Is the dream turning into a nightmare for Notts County?

A few months ago I wrote a blog comparing the fortunes of England’s two Magpies – Newcastle and Notts County.

Back then Newcastle were in despair, mourning the loss of their Premier League status. Meanwhile, County were sky high, revelling in their new found wealth.

Their takeover in July, by the mysterious Munto Finance group, promised a bright future and lofty ambitions included Premier League football once more for the oldest league club in the world.

It got better.

Sven Goran Eriksson was dramatically introduced as director of football; the glamorous figurehead for what was to be a glorious revolution. The club heavily invested in new players, including Man City keeper Kasper Schmeichel and, now infamously, Sol Campbell.

They deserved to be taken seriously and with the media glare firmly focused on the club, they began to outgrow their lowly League Two status.

But League Two is where they currently reside, like it or not, and for Campbell it proved too much. A defeat against Morecambe on his debut proved the tipping point for the former Arsenal defender, who asked to be released from his contract, citing broken promises over new signings.

It proved embarrassing for the Magpies, with their marquee player calling it quits, but with Eriksson and manager Roy McFarland guiding the team, things still looked bright.

Then questions began to be raised about the true identity of the club's owners. Newspapers began to question the validity of the takeover and the FA met to discuss the ownership issue. They are still to ratify it officially.

The uncertainty continued on the pitch when, after a 2-2 draw with Torquay, manger Roy McParland was sacked. Then, just a week after rejecting overtures from North Korea, Eriksson emerged as the favourite in the international football odds for the Sweden national job.

It has proved to be another negative headline story in what has been a frantic, turbulent and unpredictable few months for the Nottingham club. If Eriksson departed, it would seriously damage the club's reputation and the credibility of its mysterious owners.

For a club that has battled for its very survival in recent years, it may be wrong to say the dream has turned into a nightmare just yet. But if the rumours and scandal continue much longer, I imagine many County fans will wish the takeover never happened.

As for the other Magpies? Well, with the hangover of relegation successfully eased, they sit joint top of the Championship and look well set for an automatic promotion push.

How things change.