2 new inbounds this week?

[MAD_MAGPIE]

The home form has been key every time we've performed a great escape. Under Nolan we only lost once at home after he joined in 2017 (and that was against champions-elect Portsmouth); under Derry in 2013-2014 we won our final five home games of the season (and this was a team that had been thumped 5-1 at home by Walsall in January); and in the original great escape season of 2001-2002, we again won our last five home games in a row.

What's noticeable in that last fantastic run is that we also started keeping more clean sheets (6 in the last 10 games) and also had some great performances away from home (4-0 at Bury; 1-0 at Peterborough; 2-2 against promotion-bound Brighton, from 2-0 down, thanks to Marcel Cas' great volley).

In 2007-2008, when we finished 21st, we won our last two home games 1-0 (including that Richard Butcher goal against Wycombe), but again got better at keeping clean sheets (again, 6 in the last 10 games).

The luckiest escape was most definitely in 2005-2006, when we won only 1 of our last 16 games (that stat sounds familiar) and scraped a 2-2 draw with Bury on the final day of the season.

What's interesting (to me at least) is how many of the League 2 sides in that 2006 season are either no longer in the league or have been relegated and bounced back - two-thirds (16 out of the 24). Carlisle, Bury, Northampton and Notts are the only ones still in L2, albeit having spent some time in L1.

On the plus side, 7 teams who subsequently went down and returned: Lincoln City, Bristol Rovers, Mansfield, Grimsby Town, Macclesfield Town, Cheltenham Town, Oxford United. If we get relegated, I think we will share a unique "honour" with Oxford and Luton: the only winners of a major trophy to be relegated from the Football League (us the FA Cup, the other two the League Cup).

On the down side, these teams were subsequently relegated and have yet to resurface: Torquay (currently top of National League South); Wrexham (National League); Stockport County (National League North); Darlington FC (National League North); Chester City (National League North); Rushden & Diamonds (dissolved); Boston United (National League North); Leyton Orient (currently top of National League) and Barnet (National League). (Tranmere also get relegated, in 2015, and came back this season.)

An excellent post. My concern is if we were to get relegated it would be a pivotal moment in the clubs history. It could be a positive in that we could start again from scratch and re-build and come back stronger like Bristol Rovers, Oxford United and Luton Town. Or the negative is that we stay in there for a number of years (Wrexham) or even drop down further and wither away. I guess it's how the club approach the future.

The last time we had a season as pivotal as this one could be if we do get relegated was in 1994/95 when we dropped from the 2nd tier to the 3rd tier. That's the line between the lower leagues and the higher leagues. It will be 24 years at the end of the season in which we last played in the 2nd tier which is a generation ago.

I only hope that if we were to be relegated out of the football league we don't end up on a path where it will be a generation that passes since we went out of the football league. I do believe the club is strong in the sense that even in the 5th tier there would be a core of 3,500 - 4,000 which would make us a very heavily supported and big club at that level. In a sense that additional income means we should be able to build a competitive squad. It's not that simple though as big clubs like Leeds, Portsmouth, Sunderland and others have found out when they've dropped into the lower leagues. You then become the team everyone wants to beat.

[nw6pie]

An excellent post. My concern is if we were to get relegated it would be a pivotal moment in the clubs history. It could be a positive in that we could start again from scratch and re-build and come back stronger like Bristol Rovers, Oxford United and Luton Town. Or the negative is that we stay in there for a number of years (Wrexham) or even drop down further and wither away. I guess it's how the club approach the future.

The last time we had a season as pivotal as this one could be if we do get relegated was in 1994/95 when we dropped from the 2nd tier to the 3rd tier. That's the line between the lower leagues and the higher leagues. It will be 24 years at the end of the season in which we last played in the 2nd tier which is a generation ago.

I only hope that if we were to be relegated out of the football league we don't end up on a path where it will be a generation that passes since we went out of the football league. I do believe the club is strong in the sense that even in the 5th tier there would be a core of 3,500 - 4,000 which would make us a very heavily supported and big club at that level. In a sense that additional income means we should be able to build a competitive squad. It's not that simple though as big clubs like Leeds, Portsmouth, Sunderland and others have found out when they've dropped into the lower leagues. You then become the team everyone wants to beat.

On the Totally Football League podcast this week, Caroline Barker was trying not to get too excited by the prospect of having Notts in the National League - in case it didn’t eventually happen. It would be huge for non-league football if we went down, but let’s hope we deny them the pleasure. Still, if it does happen, at least we have the example of our neighbours and their “On loan to...” T-shirts when they first dropped into League 1 to help us avoid making stupid statements.

As for the 24 years in the lower leagues, that is depressing - especially as you can only call about 5 of the subsequent seasons enjoyable. I feel for those supporters who missed out on seeing Notts under Sir Jimmy or Warnock.

[magicianpie]

On the Totally Football League podcast this week, Caroline Barker was trying not to get too excited by the prospect of having Notts in the National League - in case it didn’t eventually happen. It would be huge for non-league football if we went down, but let’s hope we deny them the pleasure. Still, if it does happen, at least we have the example of our neighbours and their “On loan to...” T-shirts when they first dropped into League 1 to help us avoid making stupid statements.

As for the 24 years in the lower leagues, that is depressing - especially as you can only call about 5 of the subsequent seasons enjoyable. I feel for those supporters who missed out on seeing Notts under Sir Jimmy or Warnock.

