In this featured article I am going to provide some information on the youth setup here at Notts County. I am then going to offer my opinions on If I think it is good enough and compare it to a few different academies in the EFL. I think for such a big club in the lower leagues it’s an important factor within a football club to have a solid base in the academy stages of football.

On August 20th this year it was announced that Steve Chettle would be responsible for managing the club’s development side competing in the Central League North Division along with any cup matches that would be played. So far, we have played Wigan Athletic and Port Vale. We drew 1-1 with Wigan and lost 5-3 to a Port Vale side with the likes of Idris Kanu and David Worrall in it. Although it has not been the best of starts it’s important to remember that teams can field first team players in this competition.

For a number of years now academy products have struggled to break through into the first team. This season it was portrayed by ex-manager Kevin Nolan and Alan Hardy that youth was a big focus point this season, especially with the signings of Noor Husin from Crystal Palace in January and the latest arrivals of Will Patching from Manchester City and Tom Crawford from National League South side Chester.

The following is a list of all players within the registered first team that are 21 or under: Max Culverwell, Pierce Bird (19), Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain (20), Declan Dunn, Noor Husin (21), Will Patching (19), Tom Crawford (19), Samuel Osbourne (19), Alex Howes (18) and Remaye Campbell (17).

Previously Notts have been accused have not been focusing on the academy and youth with the past departures of Curtis Thompson, Haydn Hollis, Jordon Richards and Dongda He. It is frustrating to see that we let players like this go for free transfers or released and then replace them with more players that need the same development. Nowadays young players need to be nurtured and guided into the first team.

The prime example of a quality youth system would be Exeter City. They have made millions from slowly developing players like Ethan Ampadu who now starts for Wales, as well as Ollie Watkins who left for Brentford for a reported 1.75 million. Ampadu’s fee was to be settled by tribunal but later reported to be around the 1.25 million mark.

Ampadu was at the Exeter City academy for 10 years while Ollie Watkins was there from the age of 9 being there for 10 years before moving into the first team. Exeter City have made their mark on the youth system and prove to be leading the way for fees received for youth players and what they have achieved is truly remarkable.

I think it is important for Notts County to learn from teams like Exeter and nurture players from the ages of 9/10 so when they do turn 18/19 they can become league players or be sold onto big teams like Watkins and Ampadu for massive figures which can pay for facilities and transfers in the future.

This season Notts have bought young players and chucked them straight into the development side which I can understand as they need developing but I disagree with paying fees for players that are young as it completely bypasses the whole grass roots stage of Notts County Football Club from the ages of 12 onwards.

What is the motivation for players like Alex Howes who was on the brink of first team football at one stage now being pushed back into the U21’s just for paid transfers such as Patching and Crawford to take his place. I think this is where were going wrong and instead of developing players properly and with the right coaching we just seem to bypass the grass roots stage and just buy young players with the hope of them being ready in a year. I am sorry, but I just don’t think academy football works like that.

Chettle now has a project on his hands and talking in terms of youth players I think he should deal with what he has got and nurture and develop these players into League proven players so that Notts can be a stepping stone for players such as Osbourne, Patching and Husin and then do what Exeter have done and receive huge sums of money which at our level could make or break a club quite literally.
 
It disappointed me when we let Dongda He go because I can only feel that Hardy was desperate for the cash at the time, I believe he was offered a pro contract behind the scenes as he was breaking into the first team. Dongda He could have been our first million-pound player but instead we cashed in early and just let him go.

At the age of 19 I feel strongly about the youth system at Notts as I can’t understand the sort of pressure that young players face in the modern football game as at the age most of them are it can quite easily send them down two career paths, one in football or one not in football. It’s only a matter of time before the likes of Osbourne, Campbell and Bird are picked up by teams in higher leagues for buttons.

I would like to ask the members of Pride of Nottingham to discuss this further as I think it is a topic within the football club which is shadowed by the performances of the first team. Let me know your thoughts and hopefully we can create a good discussion on such an important topic. 

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Notts County went into the new League Two campaign as one of the pre-season promotion favourites following on from last season which saw the Magpies reach the playoffs defying all expections. There was a real hope last season with Notts riding high up the table, many tipping and even expecting them to go up automatically, but the form after Christmas left fans wondering if they would even make the playoffs, which they did only to beaten by eventual winners Coventry City.

But 7 League games in to the new season, Notts are still yet to win a single game. They have now gone 9 games in all competitions without a win. Losing on penalties to Middlesbrough following a 3-3 draw after 90 mins in the EFL Cup. Losing 2-1 to Grimsby Town in the EFL Trophy despite showing a dominant first half display under new manager Harry Kewell. 

Notts invested heavily during the summer on recruits which was needed to boost the team to push on and get one step further than last season and achieve promotion.

Kristian Dennis, Kane Hemmings and Enzio Boldewijn came in and fans were ecstatic about these signings as they have proven what they are capable of in League Two. David Vaughan and Andy Kellett were bought in for a bit of experience. Will Patching and Tom Crawford also arrived to bring some youth to the team. Christian Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ben Hall returned on loan, Nathan Thomas were also new additions to the squad to add depth.

Following on from poor defensive displays that cost Notts leads and points, Elliott Ward was drafted in to add a bit of stability to a frail defence. Rob Milsom also returned alongside Harry Kewell when he was announced as manager from Crawley Town.

Notts haven't won a competitive fixture since the 21st of April 2018 when they beat Yeovil Town convincingly 4-1 at Meadow Lane. This season, from a defensive point of view, they have been shambolic, having conceded 21 goals in their first 7 league games, an average of 3 goals conceded per game. The last time Notts conceded 20+ goals after 7 games was all the way back in 1888-89 when they conceded 23. 

Fans have shown their frustrations in the club and players this season following on from poor displays. Many speculate that there is something going on behind the scenes that we aren't aware of that is affecting the team.

During the summer, Shola Ameobi & Alan Smith left the club. Which begs the question, did they have some influence on & off the pitch? They have both got Premier League experience and we often seen them animated on and off the pitch last season.

Nolan, Kewell and fans have also pointed out that the players don't seem to have enough energy to go the full 90 as they look like burning out after 60 minutes. Mike Edwards was Strength and Conditioning coach but departed from his role this summer, could this be a reason or is that just a coincidence?

There is clearly something not quite right at this club, whatever it is it needs addressing and it needs addressing fast. The status of 'The World's Oldest Football League Club' hangs in the balance, it might be early doors yet but things need to start improving fast!

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Fans were divided when Kevin Nolan was sacked as Notts County manager. Many fans believed he should have been given more time to turn things around at the club following a winless run of 6 games with many saying it is the players to blame as opposed to Nolan himself. But there were also fans suggesting it wasn't just the start of the season that was the tipping point it has been the clubs poor run of results since Christmas. 

Kevin Nolan guided Notts County to the Play-Offs last season, only to lose in the semi-finals to eventual Play-Off winners Coventry City. Following on from Kevin Nolan's sacking, vice-chairman Darren Fletcher has stepped down from his role. During an interview, Kevin Nolan suggested that he had the boards backing days before he was sacked and telling the media that he wanted to retain players from last season but was unable to do so due to making funds available to improve the squad. Alan Hardy then had an interview a few hours later stating it was a unanimous decision to sack Nolan following the defeat to Lincoln City. 

Since the sacking of Nolan, there was much speculation of who would be the next manager. Neal Ardley and Harry Kewell were the main names linked with taking over the reigns at the club. Fans gave their opinions on who it should be with many wanting Darren Ferguson or Gary Bowyer, with plenty of experience, to take charge of the club and hope to turn the clubs fortunes around. Harry Kewell became the front runner for the job but Crawley slapped a hefty price tag for Notts to pay to take him away from Crawley Town, which is speculated to be in the region of £400k. This put much doubt on Harry Kewell taking over, with reports suggesting that if Notts didn't want to meet the demands by Crawley they would then approach Neal Ardley.

On August 31st, Harry Kewell was confirmed as the new manager of Notts County bringing Warren Feeney with him as assistant manager. There is no doubt that as a player Harry Kewell was one of the best players in the Premier League in the early 2000s as part of the 'Golden Generation' of Leeds United. It was his move to Liverpool that proved a downfall for his career following an injury prone stay at the Merseyside Club. 

Harry Kewell started his management career as head coach of Watfords under-21s team in 2015 but was sacked in 2017 following poor results. A month later, he became manager of League Two Crawley Town, his first taste as manager in league football. Kewell managed Crawley Town for 57 games boasting a win rate of 37.5%. But fans have had their say and many believe it could be a great appointment with his style of play, the record for a club with limited resources. Fans also point to last season when Notts played Crawley with how he sets up his sides. 

We all know how Harry Kewell was as a player, we have had a small view of how he is as a manager but only time will tell if he will succeed at a club that was predicted to be riding high at the start of the season. Rob Milsom has also rejoined Notts, coming with Kewell from Crawley, months after leaving Meadow Lane. But was this one of the players Nolan was hinting at that he wanted to keep from last season but had his hands tied as to the letting go? Is the reported £400k compensation pay too much to be spending on an inexperienced manager? The only thing that is for sure is, we need to give Kewell the backing he needs to make a success for this club. Let's hope he can turn the fortunes around and help the team progress and end the slump we've been on. 

