As we know all too well, a footballer's credentials for his club do not always translate into international recognition. And the England squad is littered with such examples over the years.

Take Matt Le Tissier. One of the most talented players the nation has ever produced, he simply wasn't given the chance to do for the Three Lions what he did with Southampton. Likewise Chris Sutton, one half of the SAS strike partnership at Blackburn Rovers, was not really considered by England and only won one cap.

And the same goes for managers - although praising Brian Clough is done so through gritted teeth on this here website, nobody can deny that he was overlooked by England as both a player (he was a prolific forward in his playing days) and as a manager.

But in all fairness, this has been going on for the last century. Between 1905 and 1925, Notts County had on their books arguably the finest goalkeeper in the country, Albert Iremonger, but he never won a single England cap.

Born in Wilford on 15 June 1884, he was one of three siblings, alongside older brother James and younger brother Harry.

Needless to say, the Iremonger brothers were blessed genetically. All of them grew up to be around 6'5" in height, which is considered very tall even nowadays, never mind a century ago when people were considerably shorter.

Indeed, they all became leading footballers of the time, with James playing 301 times for Forest, while Harry turned out 11 times for the Reds, and Albert and James also played cricket for Nottinghamshire.

With regards to Albert, he began with local club Nottingham Jardines Athletic before signing for Notts in 1905 and making his debut against Sheffield Wednesday on April 1.

Seen as a giant with "hands like the claws of a JCB", Iremonger's physique was effectively the template for many future goalkeepers to this day - tall, athletic, strong and imposing, if a little on the skinny side. Think Thibaut Courtois.

And another common goalkeeping trait we see nowadays is temperament - they say you have to be crazy to be in goal, or at the very least display a bit of fire, and indeed, Iremonger was well known to be outspoken on the pitch.

He would often leave his goalmouth to argue decisions made by match officials, sometimes heading all the way up to the centre circle to do so.

If you think this would be a bit excessive nowadays, just imagine how he would have been deemed a century ago, in a much more gentlemanly era. Indeed, this fiery temperament is what supposedly stopped Iremonger from ever winning an England cap.

The Arsenal goalkeeping great Bob Wilson recalled a story about Iremonger, as quoted in The Telegraph: "Iremonger took a penalty and the kick hit the crossbar with such force the ball went back over his head. Iremonger, a lanky stick insect, then raced back to retrieve the ball and in doing so struck a perfect shot into the top corner of his own goal."

There is even an anecdote which claims that, in a 1912 game against Arsenal, he wasted time sitting on the ball in the middle of the game. The referee tried various things, the last hope was to scare him away with a firework (yes, you read that right) but it failed, and the game was abandoned.

However, he also had a kindly side - another Telegraph article, which like the above picture, calls him Albert Ironmonger, claimed he "repelled opposing forwards simply by looking at them and then tossed dolly mixtures to kids in the crowd like a favourite uncle."

But while personality and anecdotes are subjective, Iremonger's stats in the game are undisputable (well, for the most part, as you're about to read on).

He was the Magpies' first-choice goalkeeper for 20 years, played a total of 601 games for them - a record unbroken to this day - and played in over 200 consecutive league and cup games (different sources specify different amounts, but the below cigarette card lists it as 204, so let's go with that).

His exceptional performances earned him a Football League cap in 1912 (back in the days where you'd literally win a cap which could be placed on your head).

When the First World War broke out, Iremonger served in the Footballer's Battalion, a colloquial term for the men who were contracted to football clubs - they were originally refused permission to join the Army but the clubs relented under media pressure - and fought under the badge of the Middlesex Regiment. Iremonger fought alongside brother Harry, and both brothers survived the war.

In 1925, Iremonger's time at Meadow Lane came to an end, and a year later, the 42-year-old became Lincoln City's oldest ever player. Although he was a short-term signing, he impressed in his 35 appearances for the club until 1927, after which he retired from the game.

Later in life, Iremonger became a landlord, first of the Cremorne in the Meadows and later the Ferry Inn in his native Wilford. Unfortunately, tragedy was to strike during the Second World War when his son, 1920-born Albert Harvey Iremonger, was killed in action in 1943 aged just 23.

Iremonger's story ends on 9 March 1958, when he passed away aged 73, but his legacy carries on to this day - the road behind Meadow Lane is named after him.

Sure, he may not have been able to make his mark with England, but let's face it - his place in Notts County and Nottinghamshire sporting history is 100 percent assured. He lived all his life in the region, and he will forever be remembered as a prodigal son of Nottinghamshire.

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When Don Masson was a child, he knew then that all he ever wanted to was to play football.

Born on 26 August 1946 in the Aberdeenshire town of Banchory, he'd spend hours kicking a tennis ball against the wall and would refuse to go back to school if his mother did not play football with him when he came home for his lunch break.

Masson's talent and hard work paid off when he was scouted by Middlesbrough, the 12-year-old kid impressing for his school football team. As he grew up he also opted to train as a painter and decorator if he didn't make it in the game or to have a trade after football.

Whilst at Boro, Masson used to clean the boots of one Mr Brian Clough while he was still playing for the club, and when he was 18, he made his debut against Charlton Athletic.

All in all, Masson made 53 appearances for Boro between 1964 and 1968, scoring six goals, but he jumped at the chance to join Notts County.

In a 2012 interview with Left Lion, he said: "All I knew about Nottingham at the time was what I had watched on the TV when the cricket was being played. The camera would pan across to the City Ground and Meadow Lane and I remember thinking, “what a fantastic sporting city that looks.  The people there are so lucky to have all that so close together”.  I still think that now."

At the time, Notts were a Fourth Division team, but the then-21-year-old Masson would prove to be part of the spine which would be playing in the First Division just over a decade later.

In 1969, Jimmy Sirrel became manager and, with Jack Wheeler as his coach, Notts rose quickly up the leagues - with Masson pulling the strings from midfield and captaining the side.

Such was Masson's talent and leadership that he captained Notts to three promotions - 1970-71 from the fourth tier to the third; 1972-73 from the third tier to the second; and 1980-81 into the top flight.

Recognising his special talent, Notts supporters voted him their Player of the Year on three occasions: 1969, 1974 and 1980. No other player has been the outright winner of the award three times.

Despite Masson wanting to be at Meadow Lane throughout his whole career, in 1974 he got given the news that he was being sold.

He eventually moved to Queens Park Rangers, and he recalls the experience: "The last thing Jimmy said to me before we got to QPR was, “Don’t sign for them, because I’ve got something to tell you afterwards.”  Well, QPR were such a talented team then; I had the medical, and then I signed.  I told Jimmy and he said, “what did I tell you, little fella?  Tommy Docherty and Man Utd wanted to sign you, and that Revie fella at Leeds.  That’s why I told you not to sign.”

However, QPR almost won the league the year after Masson signed, and it thrust him into international contention, going on to make his Scotland debut aged 29 and winning the 1976 Home Championships.

After three seasons at QPR and one at Derby County, Masson then returned to Notts, chairman Jack Dunnett offering him a player-coach role, which he jumped at, and with a new system introduced by Howard Wilkinson, the Magpies would go on from strength to strength.

As Masson explained: "We played a sweeper system that Howard Wilkinson introduced that was quite radical at the time with Pedro (Richards) in the role and Killer - Brian Kilcline - as the strong centre-half.  It was when we went to Newcastle that season and played them off the park that I knew we would get promoted.

"That was the best Notts team I ever played in and it was fitting that I finished my career helping get Notts back to the top division for the first time in more than fifty years."

As football legends go, Don Masson is definitely one of those, especially for Notts County, a club which he continues to hold dear to this day.

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With Notts County having such a rich history, there are dozens of illustrious former players for every generation over the last 150 years, with some individuals having excelled for the club so far back that nobody currently alive will have seen them play.

This is the case of James "Jimmy" Logan, who was born in a time when Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison and Queen Victoria were still alive.

Born on 24 June 1870 in the Scottish town of Troon, Logan began his career at Ayr United, just down the coast from his hometown.

National scouts soon spotted his potential and, in March 1891, he played in the Scotland side that beat Wales 4-3 in Wrexham, scoring on his debut.

However, the Scottish game was amateur at the time, while south of the border, clubs were turning professional, so many footballers were drawn to England.

On the day of the win over Wales, Logan was spotted by Sunderland scouts, and soon enough he signed for the Wearside club, though he only made two appearances as they won the 1891-92 Football League.

In October 1892 he returned to Ayr briefly before signing for Aston Villa for a transfer fee of £30.

He played ten times for them in the 1892-93 season, scoring on seven occasions, and followed that up with one goal in four games before Notts County signed him.

The Magpies were a Second Division club at this point, but Logan did not let this deter him, scoring 21 goals in 21 games and guiding the club to their first FA Cup Final.

To get there, Notts eliminated three clubs from the First Division, including Nottingham Forest, who they beat 4-1 in a replay, and so they lined up to face Bolton at Goodison Park.

In front of 37,000 people, Notts were done and dusted by the 70th minute as Arthur Watson opened the scoring in the 18th minute before Logan struck in the 29th, 67th and 70th minutes of the match - a feat managed by just one player before.

Another record broken was that Notts became the first team from outside the top flight to win the FA Cup and, appropriately enough, they received a hero's welcome when they returned to Nottingham.

“One would have to seek far back into the annals of demonstrations of a public nature to find a parallel to the proceedings on Saturday night,” enthused the Nottingham Evening Post.

The loudest cheers were for the man of the match. “Logan was the hero of the day,” wrote the Sheffield Independent, “and played in a brilliant fashion”. Another writer was moved to state: “He was like a clipper in full sail all through.”

Logan then moved on to play for Dundee and later Newcastle United in short but successful stints, scoring eight goals in the nine games, before transferring to Loughborough.

It was here that his career, and sadly his life, ended, in very unfortunate circumstances.

On Friday, April 3, the Luffs travelled to Sandbach to play Crewe Alexandra, and won 2-1.

The next day, they travelled by train to Manchester to take on Newton Heath, the club which later became Manchester United - but had forgotten the kits in Sandbach.

“Loughborough turned out in borrowed plumes,” reported The Monitor and News. “The search for clothing delayed the start for half an hour.”

In driving rain, 4,000 witnessed Loughborough lose 2-0 and the team, wearing the same drenched clothes as they wore in the game, returned to the Midlands.

Logan – who had a history of ill health – caught a chill and missed the next three games.

He recovered to return to action and scored in the final game of the season, a 4-1 win over Crewe, and looked to be recovering over the next month, but sadly it wasn't to be.

“No serious consequences were anticipated ’til Saturday,” reported the Monitor, “when the internal complaint of which he suffered led to complications and in the end brought on pneumonia.”

From then on, Logan went rapidly downhill. By Monday, James Logan was dead. He was 25.

As a mark of respect, the next day the Midland League championship flag was lowered to half mast at the club’s Athletic Ground.

At 3.30pm on May 29, Logan's body was lowered into the grave at plot 34 of compartment 114 at Loughborough Cemetery. A nameless hole in the ground. A pauper's grave.

This is seemingly where the story ends, but fast forward 120 years, Andy Black and Jimmy Willan launched a campaign to give Logan the recognition he deserved.

Until August 2016, the only reminder of him had been a sign on a dirt road leading to the town's Derby Road playing fields, bearing the name James Logan Way.

Andy and Jimmy's campaign culminated in the unveiling of the headstone at Loughborough Cemetery, in Leicester Road, on August 23, 2016.

