Notts County 3 Port Vale 1

The League Two fixture between Notts County and Port Vale at Meadow Lane on Saturday Sept 26, 2009.

Amid the anticipation sweeping through the black and white half of Nottingham there appears little room for apprehension or recrimination.

The oldest professional football club in the world, long since floundering in the doldrums, is in the throes of an exciting project to drag it up by its bootlaces and back towards the pinnacle of the sport. And that, it seems, is all that counts.

Forget bitterness towards Sol Campbell. Negativity could have enveloped Meadow Lane during a fixture against Port Vale, the first since the club’s marquee signing walked out on a five-year contract handed out by Qadbak Investments, the club’s affluent yet mysterious owners. Their takeover is yet to be ratified by the Football League.

There was humour. “There’s only one Sol Campbell,” the home support sung in jest 10 minutes into the game, memories of the former England defensive mainstay struggling against that football powerhouse, Morecambe, no doubt still fresh.

Ian McParland, County’s under-pressure manager, made no mention of Campbell’s sudden departure in his programme column. There was a desire to move on, although Peter Trembling, the chief executive, provided subtle criticism of the former Arsenal man with the insistence that “ours is a five-year plan, not a five-week one.” Defiance danced through his words.

One worker in the club shop revealed that numerous requests had been received for new shirts to replace those emblazoned with “Campbell”. They may soon bear the name “Akinbiyi” if a certain former Leicester City forward completes a transfer to County on Monday. Qadbak’s new stellar signing, no doubt.

He may not be needed. Lee Hughes, whose finishing at this level is preternatural, notched a brace of goals to take his tally to nine. Meadow Lane was not to Campbell’s taste but Hughes relishes this venue.

All his goals have come there. A header and a penalty, added to by a Lee Collins own goal, overcame Marc Richards’ penalty for Vale. County’s project trundles on.

Match details

Notts County: Schmeichel; Moloney, Ritchie, Edwards, Thompson, Ravenhill (Bishop 63), Davies, Jackson, Jones, Hughes (Facey 82), Rodgers (Hawley 74).
Subs: Pilkington, Clapham, Hamshaw, Westcarr.
Port Vale: Martin; Stockley (Richman 69), McCombe (Dodds 63), Collins, Owen (McCrory 67), K Taylor, Griffith, Fraser, R Taylor, Richard, Haldane.
Subs: Anyon, Yates.
Booked: McCrory, R Taylor, Fraser.
Referee: A Taylor (Cheshire).

Sven-Goran Eriksson revelling in his 'biggest challenge' at Notts County

On Saturday, Sven-Goran Eriksson, the metropolitan manager who defined his career in Rome, London and Manchester, will make the journey from his windowless office in Meadow Lane, the Notts County ground, to Barnet.

He will sit in the stands as the League Two side's director of football, a position which he airily describes as "being in charge of whatever regarding the football."

It has been some transition for the former England and Manchester City manager, a 'fall from grace', as some have described it, and one which five weeks on from the day he signed a five-year contract at a club who last season finished 19th in the fourth tier, few can get their head around. Naturally, the common assumption is that his motivation is financial.

Eriksson is used to being labelled as mercenary, but the Swede once again shrugs off any suggestion that he is motivated by money.

He moved to Nottingham, he explains, because if he should succeed in taking the club to the Premier League, it will be his biggest achievement in the game.

"I earn money, of course I do, but if it was only about money, I would be somewhere where I could earn much more," he says. "There are always offers. Always.

I couldn't care if people thought I'm here for that. If we are successful as a team, then it is the biggest achievement you can do in football. It is a bigger challenge than anything else."

Fifteen months ago, Eriksson was sitting in a karaoke bar in downtown Bangkok, on a post-season tour of the Far East with his Manchester City players, knowing that he would be replaced on his return to England.

Having hogged the microphone for most of the evening, Thaksin Shinawatra, the City owner, had paused, and dedicated the next song to his manager, watching from a few feet away. The song? The Clash's Should I Stay or Should I Go?

Undaunted, Eriksson went straight back to work, but he was no luckier in Mexico, lasting less than a year in charge of the national team. Although offers came in from around Europe, there were none from the Premier League.

It was in this context that he was approached about taking the oldest football league club to the top. "Athole [Still, his agent] phoned me and suggested Notts County. I said 'no'."

