Sam Slocombe has praised the support shown from the Notts County fans in their top of the table clash against Wrexham, with over 10,000 in attendance at Meadow Lane on Tuesday evening.
And the Magpies fans were treated to an end-to-end battle with Phil Parkinson's side, with Macaulay Langstaff's first half strike enough to send Notts to the top of the National League table.
The attendance figures from the midweek games on matchday 12 showed that Meadow Lane had the biggest crowd by some distance, with Oldham Athletic's encounter with Scunthorpe United the second highest, with 6074 in attendance at Boundary Park.
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And with football forced to play behind closed doors some 18 months ago, Slocombe explained why nights like these is what football is all about, reiterating that some clubs in the EFL struggle to get those numbers, even on weekend matches.
"We were watching the Marseille game before the warm-up and they had no fans there and we were just saying how 18 months this was us, and it wasn't a nice feeling.
"I was chatting to Steve Parkin before the game because I knew him from Scunthorpe, and we were talking about the atmosphere today and how it should be.
"10 to 12 thousand here today, there are not many teams in league football, League One and League Two who won't get anywhere near that and that is credit to the fans that are here.
"They come out wind, rain or shine don't they and show their support, but I am hoping most of time this season we can give back what they have given us."
Having joined the Magpies in 2019, Slocombe has asserted himself as the number one this season despite the arrival of Leicester City youngster Brad Young.
Both Vitezslav Jaros and Anthony Patterson were signed by Ian Burchnall last campaign, with the pair keeping Slocombe out of the team for parts of the season.
But when asked about being part of the Notts team who have looked so promising at the start of the season, Slocombe explained that every player in the squad has pressure from underneath then and explained a blend of motivation and competition at the club has enabled the Magpies to reach new heights this season.
"It is football isn't it," Slocombe said.
"Every single player in that team has pressure from underneath them, there is someone that wants your shirt and sometimes you are in the team, and sometimes you are not.
"I thought we had a very good chance when I first arrived here, we had a blend of experience and younger players, and the league maybe wasn't as strong.
"There have been a few strong teams in the league in the lats couple of seasons, but we are in a really positive position this year, it's great to be involved in it but it's not just the 11 on the pitch today.
"Geraldo has come on after 25 minutes and he was superb, and let's be frank, Jim was superb before he came off and has been very good this year, so that just shows what we have in the squad, not just in the team.
"I am happy to be in it, but we have players throughout the squad who are pushing for every opportunity, and I think that is what brings the best out of everyone because if they know they have a chance of playing, you have the motivation and competition, and it is a great combination."
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