A proper tribute to a legendary football player - just how it should be.

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Tommy Johnson, born in Gateshead on 15 January 1971, knew he wanted to play for Notts County from his first trial at the club as a teenager.

In a 2013 interview at the annual Notts County Former Players' Association dinner, where he was presented with an Achievement award, he spoke of how he fell in love with the Magpies.

“I was 13 and I came down for trials and the first training session was with Jimmy Sirrel and that was the sort of club it was,” he said.

“All the players made you feel so welcome and, although my family wanted me to stay at home and play for Newcastle, I knew I wanted to play here and I’ve been here ever since.

“My time here was great and I couldn’t have had a better start to my career.”

Johnson joined Notts in 1987 as an apprentice after leaving school and such was his talent that he was a first-team regular by the end of the decade.

His prolific goalscoring helped Notts climb from the third tier to the First Division between 1989 and 1991, and in total he scored 57 goals in 149 appearances.

In 1992, Johnson left Meadow Lane and moved down a division to Derby County in a £1.3m deal.

His time at the Rams was fruitful as he claimed 30 goals in 58 appearances, but two playoff defeats in three seasons later, he decided to up sticks again, joining Aston Villa in 1995 and making his debut in the Premier League.

Johnson's future at the highest level looked promising as he scored four goals in 14 league games to help Villa stay in the Premier League.

However, he found his first-team opportunities limited as manager Brian Little signed Serbian striker Savo Milosevic, and Dwight Yorke was converted from a winger to a striker.

In 1996–97, Johnson was still unable to displace Yorke or Milosevic, managing just 20 league games and four goals, before he joined Scottish giants Celtic for £2.4mi on 27 March 1997 – transfer deadline day.

Despite seeing his career at Parkhead plagued by injury, he enjoyed some success at the club, including scoring the goal that won the 2000–01 Scottish Premier League title, and scoring in the 2000 Scottish League Cup final win over Aberdeen. He had also collected a title medal in 1997–98.

At Celtic, he played under managers Wim Jansen, Jozef Venglos, John Barnes, Kenny Dalglish and finally Martin O'Neill, but managed just 35 league games and scored 18 goals.

During his time at Celtic, Johnson was briefly loaned out to Everton in the autumn of 1999, where he played three times in the Premier League but failed to score.

A brief spell at Sheffield Wednesday followed before Johnson joined Kilmarnock and then Gillingham in December 2001. After two seasons at Gillingham, Johnson joined Sheffield United but only made one appearance there before moving on to Scunthorpe United.

During his time at the Iron he was loaned out to Tamworth, finally joining them on a permanent contract and staying there until the summer of 2006, when he joined Midland Football Alliance club Rocester.

After hanging up his boots, Johnson went into coaching and ended up rejoining Notts as part of the coaching staff under the management of Ian McParland on 1 November 2007, where he stayed until 2011.

Following on from his coaching spell at Meadow Lane, he worked at the Irish Football Association as a scout between January 2012 and August 2013, before a spell as Senior Overseas Scout at Cardiff City.

Johnson then became a coach educator for UEFA A and B licences at the IFA before taking a job as the head of player recruitment at Blackburn Rovers, where he continues to work today.

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Arthur Mann was born in Falkirk, Scotland on 23 January 1948 and began his footballing career at Heart of Midlothian in 1967.

A versatile player who could line up in both defence and midfield, he played for Hearts in the 1968 Scottish Cup Final, although he ended up on the losing side as Dunfermline won 3-1.

It was not long before his talents were spotted across the border and he moved to Manchester City for £65,000, then a record for a Scottish defender transferring to an English side.

The club's most successful period was roundabout this time until the early 70s, when they won the League Championship, FA Cup, League Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup under the management team of Joe Mercer and Malcolm Allison.

However, Mann was unable to take part in Man City's European campaigns as he had a fear of flying, but he nonetheless enjoyed a three-and-a-half-year stay at Maine Road, which included a loan spell at Blackpool.

In 1972, he was snapped up by Notts County manager Jimmy Sirrel for £15,000 and he went on to enjoy the most fruitful and stable spell of his career, making 253 appearances for the Magpies and scoring 21 goals in seven years.

When Mann left for Shrewsbury Town in 1979, he fetched double the fee that Notts paid for him, but he only spent four months at Gay Meadow before signing for Mansfield Town in a £36,000 deal.

Mann spent the twilight of his playing career with Kettering Town, Telford United and Boston United, where he also served as a manager and led them to the final of the FA Trophy in 1985.

He was Alan Buckley's assistant manager at Grimsby Town and West Bromwich Albion, and had a spell as caretaker-manager at Albion early in 1997 following Buckley's dismissal.

Sadly, Mann died on 4 February 1999, aged just 51, in an industrial accident while working for a factory in Birmingham.

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Alongside perhaps film and music, football is the biggest entertainment industry in the world. Megastars such as Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are known across the planet, with replica t-shirts sporting their names worn in every nation.

It wasn't always like this, however. Just a few decades ago, many of the best footballers in the world often had second jobs to make ends meet, and they could go down the local pub without much of a fuss being made.

John "Jackie" Sewell was one such individual. Beginning like as a Bevin Boy conscripted to work in the coal mines in his native Cumberland, he would grow up to become one of the finest English strikers of all time.

A dashing, athletic young man, he spent his formative years playing for hometown club Whitehaven Town, but his talent was such that he was scouted and eventually signed by Notts County in 1944.

During his early days at Meadow Lane, Sewell would work down the pit at Whitehaven and, on Friday afternoon, catch the local train to Carlisle.

With his boots in his bag, he would then make the arduous journey south to Nottingham, changing at Derby, and by the time he arrived at his destination, it was Saturday morning. If he was lucky, and it was a home game, he would get a lie-in.

"I used to be walking down Arkwright Street in Nottingham in the early hours of Saturday morning," Sewell told the Nottingham Post in 2012.

"I stayed in digs with a lady called Mrs Rogers and her family and they always waited up until I arrived. I could hear her when I walked down their path "Jackie's here, Jackie's here" she'd say and I would sleep on a settee bed.

"The war was on at the time. There were always people in the armed forces on the train and here I was going to play football, with a pair of boots under my arm and a small bag.

"I remember my mum always used to tell me not to fall asleep on the train, but I did once on the way home after a game and missed my stop in Whitehaven. I never told her this, but I jumped off the train and had to walk about four miles back."

Eventually his football prospered to the point that he could move to Nottingham, setting up home in Bulwell, but he continued working as a miner in Bestwood until his career really took off.

And took off it did - during his time at Notts, he scored a massive 104 goals in 193 games, and helped the club win the Football League Third Division South championship in 1949-50, elevating the Magpies above Nottingham Forest.

His time at Meadow Lane coincided with one of the most exciting times in County's history as they signed superstar striker Tommy Lawton from Chelsea in 1949 to play alongside Sewell, and the club regularly drew crowds of over 30,000 fans.

In 1951, Sewell decided to make a step up in his career by signing for Sheffield Wednesday, which drew criticism from fans just as a star player move does nowadays - and the reported fee of £34,500 - although conflicting reports put the fee as high as £35,000 - made him the most expensive player in the world at the time.

The Owls were relegated that year, but with Sewell's help, they won the Division Two title in 1952 as their star striker struck 23 goals.

His form for Wednesday led to an England call-up, and he made his international debut against Northern Ireland at Villa Park in November 1951, playing alongside the likes of Nat Lofthouse, Billy Wright, Tom Finney, and Alf Ramsey, who later managed England to World Cup glory in 1966.

Sewell also played - and scored - in what was deemed The Match of the Century, as the Three Lions took on Hungary at Wembley in 1953 and were shockingly defeated 6-3.

The inside-forward then upped sticks again, signing for Aston Villa in 1955, and with the West Midlands outfit, he enjoyed the crowning moment of his career as he helped them win the FA Cup in 1957 by beating Matt Busby's Manchester United 2-1 at Wembley.

Between 1959 and 1961 he then played for Hull City before opting to travel further afield, spending time in Africa in Northern Rhodesia - now Zambia - with City of Lusaka FC.

Sewell then became one of the few footballers in history to play for two different nations as he lined up for the Zambia national team after the country gained its independence from Britain in 1964.

Hanging up his boots in 1965, Sewell soon moved back to Nottingham and remained passionate about his football and his beloved Notts County, attending games and chatting to fans on a regular basis.

On Monday 26 September 2016, it was confirmed that Sewell had passed away aged 89, and tributes poured forth from the world of football, praising a wonderful footballer and gentleman who lit up every club he played for.

It is with a heavy heart to bid farewell to one of Notts County's greatest heroes, an individual who truly lit up Meadow Lane and gave the fans some wonderful football.

Rest in peace Jackie Sewell, 1929 - 2016.

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Many notable players have turned out for Notts County over the years.

Some, who turned out for the club in the decades following its creation have been virtually committed to folklore, with the occasional grainy black-and-white photo.

The club's longest-ever serving player, early 20th century goalkeeper Albert Iremonger, falls into this category. 

Some, like post-war prodigy Tommy Lawton, may be remembered by the likes of our grandparents or parents.

The further we go through the decades, the more likely it is that the younger generations may have a recollection of them, either through our older relatives or first-person.

In terms of recent players, that is, those who have played for Notts County in the 21st century, there are few more lauded by fans than the man I'm writing about now.

You ask a few dozen twenty-something and thirty-something Notts fans about who their favourite player is, and chances are, a sizeable amount will say "Mark Stallard".

Stallard was born in Derby in October 1974, and began his career with local team Derby County, signing schoolboy terms in 1991. During those fledgling years, he made over 30 appearances for the Rams, as well as being sent out to gain experience at Fulham and Bradford City.

He was on Derby’s books until January 1996, when the Baseball Ground outfit – the club moved to Pride Park the following year – accepted a bid from the Bantams in the region of £110,000 for the then 21-year-old striker.

Stallard etched himself into the Bradford fans’ hearts when he scored the second goal in the club’s Second Division play-off final victory against Notts County of all teams, just four months after joining the Valley Parade outfit.

With the Yorkshire club in the First Division, Stallard spent some time on loan at Preston North End, before being sold to Wycombe Wanderers, then of the Second Division, in March 1997. His time with the Chairboys was fruitful, netting on average a goal every three games in the league.

Eventually came his move to the mighty Magpies in the spring of 1999 for the princely sum of £10,000, and though the club was going through some tumultuous times, Stallard remained a shining beacon of light throughout his entire spell at Meadow Lane, scoring 67 goals during his five years with Notts.

His manager at Meadow Lane, Billy Dearden, said Stallard helped the club through some dark times.

"We went into administration for 18 months, and it was only because of people like Stallard that we kept going," he told the BBC. "He was a top man to work with. He was a very good trainer, and most importantly, he was a goalscorer. He could have probably played at an even higher level."

Stallard was rewarded for his exploits at Meadow Lane by being named the club’s player of the year and players' player of the year in 2003, after scoring 25 goals as Notts battled against relegation and financial adversity during the difficult 2002–03 season.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end, and so too did Stallard’s stay at Notts County, as he decided to up sticks and move to Barnsley.

Things didn’t quite work out for the striker at Oakwell; after 15 appearances, he was allowed to go on loan to Chesterfield, before making a return to Meadow Lane in February 2005.

