2022–23 Notts County F.C. season

Notts County hosted Maidenhead United on the opening day of the season. Macaulay Langstaff scored two first-half goals on his competitive debut, and Joel Taylor added a third from 25 yards in the 59th minute to secure a 3–0 win.[56] Notts followed this with three consecutive draws. The first, at Boreham Wood on 13 August, saw the Magpies take 1–0 and 2–1 leads, but the match finished 2–2.[57] Following a 1–1 draw at Gateshead on 16 August,[58] Notts hosted Chesterfield in its second home match of the season. After falling 2–0 down in the 55th minute, Luke Williams made a double substitution in an effort to salvage something from the game, with Sam Austin and Cedwyn Scott coming on in favour of Jim O’Brien and Kairo Mitchell.[59] The effects were immediate; Langstaff pulled a goal back in the 60th minute, and headed a second three minutes later from Austin's cross.[60] The match finished 2–2, but Notts fell to tenth place in the league.[59] The Magpies won consecutive matches for the first time that season over the August bank holiday weekend. On 27 August, Notts defeated Halifax Town 4–1 at the Shay. Langstaff scored his third brace of the season, with Scott and Mitchell also finding the net.[61] This was followed by a 1–0 win over Solihull Moors on 29 August, with Adam Chicksen’s goal proving the differences between the sides. Notts County finished August in fourth place with twelve points from six matches.[62]

September began with a 5–0 away win at Dagenham & Redbridge: Langstaff had another multi-goal game, this time a hat-trick, while Scott and Chicksen also scored.[63] Notts was due to play Bromley on 10 September,[64] but this match, together with the rest of the league programme, was postponed following the death of Elizabeth II.[65] Football resumed on 13 September, and the Magpies won a fourth consecutive match, this time defeating Aldershot Town 2–0.[66] Four days later, Notts travelled to Dorking Wanderers. The match was 1–1 entering second-half injury time after Cedwyn Scott had cancelled out James McShane's first-half effort for Dorking. McShane, however, would score two injury-time goals, and Dorking ended Notts County's unbeaten start to the season with a 3–1 win.[67][68] Notts was away again the following week, this time at York City. Loanee Quevin Castro put the Magpies 1–0 after five minutes with a long-range free kick.[69] Although Fraser Kerr equalised for York, Langstaff restored Notts County's lead against his former club shortly before half-time, and scored a second in the second half to seal a 3–1 win.[70] September ended with Notts in third place, with 21 points from 10 matches.[69]

Macaulay Langstaff (pictured in 2018) was National League player of the month for August and September.

On 1 October, Notts County defeated Altrincham 3–1 at Meadow Lane.[71] That same afternoon, league leaders Chesterfield was beaten 2–1 by Maidenhead United; as a result, Wrexham and Notts County moved into first and second position in the table,[72] beginning the intense race between the two teams for the league title which would continue for the remainder of the season.[73] By coincidence, Notts hosted Wrexham in their first meeting of the season three days after they assumed the top two places in the table. The match attracted 10,741 spectators, and was won 1–0 by the Magpies through a thirteenth-minute goal by Langstaff, who was able to finish a well-worked free kick routine. This victory put Notts top of the table.[74] The Magpies retained first place on 8 October with a 3–2 win away at Woking. All three Notts goals were scored during the first half, with a Rúben Rodrigues penalty and two goals from Cedwyn Scott.[75]

On 10 October, Macaulay Langstaff was announced as the National League's player of the month for September.[76] Having previously won the same award for the month of August,[77] Langstaff became the first player to be named the league's best in consecutive months.[76] His record of 15 goals in 13 matches was receiving increasing media attention, including favourable comparisons to Manchester City’s Erling Haaland.[78][79][80] Langstaff joked that friends were sending him messages every week to remind him that Haaland was closing in on his goal tally.[78] He told Paul Taylor of The Athletic that comparisons with the City forward were a "massive, massive privilege" and that he hoped "to stay ahead of him", but continued "…it is about Notts; about winning promotion and nothing else. If you asked me whether I would rather get more goals than Haaland this season or, alternatively, win promotion — I would pick promotion without hesitation."[80]

