Here we are in mid-November and Notts County continue to hold top spot in League Two.

Up next for us is a home encounter with Cheltenham Town, who currently sit 16th in the table.

Ahead of the game at Meadow Lane, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Robins fan Dave to get an insight on this weekend's opposition.

About Dave: I've been a fan since 1995, and my favourite player is Scott Brown.

1) Cheltenham dropped out of the Football League in 2015 but came back up the following season with a 101-point haul in the National League. What went wrong in the relegation season and how was it put right so soon?

We survived narrowly in 2013-14, a season which followed two playoff position seasons and afterwards we lost key players, there were also managerial changes, and yeah, it was a case of a club in disarray going down. But the following season Gary Johnson signed a two-year deal, there was a squad clear out with good, hungry players brought in, and everything just clicked to get us back up.

2) Martin Allen, who's remembered fondly at Notts County, managed Cheltenham for a while - how did he do with you?

Allen managed the club during a very tumultuous time when we had money problems, narrowly avoiding administration and having to put all players up for sale, but he wasn't particularly good - we got relegated to League Two under him, had a bad spell and then he was put on gardening leave due to allegations of racism, of which he was formally cleared but ended up leaving by mutual consent. So that was that.

3) Cheltenham were drawn against Spurs in the third round of the FA Cup in 2012 - what cup memories do you have with your club?

Both that game against Spurs and the one against Everton were exciting ties but sadly we got hammered in both encounters. My favourite cup memory is actually the 97-98 FA Trophy win, completely different kettle of fish to today but still a very enjoyable occasion.

4) Who would you describe as Cheltenham's biggest footballing rivals?

Traditionally it's been Gloucester City, but given we're several leagues apart, the only time we'll get to meet is in the cups, like the Gloucestershire Senior Cup. In the League it's Forest Green Rovers.

5) Who are your team's danger men?

Carl Winchester is our midfield lynchpin, a nimble player who can pick a pass and has also weighed in with a couple goals. Mohamed Eisa, meanwhile, is a great finisher, has plenty of pace and has done well in front of goal.

6) Score and scorer prediction

I reckon a 1-1 draw, with Eisa getting our goal.

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The way November's fixtures have been structured, League Two's first matchday this month isn't until the 11th.

Notts County have coasted into the second round of the FA Cup and been eliminated (thankfully, some will say) from the EFL Trophy, so now it's back to the small task of trying to remain top of the league standings.

Up next is Stevenage away and, ahead of Saturday's fixture, Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Boro fan George Adkins (Twitter: george__adkins) to get an insight on the opposition.

Q1: Stevenage is a fairly new club, being formed in 1976. What's been your best club memory so far?

My best memory has to be when we beat Newcastle in the 3rd round of the FA Cup in 2011, it was the first year I started to go to Stevenage every game so to go into the next round was amazing.

Q2: How does it feel to have been the first team to have won a competitive final at the new Wembley in 2007?

It’s a good achievement for the team because they were the first to win at the new Wembley, showing other teams that it’s possible to get to finals at Wembley and win.

Q3: You've had a good pedigree in the FA Trophy, having won two and finished runners-up since the turn of the century - which do you feel was the better win?

I feel the Kidderminster 2007 was the better win because it was our first win in a cup, it was also at the new Wembley which makes it even more important.

Q4: Who would you say are Stevenage's biggest rivals?

Luton Town are probably our biggest league rivals because they are the closest team to Stevenage in the Football League.

Q5: Who are your team's danger men?

Stevenage’s danger men are Danny Newton and Matty Godden, they have both come from non league and have continued to score many goals for their club.

Q6: Score/scorer prediction

1-0 Stevenage - Matt Godden

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Notts County's League Two campaign will be put on ice this weekend as the FA Cup rolls into town, or more precisely, Bristol Rovers, who stand between the Magpies and the second round of the competition.

With all lower-league eyes firmly on the third round and the possibility of a fixture against a big Premier League side, Notts and Rovers - currently in League One - will want to get their names in the hat for the lottery.

In this Opposition View article, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Rovers fan Gary to get an insight on the opposition.

About Gary: In my 30s, been a Gashead since 1992, and my favourite player is Lee Brown.

