Notts County home preview

[Sweden Stag]

After being robbed big style, to print the most appropriate, by very poor officiating at AFC Wimbledon last Saturday, the Stags hope to get back on winning ways when entertaining Notts County in front of a sell-out One Call Stadium this weekend. And with the chance of doing a third double over the Magpies in two decades of preview history, the previous ones being in the 2004-05 and 2015-16 seasons respectively.

Not since the 1997-98 campaign, have Notts County managed a league double against the Stags, while in two decades of preview history, the Stags have managed two (see above). And also the Stags’ first-ever victory at Meadow Lane way back in October 1958, ended up in a Stags double

And since County’s latest double FL victories against the Stags way back in the 1997-98 campaign, the Magpies have called upon loads of different managers including Billy Dearden and Keith Curle. Another well-known manager who has managed County is Neil Warnock, who in fact was County boss last time out in the top flight way back in 1991-92.

During the 2015-16 season, the Stags faced Notts County for the first time in seven seasons in a Nottinghamshire FL derby. If you are a County fan, you have best to forget both fixtures, and if you are a Stags fans, you will remember both derbies for a very long time. At Meadow Lane, the Stags registered their first victory that season to a 2-0 scoreline. And at One Call Stadium aka Field Mill, County suffered their biggest-ever defeat against Mansfield to a heavy 5-0 scoreline in a game in which the Stags ran riot during the second half, surpassing the 4-0 inflicted on County early on in the 1963-64 season (for more details, see below).

Out of the last nineteen Nottinghamshire FL derbies, County have won just twice, while seven have been drawn. And the Stags have netted fifteen times in the last five home derbies against the Magpies (most recently 2-0 at One Call a few weeks before Christmas 2018), and in March 2018, County’s opener at Meadow Lane was the first league goal the Stags had conceded there since March 4, 2006 in front of the previewer who then wrote the Stagsnet Match report on a 2-2 draw. For more details, see the Match Centre for that campaign. But the County home goal in March 2018 was cancelled out by a 97th minute Kane Hemmings penalty.

One person who definitely knows much about both sides, is Billy Dearden. After leaving the Stags in January 2002, Dearden took up the County hot seat and did wonders by keeping them up at current League One level under very difficult circumstances for two seasons (was County manager in 2002-03) before he was axed just two years later, a 2003-04 season ending in relegation to the basement. Billy was in his second spell as Stags manager when they beat County at home 2-0 in October 2007 thanks to two Michael Boulding strikes during our longest unbeaten run that term (two wins and two draws).

Dearden as a County boss had to endure a late-late Iyseden Christie equalizer at Meadow Lane on November 9, 2002, in a 2-2 draw.

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 Meadow Lane, a 1-1 draw on March 18, 1939, Harkin hitting the net in front of 11629.

After World War II, the teams have been playing in the same league on a little more than 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. But the away game at Meadow Lane on March 29, 1947, turned out to be the Stags' worst-ever disaster in Nottinghamshire derbies as the Stags were felled to a 5-1 scoreline with Betts netting the consolation watched by 12157.

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 second 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 home 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 in 2004-05, 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.

... and the teams have never played a goal-less league game at Field Mill, compared to four at Meadow Lane, three of those in preview history.

And at Meadow Lane, County’s 1-0 in February 2019 was their first home victory against the Stags in preview history as their previous home one against the Stags was achieved on September 13, 1997. Eight consecutive games since then saw six draws (three of those were goal-less) and two Stags wins, the first of those in the Stags’ 3000th Football League game fourteen years ago with Richie Barker as the Stags’ match-winner.

Earlier this season, the Stags routed Notts County to a 4-1 scoreline at Meadow Lane in a one-sided affair which also the ref there getting a rare 9 Stagsnet rating. A contrast to a couple of 4 ratings (regardless of results) during the last two months.

Notts County have played and will play every other side playing in the FL and PL during the last half century except for the old Maidstone club during their short spell in the basement about 30 years ago as well as having played every side which failed re-election over that same space of time (Gateshead, Bradford PA, Barrow, Workington, Southport) and also sides like Scarborough, Kidderminster and the old Accrington club to name but a few. And since the FL Nottinghamshire derby in 2007-08, the Stags have had ten different managers.

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. 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 introduction of the Premier League). Two of recent season’s Stags recruits, Krystian Pearce and Craig Westcarr, had previous FL experience at Meadow Lane. But only Pearce is still at the Stags. One more recent is Yoann Arquin, who during the 2016 calendar year campaign scored five times for Syrianska FC from Södertälje at Swedish Superettan level, equivalent to UK Championship. Arquin, now at Yeovil, played 53 League One games, scoring on ten occasions, for the Magpies between August 2012 and January 2014. Most recent is Neal Bishop for the Stags, while Kane Hemmings now plays for the Magpies.

