Notts County Odds

Notts County Odds

As with every club currently playing in the fourth tier of English football, Notts County odds have increased in popularity in betting circles over the last number of years. With League Two being well known for being a hard league to bet on with its unpredictability and tendency to provide shock results, clubs can be fighting to avoid the drop one season and challenging for the League Two title the next. As such, Notts County relegation odds are just as commonly bet on as odds on Notts County to be promoted.

When it comes to the biggest and most popular Notts County matches, such as a relegation battle or a match against rivals, Notts County betting odds can be subject to a series of bookmaker promotions. For instance, odds on Notts County v Nottingham Forest can be offered as enhanced odds, with bookmakers such as Coral offering these types of promotions regularly.

Notts County odds offered on activities and events that happen on the field are popular, and many bookmakers also offer odds on what happens behind the scenes at the club as well. Notts County manager odds and transfer odds can be popular, offering bettors more opportunities to make money when wagering on football.

History

Notts County are a professional football club located in the city of Nottingham in the county of Nottinghamshire. The oldest professional football club in the world, the club have spent a number of seasons in each of the top four English divisions throughout the club’s history. Notts County currently play in the country’s fourth tier, League Two.

The history of Notts County begins in 1862. The club are the oldest professional association football club still playing worldwide, although the formation of Sheffield FC predates that of Notts County. 

Notts County first played at Park Hollow, before playing at various other stadia before moving to the Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. Before the Football League was introduced, Notts County had already had their first international player after Ernest Greenhalgh appeared for England in their first international match in 1872.

In 1888, Notts County became one of the twelve founding members of the Football League. The club only just avoided finishing bottom of the table in the league’s first season, though the finishes of Notts County improved. 

Three years later, the club reached its first ever FA Cup Final. Facing Blackburn Rovers, Notts county were defeated 3-1. 

For the 1892/1893 season, the Football League was split into two divisions, the First Division and the Second Division. Clubs from the Football Alliance joined the Football League, and Notts County were placed in the First Division.

However, Notts County were relegated to the Second Division that same season. Notts County did though reach another FA Cup Final, and this time lifted the trophy. Up against Bolton Wanderers, Notts County won the occasion 4-1, with Jimmy Logan scoring a hattrick. In the process of winning the trophy, Notts County became the first club not playing in the top tier to win the competition.

In 1897, Notts County earned promotion back to the First Division. The club remained in the top flight until 1913, during which time Notts County moved into Meadow Lane, still home to the club to this day.

It was just a one season stop outside the top tier for Notts County. Winning the Second Division title, the club made an instant return to the First Division. However, during the first season following World War One, Notts County suffered relegation once again.

Three seasons later, the club won another Second Division title and with it promotion back to the top flight. This was followed by another relegation in the 1925/1926 season, with the club not returning to the First Division until 1981.

Notts County suffered another relegation in the 1929/1930 campaign, and were demoted to the Third Division South. The club returned immediately to the second tier, though, winning the Third Division South title. 

The following three seasons saw Notts County struggling to avoid the drop, a fight the club lost in the 1934/1935 campaign when Notts County finished in 22nd place. The club returned to the Third Division South, a division Notts County remained in until 1950.

1950 saw the club win another Third Division South title, and Notts County earned promotion to the Second Division for the first time in 15 years. The club were to spend the next eight seasons in this division, but in seven of these seasons Notts County finished in the bottom half of the table. Two close calls with relegation were followed by the club finishing in 21st place, condemning Notts County to the drop.

Worse was to follow for Notts County. The club suffered a successive relegation in the 1958/1959 campaign,  and the club entered the Football League Division Four for the first time in Notts County history. 

However, the club earned an instant return back to the third tier of English football. Again, though, the club couldn’t force a push for promotion, instead falling back into the fourth tier in the 1963/1964 campaign.

It would be seven years until Notts County gained another promotion. That came in 1971 with a Fourth Division title win, and two seasons later the club were promoted again. In 1981, the club finally returned to the top flight of English football, a second place finish enough for Notts County to return to the First Division.

However, within five years the club had returned to the Third Division. After three seasons in the top flight, Notts County suffered two successive relegations. The end of the 1980’s saw Notts County continue to enhance their reputation as a yo yo club, when 1989/1990 and 1990/1991 saw the club earn successive promotions, and the club returned to the First Division.

Unfortunately for Notts County, the club missed out on becoming one of the founder members of the Premier League when they suffered an immediate relegation. In 1992, the Premier League was introduced, replacing the First Division. As a result of this new league, the Football League divisions were renamed. The Second Division became Division One, the Third Division Division Two and the Fourth Division Division Three. As such, Notts County started the 1992/1993 campaign as a Division One club.

Further demotions followed. The 1994/1995 season saw Notts County relegated to Division Two, the third tier of English football. The club almost made an instant return to Division One after making the playoffs, but were defeated by Bradford City. 

The seasons following the playoff final, Notts County were relegated. This time, however, the club did make an immediate return, winning the Division Three title at the first time of asking. The club won the title by seventeen points, a record for Division Three, and returned to Division Two.

Serious financial problems that hit the club, and the future of Notts County was in tremendous doubt. However, a group of local businessmen along with a collection of Notts County supporters managed to keep the club in existence. This didn’t keep the club in Division Two, though, and in the 2003/2004 season Notts County returned to the fourth tier of English football.

In time for the 2004/2005 season, the Football League divisions were once again rebranded. Division One became the Championship, Division Two League One and Division Three League Two. As such, Notts County started the 2004/2005 season playing in League Two.

2009 saw two changes of ownership at Notts County. Munto Finance had taken over the club, and hired former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson as manager. However, six months later executive chairman Peter Trembling bought the club.