So as I write this on the 26/08/18 Kevin Nolan has been sacked following a termination of his contract by the NCFC board following a 3-1 loss to Lincoln City.

After around 18 months in charge it was with Mr. Hardy’s best interests to part ways with the ex- West Ham, Bolton and Newcastle midfielder.

I am writing this article to understand the thought process behind his sacking, will we miss him? And is promotion still achievable?

During Nolan’s time with the Magpies he managed 85 games with 35 being victories, 23 draws and 26 lost. With recent form the Scouse came under constant fire from media and fans. Notts County managed only 8 wins in 28 games in the football league which could be compared to relegation form at parts. However, it was not all doom and gloom for Kevin which as Notts fans we should remember.

The reason I have called it an era in the title is because in my opinion it was. Kevin Nolan restored one thing with his time at Notts which we had not had for a while and that was HOPE.

Nolan grabbed the team by the scruff on the neck on their knees in January 2017 and turned a 10-game losing streak into promotion form to keep the magpies up. He also brought some amazing talent in Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates and Josh Clackstone. Since then Ryan has now exceeded a 500,000 price tag and Jorge Grant has now moved up in leagues. Clackstone now plays regularly in the Championship with Hull City and Kevin Nolan has contributed to their careers and made them better players. Nolan also reached his first play off as a manager last year in the 2018/19 season which as fans we were extremely happy with but also disappointed as his decline in form as a manager cost us automatic promotion. It definitely was a era in my opinion because he was the first manager under Hardy that actually achieved something and provided the fans with some memories we will never forget and for that we can’t thank Kev enough.

Will we miss him? My answer is 50/50. I think Yes because he was a very strict manager with high standards which reflected on the pitch. Last year we played with heart and desire and he made every player work to wear the Notts County shirt. I also think No because his off-pitch attitude has been rumored to be unprofessional and lazy. I also think he has lost passion for the game which reflected on the touchline in recent games. Kevin Nolan could’ve done so much more to turn around his bad patch but decided not to. He became arrogant and in denial about problems within the team. So overall I think it was best for him and Notts County to move on.

Is promotion still achievable? My honest opinion, No. It is not the fact we have lost 4 game sin a row but we now have to go through a transition period with an new manager and set of backroom staff. I think it will take another few months for the team to gel and settle down unfortunately, and in this league, you have to hit the ground running otherwise It will eat you up and spit you out and then next thing you know you’re bottom of the league. It depends how well we do under Chettle but before you know it we could be in serious trouble and then we will once again be in a fight to get into the play offs. It is paramount we turn this form around soon to restore the faith in Hardy and the signings.

I am sure everyone from PON sends Kevin Nolan their best wishes for the future and really hopes to see him succeed. On a personal note, Kevin Nolan is the manager who brought me back to Meadow Lane after 2 years away from the sport and in turn got me involved with PON so for that I can’t thank him enough and the work he has done at the club has not gone unnoticed and in my opinion should be remembered forever for what he has done for Notts County. My first game I attended in 2 years was against Mansfield to watch this man’s managerial debut and I am now proud to say I am once again a season ticket holder to this amazing club. It’s because of the faith, hope and determination that was restored into Notts County by Kevin Nolan. Thanks for everything Kev.

Whether you were Nolan IN or OUT, I would like to hear your thought on the sacking and where you think the club goes from here. Also, one memory that stands out over the past 18 months under Kevin Nolan. Mine would be the Jonathan Forte equalizer against Cambridge.

Thank you for reading PON.

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As a 49-year supporter of Notts County Football Club, you’ll appreciate that over the years, I’ve seen managers come in to this club; and I’ve seen managers go!

Truth is, with our past record, if you’ve been a Notts supporter for more than five minutes, you’ll probably have seen your fair share, too!

However, having thoroughly enjoyed the ‘stability’ brought to the club over the past 18 months, and all that’s come with it, I openly admit to being more-than slightly phased that anyone’s thinking (or believing) we should start again on the “Gaffer-Merry-Go-Round”!

After all, it’s ‘worked’ so well for us, in the past, hasn’t it?!

So, I’ll admit here and now, that the cries of “Nolan Out!” - from some of our supporters in this “results-today-results-tomorrow-results-results-results” World of football - just fills me with dread!

Seeing quotes too, of “eight wins in eight months” - which of course, takes in the summer recess and no account of incoming new players – and “#OutByChristmas” another, almost gleeful, mantra from a fan, slightly throw me!

As well, there are those fans – many of them – who give absolutely no credit whatever for all that was achieved by Nolan taking on a ‘team’ losing ten-on-the-trot to playoffs, with their #lookhowfarwevecome chides.

I can fully understand, as a supporter, being ‘concerned’ that the summer spend hasn’t yet seen our players, with anything ‘real’ to come out ‘fighting’ like other teams have. I can understand too, that the dreadful debacle of last Friday night, despite seeing some FANTASTIC initial play in the first 20 minutes, has left folk ‘worried’. I also ‘get’ too, that everyone wants to see good results and be part of a winning club!

WHAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND is that with so many new players in the side, so many new options of play and the understanding, time and practice necessary for everything to ‘gel’ – even though some people forget KN’s NOT yet had a fully fit side since pre-season – why there would be any calls for him to go?

With KN’s commitment to the club of moving his family here to a newly-bought home locally, I doubt he’d have done that if he’d hadn’t seen a long-term career with Notts.

Additionally, it’s clear that he, AH, DF and the Board have an excellent, professional relationship that, to me, sees a clear, shared vision for our club over the next five years.

And whilst it’s been made plain by AH that he wants promotion this season, is and can that now be an option, when there are such huge, gaping holes in our defence that need to be plugged?

Forty-nine years has taught me to be patient. Very patient. And I certainly don’t want ‘promotion this year, only to come down next’ simply because, I believe there are solid foundations here to be built, first. And, we’re far from there, just Y-E-T!

What was clear from Friday, is that when these players do gel and get it together, we’re going to experience edge-of-the-seat football, that’s long-missing at Meadow Lane… and I’m excited for it.

In conclusion then, I’m a huge “Nolan IN” fan. Truthfully, I’m not even wanting to just ‘give it ten games’ either because I’m mindful of the fact that it took a Sir Alex Ferguson, to go from 11th/11th/facing the sack-F.A. Cup Winner over three seasons, before he even started to look like the Super-Manager, he became.

And I believe KN CAN DO IT for us, so like all good things, I’m prepared to wait. COYP!

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Over the years, we've had mixed experiences when it comes to management but Kevin Nolan and Alan Hardy look like being the real deal. Not only have they got a great connection with the fans but they also seem to have a great connection with each other. They both have an understanding of each other with Nolan setting out what he needs in terms of improving the squad and Hardy doing everything in his power to make that happen.

From a fans perspective, this is great to see. Both a manager and an owner with the same objectives and ambitions to get the fans back into games and progress together up the leagues.

Last season, it wasn't expected of us to do much in the season having struggled in the previous season and recruiting a rookie manager in Nolan. But with the backing of Hardy, we managed to achieve a playoff place, which ended unfortunately bad for us. It was a learning curve for Nolan last season and I’m sure he will look back on it and learn from parts of the season.

It was all going well until Christmas with us riding high in the league and a good cup run but a bad run of results in the new year meant we dropped off the pace a little. Just like many others believe, it could have been to do with the change of formation playing Jon Stead up front on his own or not playing Jonathan Forte more often.

Whichever way you look at it, Nolan is certainly a man with the intentions to never give up and to try get the best from his players. Many interviews he gave, he never held back on his opinions whether it was a bad referee decision or whether it was his players simply not being good enough on the day. I felt it hard to argue with anything he said in post match interviews always seemingly to be bang on in every part.

When Hardy came in, he had intentions of re-building Notts and getting fans back onside. He admitted during the first half of the season with us riding high in the league that it was hitting his pocket with win bonuses etc. but he was loving every moment of this.

Another thing which helped us fans get behind Hardy was when he decided for his 1 year anniversary as owner, he would slash ticket prices to £2 for the game against Crewe. This attracted 17,000+ to Meadow Lane to witness a 4-1 win.

He has always been open with fans on social media, always keeps fans in the loop with the on goings at the club. There was a touch of class from Hardy at the end of the season, for everyone that attended the playoff semi final clash at Meadow Lane they were handed a free t-shirt to mark the occasion and get behind the lads.

He has certainly been back on form this season, getting transfers in to improve the squad and re-build. Also, with the announcement that he was going to freeze ticket prices till the start of the season due to England's great World Cup run.

As long as they carry on what they are doing, we can certainly look forward to a bright future in the hands of both Nolan and Hardy.

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In the current day of football with new younger managers playing new tactics and styles, announcing a captain and a vice captain, sometimes the captains don’t always do the role that a club or fans expect so they come under fire for it.

