Newport County

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Former Wales striker Nathan Blake says staying at Rodney Parade would be vital for Newport County if they suffer relegation to the National League.

The Exiles, who are bottom of League Two, play at Rodney Parade under a lease agreement with stadium owners Dragons RFC.

"If they were stopped from playing there I'd fear for Newport, I really would. It's so important that they stay in the Football League if they can, " Blake told BBC Radio Wales.

"But if they can't stay up, staying at Rodney Parade would be the difference for me between them tumbling down the leagues and out of business or being able to attract players to help them back up."

Newport are currently two points from safety, but have picked up under former Premier League winner Christian Fuchs.

County have one of the lowest wage bills in League Two, and do not own their own stadium or training ground, and Exiles owner Huw Jenkins has warned that Newport face harsh financial realities in future.

"They don't have their own ground, they don't have their own training pitch, they don't have great new facilities, so attracting players is difficult because there's so much competition," said Blake

"Being able to attract players and quality players is so important, because they want to play on nice training grounds and nice pitches. If you haven't got those things it's a problem when you need to attract quality players to your club.

"Newport rugby saying that they'll continue to do business with County next season, I think it's vital. If I was Huw Jenkins I'd be thanking them big time."

County are next in action on Tuesday, 3 March (19:45 GMT), as they welcome Tranmere Rovers to Rodney Parade in another crucial game in their battle against relegation.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Newport County captain Matt Baker is adamant that the League Two strugglers have the quality to survive and push even higher to "finish nearer mid-table" as the Exiles prepare to host Tranmere Rovers on Tuesday, 3 March (19:45 GMT).

Despite sitting bottom of the table, 23-year old Baker says Newport can put a run of wins together to build confidence as they look to make it two unbeaten in the league for just the third time this season.

"We want to maintain our club's status. We are fully focused on doing that," said Baker, who has played every minute for County since 26 December, 2025.

"This is a great club. All we want is to keep the club up. This is the club that gave me my chance in senior football. We have fantastic support, with fans travelling home and away. It's time to give something back."

Despite County picking up only one win in eight league games, Baker remains confident County can survive, drawing on the run of a team like Shrewsbury Town as a reason for optimism.

The Shrews, now 17th, moved away from danger following a run of five wins in a row.

"It's about consistency and cutting out mistakes. League Two is a league where anyone can beat anybody. We need to be clinical and take our chances," said Baker.

"A run of wins gives you confidence. It's about being consistent and cutting out mistakes.

"I want us to finish nearer mid-table. I think it's possible - 100 percent."

Baker, who first joined Newport on loan from Stoke City in January 2023, has emerged as a leader even through multiple managerial changes.

The defender is a former Wales youth captain at Under-17, Under-19 and Under-21 levels, but he credits former Newport skipper James Clarke as a major influence in shaping him as a leader.

"When I first came to Newport, Clarkey was a big help to me," said Baker.

"He was a great communicator and superb with younger lads. When he retired, I realised I would need to step into his boots."

The January transfer window saw the arrival of five new signings - most notably Sven Sprangler and Harrison Biggins in midfield and his now centre-back partner Ryan Delaney - but also saw the exit of Clarke, who retired from professional football.

"There was obviously a turnaround in the squad during January," said Baker.

"I think they [the new signings] have done their best to keep everything enjoyable and provide a positive environment.

"Everyone has bought into it and believes in it."

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Newport County will be looking to bounce back from a "disappointing" 2-0 loss to Cambridge United as they head to Fleetwood Town on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Stuck in the League Two relegation zone, manager Christian Fuchs insists that "every game is a cup game" from here on out, demanding total commitment.

"It must be our first nature to fight for every inch, to go after every ball, get stuck in and run for your life," he said.

Fuchs had only been in charge for five games prior to the last meeting of the two sides and expects "a very different game" this time around, largely due to challenging pitch conditions at Highbury Stadium.

"I've seen some of their recent games at home and it doesn't look good," Fuchs said.

"The pitch isn't really there to play football, but nevertheless we need to show bravery.

"They'll be coming over the flanks, delivering balls into the box. It's going to be a tough game, but a challenge we're definitely up for."

Fleetwood, chasing a third straight victory, will pose a stern test, but County are boosted by the return of midfielder Matt Smith and forward Bobby Kamwa.

