That season, ten years on

Last updated : 02 April 2008 By Paul Smith
Just a day before the biggest ever Notts - Mansfield derby in League Two at Meadow Lane on Saturday, marked the occassion of the Magpies' record-breaking title win from the same level.

Because on Friday, it was ten years to the day that the championship was
Class of '98... Trophy's ours
sealed, the earliest title win ever secured by any side in the Football League this side of the Second World War.

A 1-0 win over Leyton Orient, courtesy of Mark Robson's Meadow Lane strike, on March 28, 1998, gave Allardyce's men a hugely deserved trophy, after a season of near perfection and full of record breaking achievements.

It is a stark contrast to the situation the Magpies fans are currently having to deal with as relegation out of English football's bottom tier is still a realistic possibility after a season of struggle.

Just a decade on from such a sginificant moment, since which things have only gone downhill.

The season began after relegation from the old Division Two at the end of the previous year, a campaign that saw Allardyce replace the faltering management duo of Colin Murphy and Steve Thompson with four months of the campaign remaining.

Allardyce... Forget his departure, remember this season
Allardyce was unable to keep the struggling side up, but was given another chance to make his mark in Nottingham by then chairman Derek Pavis who backed him to launch an immediate return into what is now League One. He did that, and how, in one of the finest seasons ever witnessed at Notts.

The close season saw Allardyce, with Mark Smith as his assistant, acquire just two first team signings in the form of Wolves left back Dennis Pearce, and Charlton wideman Robson, a particularly impressive capture given Robson's pedigree at a higher level. Both went on to prove shrewd signings, but it was the fact that the squad was virtually the same as the one who were relegated, yet came together stronger to get straight back up, that was Allardyce's biggest achievement.

The season began with a narrow 2-1 home win over Rochdale, but the manner of the victory gave a hint as to what the season might have in store as it was dramatically achieved through a last minute goal from defender Matt Redmile.

Also in the August month, the Magpies progressed, then over two legs, into round two of the League Cup seeing off Darlington, while Hull City were demolished 3-0 at Boothferry Park, and a point was secured at Cardiff. The only black mark on the season's opening month came courtesy of a 2-1 defeat to Lincoln City, a side who went on to be promoted alongside Notts come May.

The Hull game was particularly significant given that it contained the first goal
Finnan... Now a Premiership star
of the season for striker Gary Jones, who went on to play a huge role in the championship win with a superb goals haul of 28. That he only had five to his name before Boxing Day illustrates the rich vein of form he produced at the turn of the year, to see Notts over the finishing line.

September was an unbeaten month for the Magpies, at least in the league as Tranmere knocked them out of the League Cup. One draw and four wins had Notts riding high from the very off, and September included a 1-0 home success over the Stags, Gary Martindale with the games only goal. Amazingly perhaps, but that was the very last time Mansfield were beaten at Meadow Lane.

Only 6,706 saw that game, some 4,000 fans down on the attendance from last Saturday's derby, but the season was only getting going for Allardyce's men.

The unbeaten league run continued throughout October, and was only broken in November following a disappointing 2-1 home defeat to Chester City, after the blues struck an 87th minute winner.

A stuttering end to November and beginning of December was helped by a 5-2 thumping of Doncaster Rovers. Ian Baraclough helped himself to a brace,
Jones... Goal machine
with Jones' underated strike partner Sean Farrell, and current Liverpool right-back Steve Finnan, also on the scoresheet. That further underlined the potential of Notts, and the Rovers game was the second in a club record ten consectuive league wins, a record that still stands today.

Jones hit top form at this point, and after bagging a brace in a 2-1 win over Scunthorpe, he then found a further 14 goals in his next 13 games.

The ten game winning streak fittingly culminated in a 2-0 win at Field Mill, to rub it in on the Stags, with Jones netting a first half brace. For the record, Mansfield finished the season in mid-table.

Perhaps the most memorable match of the season came a game earlier at Sincil Bank, as Notts avenged their early season defeat to Lincoln with a thrilling 5-3 win.

Farrell, Baraclough and Strodder had Notts 3-0 up at the break, before a sterling Imps comeback saw them level at 3-3 on the hour. But just a minute later Jones restored Notts' lead before Farrell rounded it off. It was the moment most Notts fans began to believe that the title was destined for Meadow Lane.

And so it proved. Just five defeats in the season was the fewest ever for the club, while they were 17 points clear come the end of the season at the top, with Macclesfield Town in second and the Imps third. Colchester went up through the play-offs.

The trophy was presented after another five-goal
Lap it up... It's been too long for the fans
blast, fittingly on the final day of the season as the trophy was presented, with Notts 5-2 victors over Rotherham.

What a memorable season. Names including Darren Ward, Finnan, Phil Robinson, who fittingly netted the final Notts goal of that season, Ian Richardson, Andy Hughes and Ian Hendon all played huge roles.

Allardyce wanted more, and the next season began well, before Allardyce's controversial departure and subsequent arrival at Bolton Wanderers. For Notts, it has been pretty much downhill ever since.

Oh for those times once more.