season2007part1

The immediate response of many Notts fans when the clubs new kit was unveiled at the last home game of the previous season against Darlington was that the club had scored a huge own goal by making the design too similar to the previous one. On closer inspection though, the material is much better quality and the addition of the collar was a good move. With the team's nickname on the back, and more stripes this is a definite improvement by Precision Training.. Local computer company Medoc were again sponsors.

Season 2007 - 2008

The immediate response of many Notts fans when the clubs new kit was unveiled at the last home game of the previous season against Darlington was that the club had scored a huge own goal by making the design too similar to the previous one. On closer inspection though, the material is much better quality and the addition of the collar was a good move. With the team's nickname on the back, and more stripes this is a definite improvement by Precision Training.. Local computer company Medoc were again sponsors.

The Squad, 2007 - 2008

1. Kevin Pilkington

2. Lee Canoville

3. Austin McCann

4. Mike Edwards

5. Adam Tann

6. Matt Somner

7. Jay Smith

8. Neil McKenzie

9. Jason Lee

10. Lawrie Dudfield

11. Andy Parkinson

12. Gary Silk

13. Hector Sam

14. Stef Frost

15. Paul Mayo

16. Matt Austin

17. Rob Austin

18. Stephen Hunt

19. Danny Crow

19. Guy Branston

19. Junior Mendes

20. Tim Sandercombe

21. Spencer Weir-Daley

22. Michael Byron

23. Richard Butcher

24. Craig Lindfield

24. Ali Gibb

25. Krystian Pearce

25. Russell Hoult

26. Gavin Strachan

27. Michael Johnson

28 Felix Bastians

28 Ryan Jarvis

29. Wayne Corden

30. Myles Weston

Previous season

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The new kit is released

The second kit as it was unveiled at the Open Day in July. Available from the beginning of the season, the shirt remained blue but with a nice trim in the Maggies traditional gold.

Another season but,for once, not another manager (well not immediately anyway !). Notts were afforded a rare opportunity of continuity as Steve Thompson remained in charge. Although the popular David Pipe was allowed to move on, the boss again seemed to beable to persuade some quality names to sign up for the Pies. He competed for, and got, the talented Spencer Weir-Daley, from the other side of the river.Michael Byron and Myles Weston - two of the trio he had brought in the previous season were also persuaded to stay and others like McKenzie and the returning Adam Tann strengthened the squad and gave hope to even the most sceptical that here was a team that could challenge for promotion.

However, this being Notts, it was never going to be that easy. An early injury to Mike Edwards made a significant hole in the defence and Weir-Daley wasn't fit enough to start the campaign.Thompson persisted with playing the diminutive winger Parkinson as a striker despite his unimpressive goal total and the Pies failed to score sufficently to kill games off and began with a string of draws. All very last season but with the defence not functioning at capacity, the losses also mounted up at home and away. A broken arm for Lee meant the manager had a chance to acquire the free-scoring forward Danny Crowe on a months loan from Peterborough but on his debut, he broke a toe and the team was left again with the problem of finding a frontman who could regularly hit the target from the limited service they could provide.

By now the protests were growing against Steve Thompson and were clearly visible by mid-October when Notts were defeated at Meadow Lane by Bury and a banner accompanied some prolonged chanting from the Jimmy Sirrel stand.

For the first time in five years, the Magpies printed up a third kit for commercial availability, albeit in limited numbers.Released in October, the shirt was in the ever-popular white which has long been a favourite with County fans.It completed the release of a trio of strips that really hit the spot with the Meadow Lane faithful. Now to get the playing side sorted...

Player Issue Kit

For collectors of the matchworn shirts, the recent move towards giving sponsors first pick has been an increasing worry. However, the 2007-8 season did provide a few early changes with more current kit cast off than usual. This was due to simple size issues - players opting to go up or down having worn the new ones (homes only) for the pre-season friendlies.This does mean that anyone buying a shirt early on as 'worn' may have got one used only in non-competitive fixtures. Other players though - Weir-Daley and Lee for example, didn't change until the season was underway. Jay Smith realised, having seen the Austin's shirts, that he could legitimately get 'J' added to his and so chucked out all of his bearing just the surname. In addition, its worth remembering that players were issued four shirts - two home two away and that's before we even get to the third kit so if you have bought an early season 'matchworn' sale, not all of them will have been actually worn.As regards sale at the end of the season, this won't be too difficult to explain (I hope). Edwards,Johnson and Dudfield all threw their home shirts into the crowd after the last home game.Pilks threw Hoult's shirt into the crowd ! New ones were made up for the first two just for the last match.By the time sponsors had had their allocation though, not many homes made it through for sale to the public at the end of the season.Of the aways, the players had the short sleeved ones and the whole of the others went up with all the third kit. They appeared in the shop just after the season ended.Remember the white shirts were only played in once (V Wycombe in October) so only one of the two shirts up for sale would have been worn.If you bought your white shirt near the 9th May when they first appeared and your player was in the squad, you're ok ! After that you'll have to be content with 'match issue'.Quite a lot of players ripped the collar because they were too tight - a sure sign your shirt was worn on that day.