Rovers dropped into the Conference in 2014 then enjoyed back to back promotions and now play in League One. What was behind this fall and subsequent rise?

Relegation was a bit of a (im) perfect storm that season. The board withholding funds for players with a view to funding a new stadium, one of the two January arrivals suffering a season-ending injury, John-Joe O'Toole's goal drought and of course that dreadful last day. Keeping faith in Darrell Clarke was key - he rebuilt the team following relegation, and he repaid the faith with a solid, well-drilled and talented squad, hence the back to back promotions.

What's your rivalry with Bristol City like, and what other teams do you consider as rivals?

Oh, we hate City. It's a pretty strong rivalry, and especially with how their owners have created the "Bristol Sport" brand, with the intention of monopolising sport in the city and shutting us out, it's disrespectful towards us, so yeah, a lot of bad blood.

Bristol Rugby played at the Memorial Stadium for a number of years, and rugby is big in that region - are a lot of Gasheads supporters of both?

Not since they became part of the Bristol "Sport" umbrella, they now play at Ashton Gate and virtually none of us want anything to do with them. Most Rovers fans will follow Bath Rugby if they're into the egg-chasing.

Rovers played in Bath for a number of years in the 80s and 90s - what's the current stadium situation like for the club?

A mess, in all honesty. We had been in talks with the University of West of England over a new stadium but, given the amount of things they wanted control over - security, external event revenue - it wouldn't have been good for us, so we broke off talks, and we're now looking at reveloping the Mem.

Who are your danger men?

Billy Bodin was our top goalscorer last season with 13 goals and this season he has nine in 15 games - and he plays as a winger! Up front, Ellis Harrison and Rory Gaffney have been in impressive goalscoring form, while summer signing Tom Nichols finally got off the mark in our last game.

Score/scorer

2-1 Rovers, Nichols and Gaffney with our goals and onto the second round we go!

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Notts County return to League Two action on Saturday with a home game against Newport County.

The Exiles experienced two torrid seasons back to back but survived both times, and now they sit sixth in the standings.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to Newport fan Frank ahead of the game at Meadow Lane to get an insight into his team.

About Frank: I'm in my 30s, been a fan since 1999, and my favourite player is Craig Reid.

1) Charlie Hopkins has recently resigned as a director at Newport and has spoken of a split in the boardroom - how have things been off the pitch at the club in recent years?

Hopkins's resignation letter, which was leaked to the press, was damning in its content - he basically said there was a split in the boardroom and that he could no longer work with some of his fellow directors. Just a few weeks earlier, our old chairman - who was also supposedly at loggerheads with the other directors - resigned, so it seems to be a bit of a power struggle up top at the minute. The board has been very hush-hush in the last few years, a lot of secrecy, and obviously fans want communication to be more transparent with regards to what's going on exactly.

2) You've finished 22nd in League Two the last two seasons but ninth the one before - what led to such a decline in fortunes in recent years?

In summer 2015, our previous chairman Les Scadding resigned - he had won the Euromillions a few years before and invested in the club - and the Supporters' Trust took over, but with a lower budget, players having to be sold, managerial changes and so on, form naturally took a tumble.

3) Newport have several former Notts players in their ranks like David Pipe, Joss Labadie and Scot Bennett - how have they been doing at the club?

David Pipe's a Newport legend, pure and simple - he's had several spells at the club, gives his all and is a very passionate player - he's definitely improved and mellowed out a bit since his earlier spells too. Joss Labadie is our captain and has been very good for us, although he is a bit of a loose cannon - though at least he's not done his Luis Suarez impression while here! And Scot Bennett was impressive in his loan spell from you guys and since joining us permanently he's been solid both in defence and midfield.

4) Who are your club's danger men?

As you know, Labadie is a cracking midfielder, and he has formed a great partnership with Ben Tozer and Matty Dolan this season, but sadly he's been ruled out for at least a few weeks with a hamstring injury. And up front, Frank Nouble and Padraig Among are dynamic players who have bagged a fair few goals between them, while Shawn McClousky has been used sparingly but also knows where the goal us.

