# 2026–27 Notts County F.C. season
The **2026–27 Notts County F.C. season** is the club's first campaign in [EFL League One](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-league-one), England's third tier, since winning promotion through the 2025–26 League Two play-offs, and it is being played under manager Martin Paterson.[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) • [2](https://theanalyst.com/articles/league-two-predictions-opta-supercomputer-2026-27)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Division | EFL League One (third tier), Notts County's first season at this level since promotion via the 2025–26 League Two play-offs[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) • [2](https://theanalyst.com/articles/league-two-predictions-opta-supercomputer-2026-27) |
| Promotion | Won the 2025–26 League Two play-off final 3–0 against Salford City[2](https://theanalyst.com/articles/league-two-predictions-opta-supercomputer-2026-27) |
| Manager / captain | Martin Paterson; on-pitch captain Jacob Bedeau[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) |
| League form (first 7 matches) | 1 win, 4 draws, 2 losses, 7 points (1.00 per game), 20th of 24; 7 goals scored, 9 conceded[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) |
| Cup results | EFL Cup: lost the first round to Burnley on a penalty shoot-out after a 1–1 draw; EFL Trophy: lost 2–0 at Reading on 19 September 2026[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) • [3](https://www.besoccer.com/team/matches/notts-county) |
| Key transfer | Sold star striker Alassana Jatta in the summer, with recruitment run through the club's statistics-based model[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/12/league-one-2026-27-preview-the-contenders-hopefuls-and-strugglers) |
| Pre-season projection | A 12% chance of reaching the League One play-offs in one scorecasting model[5](https://www.economicsobservatory.com/scorecasting-the-football-league-what-prospects-for-the-2026-27-season) |
## Background: promotion through the play-offs
Notts County entered the 2026–27 season as one of the three teams promoted out of League Two at the end of 2025–26, alongside Milton Keynes Dons as champions-elect and the play-off route.[5](https://www.economicsobservatory.com/scorecasting-the-football-league-what-prospects-for-the-2026-27-season) The club's route was the play-offs: after finishing in the top four, County beat Salford City 3–0 in the final at Wembley, a defeat that cost Salford manager [Karl Robinson](https://www.edgepedia.org/karl-robinson) his job.[2](https://theanalyst.com/articles/league-two-predictions-opta-supercomputer-2026-27) • [6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/bromley-vs-leicester-and-10-more-things-to-look-forward-to-in-the-efl-this-season)
## Summer transfer business
The Guardian's League One preview described County's summer recruitment as aligned with the club's statistics-based model, but noted that signing two players who had been relegated from League Two, among others, suggested the play-off winners were in for a battle, particularly after selling star striker Alassana Jatta.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/12/league-one-2026-27-preview-the-contenders-hopefuls-and-strugglers) One departure confirmed elsewhere was midfielder Oliver Norburn, described as a key member of the promoted side, who joined Oldham Athletic.[7](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/league-two-2026-27-preview-contenders-hopefuls-strugglers)
## Early-season results
County opened the competitive season on 8 August 2026 away to Burnley in the [EFL Cup](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-cup) first round, drawing 1–1 before losing the tie on penalties after extra time; the side lined up in a 5-3-2 formation under captain Jacob Bedeau in front of 10,272 spectators.[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) The league campaign began the following Saturday, 15 August, with a 1–1 home draw against newly relegated Leicester City, a fixture billed as one of the Foxes' unwanted new local rivalries, played before a crowd of 17,172.[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) • [6](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/bromley-vs-leicester-and-10-more-things-to-look-forward-to-in-the-efl-this-season)
Through the first seven league matches County recorded one win, four draws and two defeats, leaving them 20th in the table on 7 points with a goal difference of −2, and the most recent result was a 1–2 home loss to Oxford United.[1](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions) Cup football brought an early [EFL Trophy](https://www.edgepedia.org/efl-trophy) exit, 2–0 away to Reading on 19 September 2026.[3](https://www.besoccer.com/team/matches/notts-county) The club's own match coverage records a 2–1 league win over Grimsby Town on 23 September 2026.[8](https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/)
## Outlook and projections
Pre-season models treated County as a mid-table or play-off outsider side rather than a promotion favorite. One scorecasting analysis gave the club a 12% chance of reaching the League One play-offs, against 26% for fellow promoted side Milton Keynes Dons.[5](https://www.economicsobservatory.com/scorecasting-the-football-league-what-prospects-for-the-2026-27-season)
## References
1. [2026-2027 Notts County Scores and Fixtures, FBref](https://fbref.com/en/squads/3b27de1f/2026-2027/matchlogs/all_comps/schedule/Notts-County-Scores-and-Fixtures-All-Competitions)
2. [League Two Predictions 2026-27: The Opta Supercomputer Projections, Opta Analyst](https://theanalyst.com/articles/league-two-predictions-opta-supercomputer-2026-27)
3. [Notts County fixtures and latest results, BeSoccer](https://www.besoccer.com/team/matches/notts-county)
4. [League One 2026-27 preview: the contenders, hopefuls and strugglers, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/12/league-one-2026-27-preview-the-contenders-hopefuls-and-strugglers)
5. [Scorecasting the Football League: what prospects for the 2026/27 season?, Economics Observatory](https://www.economicsobservatory.com/scorecasting-the-football-league-what-prospects-for-the-2026-27-season)
6. [Bromley vs Leicester and 10 more things to look forward to in the EFL this season, FourFourTwo](https://www.fourfourtwo.com/competition/bromley-vs-leicester-and-10-more-things-to-look-forward-to-in-the-efl-this-season)
7. [League Two 2026-27 preview: the contenders, hopefuls and strugglers, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/aug/11/league-two-2026-27-preview-contenders-hopefuls-strugglers)
8. [Notts County Football Club, official site](https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football competitions and records › Seasons and editions › Club seasons › English lower league club seasons*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 11, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license