THE old host the young on Saturday, as Aldershot Town (1992) travel to Notts County, the oldest professional club.

County, founded in 1862, had 64 years on Aldershot’s original football club, let alone the current incarnation.

And, talking of the old, County’s famous black-and-white magpie stripes were even taken up by The Old Lady of Turin — Juventus — from early in the 1900s.

Jumping forward to the present day, there will be an element of the old versus the young on Saturday, too.

County are likely to start with a splattering of Football League veterans — boasting many Premiership appearances to boot — including Russell Hoult in goal and defenders Michael Johnson and Jamie Clapham.

Gary Waddock’s Aldershot, by contrast, especially with Ricky Newman serving the second of a three-match ban, have no such lofty experience.

The records of the two teams in League Two this season are very different too. Last weekend County set a club record of a sixth successive league draw — they drew nearly 20 games last season as well — and are one of only three teams not to win a League Two match so far this season.

Aldershot, on the other hand, have won four games out of seven and have just the one draw to their name, six weeks ago, at home to AFC Bournemouth. On the back of those results, The Shots are currently 11 places and seven points clear of County.

But, putting the contrasts aside, the two sides’ records can also suggest that Saturday's clash at Meadow Lane will be a tight affair.

County, after all, are unbeaten at home in the league. Neither Shrewsbury Town nor Darlington could win there. Aldershot may have won away at Accrington Stanley on the opening day but have since lost their next two away games in the league, at Shrewsbury and Luton Town. County, incidentally, drew 1-1 at Luton in August.

Waddock, for one, is expecting another tough away day. “People can talk about County being without a win — but Luton were without a home win in the league when we went there. And we lost.

“We know we will be in for a very difficult game. Any game at this level is tough but County have a nice stadium, plenty of fans and an awful lot of history. It’s not so long ago that they were much higher up in the Football League.”

Indeed, when Aldershot FC went bust in 1992, County were playing their football in Division One, a season before it became The Premiership. Although, perhaps more indicative of how fast things can change in football is that, three seasons before that, Aldershot and County were locking horns together in the old Division Three (modern day League One).

Not that Waddock believes that there is anything to worry about with his side’s away form. “We’ve simply stepped up a level. Last year we won a huge amount of games away from home but at this level teams are more organised, quicker and stronger.

“But, having said that, we should have got something from the Shrewsbury game and, but for the [Newman] sending-off, you could say the same about the Luton game.

“We are fine and we will approach this game just like any other. We will go there looking for the three points — but we will certainly respect County too.”

Given Aldershot’s unhealthy habit of letting in late goals this season, they should possibly watch out for Sean Canham in particular. The young striker has come off the bench in County’s last two games, at Exeter City and Accrington Stanley, to score last-minute equalisers.

Canham must be pushing hard for a start, with the front pair of journeymen strikers, Jamie Forrester and Delroy Facey, who both joined County in the summer, under pressure. Facey is yet to score for his new club.

Manager Ian McParland was a contemporary of Waddock’s on the pitch and spent several years at County as a player. Club captain Johnson hails from Nottingham and Hoult, who just a few years ago was being touted as an England candidate when in goal for West Bromwich Albion, is another with a heart from the heart of England. Born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, he has played for all four of the big East Midlands clubs — Nottingham Forest, Derby County, Leicester City and County.

So, there should be plenty of spirit in the County squad. It will also be an emotional day for County as a club, given that Jimmy Sirrel, their greatest-ever manager - as revered on the north bank of the River Trent as Brian Clough is at Forest on the south - died today (Thursday) aged 86.

Sirrel had three spells as manager of The Magpies and is most famous for his spell from 1977-82, when he won promotion back to the top flight - and kept them there for three seasons - for the first time in the club's history since 1926. In that spell he brought another Scot to the club: McParland. The current manager, then a striker, went on to score nearly 100 goals for The Magpies.

County's flag was flying at half mast in honour of Sirrel this afternoon and Saturday's match will no doubt feature a minute's respect to Sirrel before kick-off. Aldershot are appropriate opponents; Sirrel played and coached at the Recreation Ground in the 1950s. A stand is named after Sirrel at Meadow Lane and, given his links to both clubs, it is a nice touch of fate that Aldershot's fans will be sitting in the aforementioned Jimmy Sirrel stand.

Back on the pitch, McParland's side is expected to be buoyed by the return of Gavin Strachan, son of Gordon, to the midfield. Strachan, County's midfield fulcrum, came through a behind-closed-doors friendly with Forest on Monday unscathed, after missing most of the season with a hamstring problem.

First team captain Mike Edwards should be fit to resume duty in central defence alongside Johnson, after missing the 2-2 draw at Exeter with a groin injury. Edwards was back in training this week and is one of the more accomplished defenders in the division, now that he has overcome the broken leg that kept him out of most of last season.

McParland’s skills as a manager should not be underestimated either. He excelled as caretaker boss a stone's throw across the Trent at The City Ground three seasons ago and is slowly imposing a fluent passing style to County’s play.

To the fore in County’s attack this season has been left-sided midfielder Myles Weston. The former England U17 international, now aged 20, has bags of pace and has received rave reviews so far this season. He is bound to give Junior Osborne a testing time at right back and, indeed, Waddock will no doubt consider playing Louie Soares in that role.

Elsewhere, Waddock’s selection posers are most likely in midfield. Scott Davies will surely start again in the middle after his sharp-shooting salvo against Gillingham last week but Kirk Hudson and Ben Harding are being pushed hard by Scott Donnelly and Lewis Chalmers.

“Scott [Davies] gives us a new dimension,” said Waddock. “He wants to play all the time and I do think that a central role is his best. But he also provides plenty of quality out wide.”

At the back, Chris Blackburn and Anthony Charles are Waddock’s only available centre-halves, with Rhys Day and Dave Winfield injured and Newman suspended.

Club captain Day was expecting to need an operation on his left hernia after seeing a specialist today. “It’s a good job we have five centre backs,” said Waddock. “The injury situation there is a concern. Touch wood, Charles and Blackburn will stay available.”

Dean Howell did well against Gillingham last week and will probably start ahead of Anthony Straker at left back.

Up front, Waddock has plenty of options. Marvin Morgan and John Grant will almost certainly renew their partnership in attack but Junior Mendes, who scored in the Reserves’ 2-1 defeat at Millwall on Tuesday, may well make the bench. County are one of his former clubs.

“Junior looked sharp against Millwall and is knocking on the door of the first team,” said Waddock. “I have a lot of options up front, as both Danny Hylton and Rob Elvins were unlucky not to start the season too.

“But John Grant and Marvin Morgan have got a few goals. All new partnerships need to develop an understanding. As a group were are all doing OK. As I’ve said before, it is all about the group.”

So, Waddock and his band of merry men are confident as they head north to the county of Robin Hood. The folklore legend is said to have stolen from the rich — and magpies are meant to steal too. So, Waddock and his team are looking to turn the tables on Nottingham by pilfering the three points.

Just down the road from Meadow Lane, at Trent Bridge, one set of Hampshire sportsmen - its county cricketers - are already doing their level best to deprive one Nottingham team of winning this weekend. Granted, cricket's County Championship is perhaps a bigger sporting prize than three League Two points.

But try telling that to Waddock. He will be expecting his Hampshire men to take the fight to one half of Nottingham's footballers too. And that, come Saturday, for The Magpies, it will be a case of sorrow, not joy.