After his second spell at Notts came to an end, Stallard moved to Shrewsbury Town at the start of the 2005-06 season, and stayed there for a year, before again upping sticks for another return to the East Midlands, this time with Lincoln City, where he hooked up with former youth teammate Adie Moses.

His time at Sincil Bank was fruitful, the first few months yielding seven goals and yielding the striker the League Two Player of the Month award for September 2006.

Stallard spent two years with the Imps, scoring 17 goals in 66 league appearances, but with his second season being affected by injuries and suspensions, he was let go by the club at the end of the 2007-08 season.

He decided to remain in the East Midlands alongside Moses as they hooked up with Mansfield Town, and for a short period of time, the duo were made caretaker managers of the Conference club and maintained a 100% record of two wins in two games.

Stallard then moved to Corby Town at the end of his contract with Mansfield, after being impressed by the club's ambition, but with the striker looking to forge a career in financial advising – a shrewd investment considering his footballing career was in its twilight he decided to leave the Northamptonshire outfit, citing an unwillingness to draw a wage from the club if he could no longer produce his best football for the team.

It proved to be a gesture that drew praise from the Blue Square North side's manager Graham Drury, who said: "I wish I could work with more people as honest and professional as Mark Stallard.”

And in one short sentence, Drury described Stallard’s career in a nutshell. An honest, hard-working, professional, skilled player, one who played his best football for Notts County and kept the club smiling during testing times.

Luckily for the Notts faithful, Stallard continues to be heavily involved with the Magpies, co-commentating on the club's matches for BBC Radio Nottingham alongside Charlie Slater, having previously done so with the legendary Colin Slater, and regularly offering his footballing services for charity games linked with the club and around the East Midlands. His day job, meanwhile, sees him managing his own financial advice firm.

Mark Stallard, you are a Notts County legend, and a proud inductee of Pride of Nottingham’s Notts Alumni!

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Football is a sport of many styles, many methods, many tactics, many demographics. It’s one of the most inclusive sports in the world, which adds to its global appeal.

You can carve out a career if you’re a skinny 5’5’’ tactician and you can become a star if you’re a 6’6’’ giant built like a brick outhouse. You can be elegant and refined, or you can be uncompromising and sturdy.

Lionel Messi, Nobby Styles, Yaya Toure and Peter Crouch have all been capped multiple times for their respective international teams despite widely differing heights, builds and styles of play.

Brian Kilcline, English centre-back and former Notts County and Coventry legend, was able to get his hands on top-level silverware and forged a highly successful career in the English game, thanks to his tough, uncompromising style, which spread to his appearance – his long hair and beard, combined with his demeanour and passion, ensured that opposition players knew he wasn’t one to mess with.

Born on 7 May 1962, Kilcline began his footballing career with Notts County at the tender age of 16 after being scouted for South Notts Schoolboys, when he signed associate schoolboy forms in 1978.

He got arguably the best birthday present a young aspiring footballer could hope for when he signed a professional contract in 1980, though he already had senior team experience by this point.

He made his professional debut for Notts nine months earlier against Torquay United in the League Cup, before appearing in the league against Bristol Rovers a month later.

Kilcline made 184 League and Cup appearances, and was a key player in the squad that took Notts into the First Division in 1981. A strong, uncompromising defender with a Neanderthalesque appearance, he was the bane of opposition frontlines.

In the summer of 1984, Notts were relegated from the First Division, but Kilcline had the chance to remain in the top flight when Coventry City enquired about the tough tackler. The Sky Blues paid the Magpies £60,000 to secure Killer’s services, putting an end to his time at Meadow Lane.

Over at Highfield Road, Kilcline showed the same commitment and skills that served him so well at NG2, and was eventually made captain of the side.

Arguably his greatest moment in a Coventry jersey came 30 years ago, in 1987, when he led the Sky Blues out at Wembley in the FA Cup final, against highly fancied Tottenham Hotspur.

During the game, which finished 2-2 in normal time, such was his eagerness and drive that he ended up receiving an injury after a tackle on opposition player Gary Mabbutt and had to be substituted before the end of the regulation 90 minutes.

According to an interview, he ended up suffering from a blood clot in his leg and, despite it being a sunny day, he “watched extra-time through thick fog because I was sat beside our two doctors, who were chain smoking to calm their nerves”.

Mabbutt then scored the winner… for Coventry, that is, as he kneed the ball into his own net in the 95th minute. The underdogs then weathered the subsequent Spurs attacks to secure a 3-2 win and, crucially, the fabled, precious FA Cup.

Despite his injury, Kilcline was able to slowly hobble up the famous Wembley step to receive the trophy for the first time in Coventry's history.

Killer recalled an amusing anecdote about the aftermath of the game to The Mirror, where he had to spend time in hospital and wasn’t able to celebrate the cup win.

“We came back to Coventry, showed off the Cup, and I was straight out of the back door at the town hall and off to hospital. All the lads went on an end-of-season trip to Magaluf except me.

“There was no get well-soon card, just a gloating phone call from Dave Bennett and Cyrille Regis to say what a brilliant time they were having. I thought: 'You jammy b******s, I'm not having this' - so I flew out three days later and did my own exhaustive research of Magaluf's licensed premises!”

Oldham Athletic came in for Kilcline in the summer of 1991, paying Coventry a fee of £400,000. However, his time at Boundary Park didn’t work out, so he found himself upping sticks when former England legend Kevin Keegan, now manager of Newcastle United, enquired about his services. Killer duly became Kleine Kevin’s first signing with the (other) Magpies.

During five years at St James' Park, he captained Newcastle to the First Division title in 1993. Keegan later remarked that Kilcline was the most important signing he had ever made for the club. This was echoed by fans, who considered him partially responsible for saving the club from relegation and possible bankruptcy.

During the 1993-94 season, he briefly played for Swindon Town in the Premier -League, before returning to Nottinghamshire for a two-year spell with Mansfield Town, where he made 50 appearances.

His final season was that of 1997-98, where he had a brief spell with eventual Conference champions Halifax Town, before hanging up his boots.

According to The Mirror, Kilcline went backpacking around the world with his wife once his career wound down, then spent time with National Express as an ambassador and became involved in property renovation in Britain and overseas.

With 2017 signaling the 30-year anniversary of Kilcline lifting the FA Cup, the tall, eccentric now-55-year-old was interviewed by the Guardian in March, where he divulged several new anecdotes, including living on a boat, getting married the day after the Swindon Town Christmas night out, where he was found worse for wear outside the town's train station, taking wedding pictures in a graveyard, arm-wrestling Kanu, and setting up home in Holmfirth where he lives with his wife Lynn.

And in true Killer spirit, he shares the house with an eight-foot dragon and a mermaid.

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Since its inception, Notts Alumni has provided an interesting look at the careers of renowned football players who have at some point worn the black and white stripes of Notts County.

Sometimes they’ve covered professionals who began or flourished at Meadow Lane and are currently still active (Kelvin Wilson, Kasper Schmeichel). Other examples regard veteran players who are in their professional twilights or even semi-retired (Mike Edwards), recent retirees (Mark Draper, Michael Johnson) or even legends from yesteryear (Tony Hateley, Raddy Avramovic, Les Bradd).

Today's piece is provided for you with a heavy heart, because it relates to a former Notts player who is sadly no longer with us.

Richard Butcher was born on the 22nd January 1981 in Northampton, and came through the youth ranks of his local club Northampton Town.

Though he was promoted to the senior team in 1999, the manager who originally put him forward, Ian Atkins, was dismissed and replaced with Kevin Wilson early on in Butcher’s maiden season. The new head coach never picked him, and so the young midfielder left without making a single appearance.

Staying in Northamptonshire, he signed for Brian Talbot’s Rushden and Diamonds, then of the Football Conference, but again, didn’t get a game, and so moved clubs again, this time to Kettering Town of the Southern League.

Finally, he was gifted regular first-team football with the Poppies, who had been relegated from the Conference the season prior, and helped them back into the highest level of non-league football thanks to his 13 goals in 44 appearances, a great tally for a midfielder.

His next move was a year later to fourth-tier Lincoln City, joining up with Keith Alexander’s Imps in November 2002. He helped the club reach three successive play-offs between 2003 and 2005, but sadly, Lincoln weren’t able to make the step up to the Second Division. All in all, Butcher made 104 appearances for the Midlands club, scoring a modest 11 goals in that time.

Despite the Imps not being promoted, Butcher made the step up the leagues anyway, as he signed for third-tier Oldham Athletic. His time with the Latics was mixed, playing the majority of games in the 2005-06 season, but being sent on loan for a month back to Lincoln City, and leaving the Greater Manchester club at the end of the season.

He reunited with Keith Alexander at Peterborough United; again, he played part in most of the team’s games in 2006-07 (43), and again he left after only one season.

Then came his spell with Notts County. Snapped up by Ian McParland at the start of the 2007-08 season, the club had just come off a relatively decent season, finishing in 13th place in League Two and claiming three League Cup scalps in Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton, and were looking to build on this after very nearly going extinct.

As it was, the next two years would prove to be the most testing of the club’s history from a footballing point of view. They survived the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons by the skin of their teeth. However, Butch was a shining light in a pit of darkness. He was a great leader, physical and commanding, knew how to control the game, and helped out in defence.

And on top of all that, he also scored some brilliant goals, and frequently; his tally of 18 goals in 80 games, or roughly a goal every four games, is better than some of the strikers we’ve had at the Lane in recent years. Were it not for him, we may be talking about a club that used to be called Notts County, which was relegated from the Football League and eventually wound up.

It’s a shame that Butcher didn’t stick around for the silly season of Sol, Sven and Schmeichel, but he made the decision to return to his beloved Lincoln in the close season, signing a two-year deal at Sincil Bank. Sadly, as it often had been in his career, changes took place at the club, which destabilised things.

This time round, manager Peter Jackson, who signed him, was replaced by former Blackburn Rovers striker Chris Sutton in the hotseat, and the Premier League winner seldom gave Butcher a game. Once again, it was time to up sticks and head off.

Butcher’s final club, his eighth in 11 years, was Macclesfield Town. He signed for the Cheshire club in February 2010. Sadly, tragedy struck the Silkmen and the town when manager Keith Alexander, who had been such an influential figure in Butcher’s life and who had signed him several times, including for his most recent club, suddenly died of a brain aneurysm a month later.

The midfielder signed a two-year deal with Macclesfield in May 2010 after the expiry of his Lincoln contract, joining up with the Silkmen squad as a bona fide permanent player in July.

His final game was on the 3rd January 2011 against Rotherham United.

Just a week later, Richard Butcher passed away at his home in Swinton, Salford. He was 29 years old.

The death shocked the footballing community. Tributes came pouring in from people within the English game, as they were forced to come to terms with a second premature loss in the space of a year.

The next match for Macclesfield Town, an away game at Burton Albion originally scheduled for the 15th January, was postponed in respect to Butcher and Macclesfield Town. Butcher's shirt number, 21, was retired as a mark of respect.

On the 22nd January 2011, at Macclesfield's next home game, a minute's applause was heard before the game and 30 white doves were released, to represent Butcher's 30th birthday.

Family, friends and fans paid tribute to Butcher at Lincoln City's Sincil Bank stadium on the 2nd February 2011. A private service was then held at Lincoln Crematorium service following the thanksgiving service at the stadium.

