Daniel Evans
Notts County was a club on the edge of extinction. In 2003, it was saved from administration by the supporters’ trust. 2009 saw the scam takeover by Munto Finance, and in 2016, the club was relegated from the football league for the first time in its 160-year history. Notts County may still be in the National League, but today things are certainly moving in the right direction. The takeover of the club by Alexander and Christoffer Reedtz in 2019 has given the club a strong foundation which appears to be paying off. Daniel Evans reports on their latest fixture.
Talking to fans in the Trent Navigation Inn, I felt a real sense of hope before Saturday’s match against Yeovil. This was not just due to the buzz created by the record crowd; these were fans who felt their club was being run properly. Of course, finding yourself top of the league and playing great football would make any fans hopeful, but I saw a confidence that went beyond form.
I saw fans proud of their club and hopeful that it would continue to grow and progress
Even if things may not work out for manager Luke Williams and key players end up being sold, it will not be as damaging as it could be. The club is not teetering on the edge of destruction and that in itself is a huge positive. Fans were proud of the club’s strong connection with the community which was exemplified by the reduced-price tickets. Saturday felt like a real event and not just for me. I saw fans proud of their club and hopeful that it would continue to grow and progress.
Going into the match against Yeovil, Notts County were in fine form. First place with 13 wins from 19 and only one league defeat, plus a 39-match scoring run at Meadow Lane made them clear favourites. Opposing them was Yeovil, 19th in the table, with a new manager and players to integrate. Their form had also been patchy, although there had been signs of an uplift with a 3-1 win against Gateshead on the 12th of November.
County kicked off looking calm and assured. They passed the ball with confidence and created early pressure on the right. Tobi Adebayo-Rowling looked sharp, and a great chance was created for Macaulay Langstaff inside three minutes. County had near total dominance of possession and found themselves camped in Yeovil’s half for most of the first 45.
Periods of sustained pressure and some great play on the left from Adam Chicksen were almost enough to go in at the break ahead, but dogged defending kept things level.
Sadly, County could not break down Yeovil, whose organisation and composure made them extremely difficult to break down. An excellent chance for Chicksen was narrowly missed in the 90th minute, but by this point County’s momentum had been lost and the game ended 0-0.
The draw meant that Wrexham’s win against Aldershot Town saw County end the day in second place. In spite of this set back, there is certainly no reason to panic. I saw a well organised team playing with assured confidence. They may not have found the back of the net, but they did almost everything else superbly.
Number two Richard Brindley expressed regret at not meeting the high expectations set at the club, comparing the result to a defeat
Yeovil put 11 men behind the ball and dug in very well, putting up a defence few in the league would be capable of breaching. A defence that, on another day, County may have broken. Number two Richard Brindley expressed regret at not meeting the high expectations set at the club, comparing the result to a defeat. For a team locked in a title race, dropping two points is certainly not ideal, but this was not a poor performance.
It was an overwhelmingly positive day for the Magpies. A new attendance record of 16,511 will hopefully draw more people to a club that deserves more support. Notts County are moving in the right direction and doing so in the right way. If you enjoy live football then I encourage you to go to the next match against Gateshead on the 13th of December. Hopefully you will see more goals and another three points as County continue their impressive title charge.
Daniel Evans
Featured image courtesy of Ian Kirke via Unsplash. Image use license found here. No changes were made to this image.
In article image 1 courtesy of @nottscountyfc via Instagram.com. No changes were made to this image.
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