2004/2005 Preview - Notts County

LAST SEASON

Not a good one for the league's oldest club - they were relegated from the second division to, errrr, the second division. Or is that the third?

WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN UP TO THIS SUMMER?

Plenty of action at meadow Lane this summer both through the doors marked entrance and exit.

Out have gone Paul Heffman (Bristol City), Nick Fenton (Doncaster), Tony Barras (Macclesfield), Ian Barroclough (Scunthorpe), Stuart Garden (Ross County), Kevin Nicholson, Simon Baldry, Frazer McHugh, Paul Riley and Mark Briggs.

Making up the numbers so far have been the new additions in Mike Edwards, Mike Whitlow, Julian Baudet, Gavin Gordon, Glynn Hurst, Chris Palmer and Rob Ullathorne.

WHO ARE THEIR FAMOUS FANS?

Kenneth Clarke is a Notts County fan. He used to be chancellor you know. Also in the celebrity box at Notts County is Billy Ivory the actor and Andrew McKenna, a presenter on Talksport.

5 THINGS YOU DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT NOTTINGHAM

1. No guide to Nottingham would be complete without mentioning their fetish for dressing in all green outfits, including tights. I blame Robin Hood personally although David Icke has a lot to take responsibility for as well.

2. In a residents own words: "If you can fight your way through the rivers of p ss and past the drunken slappers who want to maul every man in sight, Saturday night in Nottingham is better than anything Leicester or Derby has to offer"

3. Camp TV presenter Dale Winton used to live there - apparantely he hated it - whether that has anything to do with the slappers mentioned above I will leave to your imagination.

4. A BBC report "101 things to do in Nottingham" revealed that in 101st place you should don your 70s outfits and head to Flares on Upper Parliment Street.

5. First on the list is learn the Nottingham lingo. As, explained on bbc.co.uk: "No stay in Nottingham would be complete without learning the lingo, from air-dow to me duck, the Nottingham dialect is a language all of its own! So owd yer sweat and ah'll gi'e yuh sum pol-thompson if yuh n't careful!"

ARE WE ANY GOOD AGAINST NOTTS COUNTY?

68 meetings have seen the Swans emerge as winners on 29 occasions and Notts County on 23. It's a century of goals for the Swans against the Magpies with 103 to their 93. Despite their record, the Swans have only won 2 of the last 12 - Notts County have won 7 in the same period. For the full list of results, click here

WHEN DO WE PLAY THEM?

18th December is the game at the Vetch whilst a trip to Nottingham beckons for the Swans on 5th March.

IF I WANT TO FIND OUT MORE WHERE DO I GO?

New to the division this season so we recommend a look at NottsCounty.net by clicking the banner below

WHAT ARE THEIR CHANCES NEXT SEASON?

They start the season as favourites and in fairness I think they can probably justify that tag - promotion joy next May for the Cobblers, every chance for it to be as champions.

Why not check out the latest Vetch Verdict on the BBC site?