A coroner's verdict delivered in June 2011 determined Butcher's death to have been caused by the heart condition cardiac arrhythmia. Similar cardiac issues have claimed the lives of a number of professional football players over the years, sometimes on the pitch during a game.

A year on, bronze memorial plaques featuring Butcher and Alexander arm in arm were unveiled at Sincil Bank and Moss Rose.

It’s been seven years this week since Richard Butcher passed away at the age of 29, but he will always be remembered by all who knew him or knew of him, as a Notts County player, as a professional footballer, and as a great person.

Thanks for the memories Butch!

As a football fan, it’s always a pleasure when a born-and-bred local lad is nurtured at your club, before making it to the upper echelons of the game.

It’s all the better when said player supports and loves that team too, and continues to give to the club and the community even after their playing career is over.

Mark Draper fits in this category one hundred per cent.

Born on the 11th November 1970 in Long Eaton, Draper was scouted by the Notts County academy as a youngster and progressed through the system, carving his name as a major talent throughout. During this time, he also studied at Wilsthorpe College in Long Eaton.

On Saturday 17th September 1988, the 17-year-old Draper made his debut against Wolverhampton Wanderers. He signed a professional contract three months later.

He quickly settled into the first team, becoming a regular in the Notts side during the 1988-89 season, and under Neil Warnock, thrived as the Magpies went on to achieve back to back promotions and make it to the hallowed top flight of English football. 1991 in particular was a great season for the midfielder, as he bagged nine goals to help him side reach the promised land.

Once in the top flight, perhaps it was a case of too much too soon for the young prodigy, as he couldn’t prevent Notts from being relegated in a tough First Division season, but in the 1992-93 edition, his 11 league goals helped the Magpies avoid back to back relegations and keep the club in the second tier.

Draper was a great passer of the ball and his forward runs were top class. It would only be a matter of time before the bigger clubs started sniffing around, particularly those who made up the nouveau riche Premier League.

After missing out on the play-offs in 1993-94, nobody could begrudge the talented youngster for wanting to ply his trade in the Premier League, and so he joined Leicester City in the close season for £1.25m – a record fee for the club at the time.

Draper spent the entire 1994–95 season at Filbert Street, playing 39 times in the top flight and scoring five goals, though it was not enough to prevent relegation for a side who were never out of the drop zone after November.

Fortunately for him, his performances for Leicester caught the eye of Aston Villa, who offered him a Premier League reprieve.

For the price of £3.25m, the Villans bagged themselves the talented midfielder, who would go on to star for the Birmingham outfit for the next four years, earning rave reviews and even being considered for the England team.

Sadly, he fell out of favour during the 1999-2000 season, appearing in just one game, and so decided to become one of a miniscule number of Englishmen to play in Spain, hooking up with Rayo Vallecano on loan.

In the close season, Southampton snapped him up for £1.5m, and remained with the Saints for three seasons before calling time on his career at the age of 33.

Draper’s love of football took him to play for several local non-league sides over the years, and in 2009, his love for Notts County led to him taking up a role at Meadow Lane at the club kitman. Just a year later, he told the Nottingham Evening Post: "Notts will always be my club because of the times we had here when I played. I grew up at the club. I was here from nine or ten years old so it's been a big part of my life."

Draper then took up a post with Stoke City Football Club as their Academy coach, and together with fellow ex-footballer David Norton, he runs Draper Norton Football, a football coaching enterprise for children based in Nottingham.

Put simply, Mark Draper is Notts County through and through, and will always be remembered as one of the greatest players to don the black and white stripes.

In theory, footballers will play at clubs which befit their abilities, skills and talents. The top players will obviously turn out for the most lucrative, competitive, highest-profile teams, while average players will wear the shirts of average teams, or play in average leagues.

However, this theory has been confounded many times. Who could have predicted that Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, having just had a great World Cup campaign with Argentina, would end up being signed by struggling Premier League team West Ham United? Likewise with David Beckham opting for LA Galaxy when people felt he would still have cut it for a top team in one of the big European leagues, was a surprise.

Sometimes, however, it works the other way round. Players who may be of a lower league level could be unexpectedly thrust into a top team and end up playing with some of the finest players in the world, much to the surprise of every football follower.

When this happens, it's hard not to root for the guy, particularly when he used to play for your team. This is the story of Luke John Rodgers.

Born in Birmingham on the 1st January 1982, Rodgers began his playing career with Shrewsbury Town, rising through the ranks to break into the first team as a youth player.

He made his debut in 1999 for the Shrews as a 17-year-old, and soon became a fan favourite at the Shropshire club for his commitment, pace, skill in front of goal and personality.

After a bit of acclimatising, Rodgers began hitting goals in the 2000-01 season, when, despite regularly being used as a sub, still managed to score seven goals in 27 appearances.

2001-02 saw the Midlands lad really come into form, as he scored a brilliant 22 goals in 41 games. This continued in 2002-03, Rodgers netting 20 in 47. He also played in arguably Shrewsbury's finest hour, the 2-1 defeat of top-tier Everton, featuring Wayne Rooney, in January 2003.

Sadly, the Shrews were to go down that season, but Rodgers stayed loyal to his first club in the Conference, bagging 15 goals in 41 games and helping the team bounce back into the Football League at the first attempt, beating Aldershot FC in the Play-Off Final.

2004-05 was to be Rodgers's final season with the Shropshire club, as he decided to turn down their offer of a one-year contract extension. In July 2005, despite being linked to SPL team Hibernian, he decided to sign for Championship club Crewe Alexandra.

His time with the Railwaymen was disappointing, as team supremo Dario Gradi seldom picked him. After 18 months, he upped sticks again, linking up with Port Vale. Things were slightly better in Stoke, netting 12 goals in 41 games during the 2007-08 season, but by November 2008, he was being overlooked once again, and two months later, just in time for the January transfer window, he was released from his contract by manager Dean Glover.

A short-term contract with Yeovil Town followed, before Rodgers and Notts County crossed paths. July 2009 saw the forward sign for the Magpies on a two-year deal.

Though he didn't score for the first eight games, he smashed an emphatic hat-trick past local rivals Lincoln City in September. As with his previous clubs, he became a cult hero for his work ethic and pugnacious nature, not to mention his knack for finding the back of the net; his 13 goals helped Notts get promoted to League One at the end of the season.

It was during his time at Notts that Rodgers worked with Hans Backe, who was made first-team manager during the Munto Finance period. Backe resigned after just seven weeks in the post, citing financial irregularities, but was impressed enough with the forward that, upon taking his new post with the New York Red Bulls over in the US, he always had his eye on Rodgers coming along.

Indeed, come the close season, the diminutive striker was set to leave the Football League for the MLS, a move Notts permitted, but difficulties with securing a US work permit stalled his transfer. Nonetheless, the move went through in the January 2011 window, and so Rodgers became a New York Red Bulls player, playing in the same league as the likes of David Beckham and Juan Pablo Angel.

The Red Bulls also boasted a marquee player of their own, none other than the best Premier League striker of all time, Thierry Henry. Rodgers, whose CV consisted of lower league football, would line up alongside him.

Rodgers scored nine goals in 23 games in Major League Soccer but did so much more than just find the back of the net. When he was on the pitch, he pushed back defences with his pace, made the long ball a viable option against cluttered midfields, and gave Henry the space he needed to operate in between the lines.

Put simply, he was indispensable for the New York Red Bulls, and complimented Henry up front perfectly. He became a firm favourite with the fans, and was loved in the dressing room. He won "MLS Player Of The Week" in April 2011 after scoring two goals and setting one up for Henry against the San Jose Earthquakes. He was regularly picked over USA international Juan Agudelo. He went so far as to tell the Stoke Sentinel: "This is the happiest I've ever been in football".

Sadly, the problem with playing in the United States is that work permits are difficult to obtain and just as difficult to renew. As it happened, Rodgers's visa renewal was rejected in March 2012, and he was forced to leave the club and the city where he spent his halcyon days.

Since then, he's played for a number of clubs: Lillestrøm SK in the Norwegian top flight, struggling Portsmouth, a second spell at Shrewsbury Town, Hammarby IF of the Swedish second division, and Forest Green Rovers, before rediscovering his scoring touch at Sutton Coldfield Town, where he still plays.

Now 34 years old and the twilight of his career, Luke Rodgers will always be remembered as a tenacious, feisty character whose work ethic, pace and eye for goal, not to mention his part in getting us out of the bottom tier in 2010, will forever endear him to the Notts faithful.

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Notts County has seen plenty of star players grace the Meadow Lane pitch over the years, from the vintage icons of the early 20th century like Billy Flint through to the ones still professionally active such as Kasper Schmeichel and Alan Judge.

However, one player is in the annals thanks to a prestigious statistic, confirming his status as one of the club's all-time greats for decades to come. That man is Les Bradd, Notts County's all-time leading goalscorer.

Born in Buxton, Derbyshire in 1947, Bradd was scouted by Rotherham playing for local team East Sterndale, and in 1966 signed for the Millers.

His spell with the South Yorkshire club was brief, although he did net his only goal against, ironically, Notts County, in the League Cup in August 1967.

Just two months later, joined the Magpies, and he would soon embark on a career where local hero status would beckon.

His first goal in black and white came in a 2-0 win against Rochdale on the 21st October, one of ten goals he would score during the course of the season.

Powerfully built, bustling and with an eye for goal, Bradd also helped set up goals, his great link up play benefitting Tony Hateley and, later on, Kevin Randall and Mick Vinter.

As he developed his all-round game at Meadow Lane, so did the quality of the whole squad, and by 1971, under the tutelage of the great Jimmy Sirrell, Notts had climbed out of the Fourth Division as champions, nine points in front of runners-up Bournemouth. At this stage, Bradd had scored 39 goals for the Magpies, but more was to come.

The following season, as Notts finished just three points off promotion in the Third Division, Bradd scored an impressive 21 goals, more than the previous two seasons' already decent contributions put together, in addition to three in the FA and League cups, and by 1972/73, Notts went one further and were promoted into Division Two, Bradd scoring nine and helping his team-mates score many more.

Bradd eventually reached the 100-goal mark in April 1976, scoring against Fulham in a 4-0 win, in a season where his contributions also helped Notts knock First Division sides Sunderland, Leeds United and Everton.

If that wasn't enough, he sealed his place in Notts County's highest echelons with a goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers just a year later, surpassing Tony Hateley as the club's all-time leading goalscorer.

At the start of the 1978 season, Bradd's love affair with the Magpies ended, as he left Meadow Lane for Lancashire, joining Stockport County. He continued his spectacular goalscoring record, netting 31 goals in 117 appearances, before moving on once again in 1981, remaining in Lancs as he became a Wigan Athletic player.

His tally of 25 in 63 during his period with the Latics, even helping them gain promotion to the Third Division, will ensure both teams will remember him fondly as a player, but it is Nottingham where Les Bradd is most cherished and revered, given his key role during one of the club's brightest periods, not to mention his record-breaking goals tally.

Bradd is now retired, but carries on doing work for the club as an Ambassador and is incredibly active in this role. Showing how much of a good sport he is, he featured in a Soccer AM special on Saturday 7th December 2013 featuring Mockney character Franky Fryer which showcased Nottingham's attractions, including the mighty Meadow Lane.

With it being 50 years since making his Magpies bow, Bradd has this year released an autobiography named Far Post: A Striker’s Tale of Scoring Goals and Breaking Records.

