What a remarkable 2017 for Notts County, a club transformed by a new owner and a manager in Kevin Nolan who appears destined to reach the top flight once again.
As the one-year anniversary of a takeover and Nolan’s appointment to the managerial hotseat approaches, the turnaround over this calendar year must rank as one of the most impressive any club as seen.
And it’s why, in a year of England striker Harry Kane’s world class goalscoring exploits, the epic British and Irish Lions drawn series in New Zealand and England’s Six Nations title, as a Notts County fan the day new owner Alan Hardy walked into the door and proceeded to bring Nolan with him, is the only sporting occasion that can only be the moment of 2017.
It was 11 January when Nottinghamshire businessman Hardy, a Notts fan, completed a long drawn-out takeover from Ray Trew, whose ownership had spiralled out of control. Losing a reported £1.6 million a year, liquidation was a real threat. Hardy was arguably a last hope for fans of the world’s oldest professional club. A club that was down on its knees.
The Magpies were in a dismal relegation battle from League Two, with the prospect of demotion into the non-league pyramid a very real possibility for the first time in the club’s – at times – illustrious history.
A day after officially arriving at the club, Hardy named Nolan as the man to replace John Sheridan in the dugout. And it all changed. A player of some repute with goalscoring-laden spells in the Premier League at Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham, the then 34-year-old had a brief spell in charge at Leyton Orient, enjoying a healthy win rate but being dismissed among the turmoil of the Francesco Becchetti era. However, given the negative atmosphere engulfing the club at the time, it’s fair to say it represented something of a gamble by Hardy to put his faith in the rookie boss, so soon into his tenure.
How those fears have been so emphatically dismissed. On the day he arrived, Nolan entered a dressing room reeling from a club record 10 straight defeats. Sitting 22nd in the table, the Magpies were just a point above the drop zone and under a transfer embargo that wouldn’t be lifted until the final day of the January transfer window.
Fast forward almost 12 months, as 2017 draws to an end, and Nolan’s men are on a 10-game unbeaten streak in League Two. Progress is rather summed up in that the game prior to Nolan’s first as manager was a shocking 4-1 defeat at Morecambe. On Boxing Day, Notts won at the Globe Arena by reversing that scoreline.
They now sit second in the league, some seven points clear in the automatic promotion spots and 10 points above the sides chasing the playoff places. The stats, though, tell only some of the story.
It’s a club transformed. So much credit must firstly go to Hardy. He has improved everything about the club. From simply interacting with the supporters – either through his engaging Twitter account or with columns in the local newspaper - informing them of what is happening at their football club, to renovating the facilities around Meadow Lane. This is summed up by Hardy delivering a home dressing room for Nolan, which the ex-West Ham captain rates as better than any he has been in before.
Hospitality is thriving, a permanent training base is being sought in the city, and home attendances are up by 65% compared to when he took over. Ticket initiatives have helped, but that’s another huge factor – Hardy is engaging in the community, getting the next generation in with free tickets – and at times shirts and pies – for schools and families.
On the pitch, the biggest transformation is Notts’ home form. Meadow Lane had become a horrible place to watch their club for those of a black and white persuasion. Visiting teams certainly enjoyed their day out in Nottingham. In 2016, Notts won just three home games all year. They have lost just one league game at home in 2017 – and that was in April, with safety secured and against a Portsmouth side whose win saw them confirm promotion to League One.
Hardy’s relationship with Nolan appears as strong as any owner-manager in the country. And considering what came before for Notts fans, when Trew’s itchy finger saw him appoint 11 managers in six years, it’s a welcome change. Stability has been missing for the Magpies for many years, with not a single manager lasting more than two full years since Sam Allardyce between January 1997 and October 1999.
Of course, Nolan’s own career is intrinsically linked with Allardyce. It was the former England manager who appointed the young midfielder as his captain at Bolton, and also took him to West Ham later on. May 2018 will mark 20 years since Allardyce led the Magpies to the League Two title. It would be some symmetry if Nolan was to follow his former manager and do the same.
Indeed, Hardy has tipped Nolan to one day manage his country, such is the faith he has in him. It took Allardyce 18 years after leaving Meadow Lane to reach the top job in the country. It’ll certainly be an interesting watch to see where Nolan is himself in such a period time.
He’s certainly getting the job done quickly.
