II, saw the first Stags win against County, a 2-0 on November 12, 1938 in front of 9852, who saw Turner and Dutton dispose of the Magpies. That season also saw the first Stags away point at County, a 1-1 draw on March 18, 1939, Harkin hitting the net in front of 11629. After World War II, the teams have been in the same league on a dozen occasions up to the current season. The first post-war derby was played at Field Mill on November 23, 1946, when a solitary Copestake strike was enough to send the Magpies a few miles down the road empty-handed in front of 10899. The sides also clashed in the Stags' solitary season in the old 2nd division in 1977-78, when the Magpies won both fixtures. Attendances then: 12827 at Field Mill, 10587 at Meadow Lane. The derby attendances in 1971-72 were even better: 16905 at Meadow Lane, 16758 at Field Mill. The biggest Stags win in league games was a 4-0 thumping on September 16, 1963 with three goals from Roy Chapman and one from Scanlon in front of the Stags' second highest home gate that season, 16560, a gate which was marginally bettered on February 8, 1964, when the eventual Champions and later First Division and Premiership side Coventry were sent beaten 3-2 in front of 16755. And in the inaugural season of the old third division, the Stags did their first double over the Magpies, as the Stags won the home fixture 3-0 (gate 13376) and the away one 4-3 (attendance 16510) – thus being the Stags-County game producing most league goals. The second one was achieved last term, starting with the stuffing of the Magpies to a convincing 3-1 scoreline that should have been even higher, i.e. due to hitting the woodwork and missing a penalty, on October 16, 2004. But the Stags' line-up now haven't much resemblance to the one at Field Mill in October 2004. The teams have also met in the League cup on six occasions, the latest being a County 4-3 win at the Mill at the start of the 2001-02 season. The squads also clashed in the 2002-03 Division Two season. On November 9, 2002, Iyseden Christie netted the Stags 2-2 equalizer deep into injury time – one of the few occasions the Stags had such luck that campaign - more than justified as the Stags had deserved to win. The home game on February 8, 2003, was won 3-2, all goals coming in the second half, catapulting the Stags into 17th position and above County and the last time above 20th position that season before bad luck with late goals against again continued to curse the Stags, as it more often than not occured in 2002-03. ... and the teams have never played a goal-less league game at Field Mill, compared to one, on December 26, 1986, at Meadow Lane, with the Stags scoring in all leagues fixtures bar one at the Mill. As expected, several players have played for the Stags as well as for the Magpies. One of the first is believed to be Edwin Clare, playing even in the Mansfield Wesleyans days – and some of the latest being Tony Lormor and Darren Ward. Even the Stags' first International, John McClelland, did play a few games for County in their latest season in the top flight, 1991-92 (and this before the introdution of the Premier League). The most recent ones are Kevin Pilkington and Andy White. Played for both sides: Ian Baraclough, Brian Bates, Charlie Bisby, Roy Brown, Colin Calderwood, Gary Chapman, Steven Cherry, Trevor Christie, Edwin Clare (even in Mansfield Wesleyans days!!!), David Coates, William Coole, John B Cottam (1920's), Reg Cropper, William Death, Bill Dickson, Dick Edwards, Wayne Fairclough, Len Featherby, Paul Gibson, Jimmy Heathcote, Simeon Hodson, Colin Hoyle, David Hunt, Glynn Hurst, John Jepson, Jimmy Jones, Harry Keeling, Ben Le Grice, Richard Lee, Tony Lormor, John McClelland, Arthur Mann, Gary Martindale, George Mee, Bobby Mimms, Brian Moore, Harry Moore, Kevin Pilkington, Don O'Riordan, Nicky Platnauer, Llewellyn Price, Kevin Randall, Charlie Reed, Mike Rose, Fred Shaw, Lance Sheldon, Paul Sherlock, Stephen Slawson, Chris Staniforth, Phil Stant, Arthur Staples, Murray Steele, George Stimpson, John Streets, Adrian Thorpe, Mick Vinter, Darren Ward, Alfred West, Andy White, Chris Withe. Managed both sides: Bill Dearden, Mick Jones, Harry Parkes, Harry Weightman (only manager who's been in charge of all three Nottinghamshire League clubs!). Home games: P 15, W 6, D 3, L 6, GF 25, GA 21 Away games: P 14, W 2, D 4, L 8, GF 13, GA 25 Season Home Date Away Date 1937-38 1-2 1938-04-09 0-2 1937-10-07 Div 3 (S) 1938-39 2-0 1938-11-12 1-1 1939-03-18 Div 3 (S) 1946-47 1-0 1946-11-23 1-5 1947-03-29 Div 3 (S) 1958-59 3-0 1959-02-14 4-3 1958-09-27 Div 3 (old) 1963-64 4-0 1963-09-16 0-1 1963-10-03 Div 3 (old) 1971-72 1-1 1972-02-26 0-2 1971-11-06 Div 3 (old) 1977-78 1-3 1977-10-29 0-1 1978-03-21 Div 2 (old) 1986-87 1-2 1987-04-21 0-0 1986-12-26 Div 3 (old) 1987-88 1-1 1987-10-11 1-1 1988-03-12 Div 3 (old) 1988-89 1-1 1988-10-01 1-2 1989-02-04 Div 3 (old) 1989-90 1-3 1989-11-04 2-4 1990-05-05 Div 3 (old) 1997-98 0-2 1998-01-31 0-1 1997-09-13 Div 3 2002-03 3-2 2003-02-08 2-2 2002-11-09 Div 2 2004-05 3-1 2004-10-16 1-0 2005-02-05 League Two 2005-06 2-3 2005-08-29 (at Field Mill) League Two League Cup: 1966-67 1-1 1966-08-24 (1st round at Meadow Lane) 1966-67 3-0 1966-08-29 (1st round replay at Field Mill) 1969-70 3-1 1969-08-13 (1st round at Field Mill) 1988-89 0-5 1988-08-30 (1st round, 1st leg at Meadow Lane) 1988-89 1-0 1988-09-06 (1st round, 2nd leg at Field Mill, Notts Co through 5-1 on aggregate) 2001-02 3-4 2001-08-21 (1st round at Field Mill) Attendance updates courtesy of the centenary book, League cup games section courtesy of the centenary book and its update, managerial updates courtesy of Paul Taylor, details checked in the centenary book, the vastly updated Played for both sides section courtesy of the centenary book, various editions of Rothmans Football Yearbook – and most of all, the history CD. Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right) |
Latest | February 2006