Unsurprisingly, League Two did not excite the former England manager. Yet Still persisted, and persuaded Eriksson to fly from Sweden to meet club representatives at the Dorchester Hotel in London.

It is surprising, given the nature of some of his previous employers, that Eriksson did not insist on meeting the owners in person, and he admits that now he probably never will.

"This is different, though," he says. "Sitting with their representatives, they said, 'We don't understand football. That is why we've invited you here.

You can take whatever decisions you want regarding football at the club.' I'd never met an owner who said that they don't understand football before. They usually all think they are managers."

It was good enough for Eriksson, and he moved to Nottingham, where he now rents an apartment, to prove this is no passing fancy.

Even though he insists that money was never the incentive on a personal level, it is clear that without the deep pockets of the club's backers, Munto Finance, he would never have even considered taking the role.

"The owners have made it clear the money will be there, otherwise I would never have accepted the job."

What he and Ian McParland, the manager, can do with the money at this point, however, has limits. It is the possibilities which excite him.

"We cannot go out and buy Kaka and Robinho today," Eriksson teases, "but when we are up there, everything is possible."

Even now, they are happy to spend. County paid £1.5 million for Kasper Schmeichel, and astonishingly have signed Sol Campbell, the former Arsenal, Tottenham and Portsmouth defender, on a five-year deal worth a reported £10 million.

Campbell's arrival provides a revealing insight into Eriksson's role. As we are speaking, Campbell is just a few doors down, thrashing out the contract that will see him become the new ownership's highest-profile signing. Eriksson doesn't get involved.

"I don't deal with the money, I am not very good at it," he explains. "I asked the manager if he liked the idea of having Sol, and he said yes. I then had to present the idea to the player."

It took him three weeks, calling the defender every day - when he first rang, Campbell thought it was a prank - but the 34 year-old joined on Monday night. It might not be the kind of mega-bucks signing he made at City, but Eriksson still gets a buzz from it. "This is a big one," he grinned.

Which, of course, prompts the question: were he to be offered a managerial job at a bigger club, with more immediate returns, would the 61 year-old take it?

"I am not fed up with management, and sometimes I do miss it," he answers. "But I have done that for 30 years, every day. In five years' time I will be 66, and maybe it will be difficult for me to have a job as a manager.

"I hope to stay here five years, but you know how football is."

Notts County close to luring Sol Campbell as first major signing for Sven-Goran Eriksson

Sol Campbell, the former Tottenham, Arsenal and Portsmouth defender, was on Monday night on the cusp of signing for the League Two side Notts County.

High-level sources at the club had expected the defender to join by the close of business on Monday after holding yet more talks at Meadow Lane, but it is believed that negotiations are ongoing. Should he put pen to paper, he will become the club’s highest profile signing since Sven Goran Eriksson was appointed as the club’s director of football this summer.

Campbell, who is currently a free agent, his contract at Portsmouth having expired last month, has been mulling over whether to join County since being approached by Eriksson two weeks ago. His hesitation over descending to the fourth tier of English football has derived from his desire to stay in contention for a place in England’s World Cup squad next year. However, it looks increasingly possible that after taking advice, and receiving little interest from Premier League sides such as Hull, Campbell has accepted that his days as an international player are over.

County are hoping that the prospect of up to three more years of competitive football will act as a suitable incentive to Campbell to make the drop to League Two. They are also relying on the defender’s interest in moving into management as an additional lure. He would be able to soak up invaluable experience for life after his playing career ends by working alongside Eriksson, a former England and Manchester City manager, while simultaneously collecting his coaching badges.

Additionally, the club foresee Campbell having a role to play in their plans to turn their centre of excellence into a facility worthy of Academy status. His involvement with a club at youth level would again give him extensive experience should he decide to turn to management. It would be on the pitch, however, where Campbell would see his immediate responsibilities lying.

County, who were taken over by Munto Finance last month with a five-year plan to reach the Championship, two weeks ago forked out a club-record fee, believed to be in the region of £1.5 million, for Kasper Schmeichel from Manchester City. It is possible that the club would agree to paying Campbell somewhere in the region of £30,000-a-week, which would be more than any other player in the division earns in a year.

