When the final whistle blew at Priestfield on Sunday 3rd May, I surely cannot have been the only person who felt numb, drained, disappointed and fearful.

Notts had lost 3-1 to Gillingham despite leading 1-0 until the 88th minute, and following a season that began so promisingly but collapsed quicker than a sixth form leaver on his first lads’ trip abroad after his tenth shot of tequila, the Magpies’ relegation was confirmed.

But not only that, it was also the uncertainty that followed. The rot had started to set in the season before, when survival was also at stake on the final day of the season. In the end we were lucky as we held on with that exhilarating 1-1 draw at Oldham, but nobody can argue that the team built on that reprieve. If anything, the spine of the team was then ripped out as our remaining best players left, and let’s face it, with the exception of Roy Carroll, they weren’t adequately replaced.

And with Notts now slipping into League Two, what chance would we have had to rebuild the mess? What would happen to the team, the finances, and ultimately, our future as a club?

Well, I must say, as I write this at the tail end of June, around two months after the end of the 2014-15 season, I’m a hell of a lot more confident for the future.

First of all, Roy Carroll has signed a contract extension and will be with Notts for another season. I wouldn’t have blamed him at all for leaving the club following relegation and signing for a team in League One or even the Championship. He went above and beyond the call of duty for us – not least for playing for Notts the day after turning out for Northern Ireland – but in sticking with the club despite dropping to the fourth tier, he’s effectively ensured himself a status at the club not unlike that of Gigi Buffon, who stayed with Juventus following their relegation to Serie B nine years ago.

Alan Smith also committed his future to the club, meaning that he will be able to use his experience and know-how both on the pitch and in training as a coach and mentor to help other players out.

The new signings we have made so far have been very shrewd too. Four so far, all very promising – Scot Bennett, Rhys Sharpe, Robert Milsom and now Gill Swerts, who let’s not forget, has played for Feyenoord and Belgium and has won the Eredivisie with AZ. A great blend of youth, hunger and experience between the four.

And the icing on the cake – a two-year shirt sponsorship deal with Ladbrokes described by chairman Ray Trew as the most lucrative in the club’s history. An absolute coup of a deal to have pulled off, which hints at an increased budget and the chance not only to build just for the season ahead, but for the next few years.

In my humble opinion, last season ended up being a bit of a farce, and relegation was frankly deserved, but it looks like the board is doing all the right things in this vacuum that is the close-season / pre-season gap. Gone are the stopgap loans and the friendly team sheets that had four or five trialists listed – this appears to be a real rebuilding process, with the right players coming on board, on decent contracts, and all under a new manager with a great track record who is now looking to stamp his authority on the team after being thrown in at the deep end last season.

I’m not going to lie, I really wasn’t looking forward to the start of the new season back in May, but things appear to be heading in the right direction now and, with another five weeks yet to go before the league kicks off again, I feel a lot more reassured and raring to go. The future is bright – the future is Black and White!

Notts County have today made history by securing the biggest shirt sponsorship deal in the club’s history. Ladbrokes, one of the world’s pioneering betting company’s, has agreed to sponsor the Magpies’ kit for two seasons- earmarked as the most lucrative sponsorship deal in the clubs 153- year history.

Plans have been drawn up to open a new Ladbrokes retail outlet at Meadow Lane as part of the agreement.

Notts County chairman, Ray Trew, told the club’s website: “This is an exciting day for Notts County Football Club and all our supporters, I have been in positive communication with Ladbrokes since they sponsored our Carling Cup Tie against Liverpool in 2013 and I am glad after many months of negotiating to have personally secured this deal”.

The obviously delighted Trew added: “We are obviously delighted that a huge Global Brand such as Ladbrokes have put pen to paper in association with us as we enter a new era both on and off the field”.

For those that fancy a flutter, the betting company has priced County at 18/1 to become champions of League 2 whilst offering odds of 9/2 for the Magpies to secure promotion to League 1.

Jamie tweets @JBarlow95_

Jack Grealish, the former Notts County impresser made the headlines for all the wrong reasons last week when the youthful playmaker was spotted appearing drunkenly sprawled on the streets of Tenerife whilst on holiday with friends.

A photo of Grealish emerged on Twitter a week last Sunday which soon went viral as the general public lapped up the news of the highly-rated prospect snapped worse for wear, unconscious on the road by a fellow holiday-maker.

Grealish ultimately fell foul to what the journalism industry calls ‘citizen journalism’.

This has become prominent since the explosion onto the scene of the social networking websites which allows members of the public to communicate eyewitness video footage and images to the internet, often on the device of a smartphone, which can be hard to distinguish from the objective and somewhat observational journalism of the professional media.

It was Grealish then who epitomised this relatively new trend when pictured in a befuddled state, seemingly unconscious after a heavy night partying.

Whilst it is the norm for footballers to take to the strip in the close season- the news of the intoxicated antics of Villa’s prized possession will not be what the fans wanted to hear following a season of turmoil which saw the Villains narrowly avoid the drop to the Championship.

Grealish was the shining light towards the latter stages of last term following the appointment of the former Spurs boss, Tim Sherwood, by Randy Lerner to succeed Paul Lambert in February, tasked with the duty of fending off relegation to the second tier of English football.

Sherwood did just that by nurturing the best out of the Belgian hitman, Christian Benteke, and taking a punt on Grealish- subject to an international duty tug-of-war, with the midfielder yet to commit to either the English or Irish senior teams.

The impact of Grealish on the big stage comes as no surprise to Notts’ fans who witnessed the midfielder sparkle whilst on loan during the 2013-2014 season.

Grealish was a shrewd acquisition by ex- Magpies gaffer, Shaun Derry, who turned to the rough diamond to escape relegation to League Two just 12 months ago.

Whilst the outburst has sent the footballing world into frenzy with fans divided in sympathising with the naïve midfielder’s behaviour and other’s incensed, the reality is that Grealish’s conduct was unprofessional and merits disciplinary action.

Despite his tender age of 19, Grealish is an ambassador for one of the biggest football club’s in England and a role model for football fans alike.

In any other occupation Grealish would have been unduly disciplined, and as a ‘professional’ footballer there should be no exception.

Grealish has ultimately learned the hard way for celebrating wildly and erratically as a result of alcohol abuse which his body was simply not used to tolerating after months of conditioning and dieting designed to maximise his performances at Villa Park.

Grealish now faces a meeting with gaffer Tim Sherwood amid the turmoil.

It is now up to Grealish to make amends to his manager and fans on the pitch and kick-on from his promising performances evidenced this season.