5) Score and scorer prediction

Even without Labadie, I fancy us to continue our good form - 3-1 win for Newport, Amond and Nouble to get three between them.

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Notts County have had a bit of a downturn in form, with their derby defeat at Mansfield Town followed up by a woeful performance against Forest Green Rovers that ended up as a draw by sheer miracle.

The Magpies will hopefully have regrouped over the last seven days as another relatively winnable game awaits, a home encounter with Barnet.

Although the Bees are not exactly setting League Two on fire, neither were FGR, and look how that turned out, so here's hoping Notts will have gone back to basics and got themselves back up to scratch.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to Barnet fan Dan to get an insight on Saturday's opposition.

About Dan: I'm in my 20s, been a Bees fan since 2005, and my favourite player is John Akinde.

1) London famously boasts 12 clubs in the Premier League and Football League - who are your biggest rivals?

Historically our fiercest rivals were Enfield, while Wealdstone are our current main enemies. In terms of league encounters, any match between ourselves and other London teams tend to have a bit extra spice, but it's just us at present from London in the league. Closest thing this season would be Luton but we don't really see them as proper rivals.

2) What was it like when legendary midfielder Edgar Davids became manager of your club?

At first it was pretty surreal, to see such a world-famous player rock up to Underhill and take the reins, and he did pretty well at first, though we ended up going down on the final day due to our woeful start-of-season form. In the Conference, his relationship with the fans became strained as it seemed like he was hogging the limelight and, with the team pretty much out of contention for the playoffs by January, he resigned. Started well, ended sour, but was definitely a memorable experience.

3) Martin Allen is remembered fondly at Meadow Lane - what do you think of him at the Hive?

On one hand he has given Barnet some good times - in his last spell (fourth) with the club, he took an average Conference side and turned them into champions within a year and left with the club in the top 10 of League Two. On the other hand, he did ditch us for Eastleigh, who were waving their chequebook, and just days before leaving, he sold one of our key players to them - ironically, neither of them were at their new club for very long!

4) Looking from the outside in, Tony Kleanthous seems like a very involved, hands-on chairman. What's he like?

No complaints about him whatsoever. He's been a very good chairman for Barnet over the years, has kept us financially stable, invests in the club, and in terms of managerial appointments, has a decent record.

5) Who are your danger men?

Shaq Coulthirst has had a great start for us, with six goals and three assists so far in the league and was voted the Player of the Month. Then there's John Akinde, who has scored over 20 goals in each of the last two seasons in League Two and he's back from injury now, so once he hits top form again, he'll be dangerous.

6) Score and scorer prediction

I'm hoping we can pounce on County's recent poor form and claim a win. I'll say 2-1 to Barnet, Coulthirst brace.

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Notts County entered October at the top of League Two, although they were left reeling from a 3-1 derby defeat at Mansfield Town, with the scoreline only marginally better thanks to Carl Dickinson's late consolation.

However, being brought back down to earth could be beneficial in the long term as it showed the Magpies players that great form and momentum can come crashing to a halt, so back to the drawing board.

Up next for Notts is a home game against the league's basement side, Forest Green Rovers, promoted from the National League last season.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to FGR fan Connor to get an insight on Saturday's opposition.

About Connor: In my early 20s, been a fan since 2012, and my favourite player is Dale Bennett.

Forest Green are in the EFL for the first time in their history. Tell us about their rise and how it feels at present.

It's incredible really, uncharted territory for the town of Nailsworth and the region of Gloucestershire. For years and years FGR was just a local non-league club that you'd pop down to support alongside a couple hundred other people, but since Dale Vince took over the club it's been an incredible rollercoaster ride and we're making the most of it, even if things are a little murky at present.

Much is made of the club's green credentials - and opposition fans seem eager to mock this aspect. What do you make of it?

At first it did seem like a bit much when Vince made all those changes to the club but it's a noble cause, it's for the good of the environment and so most of the fans have happily got behind it. As for the opposition fans mocking us, we've got used to it now. It's pathetic and cute at the same time, won't say much more than that.

Mark Cooper used to be Notts manager but the manner of his departure left many fans unimpressed. How is he doing at FGR?

