3rd tier* League fixture
*Then known as Division Two

Notts County 1     Bristol Rovers 1
Stallard 89                                              Ellington 59
 

Attendance :- 5,511
Referee:-  G. B Frankland (Middlesbrough)
 

Notts County
Colours:- Black & white striped shirts, Black shorts, Black socks
League Position:- before match 4th/24, after match 7th/24
Manager:- Jocky Scott

G.   Darren Ward
D.   Alex Dyer *
D.   Richard Liburd
D.   Mark Warren
D.   Ian Richardson
D.   Andy Hughes
M.  Gary Owers
M.  Craig Ramage off 90
M.  Ian Hamilton +
F.   David Joseph ^
F.   Mark Stallard

Sub: Sean Farrell *66
Sub: Matt Redmile +79
Sub: Kevin Rapley ^79

Subs not used: Paul Gibson (GK) and Andy McDermott
 

Bristol Rovers
Colours:- Blue & white quartered shirts, White shorts, White socks
League Position:- before match 14th/24, after match 15th/24
Manager:- Ian Holloway

G.   Nick Culkin
D.   Scott Jones
D.   Marcus Bignot
D.   Steve Foster
D.   Andy Thomson
D.   Che Wilson *
M.  Vitalijs Astafjevs
M.  Simon Bryant
M.  Lewis Hogg
F.   Mickey Evans
F.   Nathan Ellington

Sub: Mark Walters *90
Subs not used: Brian Parkin (GK), Trevor Challis, Robbie Pethick and Clinton Ellis
 

Up the Maggies note:
Notts had an intense rivalry with Bristol Rovers dating back to the late 1980's (Two County players had been sent off in a violent clash with Rovers on 29/09/1987 and matters came to a head during season 1989/90, see the footnote of the match played on 26/04/1990 for details). At 0-1 in the latter stages of this 09/09/2000 match, Rovers began to indulge in blatant time wasting and with only a few minutes to go, they kicked the ball out of play so that another “injured” player could receive treatment. As part of a gentleman’s agreement, throw-ins resulting from players needing treatment were normally expected to be returned to the side that had kicked the ball out of play, but Notts fans in Z block (where the throw was to be taken from) demanded that the ball should not be returned, County attacked from the throw which directly led to the equaliser prompting pandemonium in the stands. There then followed a shocking tackle on throw-in taker Craig Ramage who reacted badly and got himself sent off (once the ensuing mass brawl between players had calmed down). At the final whistle the Notts manager Jocky Scott kept his players on the pitch to avoid any further confrontations in the tunnel. In hindsight, the infamous events of this match (as well as the crowd problems in the next Saturday home match that saw a Linesman pushed, a steward knocked out by a another fan's punch and the ground then completely submerged under water after a flood) were perhaps the result of demented astrological forces in the cosmos that also brought Albert Scardino and Peter Storrie to takeover Notts days before the fixture with Bristol Rovers was played. Rovers were later relegated that season and would have stayed up had they held out for the two extra points at Meadow Lane. Notts finished 8th, but a fete worse than relegation would soon threaten County's very existence.
 

Video of the match:- Recorded for goals reports on ITV and Sky.
 

Nottingham Evening Post Report

Mark Stallard scored a late equaliser for Notts County as their Division Two match against Bristol Rovers on Saturday 9th September 2000 ended in high controversy. Paul Taylor reports for the Nottingham Evening Post

Stallard scored after Rovers thought a throw-in should have been returned to them. Craig Ramage was then sent off in the ensuing fracas.
Notts began the match with a neat passing move which saw Hughes, Ramage, Richardson and Joseph involved to set up Stallard with an opportunity on the edge of the box. The Notts striker could not control the ball and that set the tone for the early stages of the game. Hamilton sprayed a fine ball down the left flank for Liburd but the Magpies soon lost possession and it was the visitors who took control of the game after a short spell of pressure which saw Ward pull off a superb full- length save from Evans. Evans fired a fierce right-foot drive which Ward did well to parry before Liburd recovered to clear the ball off the line.
The Magpies defence then buckled under another attack as a miss-timed tackle from Hamilton felled Astafjevs on the edge of the six-yard box. Referee Frankland had no hesitation in awarding a penalty to Bristol. Ellington stepped up to take the kick but the young striker looked less than confident and he miss-hit his shot wide. The Notts keeper looked to have had it covered but let the ball fall harmlessly wide as he saw it was off target.

