Newport sit top of the table ahead of their visit to the Innocent New Lawn. They are 4 points ahead of Rovers with a game in hand.
Newport’s strike force of Tristan Abrahams, Scott Twine and veteran Padraig Amond have been their main threats so far this season amassing 16 goals between them in all competitions. They lost at home to Cheltenham and away at Cambridge this season but, other than this, they have 9 league wins and 2 draws in the campaign so far. Their most recent league outing was a 1-1 draw at home to Walsall.
One familiar face to look out for is Welshman Liam Shephard who moved to Newport this season.
Newport have become known for FA Cup runs in recent years (beating Leicester, Middlesborough and Leeds and worrying – but eventually losing to – Tottenham and Manchester City). The Exiles have a 2nd round home tie against Salford City on 27th November, so there may be another chapter of Cup success this season.
Newport are one of only 2 EFL clubs that are majority owned by their fans (Exeter City are the other). The club finished bottom of the 4th tier in 1988 which meant relegation to the Conference and the end of a 60 year stay in the EFL. The following year they went out of business and were expelled from the Conference for failing to fulfill their fixtures. A group of supporters then reformed the club and they were admitted into the Hellenic League (4 divisions below the EFL). It was at this time that they became known as The Exiles as they were unable to play at their Newport home and had to play their fixtures in Moreton in the Marsh, Gloucestershire during the 1989/90 season. They finally made their way back into the EFL at the start of the 2013/14 season.
If you wondered where the ‘County’ came from, they were originally known as The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club, which got shortened.
