Crow to nest with Magpies?

Crow has signed on an initial one month loan from League Two rivals Peterborough United, with the switch said to be with a view to a permanent move.

The 21-year-old striker has built a glowing reputation as one of the hottest finishers in the lower leagues but has fallen down the pecking order at London Road after the takeover of Billionaire Darragh MacAnthony saw the Posh splash out on several strikers.

Crow... Signed for Notts on month's loan

With the airing of Big Ron Manager, a Sky documentary which filmed all access at United two seasons ago, Crow was seen as a troublesome character behind the scenes which dented his reputation, but he remains a player with considerable potential, and a great coup for under pressure Notts boss Steve Thompson.

On that show Crow was seen by some as a trouble making moaner but there is no doubting his ability to lead the line, despite being such a young age still.

He started out with Norwich City and made four substitute appearances for them during their one season stay in the Premiership under former Magpie Nigel Worthington, including in league defeats to Liverpool, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough aswell as the FA Cup exit to West Ham.

However with the likes of Darren Huckerby and Dean Ashton ahead of him in the pecking order, Crow was shipped out on loan to Northampton Town where he netted his first ever professional goal and added a second in a ten game spell as the Cobblers gained a playoff position in League Two.

In the summer his contract expired at Carrow Road as Norwich exited the

Crow... As a Canary

Premiership and Worthington decided to release the pacey marksman.

Mark Wright and Barry Fry were quick to hand him another chance in League Two and he was repaid in goals all year in the 2005/06 season as he became one of the leading goalscorers in the division, netting fifteen times in 38 league games.

This was the year Ron Atkinson tried to help the Posh into the playoffs on the Sky programme and as they slipped away at the end of the campaign, Crow's frustration heightened and he ended the season with his goalscoring reputation outweighed by concerns over his attitude.

He started the next season in new manager Keith Alexander's plans however and played a total of 26 times as a starter, with a further fourteen from the bench, netting ten times.

Then came the big money arrivals and another new manager in the form of Darren Ferguson who said in the summer he was willing to listen to offers for Crow, and Richard Butcher for that matter, who promptly switched to Meadow Lane - Butcher is said to have aided Crow's move here.

Butcher... Old and new team-mate

However, Ferguson was impressed by Crow's commitment during pre-season and he was a surprise inclusion in the early squads scoring on the opening day of the season and also the winner at home to Mansfield.

With three starts and three substitute appearances to his name this season, with those two goals to show, it has been decided that regular football is needed and Crow is desperate to do well here and get his promising career moving in the right direction again.

A nippy striker who runs himself into the ground, Crow is technically very impressive with a neat first touch and has the ability to run at defenders and frighten them.

His overall goals tally with the Posh of 29 in two and a bit seasons is certainly a record to be reckoned with, particularly with Notts' shot shy strike force managing just two between the five of them so far this season.

Thompson... Is Crow his lifeline?

Question marks over his attitude may exist, but with a fresh start here and the fact Ferguson seemed content that his problems were behind him, this is surely worth the gamble for Notts.

He will take his chances and could be the man to turn the club's fortunes around following back-to-back defeats in a week.

Could he also be the man that saves Thompson's job?