Langstaff scored again when league football resumed on 21 October in a 3–0 win over Maidstone United at Meadow Lane; Rodrigues and Scott also found the back of the net.[81] Notts followed this with a 6–1 win at Wealdstone. Adam Chicksen scored two, while Macaulay Langstaff, Matt Palmer, Aaron Nemane and Geraldo Bajrami also netted.[82] This was the first time Notts County had scored six goals in an away league match since a 6–0 win against Chelsea in February 1924.[83] Notts stretched its winning run to seven in the final match of October against Torquay United at Meadow Lane. Connell Rawlinson opened the scoring with an effort from the edge of the penalty area in the 27th minute, and the Magpies lead was doubled shortly afterward through a Rodrigues penalty. Castro and Bajrami added late goals to secure a 4–0 victory. October ended with Notts in first place with 39 points from 16 matches.[84][85]

Notts County's seven match winning run came to an end in its first match of November. Adam Chicksen gave the Magpies a 1–0 lead against Bromley at Meadow Lane, but Bromley's Michael Cheek equalised in the second half and the match finished 1–1.[86] Notts drew again in its next game, played at Southend United on 8 November: Macaulay Langstaff and Cedwyn Scott put the away team 1–0 and 2–1 respectively, but Southend levelled twice to secure a 2–2 draw.[87] This result, combined with Wrexham's 3–1 win over Scunthorpe United the following night, saw the Magpies fall to second place.[88] This was the first of four consecutive rounds of fixtures where Notts County and Wrexham would exchange first position. Wrexham was held to a 0–0 draw at Wealdstone on 12 November, allowing Notts to regain top spot with a 2–0 win at Eastleigh.[89][90] The following week, Notts was held to a 0–0 draw at home to Yeovil Town, a match notable for drawing a record National League crowd of 16,511, the result of Notts County's ‘Football for a Fiver’ ticket promotion.[91][92] On the same afternoon, Wrexham defeated Aldershot Town 2–0,[93] meaning November ended with Notts County in second place, with 45 points from 20 matches.[92]

Notts returned to top spot on 3 December. That afternoon, Wrexham drew 1–1 at York City,[94] while the Magpies defeated Scunthorpe at Glanford Park. Caolan Lavery had given Scunthorpe a 1–0 lead, but Notts was quickly level through Quevin Castro, and led 3–1 at half time after goals from Jim O’Brien and Langstaff; Scott's 85th-minute goal made the final score 4–1.[95] Notts was involved in a 'thrilling encounter' in its next match, played at Maidenhead United's York Road on 10 December.[96] First half goals from Rúben Rodrigues, Castro and Langstaff had given Notts County a 3–1 lead, but second half goals from Emile Acquah and Kane Ferdinand brought the score back to 3–3. In the 83rd minute, Langstaff scored his second of the match when he 'acrobatically' steered Kyle Cameron’s cross past the Maidenhead goalkeeper, and Notts County won 4–3.[97][96] The Magpies finished December with two home matches, the first a 2–0 win over Gateshead in which leading goal scorer Langstaff sustained an injury which kept him out of the following game.[98][99] Notts fared well without its most prolific forward, defeating Oldham Athletic 4–1 on 26 December. All the scoring was in the first half, with Scott scoring a brace and Cameron and Rodrigues also finding the back of the net. Notts County ended 2022 in first place, with 57 points from 24 matches.[100]

Notts faced Oldham again in the first match of 2023, played on New Year's Day at the latter's Boundary Park. Langstaff returned from injury; he and Scott scored, but the game finished 2–2.[101] The Magpies quickly returned to winning ways in its next match, a 3–0 victory at Aldershot Town on 7 January.[102] Notts County's first home game of the year came three days later against Boreham Wood. Scott's 56th-minute header cancelled out George Broadbent’s first-half goal for the visitors, and the match finished 1–1.[103] There then followed an 18-day break in league matches, caused firstly by Notts County's participation in the FA Trophy and then the postponement of its scheduled visit to Chesterfield on 21 January due to freezing weather conditions.[104] Wrexham won two league matches during this idle period for Notts, allowing it to temporarily assume top spot.[105][106] With the Red Dragons involved in the FA Cup,[107] the Magpies retook first place on 28 January with a 1–0 home win over Halifax Town, in the process extending its unbeaten run to 19 league matches and equalling the club record for the longest sequence of games without a league defeat.[108] The record was broken in the final game of January, a 2–1 win at Solihull Moors. Notts found itself 1–0 down, but secured victory via two Rodrigues penalties, the second coming in the final minutes of the game. Notts County ended January in first place, with 68 points from 29 games.[109]

