Wes Morgan, Jermaine Pennant, David McGoldrick and Leon Best all came through Notts County’s youth ranks… And the man behind nurturing and developing a generation of young talent at Meadow Lane was Brian Bates.
A former flying winger with over 140 appearances for Notts in the 60s, Bates returned to Meadow Lane to set up the club’s Centre of Excellence in the late 90s.
And in the latest edition of The Magpie Circle podcast, Bates reflects on those times at Meadow Lane.
He recalls how Morgan was unlucky to be released by Notts after being viewed as ‘a little overweight’.
“Wes was unlucky, I wanted to keep him but the view was that he should be released.
“I was delighted for him that he went on to join Forest and carve out a hugely successful career for himself.”
Another outstanding talent was Jermaine Pennant.
And Bates has fond memories of having to get Pennant out of bed to go training on more than one occasion.
“I’d often have to walk over from Meadow Lane to go into The Meadows and get Jermaine out of bed.
“His timekeeping wasn’t great but he was always a fantastic talent.”
Thursday 18th March 2021
- Brian Bates – A Creator of Excellence (The Magpie Circle)
*Main image @Official_NCFC Brian Bates the man behind so many stories for young Notts players.