But they will be without Tom Davies who was forced off in the 18th minute against Cambridge, leaving Anthony Driscoll-Glennon likely to start.

Fellow defender Lee Jenkins also remains sidelined after what Fuchs described as a "freak injury" in training.

"It's frustrating for Lee because he wants to be out there," said Fuchs.

"We need a player like him especially in games like Fleetwood with his physical presence and his ability to win duels, but everyone else needs to step up."

One recent positive has been the return of "big voice" forward Courtney Baker-Richardson.

"It was good to have him back especially in Salford, which was something that suited him well, getting stuck in there, getting the first-ball, the header, the second-balls, just being a body in there that competes," added Fuchs.

"I'm very happy to have him on board."

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Newport County manager Christian Fuchs has urged supporters to recognise the spirit his side are showing in defeat.

County's 2-0 loss at home Cambridge United was met with frustration and audible boos from the fans.

"It's always OK for fans to have their opinion, but I think they should also recognise what the boys have been through for the whole season," said Fuchs.

"And what they have shown in Salford and in those 60-65 minutes [against Cambridge] that they have probably defensively outworked a team that for me is one of the best teams in the league."

It took Cambridge until the 73rd minute to break County's resistance and it came following a change in formation, which Fuchs believes shows a "form of respect" as to how well his side did to dispel the U's attacking threat.

"Whoever steps on the field, whoever is there, tries to give everything for the club," Fuchs added.

"I've seen a lot of improvement already where we actually play real good football. I understand that performances are not necessarily equalling results, but if we don't perform, we don't give ourselves a chance to even get anything."

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Despite Newport County sitting bottom of the football league, manager Christian Fuchs remains confident their fate is still in their own hands.

County have won just one of their last five League Two games, mainly against sides pushing for promtion, with the season now entering a crucial phase.

"The way we played over that stretch of five games was very competitive. I didn't feel we were misplaced or outplayed in any of them. We played our fair part and could have come away from every game with something," Fuchs said.

"Football-wise, we can compete against anybody. We know the league can change very quickly from one week to the other.

"Based on the games we've played so far, we still have it in our own hands. A good run of two or three games and the table looks completely different. It's important for us to have this life-line."

County's most recent league outing ended in a 2-0 defeat to Cambridge United, with two goals conceded in two second-half minutes.

Fuchs described that spell as "disappointing" and echoed assistant Mark Smith's call for players to show greater resilience and not feel "sorry for themselves".

"It's something we've addressed, and unfortunately it has been the story of our season," Fuchs said.

"When you go a goal down, that's when you need to push yourself even more and not put your head down. Feeling sorry for yourself should not be in the vocabulary in this business.

"You just need to go again and again. We still had 30 minutes to play. Some teams go 1-0 down in a Champions League final and turn it around in extra time. It happens, you just have to keep believing and push forward."

Despite his side's precarious position, former Premier League winners Fuchs retains full belief in his players.

"If I was to work with a team right now that actually walks away without any faith in themselves, without any belief that they can make something happen, that would be tough," he said, "but we created chances that should be goals. There's a lot of belief in the team."

Fuchs will be hoping his team kickstart their comeback when they travel to Fleetwood Town on Saturday, 28 February (15:00 GMT) looking to avenge their previous 2-0 defeat to the Fisherman in December.

Assistant manager Mark Smith says Newport County have "13 six-pointers" to play this season as they look to avoid relegation from League Two.

Christian Fuchs' side are bottom of the table and three points adrift of 22nd-placed Barrow - who have a game in hand - following their weekend home defeat to high-flying Cambridge United.

Speaking after the game, Smith said Newport players must not feel sorry for themselves.

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Newport County assistant manager Mark Smith says the players must stop "going into their shell" when falling behind in games.

The Exiles held their own against high-flying Cambridge United on Saturday, but conceded twice in three minutes late on to fall to a 2-0 defeat.

It is not the first time this season that County have conceded in quick succession having fallen behind.

And Smith - who took charge on Saturday in the absence of the unwell Christian Fuchs - says enough is enough.

"We were in the game, there was just a period of five minutes that it got away from us," Smith told BBC Sport Wales.

"When we go down a goal we cannot let it affect us so much, that's the third time since we've been here that it has happened.

"I think they just felt sorry for themselves at that point, when we make errors we go into our shell, we need more people to say there is plenty of time to put things right."