Notts County players applaud their supporters following the team’s win at Chesterfield.

Notts County's first match in February was against Torquay United at Plainmoor. Macaulay Langstaff gave the Magpies a 1–0 first half lead, but the home side found an equalising goal before half time. Early in the second half, Notts was awarded a penalty, and Rúben Rodrigues restored his team's lead. Rodrigues was sent off for a second bookable offence with 25 minutes remaining, but Notts held on for a 2–1 win.[110] The team played a third consecutive away game on 11 February, this time at Chesterfield. Once again, Langstaff opened the scoring for Notts, this time after controlling a long pass from goalkeeper Sam Slocombe and beating Ross Fitzsimons. Once again, however, the home team found an equaliser shortly before half time through Armando Dobra. In the second half, Chesterfield's Jeff King was dismissed for a second yellow card, and Notts took advantage of its extra man in the 71st minute, when Adam Chicksen scored to secure a 2–1 away win.[111]

Notts scored four goals in each of its next three matches, starting in a 4–1 home victory over Barnet on 14 February.[112] Its next match, played at Yeovil Town on 18 February, was 1–1 as late as the 84th minute when the Magpies were awarded a penalty, duly converted by Rodrigues. Langstaff scored two goals in injury time to make the final score 4–1, in the process securing a hat-trick and his 30th goal of the season.[113] He extended his tally to 32 on 21 February, as Notts defeated Southend United 4–0 at Meadow Lane, with Sam Austin also scoring his first two league goals for the club.[114] Notts County's club record 25-game unbeaten run came to an end in its final match of February. Rodrigues gave the Magpies a 1–0 lead in the 21st minute against Dagenham & Redbridge at Meadow Lane; the Daggers, however, levelled through Ángelo Balanta ten minutes later. Notts had numerous second half chances, but found itself unable to regain the lead, and Dagenham found an 86th-minute winner through Inih Effiong.[115] On 28 February, Wrexham defeated Chesterfield 2–1 to win one of its games in hand on Notts County; as a result, the Magpies ended February in second place, with 83 points from 35 matches.[116]

In its first game in March, Notts was held to a 1–1 draw at Bromley, with Langstaff equalising for the Magpies in second-half injury time.[117] The team found itself 1–0 down in each of its next two matches, played at home against Dorking Wanderers and Eastleigh respectively, but rallied to win both games 3–1.[118][119] Notts fell three points behind Wrexham on 18 March. Langstaff gave his team a 1–0 lead in its match at Barnet, but the home side equalised shortly before half time, and the match finished 1–1.[120] Langstaff would score his 38th and 39th goals of the season on 25 March in a 4–0 home win over Scunthorpe United, in the process equalling the club record for most goals scored in a single season by an individual player.[121] The record was broken in Notts County's final game of the month, played at Altrincham's Moss Lane on 28 March. John Bostock caught the home side off guard with a quickly taken free kick, which Langstaff duly finished for his 40th goal of the season. Archie Mair saved a first half penalty from Altrincham's Regan Linney to keep the score at 1–0, and Rodrigues’ second half penalty for the away team made the final score 2–0.[122] This match was brought forward from 1 April due to Altrincham's involvement in the FA Trophy,[123] and Notts County's win allowed it to temporarily move into first place.[124] In its final match before facing Wrexham, Notts County defeated Wealdstone 3–0. Langstaff scored his 41st goal, this time breaking the National League record for most goals scored in a season.[125]