For me players don’t always need the armband to be a club captain. This applies to our David Vaughan, he is old school and many may think he is coming to the end of his career, what with his age and how injury prone he is becoming.

I think this adds to why it applies to Vaughan, while he was the PON community fan’s favourite not to mention fans outside of the PON community he was the runaway choice of captain. Some were disappointed when this didn’t happen, as Richard Duffy was given the honour to lead out the Magpies against Colchester United (and appears the frontrunner to take it full time), a job he did for the majority of last season while club captain Michael O’Connor was out injured.

Although he hasn’t been given the armband I don’t think that matters, i see Vaughan as a leader of men. A phrase that is used on FIFA 18, which is normally the title goes to a mature player who may not be captain or may never have been captain but holds the qualities to gain the team’s respect on and off the pitch.

Vaughan may have been a Red last season but as fans we all took to him wanting to award a former Forest player. Yes that's right a player from across the Trent, some say the enemy, but still wanted to award Vaughan one of the highest honours a player can be given to lead the team on to the pitch and through what the season may bring.

I’ve seen David play in all three of the home pre-season matches and last weekend’s draw with Colchester. In every game I’ve seen he was the go to man, almost everything came from the midfield where he was playing.

He is tactically aware of not only his position but also others, he's not afraid to take the ball if players get in trouble and will shoulder that responsibly - not only that he takes the control to give instruction to players, which are carried out with no arguments.

I’ve seen both young players and mature players approach him and speak to him. On those occasions he can be seen organising players whilst holding his composure all the time, he directs them and he never shouts, he is calmness personified and that's why he has all the qualities of a captain.

Vaughan doesn’t have the armband, I hear you say - why have you wrote this? I believe some players were just natural born leaders, Vaughan is exactly this, they are not cocky or arrogant, they simply lead with or without armband.

An armband is the respect that a player is given not only by the manager and the staff but the lads and us the fans too.

I’ve not read that he is vice captain or anything like that but from what I’ve seen Duffy has that same respect shared by everyone. It seems Duffy doesn’t mind if he plays a captain’s role, the number 5 may look like he will remain County’s captain but it's safe to say that Vaughan is the people's captain.

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1. Milton Keynes (C,P) - This may be an opinion divider but I just feel that MK have a slight edge over us and Lincoln. Paul Tisdale moves from Exeter and has bought Jordan Moore-Taylor, Ryan Harley and Robbie Simpson with him. Kieran Agard should provide goals up front and creativity will come from Alex Gilbey and Chuks Aneke. Jordan Houghton is a good signing in midfield. They have retained most of their squad and with good depth and quality in each position, I think this might be the year Tisdale finally achieves promotion from this league.

2. Notts County (P) - Notts have had their best transfer window for years and look to continue the momentum, that Kevin Nolan and Alan Hardy have bought to the club. We have finally fixed an issue which has been a problem for Notts for six years now and that is the presence of a goalscorer. Now we have two, in Kristian Dennis and Kane Hemmings. David Vaughan should provide creativity from the heart of midfield. Enzio Boldewijn is quick and will be crucial to Notts' creativity and goals. He will also help break teams down, something Notts struggled with last season. The same core of players remain who took the team to 5th last season in Hewitt, Duffy, Brisley, Hall, Fitzsimons, Tootle and Jones. The new style of play may take some time to implement and we may start slow, but as we haven't ripped the heart of the team out from last season, I think we will start to pickup around October and November and push on from there. If not, the January window can rescue us. REMEMBER LUTON STARTED SLOW LAST SEASON!

3. Lincoln City (P) - Lincoln's momentum will continue into 2018-19 after their promotion winning season and finishing 7th last season. Danny Cowley's transfer business has gone well with The Imps bringing in John Akinde from Barnet. A goalscorer is something Lincoln needed. Bruno Andrade and Grant Smith have both arrived from Boreham Wood, Andrade scoring 18 goals from the wing last season, and goalkeeper Smith being named in the team of the season. Shay McCartan is an exciting signing from Bradford whilst Blackburn centre-back Scott Wharton returns to Sincil Bank, after a good spell on loan last season. They have good enough players, quality and depth in the squad to make sure they avoid the play-offs this time around.

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4. Mansfield Town - After just missing out on a play-off spot a few months ago, David Flitcroft will now take charge of his first full season in charge of the Stags. He has bought well in Tyler Walker, Neal Bishop and Matt Preston. The squad have had a year to gel and get used to each other's strengths and weaknesses. The one key thing that will be crucial to Mansfield is, can Flitcroft get the best out of them? This is the big point and will decide whether Mansfield make the top 3 or not. They have looked good in pre-season, playing a 3-5-2 formation but it could be very different once the season starts. Inconsistency at Swindon meant The Robins didn't trouble the top three as much, as they would have liked to. Swindon fans were happy to see him go. A promotion season with Bury, before an inconsistent 15-16 season and a terrible run of 7 losses in a row in 2016-17 saw him sacked in November 2016. Mansfield's season all depends on which David Flitcroft turns up.

5. Northampton Town (P) - Dean Austin took over as caretaker manager for the last few games of last season and almost performed a miracle in keeping Northampton up before they were sucker-punched in the 90th minute in game 45. A key aspect of Northampton's summer, has been keeping the squad to together and they have done just that. The have signed two new strikers who should help them making a challenge on promotion, with Andy Williams and Junior Morias adding at Sixfields. Morias, especially, looks a good signing for this level. The Cobblers have good depth in all areas of the pitch and they look good to mount a promotion challenge and a return to League One.

6. Colchester United - After missing out on the top 7 for two seasons in a row, Colchester will want to finally make them this time. They have added to the squad well, bringing in two new goalkeepers and adding three new strikers in, Newport's Frank Nouble, Swindon's Luke Norris and Wolves' Aaron Collins (on loan). Harry Pell comes in from Cheltenham, after impressing at Whaddon Road. Keeping hold of Sammie Szmodics has been crucial, with his passing and creativity a big part of John McGreal's team. Szmodics scored 13 goals last season. The squad has got stronger and this time, the U's should make an impact on League Two.

7. Exeter City - Exeter have lost their manager of many seasons, in Paul Tisdale and some of the players that helped them get into the play-offs two seasons in a row. Jordan Moore-Taylor, Ryan Harley, Robbie Simpson and Lloyd James. However, they have replaced them adequately with the arrivals of Jonathan Forte, Nicky Law, Aaron Martin and Lee Martin. New manager Matt Taylor knows the club well having previously played at St James Park and he knows the lower leagues well after spending time at Charlton and Newport, as well as The Grecians.

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8. Stevenage - Dino Maamria took over in March and will lead Stevenage into, what they hope, is a better season than last season. Boro have bought well. Scott Cuthbert is one of the best signings in League Two, coming in from promotion winning Luton. Michael Timlin is a good signing, in my opinion and him and Joel Byrom should form a good partnership in midfield. They have lost Matt Godden which will be crucial but Danny Newton should be able to come up with the goals, as should the experienced Alex Revell. Like Aspin, Maamria has also used his non league exploits to bring in players. The four arriving are Luther Wildin (Nuneaton), James Ball (Stockport), Emmanuel Sonupe (Kidderminster) and Donovan Makoma (Barrow). All in all, a good transfer window for Stevenage and they will look to challenge the play-off places.

9. Port Vale - The Valliants have had a lot of changes made to the playing squad this summer with twelve new players coming through the doors at Vale Park. Ricky Miller and Idris Kanu arrive from Peterborough to add competition and goals. Kanu especially, is a very promising young player. Neil Aspin has used his knowledge and experience of non league football to bring in a few players. Manny Oyeleke arrives from Aldershot, Theo Vassell from Gateshead and Brendon Daniels from Alfreton. He has also added Football League experience in the form of Leon Legge, Luke Joyce and Louis Dodds. Luke Hannant is one to look out for after impressing at the back end of last season. Lots of improvements have been made to the squad and Aspin looks like the man to take Vale forward.

10. Swindon Town - Not as strong a squad as last season and in my opinion, the signings of Toumani Diagouraga and Michael Doughty, are the only ones that stand out. Diagouraga ran the show at Plymouth and Fleetwood last season and was crucial to The Piglrims revival from bottom of the league, to near the play-offs. Elijah Adebayo comes in on loan from Fulham and will be expected to score goals after a decent spell on loan at Cheltenham last season. Keshi Anderson is definitely one to look out for next season and Phil Brown has done it before at this level with Southend but for me, they just don't have enough to make the play-offs.

11. Grimsby Town - The Mariners have looked rejuvenated under Michael Jolley. After saving them from relegation last season, he has made some shrewd additions this summer with John Welsh from Preston and Elliott Whitehouse from Lincoln being the standout additions. However, Whitehouse will be out for a while due to injury. Jake Hessenthaler from Gillingham and Alex Whitmore from Chesterfield are young players and are also solid additions. I feel like they may need another year before they can mount a proper promotion challenge but the early signs are good and under Jolley, they seem to be heading in the right direction.