Grealish has recently been the subject of interest from Premier League big boys and money barons, Manchester City and Liverpool, who are looking to profit from the Villa man’s misdemeanours.

Grealish is clearly a young player with bags of potential- a major attraction to Liverpool should they lose their own home grown talent, in Raheem Sterling.

It is critical that Grealish now remains grounded and produces the goods on the pitch to fulfil his potential and prove his critics wrong.

Jamie tweets @JBarlow95_

Notts County are said to be interested in the former Newcastle United striker Adam Campbell. The Nottingham Post reported on Friday that the Magpies may be willing to offer the 20-year-old forward a lifeline following his release by the Tyneside club.

Campbell was once held in high regard by United but failed to make the grade with the Premier League outfit and was let go by the Magpies at the end of the season.

Campbell had a fleeting career at St James’ Park which was limited to just five appearances after the striker was shipped out on loan to Carlisle United, St Mirren, Fleetwood Town, Hartlepool United and Gateshead to aid his development.

Campbell spent time of loan with Gateshead last term but still managed to bag 12 goals in 30 appearances for United’s under 21s setup and the Geordie-born attacker’s form caught the eye of Premier League rivals, West Bromwich Albion.

Albion offered the former England youth international a trial back in April but the striker failed to make a lasting impression on the Baggies who opted against pursuing their interest in the player.

However the news of Campbell’s release has alerted the attention of County boss Ricardo Moniz who is keen to bolster his attacking armoury amid the injuries to Ronan Murray and Colby Bishop.

It remains to be seen whether Campbell’s ex- Newcastle colleague, Alan Smith, will persuade Moniz to offer the striker a route back into football following the striker’s fledgling career, with the forward yet to live up to his early promise.

@JBarlow95_

This upcoming season Notts must not forget the importance of playing at home, as last year’s abysmal record will no doubt prove, yet high-flying football clubs build their promotion form based on how they do in front of their own fans.

Therefore, we must reflect this within our bid for promotion back to League 1 and find the right balance of players in order to do so.

I have been to a number of games whereby the build up to the match adds to the interest of the game ahead and some clubs really do fortify the use of their home crowd who attend. This is something that, in my personal opinion, Notts fail to do.

So, it’s not so easy for the club to just ask for the backing of the fans because they have to do something in order to warrant it. Having the squad warm up and train in front of the crowd is a way to get the players to lift the moment, yet it is on the field when and where it truly matters.

Watching games at Meadow Lane can be extremely awkward, even against sides which are supposedly weaker than us.

Having the right players will make a massive difference, as would players who represented themselves within the local community and around the actual supporters. It would go a long way, as the support is part of the key to the success and if we can go back to the days whereby we moved the ball forward, I am sure this would have supporters encouraging play by singing or making noise and not just repeatedly shouts from the guy behind informing fans nearby x player is a pile of (well I won’t say it).

Only five of the 23 home games at Meadow Lane were won last season. 16 games in, Notts had already achieved the lonesome figure away from home. It was afterwards where form just went completely out of the window and it lead to our relegation back into League 2.

Notts must put the relegation behind them; they must look to reuniting and firmly getting the victories, which will pave the way for fans to return to see the mighty magpies, rather than the attendance lowering each season.

For a club which operates on the income generated by its supporters, they must not forget that home victories are what ultimately draws any interest into the football club.

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If you would like to write for the Pride of Nottingham, either as a one of piece or more regularly, please get in touch by contacting us at media@prideofnottingham.co.uk

Former Notts County duo Sean Newton and Greg Tempest have secured contracts for their services, with the former Magpies set to face each other within the 2015/16 season within Vanarama Conference.

26-year-old Newton has joined Wrexham after being released by Lincoln City while youth team graduate Greg Tempest has gone on to join the Imps.“Once I heard that Wrexham and the gaffer were interested in me, then there was only one club for me, There were offers from other clubs, and others at a higher level, but this place ticked all the boxes.” said Newton.

“I’ve played against Wrexham plenty of times and always thought this was a place I would love to play”, he added.

Tempest, who made a string of appearances for the Northern Ireland Under-21s during his time at Meadow Lane, said of his move: “I'm grateful to Boston really. When I knew I wasn't in the manager's plans at Notts County, I had to get out on loan.

“Notts didn't have a reserve team, so I was not getting any game time. Playing for Boston kept me involved and made this move possible."

Pride of Nottingham wishes both Sean Newton and Greg Tempest all the very best with their careers.

He’s spent years working with disabled people and raising thousands of pounds for charity. Now, as he prepares for his fifth year of fundraising, Alun Millard is hoping to raise even more. Daniel Angelini had a chat with him.

Since the start of the decade, Nottingham's Alun Millard has raised over £2000 for charities including the Cystic Fibrosis Fund and Mencap.

As a support worker at Mencap, he helps people with learning disabilities to live independently, which can involve anything from helping them cook a meal to organising a holiday. Working a busy schedule of various day and night shifts leaves him exhausted, but luckily he found a few minutes to speak to me from his home in Chilwell and explained that his work was tiring but extremely rewarding: “The best thing about my job is seeing how far someone can progress when they are given the opportunity.

Written by Daniel Angelini

@Dangelinii

Shaun Derry will always have a place in the hearts of Notts County fans after his miraculous work in keeping the Magpies up during the 2013-14 season. Born in Nottingham, he began his career at Meadow Lane before making a name for himself at a host of clubs including Crystal Palace, Leeds United and Queens Park Rangers, proving a popular figure in every team he graced.

In November Derry was appointed Notts manager, where six wins in his last nine games and a draw on the final day of the season kept the Magpies up despite having been eight points from safety just a few weeks earlier.

After a bright start this season, results ended up tailing off and Derry was dismissed in March, but nobody will ever forget the exhilarating “Great Escape” of 2013-14.

Derry appeared on talkSPORT this week to discuss his time at Notts as well as his general career across the many clubs he’s played for.

Are you enjoying being out of management after the intense period you’ve had at Notts?

I was disappointed when the news came my way on Monday, but I am an optimistic person whose mindset is “don’t get too down and disillusioned”. I’m enjoying being back in London, spending more time with my kids and wife. I’m not going to lie, I am disappointed with what happened, but I’m looking forward.

How did you find that transition from player to manager?

It was very strange and it happened so quickly. As a player I always respected managers who told me the truth. I can’t say that I had a strategy of what I was doing because I’d come from being a player. I had an experienced assistant in Greg Abbott, and when I spoke to him I said, “I’m going to try and be honest with all the players”, and that’s what I was.

When you got the job did you ask for advice from fellow managers, or look to do things your way?

