Record Breakers

Senior internal communications manager Paul Smith has written the definitive account of his beloved Notts County’s historic 1997/98 season.

Record Breakers: The Inside Story of Notts County's Momentous 1997/98 Title Win delves into the inner sanctum of a basement-league dressing room in the 90s, as its inhabitants attempt to write themselves into the history books.

The season came off the back of a truly calamitous campaign in 1996-97 that saw Notts County embark on a record 20-match winless run and suffer relegation to the basement division for the first time since the 1960s.

Led by then future England boss Sam Allardyce, taking some of his first managerial steps, Record Breakers is the inspirational tale of how the world's oldest Football League club fought back from a plunge down the divisions, falling attendances and financial strife to become the first side in post-war English football to win a title in March.

The momentous feat is relived by the players themselves, lending a unique insight into their record run. It's packed with characters and anecdotes, and augmented with memories of supporters who lived through this season of tumbling records.

From training ground punch-ups to transfer tales and unforgettable celebrations, Record Breakers is a remarkable winners' story in what now seems a bygone era.

Paul is the author of Pie in the Sky, on the club's 2009/10 title victory. A Notts County fan of more than 20 years and a journalist for a decade, Paul has written for The Sun, Daily Mirror and Football League Paper, and previously worked for the Lincolnshire Echo and Grimsby Telegraph. He reports for The Sportsman and is a regular contributor to the Notts blog Gerrit Forward.

Record Breakers: The Inside Story of Notts County's Momentous 1997/98 Title Win will be on sale from Wednesday 1 August. Click here to pre-order your copy today.