12. Crawley Town - They have lost key players in Enzio Boldewijn, Thomas Verheydt and Josh Yorwerth but they have bought in quality in Filipe Morais and Romain Vincelot. Ollie Palmer and Dominic Poleon look like they will form a decent partnership up front. George Francomb is another good addition having won promotion from this level in 2016 with AFC Wimbledon. Their defence lacks depth though, and they need back ups quickly.

13. Cambridge United - Have a decent squad with some good young players coming through. Joe Dunne did well with the team after taking over from Shaun Derry last season and managed a 12th placed finish. They haven't signed many in the transfer window and for that reason I can't see them pushing on into the play-offs. They may lack strength in depth in some areas too and getting goals out of Barry Corr will be important.

14. Crewe Alexandra - Some youth players at Crewe look like they are developing well, especially Charlie Kirk, Callum Ainley, Harry Pickering and James Jones. Perry Ng has also laid down the starting position at right-back. They have signed Shaun Miller and Paul Green to permanent contracts, after they helped Crewe go on a good run of form at the back end of the 17-18 season. Their defence is somewhere where they need improvement and they lack strength in depth.

15. Cheltenham Town - Losing Mo Eisa is big and they have decided to go down the same route in bringing in his replacement. They have once again looked into the lower divisions of non league to bring in a goalscorer, this time Manny Duku from Hayes & Yeading. They have bought in Johnny Mullins from Luton to add solidness to the defence. Mullins has won promotion from this league with Rotherham, Oxford and Luton. Sean Long arrives after a good season with Lincoln, as does Liam McAlinden with Exeter. However losing Eisa is a big deal and the squad has improved slightly but not enough to challenge the play-offs.

16. Bury - After a truly torrid season in 17-18, Bury will look to see an upturn in fortunes. Ryan Lowe was caretaker at the end of last season and has been given the managers job permanently. They have made some solid League Two additions such as Nicky Adams, Byron Moore and Chris Dagnall, but nothing spectacular. It will be hard to come off such a bad season and turn it around so quickly.

17. Tranmere Rovers - After finally getting out of non-league, Tranmere will be looking to push on and hopefully look to stabilise in League Two. Harvey Gilmour, Mark Ellis and Paul Mullin all look solid additions and keeping Ollie Norburn will be key. However, Rovers look thin up front with only James Norwood and Connor Jennings the two strikers at the club and this could pay dividends to them making any further strides up the league table.

18. Forest Green Rovers - FGR survived by a point last season, with Christian Doidge's goals crucial in keeping the Nailsworth club up.  Liam Shephard, George Williams and Joseph Mills look good signings. Exeter fans couldn't believe FGR payed a fee for Lloyd James but he looks a solid addition. They look good in areas, but lack quality in others. If Doidge leaves, then I do worry for Rovers. They also lack depth in central midfield.

19. Newport County - The club, who were the surprise package last season along with Accrington, have one of the lowest budgets in the division, with their FA Cup run last season bringing in some much needed income. Although their transfer business has been mixed. Jamille Matt is an average signing in my opinion, as is Fraser Franks and Charlie Cooper. Andrew Crofts is an experienced midfielder and Keanu Marsh-Brown should provide pace out wide. They rely on loans a lot and Padraig Amond will have to have a blinder of a season to get them near the top half.

20. Oldham Athletic - After reports the club are in financial ruin with the club paying the players late and the relation between fans and owner strained, it appears Oldham's first season outside of League One for 21 years, won't be a happy one. Their signings haven't been good enough and they lack strikers. The club looks to be going downwards and may even do a Chesterfield if they are not careful.

21. Carlisle United - John Sheridan takes over from Keith Curle in Cumbria but, whilst he is very good at keeping teams up and saving them mid-way through the season, when he starts the season with a club it can be difficult for him. Notts and Oldham are two clubs, where he has started the season and been sacked. Carlisle's transfer business is also a sign that it might be a hard season. They lack depth up front and goals may be difficult to come by. Add to that a very thin squad and the playing budget being cut, the Cumbrians could see themselves at the wrong end of the table.

22. Morecambe - So many years, The Shrimps have been holding on and this year I expect them to do so again. The main reason I have put them above Macclesfield and Yeovil is because of their transfer business in the striker department. Jason Oswell was second top scorer in the National League North last season for Stockport, scoring 24 goals. Liam Mandeville has also come in on loan from Doncaster Rovers, having won promotion with them from this division in 2016-17. Andrew Tutte has come in from Bury, adding experience to the midfield but the with the same core of players from last season, I still see them struggling.

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23. Macclesfield Town (R) - A lot of things have changed at Mac after they won the National League. Manager John Askey has left for Shrewsbury and key players from the promotion winning team have left in; Kieran Kennedy, Mitch Hancox and Danny Whitehead. Mark Yates takes over, after doing a brilliant job at Solihull Moors. The players they have bought in, however, aren't that brilliant and they could look set for a long season. Whether Mark Yates has improved as a manager since he left the Football League will remain to be seen but Macclesfield look to be up against it if they are to continue the trend of teams promoted from the National League, staying up.

24. Yeovil Town (R) - They have continued to survive for the past three seasons but this season could well be the year they fall. Yeovil's transfer business hasn't been the greatest. A few players bought in nearing the end of their careers in Gary Warren and Carl Dickinson. Diallang Jaiyesimi comes in on loan from Norwich but didn't have an all impressive loan spell at Grimsby last season. They've lost Otis Khan, a key player from the past few seasons. They haven't got much depth up front either and the team genuinely lacks quality.

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Our signings so far! Who are they? Where do they come from? Why are they the chosen ones?

With Notts County being considerably active in the transfer window, I thought I would shine a light on the players we have signed so far and see what they have on their CV and what they can offer to our setup. Having signed 5 players so far it seems promising down at Meadow Lane and with a lack of squad depth at the moment it seems the transfers wont stop there.

So first up…

Tom Crawford – Tom Crawford is a central midfielder who was acquired from the recently relegated Chester FC for an undisclosed fee. He is currently 19 years old with 17 apps in the National League. In those 17 apps he has 1 goal and 1 assist. With only National League experience it is making Notts fans wonder where his future lies within the Notts County setup. He has made 1 appearance for England C which is a promising sign for the youngster. I think he can slot in quite well into a CM or RM role if needed. I fully expect to see these sorts of signings starting in the Carabao Cup and the Checkatrade Trophy fixtures as a minimum.

Kristian Dennis – Kristian is a central striker who has most experience in the 4-4-2 formation. He was acquired from recently relegated Chesterfield for an undisclosed fee. Having back to back relegations with Chesterfield does raise eyebrows however scoring 21 goals in all competitions last year is a massive achievement and goals is something we have been lacking. Dennis is 28 years of age with 82 games played in the football league. He can play with both feet and will be a key player to the squad for next season.

Andy Kellett – Andy Kellett is labelled as a midfielder, in particular the LM spot on the pitch. He can also slot into LB if needs be as he told the Notts County media upon arrival at Meadow Lane. Kellett is 24 years of age being 5ft 7 he is known for his quick feet and pace ability. He has just over 60 appearances in the football league and has scored 7 goals in that time. Again he was relegated with Chesterfield following a loan spell from Wigan, but upon his return he found his name on the released list following Wigan’s promotion. He could be vital to our line up next year maybe filling in for Grant who has returned to his parent club. Kellet is also a young talented player which Notts County have been reluctant to gamble on in the last couple of years.

Will Patching – Patching who is also 19 years old was signed from Manchester City and agreed a 2 year deal with the Magpies. He never made a first team appearance but was a regular in the U18’s and just recently made a few starts for the U23’s at City. He is known for playing in the No. 8 / No. 10 role for City and is highly rated for his passing ability. He has represented England U18’s with 2 appearances and also gaining 16 appearances for the U17’s. He prefers his right foot with a eye for goal on the edge of the box.

Kane Hemmings – An unexpected signing by Notts County fans but my word it was a joy to behold upon announcement. Kane Hemmings was bought from Oxford United for an undisclosed fee. Previously on loan at Mansfield Town he has had plenty of league experience and goals to go along with it. His CV consists of Scottish Premier League experience and League One. Hemmings has played 84 times in the EFL scoring 17 goals. He is quick and strong player that is favoured to start along side Dennis. He has most of his experience in the Scottish Leagues however has proved himself in England too. He is 26 years of age and quite frankly fancies to score from anywhere on the field.

So far I think Notts have done a fantastic job with the signings, I thought I would break each player down a little and give an insight to what they are capable of and what type of player they are. We certainly have brought the average age of squad down by a lot which is heading in the right direction. Also I have noticed we are offering players contracts longer than 1 year which gives us an option to sell if they are performing well. I can’t remember when we last made money off a player, so it is good news we are tying these players down. Ideally I think we need 2/3 more quality signings then maybe a few players just to fill out squad depth or promote some youth players to come through the system.

Let us know your thoughts below.

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Wow... the media has spring forth a rumour that Michael O'Connor won't be renewing his contract with Notts County, and all hell breaks loose on social media!

There's a few 'camps' on this, from the "he's an ungrateful, disloyal, past-it, broken player, so let him go!"  to the (I think, much more sensible), "he's a family man  who is entitled to look after the best interests of his family!"