In this book, Bradd takes an in-depth look at his own career and gives an exclusive insight into his relationship with club legends like Jimmy Sirrel, Tony Hateley and Don Masson, and is available at lesbraddbook.co.uk or at the Meadow Lane club shop.

If ever one man deserved to be called a Notts County legend, Les Bradd would be more than deserving of the title.

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Born on the 12th October 1981 in Dublin, Ireland, Thompson began his football career with his local team River Valley Rangers, before joining Home Farm FC, a club famed for its illustrious youth system.

During his time there, he was called up to the Irish Under-16 team, and helped the Boys in Green to a first UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, defeating the mighty Italy in Scotland.

At the age of seventeen, he signed for Forest, another team with a strong youth system, and by 2000 he had won another youth tournament, this time the Premier Academy League, as the captain of an Under-19 team including future Premier League mainstays as Andy Reid, Jermaine Jenas and Michael Dawson.

His full debut for the Reds came in the 2001/02 season away at Sheffield United, and by the following season he was a valued member of the first team, starting 25 games in a strong team which also featured the likes of Marlon Harewood, David Johnson, and Wes Morgan.

His impressive performances for Nottingham's second team led to an international call-up for the senior Ireland team, his first cap coming against Canada in 2003. This made him one of the few footballers in Irish history to represent his country at every level.

In 2005, a knee injury against Sheffield United saw him sidelined until the end of the season, one which would end in Forest's relegation from the First Division.

Although in fine form in the third division, even netting several goals along the way, several factors, including injuries and backroom instability, meant he would fall out of the first team picture.

In the 2006/07 season, he went out on loan to Tranmere Rovers, performing well during two separate spells with the Lilywhites.

In February 2007, a ligament injury saw Thompson out for six weeks, which, given his struggle to reclaim a first team place at Forest, came at the worst possible time. Indeed, the end of the season saw Forest release nine players, Thompson being one of them.

The Irishman joined Oldham Athletic, but injuries restricted his appearances to twelve, three as a sub. Knowing he wouldn't be in the club's long term plans, he returned to Nottingham, hooking up with the Magpies in October 2008 for a month's loan.

This would be extended for a further two months, as he slotted in perfectly in Notts' back four .

In January 2009, he made the decision to sign for Notts permanently, agreeing to a two and a half year deal. His uncompromising defending and immense aerial presence meant he was an instant success.

By the end of the season, he'd replaced Notts legend Mike Edwards as club captain, the club confirming he would remain skipper for the following season.

As every Notts fan knows, the 2009/10 season was a very odd one, as the club was taken over by the mysterious Munto Finance and saw a media circus complete with some of English football's marquee names turn up at the Lane, playing great football and winning the title but always having the fear of uncertainty regarding the club's finances and future as it emerged the whole affair wasn't entirely legitimate.

Thompson, along with other players like Ricky Ravenhill and Mike Edwards, were a bastion of stability and calm, however, and never let their guard or game down both on and off the field, as Notts emerged from the whole debacle relatively unscathed, Thompson lifting the championship trophy at the end of the season.

The 2010/11 season was more of a struggle, as Notts struggled in League One on the final day of the season, but Thompson's contributions were nonetheless important.

However, at the end of the season, his contract was not renewed, as new manager Martin Allen arrived at the Lane at the tail end of the season, and with him the intention to build his own team.

Thompson was one of a contingent of players to be released, alongside other first team players such as Jon Harley and Liam Chilvers.

Wishing to stay in Nottinghamshire, he chose to step down two divisions to join Mansfield Town, signing a two-year deal at Field Mill.

Tipped by the Mansfield hierarchy to become an instant success, his life was suddenly turned upside down as his team faced local side Ilkeston Town FC in a pre-season friendly on the 3rd of August 2011.

One member of their team, Gary Ricketts, had already caused injuries two of Mansfield's players, Ritchie Sutton and Martin Riley, before clashing with Thompson in the 68th minute.

All three players had to be taken to hospital. Thompson suffered a broken nose, required nearly 60 stitches, damaged his shoulder and dislocated his finger.

Even after recovering physically, so harrowing was the experience that he began having panic attacks and lost confidence on and off the pitch.

Despite seeing a psychologist, he wasn't able to fully overcome his issues, and as a result, was forced to retire from the game at the young age of 31 in 2013.

Since then, Thompson has qualified, and has been working as, a physiotherapist and personal trainer, and also does media work discussing the county's clubs.

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The 1960s. A truly exciting time to be in Britain. After the post-war hardship and belt-tightening of the 1950s, the 60s were the decade of social change in Britain.

Contraception became available, fashion became more risque, hedonism, optimism and the feeling of being able to change the world was on the agenda for many youngsters. On the footballing side, England officially became the greatest team in the world in 1966.

George Best was thrilling crowds (and ladies) on and off the pitch, and Celtic's Lisbon Lions were the first British team to win the European Cup in 1967.

Meanwhile, in Nottingham, Notts County fans were witnessing the advent of one of the greatest, most underrated players ever to grace the British game.

Tony Hateley, born in Derby in 1941, joined up with Notts in his youth, and was given his chance as a fresh-faced 17 year old in the 1958/59 season, scoring on his debut in a 1-1 draw against Stockport County. In his other three appearances that season, he showed enough promise to make people start talking about the potential of this youngster, who was already being taken under the wing of Notts legend Tommy Lawton for heading coaching.

He didn't get much first team action in the 1959/60 season, Notts' first in the Fourth Division, thanks to striker Stan Newsham, an older, more established player who scored 23 goals in 34 league games. His first start came on March 19th 1960 against Torquay United, Newsham by that point having been sidelined through injury.

Back in the first team, the young Hateley proceeded to score eight goals in ten games as Notts County dragged themselves out of the bottom tier at the first time of asking.

1960/61 was the season when Tony Hateley finally broke through the ranks, finishing the season as top scorer with 27 goals as the Magpies finished a very respectable fifth. Big Tone missed just one game as he announced himself to the footballing world.

1961/62 saw Hateley just miss the 20-goal mark, hitting 19 league goals in another all-round decent season for the club. When he was on form, he was unstoppable, hitting several braces and hat-tricks to demolish whoever he was faced against.

His final season for Notts saw more of the same devastating play and goalscoring, as he netted a massive 22 goals all season.

The scouts, always keeping tabs on Hateley since he broke through, were convinced he had what it took to make it at the highest level, and the young star was snapped up by First Division Aston Villa.

Carrying over his spectacular form and talent to the West Midlands, Big Tone's three years at Villa were so prolific that he was named 22nd in a list of the Birmingham side's top 50 players, despite the team going through one of its darker periods at the wrong end of the table.

His debut goal, ironically against Nottingham Forest, was a prelude to a 17-goal tally for the 1963/64 season, which ensured Villa didn't fall into the relegation zone.

Things were only to get better for him, as 64/65 saw Big Tone smash 20 in the league and 14 in cup ties. He is one of only three players to score four goals in a League Cup game for Villa - doing so in the 7-1 home win over Bradford City in November 1964.

His next and final season for Villa saw him bag a phenomenal 27 goals, including four in a 5-5 draw against Tottenham. His record was on par with Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst, who became England legends as the Three Lions won the trophy on home soil in the summer. Sadly, despite being included in Sir Alf Ramsey's plans, he suffered a serious injury which saw him require an emergency operation, and so his dream to be part of what was to be England's defining World Cup never did happen.

With his stock at its highest, the then Villa manager accepted an offer from Chelsea for the striker in October 1966, and thus, Hateley was on his way to London for a club record £100,000. Without his goals, Villa went down that very same season.

His time at Chelsea wasn't quite as illustrious as at Notts and Villa, given the difference in playing styles - quick passing and movement-based football was the ordre du jour at Stamford Bridge, which clashed with Hateley's requiring of crosses and long balls which made the most of his aerial abilities - and, after 33 appearances and nine goals, he was transferred to another great club, Liverpool. At Anfield, he rediscovered his goalscoring touch, netting an impressive 28 goals in all competitions, but again, there were concerns about his role in the team, used to a passing, fluid style, having to change their gameplay to one based on long balls to accomodate him.

The next few years saw him change clubs several times, going from Liverpool to Coventry, then to Birmingham, before coming back home to Meadow Lane where he started his career.

In an interview with the Lancashire Post in 2009, he declared that his spells at Notts were his "happiest time in football", and judging by the attendance at Meadow Lane for his first game back, the Notts fans were equally as happy to see him in black and white - wavering between just under 6000 and just over 10,000, the Northampton game on November 7th 1970 saw a massive 21,012 fans pack the ground for his second coming.

22 goals in 29 games, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United and Colchester United, ensured Notts stormed the Fourth Division, finishing nine points clear as the Magpies were once again dragged out of the bottom division under Big Tone's watch.

The following season, injuries disrupted Hateley's campaign, as his 28 league appearances reaped an uncharacteristic 9 goals, before the forward finished his career with spells at Oldham and the Boston Minutemen in the US.

After he retired, Hateley worked as Everton's lottery manager at Goodison Park before several years as a rep for Thwaites' Brewery. He also got the chance to, in his words, "relive his career" through his son Mark, who made a name for himself with, among others, Rangers, Monaco, and Milan, as well as playing for England, in the 80s and 90s.

The stats for Hateley Sr speak for themselves. At the time of his retirement, his combined transfer fees were a record in English football. He had played 434 league games over 16 seasons, and had scored 211 goals with 7 different clubs.

In the last few years, he has lived in Penwortham, a town near Preston, Lancashire, out of the spotlight.

On the 1st of February 2014, it was reported that Tony Hateley had passed away after a long illness. He was 72 years old.

Tony Hateley isn't just a Notts County legend, he is an English footballing legend, and to have merely had him on the books at Meadow Lane is an honour in itself, but for Big Tone himself to proudly declare that he had the best time of his career at Notts County, that is truly humbling.

Rest in peace Big Tone.

The youth academy is many a football club's pride and joy. There is nothing quite like seeing local youngsters working their way through the ranks, from the youth team up into the first team.

Notts County's academy has seen some good local players in the starting eleven in recent years, most recently Haydn Hollis, Fabian Speiss and Greg Tempest. One thing that Notts County cannot offer at the moment, however, is top flight or European football, and sometimes, an exceptionally talented player may feel the need to progress in his career by playing in a higher league.

Players of this calibre leave with the club and the fans' blessing, and seeing home-grown talent playing at the highest level is something that fills Notts fans with pride.

One such player is Kelvin Wilson. Born in Nottingham in 1985, the youngster made his debut for the Magpies on April 17th 2004 away at Hartlepool United which the team, reeling from financial troubles and with relegation imminent, lost 4-0.

The eighteen-year old made a further two appearances as Notts' disastrous season came to a close, scoring an unfortunate own goal to seal Brighton's play-off place on May the 1st.

The following season in League 2 saw Wilson sign a two-year professional contract and break into the first-team squad, playing 41 times as Notts consolidated their place in the division. He also played and scored in the League Cup clash against West Ham.

Such was the youngster's talent that boss Ian Richardson had to play down reports that Premier League clubs were keeping tabs on him after an impressive performance against Swindon in the FA Cup in December.

The following season, Wilson was again praised by new manager Gudjon Thordarson, saying he would have liked him "to see with us for some time" and confirmed he had been offered a contract extension after the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United were reported to be after him.

Forming a good partnership with Julian Baudet, Wilson was again singled out for praise in September after the Magpies' brilliant start to the season, but he couldn't prevent Notts from freefalling down the table in the following months.

