Notts Alumni

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

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, j

Born on May 13, 1942, in the small Nottinghamshire mining town of Eastwood, Jeffrey Astle would become one of the most beloved footballers in the history of Notts County and West Bromwich Albion. Astle grew up in a family of seven, with three brothers and three sisters, and his childhood was far from easy. But from an early age, he showed a talent for football that would eventually lead him to play at the highest levels of the game. Astle began his career with Notts County, signing his

The word "legend" is bandied around all too lightly nowadays. But if you ask any Notts County fan to name one individual and one individual only who deserves the tag of "legend", chances are they will name Jimmy Sirrel. Born on 2 February 1922 in Glasgow, James Sirrel's professional football journey began when he was 24, when he joined Celtic in 1946. He made just 13 appearances in three years before joining Bradford Park Avenue in 1949, where again he found game time limited, playing

Born on July 25, 1986 in Sheffield, England, Jonathan Forte is a former professional footballer who played for several notable clubs during his career, including Notts County.  Forte began his football journey as a schoolboy at Rotherham United's Academy, but later joined the Sheffield United Academy, where he played alongside Billy Sharp.  During his youth career, he also featured for England at youth level. He made his professional debut for Sheffield United in 2005, playing in

Over the years, Notts County have had some fantastic forwards on their books. From Tom Keetley in the early 30s to Mark Stallard in the 2000s via the likes of Jackie Sewell, Tommy Lawton, Tony Hateley and Les Bradd, every Notts fan you speak to will always have that one standout striker they remember bagging the goals for the Magpies. Without a doubt, the last of the great Notts strikers - as of 2017 - is Lee Hughes. In his four years at Meadow Lane, he elevated himself to cult status with

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 struggli

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 pr

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 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. Michae

Born on 23rd May 1954 in Boston, England, Mick Vinter began his footballing career at local club Boston United before joining Notts County's youth setup.  He made his professional debut for the Magpies in 1970 and went on to become a key player for the club. In his first four seasons, Vinter only made 50 senior appearances, debuting in a goalless draw against Shrewsbury Town in the 1972-73 season.  However, in 1976-77 he became a more regular scorer, netting 12 goals in 36 appeara

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 o

Born in Stockton-on-Tees, Neal Bishop's journey in football began with Middlesbrough, though he was released by the Teessiders as a teenager. From there, he joined Northern League club Billingham Town and had two spells there either side of a short tenure at Gateshead FC. While in his first spell at Billingham, Bishop once played in a game alongside his brother Craig and father Rob due to a run of eight matches in 15 days towards the end of the 2000-01 season. Bishop continued to

Born on 14 April 1972 in Erdington, Birmingham, Paul John Devlin carved out an impressive football career that spanned two decades.  Known for his versatility as a midfielder and forward, Devlin made over 500 appearances across the Football League, Premier League, and League of Ireland, earning ten caps for the Scotland national team along the way.  His journey from non-league football to the top tiers of English football is a testament to his determination, skill, and love for the gam

Pedro Richards was born on 11 November 1956 in Edmonton, London, to a British father and a Spanish mother. When he was young, he was taken with his mother to live in the northern Spanish town of Laguardia until the age of 11, when they moved to Nottingham. Richards's footballing skills were noticed by the Notts County scouts and he was duly taken on as an apprentice by the club before signing professional papers in November 1974. His debut for the then-Second Division side came sh

Born in Sheffield on 12 February 1962, Phil Turner began his career at Lincoln City, making his first-team debut for the Imps in 1979. A combative central midfielder, Turner won promotion to the Third Division in 1981 under Colin Murphy, and formed midfield partnerships with Glenn Cockerill and then Neil Redfearn during his time at the club. In May 1985, Turner was in the Lincoln team that faced Bradford City in a Third Division clash at Valley Parade and witnessed the horrendous event

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

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 po

When it comes to what makes a certain player a club legend, there can be several reasons. You get those players who give years and years of service to a club, you get those who have elevated the club to dizzying heights in terms of success and silverware, and then you get those who are responsible for moments of magic which become immortalised within the club culture. "Sir" Charlie Palmer is arguably the latter. Although the defender enjoyed a fairly long stint at Notts County, turning

Every remarkable Notts County team over the years has comprised of quality players in every position of the pitch, and as arguably the most important one in any squad, the goalkeeper slot has also been filled by some great names at Meadow Lane. From Albert Iremonger in the early 20th century to the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Bartosz Bialkowski in the 2010s, via Jimmy Sirrel's protege Raddy Avramovic in the early 80s, every generation of Notts fans will fondly remember at least one quali

Born on 16 November 1898 in Derby, Tom Keetley was a legendary English footballer who played as a centre forward. He was part of a footballing family, with several of his brothers, including Arthur, Harry, Joe, Frank and Charlie, playing professionally as well. Keetley started his career with Bradford Park Avenue before joining Doncaster Rovers in 1923. He played for Doncaster for a decade and became their all-time leading goalscorer, scoring 180 goals in 231 appearances. Keetley's impressi