I made a claim to do it my way and I wanted to have a go at it. Older players have a strong opinion, and the opinions of confident older players can sometimes get in the way. When I was playing at QPR and Millwall I wanted to have a go at management. I was given the opportunity at Notts to state my own ethos and I wanted to be me.

How far are you in terms of doing the coaching badges?

I’m not yet on my pro licence, I’m just on the A licence at the minute. I think there’s a huge scope of improvement on the badges, if I’m honest. The badges give you a platform to build on the experience you gain, but I don’t think any badges could have got me ready for the past 17 months I’ve had.

How do you feel about having managed Notts?

Notts County is a club that will always be close to my heart. Nottingham is the place where I was born, I played my first game for Notts on my tenth birthday, so to go ahead and manage them was a dream come true and I thoroughly enjoyed my 17 months there.

Why did things turn so bad towards the end of your spell at Notts?

Ultimately as a football manager you get judged on results. When Greg and I walked into the club, it was very low on confidence. The structure wasn’t there, and we managed to put that structure ready for the next person to take control and I think in time it will be a very good football club to manage. At this moment in time, the reason I got sacked was because the results weren’t good enough; it’s as simple as that.

Derry also talked about Jimmy Spencer:

Jimmy is a talisman they’ve missed all season. He’s a thorough-back. He was our main signing and we were waiting for him to recover from his injury. Now he’s back, it will be down to him if Notts are to stay up. He’s your old-fashioned number nine. He gets the ball, holds it, heads it and brings players in. With JCR on the right wing, if they can get the right service to Jimmy, he will cause so many problems for opposition defenders. He’s also shown very strong character to recover from his cruciate ligament injury in the space of seven months, which is why I reckon Notts have a good chance of staying up this year.

In this weeks PoN's preview to the League One games played on the 28^th - 29^th of march, several key games have been identified – None more important than the MK Dons against Doncaster game, which several teams within League One will be looking out for.

With both teams chasing a play off place, both teams will be hoping to get the three points this weekend while a win for MK Dons and results favouring them elsewhere could see them close the gap on 2^nd place.

* Important Game – ** Key Game

Saturday 28^th March

Bradford v Oldham – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

*Bristol City v Barnsley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Chesterfield v Walsall – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

Crawley v Gillingham – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-0)

Leyton Orient v Port Vale – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

**MK Dons v Doncaster – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Notts County v Scunthorpe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

*Peterborough v Coventry – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)

Rochdale v Yeovil – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Sheffield United v Crewe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)

Sunday 29^th March

Fleetwood v Preston – Kick Off 2:15pm – Score Prediction (1-3)

My Stand-out Games

MK Dons v Doncaster

Bristol City v Barnsley

Peterborough v Coventry

MK Dons will be hoping to continue to try push for an automatic promotion spot with three points, while Doncaster will be hoping to close the gap back on the play off spots, after recent results have seen them drop down the table. Current results show MK Dons as slight favourites winning two of the last three matches while Doncaster have only won one of the last three matches.

Bristol City will be hoping to continue their good form as they try to stay ten points clear of Preston in the race for the league title. Barnsley on the other hand will be hoping to re enter the play off places after drawing their last two games against Leyton Orient and Preston saw them over taken by Peterborough.

Bristol City are overwhelming favourites not losing in their last seven matches, while Barnsley have stalled in their last two matches drawing both.

Peterborough will be hoping a win could keep them in the play-offs after Barnsley drew last week against Preston. Coventry will be hoping to get back to winning ways after Doncaster ended a two game winning run. Wins against Chesterfield and Fleetwood defeat again along with results elsewhere going against them could see them drop into the bottom four. Current results show Peterborough strong favourites losing once in their last five matches and Coventry only winning two in their last five.

Thoughts on Notts County vs. Scunthorpe United

This weeks match sees Notts County against Scunthorpe. Notts County struggling to pick points up and Scunthorpe also struggling Notts County fans will be hoping for a new manager syndrome to kick in and improve our results.

The current results between the two teams show Notts County as strong favourites winning four of the last seven meetings, Scunthorpe winning none and three draws.

Scunthorpe have never beat Notts County at Meadow lane.

The overall head to head record shows Notts County as favourites winning 14, Scunthorpe 4 and 4 draws.

Notts County have picked up 11 out of 15 points from the last five meetings in the league.

Notts County will be hoping to improve on recent results after the sacking of Shaun Derry while the change of manager normally sees a change in results, this is still a tough game to call though I've picked Notts County to just edge it.

Worrying times for all Notts County fans! After losing away to MK Dons, who are firmly placed 4^th in the play off places. Notts County find themselves one place above the drop zone but only by goal difference. Only 5 points separate 14^th placed Gillingham and next to the bottom placed Colchester. Notts County have a game in hand over the 2 teams immediately above them, Coventry and Crawley, which will prove crucial.

The battle for a play off place is no less interesting with 5^th placed Sheffield United only 7 points clear of 12^th placed Bradford.

League One Results

Barnsley 1–1 Preston

Bradford 2–2 Fleetwood

Coventry 1–3 Doncaster Rovers

Crawley 1–0 Leyton Orient

Crewe Alexandra 0–1 Oldham

Gillingham 2–2 Colchester

MK Dons 4–1 Notts County

Peterborough 1–0 Chesterfield

Rochdale 3–1 Scunthorpe

Sheffield United 4–0 Port Vale

There were 5 home wins, 2 away wins and 3 draws.

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday 24^th March 2015

Oldham v Rochdale

Sheffield United v Scunthorpe

League One Update

Bristol City didn't play but remain top with 83 points 38 games. Preston have 73 points from 37 games and stay 2^nd.

Swindon remain 3^rd with 70 points, also from 37 games.

MK Dons also maintain their position at 4^th with 69 points from 38 games and Sheffield United keep 5^th place with 58 points from 37 games.

Peterborough continue their recent revival and climb into the final play off place at 6^th with 56 points from 38 games at the expense of Barnsley who drop to 7^th on 55 points from 38 games.

Rochdale move up to 8^th having played 36 games with 53 points the same tally as Doncaster at 9^th who have played 38 games.

Fleetwood drop to 10^th on 52 points from 38 games.

Chesterfield drop to 11^th from 37 games with 51 points the same number as Bradford who fall to 12^th but from 36 games.

Oldham rise to 13^th with 49 points from 37 games.

Gillingham stay 14^th while Port Vale fall to 15^th both teams on 48 points from 38 games.

Walsall drop to 16^th on 43 points from 37 games.

Scunthorpe remain 17^th from 36 games, Coventry stay 18^th from 38 games while Crawley climb to 19th from 38 games, all three teams on 43 points.