Defeat leaves Newport bottom of League Two, three points adrift of safety with 13 games left to play.

And while Smith acknowledged the recent run of results, he remained optimistic about Newport's chances of survival.

"We are not where we want to be but at the same time we have time to put things right and we believe that we can," Smith said.

"The players are giving us everything, we saw that against Salford. They are fighting and for a big spell today [Cambridge] were worried but we need to turn that into more.

"Every game now we have to see as a six-pointer, a fight. We knew this was going to be a tough period but it would not define our season.

"There are a lot of home games to go and we still have to play everyone around us."

Ioan Griffiths

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Christian Fuchs says his Newport side "do not have to hide from anyone" as they prepare to welcome third-place Cambridge United to Rodney Parade.

The Exiles come into the fixture following an impressive performance on Tuesday when they beat promotion-chasing Salford 3-1 to boost their survival chances.

County are still 24th in the League Two table, but have closed the gap to safety to just three points.

Despite their precarious position, Fuchs believes his side do not need to fear any side in the division.

"A win is always something you can build on, especially confidence. The boys have seen as well now that they're really good when it comes to a game that requires maybe a little bit more fighting," Fuchs said.

"They've done brilliant in the last game and we do not have to hide from anybody. We can play good football, we can put our stamp on the game, it's just about confidence.

"If we play our game, if we keep it simple and we put the balls into the right areas, the result will come by itself."

County's opponents on Saturday are Cambridge United (15:00 GMT), managed by former Cardiff City boss Neil Harris.

The U's, who are currently third in the table, are unbeaten in their last three matches and are aiming for an instant return to League One following relegation last season.

But Fuchs believes his side have improved, and can cause an upset.

"They're a decent side, they have some good individual players, but it's down to us to discourage their game."

Newport also welcomed experienced forward Courtney Baker-Richardson back from injury and he impressed in both boxes against Salford.

Fuchs has praised the mentality of the forward, and believes he will be a big help in County's battle for League Two survival.

"He's come back and played an hour and made a big impact, that's very impressive to do that straight away. He has a great mentality," Fuchs said.

"That mentality can be infectious as well, he carried a lot of players with him, he infected them with his mentality. He done well in there and he's just a big body to deal with."

Ioan Griffiths

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Newport's Ben Lloyd believes they have enough quality to survive their relegation battle.

The on-loan Swansea midfielder scored his first league goal on Tuesday, a wonderful solo effort which helped secure a crucial 3-1 win away at promotion chasing Salford to boost County's survival hopes.

But the danger of relegation is still looming large over Newport. They sit 24th in the League Two table, three points from safety.

Despite this, the 20-year-old believes The Exiles have shown they are good enough to battle with the best in the division.

"We've shown we can compete against the likes of Salford this season. They're near the top and recently, we've been competing but we haven't really been getting the results. So Tuesday was massive," said Lloyd.

"We really feel like we can kick on now. If we just keep putting in the work like we put in Tuesday night, I'm more than confident we can get out of this."

The midfielder has had to be patient for opportunities under Christian Fuchs, who has even dropped Lloyd out of some of his matchday squads this season.

Despite this, Lloyd was trusted in an attacking midfield role during Tuesday's win at Salford and put in one of his best performances of the season.

He praised manager Christian Fuchs, who has given him the freedom he needs to perform.

"Recently probably has been a tough few weeks for me. But I've had really good conversations with the gaffer and he said to me, your chance will come.

"He stuck to his word and he gave me my chance Tuesday and hopefully I've repaid him.

"He gives me a bit of freedom and that's what I need, as a player, so I can express myself. He just breathes so much confidence in me as a player and I think Tuesday night proved that."

Image source, EFL

Puma's Rainbow ball will return to the English Football League as part of an on-going campaign against discrimination and homophobia.

The special edition rainbow ball was introduced in 2024 to mark LGBTQ+ History Month and will be used at every EFL game from 20 February until 1 March.

Manufacturers Puma will make a donation to Football v Homophobia for every goal scored with their rainbow ball across the Championship, League One and League Two.

The donations will help support education against homophobia and promote inclusion across the season.

The EFL have released a video, external to coincide with the campaign which features a Preston North End fan who was charged with a hate crime following homophobic chanting during an FA Cup fixture against Chelsea.

