Match ends, Swindon Town 3, Notts County 1.
Notts County have dropped out of the English Football League for the first time in their history after their final-day loss at Swindon Town.
The world's oldest professional league team and one of the Football League's founder members, Notts are arguably the biggest club to have ever suffered relegation to non-league.
The Magpies needed to win and hope relegation rivals Macclesfield Town lost to stay in League Two, but Sol Campbell's Silkmen drew 1-1 with Cambridge United, while County ultimately fell to defeat.
When Kane Hemmings put County ahead from the spot they looked set to survive - with Macclesfield a goal down at that time - but a Kaiyne Woolery strike and a Theo Robinson double for the Robins consigned the visitors to the fifth tier.
The Magpies were eight points from safety at the end of January but, when Hemmings converted his penalty after Craig Mackail-Smith was felled in the box, the 2,248 travelling fans believed a great escape was on.
Sam Stubbs headed over as Neal Ardley's side pushed for a second goal but it did not matter in the end as Macclesfield got the draw they needed and Swindon then completed a comeback victory.
Woolery slotted a leveller before Robinson pounced on a defensive mix-up to make it 2-1, with the striker turning home a corner to complete the scoring and ensure the Robins finish the season in 13th place.
End of an era for Magpies
Last month, manager Ardley described Notts County's 157-year history as an "extra burden" as they battled to stay up.
Ardley is one of three different managers to have taken charge of County during a tumultuous 2018-19 campaign, which has also seen the Magpies suffer financial problems off the pitch.
Former AFC Wimbledon boss Ardley took over in November after Harry Kewell's sacking, the ex-Liverpool midfielder having only replaced Kevin Nolan as manager 10 weeks earlier.
Under Nolan, Notts County reached the League Two play-offs last season and looked set for another promotion challenge - but they now find themselves preparing for life outside the EFL, having been one of 10 teams to have featured in every season since the formation of the League in 1888.
It is not even clear who will be at the helm in the National League, with owner Alan Hardy saying he had accepted an offer from a "very credible party" to buy the club, though Ardley has already said he wants to stay on at the club.
County are also due to be back in the High Court on 5 June, after a winding-up petition over an unpaid tax bill was adjourned last month.
Analysis
Charlie Slater, BBC Radio Nottingham's Notts County correspondent
"It is the end of an era and ultimately the darkest day in the football club's 157-year history, undoubtedly.
"The club will have to restructure and, unfortunately, an inevitable consequence of relegation could be that people will lose their jobs.
"From a football standpoint, it's the culmination of a season from hell. Only Notts County could start a campaign as promotion favourites and end it staring into the abyss of non-league.
"And there is no guarantee that they will bounce straight back up. As far as I am aware, only three teams in the past 15 years have managed immediate promotion following relegation from the EFL.
"Obviously they will hope any stay in non-league will be a short one but the fear is that the end of this era could prompt the start of a new one based largely outside of the league that for so long they have called home."
Line-ups
Swindon
Formation 4-3-3
- 23McCormick
- 2Knoyle
- 26Conroy
- 33Broadbent
- 29Koiki
- 3DoughtyBooked at 38minsSubstituted forMcGilpat 72'minutes
- 19CarrollSubstituted forTaylorat 78'minutes
- 37Bennett
- 22WoolerySubstituted forCurranat 90+2'minutes
- 35Robinson
- 10Anderson
Substitutes
- 6Lancashire
- 9Richards
- 12Henry
- 18House
- 31Taylor
- 34Curran
- 36McGilp
Notts County
Formation 3-5-2
- 27Schofield
- 16BrisleySubstituted forBoldewijnat 25'minutes
- 18Stubbs
- 3Bird
- 26Rose
- 8VaughanSubstituted forSteadat 72'minutes
- 21O'Brien
- 43Doyle
- 24Milsom
- 28Mackail-Smith
- 15Hemmings
Substitutes
- 1Fitzsimons
- 7Alessandra
- 10Gomis
- 11Boldewijn
- 25Evina
- 30Stead
- 33Dunn
- Referee:
- Steve Martin
- Attendance:
- 8,676
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home60%
- Away40%
- Shots
- Home10
- Away4
- Shots on Target
- Home7
- Away1
- Corners
- Home4
- Away7
- Fouls
- Home17
- Away15
Live Text
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Full Time
Second Half ends, Swindon Town 3, Notts County 1.
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Corner, Notts County. Conceded by Matthew Taylor.
Substitution
Substitution, Swindon Town. Taylor Curran replaces Kaiyne Woolery.
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Corner, Swindon Town. Conceded by Ryan Schofield.
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Attempt saved. Matthew Taylor (Swindon Town) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner.
Goal!
Goal! Swindon Town 3, Notts County 1. Theo Robinson (Swindon Town) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the top right corner following a corner.
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Kyle Bennett (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Mitch Rose (Notts County).
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Attempt missed. Matthew Taylor (Swindon Town) right footed shot from a difficult angle and long range on the left is close, but misses to the left from a direct free kick.
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Kaiyne Woolery (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Mitch Rose (Notts County).
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Foul by Kyle Bennett (Swindon Town).
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Enzio Boldewijn (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Theo Robinson (Swindon Town).
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Jim O'Brien (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Kyle Knoyle (Swindon Town) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Foul by Robert Milsom (Notts County).
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Foul by Theo Robinson (Swindon Town).
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Jim O'Brien (Notts County) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Comments
Join the conversation
If anything sums up your ignorance of the beautiful game, that was it.
Hope you come straight back up, Notts County.
what a country this is.
6 minutes ago
"As a Liverpool fan for 54 years I don’t remember any classic games against County (Forest, yes) - apologies if there were any.
So, sorry I don’t understand all these fake tears"
Well, being a glory-hunter you wouldn't understand.
I had a wheelbarrow..... etc.
famous club once....as was notts county to be fair :)
I was hoping they’d escape but they haven’t.
Hopefully they can bounce back next year and come back stronger.
The fans must be gutted but you will be back!