Notts County fall to 20^th with 42 points and a goal difference of -13 from 37 games. Crewe drop to 21^st also on 42 points and a goal difference of -33 from 38 games.

The bottom 3 places remain unchanged with 22^nd placed Leyton Orient on 39 points from 37 games, 23^rd placed Colchester with 38 points from 38 games and 24^th placed Yeovil trailing on 33 points from 38 games.

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The gap between 6^th placed Peterborough and 21^st placed Crewe is now 14 points.

Notts County are also 14 points off a play off place and only outside the relegation places on goal difference.

Notts County fans will be hoping Sheffield United beat Scunthorpe on Tuesday to keep them just a point away.

Many of the fans’ wishes came true yesterday, with the announcement of Jim Rodwell’s departure from Notts. However, what does this mean for a club like ours? More importantly, what does it mean for the future of the football club?

The announcement comes at a weird time since the club needs to have as much stability as possible. In addition, rumours have emerged of Damian Irvine’s contract not being extended.

On the pitch, Notts are looking desperate and at half time against Rochdale the views of the fans were quite clear.

We all want to see Notts doing well, although I am concerned about the reshaping which is happening and it leaves me to question how we move forward. The answer is not so easy to answer but I’m hoping for a brighter future for the Magpies.

It appears that more and more fans want Derry out, I do not argue with opinions and I have come to be at the stage where I feel that the ending to this season will be grimmer than the whole of last season.

We had real hopes this season and for one reason or another, it just has not progressed.

Speaking to my driving instructor, another passionate Notts fan who runs the ‘Notts Driving School’, we have discussed the moments on and off the field and I feel that we really did miss something back when Shaun Derry decided to have a word with the players. I mean, why not now?

Why are we not seeing more togetherness? The approach, which had been put in place after he arrived, helped secure the great escape. It is leaving questions – can it be done again?

I do think we will be fine, I mean my driving instructor Jim said we can be lucky that the teams beneath us are so poor and I feel that this is a valid point.

The problem I see is that leading a game and appearing to dominate before going on to concede, collapse and lose against supposedly weaker teams, it worries me.

So how does Notts move forward? I do not believe for a second a new arisen will make much difference, it is not like a phoenix waiting to be released from the fire or a birth of a new beginning is on the cards.

I am sorry to say it, I feel we will have to battle and work much harder to see the changes we hope for.

The budget next season may help, however it all depends what happens from now until the end of the season. I certainly hope that Derry can turn the tide and withstand the pressure, I hope the squad of players he called ‘his type of players’ start to repay him for his chance to lead what I feel is a very passionate club.

And for next season, we must learn from the past few seasons and start to install real hope, real togetherness, and harbour the passion which I see each week from the fans.

I am still excited about the next season, yet I am daunting the weekend and I do not know what know what to expect from MK Dons. I know I fear that we could lose quite heavily, though I hope somewhere along the way we start to patch things.

In this weeks PoN's preview to the League One games played on the 21^st of March, several key games have been identified – None more important than the Crawley against Leyton Orient game, which several teams within League One will be looking out for.

With both teams only in the drop zone by 3 points, a win for either team could see them move out of the drop zone and a defeat for either side just makes their relegation problems worse.

* Important Game – ** Key Game

Saturday 21^st March

Barnsley v Preston – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)

*Bradford v Fleetwood – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Coventry v Doncaster – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

**Crawley v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

Crewe v Oldham – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

Gillingham v Colchester – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-0)

MK Dons v Notts County – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-1)

*Peterborough v Chesterfield – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Rochdale v Scunthorpe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

Sheffield United v Port Vale – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

My Stand-out Games

Crawley v Leyton Orient

Bradford v Fleetwood

Peterborough v Chesterfield

Crawley will hope to continue their current run of form against Leyton orient, which could see them move out of the bottom four, while Leyton Orient will be hoping a win against Crawley could move them out of the bottom four aswell. The favourites are Crawley winning their last two matches against Colchester and Port Vale.

Bradford will be hoping a win against Fleetwood could move them to within one point of the play off places, while Fleetwood will be hoping a win could move them into the play offs. The goal difference between them and Barnsley makes it unlikely. Current form shows Fleetwood just being the favourites, though Bradford haven't lost in the last three matches. Fleetwood lost to Coventry in mid week.

Peterborough will be hoping a win could move them into the play offs, after missing their chance in mid week when they lost to Preston, which let clubs around them catch up like their opponents chesterfield. A win could also see them move into the play offs if Barnsley lose against Preston. Current form shows no difference between the two sides.

Thoughts on MK Dons vs. Notts County

This weeks match see’s Notts County against MK Dons. Notts County are struggling to pick points up and MK Dons struggling over the last five matches, it could give Notts County fans hope.

The current results between the two teams show MK Dons as strong favourites winning five of the last seven meetings, Notts County winning none and two draws.

Notts County have never beat MK Dons at the Mk Stadium.

The overall head to head record shows MK Dons as favourites winning 13, Notts County 1 and 5 draws.

Notts County have picked up 1 out of 15 points from the last five meetings in the league.

Most people will be expecting MK Dons to win this match easily as Notts County continue to struggle with their form, though a recent drop in MK Dons form gives the smallest glimmer of hope for the Notts County fans, saying that I see us losing heavily.

The competition for play off places is getting very interesting with only 8 points separating 5^th placed Sheffield United and 15^th placed Oldham. The situation at the bottom end is no less interesting with Coventry, Leyton Orient and Crawley all winning, Crewe, Colchester, Yeovil all losing and Notts, Scunthorpe and Walsall all drawing.

Walsall lie 16^th but are only 8 points adrift of a play off place and yet are also only 7 points above safety, which shows how tight this league is but games are running out.

League One Results

Bristol City 0–0 Gillingham

Chesterfield 2–3 Coventry

Colchester 2–3 Crawley

Doncaster Rovers 0–2 Peterborough

Fleetwood 1–0 Rochdale

Leyton Orient 3–0 Yeovil

Notts County 1–1 Bradford

Oldham 1–3 Barnsley

Port Vale 0–1 Swindon

Preston 5–1 Crewe Alexandra

Scunthorpe 1–1 Sheffield United

Walsall 1–1 MK Dons

There were 3 home wins, 5 away wins and 4 draws.