I truly can't understand the former point of view; particularly since any player, under contract, (as he was) is fully entitled to receive treatment from his club (free-of-charge) and recuperation - however long it takes - is 'paid for', too!

So, scarily, 'fans' saying he's being 'disloyal' by taking the money/moving on after his injury, are under a (legal) delusion, I'm afraid.

I don't (and wouldn't) 'blame' anyone for a) looking for more wages  being unhappy at offer of a pay-cut Contract or c) missing out on opportunity to work closer to my family home.

I personally can wish him nothing but the best and a speedy "Bon Voyage", if nothing more than to stop all of the comments; fair or otherwise!

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Notts County's season has finally come to an end, two weeks after the regular campaign was wrapped up.

The fact we managed to extend the season by making the playoffs is obviously a sign that we have been heading in the right direction, and on the positive side it is nice to have been anxious about things in the top half of the table instead of the bottom like we had been for the previous four seasons.

And of course, just the fact that we lost to Coventry City over two legs is no disgrace. After all, they are a big team with good players and a big fanbase, so had it just been a case of "Notts were just not as good", that isn't a big deal in itself.

Let's face it, Notts have been punching above their weight for much of the season. An incredible first half of the season eventually petered out due to players running out of steam (namely up front), inconsistency (players putting in displays better than their general quality would muster, only to revert to type the following week), the odd failed tactical tinker (4-5-1) and making a pig's ear of the winter transfer window (Mason Bennett's signing was made in good faith and the player is quality but there is always going to be that risk in recruiting injury prone players).

All that considered, being able to finish in the playoffs was a pretty fair assessment of our season, a team largely in transition and seeking consolidation after several traumatic years doing superbly well through a mere change in circumstances off the pitch (a good owner) and in the dugout (let's not forget that Kevin Nolan is a rookie in managing terms so he's only going to get better with experience, a prospect which is pretty exciting).

However, let's look at what happened over the two legs against Coventry. The first leg should have ended 1-0 to us. Their penalty late on should not have been given, pure and simple.

Had the refereeing been adequate, Coventry would have gone into the second leg a goal down and there could have been a different game altogether.

But okay, let's say we led and we still got an awful first half in which we conceded early on and again midway through, as per what happened yesterday. Jorge Grant's goal would have levelled the tie and Jonathan Forte's goal - which was onside - would have put us back in front. The momentum in both the game and the tie would have been with Notts, while Coventry would have been panicking, and who knows what could have happened. Would Maxime Biamou have scored his second? Even if he did, would Notts heads have dropped as they did, knowing they were still in the tie?

Football is a very emotional and psychological game. One goal, or sending off, will completely change the heads of both sets of players as well as those of the fans, with a ripple effect.

And likewise, having a goal chalked off, or an illegitimate goal being awarded, has a similar effect - witness England's capitulation in 2010 against Germany when Frank Lampard's goal so flagrantly crossed the line and wasn't given - subconsciously, the England players could have been thinking "we've been screwed out of a perfectly good goal - what's the point of carrying on?".

The truth is, the football fandom has become desensitised to awful refereeing decisions, so when a team gets screwed over in the big moments, it's usually self-justified as "oh well, these will even out over the course of a season" or "yeah but we weren't good enough overall".

Sorry, that's not good enough.

The bottom line of the game is to outscore your opponent, and goals are hard to come by in football (compared to, say a rugby or basketball game) so each one needs the utmost scrutiny in accordance with the laws of the game. If we're operating on whatever laws the referee conjures up at any given moment, you're not getting a proper game of football.

And sure, you can justify it to yourself with excuses as a coping mechanism, but the cold hard truth is, we've been cheated. Not necessarily deliberately, but even through incompetence, we have been cheated out of what could have been a completely different outcome had the rules of the game been adhered to as, you know, they are supposed to be.

That's fine though, whatever. We'll justify it as "the will of the footballing gods", we'll channel our anger towards the players for being bad on the day / during the season, we'll wonder what could have been, and we'll go again next season slumming it at the likes of Morecambe and Forest Green. It's entertainment at the end of the day, isn't it? Shame football is more pantomime than Hollywood movie these days.

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I know I'm not the only Notts County fan who feels deflated following the last couple of months at Meadow Lane, seeing a side that, following full time in the New Year's Day win over Port Vale, was second in League Two - four points behind then leaders Luton Town and seven clear of fourth - now in fifth, seven adrift of the top three and just four above eighth.

We've seen Notts put in superb performances this season and also grind out results, and it was superb to see - and obviously expectations rose as the prospect of automatic promotion, or perhaps the title, was a real possibility, and so having such hopes dashed is painful.

However, this is where perspective and hindsight come into play. The bulk of the team this season is the same as that of last season - in 2016-17 Notts were punching below their weight for the first half, before Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan arrived and lifted each of the players to punch above their weight, and indeed safety was ensured before the final day.

This time round, the players got off to a flying start in the league (aside from the Coventry opener) and soon enough we were topping the table, and as the weeks went on, the Magpies continued to impress - still very much punching above their weight.

But an EFL campaign is very much a marathon, and as it turned out, Notts might have led the pack early on, but the rigours of the 46-game season, plus all the other cup competitions, will take their toll on the players physically and mentally.

From a transfer perspective, January didn't go to plan - losing Ryan Yates was a huge blow and I don't feel we've fully recovered from it; Mason Bennett was good but injury prone and unfortunately he got sidelined in his first full game; Matty Virtue has been sub-par, while Liam Noble and Noor Husin have been decent but not superb - and certainly not . I think only Ben Hall has been a legitimately great signing.

Alongside losing Yates, the Bennett loan was also a massive blow, given how Shola Ameobi and Jon Stead could now not get their rest, and indeed they have completely run out of steam.

But calling for Kevin Nolan to be sacked, as some people have been doing, is very much a joke, except for the fact they seem to be serious.

Yes, Notts have all but fluffed automatic promotion; yes, Notts are in poor form and face a battle just to stay in the playoffs; yes, I'm not especially confident that they could succeed if they do finish in the playoffs.

But would I have taken worrying in the top seven of the table rather than the bottom two? Absolutely. Do I think Nolan and Hardy will be wiser come the end of the season, whether we get promoted or not? Yes. And do I think both of them, plus the better players in the squad, would remain at ML and a summer of good recruitment could see Notts build on and have a team that could genuinely fight for promotion next season? Yes, I do.

Pep Guardiola didn't meet expectations last season at Manchester City, finishing without a trophy. Sir Alex Ferguson wasn't much cop in his first few seasons at Manchester United. But they were afforded time, in spite of some braying fans calling for them to be sacked, and they went on to greatness.

Nolan is a young manager and has a lot to learn - same as Hardy in terms of owning a football club. And it's not like we're fighting for our EFL life, like we were last season - worst comes to worst, we spend next season in League Two, we can add a few more pieces to the jigsaw, and we go again.

All I know is, anyone calling for Nolan to be sacked is outright deluded - remember what happened with Keith Curle a few seasons ago? Gunning for promotion into the Championship, yet even that didn't seem good enough for some, and now what most of us wouldn't give to be there now. So be careful what you wish for, because as disappointing as things may seem now, they could be much, much worse.

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As the world’s oldest Football League club, Notts County Football Club really do have an unrivalled history.

It’s a fascinating story of great names and good times, dark days and disappointments – and it deserves to be told to and by more people of all ages.

This is why Notts County Football in the Community have launched the Heritage Project.

Supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, this important scoping project will develop recommendations to secure the heritage of Notts County for the enjoyment and education of present and future generations.

As the oldest football league club in the world, founded in 1862, the club has a rich history, and recent induction into the National Football Museum Hall of Fame further cemented the importance of the club in the history of world football.

At present, however, there is no formal programme to manage the physical and other heritage assets connected to Notts, and much of this heritage is not owned or managed by the club, but is in the care of many organisations and individuals that have an interest in the Magpies.

The project seeks to answer several important questions:

- What historic material does the club own?

- What heritage items related to the club do other people and organisations have?

- How could the club's heritage be better protected and shared, so more people can enjoy it?

To go a long way towards answering these questions, FITC wants YOUR help!

FITC is keen to hear from you about:

- Your Notts County collection: For example, you might have a collection of match programmes, replica kit, fanzines, scrapbooks, t-shirts, former players’ shirts or boots .... in fact, anything to do with Notts County! And if you’re interested, FITC will happy to give you some free, expert advice about how you might keep your collection so that it lasts as long as possible – and/or put you in touch with other collectors of Notts County heritage items.

- Your ideas about how the history of Notts County could be told and shared: For instance, would you like more information and displays around the ground, more on the club website, or events for collectors of NCFC memorabilia? Any ideas are welcome – particularly those that involve supporters and give them the chance to share their stories and memories.

Here is how to get in touch:

- Start the conversation by sending an email to heritage@nottscountyfitc.org.uk.

- If you put ‘Notts County collection’ in the subject line, FITC will send you a simple form that you can use to tell them more about what you have, and what help you might need.

