Notts Joe: 'I hope toxicity leaves Notts County for good'

Like so many Notts County fans, I had big hopes for the 2015/16 season. I generally do get ‘excited’ at the start of any season, but this time round things felt different. Pre-season we seemed to be building a robust squad, unlike previous years – Ricardo Moniz took to assembling a squad, which at face value had a lot of character.

The arrival of so many unknown players really gave the spark to light up my hopes because they looked technically very good, albeit against lower non-league opposition at first.

However, for me the captures of Graham Burke and Adam Campbell really impressed.

Seeing Notts having signed two youngsters, who I was well aware, had potential really gave me more encouragement – whilst the arrival of Scott Loach announced at the Carlton friendly felt somewhat surreal, as it meant Notts would have two solid keepers, who within their own rights would be fit to start as a regular no.1 for most teams above League Two.

I headed to Stevenage at the beginning of the season with so much confidence for the year ahead; I never once felt that by this stage Notts would be sitting on 41 points, glued to 19th place and with the real possibility that they could slip further down.

However, despite the two previous campaigns ending in a fair amount of disappointment – the confidence of a new start really did resonate with me.

I should probably acknowledge at this point, it did take some initial time to process the fact we ended up being related back to fourth division of English football. However, the way seasons turn out is something which I do accept – It’s the passion and pride of supporting a lower tier club, one which the ‘local roots’ hold a firm grip with my family that I cherish.

So, back to Stevenage. Where did it all go wrong?

I left the game feeling very entertained, having witnessed Notts produce some of the best football I had done for years.

Yet somewhere along the lines (and I believe our home defeat to Mansfield didn’t help) the pride and togetherness of the players disappeared – as did the performances. Matters only made worse by the departure of Moniz and the arrival of Jamie Fullarton.

Whether certain players found it difficult to cope with expectations, I am unsure. If the fact we weren’t winning every other game or really contending for promotion put others off – I don’t think it makes much difference but from a point of view from the fan.

Rewinding back, you really can see how the 2015/16 campaign really unravelled before our very eyes.

I suspect it’s a combination of ‘confidence’, ‘expectations’, ‘disappointment’ and to a degree both prior managers making poor uninformed decisions when it came to their squad selections.

I’m just pleased that under Mark Cooper some of the positivity has been restored, as I will openly admit I have felt extremely uninspired during Jamie Fullarton’s reign. It’s with that I hope the turmoil and ‘toxicity’ (a word I heard a lot of around Meadow Lane during that period) doesn’t return, that we may finally be able to push on and secure a bright future eventually. Whilst talk of next season seems ‘bleak’ when there are so many unknowns, I am fully committed to fight for the love of the team I support.

Like Joe Jones, I find myself wanting to end the current campaign and for the next to begin. But I want us to try and do it the right way.