Former Notts County manager Martin Allen believes he could have won promotion with the Magpies before being sacked in February 2012 with the club 11th in League One.

Allen left Barnet to move to Meadow Lane just three games into his second spell in charge of the Bees in 2011.

But after saving the world’s oldest league club from relegation at the end of that season, was sacked the following campaign with County eight points off the play-off places.

The 50-year-old has won titles with Barnet and Gillingham since and, speaking to Barnet Player, said he could’ve done the same with the Magpies if given the time.

“It’s a shame the two championships I’ve had since I left Notts County weren’t at Notts County for those supporters,” said Allen. “I was confident we would have been able to put together a team with some good young players there that would have been able to get into the Championship.”

Allen, who spent ten months at the helm at County, had only good things to say about his time with the club, though.

He said: “I’ve got a lot of friends there and a couple of nice people who looked after me really well. A couple of the players are still there so it will be nice to see them after.

“The escape from relegation when I first went there will always be special. I was very disappointed to leave but the owner, Mr Trew, looked after me properly and sorted my contract out within a week so I will always have proper respect for him.

“I always look out for their results and their supporters were great to me. They really got behind me and supported me and I think they knew I had a lot of dead wood I wanted to get rid of.”

Click here for Martin Allen's thoughts on this evening's trip to Meadow Lane.