Can Anybody Beat This?

[60YearsAPie]

This puts my 63 years in the shade. Well done young lady!

I know we've got quite a few old codgers on the board. How long have you been watching the Pies?

[jackal2]

Does it count if watching Notts County for thirty years has left you feeling about 90 years old? We are officially the most stressed fans in football, and consequently we age quicker than most!

[Elite_Pie]

This puts my 63 years in the shade. Well done young lady!

I know we've got quite a few old codgers on the board. How long have you been watching the Pies?

Only 48 years for me, but that should mean I'm no longer in the Junior Magpies.

[60YearsAPie]

Julie’s mum’s first game at Meadow Lane was against Q.P.R. in Division 3 South on Saturday 2nd November 1946, kick-of 2.45 pm.

The game was billed as a “no change” match, which meant if you didn’t have the correct money you didn’t get any change!

Admission prices were: 1/3d turnstiles Meadow Lane, County Road and Sutton Street; Enclosure 2/9d turnstiles Meadow Lane; Wing Stand 3/6d turnstiles Meadow Lane.

[Bridg4d_Pie_]

My firzt mat h was in 1950 agai st Brighton a. .2-2 draw sat on my Dads shoulders on the old Spion Kop, 68 years of the Pies good & bad times.

[Pies4u]

My firzt mat h was in 1950 agai st Brighton a. .2-2 draw sat on my Dads shoulders on the old Spion Kop, 68 years of the Pies good & bad times.

That's impressive - but you are very old B'4d. I can only muster 56, going on 57 years! 40 + of them have been absolute tripe tho'.

[60YearsAPie]

I think comparing the average gates season by season clearly shows the effect Tommy Lawton had.

upthemaggies is correct in saying we had the odd big gate before Tommy joined (compared to gates we get now) but after he joined the attendances were GINORMOUS.



What surprised me looking back to these times is the attendances we got in FA Cup games. I suppose the Cup meant more in those days than it does now.

1947/48 1st Round … 24,815 … v HORSHAM
1947/48 2nd Round … 30,156 … v STOCKTON
1948/49 1st Round … 36,514 … v PORT VALE
1948/49 2nd Round … 36,710 … v BARROW
1949/50 1st Round … 28,584 … v TILBURY

We'd be lucky to get a tenth of those attendances for those games now!

[upthemaggies]

upthemaggies is correct in saying we had the odd big gate before Tommy joined

Yeah, that's what I meant, we could attract huge crowds before he came onto the scene, especially in the FA Cup, as high as 45k (1921 v Aston Villa).

[60YearsAPie]

To wrap this thread up, here’s what else I uncovered about this game. The local newspaper's comments on the game 72 years ago sound very familiar!

Sewell gave the Magpies the lead after 31 minutes when he beat the goalkeeper to a ball from Lunn and his low shot found the back of the net.

Eight minutes later Queens Park drew level when Dewick appeared to have Neary’s shot well covered but somehow managed to allow the ball to pass under his body and into the net.

In the second half a defensive mix-up led to Rangers scoring a second goal and for all their subsequent efforts the Magpies were unable to find an equaliser.

Full-time: Notts County 1 Queens Park Rangers 2

What I found most interesting was this comment in the Nottingham Journal. Seems some things never change!

“Here again was a match that Notts County ought not to have lost. A fair result would have been a draw; indeed, the home side might well have won but for two defensive errors which gave the Rangers their goals.

It was exasperating when Notts were in arrears to see the number of passes that went astray. Time and time again balls meant for a colleague went direct to an opponent, and this fault was coupled with reluctance to challenge opponents in possession. Often the Rangers were able to make ground rapidly before they were tackled.”

The 1946/47 season saw the return of league football following the end of the war. Notts finished 12th that season, Queens Park Rangers finished 2nd and Mansfield finished bottom and had to apply for re-election.

It was Dewick’s only appearance for the Magpies. Jackie Sewell was Notts’ leading scorer that season with 21 goals.

[upthemaggies]

The 1946/47 season saw the return of league football following the end of the war. Notts finished 12th that season.

Our worst ever fiinish at the time (and it would stay that way until 1959). Crowd was 26,734 though, a reminder that big crowds at the Lane didn't begin with Tommy Lawton, who wouldn't join for another year.