TLG Stat-Pack – Notts County in 2004/5

Gary Mills has endured a rough ride as Magpies boss

Britain’s, and the world’s, oldest football club could have expected to have enjoyed a slightly better start to the 2004/5 campaign than they have having been relegated in 23rd place from the old Division Two (or the even older Division Three) to the basement division after a poor season last time out. Gary Mills was appointed boss in January last year with the mandate of hauling the Magpies up from the 23rd position that they inhabited at the turn of the year.

He came into the job on the back of a 5-2 defeat at Peterborough United, but started with an inauspicious 2-1 home loss against then title-chasing Bristol City. Following a further four matches without a win, consecutive wins against Stockport County (4-1), Brentford (3-2) and Grimsby Town (3-1) – all sides around them in the table – offered brief hope and a position outside the drop zone, albeit on goal difference.

Sadly for County supporters, it was nothing more than a false dawn. The Meadow Lane outfit won just one of their final twelve games, that against LDV Vans Trophy winners Blackpool by four goals to one at home. They ended where they had started 2004 – one off the bottom ahead of last week’s opposition, Wycombe Wanderers.

Yet, while Tony Adams’ side went top of the League Two table last weekend with their all-too-fortunate 2-1 win at Roots Hall, County are in that all-too-familiar spot above just a single side, in this case Kidderminster Harriers. After one win in eight games, away at fellow strugglers Lincoln City, it’s now just two victories in twenty Football League matches for Mills’ men, and to compound that, they’ve failed to score in the last three outings, a single-goal defeat to Oxford United at the Lane being followed up by 0-0 draws with Cheltenham Town (at home) and Northampton Town (away).

In fact, a 2-1 extra time win against League One Bradford City in the Carling Cup provided much needed relief for County supporters. Incidentally, the Magpies will now tackle the conquerors of the Shrimpers in round two with a trip to West Ham United’s Boleyn Ground. Five players have played a part in every single match, with Mike Edwards the only one to have failed to start each game. Ex-Southend flyer Tony Scully is the club’s top goalscorer, having netted both goals against Lincoln in their only League win.

Robert Craven
www.thelittlegazette.com