This will be the second Nottinghamshire derby under Nigel Clough, as County dropped out of the EFL in 2019 and had to endure four National League seasons before returning the hard way last season despite scoring goals left right and centre, a habit they have maintained so far in their League Two return. But they have also shipped goals left right and centre, as 53 goals conceded show. Already this season, they have conceded three goals or more on eight occasions including their home game against the Stags, but a few weeks ago, they were involved in a 5-5 draw at Grimsby, the second 5-5 in League Two this season as Wrexham and Swindon did the same early on this campaign, while the Stags, who have scored in every away League game this term, have yet to concede more than two in all competitions this season. Last time this happened, it was at home to Salford nearly a year ago.

Out of the Stags players who starred in front of the previewer in March 2006, some were still around in early 2019. Alex Baptiste played for QPR, while Jake Buxton played for Burton. Giles Coke played a few games for Oldham while Stephen Dawson played for Bury against the Stags twice within a few weeks one in the EFL, one in the JPT Trophy when he was red-carded. County keeper in March 2006: Kevin Pilkington.

The sides have never faced each other in the FA Cup, but in the League Cup on a few occasions, the first in 1966-67, the latest in 2001-02. Each side has gone through to the next round twice.

Played for both sides: Blair Adams, Yoann Arquin, Ian Baraclough, Brian Bates, Charlie Bisby, Neal Bishop, Paul Bolland, Michael Brough, Roy Brown, Colin Calderwood, Gary Chapman, Steven Cherry, Trevor Christie, Edwin Clare (even in Mansfield Wesleyans days!!!), David Coates, William Coole, Wayne Corden, John B Cottam (1920’s), Reg Cropper, Tom Curtis, William Death, Bill Dickson, Dick Edwards, Wayne Fairclough, Len Featherby, Kieron Freeman, Paul Gibson, Jorge Grant, Matt Hamshaw, Terry Hawkridge, Jimmy Heathcote, Kane Hemmings, Elliott Hewitt, Simeon Hodson, Colin Hoyle, David Hunt, Nicky Hunt, Glynn Hurst, John Jepson, Jimmy Jones, Harry Keeling, Brian Kilcline, Jimmy Knowles, Ben Le Grice, Jason Lee, Richard Lee, Tony Lormor, Neil Mackenzie, John McClelland, Arthur Mann, Dan Martin, Gary Martindale, Paul Mayo, George Mee, Junior Mendes, Bobby Mimms, Liam Mitchell, Brian Moore, Harry Moore, Adam Murray, Vadaine Oliver, Krystian Pearce, Kevin Pilkington, Don O’Riordan, Nicky Platnauer, Llewellyn Price, Kevin Randall, Ricky Ravenhill, Charlie Reed, Mike Rose, Mitch Rose, Fred Shaw, Alan Sheehan, Lance Sheldon, Paul Sherlock, Gary Silk, Stephen Slawson, Matt Somner, James Spencer, Mark Stallard, Chris Staniforth, Phil Stant, Arthur Staples, Murray Steele, George Stimpson, Aidan Stone, John Streets, Nathan Thomas, John Thompson, Adrian Thorpe, Ben Turner, Mick Vinter, Darren Ward, Alfred West, Craig Westcarr, Andy White, Hayden White, Chris Withe.

Managed both sides: Billy Dearden, Keith Curle. Mick Jones, Harry Parkes, Harry Weightman (only manager who’s been in charge of all three Nottinghamshire League clubs!). Assistant manager for both sides: John Gannon.

Home games: P 21, W 11, D 4, L 6, GF 42, GA 25
Away games: P 22, W 4, D 9, L 9, GF 22, GA 30

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 2-2 2006-03-04 League Two
2006-07 2-2 2006-10-07 0-0 2007-03-10 League Two
2007-08 2-0 2007-10-20 0-0 2008-03-29 League Two
2015-16 5-0 2016-04-16 2-0 2015-08-14 League Two
2016-17 3-1 2016-10-08 0-0 2017-01-14 League Two
2017-18 3-1 2017-09-30 1-1 2018-03-17 League Two
2018-19 2-0 2018-12-08 0-1 2019-02-16 League Two
2023-24 (at Meadow Lane)4-1 2023-10-14 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)

Come on Mansfield!