In March 2006, Wilson decided to join Preston North End on loan with a view to signing permanently. The Lilywhites ended the season well, qualifying for the play-offs, but were beaten in the semis by Leeds United. Nevertheless, the youngster signed a three-year deal after his Notts contract ran out.

In total, Wilson played 78 times for Magpies, while for Preston, he played a total of 27 games before Nottingham Forest came calling.

The lure of returning to his hometown, and playing for the club he supported as a kid, proved too much for Wilson, who signed a four-year deal with the Reds. Preston received £300,000 for the player.

His debut season in 2007/08 proved to be very successful, as Forest were promoted from League One in second place and kept 24 clean sheets, a testament to his great defensive abilities.

Things turned sour for Wilson, however, as he became the subject of a transfer battle between Forest and SPL giants Celtic in 2011. He signed a pre-contract agreement to join the Bhoys in January 2011, but he insisted he wanted to hook up with the Glasgow team straight away rather than wait until the end of the season. Forest were reportedly unhappy with this statement, and through falling out of favour with the hierarchy and picking up injuries, he didn't play for the club again. His last game for the Reds was against Ipswich in January.

Wilson had to wait until hooking up with Celtic for his successive game, a friendly against the Central Coast Mariners in July, while his competitive debut came against Hibernian in the opening match of the SPL. He played a very good first competitive game and helped the Bhoys to a 2-0 win, making two crucial interventions to deny Hibs.

He played a total of 21 appearances for Celtic in his first season, including his first European game, against Atletico Madrid, and his first Old Firm game, where he struggled against Rangers and was on the receiving end of a 4-2 beating.

In the close season, there were talks that Wilson was unsettled, having lost his first-team place amid some mediocre performances, and that he was heading to Ipswich, but he remained at Celtic, where things were to turn around for him rather quickly.

The departure of Glenn Loovens to Real Zaragoza and Thomas Rogne's persistent injury problems gave Wilson the opportunity to earn his place back into the first team, and he seized his chance with much improved performances, namely the Champions League play-off match against Helsingsborg.

Better was to come from the defender, though, as the Bhoys were up against Barcelona, arguably the greatest club team in the world, in the group stages.

On October 23rd, he had one of the finest games of his career, proving a thorn in Lionel Messi's side as the Spanish side registered a narrow 2-1 win. Two weeks later, the SPL team went one better and stunned the Blaugrana at Celtic Park, beating them 2-1, Wilson playing a crucial part in the historic victory, and better was to come as Celtic made it into the second round of the Champions' League, drawing none other than the team whose history is intertwined with Notts County, Italian giants Juventus.

Sadly, Celtic couldn't conquer the Turin titans and went out, but all those linked with the club could hold their heads high, none more so than Kelvin Wilson, who completed the amazing journey from the Notts County academy and the Magpies' first team in the bottom rung of the Football League to shutting out the best team in the world, containing arguably the finest player of all time.

Not that this journey is over by any means. Wilson continues to excel for Celtic, who look set to retain the SPL title this season, and was touted for a possible England call up in March 2013 after impressing national team manager Roy Hodgson.

Though the defender didn't make the Three Lions squad, at 27 he still has quite a few years ahead of him, and he is in the form of his life and always improving, so who's to say he won't make the cut in future?

Whatever happens, as a Notts County fan I am proud to see a home-grown local player proving himself at the highest level, and here's hoping he goes to achieve much more in the game!

In the lower reaches of the Football League, the turnaround of players at football clubs is generally quite high.

Contracts tend to be one or two year deals, and players who fail to make the grade are shipped out or let go before long, while better players are more inclined to make the step up to bigger clubs in higher divisions who can offer better wages and challenge for honours. 

Mike Edwards, however, bucks that trend. Over two spells, the combative defender has been on the books of Notts County for a combined total of over ten years, becoming club captain and playing over 300 games for the Magpies in the process.

Born in Hessle, a town near Hull, on 25 April 1980, the Yorkshireman began his career at Hull City, joining the club as a trainee. He made his debut in December 1997 away at Rotherham United and turned professional at the end of the season.

Edwards is loved by the Hull fans because, aside from making over 200 appearances for the club, he was the last East Riding protege to be raised and discovered locally and to work through the schoolboy and apprentice ranks to become a fully-fledged first team player.

He was part of the famous Great Escape team of 1998/9, which survived relegation from the Football League after being rooted at the bottom of the table for much of the season, and continued to thrive under managers Brian Little and Jan Molby before suffering a cruciate injury. Peter Taylor arrived and, sadly for Edwards, decided to release him just as he was restoring his fitness.

A short spell at Colchester United in 2003 was followed by a season at Grimsby Town, and in the 03/04 close season, he was signed by then Notts manager Gary Mills on a free transfer.

He quickly established himself in the heart of defence for the Magpies, relegated from the Second Division the season before, but just ten games into the season, a cruciate ligament injury suffered against West Ham in the League Cup ruled him out for six months.

As Mills was replaced by Gudjon Thordarson, the defender recovered and was back in the first team by the time the 2005/06 campaign began. A versatile and committed player, Edwards played all 50 league and cup games during the troubled season, both in central defence and central midfield, and did enough to earn a new two-year deal.

The following season, his consistency, talent and commitment to the cause saw Notts finish the season comfortably in mid-table, a massive improvement on the year before, as well as embarking on a great League Cup run which saw them defeat Crystal Palace, Middlesbrough and Southampton (against whom he scored). His reward was the Player of the Season award and the club captaincy.

In a cruel turn of events, Edwards then suffered another long-term injury in the 07/08 pre-season. A dislocated right ankle, fractures to both bones in his lower leg and ligament damage meant he was ruled out until the end of January.

Notts missed him terribly, only surviving relegation by the skin of their teeth in the last two games of the season, and the club recognised his importance by offering him a new deal, the player more than happy to repay the faith showed to him by the club in the face of his injury problems.

"Steady Eddy" was ever-present in 08/09, playing 43 league games as Notts, aided by points deductions to several teams in the league, survived another season in the Football League.

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Then came the oddity that was the 09/10 season and everything that came with it, as Notts were taken over by the enigmatic entity that was Munto.

A season that began on a high, with promises of investment and marquee players and staff coming to Meadow Lane, soon became a confusing and anxious mess as the takeover turned out to be fraudulent, but luckily there was a happy ending as the club finished top of the league and the ownership and financial issues were resolved.

Despite all the uncertainty, Edwards played 40 league games and scored 5 goals as Notts were promoted with 93 points, and for his efforts was awarded another new two-year deal.

Back in League One, Edwards initially lost his first-team place to the pairing of Graeme Lee and Krystian Pearce, but soon, unsurprisingly perhaps, won his place back, and played a total of 39 league games as Notts consolidated their position in the third tier. He also captained his side, and played his 500th professional game, in the fixtures against eventual FA Cup winners and future champions of England, Manchester City.

The 2011/12 season saw Steady Eddy become one of a select few to play 300 games for the Magpies, reaching the milestone against Scunthorpe United in March, and also played against Juventus in the historic first game at the Juventus Stadium.

When Edwards was only offered a one-year deal at the end of the season, he decided to up sticks for a more secure contract, joining Carlisle United, and it looked like the love affair between Notts and him would be consigned to history.

Like all good love stories, however, this also came with a happy ending because, two years later, he returned to Meadow Lane as a coach, and also registered as a player to help the team out in times of need.

As it turned out, Edwards played a total of 21 games in his first season back in black and white, scoring three goals in the process, and in 2015/16 he upped his game considerably, bagging FIVE goals in just 17 games - the kind of rate you could expect from an attacking midfielder - including TWO braces.

In 2016/17 he was used much more sparingly, but still appeared twice from the bench against Cambridge United and Barnet in November, and this season, with the club under a new lease of life under Alan Hardy, he has been able to get on properly with his coaching role at last, although he is also registered as a player and can be called upon if need be.

Mike Edwards' statistics speak for themselves. He has played or otherwise worked under TWENTY-FOUR different managers or caretakers at Notts - Gary Mills, Ian Richardson, Gudjon Thordarson, Steve Thompson, Ian McParland, Michael Johnson, Hans Backe, Dave Kevan, Steve Cotterill, Craig Short, Paul Ince, Carl Heggs, Martin Allen, Keith Curle, Shaun Derry, Paul Hart, Mick Halsall, Ricardo Moniz, Richard Dryden, Jamie Fullarton, Mark Cooper, John Sheridan, Alan Smith and now Kevin Nolan (hopefully the list stops there for at least a couple of years).

He was a figure of stability, professionalism and consistency over one of the most turbulent eras at the club and is still giving his all for Notts now that stability is back.

For all this and more, Steady Eddy will forever be remembered as one of Notts County Football Club's all-time greats.

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Every Notts fan, young and old, will know about, or at least have heard of, Jimmy Sirrel. The Glaswegian is undisputably the greatest manager in the history of Notts County. Once asked who was the best player in his legendary team of the early 1980s, he nominated his goalkeeper, giving the following reason: "In my opinion, the goalkeeper is the number one man in your team. You start with a point, and if he doesn't lose a goal, you get that. So if you score one, you've won."

The goalkeeper he had in mind was a player he cared about deeply, spending a great deal of money on to bring him to England, as well as investing a lot of time and effort into making him feel welcome and appreciated, in turn becoming one of the top players in that great team. That player was Radojko "Raddy" Avramovic.

Born in Sjenica, a small town in southwestern Serbia (then Yugoslavia), on the 29th November 1949, he began his career at FK Borac Čačak in 1969, before moving to NK Rijeka in 1974, where he established himself, playing 162 games in five years for the club.

Meanwhile, in England, a decades-old rule about restricting the number of foreigners playing in the English league was about to come to an end. Previously, the FA had a rule in place whereby foreigners couldn't play professionally in England, with a couple of notable exceptions such as Bert Trautmann, who served time as a prisoner of war in England before playing for Manchester City.

In 1978, the FA had to remove this rule, when the European Community deemed it contrary to the principles of free movement enshrined in the 1957 Treaty of Rome.

Able to sign foreign players for the first time in 47 years, English clubs began scouting overseas, which saw the likes of Osvaldo Ardiles and Ricardo Villa come to England.

In Nottingham, Jimmy Sirrel, Notts' manager at the time, toured Europe for two weeks, and in that time spotted Avramovic playing for Rijeka. He reported back to then chairman Jack Dunnet saying he'd found "a goalie who would keep them in the Second Division", and persuaded Notts to part with £200,000 for the Yugoslav, a then record club fee.

Sirrel would put a lot of faith and care into the keeper when he came over to England, aware of the potential issues such as homesickness and acclimatising that may have arisen. Raddy and his family stayed at Jimmy’s house at first until they bought a home of their own. At the beginning of the goalie’s career at Notts there was a social function at which Raddy bought all his new teammates a drink as a friendly gesture. A local Evening Post reporter who covered Notts saw this and wrote a piece about Raddy being a ‘boozer’ and a ‘big-time-Charlie’. The next time that reporter went to Meadow Lane, Jimmy physically got hold of him and had him thrown off the premises and banned from the ground.

Avramovic made his competitive debut for Notts on Saturday 4th August 1979 in the Anglo-Scottish Cup qualifier against local rivals Mansfield, while his first league game was the 4-1 win against Cardiff City on the 18th August.