The following year saw Notts County suffer more financial distress, with the HMRC handing the club two winding up petitions. Ray Trew then purchased Notts County Football Club, thus saving its future. Despite the off the field problems, Notts County won the League Two title, and were promoted to League One.

The following five years saw numerous changes in management at Notts County. None of these could keep the club in the third tier, though, and in the 2014/2015 season, the club suffered yet another demotion.

The club reached the playoffs in their 2017/2018 campaign. However, they were well beaten in the semi final by eventual playoff winners Coventry City.

The 2018/2019 season saw Notts County start in League Two.

Crest

The Notts County crest has undergone a number of changes throughout the club’s history. The first Notts County football badge was the coat of arms of the city of Nottingham. Featuring an image of Robin Hood, with a castle and two royal stags, this badge was used until the 1970’s.

In the 1970’s, the Notts County football crest featured an image of a magpie. This was then changed a decade later, to show two magpies (as per the phrase one for sorrow two for joy) perched on top of a football.

This image is used on Notts County kits today, though is set inside a shield containing the club name, date of formation and the bottom part of the shield featuring black and white stripes.

This current Notts County badge was introduced in 2010, replacing the previous badge that was designed when Munto Finance had taken control of the club. This badge had featured a shield with black and white stripes, with two magpies in the top right and an image of Nottingham castle in the top left.

Colours

Notts County colours are famous for their black and white stripes. Italian giants Juventus took their black and white striped kit from Notts County, when in 1903 John Savage sent over a supply of Notts County shirts to Turin.

Notts County first wore black and white striped shirts in 1890, worn with black shorts and black socks. Prior to this, the Notts County players had worn a variety of different colours and styles, including an all white kit, orange and black hoops and half blue half brown shirts.

Since 1890, the Notts County kit colours have remained black and white shirts, black shorts and black socks (though white and black and white hooped socks have also been worn) save for 1946 to 1952 when the club wore plain white shirts. Many Notts County kits have also featured a gold trim.

The 2018/2019 Notts County kit features black and white shirts with a yellow trim, worn with black shorts with a yellow trim and black and white hooped socks.

Notts County Stadium

The Notts County stadium is Meadow Lane. The club have played at Meadow Lane since 1910, after playing at various locations around Nottingham previously.

The current Notts County stadium capacity stands at 19, 841, making Meadow Lane one of the largest grounds in League Two. The ground is also just 300 yards from Nottingham Forest’s City Ground, making them the closest stadiums in England.

The Notts County stadium layout features four main stands. These are the Derek Pavis Stand, formerly known as the Main Stand; the Haydn Green Family Stand, previously known as the Meadow Lane End; the Kop, or the Iremonger Road End; and the Jimmy Sirrel Stand, also known as the County Road Stand, which is mainly used to house away supporters.

Supporters

The majority of Notts County supporters hail from the city of Nottingham and other parts of Nottinghamshire. There are, however, various Notts County supporters clubs from across the country, including the Notts County FC Official Supporters’ Association.

The Notts County supporters enjoy a huge rivalry with fellow Nottingham side Nottingham Forest, though it’s been rare that these two sides have met in recent years.

Mansfield Town have now become big rivals, with Leicester City, Lincoln City, Derby County and Chesterfield developing as club rivals too.

Ownership

The current Notts County owner is Alan Hardy. Hardy became owner in 2017, taking over from Ray Trew.

Stats

The list of Notts County stats begin with the club’s all time leading league appearance maker. That honour belongs to Albert Iremonger, who made 564 league appearances for Notts County between 1904 and 1926.

Notts County’s all time top goalscorer in league football is Les Bradd. Bradd scored 125 goals for the club between 1967 and 1978. Tom Keetley, though, holds the club record for most goals scored in a single season, netting 39 time in the 1930/1931 Third Division South campaign.

Notts County’s all time record victory in the league came against Newport County in the Third Division South in 1949, Notts County defeating Newport 11-1. The club’s all time record victory in any competition is 15-0, a scoreline the club beat Rotherham Town by in the FA Cup in 1885.

The highest attendance ever recorded for a Notts County match at Meadow Lane is 47,310. This crowd figure was achieved in 1955, when Notts County played York City in the FA Cup.

Notts County are currently the Football League’s highest appearance makers, having played more league matches than any other side in England.

Notts County Players

The current Notts County players list consists of 30 members of the first team. 

Notable ex Notts County players include those that have made over 300 appearances for the club. These are Albert Iremonger, Billy Flint, David Needham, Les Bradd, Don Masson, Brian Stubbs, Pedro Richards, Ray O’Brien, David Hunt, Dean Yates, Gary Lund, Steve Cherry, Phil Turner, Darren Ward and Ian Richardson.

Les Bradd is the club’s all time record goalscorer, but three other players also scored over 100 goals for Notts County. These are Tony Hateley (114 goals); Jackie Sewell (104 goals); and Tommy Lawton (103 goals).

Notts County Manager

The current Notts County manager is Harry Kewell. Kewell took the Notts County manager job in August 2018, replacing the caretaker pair of Steve Chettle and Mark Crossley.

The club’s longest serving manager is Jimmy Sirrel. Sirrel oversaw 291 Notts County matches between 1969 and 1975. Sirrel also has the highest win percentage of any man in Notts County manager history, winning 139 of his 291 matches in charge, giving him a win percentage of 47.77. This is out of any manager who held the manager position for at least one season - Steve Cotterill has a win percentage of 77.78, though he was only in charge for 18 matches, winning 14 of them.

Honours

The Notts County honours list consists of one FA Cup win (1894); three second tier titles (1896/1897, 1913/1914, 1922/1923); two Third Division South titles (1930/1931, 1949/1950); three fourth tier titles (1970/1971, 1997/1998, 2009/2010); and one Anglo-Italian Cup win (1994/1995).