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday 17^th March 2015

Bristol City v Crewe Alexandra

Chesterfield v Gillingham

Colchester v Yeovil

Doncaster Rovers v Swindon

Fleetwood v Coventry

Leyton Orient v Barnsley

Notts County v Rochdale

Oldham v MK Dons

Port Vale v Crawley

Preston v Peterborough

Walsall v Sheffield United

League One Update

Bristol City, although only drawing at home to mid table Gillingham, maintain their runaway position at the top of League One with 8 points from 37 games. Preston are in second place after thrashing Crewe 5-1 and have 69 points but have only played 35 games.

Swindon stay 3^rd with 67 points from 36 games after winning away at Port Vale. MK Dons are 4^th with 63 points from 36 games. Sheffield United are 5^th on 54 points from 45 games.

Barnsley move into the final play off place after a good away win at Oldham with 53 points from 36 games, the same as 7^th placed Peterborough who continued their revival with an away win at Doncaster.

Fleetwood move up to 8^th place after beating Rochdale and have 51 points from 36 games. Bradford remain 9^th with 50 points from 35 games. Doncaster drop to 10^th also on 50 points but from 36 games.

Chesterfield fall to 11^th from 35 games with Port Vale dropping to 12^th from 36 games, both teams on 48 points.

Rochdale remain 13^th from 34 games with Gillingham staying 14^th from 36 games, both on 47 points.

Oldham stay 15^th with 46 points from 35 games.

Walsall hold 16^th place with 45 points from 36 games and Scunthorpe stay 17^th with 43 points from 35 games.

Notts County have moved up to 18^th from 35 games on 42 points, the same as 19^th placed Crewe who have played 36 games. Coventry having played 36 games, are on 40 points.

The relegation places are taken up by 21^st placed Leyton Orient who have 38 points from 35 games. Crawley climb to 22^nd place with 37 points from 36 games.

Colchester drop to 23^rd with 34 points from 36 games and Yeovil remain bottom on 33 points from 37 games.

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The gap between 6^th placed Barnsley and 21^st placed Leyton Orient is now 15 points.

Notts County are 11 points below a play off place but alarmingly only 4 points above the relegation zone.

Notts County will be desperate for a home win on Tuesday and hoping other results also go their way so they can keep a safe distance from the drop zone.

Gillingham striker Cody McDonald has signed a new two-year contract at the club.

The 28-year-old, whose previous deal was due to expire in the summer, will now remain at the Priestfield Stadium until the summer of 2017.

McDonald, who is in his third spell with the Gills, has scored 16 goals in 38 appearances this season.

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Port Vale have re-signed Cardiff City midfielder Tommy O'Sullivan on loan until mid-April.

The 20-year-old was on loan at Vale Park earlier this season, making his only Valiants appearance from the bench against Walsall in mid-February.

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Doncaster Rovers have signed Rotherham United striker Jonson Clarke-Harris on a youth loan.

The 20-year-old joined the Millers from Oldham in September for a club record fee and has scored three goals in 14 league games for the Championship side.

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Charlton Athletic midfielder Oliver Muldoon has signed a new contract with the Championship club and joined Gillingham on loan.

The 20-year-old, who is yet to make his senior debut for the Addicks, will remain at The Valley until the summer of 2017.

He will be with the Gills until the end of the season.

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Leyton Orient will be without Romain Vincelot for the remainder of their relegation battle after the midfielder suffered a knee injury.

The 29-year-old Frenchman damaged medial ligaments in the 1-0 defeat at Peterborough on Saturday and will be sidelined for the rest of the campaign.

Vincelot has scored four goals in 33 appearances for the O's this season.

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Peterborough United owner Darragh MacAnthony intends to let caretaker manager Dave Robertson and his team continue in the role.

"I haven't made a call and I don't intend to," MacAnthony told BBC Radio Cambridgeshire. "Why would I?

"The three lads who are now in charge, with the rest of the management staff, are doing a great job, and I don't want to put too much pressure on them."

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Aston Villa and Leeds United are said to be keen on signing Jake Andrews from Bristol City.

A clutch of teams are supposedly hopeful of signing the 17-year-old, with the likes of West Bromwich Albion, Hull City and Ipswich Town also said to be keeping a close eye on the central-midfielder.

The Bantams will be making their way to Meadow Lane on the 14^th of March, as they prepare to make a big for a return to a play-off space. However, the Yorkshire side will have other things on their minds which might benefit the Magpies. Notts County comes into the game with much fresher legs and a chance to use the game as a way to distance themselves from the drop.

For both teams this tie should be vastly important to both, so it should be a good game.

Bradford City are in decent form, they come into the game having won two, draw two and lost two within the league. Yet they have been playing quite well within the F.A Cup and set to play Reading in a replay after they drew 0-0 at the Valley Parade.

Run down of their last six games.

Wednesday 18^th February – Leyton Orient 0 Bradford City 2

Saturday 21^st February – Bradford City 1 Walsall 1

Tuesday 24^th February – Swindon Town 2 Bradford City 1

Saturday 28^th February – Peterborough United 2 Bradford City 0

Tuesday 3^rd March – Bradford City 1 Crawley Town 0

Tuesday 10^th March – Coventry City 1 Bradford City 1

The Players – Fact Sheet

Highest Goal Scorers; James Hanson 11, Billy Clarke 8, Jonathan Stead 8 and Filipe Morais 6.

Persistent Foulers; Jordan Pickford 2 Red Cards and 1 Yellow Card, Stephen Darby 1 Red Card and 4 Yellow Cards, Alan Sheehan 1 Red Card and 3 Yellow Cards and Gary Liddle 9 Yellow Cards.

The Key Players.

Rory McArdle, Stephen Darby Alan Sheehan, Gary Liddle, Francois Zoko, Billy Clarke and James Hanson are all pivotal players for Bradford City.

McArdle, Sheehan and Darby are the anchors within their defence, but offer just as much in their offensive play as they do at the back. They work well as a partnership, alerting each other of danger and link well with the Bantams midfield.

Gary Liddle and Francois Zoko offer flexibility to their forward play, whereas Liddle provides a similar role as he did with us within his first season.

Billy Clarke is a player who looks to get involved within the build up and can double up as a striker.

James Hanson is the dangerman, if he has a good game he will the most threat to our back four. He moves along the line, often alluding the opposition defence and pulling into exactly where he is required.

Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses.

Bradford City balance their offensive play, with making sure that they're defensively sound. They aim to slowly build, whilst carving out those perfect chances which beg to be put a way. They play as a solid unit, making sure that the experienced heads are the foundation whilst mixing pace and fluid play in their attacks.

Their signings this season have greatly added depth to their play, which has seen them mix up how they break down games depending on who they face.