On 7 April, the same day Notts County defeated Wealdstone, Wrexham lost 3–1 at Halifax Town, its first defeat in 28 matches.[127] These results meant that, ahead of their meeting at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, on 10 April, the Magpies and Wrexham were tied on 100 points, although Wrexham had a game in hand.[125] Both teams had scored 106 goals, already surpassing the previous National League record, and both were six points away from bettering Crawley Town’s record 105-point haul; Wrexham had already equalled the previous record for most wins in a season with 31, and David Richardson of Sky Sports anticipated that both clubs would soon exceed it.[128] With only the league champions certain of winning promotion, and the runner-up facing the risk of not going up at all, interest in the match was considerable. BT Sport selected it for live television coverage,[129] and the game attracted international attention: "I haven’t slept since Christmas", Luke Williams told Rory Smith of The New York Times on the prospect of his team being forced into "the National League’s somewhat arcane and distinctly treacherous playoff system."[130]

The first half was goalless going into added-on time when Wrexham was penalised for a foul 25-yards from its own goal, and John Bostock put the Magpies 1–0 up from the subsequent free kick, which he swept into the top corner of the net. Wrexham was level through Paul Mullin shortly after half time, and the home side took a 2–1 lead in the 69th minute when Mullin sent a ball across the Notts penalty area and found Jacob Mendy. Wrexham's goalkeeper Ben Foster was forced into a fine save from Sam Austin minutes later, but Notts was level from the subsequent corner, with Kyle Cameron heading home after being left unmarked. Wrexham was soon ahead again, with Elliot Lee restoring its lead in the 78th minute. In the sixth minute of injury time, Notts was awarded a penalty for a handball in the area by Eoghan O'Connell. Foster saved the subsequent attempt from Cedwyn Scott, and Wrexham held on to win the match 3–2.[131][132]

In post-match interviews, Luke Williams conceded his team's chances of automatic promotion were now remote: "we had an opportunity to make it much more difficult for them, but I think now the momentum is with them and we have to try to apply maximum pressure by winning our remaining games." Of the penalty save, Williams remarked: "I would always back Cedwyn with his quality of strike to finish but he is up against a very good goalkeeper."[133] Reflecting on his free kick, John Bostock told reporters: "It's been a while since I've scored – but it's bittersweet…It was a big wall, honestly I think everyone in that wall was six three, six four, so I knew if I got it over that I knew I had a chance, but when it left my foot I felt like it was going in." On his team's prospects of a successful conclusion to the season, Bostock continued: "…football is full of twists and turns and either way, we have to go and make sure that our goal is complete at the end of the season, as champions or at Wembley."[134]

Notts County defeated Woking 3–0 at Meadow Lane in its next match, temporarily reducing the gap on Wrexham to one point following the latter's 0–0 draw at Barnet.[135][136] Wrexham, however, would defeat Yeovil Town 3–0 on 18 April to win its game in hand and move four points clear of Notts, meaning a victory in either of its two remaining matches would clinch the title.[137] That victory duly came on 22 April, when Wrexham beat Boreham Wood 3–1 at the Racecourse Ground.[138] That same day, Notts played its final away match of the season at already-relegated Maidstone United. The Magpies opened a 3–0 lead through Scott and two goals from Jim O’Brien, but the home team scored two second-half goals in quick succession to reduce the lead to 3–2. A Rodrigues free kick soon restored Notts County's two goal lead, before O’Brien's secured a hat-trick with a late penalty to seal a 5–2 win.[139] In its final match of the regular season, Notts County drew 1–1 with York City at Meadow Lane. Macaulay Langstaff scored his 42nd goal of the season in first-half injury time before York, who had still been threatened by relegation entering the match, secured its National League status through an 89th-minute equaliser.[140] Notts County ended the regular season in second place with 107 points from 46 matches, a points tally sufficient to have won the title in any National League season other than this one.[141]

Supporters invade the pitch in celebration following Notts County’s semi-final victory.

