Farewell Captain White

Last updated : 20 March 2007 By Paul Smith

Signed on the back of a 'Supporters Player of the Year' season at Boston United, White was immediately installed as Captain by Notts boss Steve Thompson upon his arrival.

Living on former glories... White at Boston
Speaking at the time of the signing Thompson said of his new skipper: "In Alan White I feel we have brought in what we needed, a strong and dominant centre-back who is also a leader." (Official Site)

As the season has transpired, it is dubious as to whether he has lived up to his manager's expectations.

Signs of what was to come were perhaps highlighted in the pre-season draw with League One Doncaster Rovers at Meadow Lane. A long ball from the Rovers backline seemed destined to be cleared by White, who instead shakily misread the ball allowing a striker to nip in and score.

That didn't actually seem to deter the experienced former Colchester United man, who started the season especially well. All Notts fans know the importance of the Magpies' impressive start given what has transpired in recent weeks - plummeting down the table - and White was central to it.

Defensively Notts were giving nothing away, keeping nine clean sheets in the first nineteen games in all competitions. In that spell the average goals conceded was under a goal a game.

It wasn't just defensively where he made his mark, finding himself on the score sheet on numerous occasions, making him a huge threat from Ian Ross' superb set-pieces. He notched the winner as Notts defeated Rochdale at Spotland, before getting Notts back into the game at Barnet when 2-0 down, lifting the Magpies who went on to a 3-2 win.

The next time White scored was in the home draw with unbeaten league leaders Swindon Town at the end of September. This game may have been the turning point in his season - aswell from his deserved red card as Notts tasted defeat for the first time at MK Dons. He may have scored the equaliser in a creditable 1-1 draw as Notts cemented their place in the Playoff zone, but he was at fault for Fola Onibuje's Swindon opener, misjudging a through ball similar to the one against Doncaster, and failing to communicate with goalkeeper Kevin Pilkington… a trait that has reared its head on several occasions since.

Lonely... given the runaround at Mansfield

A brief return to defensive solidity came as Notts earnt back to back clean sheets in two 1-0 wins at the end of the month.

Notts fans first started to question White following the derby draw at Mansfield Town. He was out battled by Richie Barker, and outpaced by Danny Reet as the latter hit a brace to set Mansfield on their way. Fortunately for White, Mike Edwards and Lawrie Dudfield got him off the hook, but worse was to follow.

Richard Walker was the next to outmuscle him to give Bristol Rovers a deserved lead at Meadow Lane. Junior Mendes restored parity, before Lewis Haldane danced through the defence, including White to take all three points back to Bristol.

He was starting to become inconsistent, with the next couple of games seeing a return to his better form. He was solid as Notts rolled Grimsby Town over at Blundell Park before his most impressive performance for the Magpies to date in a game likely to be dubbed performance of the season for the team.

Despite not figuring in the two previous rounds, White was selected for the Carling Cup tie at home to Championship Southampton, a game Notts deservedly won 2-0, the clean sheet largely down to White who battled hard to see off goal machine Grzegorz Rasiak, and won he virtually every header and tackle that came his way.

Instructing... Should take more care of his self.
It was mostly down hill from then, for the club and particularly for White.

In the very next game his poor slip-up allowed Bury a 1-0 win at Meadow Lane, Andy Bishop capitalising on his giveaway.

The game White was most looking forward to came next, visiting his former side Boston. He scored an absolute cracker as Notts led 3-1 with little under fifteen minutes left. However, Boston earnt a draw with White one of the guilty men.

Back to back Cup exits followed, and Notts went on a run of eight games without a clean sheet.

Fortunately, White returned to form in time to see Notts pick up a crucial 1-0 win at Darlington, his late winner a thunderous header. That win kept Notts in the Playoff zone, but patchy form since has saw them drop into the bottom half.

Only three wins have since followed, and White alone was at fault for goals against Chester, his header released Jon Walters to score, Barnet, he failed to track his man at a corner, and Rochdale, despite not starting his appearance coincided with two late goals as the Dale took all three points.

Notts fans have given Thompson's White a lot of stick recently, and some got out of hand as Notts went down at Bristol Rovers on Saturday as a handful of youths swore at him - White allegedly returning the abuse - and this may have been the final straw in his departure to the Posh.

He has apparently asked to leave, and it is understood he won't play for the club again, regardless of noises from inside Meadow Lane protesting otherwise.

NCM's final comments? Aside from a sterling showing against Southampton, and winning games at Rochdale and Darlington, White has been extremely costly, causing Notts to lose at least twelve points this season single-handedly, and the individual mistakes means that is no exaggeration.

With them extra twelve points Notts would be on sixty points, that's seventh place.

So, goodbye Alan.