Sometimes it works well, other times not so much, but they're a very good side and have quickly adjusted back into life within League One. As a side who show quite a lot of resemblance to Rotherham United, especially within the foundations they laid out after gaining promotion.

The Bantams main strengths come from the quality players which they have, they look to build at the right time and this is well drilled into their players by Phil Parkinson. They have a mixed squad, with many of their senior players being the backbones of other successful League One and Two teams. This gives them that added depth, which has seen them been so successful in both the league and the English cups in recent years.

With regards to weaknesses, I see them struggling with pace and skill. If they start slowly, it can take them a while to get into the game. If sides directly hit them, they do buckle to pressure, but much of this falls down to how their midfield are set up and cope.

If we can move the ball quickly, whilst making sure that players are supported within their attacking phases this should provide Notts a decent chance at getting into the game.

However, if they close up shop at the back this could lead to a few issues which Notts must take any chances which present themselves.

Match Thread - League One Preview - Our Club, Our Passion

With the downward spiral of the magpies, there have been a lot of comments pointing out Shaun Derry's future as the manager of Notts County. To a degree, I see where other fans are coming from as I have pointed out certain behaviours and aspects which niggle me surrounding Shaun Derry. However, to a level we must see that he is still learning his trade at this level.

It wasn't that long ago fans were concerned about him leaving for bigger and better things.

Plus on the basis of last season, it wasn't that bad compared to that we have seen. We almost managed to secure a play-off space, which I honestly feel had the right players have been available when we lost the likes of Michael Petrasso, Stephen McLaughlin and of course Louis Laing. I feel we would still be up at the other end of the table, perhaps fighting for the 5^th to 6^th place.

To be fair, I didn't think we would struggle like we have done and after spending many hours speaking to fans at games everyone seemed to agree at the time.

Yet to sack Shaun Derry at this stage of the season, it doesn't make sense at least for me. 12 games to go? It's not the right time to do it and I would certainly hope the clubs board stand by the man who saved us last season when all seemed lost.

Any new manager would be required to spend time learning his squad, I would at least expect this to take 4-6 games of experimenting, whereby we may get some points but it is just far too risky for me. Plus, what do we go with an experienced manager or another who is new to the role?

I doubt we have the budget to attract a manager who has the experience to which would please the majority of fans, whilst I would like to acknowledge replacing Shaun Derry for Greg Abbott just doesn't make sense at all.

Personally, I think sacking Shaun Derry would relegate us alone at this stage and at least with him we stand a chance of fighting it but we must stand together.

It's been many years since I have seen so many behind the same manager, in fact, I know of fans who didn't like Martin Allen but he would be perhaps the last manager to have the largest percent of the Notts County fan base right behind him.

What we need is for Shaun Derry to settle the squad down in my opinion, this starts with dropping the lone striker and finding a system whereby we don't compensate our attacking capabilities which doesn't leave our defence wide open. Call me traditional, but 442 is the perfect formation, especially since we have two very talented wingers and one who can make the grade provided he's given the chance in William Hayhurst.

I am not forgetting Garry Thompson, for me he can impact from the wing or as a striker but its upfront where I would prefer to see him.

Yet for the first time in a while we have several decent options up front and all they need is the game time, Bálint Bajner could come good and Leroy Lita could prove to be the striker we actually require in the current situation we find ourselves, but whoever starts, they must be played and allowed to settle into a system - cutting and swapping isn't helping anyone.

No doubt it's difficult, it's not going the way we had hoped but we have a good chance of building on the foundations laid out within this season and it would be nice to see the turnover of players reduced, as it would seeing a manager make a complete season in charge, by this I mean from start to finish.

That actually seems weird to say, as you would expect that we have had a manager complete a full season, but we would have to go way back, just before Munto.

I hope we can write our own ending to the season rather than forcing one, for me we must back Derry and hope that it pays off.

League One Preview - Meet Ronan Murray - Our Club, Our Passion

Another disappointing result and display from Notts County, but at least the bottom 5 teams all lost too, with the exception of bottom club Yeovil who beat Oldham 2-1. Preston had a good win away at MK Dons, Sheffield United were beaten at home 1-2 by Fleetwood but Bristol City are clear leaders of League One by 10 points after winning away at Crawley 2-1.

Several high scoring games took place also within League One, with a total of 30 goals being across the division.

League One Results

Barnsley 3–0 Walsall

Coventry 2–3 Port Vale

Crawley 1–2 Bristol City

Crewe Alexandra 2– 0 Scunthorpe

Gillingham 1–1 Doncaster Rovers

MK Dons 0–2 Preston

Peterborough 1–0 Leyton Orient

Rochdale 2–1 Colchester

Sheffield United 1–2 Fleetwood

Swindon 3–0 Notts County

Yeovil 2–1 Oldham

There were 6 home wins, 4 away wins and 1 draw.

Upcoming fixtures

Tuesday 10^th March 2015

Coventry v Bradford

Yeovil v Bristol City

League One Update

Bristol City head League One on 76 points from 35 games, 10 points clear of 2^nd placed Preston who have 66 points from 34 games. Swindon occupy 3^rd place with 64 points from 35 games with 4^th place MK Dons next with 62 points also from 35 games.

The other 2 play off places are taken up by Sheffield United at 5^th on 53 Points and Doncaster at 6^th with 50 points from 35 games.

The competition for the play off places is very close with Barnsley and Peterborough both on 50 points and also having played 35 games at 7^th and 8^th only below Sheffield United on goal difference.

The closeness of positions continues with Chesterfield, Bradford, Port Vale and Fleetwood all with 48 points, though Chesterfield have one game and Bradford have two games in hand.

Rochdale lie 13^th with 47 points from 33 games, closely followed by Gillingham who have played 35 games and Oldham who have played 34 games, both on 46 points at 14^th and 15^th respectively.

Walsall are 16^th with 44 points from 35 games.

Scunthorpe are 17^th with 42 points from 34 games and Crewe are 18^th with 42 points from 35 games.

Notts have fallen to 19^th with 41 points from 34 games and Coventry are 29^th with 36 points from 34 games.

The relegation places are taken up by 21^st placed Leyton Orient on 35 points from 34 games, Colchester and Crawley at 22^nd and 23^rd respectively, each having played 35 games and both on 34 points, with Yeovil rock bottom 24^th with 33 points from 35 games.

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The gap between 6^th placed Doncaster and 21^st placed Leyton Orient is now 15 points.

Notts County are 9 points below a play off place and 6 points above the relegation places.

Bradford will move up to 6^th if they beat Coventry on Tuesday.

In this weeks PoN's preview to the League One games played on the 14^th of March, several key games have been identified – None more important than the Leyton Orient against Yeovil game, which several teams within League One will be looking out for.

