Neil Warnock, a month shy of his 43^rd birthday was today 29 years ago, only two years into his reign at Notts County having guided the Magpies with back-to-back promotions from the third tier of English football to the top flight and alongside the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.

The Sheffield born man had previously taken Scarborough into the Football League, the first ever team ‘promoted’ from the Conference by winning their league. Between 1987 and 1991 Warnock had ‘already’ managed in all five of the top divisions of English football. I wonder if anyone else has ever done that so quick?

Notts gained promotion to the First Division after beating Brighton & Hove Albion in the playoff final at Wembley. Tommy Johnson the star of the show with goals either side of half time. The first a glancing header from a corner, the second a low drive from the left wing that slipped under goalkeeper Perry Digweed’s arms. The huge chest of Dave Regis adding a third at the back post for Notts in black and white stripes with amber sleeves before Dean Wilkins prodded home little more than a consolation in the final minute for Brighton, dressed in a rather epileptic pink and white number which looked like a washed down version of the USSR 1988 shirt, perhaps the old Soviet State kit man had mixed in the home shirts with the away before sending them in a package to the Goldstone Ground?

Magpies fans that day can still remember the echoes of the Brighton supporters singing “Neil Warnock’s Chelsea Army” as rumours at the time were that County’s Manager would jump ship from his Nottingham base to join a team who had just finished eleventh in the old first division.

Warnock however would stay at Notts, in turning down a lucrative offer from Ken Bates at Stamford Bridge, he would instead guide the Magpies to their first season in the top flight since the days of Jimmy Sirrel and Howard Wilkinson, all be it, not that long ago.

Notts started with a trip to Old Trafford in a match that is remembered fondly by Manchester United fans as the debut of Peter Schmeichel. A 2-0 win for Alex Ferguson’s men thanks to a goal before half time ironically credited to Mark Hughes through the history books despite the Welshman never getting near Alan Paris’s glorious diving header into his own net. Paris that day tormented by Andrei Kanchelskis in a game he would probably like to forget, at least history forgot about his goal and credited it to someone else… (not us)… No doubt about Bryan Robson’s second however. Shortly after half time ‘Robbo’ struck an unstoppable volley from outside the box to crash off the bar and leave poor old Steve Cherry standing for one of the greatest goals the former England captain had ever scored. “That’s why we call him Captain Marvel” said those in the Stretford End.

The most upsetting news that day was poor Don O’Riordan exiting just after half time due to what looked a horrific achilles injury, The Irishman had played a key cog in County’s promotion campaigns under Warnock and losing him on day one was a major blow on the teams upcoming season at the highest level. A cultured footballer by then in his thirties, was one that sat in front of the back four offering dependable protection and assurance.

Despite the loss of O’Riordan to injury the Magpies didn’t have to wait long until their first win of the campaign. Three days after opening day defeat against United they hosted Southampton at Meadow Lane and a Dean Yates goal in the first half of the match was enough to secure all three points. Onto the next one, and the small matter of cross-river rivals Nottingham Forest and the derby.

The least said about the match against Nottingham Forest the better for County fans who instead much prefer to remember their more recent meeting at the Lane. 24^th August 1991 has long been forgotten, erased from history, don’t mention the score. 12^th February 1994 has much more significance.

A thumping defeat against Forest would at least kick County into some sort of retaliation and performances improved for Warnock and his ever-learning team against Chelsea, a 2-2 draw at the Bridge, before wins against West Ham, 2-0 at Upton Park and Sheffield Wednesday, 2-1 at Meadow Lane.

By now Notts were establishing themselves in the Division and in Kevin Bartlett and Tommy Johnson they had players with power and pace to unlock doors. A young Mark Draper in midfield pulling strings whilst the no-nonsense duo of Dean Yates and Craig Short as centre halves would kick everything (including player, ball, shin pads) out of sight.