- Use this email address to send FITC any suggestions about how the history of Notts County could be shared and told. All ideas are welcome, and they will be happy to discuss them with you.

- If you would like to receive an occasional e-newsletter about this project, just send FITC an email with ‘Heritage Newsletter’ in the subject line and your name in the message area.

Let's all join in and make Notts County Football Club stand out further in the annals of football history - after all, are we not the Pride of Nottingham?

The Heritage Project is in partnership with Nottingham City Council, the EFL Trust, the Professional Footballers' Association, the Premier League and MacMillan Cancer Support.

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Yesterday (19 March) Pride of Nottingham spoke about Notts County's 1994-95 Anglo-Italian Cup win over Ascoli at Wembley, which had taken place 23 years prior.

Today (20 March) is the 24-year anniversary of their first Anglo-Italian Cup final appearance at England's national stadium, which unfortunately did not go the Magpies' way.

The Magpies had reached the final by overcoming Derby County and beating Nottingham Forest in the preliminary round before beating Ascoli, Pisa and Ancona in the first round, though the 3-1 loss to Brescia would be the first of two defeats to the Serie B side.

Then came victory against Southend United over two legs, though the game had to go on penalties as both legs finished 1-0 to each side, and so Notts went to Wembley to face the Lombardy side for the second time in the competition.

Only 17,185 made it to Wembley, under half the crowd who came to see Derby's meek 3-1 defeat by Cremonese the previous year, a fact that was picked up by much of the press when it came to the lack of people coming to the showpiece stadium.

The encounter itself - settled in the Italian side's favour by Gabriele Ambrosetti's well worked goal just after the hour - was given credit by the press, however.

The Independent described it as thus:

At least County made more of a match of it than Derby had, and they put together a thrilling fight in the closing minutes. This hearty, last-ditch charge served to reinforce the national stereotypes that had been on show all afternoon: the clenched-fist effort and aggression of the English Endsleigh League side almost matching the skill and flair of the Italian Serie B representatives, whose composure was as evident as their willingness to go down in the tackle.

Here is a not particularly flattering match report in an unspecified national newspaper, as quoted by the Up The Maggies site.

Wembley's twin towers glistened in the pale spring sunshine and the jobsworths on gate duty looked as inscrutable as ever.

But this was the final of the Anglo-Italian Cup, football's response to Frank Bruno's midweek heavyweight bout with Jesse Ferguson.

There was once a quiz question which few people ask these days: which league club used Wembley as their home ground. Answer: Clapton Orient, before the war, when their own ground was not available.

It is difficult to find anyone who watched Clapton Orient play at Wembley in the Thirties but the atmosphere must have been a little like yesterday's.

The Anglo-Italian Cup is a sham. Many of the fixtures have been accompanied by awful violence, though not so much of late, a happy by-product of the fierce apathy which currently surrounds the competition.

There were 17,000 at Wembley yesterday. Perhaps some of them watched Dame Bruno against Big Jesse in Birmingham last Wednesday. The ticket tout on Wembley Way was surely planted by the match organisers to lend some authenticity to the proceedings.

The afternoon built towards its crescendo. There was a penalty shoot-out, sponsored by the Nottingham Evening Post, a six-a-side match between the veterans of Notts County and Nottingham Forest and a section of music by the band of the Welsh Guards. Then some Italian restaurant proprietor called Paulo Rossi put in an appearance.

The trophy is played for between clubs from the English First Division and the Italian Serie B. The First Division clubs are divided into eight groups of three (there is talk of doing away with the group system) and County ultimately won through by beating off the challenge of Southend United in the English semi-final. Brescia - and if you know where that is you deserve an Anglo-Italian Cup all in yourself - triumphed over Pescara.

Notts County finished second yesterday, and deserved to, but at least the contest was not as one-sided as last season when Derby County were totally out-manoeuvred by Cremonese, who now play in Serie A.

The goal, in the 66th minute, was scored by Gabriele Ambrosetti after a delightful chip from Domini and a blocked shot from Sabau.

County put the Italian club under sustained pressure in the final 20 minutes and Palmer had a shot cleared off the line in injury time.

Brescia, under the guidance of Romania's former manager Mircea Lucescu, played some fine football in fitful patches and in the delightful Gheorghe Hagi, also of Romania, we at least had the pleasure of watching one of the finest footballers in Europe.

It was not enough though.

And here is YouTube footage of the highlights.

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On this day 23 years ago, Notts County found themselves playing at Wembley for the second season in a row and the fourth time in the decade when they took on Ascoli in the Anglo-Italian Cup final.

Having enjoyed Wembley glory in 1990 and 1991, winning the Third Division playoff final and then its Second Division counterpart, the Magpies then fell flat in 1994 when they fell to a 1-0 loss to a Georghe Hagi-inspired Brescia.

However, they would be back once again just a year later against Ascoli, who boasted Germany star Oliver Bierhoff in their ranks.

In the 1995 showpiece, Notts manager Howard Kendall allowed assistant Russell Slade to lead the team out, whilst recent signings gave way to younger players, long serving players or those who hadn't previously played at Wembley.

One sour note is that only 11,704 spectators turned up, around 5,500 less than for the previous season's final, perhaps due to the team's poor league form - which would ultimately culminate in relegation from the second tier - making the occasional a little too bittersweet.

Notts took the lead on 12 minutes as a long throw by Andy Legg deceived the Ascoli keeper and went into the back of the net, but Tony Agana was judged to have got a faint touch on the ball and so he was credited for the goal.

Ascoli, also fighting against relegation domestically and third bottom of Serie B, equalised on 32 minutes when Shaun Murphy's attempted clearance cannoned off Michael Johnson and fell to Walter Mirabelli, who had the easy task of finishing off.

However, Kendall's side retook the lead and, as it turned out, scored the winner just before the break when transfer-listed forward Devon White headed home from Paul Devlin's cross.

Despite the glory of winning the trophy, the celebrations were muted because Notts were back in training the very next day to prepare for a midweek league clash against fellow strugglers Bristol City, which would yield a 1-1 draw.

One more Anglo-Italian Cup competition would be contested before being discontinued due to fixture congestion, with Port Vale losing to Genoa in the 1996 final.

The Valiants' defeat meant that Notts were the only English team to win the trophy the four seasons that the modern version was contested, having previously been contested in on and off during the 1960s until the 1980s.

Bierhoff went on to score both goals in the Euro 96 final, with Germany beating the Czech Republic 2-1, and would go on to have fruitful spells at Udinese and AC Milan before winding his career down at Monaco and Chievo Verona.

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So the big match is upon us. Notts County against Mansfield Town.

And you know what, I’m sick of losing to these lot. It really is getting annoying.

It’s fair to say our record against Mansfield really isn’t the best. This century, in the league, we’ve played them 14 times, winning once, drawing five and losing eight times.

Notts haven’t beaten Mansfield in the league since September 2005, a 3-2 win at Field Mill with a late winner courtesy of Glynn Hurst.

However, after seven years apart in different divisions, both of these two returned to playing each other in 2015-16. It was not a good season for Notts. The first home game of the season saw us lose the Nottinghamshire derby 2-0. However, it’s the reverse fixture that makes the headlines for all the wrong reasons for Notts. A 5-0 defeat. A defeat, which summed up the Ray Trew era. A lack of fight, effort and passion.

Notts were 1-0 down at half time and in the second half went to 3-5-2 and went for it in hope of getting back into the game. Sadly, it didn’t work and once the second went in, Notts gave up.

A lot changed that summer. Players, manager, board members. Notts returned to Field Mill on October 8th and lost again. A 3-1 defeat in a game, which I summed up as being an absolute joke. John Sheridan said it how it was ‘we lost to two deflections and a penalty.’

A lot of things still annoy me about that game. We should have been 3-0 up at half time. Jonathan Forte missed a one-on-one chance, Jon Stead hit the post, and also had another good chance. Alex Rodman equalised in the 82nd minute but I knew something controversial was coming. You could just sense it.

It was. Mansfield were awarded a penalty in the 90th minute for what most would call ‘a 50-50’ but Matt Tootle took so long to clear the ball. They scored a 3rd in the 93rd minute as well.

In the reverse fixture on January 14th, Notts halted a run of 10 successive losses in Kevin Nolan’s first game in charge, with the game finishing 0-0. Mansfield were in good form coming into that game but Notts held firm. =

In fairness, nothing much really happened in that game. Ben Whiteman came close to scoring with a deflected effort, which was well saved by Adam Collin. Michael O’Connor came close for Notts in the second half. In the 90th minute, a shot by Mansfield was saved by Collin and cleared by Carl Dickinson in a moment where my heart skipped a beat.

The 3-1 defeat earlier this season again showed a lack of fight in which we crumbled under the pressure. Stead missed an easy chance from close range and Danny Rose starred as Mansfield ran out winners yet again.

Form coming into this game has never been important. The four games in which Notts have lost against them, they have had the better form coming into each one. The 0-0 draw in January was the only time in which Mansfield had the better form coming into the derby.

There is a slight theory behind this game too, as every time there has been a Tuesday night fixture preceding the derby, Mansfield have won.