Leyton Orient against Yeovil is a key match in the relegation battle with all surrounding teams keeping a close eye on the outcome of the match, a must win for both teams.

Important Game – ** Key Game

Saturday 14^th March

Bristol City v Gillingham – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)

Chesterfield v Coventry – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

*Colchester v Crawley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

Doncaster v Peterborough – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Fleetwood v Rochdale – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

**Leyton Orient v Yeovil – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

*Notts County v Bradford – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)

Oldham v Barnsley – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Port Vale v Swindon – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

Preston v Crewe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-0)

Scunthorpe v Sheffield United – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Walsall v MK Dons – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

My Stand-out Games

Leyton Orient v Yeovil

Colchester v Crawley

Notts County v Bradford

Leyton Orient will be hoping to win, which could see them move out of the drop zone depending on results, elsewhere a loss could see them go bottom.

Yeovil will be hoping to win and pick up another three points after a good victory last weekend against Oldham, three points today could move them off the bottom spot.

Colchester will be hoping to win as the bottom four all play against each other and this is their best chance to move out of the drop zone.

Crawley will be hoping to win as three point could move them out of the bottom four, though if they lose they could be bottom.

Notts County will be hoping to win as a losing could see them within a couple of points off the bottom four. Their current form and lack of goal scorers doesn't help against a Bradford side having a good run in the cup again this year.

Bradford will be hoping to win as it could see them move back into the play offs, they will be hoping to improve on their current league form which has seen them drop down the league recently.

Thoughts on Notts County vs Bradford

This weeks match sees Notts County against Bradford with both teams struggling to find consistent form, though saying that Bradford have the slightly better league form.

The current results between the two teams show Notts County as slight favourites winning three of the last seven meetings with Bradford winning two and two draws.

The last time Bradford beat Notts County at Meadow Lane was back in 2013 winning 0-1 after extra time in the league cup.

The overall head to head record shows Notts County as favourites winning 26, Bradford 21 and 13 draws.

Notts County have picked up 10 out of 15 points from the last five meetings in the league.

A tough match to predict this week with both teams struggling for form in the league, it isn’t an easy match to call, saying that I think Bradford have been the better side this season so I see them just winning this match.

Meet Ronan Murray - Q/A with Premiership Scout - League Link-Ups

Notts County striker Ronan Murray will miss the rest of the season because of complications with a groin injury. Murray, 23, has not played since January because of the problem and boss Shaun Derry confirmed the forward will miss the last 13 games of the season.

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Fleetwood Town have signed midfielder Akil Wright from Northern Premier League side Ilkeston.The 18-year-old has moved for a "undisclosed but sizeable fee" according to Ilkeston, with further clauses also included.

Wright joins striker Ashley Hunter in moving to the League One side from the Derbyshire side this season.

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Defender George Ray has signed a new two-year contract with League One side Crewe Alexandra.

The 21-year-old centre-back has agreed a deal that will keep him with the Alex until the summer of 2017.

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Colchester United boss Tony Humes does not know if defender Sean Clohessy has a future at the club, after a show of dissent towards the manager.

Clohessy, 31, refused to shake Humes's hand while being substituted against Doncaster last weekend.

He was then dropped for Tuesday's League One loss to Notts County and will not face Rochdale on Saturday.

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Bradford City manager Phil Parkinson says reaching a Wembley FA Cup semi-final would be a bigger achievement than their League Cup final appearance.

League One Bradford will reach the semi-finals for the first time in 104 years if they beat Reading on Saturday.

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Peterborough United caretaker boss Dave Robertson hopes he is giving chairman Darragh MacAnthony a dilemma over whether to give him the job full-time.

Robertson has won both of his games in charge since Darren Ferguson left his role as manager of the League One club.

And this week he will meet MacAnthony, who is set to fly into the country.

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New Coventry City boss Tony Mowbray says he hopes to help the Sky Blues back to where they "rightfully belong".

The new City boss is charged with the task of halting the ex-Premier League side's relegation to the fourth tier of English football for the first time since 1959

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Blackpool's Steven Davies is on the verge of a move to Sheffield United after requesting to leave Bloomfield Road.

The striker was pulled out of the side that lost 1-0 at Birmingham after asking manager Lee Clark for permission to speak to the League One club.

Saturday 7^th of March, Swindon Town will be hosting Notts County at the County Ground. 4^th place Robins will be hoping to get back to winning ways, as their form in recent weeks has been quite poor and they will be looking to overcome this on home soil. Notts County will be hoping to reform their earlier away form which saw them peak quite highly at the start of the season.

The Robins have only won once in their last six games, four have ended in losses and a further game a draw. After this game, Notts will face Bradford and Rochdale both at home.

The Match Officials for the game against Swindon Town will be Gavin Ward, with his two assistants Darren Blunden and Colin Lymer. The fourth official will be Andrew Laver.

Match Officials

Referee; Gavin Ward

From – Surrey

His matches involving Notts County and Swindon Town in the last four seasons;

League One – Tuesday 29^th January 2013 – Portsmouth 0 Notts County 2 – 2 Yellow Cards & 1 Red Card

League One – Saturday 9^th February 2013 – Swindon Town 1 Hartlepool United 1 – 3 Yellow Cards

League One – Tuesday 29^th October 2014 – Notts County 3 Oldham Athletic 2 – 2 Yellow Cards

League One – Saturday 21^st December 2014 – Swindon Town 2 Coventry City 1 – 6 Yellow Cards

League One – Saturday 22^nd February 2014 – Leyton Orient 2 Swindon Town 0 – 5 Yellow Cards

League One – Saturday 20^th September 2014 – Swindon Town 5 Sheffield United 2 – 4 Yellow Cards

Run down of his last four games this season;

Championship – Saturday 7^th February 2015 – Rotherham United 2 Ipswich Town 0 – 2 Yellow Cards

Championship – Saturday 14^th February 2015 – AFC Bournemouth 1 Huddersfield Town 1 – 1 Yellow Cards

League Two – Tuesday 24^th February 2015 – Cambridge United 0 AFC Wimbledon 0 – 3 Yellow Cards

Championship – Wednesday 4^th March 2015 – Norwich City 0 Wigan Athletic 1 – 7 Yellow Cards

In his last four games 11 yellow cards have been shown and no red cards.

So far this season in a total of 26 games he has shown 96 yellow cards and 5 red cards.

That's roughly 3.6 yellow cards per game.

