Notts County fans flock to see if they pull off another ‘Great Escape’ at Swindon Town

Relegation-haunted Notts County look set to be roared on by 2,100 fans in their final League Two at Swindon Town on Saturday where they will try to pull off another ‘Great Escape’.
Notts County manager, Neal Ardley.Notts County manager, Neal Ardley.
Notts County manager, Neal Ardley.

Notts need to win and hope rivals Macclesfield Town lose at home to Cambridge.

Notts had already sold their initial 16,00 allocation and have requested another 500 for the Stratton Bank which is situated behind the goal and is uncovered, to meet demand.

County’s hopes are slightly raised by the news that have, for the fourth time this season, Macclesfield’s players and staff have been left unpaid on pay day.

Notts boss Neil Ardley has no doubt Colin Calderwood’s Cambridge will give it their all at the Moss Rose.

“I wouldn’t say I was big mates with Colin, but this league and the integrity of all the leagues is top drawer,” he said.

“I remember going to Fleetwood with Wimbledon when we won 2-1 on the final day when we stayed up and Graham Alexander was throwing centre-backs forward.

“They had nothing to play for so I looked across the bench and said ‘are you sure?! But that’s the integrity of the league.”

The Magpies know only a win in Wiltshire will give them any hope of avoiding relegation from the Football League for the first time in their history, and even that may not be enough.

Should they win and Macclesfield draw, the Silkmen would stay up thanks to a much better goal difference.

County star Jon Stead said of their plight: “It’s probably a more a collective thing that, in terms of our togetherness and our cohesion as a team, it has not been as a good as it was last season.

“You can put that down to lots of things be it changes in manager, personnel, players coming and going and things that have happened off the field.

“But as a group we haven’t been as good collectively or individually as we were last season.

“While we weren’t brilliant from Christmas last year, we lost some key figures in Ryan Yates and Jorge Grant.”