2015/16 (0-2) Huddersfield 1-2 Notts, Sheff Wed 4-1 Mansfield – Notts lost the derby

2015/16 (5-0) Notts 1-0 Hartlepool - Notts lost the derby

2016/17 (3-1) Rochdale 2-1 Notts, Port Vale 0-1 Mansfield - Notts lost the derby

2017/18 (3-1) Exeter 0-3 Notts, Cheltenham 3-0 Mansfield - Notts lost the derby

Notts have looked brilliant recently and I have the feeling this could the game in which we end the derby curse. Richard Duffy has said about how the players had a talk during the rot they were going through on how to turn it around. He also said they are now doing what they were doing when they were doing at the start of the season.

I’ve also had friends who are Mansfield fans messaging me saying that the style of play since David Flitcroft came in has got worse. Danny Rose and Alex MacDonald have been two players who played well under Steve Evans but haven’t done so far under Flitcroft.

This game is also massive for the promotion race. A Notts win and promotion is in their own hands with 8 games to go. A Mansfield win and they are right back in it with a game in hand. A draw is no good for either team and only hands the advantage to Wycombe and a recently resurgent Coventry. Notts must win to retain their advantage in the promotion race and finally end our awful record in this fixture.

A last word to the fans. We cannot be outsung like last time. Players thrive off the support and it could make all the difference come Saturday. We cannot be outsung.

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Notts County's 2-0 win over Stevenage was a very welcome three points to end a poor month on a bright note, and crucially for the Magpies it brought a second clean sheet in three games.

Now, Adam Collin has been the subject of some flak, to put it mildly, in recent months, and his displacement of Ross Fitzsimons hasn't been exactly welcomed with open arms.

There have been questions over Collin's distribution and his tendency to hang on to the ball for long periods of time - not to mention the occasional fumbled shot and hesitation in reclaiming to stop a potential rebound.

This happened in the Stevenage game, with one effort from the edge of the box being spooned upwards by the keeper and the ensuing miscommunication with Richard Duffy - himself not exactly Mr Reliable at centre-back - almost led to the visitors scoring what would have been a farcical goal.

However, fair play to Collin and the Notts defence for eventually getting to full time with a second clean sheet in three games - credit must go to Ben Hall for tightening the back line, and as such he was voted the PON Man of the Match by our fans.

The clean sheet didn't exactly come about through a solid performance from Collin though, and him pointing his finger to the Notts camera and saying "shock... another clean sheet", though he may feel it was justified given the flak he's been receiving, smacks of arrogance and cockiness, as well as risking antagonising some of the fans.

???????? | Three in a row at home! Thanks for your brilliant support. pic.twitter.com/8Uv6tkf5iy

— Notts County FC (@Official_NCFC) February 24, 2018

Goalkeepers need to be confident as part of their trade - lose confidence and it's a massive setback in a job where you're the lone, last line of defence between shipping a goal and keeping the ball out.

So in that respect Collin does well to dismiss the criticism aimed his way, but he needs to be mindful of voicing his opinions publicly and making remarks that could be construed as petty or arrogant.

Kevin Nolan made a point about not suffering "one big bite on the bum" when Notts were preparing to face Oxford City in the FA Cup and, on a similar note, Collin has now left himself open to such a scenario if, between now and the end of the season, he was to make a crucial mistake (touch wood he does not, hopefully he will be Mr Safe Hands from now until the end of the season as Notts rise up into League One).

I think players are entitled to their opinion, especially in the wake of criticism, and I don't necessarily begrudge Collin for his little post-match comment, but he needs to be mindful of potentially opening himself up to criticism should the comment come back to bite him on the backside.

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In January and February, Juventus consolidated second place in Serie A and reached the Italian Cup semi-finals. After beating Genoa 2-0 in the last 16, the Bianconeri went on to face city rivals Torino in the quarter-finals.

On December 23rd, a big Serie A match took place between Juve and Roma, where we won 1-0 - winner scored by former Roma player Medhi Benatia - then we won 3-1 over Verona. In the quarterfinals Juve beat Torino 2-0 and progressed to the semi-final against Atalanta.

Continuing the way in the league, the Bianconeri won 1-0 against  Cagliari in a hard-fought match, 1-0 with Genoa and 2-0 with Chievo Verona.

In the first leg of the Coppa Italia semifinal, Juventus has the best in Atalanta's home: 1-0 for us with the return game to be played on February 28th.

Then a record-breaking match: in the league Juventus beat Sassuolo 7-0, with goals from Alex Sandro, Miralem Pjanic, Sami Khedira's double and Gonzalo Higuaín's hat-trick.

Then on February 9th we obtained three very important points, winning 2-0 against Fiorentina.

Finally, on February 13th the Champions League returned, playing against Tottenham at the Allianz Stadium: after an initial Juventus lead of 2 goals (double by Pipita Higuaìn), we were pegged back by Harry Kane and Christian Eriksen in a match that finished 2-2.

It was a pity to draw in a game that we were on our way to winning, but now our guys are going to put it all in the challenge back to Wembley, which will be played on March 7th.

Last week we played the Derby della Mole in the league, at  Torino's football stadium, where we won 1-0 thanks to a precious goal from Alex Sandro.

Juventus continue to be second in the Serie A standings just a point behind Napoli, who continue to win and are making this an exciting title race.

January and February were somewhat unlucky months - we lost a lot of players due to injury, starting with Paulo Dybala, injured against Cagliari, but now the Argentine is back on the pitch.

Even our captain, Gianluigi Buffon, who recently turned 40, is back on the pitch. Juan Cuadrado, however, has been injured for more than a month with a groin problem and is still out but is about to return, as are Mario Mandzukic and Blaise Matuidi.

Against Torino, there were two injured players: Higuain and Federico Bernardeschi. The former, a less serious ankle problem with a week's layoff. The latter a slightly more serious problem: he  will be out for a few weeks and is at risk for the Champions League return challenge.

Marko Pjaca, fully recovered at the end of December, was loaned to German team Schalke 04 until the end of the season, for 1.5 million euro.

Juve are believed to still be monitoring Emre Can - at the beginning of January it was almost certain that the German midfielder should have arrived in June for about 4.5 million, but other clubs have been linked to the player, even if our club will not give up.

It seems set for Dennis Praet of Sampdoria to join Juve 25 million, but the player will remain in Genoa until June and then could pass to the black and whites.

Juve continue the Juventus Women project: our girls are very strong, so far they have played 14 games (between Championship and Italian Cup) and have won them all!

Our Under 21 guys have left the Italian Cup and the Champions League, but they are in the running for the Championship. Meanwhile, a few days ago, the documentary about Juventus and the life of our players outside the field came out on Netflix.

Juventus must now take care against Tottenham and put it all to pass the Champions League quarters, and stay competitive for the championship and Italian Cup! Now the hard part of the season is starting!

Thank you to Leo from Daje Juve for this article. Follow them on Instagram by clicking here.

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We're edging towards the end of February and Notts County's forward problems continue following the backfiring of our January gamble.

Bringing Mason Bennett in on loan seemed a great idea at the time, given he's a highly rated and clearly talented footballer, very much admired by most fans of his parent club Derby.

Unfortunately, Bennett is also injury prone, something which plenty of Rams fans I spoke to mentioned in sighing tones - were it not for his injury issues, he would probably be an established first-team despite his young age.

And he showed his quality on his Notts debut against Crewe, getting the final goal in a superb 4-1 win, but then, the harsh reality of his injury record kicked in as he had to be taken off early on against Barnet with a hamstring problem, on which he has needed an operation.

It's a bad situation for all three parties - Bennett is injured and must now go through the healing and rehabilitation process, Derby will be gutted to see one of their most talented youngsters suffer another setback, and Notts are back to square one in terms of their striker conundrum.

So we have Shola Ameobi and Jon Stead, who simply haven't got the legs to do 90 minutes week in week out (sometimes twice a week); Jonathan Forte, who remains overlooked by Nolan and, if we're being especially critical, hasn't had the same impact as a starter as he does off the bench; Lewis Alessandra, who hasn't got the quality in front of goal and finishing touch of a centre-forward; Callum Saunders, who is too raw and inexperienced to be thrown in at the deep end now; and Alan Smith, the footballing equivalent of using a plaster to fix an amputation.

With the transfer window now closed and the emergency loan system very kindly phased out by the suits up top, that leaves us having to root through the dumpster that is the free agent market in order to find somebody.

Maybe that's a little harsh - after all, Shola Ameobi was snapped up last February after the transfer window closed, but Ameobi has always been a model professional who was unsure whether to hang up his boots until former teammate Nolan persuaded him to link up with Notts, and his attitude at the club has been superb ever since signing on the dotted line.

This year, the free agent market is noticeably less impressive, and a name that Nolan has mentioned in terms of prospective signings should ring alarm bells among all the fans.

Nile Ranger. The talented, prodigious forward who could now be leading the line for Newcastle United, and perhaps England, but who instead finds himself without a club after being dismissed by Southend United due to "reoccurring disciplinary issues".

