NOTTS COUNTY’S 131-year membership of the Football League has come to a heartbreaking end. The Magpies – a founder member of the EFL in 1888 – were today relegated to the National League after losing 3-1 at Swindon. They needed to win and hope that Sol Campbell’s Macclesfield lost against Cambridge. Macclesfield drew in the […]
NOTTS COUNTY’S 131-year membership of the Football League has come to a heartbreaking end.
The Magpies – a founder member of the EFL in 1888 – were today relegated to the National League after losing 3-1 at Swindon.
They needed to win and hope that Sol Campbell’s Macclesfield lost against Cambridge.
Macclesfield drew in the end – but County threw away a 1-0 lead as their escape bid failed.
Kane Hemmings’ rifled home from the spot after 51 minutes after Craig Mackail-Smith was hacked down by Tom Broadbent.
But two goals in five minutes from Kaiyne Woolery (69) and Theo Robinson (74) turned the game on its head.
Robinson added a third in injury time.
Nearly 2,300 County fans made the trip to Wiltshire and they went wild when news filtered through that Macclesfield had fallen behind.
And they were in dream land when Hemmings converted from the spot.
Sam Stubbs should have put them 2-0 up but headed off target from close range.
County became the third former top-flight side to be relegated into non-league following Luton and Oxford.
Next season the club – who averaged more than 7,000 fans this season, the third highest in League Two – they will be taking on the likes of Boreham Wood and Sutton.