In his first season, Notts' form was erratic and the club finished in 17th, but the following season was a completely different story, as the club exceeded all expectations to finish second in the league, behind a very strong West Ham side, to gain promotion to the First Division, the top echelon of English football. Avramovic was a key player, taking part in 38 out of 42 league fixtures and keeping sixteen clean sheets.

Rather than finding himself out of his depth in the top flight, Avramovic excelled during the 81/82 season, playing all 42 league games as the club finished clear of relegation in the First Division and registered some impressive results, such as a 2-1 win against Arsenal in October and a 1-0 defeat of reigning champions Aston Villa. Such was his quality that Liverpool legend Ian Rush described how good he was in his autobiography when talking about their game against Notts in January '82.

After maintaining his high standards of goalkeeping once again during the following season, helping Notts survive in the top flight for another year, Raddy left for Canada vith a view to play for Inter Montreal, but then-manager of Coventry Bobby Gould persuaded him to sign up for the Sky Blues, making his debut in a 2-1 home win over Leicester.

He played a total of 24 games - 18 league games and a further six in cup competitions - in his brief spell for the West Midlands club, which saw him lose his first-team place after mistakes against Watford and Stoke, before he returned to Yugoslavia to finish his playing career with OFK Belgrade and to study law.

Avramovic spent some time in Oman before becoming manager of Kuwait, leading The Blue to the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and winning the West Asian Games in 2002.

He then became manager of Singapore, where he enjoyed his most successful spell at the helm, winning the ASEAN Football Championship three times - becoming the most successful coach in the history of the competition - and overseeing the nation's progress to the group stages of the AFC Zone World Cup 2014 qualifiers, a first for the team.

After departing from that role, Avramovic continued his adventure in international management by taking the helm of Myanmar, where he stayed until October 2015.

Whatever his future may hold now, Notts County has always been close to his heart, and likewise, the Magpies fans and hierarchy will always remember him for being a cult hero during one of the club's brightest times led by the club's greatest manager.

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The relationship between a great player and the football clubs he plays for is one of the most diverse aspects of football.

Some players spend most or all of their career at one club - Jamie Carragher, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville come to mind. Some players will transfer between clubs multiple times, like Zlatan Ibrahimovic or Nicolas Anelka.

And some are in between, who have played for just a few clubs but made enough of an impact at each of them to be loved by each set of fans. Michael Johnson is one such player.

Born in Nottingham in 1973, Johnson played for the well-known Clifton All-Whites, a regional youth team whose alumni include Jermaine Jenas and Garry Birtles.

In 1991, he made his debut for Notts County, away at Arsenal. It proved a baptism of fire for the then 18-year old, as a tough Gunners team containing stars such as Ian Wright and Tony Adams triumphed 2-0. Johnson also played against Coventry, Norwich, Sheffield United and Manchester City that season. Sadly, it was to be his only season with Notts in the top flight, as the Magpies were relegated that year.

The 92/93 season, in the newly rebranded Division One, saw Johnson becoming a first-team regular, playing 37 league games as the Magpies finished 17th in a very tight league, just three points above the relegation zone. Despite being only nineteen, Johnson played with maturity and composure beyond his years, and never gave less than 100%.

93/94 saw Notts perform admirably and finish in seventh, just three points shy of the playoffs. Johnson was once again a permanent fixture in defence, playing 33 league games.

The Magpies also made it all the way to the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup, where Johnson faced up to the mighty Gheorghe Hagi, the Romanian who would go on to lead his team to the quarter finals of the World Cup just a few months later. Sadly, the 17,185 inside Wembley saw Brescia lift the Cup after outplaying Notts and winning 1-0.

94/95 was a devastating season for Notts, as Mick Walker was sacked early on, and a succession of managers and unsettling off-pitch turmoil led to poor results on the pitch. Johnson played 27 league games but couldn't stop the team finishing rock bottom, though he did at least get his hands on some silverware by helping Notts win the Anglo-Italian Cup against Ascoli in March.

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The summer saw Johnson move to newly promoted Birmingham City for around £300,000, and his powerful, swift and committed defending saw the Blues consolidate their position in the First Division. From that first season, the team went from strength to strength each year, finishing higher and higher, as Johnson developed more as a player and added goalscoring to his repertoire.

By 98/99, he was indispensable, having played in every league game that season and scoring five times as they made the playoffs, where they lost to eventual winners Watford.

This year would also see Johnson earn the first of his twelve caps for Jamaica, coming on as a sub against Sweden in a friendly played in Stockholm on the 27th May.

Johnson would experience play-off heartache twice more in successive years, before his team finally nailed it at the fourth time of asking by beating Norwich to finally reach the Premier League. Throughout that long, arduous and often deflating journey, Johnson was always a first team regular.

Heartache of a different kind came as the second-tier team made it all the way to the League Cup final, playing in Cardiff against Liverpool. They took the Reds, who would finish the season with three trophies, all the way to penalties, where they sadly lost out in the most erratic and agonising of ways.

In a bid to survive their first season back in the top flight, a spate of signings were made at Birmingham, which saw Johnson lose his first-team place. After playing just six games all season, he was allowed to leave, and, remaining local, he signed for Derby County.

It didn't take long for him to win a place in the Rams' first team and the fans' hearts, as he played 39 games and scored once, helping Derby survive a tumultous season where they narrowly avoided relegation.

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Unlike his time at Birmingham, where each season was consistently good and saw the team finish in the top six, Derby were challenging for the play-offs one year and fighting relegation the next. Nevertheless, Johnson was consistently solid and reliable, becoming club captain in 2005/06.

The following season, under new ownership and under the tutelage of Billy Davies, Derby cemented themselves into the promotion positions, leading for most of the season before a late drop in form saw them fall into the play-off zone.

Johnson was in the first-team picture playing 29 times, although injury problems saw him miss the end of the season, including the winning play-off games which confirmed Derby's place into the Premier League. Another promotion, another set of hearts won over.

Because of a change of management and new signings being made in the close season, Johnson found himself out of the first team. Anxious to find the right club at this late stage in his career, the then 34-year old opted for Sheffield Wednesday, joining the club on an initial one month loan in September.

He instantly made an impact as he helped the Owls pick up the first points of the season against Hull on 22nd September. Such was his professionalism, class and commitment that his stay was extended to three months, the maximum possible term for emergency loans.

Back at Derby, Johnson, in a bit of a limbo, nevertheless showed immense professionalism to do his best for the club, and when he came on for the Rams in a cup tie against Sheffield Wednesday, that rarest of occurrences took place: both teams cheered his appearance and were chanting his name and praising him, a testament to a great professional and great man.

Sadly, despite improving the squad and winning the fans' hearts in just thirteen games, a permanent contract at Sheffield Wednesday wasn't to be, as the Owls opted to sign a young Mark Beevers instead.

The Owls' loss was the Magpies' gain, and on 29th February 2008, Notts saw the prodigal son return to Meadow Lane. Initially on loan, Johnson slotted straight into the back four and played twelve times, scoring the winner against Rochdale and helping the team narrowly avoid relegation.

His final season as a player was with his hometown club, as Notts signed the player on a permanent one year deal. Another tricky season for the club saw Johnson play 29 times, his experience helping the club survive another year in the Football League. His final game came against Dagenham and Redbridge on 25th April 2009.

Earlier on in the year, he was offered the chance to become youth team manager the following season, which he duly took up. During the enigma that was the 09/10 season, he temporarily took over the first team reins with Dave Kevan, and during his two matches in charge, he won one and drew one.

Sadly - and how many times have I found myself saying the word in this article - things didn't work out at Notts, he was dismissed when Paul Ince was relieved of his duties and replaced by Under 12s coach Brett Adams.

Not one to be affected by setbacks, Johnson carried on studying for his coaching qualifications, and in June 2012, he qualified for the prestigious UEFA Pro Licence. In October, he rejoined Birmingham, taking charge of the Under-16s squad in the academy.

A campaigner for equality in sport, he demonstrated his coaching techniques in a FA-funded scheme aimed at promoting coaches and managers from minority ethnic backgrounds in August 2012, and in November, he spoke to the BBC about the lack of opportunities for black and Asian coaches, drawing from his own experiences in the field.

Johnson has also involved himself in several ambassadorial roles, which include Help Harry Help Others, a charity raising awareness of brain cancer, Birmingham Children's Hospital, and Real United Football Club, a Nottingham-based team set up to reduce substance misuse and related criminal activity amongst young people in Nottingham.

In the last two years, Johnson has been an ambassador at Derby, where he carries out a wide variety of roles including coaching, mentoring, assisting corporate clients and media for in-house station Rams TV, as well as a board member at the League Managers Association and a founder member of On Board and Sports People's Think Tank, and his latest role - manager of Guyana.

A tireless, inspirational man throughout his whole career in every venture he's been involved in, few players are as cherished and revered by so many different clubs, fans and people as Michael Johnson.

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Whilst some players are able to drag a team to the next level, others are able to stop a team from falling into the previous one, inspiring their team mates and excelling where others are failing.

A rare shining light during two of Notts County's darkest seasons, Glynn Hurst's goals helped keep the Magpies safe when they were at their lowest ebb, when "previous level" meant "non-league" and possibly "extinction". The Barnsley-born player, much like a lower-league Dimitar Berbatov, delighted and frustrated in equal measure, but will always be remembered fondly by the Notts fans.

Born on the 17th January 1976, Hurst grew up in South Africa before returning to England, where he joined Tottenham Hotspur as an apprentice.

In 1994, he joined his birthtown club, where, given his young age and the club challenging for a place in the Premier League, he spent time on loan at clubs like Swansea and Mansfield.

Hurst played eight games for the Tykes in total before signing for Emley AFC (now known as Wakefield FC) in the Northern Premier League, where his impressive goal rate of twelve in fifteen appearances saw him snapped up by Ayr United, then in the Scottish First Division.

It was during his three years with the "Honest Men" that Hurst established himself as a class striker; his two full seasons, in 98/99 and 99/00, he was the club's top goalscorer, with twenty and fourteen goals respectively, and by the time he left, First Division Stockport County paying £200,000 for his services, he'd netted 49 goals in 78 league appearances.

Things didn't quite work out with the Hatters, his 27 appearances between February and December 2001 yielding just four goals, and he moved to Chesterfield before the year's end.

With the Spireites, he had more success, scoring 29 goals during his time there over two and a half years in Derbyshire, but it is perhaps his final goal for the club which is the most remembered, his last-minute winner against Luton Town in the final game of the season ensuring Chesterfield, bottom at Christmas, survived the drop.

Signed by Gary Mills with a view to rebuilding the squad following relegation and near-liquidation, Hurst rejected a new deal with the Spireites to sign for the Magpies, the striker debuting against Chester City in the first game of the League 2 season, and opened his account against Bristol Rovers a week later, his goal not enough to prevent a 2-1 away defeat.

He put in a brilliant performance in the Pies' League Cup tie against West Ham on 21st September, before hitting a devastating hat-trick away at Rochdale four days later, prompting Mills to call him "...the best player at West Ham, and the best player here today."

A natural goalscorer by trade, Hurst had great potential, and on form was a brilliant asset to the team, causing no end of problems with his bustling presence and talent in front of goal. However, Hurst was very much what you'd call a "confidence player", and although he was able to put in great performances, like he did against West Ham, Rochdale and Macclesfield in the first half of the season, his form, and as a result his confidence, dipped towards the second half, going eight weeks without a goal during one dry spell. Furthermore, there were many occasions where, sadly, his goals weren't enough to prevent Notts losing.

