The season 2003-4 was the last full one for Mark Stallard, one of Notts' most enigmatic players. It started, as the last one had finished, with the club still in administration, so shirts were in short supply. Stallard's customised long -sleeved version lasted from October 2003 until his shock transfer to Barnsley in January 2004. Unlike the kit he started the season in, there was no blue trim on the sleeves. There is a simple reason for this. During the pre-season, Mark selected his favourite short sleeved style. When the rule about having blocks on striped kits came in and all the existing ones were changed, he wasn't so fortunate. He got a long sleeved one which then had the arms cut off by Roger Cleary in a very uneven way. The conclusion of this was to make the shirt stand out in photographs and be easily identifiable. He's seen wearing it in the dressing room at Stamford Bridge on the 'Football Focus'' feature broadcast after the clubs visit to play Chelsea in the League Cup. The then manager Billy Dearden is heard remarking at the time that the team were instructed not to swap shirts at the end of the fixture as they only had the one !
Following the departure of Mr Stallard, the shirt went immediately into the club ship where it was bought by a fan for £55.
In the absence of any other modern day Magpie heroes or events for them to contest, the shirt in which King Stall scored his last goal as a permanent Notts player at Stamford Bridge against the mighty Blues, remains one of the most sort after items of post-millennium County memorabilia
