Top flight* League fixture
*Then known as Division One

Notts County 2     Birmingham City 1
Harkouk                                                 Harford
Harkouk
 

HT 1-1

Attendance :- 11,031
 

Notts County
Colours:- White shirts with black dual pinstripes, Black shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match n/a, after mid-week matches 1st/22
Manager:- Larry Lloyd

1.   Seamus McDonagh
2.   Aki Lahtinen
3.   Nigel Worthington
4.   Mark Goodwin *
5.   Brian Kilcline
6.   David Hunt
7.   John Chiedozie
8.   Justin Fashanu
9.   Trevor Christie
10. Rachid Harkouk
11. Martin O'Neil

Sub: Iain McCulloch *

Birmingham City
Colours:- Blue shirts, White shorts, ?Red? socks
League Position:- before match n/a, after mid-week matches 21st/22
Manager:- Ron Saunders

1.   Tony Coton
2.   Jim Hagan
3.   Pat Van Den Hauwe
4.   Noel Blake
5.   Billy Wright
6.   Kevin Broadhurst
7.   Tony Rees *
8.   Les Phillips
9.   Mick Harford
10. Mick Halsall
11. Robert Hopkins Off

Sub: Ian Handysides *
 

Video of the match:- No footage known to exist.

Match Report
None available

Up the Maggies footnote:
My first night match and my first as a season ticket holder. Howard Wilkinson had left to become manager of Sheffield Wednesday on 24th June and former Forest defender Larry Lloyd (sacked by 3rd Tier Wigan Athletic in April) had then been appointed first team manager on 7th July (Jimmy Sirrel stayed on as General Manager and he would continue to pen the manager's column in the programme). Notts came from behind to win this fixture v Birmingham; Harkouk headed an equaliser four minutes before half-time and then scored the winner with County attacking the Kop end after the break. The programme for the following game noted that Notts were very pleased with the attendance -  no doubt supporters were encouraged by the opening day 4-0 win at newly promoted Leicester City and were eager to see Northern Ireland international Martin O'Neill make his home debut (O'Neill had been a key member of his nation's stunning World Cup finals campaign in 1982, Howard Wilkinson had persuaded O'Neill to join Notts shortly before he left). I remember watching "Football Focus" at lunchtime on the opening Saturday and they had a run down of all the top flight clubs and their likely prospects, Notts were once again among the bookies relegation favourites but the report singled out Martin O'Neill as possibly having a big influence in guiding Notts to survival yet again. Notts certainly looked a sound bet to avoid the drop after tonight's match, the Sun newspaper printed the top portion of the table in their following Thursday edition and Notts were in 1st place! Also making his home debut for Notts was goalkeeper Seamus McDonagh. This was the first season in which the football league was sponsored, it was now known as the "Canon League".

Notts County Season 1983/84
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