Notts County faced Boreham Wood in the play-off semi-final, the latter having beaten Barnet 2–1 in the quarter-final.[142] Notts had finished 35 points ahead of Boreham Wood in the league standings.[143] Despite this, Luke Williams anticipated a close match. He told reporters: "…on the day, we know that anything can happen and I don't think there is much difference between any of the teams that a fixture is a given."[144] Two days before the match, Boreham Wood signed Eastleigh goalkeeper Joe McDonnell on an emergency loan due to an injury sustained by first-choice goalkeeper Nathan Ashmore in the quarter-final.[145] Notts named the same starting eleven as its final regular season match against York City.[146]

The semi-final, played at Meadow Lane on 7 May, was attended by 15,617 spectators. The Magpies missed a series of chances during the first half, and its wastefulness was punished in the 37th minute when Femi Ilesanmi scored from close range to put Boreham Wood 1–0 up. Aden Baldwin then had two opportunities to equalize for Notts from long range, but Boreham Wood was able to double its lead when Lee Ndlouv pounced on a loose pass from John Bostock to Baldwin and found himself one-on-one with Sam Slocombe. The away team lead 2–0 at half time. Early in the second half, Baldwin's third long-range effort found the back of the net to reduce the deficit to 1–2. The Magpies then had opportunity to equalise when they were awarded a penalty for a foul on Rúben Rodrigues; Rodrigues, however, saw his shot saved by McDonnell. The match remained 1–2 until the sixth minute of injury time, when a powerful cross from substitute Jodi Jones met the head of Aden Baldwin, who directed the ball into the net to make the score 2–2. Both sides had chances in extra time, but the scores remained tied until the final minute, when Jones's speculative effort from the edge of the penalty area found its way past McDonnell. Notts County won the match 3–2.[147][146][148]

At full time, Notts County supporters poured onto the pitch in celebration.[146] Aden Baldwin's two goals were the first of his professional career.[147] Speaking to reporters after the match about his equalising goal, Baldwin said "it is one of the best feelings I have ever felt – for Jodi to cut in and hit it as hard as he did, I just needed to connect with it, which I did, and I had that realisation that we could only go on to win the game from there."[149] Jodi Jones’ goal was his first since October 2018; he had suffered from a series of anterior cruciate ligament injuries which had prevented him from playing for much of the intervening period.[150] Discussing the immediate aftermath of his goal, Jones told Ben Fisher of The Guardian "I remember trying to pull my shirt off; I was just so excited I didn’t know what to do. I saw all the bench coming towards me, the gaffer trying to chase me but he couldn’t keep up."[151] The win meant that Notts County qualified for the play-off final, played at Wembley Stadium the following Saturday.

Notts County players and supporters celebrate shortly after the play-off final’s conclusion.

Notts County faced Chesterfield (nicknamed the Spireites) in the final, the latter having beaten Bromley 3–2 in extra time in the semi-final.[152] This was Notts County's seventh match at Wembley Stadium following the 1990 Third Division play-off final, 1991 Second Division play-off final, 1994 Anglo-Italian Cup final, 1995 Anglo-Italian Cup final, 1996 Second Division play-off final and 2020 National League play-off final. Asked what a win would mean to the club after missing automatic promotion, Luke Williams said "we would feel some sort of justification, a sense of confirmation, that all our hard work paid off." He anticipated "a real huge clash between two very good teams for the level."[153] Williams named an unchanged starting eleven from that which had begun the semi-final.[154]

The match was played on 13 May, and was attended by 38,138 spectators,[155] about 22,000 of whom were Notts County supporters.[156] The Magpies had to defend an indirect free kick in their own penalty area in the opening moments of the game, after Sam Slocombe inadvertently took two touches of the ball following a goal kick. Slocombe saved the subsequent attempt from Jeff King, but the Notts goalkeeper gave away a penalty for a foul on Andrew Dallas shortly after, and Dallas put Chesterfield 1–0 up in the fifth minute. The Spireites retained their one-goal lead at half time. Notts County came close to equalising through Sam Austin and Connell Rawlinson during the second half, but the match remained 1–0 until the 88th minute. Awarded a free kick along the right-hand side, John Bostock caught Chesterfield goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons out of position and equalised for the Magpies at the near post. The match was 1–1 at full time.[155][157]