Notts did fight their way into the game with some determined tackling and hit back with two efforts from Owers. The Notts skipper failed to test Rovers keeper Culkin from long range as Notts pressured through their first corner of the match. He came closer moments later as Culkin was punished for holding on to the ball for longer than eight seconds. The referee awarded a free kick just inside the penalty area and an intricate set play between Hamilton and Ramage fed the ball to Owers on the edge of the area. His fierce drive was charged down by the Rovers defence before it could test the keeper.
As the first half progressed the game developed into an end-to-end battle with both sides spurning good opportunities to take the lead. Hughes would have been disappointed to get a corner as he attempted to find Stallard in the middle. Hs ball was intercepted at the last moment as the Notts striker bore down on the Notts goal. From the resulting kick Notts continued to pressure and were a little unlucky after some more good work from Hughes. The Notts midfielder fed a superb cross field ball to Stallard on the edge of the penalty area and the Notts striker took one touch before lofting a careful volley over the advancing keeper Culkin but was left with his head in his hands after seeing the shot cannon back off the underside of the Rovers bar. And on the half-hour mark Notts were only denied by a superb save from the Rovers number one as Hughes’ free kick, given as a result of a push on Joseph, found Stallard at the far post. The Magpies top scorer planted a firm header towards the top corner of the Bristol net but Culkin threw himself spectacularly to his left side to palm the ball to safety.
As the match went on passions continued to build up which eventually saw Warren and Ellington booked. Notts enjoyed a short spell of pressure as Joseph and Stallard combined to win yet another corner, Notts’ fifth of the first half. But it was Rovers who benefited as they broke quickly through Ellington, who had looked dangerous throughout, as he charged clean through down the middle of the pitch. Ward raced off his line to the edge of the area and did enough to distract the Rovers striker and the teenager could only clip the ball wide of the target. A rampaging run from Hughes saw Joseph fail to control the ball in the centre of the penalty area. Liburd again fed Joseph, though on this occasion his attempt to square the ball back to Owers did not carry enough power and allowed the Rovers defence to clear.

Rovers kicked off the second half but it was Notts who looked the more determined of the two sides. Joseph and Stallard looked to be showing a good partnership in attack with the French striker feeding the ball into the path of Stallard’s run. He beat two men before unleashing a low drive which deflected into the keeper’s arms. Hughes again continued to threaten, this time cutting into the middle and feeding Liburd down the left where the Magpies wingback whipped a dangerous ball into the middle. The Rovers defence was unable to clear but Stallard also failed to get the vital touch at the far post.
Rovers gave warning that they were still a threat as Evans broke through the middle. He fed Ellington but Warren was able to get in an important challenge.
Another good combination between the Notts front two saw Joseph beat one tackle before squaring the ball to Stallard who danced through two challenges and found himself in an excellent position ten yards from goal where only his hesitation cost him a goal. Instead of shooting with his left foot Stallard attempted to pull the ball back on to his right boot, allowing keeper Culkin to close him down and make the save.

But Notts paid the price for another piece of hesitation as Dyer failed to make the clearance at the back and allowed Evans to take possession and break through unchallenged on the Notts goal. Richardson put in a vital challenge on the Rovers striker but he could not stop the ball from breaking to Ellington who kept his composure to slide a low shot underneath Ward and inside the near post to give Rovers the lead.

In a bid to change things round Notts boss Scott introduced Farrell off the bench in place of Dyer and switched to a 4-3-3 formation. On 88 minutes Notts County gained a controversial equaliser. With Rovers defender Foster needing treatment, the Rovers players put the ball out of play. After two or three minutes the game was resumed but instead of returning possession to the away team, Notts played on from the throw-in and the ball quickly broke to Stallard who scored.
This left tensions high and within one minute of the restart of the goal Ramage was sent off for retaliating under a challenge from Bignot who was booked for his part in a fracas which saw most of the 22 players involved in a bout of pushing and shoving.
 

Notts County defender Alex Dyer today played down the controversy surrounding Mark Stallard's equaliser against Bristol Rovers on Saturday and declared ‘hopefully in a few weeks it will all be forgotten'.
Furious Rovers manager Ian Holloway has demanded a replay, following Stallard's 88th minute strike, which came after Notts failed to return the ball which Rovers had kicked into touch to allow treatment to an injured player. The Magpies scored direct from the resulting throw-in to earn a 1-1 draw, prompting furious scenes at Meadow Lane. But Dyer — and manager Jocky Scott — have hinted that Notts were not the only guilty party during the incident and have asked that the situation be laid to rest.
"They will be feeling bad now, I just hope that Rovers can forget about this," said Dyer. "There was a lot of bad feeling at the end because of the manner in which our equaliser was scored. But there was more to it than the fans will realise. I am not sure the lad was as badly injured as he made out. He was certainly one of the first players to fly after the referee after we had scored. I think the fans in the County Road stand realised this and were baying for Craig not to give Rovers the ball back. There is certainly no way that there should be a replay. That would not solve anything. The only way to change such a situation is to look at the rules, not just about returning the ball, but about the whole issue of treatment to injured players. At the end of the day we did not break any rules. What we have to hope is that come February, when we go to Rovers, the whole thing will be water under the bridge. But I suspect it won't."

Furious Rovers manager Holloway was eventually ordered onto the team coach at the end of the match by a police officer, as a heated debate ensued with a handful of Notts supporters. "It was totally out of order, I will happily put my point on the line if it means we can restore order," said Holloway. "If we play a replay and we lose I will accept that, but I would rather take that risk. Why can't we be gentleman and talk to the FA? I will offer them my point and then let football win."

Notts boss Scott wisely kept his players on the pitch following the game, to avoid any further confrontation in the tunnel. "I would have felt hard done by if the boot was on the other foot, yes I would. I do feel some degree of sympathy for them," he said. "And unfortunately this will be the main thing that people talk about in the match, but I do not want to be drawn on it too much. All I will say is that the lad went in for a 50/50 challenge with his feet and he ended up rolling around holding his chest, make of that what you will. There was more to this than people will realise."
The match ended with Craig Ramage being dismissed, after he reacted badly to a disgraceful challenge from Marcus Bignot. "He has made a rash decision and lashed out, which is not always advisable," said Scott. "But if he has to be sent off then so does the other lad, it was an awful tackle."
 
 

Notts County Season 2000/01
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