The rainbow ball will also feature in EFL partner EA Sports' FC 26 video game.

"The rainbow ball is a powerful symbol of the values we uphold across the EFL all season long," EFL chief executive officer Trevor Birch said.

"It not only reflects our longstanding commitment to ensuring the League is representative of all its diverse communities, but also reminds us that we all have a role to play in creating an environment in which everyone feels they truly belong."

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Former Wales international Iwan Roberts says Newport County players will be feeling "lower than a snake's belly" after Saturday's 1-0 loss to MK Dons stretched their winless run to five games.

County are rock bottom of League Two after relegation rivals Harrogate Town earned a point against Chesterfield to move up to 23rd.

For the second game running, County boss Christian Fuchs believed his side were "the better team overall".

"Everybody can see a team out there that is alive, that plays good football, that is also creating chances," Fuchs said.

But Roberts disagrees. Speaking on BBC Radio Wales' Feast of Football phone-in, he said Fuchs has "got to try and lift the players".

"They were the better team apparently on Wednesday against Swindon, they got beat 2-0. Apparently they were the better side playing the better style of football today [Saturday], they haven't had a shot on target," Roberts said.

"The sign of madness is doing the same thing and nothing's changing, that's what's happenning to Newport.

"He's [Fuchs] demanding that they play a certain way in League Two, which is a tough league to play that type of football because I don't think they have the players to do it.

"Are they capable of performing the way he wants them to? Clearly they're not, because they keep conceding sloppy goals and they can't buy a goal."

Former Wales defender Danny Gabbidon told the podcast: "They've gone down this route of attractive football. There's nothing worse as a player then feeling like you play well but still lose. You'd rather be bad and lose games."

Image source, BBC Sport

BBC Sport asked you, Newport County's fans, whether the Exiles can avoid relegation from League Two this season.

Christian Fuchs has said his squad is "very balanced" following the mid-season transfer window, but Newport remain in the relegation zone as they prepare for Wednesday's tricky trip to Swindon Town.

Here are some of your views.

Mark – Yes. Apart from the odd performance, Christian seems to be getting a tune out of these players that [former boss David] Hughes couldn't. Still a long way to go but I honestly believe we will beat the drop.

David - No. Unless they change the line-up/tactics to something the players understand and is less complicated, then the trap door will never close.

Lloyd - There is not enough experienced quality in the side, and the players who have the experience are either shot of confidence or are too hot/cold (Bobby Kamwa, Matt Baker etc). Hope has to be Sven Sprangler gives us the much-needed midfield bite and the frontline can start scoring, although based off the weekend there is not a lot of goals in Nathan Opoku, and James Crole (pictured below) needs time we don't have the luxury of giving. You cannot build a team in this league with a transfer policy of under-23 [players] only on the cheap, especially without an experienced manager at this level at the helm. Hope I am proven wrong but so far I have not been.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Dennis - We will survive.

Neil - The week that we lost to Accrington Stanley and Bristol Rovers finally killed off any remaining hope that I had.... We seem to excel at beating ourselves, rather than letting the opposition do it. By the end of February, it [may] well be all over...

Morgan - Balanced?! We had 3 full backs on the bench against Grimsby?!

John - They need to start winning sooner rather than later, to give them some wriggle room.

Neil - Living in Scotland and going to away games only, I definitely hope the County stay up. The question is will they or won't they - to be honest I just don't know. One week you think they will and the next you don't, it's just too hard to call.

Carl - It's going to be very difficult. Several top team games coming up starting with Swindon Wednesday. The new signings that have been made in January need to gel and stick like glue together. Personally I think it's too late barring a miracle from high above. I'm sorry to say it's non-league football next season and a lot of that is self-inflicted.

Rob - Think Newport have played more attractive football under the last two managers and have been good to watch at times. But the lack of a threat up front is meaning we're not winning enough games to survive.

Terry - Goals are the key, but sadly Newport don't have a single player capable of scoring on a regular basis - nor do they have a striker able to hold the ball up to get the side up the pitch. The Exiles now have three successive difficult-looking away games - lose all and it could well be the beginning of the end.