However, despite this, he still finished the campaign with fifteen goals, a good achievement considering the team ended the season in 19th place.

The beginning of the 2005/06 season saw Hurst back on form, scoring five in the first eight league games as the team propelled into the promotion places, before a fall-out with then manager Gudjon Thordarson saw the player dropped after a discussion between the two "became out of order".

A month later, the striker bagged a hat-trick against Bury to give Notts the win, and two weeks later scored the first in a 2-1 win against Boston United, but despite being the team's top scorer, the combination of differences between player and manager and the club needing to cut costs saw Hurst released by mutual consent on the 29th December.

Joining Shrewsbury a few days later, the striker scored on his debut against Wrexham, but he never quite regained his Magpies form, scoring just twice more in fifteen more matches.

Back and achilles problems saw him lose his place in the Shrews first-team the following season, and to regain his form, was loaned to Bury. There, he burst into form, scoring five in five, impressing the Shakers hierarchy so much they decided to first extend his loan, then sign him outright.

At Bury, it was a similar story to Notts - sporadic flashes of brilliance, followed by dry patches, with the occasional falling out with the coaching and management. He initially forged a fruitful partnership with Andy Bishop, but in 2007/08, his form once again dropped. He was nonetheless offered a new contract ahead of the 08/09 season, manager Alan Knill considering him to be a key squad player.

In the summer of 2009, Hurst was released from his contract, and after playing a few pre-season friendlies with Chester City, spent time on the books of non-league Gainsborough Trinity, Hyde United and finally, FC United of Manchester.

In 2011, Glynn Hurst officially retired from playing football, and after studying to become a teacher, he now teaches Religious Education at Sacred Heart Catholic College in Crosby, Liverpool.

A good servant to the club during a tumultuous time, the Barnsley-born player will always be remembered fondly at Meadow Lane.

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Over the years, many football clubs with a proud history and tradition have found themselves staring into the abyss. Manchester City, Portsmouth FC, Luton Town, Leeds United, Southampton FC, Sheffield United, and in recent times Swindon Town. Many more have come close to extinction because of problems, financial or otherwise. Notts County in the mid-2000s were one such club, administration and near-liquidation on the verge of condemning the club to a long spell outside the football league and possibly out of existence.

Inspirational, hard-working, talismanic signings are needed to drag the club "kicking and screaming" out of the mire. Andy Morrison famously did so for Manchester City in 98/99, and for Notts, none were more determined and dogged, not to mention more "talismanic" (in a literal sense) than Richard "Ricky" Ravenhill.

Brought in by Ian McParland in May 2009, with Notts County having finished a second consecutive year in the bottom six of the Football League, Ravenhill, part of the Doncaster Rovers team that scaled from the Conference to League 1 in just two years, knew what it took to get out of the bottom division of English league football.

Born in 1981, the Doncastrian was part of the Leeds United academy, joining the club as a ten-year old. He then became part of Barnsley's youth team in 2000, and was a promising youth and reserve team player, before hometown club Doncaster Rovers snapped up the combative midfielder in early 2002.

His arrival at the then-Conference side was a precursor to the club's rapid rise up the league pyramid, as the South Yorkshire club ended up being the first club to go up into the Football League by virtue of the play-offs in 2003. Previously, the Conference only admitted the winner into what was then known as Division Three.

The following year, Ravenhill helped his team achieve back-to-back promotions, as Doncaster defied all expectations to win the title and propel his team to fixtures against the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Bradford, regional giants which were playing in the Premiership not long before.

He also partook in Doncaster’s incredible 2005-06 League Cup run, beating Manchester City and Aston Villa before taking Arsenal all the way to penalties in the quarter-finals. In total, the midfielder clocked up 137 appearances for Donny.

By 2006, however, Ravenhill found first-team opportunities scarce and, after a brief loan at Chester City, was released, signing a one-year contract with Grimsby Town. In January 2007 he went on loan to Darlington, where he finally found his stride and, once the Shakers made the deal permanent in the summer, became a fan favourite.

In total, he made 88 appearances for Darlington, before financial issues meant the club had to allow him to leave on a free transfer.

Notts County, rebuilding the team following two disastrous seasons in the bottom tier of the Football League, signed the midfielder, "Charlie" McParland describing the deal as a "massive bonus for (Notts)".

He made his debut in the first game of the 09/10 season, playing part in a 5-0 drubbing of Bradford City at Meadow Lane. Throughout the course of the season, he became a fan favourite for his combative, full-blooded style of play, snapping away at opposition players, breaking up play and linking the defence and attack, while off the pitch, he would keep a calm, collective head in the face of the whirlwind events taking place at the Lane, often sharing his honest, erudite views with the local media.

Despite all the uncertainty regarding his position in the team - marquee signings were often rumoured to be in discussions with Notts - and, later in the season, the future of the club itself, Ravenhill's professionalism, heart-on-sleeve approach and determination led to him starting 40 of 46 league games as the team conquered League Two, winning 14 of their last 18 games to clinch the title.

Though he excelled in his role of midfield enforcer, not afraid to put his body and disciplinary record on the line for the good of the team, he also managed to get himself on the scoresheet several times in spectacular fashion.

He scored the opener against Macclesfield away in August 2009, an outstanding volley against Burton Albion four months later, in a performance described by then-caretaker boss Dave Kevan as worthy of "man-of-the-match" (despite Lee Hughes scoring a hat-trick in the same game) and another stunning strike in the home game against Morecambe in mid-April, during which he admits he was tired and "heavy-legged" following the birth of his second child two days prior.

A season fraught with uncertainty and drama, 2009/10 ended joyously for Notts, with Ravenhill overseeing a third career promotion and getting his hands on a second championship crown. The talisman had made it happen again.

The 2010/11 season, with Notts back in the third tier after a six-year absence, saw more of the same from Ravenhill, playing 24 league games and taking part in two classic FA Cup matches against eventual winners Manchester City, nearly beating the Premiership giants at Meadow Lane.

In September 2011, he was in the starting eleven against Italian giants Juventus for the first ever game at their new stadium, an unforgettable evening for both clubs.

Sadly, things took a turn for the worse for Ravenhill, as a collision with a Tranmere Rovers player left him sidelined with concussion, and in his absence, Gavin Mahon cemented his position in central midfield alongside Neal Bishop.

Ravenhill made only two more league starts for Notts, against Colchester United, two months after he was injured against Tranmere, and against Wycombe at Meadow Lane, but with his contract running out at the end of the season and manager Martin Allen not being able to guarantee him first-team football, the decision was made to let Ricky go on loan to Bradford City, where he impressed the Bantams so much they offered him a two-and-a-half-year contract.

The player enjoyed a bright spell at the Yorkshire club as they battled to the final of the 2013 League Cup against all odds, beating three Premier League sides among the way, and earning promotion to League One at the end of the season.

The twilight years of Ravenhill's career would subsequently take him to Northampton Town, Mansfield Town and Buxton FC, where he continues to play today.

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Young people often follow in their parents' footsteps. A person's behaviour, opinions and actions will doubtlessly filter through to their children, and the same can be said about a person's career - as they have inside knowledge of their chosen field, this will influence the son or daughter, and the likelihood of them entering the same field is high. This is also the case in football, with professional players' kids often getting into the sport, where they can benefit from the parent's knowledge, experience and connections.

However, when your father is one of the greatest footballers of all time, sometimes it can place a burden on those young shoulders, especially when you're playing the same position as them. And when that position is goalkeeper, the most scrutinised of all, then there is a lot to live up to. Kasper Schmeichel, however, is doing just that.

The son of Man Utd and Denmark legend Peter, Kasper was born in Copenhagen in 1986, and in 2002, signed terms with Man City, where Schmeichel Sr enjoyed a fantastic season helping the newly promoted team consolidate their place in the Premier League after years in the wilderness.

As he learnt his trade, he was loaned out to Darlington, Bury and Falkirk, gaining valuable first team experience, before making his debut for City in August 2007, against West Ham. Against Arsenal, he kept a clean sheet and saved a Robin Van Persie penalty, further endearing him to the fans and earning him plaudits, but with the Thaksin Shinawatra takeover, all of a sudden City were expected to challenge for honours, a big ask for the fledgling keeper.

Another loan period at Cardiff followed before Schmeichel decided to leave the City of Manchester stadium, and with Sven Goran Eriksson, with whom he worked at City, coming to Meadow Lane, he signed up for Notts County.

An eye opening signing for the then League 2 team, the transfer fee was undisclosed but believed to have broken the club record, but straight from the off, it was clear Schmeichel was a cut above the rest. Keeping a clean sheet in his debut against Dagenham and Redbridge, he made the first-team goalkeeping position his, and by October the then 23-yr old had won the Player of the Month award.

Tall and imposing, the young keeper played with grit and determination beyond his years, and any defensive slip-ups led to him angrily reprimanding and gesticulating to the other Notts players, in a manner reminiscent of his father. His goalkeeping style was also like Schmeichel Sr - he'd throw himself at any loose ball, and use every which part of his body to stop it going anywhere near the goal. He was also fond of going up into the opposition box if Notts were behind, and nearly scored a prodigious overhead kick against Morecambe away.

Schmeichel's statistics speak for themselves - During his year with the Pies, the club conceded 0.67 goals per match - 29 goals conceded in 43 league appearances - and kept 24 clean sheets. A whirlwind season ended with the League 2 Championship and most importantly, promotion into League 1.

If that wasn't enough, the keeper showed himself to be a true gentleman and agreed to be released, forfeiting his contract and all future wages, rumoured to be around £15,000 a week, plus bonuses, with the club facing an uncertain future after the boardroom and takeover issues which beset the club. Director Ray Trew agreed this to be "a huge concession by such a young man" and helped the club survive after a very turbulent period.

After such a scintillating season, it wasn't long before bigger clubs showed their interest, and despite reported interest from Bayern Munich and Chelsea, Schmeichel opted for Leeds where first-team football was a certainty. More individual plaudits and nominations came his way as he was nominated for Player of the Month in August and won the Sky Sports POTM gong the same month. Injuries restricted his appearances but he still played 40 games, including a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates which earned an FA Cup replay.

His time at Elland Road, however, ended acrimoniously, as Leeds accepted an offer from Leicester for the young goalkeeper, reuniting him with Sven Goran Eriksson. Manager Simon Grayson claimed it was "going to be difficult" for a new deal to be agreed at Leeds, whilst Schmeichel refuted these claims publicly, expressing his shock at being transfer listed.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise because Leicester and Schmeichel proved a match made in heaven. To this day the Dane remains with the Foxes and has proved instrumental in their ascent to the Premier League in 2014 and, despite suffering a broken metatarsal in training midway through the season that kept him out for a month, he was part of their amazing great escape in the latter stages of the campaign that kept them in the top flight.

Now 28 years old, his career has been one of fulfilment and stability since settling in Leicester, and to make things even better, he's become the Denmark national team's first-choice stopper. Quite frankly, it's nothing less than he deserves from the graft he's put in.

One thing is certain and its that he will always be remembered at Notts - it was an absolute honour to have Kasper Schmeichel at the Lane, and he will always be a fans' favourite for his style, performances, achievements and putting the club before himself. A true gentleman of the game and a Notts County legend.