After something of a hiatus, LeftLion's monthly Notts County FC column is back with reflections on that win at Wembley, being back in the football league, signing David McGoldrick, losing Ruben Rodrigues and... erm Josh Wink.
But from the evening of 13th May 2023, his foretelling of a higher state of consciousness came true for all Notts fans following our dramatic promotion to League Two. As our coaches and cars edged slowly out of Wembley, the echoes of “Putting On A Show” reverberating around the belly of the stadium, Notts fans entered a mental state that many, including myself, have rarely experienced and not yet fully recovered.
Despite being there, seeing it and refusing to buy the over-priced t-shirt, there is a sense that we might not fully believe what we witnessed. The full match replay has been watched over ten thousand times, while twenty one thousand fans have watched the behind-the-scenes footage. Yet, still the questions remain: How did Mair save that second penalty? How did Ruben manage to steer that bouncing volley in? Did we really see Matty Palmer give a pass away?
Even the subtle return of the “World’s Oldest Professional Football Club” signage at Meadow Lane did little to return us to a state of equilibrium - as we also simultaneously held the title of “Newest Member of the Football League”. No sign of Crystal Palace trying to claim that title as theirs yet…
If that wasn’t confusing enough, Notts then landed what could easily be the transfer coup of the lower leagues, with the arrival of David McGoldrick - who was both a new face and a familiar one. McGoldrick, a product of Notts’ academy, opted to step down into League Two just weeks after being named Derby’s Player of the Season and Top Goalscorer in the league above. McGoldrick returns to Meadow Lane nearly twenty years since his departure in 2004 for Southampton and, despite offers from higher levels, remains confident that Notts are “on to something…and I want to be a part of it.”
Despite all the post-season disbelief, one thing remains abundantly clear at Meadow Lane - that the club and its fanbase are determined to build the summer’s successes. Recovering from losing Portuguese talisman (and Europe’s nutmeg king) Ruben Rodrigues by landing McGoldrick and retaining the services of captain Kyle Cameron have contributed to record-breaking season ticket sales, with fans desperate to get another hit of this intoxicating higher state of footballing consciousness.
Colin Sisson is also a regular contributor to the excellent Notts County fanzine Gerrit Forward
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