Image source, Huw Evans Picture Agency

Ian - It's going to be a long rest of the season for County. We have shown ability in patches but not consistently enough to get results. We tend to gift goals and that has to stop. In terms of goals, we are shy and we haven't found the best way to keep creating chances and be assured at the back. I think the only benefit is Harrogate, Shrewsbury and Crawley all have to play at Rodney Parade those games are critical. I think if we can get [Matt] Smith (pictured above) fit again to link in with Sprangler, [Harrison] Biggins and [Cole] Jarvis, with a front two involving Crole, we have a chance to stay up.

Stephen - I think if we get through this month not adrift of the likes of Shrewsbury , Barrow and Crawley, March doesn't look as daunting. Will we survive? 50-50 IMO.

Mark - I cannot see County avoiding relegation. They have improved slightly but the damage was done earlier in the season. I cannot see them stringing three or four wins in a row [together]. A worry is they may continue to slide down the National League.

Kevin - I've got more confidence with this manager than I had with the last. Just hoping that County can pull it off and stay up.

Ade – It's a constant relegation battle year after year and this year looks nailed on I'm very sad to say. Vast improvement on last week and Jarvis looks like a good addition, but too little too late for me I'm afraid. Please make me eat my words.

Luke Hemmings
BBC Sport Wales

Image source, Huw Evans Agency

Newport County manager Christian Fuchs says his side are embracing the "challenge" of facing in-form Swindon Town on Wednesday, 11 February (20:00 GMT), as they look to climb out of the League Two relegation zone.

County arrive on the back of a goalless draw with Grimsby, a match defined by missed opportunities and penalties, but also a game where Fuchs felt produced "a lot of positives," as his side put in a strong second half and restricted Grimsby to just two shots on target in the first-half.

It was Newport's fifth clean sheet of the league campaign with January arrival Ryan Delaney influential after becoming an established part of The Exiles' defence, having started in every game since his return to the club.

Despite scoring only 29 goals in 29 league matches, Fuchs also remains optimistic about his side's attacking potential.

"We have the quality going forward. Unfortunately, we couldn't score [on Saturday], but the fact that we create and we get into positions where we can score and should score, it gives me a lot of faith going forward into the next games," said Fuchs.

Having lost 1-0 thanks to a goal from former Wrexham striker Ollie Palmer earlier in the season, Newport will be looking to bounce back against Swindon.

And Fuchs insists confidence remains high. Swindon sit third in League Two and have the fifth best home record in the league having picked up 30 points from 15 home matches.

County, meanwhile have taken just 11 points from their 14 away outings so far this season.

Yet Fuchs believes his squad rises to big occasions, pointing to strong performances against top half sides, including a narrow defeat at Bromley and an impressive 2-1 win over Chesterfield since the turn of the year.

"We usually pull out a really good performance when we played teams that were in the top half of the table. I'm very positive for the next three [games]," said Fuchs.

Newport remain without joint top scorer Courtney Baker-Richardson, though the forward is now back training.

Matt Smith also remains sidelined. However, Gerrard Garner's return is a boost and he earned praise from his manager for his "class moments" and ability to "make a difference" as he played 80 minutes on Saturday.

Fuchs is also excited by January signings, noting new arrival Cole Jarvis as someone who impressed off the bench on his debut putting him "definitely in contention to start" for the trip to Swindon.

The former Merthyr Town midfielder has been labelled "multifaceted" by his manager, who believes he "showed the quality he has" as soon as he entered proceedings on Saturday.

With fresh arrivals creating growing competition, Fuchs says his side is in "good spirits" heading into a tough test at the County Ground.

"It's always a good challenge to play top teams," he added. "We're positive and looking forward to it."

"Everybody deserves to play and everybody's working well. It's a lucky position that we're in."

Image source, BBC Sport

Newport County remain stuck in the League Two relegation zone with 17 games to go, having won only one of their past six matches.

Boss Christian Fuchs says the squad now looks "very balanced" after signing seven players in the January transfer window, yet the Exiles are still two points from safety and above bottom-side Harrogate on goal difference alone.

So how do you feel, Newport fans? Can County avoid relegation? If so, what is going to get them out of trouble?

Tell us your views by clicking here.

Newport boss Christian Fuchs called the goalless draw with Grimsby "a tense and a very even game" after both sides missed penalties at Rodney Parade.

Fuchs said he felt Grimsby had the better of the first half but his side stayed resilient and improved in the second period when they created more chances to win the game.

"The boys have great character. Today was all about resilience. There are a lot of positives to take away," he said.

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