The first action of the month – following Steve Mildenhall’s departure just days earlier – was the second coming of third-choice Villa stopper Wayne Henderson.
The Republic of Ireland under-21 ‘keeper was unveiled at a bizarre press conference on the second of the month, with Ian Richardson securing the youngster’s services until the end of the 2004/05 campaign.
|
Further initiative was added for the winner of the second round reply as the draw provided the winners with a home tie with Premiership Middlesborough.
The replay was later shown on Sky Sports, providing a welcome cash wind-fall for the club.
Fresh from their cup exploits, the Magpies travelled to a frozen Blundell Park to try to revive their floundering fortunes in the league.
Despite a 35-yard thriller from Oakes to bring the scores level, the Magpies were to leave the sea-side disappointed, as goals from Ronnie Bull, Andy Parkinson and Justin Whittle sealed another Notts defeat.
A rare Gavin Gordon goal counted for little that night, with the Magpies defeated 3-2, condemning Notts to a lowly eighteenth place in League Two.
Their fortunes were not helped when bogey-side Wycombe Wanderers visited the ‘Lane just days later, as the High Wycombe club escaped lean one-nil victors thanks to a fine Ian Stonebridge chip.
Four goals conceded just two games after returning for the Irishman, Henderson appeared as a hardly impressive figure upon his return. His indifferent form was to open doors for team-mate both at club and country level, Saul Deeney.
With a run of three consecutive home victories now at an end, Notts went into their FA Cup replay on the back of two successive defeats.
|
With a weakened side that lacked Oakes, Glynn Hurst, Rob Ullathorne, Julien Baudet and Richardson, a young, fresh-faced Notts side set about the task of bringing Third Round football to the ‘Lane.
Two goals from an impressive Gavin Gordon helped the cause no end, although the surprise inclusion of Shaun Harrad will stand out as the biggest positive of that cold December night, with the youngster’s bustling performance helping the Magpies overcome their League One opponents.
In front of less than four thousand supporters, the Magpies couped more than £75,000 in television rights and prize money before even considering forthcoming gate receipts for the Middlesborough game.
All in all: not a bad night’s work.
A 4-0 thrashing at Swansea the following weekend saw the end of some startling optimism amongst the fans, with it being very much business as usual around the club.
A Lee Trundle hat-trick and Paul Connor header saw off an anonymous Magpies side that day, with their cup excursions feeling a long way behind them now as the players signed off for their brief Christmas break.
The following Monday, and the club waved good-bye to Nottingham-born striker Chris O’Grady.
|
O’Grady was to be followed out of the club by goalkeeping coach Steve Spooner.
Spooner – who lasted all of five months at the club – followed former manager Gary Mills and his trusty side-kick Darron Gee out of Meadow Lane with the club deciding against a dedicated goalkeeping coach, after all.
Whilst Boxing Day, on a more local level, affected the club’s fixtures due to overnight frosts, December 26th as a whole will go down in history as a far more notorious date altogether.
On Boxing Day morning, a devastating tsunami struck the coastal regions of South-east Asia killing an untold amount of people. An event which puts the on-field problems of the club into perspective, I think you’ll agree.
Notts travelled to table-topping Scunthorpe for their last fixture of 2004 in full expectancy of a spanking.
Instead, the Magpies managed to battle-out a 0-0 draw with the Irons. Proving, on their day, that they could battle with even the biggest fish in the proverbial pond; the Magpies inconsistency was beginning to baffle all.
The month, and indeed the year, went out by welcoming in an old hand in Howard Wilkinson into the club.
The former Notts, Leeds and England manager joined the club as a ‘non-executive’ director, taking up an unpaid role within the club.
Brought in to steady the ship, as it were, Wilkinson returned for the first time since leaving for Sheffield Wednesday, almost twenty-five years ago.
For the continuation of the Season review,
be sure to return to Notts County MAD over the course of the week.