Worst ever Notts team: Part Two

Many a time has the ‘All-time best Notts eleven’ been argued amongst the terraces and in pre-match pubs such as the Trent Navigation and Meadow Club. But I doubt that the worst players to grace the Notts colours have been mentioned too often. Maybe the fans wince too much when thinking of some of the utter rubbish managers have bought to the Oldest League club in the World?

Either way, here's my suggestion for the worst Xl. Wince as the memories come flooding back...

After the first part on Tuesday, where I selected my worst ever goalkeeper and back four, I now complete the Worst Ever Notts Team, by selecting 3 midfielders and 3 strikers. Enjoy!

When Storrie & Scardinio decided to wave the cheque-book in the summer of 2001 by signing the likes of Caskey, Cas and Baraclough, many believed we had assembled a side to gain promotion back to the First Division. That never materialised, and that was in part due to the signings that then manager Jocky Scott had made.

Ian Hamilton- 'Earns' a place

The wages of the players meant the club faced Administration, and the performances of some of these players hardly meritted the wages they were on. Ian Hamilton was a regular under-performer. He was like a crab… constantly moving sideways. We might aswell have had ‘Diddy’ David Hamilton in our side. Hamilton gets the first of the two centre midfield spots for his under achievement.

The second is a fellow Jocky Scott acquisition. Remember that Cameroon International, Fabrice Moreau? Thought not!! What a joke.

For that reason alone hes in. The fact that he was a household name in Cameroon and he played alongside stars such as Patrick Mboma, Samuel Eto’o and Marc Viven Foe in recent years, suggests that he is decent, yet he can’t perform in the second division?!

Similar to that of Frenchman David Joseph. Pronounced Daveed Joseph, but what’s in a name?

Wingers should be a constant source of danger. Dribbling down the touchline and whipping crosses in, like ‘Flash’ Carter or Andy Hughes. Not, however, like Tony Agana. He was a forward come winger but we all know about him. Need I say more than a complete waste of money… our record buy, a waste of space and a record that implies only the old jokes such as “couldn’t score in a brothel”. Legend has it that then Notts boss Neil Warnock was once approached by a distraught Agana saying “Boss, I could kick myself for missing that one”. Warnock typically replied “Don’t you’d probably miss!”

Going against the usual 4-4-2 formation that seems to have served Notts for many a year, I have selected 3 forwards. At least that’s what they claim to be.

Our Tony- Was an easy choice

The only player in my team that’s still at Meadow Lane is our £150,000 capture from Leeds, signed under the ownership of Albert Scardino and Peter Storrie. Shrewd stuff gentlemen. I mean, we should have known better with Scardino, after all, what do Americans know about football?

Step forward Tony Hackworth. What has he added to the team? How many goals has he scored? I’d say his goalscoring added something like 1 goal per £50,000. And that’s for the reserves! I wonder if a Buy one get one free deal is possible? In that whoever buys Heffernan gets Hackworth free? Ahhhh, wishful thinking, it seems.

The oldest goalscorer in Notts’ history remains Les Bradd. The legend. Their came a time, unfortunately, when this great man had to move on. Unfortunately it came at a time when the infamous Ron Fenton's spell at the Lane was in full swing. That spoke disaster, and disaster it was. Ricky Green was seen as the replacement, and the fact that he had to replace Bradd was a little harsh, but he was labelled as responsible for Notts’ immediate downward spiral at the time, and that alone merits a place in this team.

And so to the final place in my ‘All time Notts County worst 11’. Fitting really, that a player that played as a midfielder/winger/striker/whatever takes this place. Declan Edge arrived from New Zealand under Ron Fentons stewardship. New Zealand? What do they know about the round ball game?! They should stick to egg chasing! He was quite honestly useless. He might have been better off picking up the ball and running to the green & whites of Nottingham Rugby Club!

So there you have it. Now this article might provide a new source of topic amongst regulars at the Meadow Club. Which of these players are fitting of their place in this line-up?

The full team of shame is below.

1. Seamus McDonagh
2. Nicky Fenton
3. Bob Worthington
4. Colin Calderwood
5. Sammy Chapman
6. Ian Hamilton
7. Tony Agana
8. Fabrice Moreau
9. Tony Hackworth
10. Ricky Green
11. Declan Edge