22 March 1866 - The First Trentside Derby

On 22 March 1866, Nottingham Forest and Notts County played each other for the first time in a match that also happened to be Forest's first official game.

Forest were originally organized to play shinty, a stick-based game similar to hockey. But in 1865, J. S. Scrimshaw proposed that the club switch to football. The players met at the Clinton Arms on Shakespeare Street and voted in favor of the switch.

The following year, for their first official match, they scheduled a friendly with fellow Trentside club Notts County. Although Notts County were the more experienced club, having been founded in 1962, that experience did not translate into an advantage and the match ended as a scoreless draw.

Since then, the two teams have played a total of 94 times in the league, FA Cup, and League Cup, resulting in 40 wins for Forest, 30 for Notts County, and 24 draws.

12 September 1964 - A Red Letter Day

On 12 September 1964, Football League referees handed out a single-day record six red cards.

Of those, only one occurred in the top flight, as Leicester City playmaker David Gibson was sent off in a 3-2 loss at Leeds United. Meanwhile, in Division Two, Newcastle's Ron McGarry and Coventry City's Brian Wood were both ejected in a match Newcastle won 2-0.

Division Four had most of the day's ejections, with Aldershot's Dick Renwick seeing red in a scoreless draw with Notts County, while Stockport County's Ian Sandiford and Torquay United full back Colin Bettany were sent off in a match that Torquay won 1-0.

22 July 2009 - The Prodigal Son Returns, Then Leaves Again

On 22 July 2009, Notts County introduced Sven-Göran Eriksson as their new director of football. It marked a return to England for the Swede, who had previously managed the English national team and Manchester City, but it did not last long.

Eriksson, who had enjoyed success as a manager in Sweden, Portugal, and Italy before taking the England job in 2001, had just finished a disappointing 8-month stint in charge of Mexico's national team, promised big things for Notts County, then in League Two. According to Eriksson, the club's new owners, a Middle Eastern finance consortium, were determined to send Notts County to the Premier League. They demonstrated their commitment by signing a couple of high-profile players in Manchester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel and Portsmouth center back Sol Campbell.

But although Eriksson signed a 5-year deal with Notts County worth a reported £2 million per year, the situation darkened quickly. Campbell left the club in September after making only one appearance. In November 2009, an unpaid tax bill prompted the Football League to open an investigation into the club's new ownership structure, resulting in the new owners selling the club that December. Then, in February 2010, Eriksson resigned. (It wasn't all bad for County, though, who went on to win promotion to League 1 for the 2010-11 season.)

Eriksson moved on to manage the Côte d'Ivoire national team in the 2010 World Cup, then returned to England once more in October 2010 as manager of Leicester City.

1 March 1980 - Look Away, Dixie

On 1 March 1980, Everton's greatest goalscorer Dixie Dean died of a heart attack at Goodison Park while watching his former club battle to a 2-2 draw with Merseyside rivals Liverpool. He was described by Bill Shankly as "the greatest center forward there will ever be."

Born William Dean in Birkenhead, across the Mersey River from Liverpool, in 1907, Dixie got his professional start in 1923 with Birkenhead club Tranmere Rovers, then in the Third Division. He stayed with Tranmere less than two seasons before moving to the First Division with Everton in 1924. Dominating in the air, he was an instant success for the Toffees, scoring 33 goals in his first full season.

Dean, however, was just warming up. Sidelined briefly in the 1926-27 season due to a skull fracture caused by a motorcycle accident, he still managed to find the back of the net 36 times, including twelve in five appearances for the English national team. In 1927-28, he scored an English record 60 league goals for Everton, including a hat-trick in the final match of the season to push him past the previous record of 59, set by Middlesbrough's George Camsell the previous season. He stayed with Everton until 1937, by which time he had scored a total of 383 goals for Everton in all competitions and helped them to two League titles (1928, 1932) and one FA Cup (1933).

After leaving Everton, Dean played briefly for Notts County (1938-39) and Sligo Rovers (1939). Although injuries had taken their toll on his form, he still managed to net 10 times for Sligo in seven appearances, including five in one match.

In 2001, Everton erected a statue of Dean outside the stadium. His number 9 shirt is regarded with honor by the club, having been worn subsequently by Toffee greats Tommy Lawson and Dave Hickson. It is currently worn by Landon Donovan, on loan from the LA Galaxy.

21 September 1968 - The Magpies Hit Bottom

On 21 September 1968, Notts County suffered a 0-3 home loss to Swansea City in the ninth week of the Division Four season. The defeat dropped the Magpies to the bottom of the Division Four table.

Notts County is widely recognized as the oldest professional association football club in the world, with a founding date of 1862. In 1888, Notts County joined eleven other clubs to found the Football League. The club struggled early and were relegated to Division Two in 1893. They did enjoy some success in the FA Cup, however, making the Final in 1891 and winning it in 1894.

The Magpies returned to the top flight in 1897 and spent the majority of the pre-WWI years in Division One, but after the war, they again slid back into the lower tiers, spending lengthy spells in Division Three. By the time they played Swansea City on 21 September 1968, Notts County had spent the previous four years in Division Four, the Football League's lowest tier. The loss to Swansea marked the nadir of the Magpies' fortunes, signifying a drop from Football League founder to the bottom the entire Football League organization.

Notts County avoided relegation, finishing in 19th place out of 24 teams. In 1969, the club appointed Jimmy Sirrel as manager and he orchestrated the club's climb back through the higher divisions. They made it back to Division One in 1981.

The club has since returned to the lower divisions, having last played in the top flight in 1992. They currently play in the League's fourth tier.