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The 2008/09 Season

2008/09 proved to be yet another miserable campaign in which Notts achieved their lowest points total since dropping into the 4th tier in 2004. Yet County were never in any serious danger of relegation thanks to the massive points deductions meated out to Rotherham United (-17), Bournemouth (-17) and Luton Town (-30) at the start of the season. Until the final month, Notts had not climbed higher than 11th nor slipped lower than 17th, a pair of statistics which would partly account for County's 3rd lowest average attendance since they moved to Meadow Lane in 1910, and with Mansfield Town now in the Conference, County's best attendance of 6,686 v Rotherham United was the lowest 'best home league crowd of the season' since 1966/67. Only two other home fixtures attracted gates of over 6,000, both immediately following the death of the club's greatest living icon Jimmy Sirrel at the age of 86 (ironically against the two teams Sirrel had managed before coming to Notts in 1969). Within 4 months of losing Sirrel, Notts said goodbye to another great servant of the club, long time trainer Jack Wheeler who died at the age of 89 in January. Early exits in the cup competitions (including another embarrassing televised defeat to non-league opposition in the FA Cup) did nothing to relieve the sense of sadness and frustration which sunk to new depths of despair in the Spring as the Supporters Trust degenerated into a very public civil war. A trust splinter group then attempted to force the removal of Trust head and club chairman John Armstrong Holmes in a period of turmoil which (co-incidentally or not) saw Notts embark on their poorest run of the season and slump to 20th, but Armstrong-Holmes survived the vote of no confidence and a surprise final day victory away at promotion chasing Wycombe saw Notts finish 19th rather than 21st.
 

Twenty Years Ago
Notts County v Huddersfield Town, 22nd April 1989. One week after the Hillsborough tragedy, Tommy and Drapes lined up in the starting 11 together for the first time. An extraordinary afternoon. Click on the programme cover for the Evening Post match report.
April 2009
 
 



How we line-up