The 'Chas 'n Dave' Era Begins.....

After a poor start to the season, Notts are in freefall - seemingly unable to win or to handle the bizarre changes of tactics and style that are weekly foisted upon them. Jason Lee, the tall frontman and target of the repeated long ball, has broken his arm. His replacement, Danny Crowe, lasts only minutes into his debut before a foot injury ends his time with the Pies. Thompson, having assembled potentially the best Notts line-up for many moons, can't seem to get them to play together. The attendance is down about a quarter on normal for the time of year and suddenly its time to board the managerial roundabout for another turn....

In a universally popular move, the abrasive Thompson is now shown the door and in steps former player, 'Charlie' McParland with a host of good memories surrounding him. Previously, the amiable Scot had partnered Frank Barlow in a caretaking partnership that took another team from their usual obscurity to the brink of promotion. Equally as important a factor, his teams played the ball along the floor, a novelty for the combined hooves of the Pies in recent times. Then of course, there was the fact that his previous job might have made him a few contacts amonst the reserves who might fancy a game in a stadium with a bit more history...

Having rushed in the new man, the team failed to capitalise on the relief factor of getting rid of the old and immediately went down to local rivals, Mansfield Town. For the first home game though, lowly Wrexham were the opposition and their inepititude helped paper over the cracks that were still showing in a team with renewed enthusiasm. The usual surrendering of a silly goal seemed to have deprived Notts of all 3 points when a blistering McKenzie freekick stole them back after a cynical professional foul by the visitors just outside the area.The team's performance still showed many flaws but at least they were finally starting to play a passing game as well as showing they could battle for the full ninety to get the points. Could the former player, McParland and his new second, David Kevan succeed where so many others had failed...

Gertcha.....

The appointment of Ian 'Charlie' McParland as Notts manager and the arrival of his number two David Kevan (also a former player) had the scribes scurrying for a new nickname for the duo. It wasn't long before they came up with a clever epithet that had already seen some use - 'Chas and Dave'. The name stuck and like the club's adoption of the 'Charlie tickets' idea, it was a term that came straight from the fans into common usuage.

It's always difficult to ascribe the coining of such phrases to any particular person as once popular, everyone wants to claim it was they who first thought of it. Since the advent of the internet though, its now possible to find out the real author. That honour goes to 'Magpie 64' - the pseudonym of lifetime supporter David Skinner of Essex. David made the first reference to 'Chas 'n Dave' on the old Offical Messageboard at 3.54pm on 22nd October 2007 - the day the pairing was announced.It soon spread to other sites and has stuck...gertcha !

Lifetime fan, Magpie 64, with his trademark cockerel haircut

There is no difference between player issue and replica for any of the three kits on sale during this season so when you get your matchworn from the shop, you have to keep the tag on !

Approximately 3,500 took advantage of lower ticket prices to retake the Kop for the crucial game against Accrington

The honeymoon was soon over for the new management team. Results began to slide in typical fashion and by the end of the season, the team faced relegation from the football league.The problems were many and various but centred mainly on the one that had beset the side since The Great Escape - their inability to find a reliable goalscorer. The supply from midfield was seldom sufficent for any one of the seven strikers used for them to find the net with regularity.Fortunately, Pilkington was in great form and, after he was injured, Russell Hoult came in from Stoke (ironically the team that would inherit Notts' 'oldest league club' title if they slipped out of the division). Edwards had been out also but when he came back, he propped up the defence and the return of fans favourite Michael Johnson (on loan) meant The Pies could at least count on points from goaless draws and even successfully defend a 1-0 lead - the only sort they ever got. This played no small part in keeping them above the bottom two as the end of the season drew near. Aside from the return of the ever-popular Johnson, there was another chance for fans to relive the glory days when the club announced that, for the game against Accrington, the penultimate match of the season, home supporters could occupy the Kop again. Nearly 3,500 took advantage of cheap prices to move in and the wall of sound that came from that end certainly fired up the team who scraped another valuable 1-0 win to boost their hopes of staying up.Mike Edwards said later that the crowd 'sounded like 10,000' and hoped that the move could become permanent.Unfortunately fans, can't actually get out on the pitch and win matches and the following week, when Notts lost away to bottom club Wrexham, they faced that all too familiar scenario.....

A matchworn white third shirt with a ripped collar - a sure sign it was worn V Wycombe and not just one of the whole available 'match issue' set that also came up for sale.