After much deliberation – almost a month of such forethought, in fact – the club's board have today announced that Steve Thompson will succeed recently-departed Icelandic boss Gudjon Thordarson as manager of the club, with the former Magpies ‘General Manager' having agreed a lucrative three- year deal with the Magpies' Board of Directors.
The deal makes Thompson the fourth man to sip from the poisoned chalice in three short years.
The appointment of Thompson – believed to be a close friend of Howard Wilkinson, who now moves into the role as 'Technical Director' – has already been dubbed as a step back by many, and perhaps even a throwback to the none-too fondly remembered reign of Colin Murphy, the man Thompson worked under during his previous stint here.
Since his time here under Murphy, Thompson has gone on to construct a reputation as something of a fire-fighter with a catalogue of unfashionable, lower league clubs with arguably, however, Thompson's finest hour would come prior to his association with Murphy at County, with Thompson's first managerial job – albeit by default – coming with then Division Four bottom-side Lincoln City.
The then club captain – who was, incidentally, originally brought to Sincil Bank by Murphy – Thompson stepped up to the plate to steer the Imps from the bottom of the table in November to a respectable 14th place finish by the end of the season.
The following season saw Thompson's men were tipped for success, with City being outlined as the bookie's favourites for the Division Four title – an achievement that was well within reach until a poor end of season run-in cost Thompson's men dear, missing out only on goal difference.
Immediately after such heartache, Thompson would leave Sincil Bank after the board of the time refused to offer the stand-in boss a new contract there.
His next managerial appointment would come at Southend United, again by default as the departure of then manager Peter Taylor would open doors for Southend's Director of Football Thompson to again step into the fray, again dragging up a non-descript, ten-a-penny club away from relegation woes to, eventually, guiding United to a comfortable mid-table finish with one of the greatest runs of form, albeit in a considerably short tenure there, in the Shrimpers' history.
Again, however, Thompson would not hang around, as despite the offer of a full-time job with Southend, it was the offer to become Colin Murphy's right-hand man at Meadow Lane that Thompson would find too good to refuse.
Later stints with Sheffield United (1998) and, latterly, Cambridge United (2005) would follow, although it is his ties with the Meadow Lane club that have today left such a foul taste in the mouths of many, with Thompson's appointment having been greeted with nothing short of riotous scenes from some members of the NCM messageboard.
Whether or not Thompson is able to thrive on such a harsh reception remains to be seen. Naturally NCM would like to encourage some degree of open-mindedness upon his appointment as Thompson looks to tackle the mother of all infernos that is Notts County Football Club.