You could add Mick Walker to that list and Big Sam, but it has been famine mainly with odd feast. (N.B. not that I am directly comparing these two to Sir Jimmy and Warnock, but it was enjoyable!)

[nw6pie]

You could add Mick Walker to that list and Big Sam, but it has been famine mainly with odd feast. (N.B. not that I am directly comparing these two to Sir Jimmy and Warnock, but it was enjoyable!)

That Mick Walker season (and a half) was a lot of fun at home, but was the season before - 1993-94. Amazing to think we hammered both Derby and Leicester 4-1, beat F*****, and did the double over Crystal Palace (who went up as champions) that season. After that we’ve had the Big Sam promotion, the Munto promotion, a handful of playoff bids and a lot of misery. And this season tops the lot - from promotion favourites to odds-on for relegation in the space of 6 months.

[slack_pie]

That Mick Walker season (and a half) was a lot of fun at home, but was the season before - 1993-94. Amazing to think we hammered both Derby and Leicester 4-1, beat F*****, and did the double over Crystal Palace (who went up as champions) that season. After that we’ve had the Big Sam promotion, the Munto promotion, a handful of playoff bids and a lot of misery. And this season tops the lot - from promotion favourites to odds-on for relegation in the space of 6 months.

Ah that Mick Walker season was my favourite ever (as you can see from my avatar). I remember wearing the full bar code kit to 'own clothes day' at school with pride. Didn't we also beat Spurs in the cup that year?

[nw6pie]

Ah that Mick Walker season was my favourite ever (as you can see from my avatar). I remember wearing the full bar code kit to 'own clothes day' at school with pride. Didn't we also beat Spurs in the cup that year?

That famous Spurs win came the following season when we got relegated (the infamous Howard "Hic" Kendall 94-95 season) despite us having the kind of players we could only dream of these days. Definitely one of the best ever nights in the redeveloped Meadow Lane.

It was clearly a long time ago, because the coverage on Central News was very good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vDLTokUyGQ

[JoePass]

That famous Spurs win came the following season when we got relegated (the infamous Howard "Hic" Kendall 94-95 season) despite us having the kind of players we could only dream of these days. Definitely one of the best ever nights in the redeveloped Meadow Lane.

It was clearly a long time ago, because the coverage on Central News was very good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vDLTokUyGQ

The good old days, our lot should be made to look at this and see how you play with passion..ok we lost or should I say cheated out of a win.

[i961pie]

That famous Spurs win came the following season when we got relegated (the infamous Howard "Hic" Kendall 94-95 season) despite us having the kind of players we could only dream of these days. Definitely one of the best ever nights in the redeveloped Meadow Lane.

It was clearly a long time ago, because the coverage on Central News was very good:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vDLTokUyGQ

That game was my return to Meadow Lane after a break of about 14 years, missing out on the glory years.
A mate convinced me to go and if I remember it was Ossie Ardilles last game in charge for Spurs. Their side included Klinsman and a young Sol Campbell.
Agana scored twice I think and that started me on the road to watch Notts again.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

On the Totally Football League podcast this week, Caroline Barker was trying not to get too excited by the prospect of having Notts in the National League - in case it didn’t eventually happen. It would be huge for non-league football if we went down, but let’s hope we deny them the pleasure. Still, if it does happen, at least we have the example of our neighbours and their “On loan to...” T-shirts when they first dropped into League 1 to help us avoid making stupid statements.

As for the 24 years in the lower leagues, that is depressing - especially as you can only call about 5 of the subsequent seasons enjoyable. I feel for those supporters who missed out on seeing Notts under Sir Jimmy or Warnock.

I’m one of those that did not see us play under Sir Jimmy or Neil Warnock so consider yourselves lucky or privileged. I’ve seen us play once in the 2nd tier which was the first game I went to against Sunderland at home in the early 90’s. The best seasons we’ve had are the Allardyce, Munto and then other seasons like last season and Keith Curle one where we just missed out on the league one playoffs. I’ve enjoyed some of the cup games in that time. The rest has been seasons of struggle, relegations or relegation battles or started off well but dropped off and plummeted once the clocks go back.

In response to Magpie Mania I meant by it could be a positive if we go down we could come back stronger in that sometimes when teams drop down to the National league they take stock, rebuild and get a momentum going which can take them forward to the point they can even push or get into League One quite quickly after getting promoted back to the football league. I don’t want us to take that risk though. I’d sooner us finish 22nd in this league and that be our rock bottom in which to rebuild from there.

Apart from last seasons peak we have had 6 seasons of decline from when we just missed out on the league one playoffs in 2011/12 and each season since (apart from last season) we have finished lower and lower. Surely we have hit rock bottom now and we can’t sink any lower other than the obvious of dropping out of the football league?

[M1cksut]

On the Totally Football League podcast this week, Caroline Barker was trying not to get too excited by the prospect of having Notts in the National League - in case it didn’t eventually happen. It would be huge for non-league football if we went down,

yeah, thats what Luton and Cheaterfield thought too.
Luton, the biggest club in the universe (apart from notts co, of course) took 5 years to get back into the real world, and the direites look like they trying to get into the Aussie leagues!
every league club that has gone down, including the stags, though we were too good for non league.
sadly, we were there because we deserved to be, regardless of who was to blame; for you,its the players and AH, for us it was Haslam, for cheaterfield its because they just deserve it , full stop.
and who can ever get used to; "and with an away attendance of 7............."?