Assistant Referee; Darren Blunden

From – Kent

Last 3 officiated games;

Tuesday 27^th January 2015 – Walsall 0 Preston North End 0

Saturday 24^th January 2015 – Oxford United 2 Exeter City 2

Wednesday 21^st January 2015 – Fulham 3 Nottingham Forest 2

Assistant Referee; Colin Lymer

From – Hampshire

Last 3 officiated games;

Sunday 28^th December 2014 – Braintree 1 Eastleigh 5

Saturday 24^th January 2015 – Barnet 4 Southport 0

Saturday 14^th February 2015 – Telford 2 Dartford 3

Fourth Official; Andrew Laver

From – Hampshire

Do you have an opinion on the game? - Match Thread

Also, please do leave us a comment below if you have time.

The Magpies head to the County Ground on the 7^th of March, Notts County prepare to take on 4^th place Swindon Town who have found themselves in perhaps the worst form they've been in throughout the whole season. The Robins have only won once within their last six games, 1 ended as a draw and four resulted in losses.

Notts County come into the game having enjoyed a frustrating 1-0 victory away from home over Colchester United. This will be seen as a test for the Black & White army, as we aim to improve our own form.

Run down of their last six games.

Tuesday 10^th February – Oldham Athletic 2 Swindon Town 1

Saturday 14^th February – Scunthorpe United 3 Swindon Town 1

Saturday 21^st February – Swindon Town 1 Crawley Town 2

Tuesday 24^th February – Swindon Town 2 Bradford City 1

Saturday 28^th February – Crewe Alexandra 0 Swindon Town 0

Tuesday 3^rd March – Swindon Town 0 Gillingham Town 3

The Players – Fact Sheet

Highest Goal Scorers; Andy Williams 20, Michael Smith 14, Jonathan Obika 8 and Massimo Luongo 6.

Persistent Foulers; Nathan Thompson 3 Red Cards and 10 Yellow Cards, Jack Stephens 1 Red Card and 7 Yellow Cards, Louis Thompson 1 Red Card and 6 Yellow Cards and Yaser Kasim 8 Yellow Cards.

The Key Players.

Jonathan Obika, Michael Smith and Andy Williams are Swindon Town's robust front line. Massimo Luongo, Yasir Kasim and Louis Thompson are the key men in midfield, whilst Wes Foderingham is a stand out goal keeper within this league.

Jonathan Obika is a player who creates a lot, whilst also proving he can finish chances himself. The former Tottenham Hotspur youngster forged a name within League One and he will be one to watch.

Michael Smith and Andy Williams are traditional marksmen, who can cause any side danger as their goal tally's suggest.

Massimo Luongo is Swindon Town's rock within the midfield, he pulls the strings and can pin point pass to advancing wide men. Yasir Kasim is a tricky player to retain, his movement generally causes opponents problems.

Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses.

Swindon Town seize and thrive under the opportunity to run at their opposition, if they're allowed to do so they can quickly control and dominate games. They have a reputation for being a passing side who can quickly turn carefully created attacks into dangerous chances.

Their main focus is being direct, focusing on attacking down the flanks. They have the ability to break down sides quite easily from the centre of the park, whilst shooting from distance, whilst their forwards can be extremely dangerous when presented with a chance within the penalty box.

Although they're currently struggling, many of their chances come from creative play and bursting runs, where they find players in open space and are easily able to support themselves through their attacking phases.

The Robins main strengths are skill, speed and spotting gaps within the oppositions defence. Whilst all of League One know how deadly they can be on goal sight, Swindon Town do often waste decent chances but again they have the creativity to just repeat the process which makes them extremely dangerous to face.

Weaknesses are mainly within their disciplinary records, several players are prone to making bad decisions and becoming heated as a direct result. Defensively they're very well setup, however if pressed, their defence are prone to stray and do poor passes which can easily be picked up. With their age being considerably young, they're quite inconsistent on the field but can still finish sides off with a touch of class.

If the game doesn't sway in their favour, concentration tends to drop which can allow decent teams to punish them.

Match Thread - Q/A with Premiership Scout - Meet Ronan Murray

After Tuesday nights win over Colchester United, Pride of Nottingham returns with another preview into the League One fixtures played on the 7^th of March. The form of many sides is vastly becoming important as teams prepare to bid for safety, whilst others are maintaining their play-off push and others aiming to secure a health position.

MK Dons against Preston is an important game this week as MK Dons try to move back into 2nd place above their opponents Preston, while Preston will be hoping to pull away from MK Dons.

* Important Game – ** Key Game

Saturday 7^th March

Barnsley v Walsall – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

Coventry v Port Vale – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Crawley v Bristol City – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

*Crewe v Scunthorpe – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-1)

Gillingham v Doncaster – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-2)

**MK Dons v Preston – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-1)

Peterborough v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

*Rochdale v Colchester – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

Sheffield United v Fleetwood – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)

Swindon v Notts County – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (4-0)

Yeovil v Oldham – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (0-0)

My Stand-out Games

MK Dons v Preston

Crewe v Scunthorpe

Rochdale v Colchester

MK Dons will be hoping to win, which would see them move back upto 2nd place while a win for Preston could see them move clear of their opponents today.

Recent form shows Preston as favourites in this key match for automatic promotion, a win for Preston and results going their way elsewhere could see them have a two game advantage over their rivals, already having a game in hand.

Crewe will be hoping to win as they try improve on recent form, a win could give them a cushion from the drop zone while yet another win could see them in serious danger.

Scunthorpe on the other hand already have a nice cushion from the drop zone, but another win today could see them upto 10 points clear of the drop zone.

Rochdale will be hoping to win and results go right elsewhere, which could put them within two points of the play offs while Colchester are in desperate need of three points after losing to Notts County in the week, which has seen them drop further into the relegation battle.

Thoughts on Swindon vs. Notts County

This weeks match sees Notts County against Swindon with both teams struggling to find consistent form, though saying that I think Swindon are easily the better team. I’ve predicted Swindon to win easy.

The current results between the two teams show Notts County as slight favourites winning three of the last seven meetings with Swindon winning two and one draw.

The last time Notts County beat Swindon at the County Ground was back in 2011 winning 1-2.

The overall head to head record shows Swindon only just being favourites winning 23, Notts County 22 and 12 draws.

Notts County have picked up 7 out of 15 points from the last five meetings in the league.

Most people in all honesty would probably say this is an easy match to predict the winner.

On paper Swindon are easily the better side, Their forms just better but of late its fairly bad picking only 4 points up from the last 15, while Notts County have only won two of their last five and looks even worse.

When you look further back, only getting 10 points from a possible 30. I hate to say it and I have been positive the last few weeks, but I see us getting hammered.