Notts lost to Graeme Souness’s Liverpool 2-1 in a match they took the lead in at Meadow Lane, Tommy Johnson trying his luck from the opposite flank to where he scored against Brighton in the playoff final, this time cutting in from the right but to the same effect, the ball slipping low under Bruce Grobbelaar’s arms for a third league goal of the season for the Ginger Geordie. It was a game Notts slowly ‘believed’ they could win but as Liverpool pushed for a leveller late on, Ian Rush caused chaos with just twenty minutes remaining to cross to the back post where Mike Marsh would head down for substitute Ronnie Rosenthal to volley home. The Israeli would then turn into Diego Maradona as his mazy run from the half way line with just two minutes left saw him carve past a number of County players before being brought down by Richard Dryden. Not even Steve Cherry throwing the ball at the head of Rush could distract Mark Walters who stepped up and coolly slotted home the winning penalty. A blow for Notts who deserved more.

A week later The Magpies lost 1-0 at Coventry and that defeat lead Warnock to go out and sign striker Paul Rideout for a then record £250,000 fee. Rideout would later state Warnock’s “coaching and training were outdated” little wonder the former England U21 striker lasted only eleven games scoring just three goals.

Two of Rideout’s three goals would come in his first two games. A 3-1 win at Sheffield United where Kevin Bartlett scored two before netting in a 2-2 draw with Norwich.

A 1-1 draw at Luton would see Notts end September in mid-table. October however was far less forgiving.

Notts lost to Manchester City and crashed out of the League Cup over two legs to Port Vale, a 4-2 defeat at home to Leeds was followed by a 2-0 loss at Arsenal, the Magpies slipping down the table towards inevitable danger.

On the 2^nd November 1991, Notts County would beat Oldham Athletic 2-0 at Meadow Lane thanks to a third and final goal in black and white for Paul Rideout before a seventh of the season from Tommy Johnson saw Warnock’s men home. Hope that a partnership was beginning to establish however, would soon evaporate as rumours on Rideout’s future lay uncertain.

Four straight defeats took Notts into the Christmas period staring at relegation and within the danger zone of the bottom three. Warnock’s side improved over the festivities with a draw against Southampton at the Dell whilst wins against Chelsea and West Ham gave the Magpies fans confidence that ‘survival can be achieved’. Then came then news that Derek Pavis wanted to sell the unsettled Paul Rideout. The wantaway striker had been touted to Rangers, after losing to Crystal Palace on New Years Day and just 24 hours before Notts were due to visit Forest in the big Nottingham derby, Rideout was gone. Sold, Pavis at least doubled his money within three months, Rideout going for £500,000 with Manager and his Chairman’s relationship frosty ever since, Warnock stating “If I could buy back Paul Rideout for half a million quid I would” little did the Manager know the striker wasn’t so keen on playing under him again.

The sale of Rideout was considered by many as the reason Notts went down as the Magpies went fifteen games without a win between January and April. By the time they beat Coventry thanks to a Kenny Sansom own goal they were doomed, they had already sold star player Tommy Johnson to Derby for over a million quid too, by now content with taking money for assets and crashing back down a division where they’ll simply try again. Back-to-back wins saw victory against Norwich by a single Rob Matthews goal. Defeats against Sheffield United and Manchester City were icings on the unwanted cake.

At least Notts however finished in style, a last match in the top flight at Meadow Lane recorded a 2-1 win against Luton with two Rob Matthews goals. Little would anyone expect in 30 years time Notts would still not be back. Ironically Rob Matthews, the last goalscorer to net for Notts in the top flight of English football was back then signed in 1992 on a free transfer from Loughborough University. The United Counties League side are today in step nine of the English football pyramid, which is the same amount of divisions away from Notts County as the Magpies are from the Premier Division.

Neil Warnock would eventually leave second tier Notts in 1993, replaced by Mick Walker after over 200 league games in charge. No Manager since has lasted longer at Meadow Lane, wonders if Paul Rideout had stayed, would Warnock and Notts have enjoyed Premier League football together? Had they not hastily sold Paul Rideout who memorably would go on to score an FA Cup winning goal for Everton, perhaps Derek Pavis and his club would also have lined those pockets considerably more too?

*Main image @D98Red Mark Draper taking on Andrei Kanchelskis as County play United.