The club were initially confident of signing him last Friday, the player having met Ian McParland, the manager, and Peter Trembling, the executive chairman, at a restaurant in the city centre before then being seen at the ground. However, they were not able to come to an agreement before the side’s 3-0 win over Dagenham and Redbridge on Saturday.

It is no secret that McParland has asked for more signings before the transfer window closes next week, so time will be of the essence. The club’s owners are prepared to spend to see their ambitions of Championship football within five years realised, but they will not do so carelessly. They have budgeted for Campbell’s arrival, but should he pull out, they will need time to find and sign alternatives.

Even if he does join, he will not be given a free pass into the side. "He's going to be hard pushed to get in the team," McParland said. "We've got a great dressing room. Sol Campbell would add a lot to the squad, don't get me wrong. But we'll see."

Highs

1.) Campbell’s first match as a professional footballer was for Tottenham in December 1992, when he came on as a substitute for Nick Barmby. He actually began his career as a centre forward, and he made an immediate impact, scoring in the 88th minute against Chelsea.

2.) 73 caps for his country illustrates the impact he has had at an international level. He made his debut against Hungary on 18 May 1996, and almost exactly two years later, aged 23 years and 248 days, Campbell became the then-second-youngest captain after Bobby Moore in a 0-0 draw against Belgium.

3.) Being just one of five Englishmen to find the net in the Champions League final is another major achievement, as is winning the FA Cup three times with Arsenal. His greatest moment, though, must have been captaining Portsmouth when they won the trophy at Wembley in 2008.

Lows

1.) Sadly, Campbell has had plenty of lows to go alongside the myriad highs of his career. Perhaps the defining moment was his departure from Tottenham on a Bosman to Arsenal in 2001. Spurs fans burnt effigies outside White Hart Lane, and have called him Judas ever since.

2. Campbell caused a stir in 2006 by going missing after a 3-2 defeat to West Ham. Substituted at half-time, Campbell left the stadium and was not heard from for several days. Team-mate Robert Pirès said he had a “big worry” in his private life.

3. The vitriol he has been forced to endure since leaving Spurs raised its head in October last year, when he was subjected to racist chants and homophobic abuse from a number of Spurs fans, four of whom were later arrested and banned from every ground in the country.

Notts County 5 Bradford 0

Read a full match report of the League Two game between Notts County and Bradford at Meadow Lane on Saturday Aug 8, 2009.

Bradford City, expected to be one of the better teams in League Two this season, came to Meadow Lane and were well and truly thumped by the boys who have been cutely named, by some of their supporters, as the "Notts County galácticos".

It was just the sort of start that County needed after being set a five-year plan to get to the Championship by the Middle East consortium Munto Finance, who took over the club this summer. Right now, anything seems possible.

Having brought in nine new players this summer, Ian McParland, the manager, had an embarrassment of riches from which to chose. He settled on a strike partnership of Luke Rodgers and Lee Hughes, who with muscle-bound frames and heads shaven and shining, are Meadow Lane's Mitchell brothers, and have been terrorising their opponents in a similar manner in pre-season.

Hughes is a former West Bromwich Albion man, hard as nails, while Rodgers struts about like a Bull Terrier. By the looks of things he has the same fondness for a ball as a terrier, too, judging from the way he was tearing after this one with almost fanatical dedication.

Fittingly, it was he who had first glimpse of goal but his effort, a rather tame side-footer, was easy to intercept. Instead it was Ben Davies, with an inch-perfect header, in the 16th minute, who set the rout in motion. The midfielder, bought from Shrewsbury in July, was completely unmarked next to the penalty spot, had an eternity to pick his spot.

From there it was one-way traffic. Bradford as a whole didn't look bad, but their back four did, and it was their lackadaisical attitude to marking Hughes that the striker capitalised on five minutes from the break, escaping his marker, taking one touch to go around Simon Eastwood, the Bradford goalkeeper, and another to tap into an open net. He was at it again two minutes later, this time from just a yard out when Craig Westcarr swept a delightful ball across the face of goal. Eastwood clawed the ball out in desperation, but it had already crossed the line.

County should have been four up at half-time, but Rodgers was denied despite having only Eastwood to beat. He made up for it eight minutes after the resumption, again hurtling towards goal as if the future of mankind depended on it, only to be brought down in the area by Matthew Clarke. Referee Phil Gibbs, in the manner of a cricket umpire, slowly raised his finger and pointed to the spot. Hughes, on a hat-trick, and on this form, was never going to miss. Brendan Moloney completed the humiliation with nine minutes remaining.