Now, I'm very much one who believes in second chances in any walk of life, and if an individual is genuinely remorseful and shows proper contrition, they should be given another shot instead of being thrown onto the scrap heap, which as a society we are quick to do.

Ranger has been given numerous chances by clubs in hope that he could have knuckled down and delivered as per his talent, but every time, it's simply not happened, hence why a player who should be gracing the higher leagues now finds himself without a club.

Even if we discount the multiple charges he's had over the last 10 years, some of which have resulted in convictions (the latest just last year for online banking fraud, which resulted in him being tagged and not being able to play evening games due to a curfew), there's also the general attitude issues.

Do Notts really want a player who has celebrated a goal by using his boot to mimic a machine gun, or whose timekeeping and disciplinary issues led to his latest club cancelling a contract midway through the season despite having committed to 2020 just a year earlier?

And yes, Alan Hardy did confirm on Twitter today that Ranger "was on a list, along with several others, but none of those are being pursued", which seemingly puts paid to that speculation, but let's not forget how Liam Noble wasn't "being pursued" either.

So no. Personally I would not like to see Ranger signed by Notts, where he could risk disrupting the dressing room and potentially making the wrong headlines, which by proxy means Notts will make the wrong headlines, before an unceremonious mid-season cutting of ties further down the line.

And aside from that, there's got to be a level of principle in the club. And I would personally rather see Notts not get a reinforcement and run the risk of not getting promoted than giving a chance to a player who's spurned far too many over the years.

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Prior to this past Tuesday’s game against Carlisle United at Meadow Lane, Kevin Nolan spoke about how there was ‘no mini crisis' happening at Meadow Lane.

At a glance, it does seem that the two home game defeats against Crawley Town and Exeter City could be labelled down to a mistake in switching from a successful formation, whereby the tactics truly did work well with our system.

However, the post-match interview did leave some questions when Nolan himself ranted about ‘the players don’t listen’, ‘we would have been okay if they had’ and that he believed some of them had started believing ‘their own hype’.

The majority of fans I know merely don’t want to see Notts lose their focus, which for me has been the case – I feel the poor performances in recent weeks stem from a lack of confidence.

Meanwhile, the heavy defeat in the FA Cup is something which would have naturally impacted on the players' confidence, yet provided we cover the basics and work hard – Notts should be fine.

This season has seen some amazing results and for a while it seemed unlike Notts – yet again in the recent weeks things have been very disappointing.

The nonsense after losing two games really disappointed me, as for the first time this highlighted how we had lost or focus on what really mattered.

Focusing on ‘some’ silly comments and projecting them as if the majority of fans wanted Kevin Nolan out just seemed quite surreal for what seemed like a small error on the manager's part – again most people just feel like the league table position is something we need to fight for.

It’s vital we regain some consistency within League Two, whilst ensuring focus and improved performances.

This is the stage of the campaign whereby clubs that lose their momentum really do struggle and I do believe that we are capable of continuing the form.

Coming into the 2017-18 season I would have happily accepted mid-table and, truth be told, I still would – provided that everyone within the Notts County camp fought for it.

I wouldn’t really say we have been unlucky, some may say that we should have beaten Swansea City in the first tie and this would be fair – yet the two defeats from the formation switch in my eyes really did impact the harmony of the squad. Especially at a point when new faces were coming into the squad and then we reverted away from something we had been incredibly successful with.

I also personally hope that this recent thing is nothing more than just a loss of focus from the pressure which is mounting on the club – the level of expectations might have increased but honestly most fans I know are sensible and will back the club wholeheartedly.

It’s time to see Notts return to improving, focusing on what they did right in the earlier part of the season and hopefully we can cut down on the changes being made to the starting line-up.

Fingers crossed this virus issue goes away, yet for me this cannot be used as an excuse.

I am hopeful that a win against Newport County might bring a fresh amount of belief within the club and, that we might be able to focus on our away form which hasn’t been the best this season.

It’s important we have a real crack at securing promotion this term and, I only believe it’s possible with the right focus. So let’s forget the past few weeks, let’s avoid blaming the match officials and lets just drive Notts across the finish line.

COYP!

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So after what seemed like a good Christmas period, it seems that Notts County have gone into switch off mode ever since.

We set off the year with a positive result against Port Vale winning 1-0 at home. We then went on to proceed to the 4th round of the FA Cup against Swansea City after a sublime strike from Jon Stead against Brentford put us into the pot for the next round.

With morale seeming to be at an all time high at Meadow Lane and coming into the new year with bags of confidence, it didn’t seem like anything could stop Notts.

So where did it start to go wrong?

Well, we ended our unbeaten home record against Exeter City who quite frankly couldn’t buy an away win at the time of beating us. That put a real gloom over Meadow Lane and I think it hit the players hard that we are still beatable at home and we should not let standards drop.

However that message clearly didn’t get through.

Outrageous behaviour from Ross Fitzsimons 3 days later, to put it straight, cost us two points. Crawley were a good side in form and having a point from that match looked like a good result.

So after 2 consecutive defeats at Meadow Lane and sickness from Matt Tootle I think the players and manager were knocked down a few pegs.

We then won 4-1 in front of a record home crowd against Crewe Alexandra, which was such a positive performance I think everyone left that game with a smile on their faces.

Then... an embarrassing display of football saw us lose 8-1 to Swansea and then lose to Barnet who are bottom of the league 1-0. This was the confirmation fans needed to know that County were officially in a slump.

Although Tuesday brought about a 2-1 win over Carlisle United, the performance nonetheless left question marks and doubts remain going forward.

How do we fix it?

So our next 3 fixtures are as follows:

Newport County vs Notts County

Cambridge United vs Notts County

Notts County vs Stevenage

So out of these next three games, if we are still serious about promotion we need to be looking at 6 points out of a possible 9.

In my opinion we should be looking at wins across the board, excluding Newport which look a real unit at the moment, especially at home.

Cambridge are currently without a manager and by the time we play them I think it will still take time for their players and manager to gel.

As for Stevenage, well they are a bang average mid-table team. We need to pick up points now, as we enter a vital period for a promotion push.

Who can we rely on?

This is bound to spark a debate in the comments but this is my personal opinion of who I think is going to be crucial in the run up the end of the season.

Mason Bennett – I know he got injured at Barnet but I would hope we could see him back fit for the start of March even for the Stevenage game if we’re lucky. His pace is frightening for League Two defenders top cope with and I think him and Jorge Grant could be a real threat and kill off games early which is what we need to do.

Matt Tootle – He can defend and attack and can always mark a striker with pace. He puts in 100% effort and can really change a game and flip it on its head. His quality in defence in attack can help link up play in areas we could maybe use to our advantage.

Noor Husin – Well this lad is superb, his passing ability is amazing in my opinion and his work rate is fantastic. I think Husin, Grant and Bennett could really work well together and for a young prospect he has some real talent and could possibly go on to be a class midfielder. His cutting edge passes and long shots could be something Nolan looks to take advantage of.

After being away from the site for a while due to work I am keen to get back in touch with PON members and create more content to get a response from fans and see what they think. The question I want to ask you PON members is, Who do you think can turn this slump around? Let me know in the comments below and I hope to be writing another piece soon.

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We have some very winnable fixtures coming up against a Newport County side fresh off a cup run and a 5-0 dismantling at the hands of Mansfield Town. We play a Cambridge United side who are in a period of transition after a change in ownership and the resignation of Shaun Derry. We also have a home game against Stevenage to finish off the month, in which Boro have one of the worst away records in the division.

We then face trips to Cheltenham Town and Forest Green, but after that the run-in gets very tricky. We have games against promotion rivals Mansfield, Wycombe Wanderers, Coventry City, Accrington Stanley and Luton Town, plus a difficult game away at Colchester United

As I said, the fixtures coming up have to be won as we have some massive games later on and the points picked up now could prove the difference between automatic promotion and playoffs.

Notts have to beat their promotion rivals and have to pick up their away form, which has only seen five away wins all season. Nine wins from the last fourteen should be enough to see us over the line.

But there are other things to consider. A lot of the other promotion contenders have still got to play each other.

Exeter City play Mansfield this Saturday. Coventry have to play Mansfield and Wycombe this month still.  Then the Sky Blues host Lincoln City at the start of March.

On the same day we face Wycombe (30th March), Accrington play Mansfield in which is sure to be a big day in the race for automatic promotion. Both sides still have to go to Kenilworth Road. Accrington also still have Exeter to face.

Lincoln still have to face Exeter, Mansfield, Wycombe and Accrington. Swindon are still not out of it and have a trip to Exeter soon, along with a final day clash with Accrington at the County Ground.

The big promotion race though, could come down to four teams in around a month’s time. The two points between Mansfield and Swindon might not be big, but it could be big enough for Accrington, Wycombe, us and Mansfield who have looked like they are going to pull away from the rest.

But as of yet, no amounts of teams have threatened to break away. With 9 teams now involved (after Colchester moved level on points with Coventry last night) then it’s fair to say, the League Two promotion race has never been tighter.

You can predict what the League Two table will look like come the end of season here. Leave comments below on who you have finishing where.

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