Chesterfield regained its lead early in the first half of extra time through Armando Dobra, who had time and space to place a shot past Slocombe. Macaulay Langstaff and Rawlinson both had opportunities to equalise for the Magpies, but the Spireites lead 2–1 at half time in extra time. Notts equalised early in the second half: Fitzsimons could only a clear a cross from Kyle Cameron as far as Rúben Rodrigues, whose bouncing volley looped into the back of the net. The match finished 2–2, meaning the second promoted club would be decided by a penalty shootout.[155][157] Late in extra time, Luke Williams had opted to substitute Sam Slocombe, who had not saved a penalty during the season, for Archie Mair, who had.[158] Ollie Banks scored the opening penalty for Chesterfield, and Macaulay Langstaff responded for Notts County. Archie Mair then saved Chesterfield's second attempt from Darren Oldaker, before Rúben Rodrigues put Notts County 2–1 up. Laurence Maguire and Jodi Jones both scored with their teams’ third attempts, before Mair made a full-length save to deny Jeff King with Chesterfield's fourth attempt. Bostock then had the opportunity to win the game for Notts County, but his attempted panenka hit the crossbar and Joe Quigley scored Chesterfield's fifth and final attempt. It was left to Cedwyn Scott to score Notts County's final kick, winning the shootout, game and promotion for the Magpies.[155][157]

Notts County won promotion despite leading its two play-off matches for a combined total of about one minute. In post-play-off final interviews, Luke Williams paid tribute to his team, saying "I've learned that when these guys look like they are done, they are not – they have another roll of the dice."[159] Williams credited the Notts goalkeeping coach Tom Weal for his role in Bostock's equaliser, revealing that, in pre-match preparations, Weal had noticed the Chesterfield goalkeeper's tendency to leave "big, big gaps" and had put this "in the mind of the players."[160] Bostock was able to joke about his penalty miss: "I thought it was crossbar challenge", he told BT Sport.[161] Bostock's miss meant the promotion-winning penalty kick was taken by Cedwyn Scott, who had seen his penalty saved in the decisive league match at Wrexham weeks earlier. Scott admitted that seeing his penalty saved had 'hit him hard' but that "the gaffer had a word with me and he was brilliant and backed me all the way, and I had full confidence in the team stepping up to take the penalty and gladly I put it away."[162]

The team broke numerous club records during the 2022–23 season.[170] Sam Allardyce's 1997–98 Third Division championship-winning team had held Notts County’s record for most points in a season (99) and fewest league defeats (5).[171] Its 2022–23 counterparts bettered both of these records, accumulating 107 points and being beaten only 3 times. The 32 wins achieved during 2022–23 surpassed the previous record of 30 held by Jimmy Sirrel's 1970–71 Fourth Division-championship winning team.[171] Between 24 September 2022 and 28 February 2023, Notts County was unbeaten in 25 league matches. This exceeded the previous record of 19 league matches, achieved between 26 April 1930 and 17 December 1930,[171] encompassing the final game of the 1929–30 season and first 18 of 1930–31.[172] In the latter season, Tom Keetley scored 39 goals for the Magpies as they won the Third Division South championship.[173] This stood as the record for most goals scored for Notts County by an individual player in a single season until beaten by Macaulay Langstaff's 42 goals during 2022–23. Langstaff also broke the previous National League record for goals in a season, beating Ricky Miller's 40 goals for Dover Athletic in 2016–17.[174] In total, the team scored 117 league goals during the 2022–23 season, 10 more than its 1959–60 counterparts and the previous record holder, which scored 107 times on its way to winning promotion as runners-up in the Fourth Division.[171]

A Notts County player was recognised as National League player of month four times during the 2022–23 season. Three of these awards were won by Macaulay Langstaff, who was player of the month for August, September and March.[77][76][175] Kyle Cameron was named player of the month for December.[176] Langstaff was awarded National League player of the year, while he and Cameron were also named in the National League’s team of the season, alongside their Notts County teammates Adam Chicksen, Matt Palmer and Rúben Rodrigues.[177] Luke Williams won manager of the month awards twice during the season, in October and March.[178][175]