Match details

Notts County (4-4-2): Hoult; Moloney, Lee, Thompson, Hunt; Westcarr (Hamshaw, 77), Ravenhill, Bishop, Davies (Clapham, 46); Hughes (Hawley, 63), Rodgers.
Subs: Pilkington, Edwards, Canham, Facey.
Booked: Rodgers Goals: Davies, 16; Hughes, 40, 42, 53; Moloney, 81.
Bradford (4-4-2): Eastwood; Ramsden, Rehman, Clarke (Williams, 57), O'Brien; Brandon (Evans, 68), Flynn, Bullock, Colbeck (Hanson, 57), Thorne, Boulding.
Subs: McLaughlin, Bateson, Osborne, O'Neill.
Booked: Bullock Goals: Referee: Phil Gibbs (West Midlands)

Sven Goran-Eriksson oversees derby victory in first game at Notts County

Notts County can probably sympathise with that other, iconic black-and-white brand's aphorism that good things come to those who wait.

The world's oldest football league club have been waiting for something, anything, for 147 years. Their purgatory, they hope, may now be over.

Arab millions have arrived at Meadow Lane. That could be read as a requiem for the soul of English football, but not here. Munto Finance have made County the country's oldest arrivistes, supplying manager Ian McParland with transfer funds and, more importantly, they have brought Sven-Goran Eriksson, former England manager, to Meadow Lane.

Fans came in their thousands on Saturday to witness his arrival, to make sure it was not all a cruel illusion. So many came, in fact, for a glimpse of the man who is being paid £2 million-a-year by the rich to give to the poor, that kick-off in a pre-season friendly had to be delayed by 10 minutes.

The rest of the country may have scoffed at Eriksson's arrival, but in Nottingham, they are taking it very seriously.

Not just County, either. Their opponents here, Nottingham Forest, have spent much of this week hearing of their upstart neighbours' grand designs.

It was a sober reminder of the balance of power in the East Midlands that here red was as prevalent in the stands as black and white, the visitors bringing so many fans that they spilled from their allocated Jimmy Sirrel Stand and into the Family Stand. County must win the skirmish in the city before they can conquer the country.

But the united defiance of Forest's support belied the fear that now stalks them. They were greeted with taunts to remind them of their poverty, the home fans waving £10 notes and offering them a loan. Nottingham's perennial strugglers, on the other hand, can afford to dream.

"It's been a bit of a circus this week," said McParland. "But that will calm down when the real games start. We're not getting too carried away. Sven can only bring knowledge and know-how, but it's hard to get out of any division." He describes Eriksson, from their brief meetings, as "down-to-Earth" and "a real gentleman," insisting they "will enjoy picking each other's brains."

That Eriksson has charm is unquestionable. Summoned onto the pitch before kick-off to bask in his adoring new public's adulation, flanked by two giant magpies, he offered a bashful wave to all four corners of the ground, studiously ignoring 6,000 Forest fans insinuating there were three creatures on the pitch who would pick up anything that glitters. "You're only here for the money," they chorused.

Sven, of course, denies that. Alternative theories are multiple. Perhaps it was the threat of swine flu in Mexico. Notts County's neat, compact, thoroughly modern home by the banks of the Trent is also the closest stadium in England to a Hooters Bar. Maybe that was a factor. Regardless, it is, admittedly, hard to imagine that Sven is here for the football, certainly at present.

County's first attack broke down when Craig Westcarr, scampering down the right wing entirely unchallenged, chose to run the ball out of play. Right-back Brendan Moloney's first contribution was to be nutmegged by a simple pass from a team-mate. This isn't England, Sven. It's not even Manchester City.

That is not to say County are a bad side. They thoroughly deserved their 2-1 win against their old rivals here, secured thanks to goals from Luke Rodgers and Lee Hughes, despite a soft consolation for Forest after Kevin Pilkington let a speculative Lewis McGugan shot squirm from his grasp.

Grasping local bragging rights, albeit in a meaningless game, was the perfect way to herald the start of the new dawn. In later years, it may be seen as the beginning of a seismic shift in football's established order, in the East Midlands, in the western world. Sitting high in the directors' box, though, Eriksson will know there is much work to be done. The wait is not yet over.