Cooper was a popular choice at the time and managed to get us promoted. However, his relationship with the fans isn't very good at present, and he appears to have lost the dressing room too. The biggest mistake was giving him a five-year contract, because sacking him would cost the club a lot in compensation, but likewise Cooper isn't exactly under that much pressure to deliver.

Liam Noble was famously the subject of interest from Notts in the summer but he won't be playing - what's happening with him?

The official line is that Noble is going to be absent because of a medical issue. The club's PR hasn't been very good in the last couple months so fans are speculating as to what exactly it might be. But the general consensus is that it's something potentially sensitive and confidential so aside from unbased speculation, there isn't really anything more to it.

Who are your danger men?

Christian Doidge got 27 goals in 44 games last season and got off to a good start this season with 4 in his first 5, though his form has tailed off since then. Dale Bennett is one of the most consistent players in our line-up, is skilled and always gives 100%. And then we have Keanu Marsh-Brown and Noble, neither of whom are playing at the minute sadly.

Final score?

With how things are at the minute at FGR and bearing in mind County's form, I'd be delighted to take a draw. I'll go with 1-1.

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It just gets better and better for Notts, who sit proudly atop the League Two table following impressive wins over Lincoln City and Exeter City.

But now, arguably the biggest clash of the season for the Magpies, a trip to the One Call Stadium to face Mansfield Town this Saturday.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to well-known photographer, Billy Davies 'nemesis' and Stags fan Dan Westwell to get the lowdown on his beloved team.

Background: 43 years old, first Stags game 1986. Lots of favourite players over the years, George Foster, Paul Holland, Ian Bowling, Chris Greenacre, Michael Boulding, Bobby Hassell to name a few.

What do you make of current owner John Radford?

I love him. I can’t thank him enough for rescuing us 7 years ago. He’s put a lot of money into the club to get us out of that hellhole we were in for 5 years. I really hope we go up and even if it’s for just one season, I’d love it for us to get to the Championship to fulfil his dream & reward him for everything he has done for us.

You were tipped as promotion contenders at the start of the season - what do you make of that tag?

I think it was the bookies' ignorance. They looked at Steve Evans record of 9 promotions and the fact that we got our business done straightaway & it just made them stick us up as favourites. I think Luton, Exeter, Coventry, Swindon, Wycombe, Cambridge, Carlisle, Crewe, Port Vale should all have been above us in the odds table but the bookies aren’t usually wrong, let’s hope they’re right again in May.

Steve Evans is a very Marmite manager - are you impressed with him as your manager?

When he was appointed I kept pinching myself as i couldn’t believe how lucky we were. I still think we’re lucky although some of his antics are getting a bit embarrassing at the moment, but that’s Steve Evans. Marmite is a brilliant description of him. I would say more people hate him than like him, but i would also say that most clubs in L1 & L2 would love to have him as their Manager, as he’s been there and done it. His experience could be the difference between going up and not going up. He did well by getting all of our signings sorted in June/July, but that made a lot of ignorant people say “Mansfield are spending millions” and “Steve Evans is going to bankrupt Mansfield” but what they didn’t see is that he released 11 players and signed 11 players more or less in the same couple of weeks. Matt Green was on a big wage as were a couple of others, so getting rid of them made us able to sign proper quality players from League One. I don’t think we needed all the players we signed as we had the 4th best defensive record out of all 92 clubs last season, then he goes and signs 3 defenders, but he knows what he’s doing so we have to trust him.

There are several East Midlands derbies in League Two this season - which is the biggest for you?

The biggest derby for all Stags fans is Ch*sterfield. There is pure hatred there. I know there’s a few Notts fans who hate Stags but I’m afraid the feeling isn’t mutual with most of us. I always call our game ‘the friendly derby’ because that’s how we look at Notts. Don’t get me wrong we love to beat Notts the same as Ch*sterfield, but if you gave us a choice of who to take 6 points from, it would be the woolly ones every time.  Lincoln is another derby game that’s tasty, on a par with Notts. There’s always a few idiots from all 3 clubs who like to cause trouble, as we’ve seen over the years. To back up my ‘friendly derby’ comment, we bring more fans to Notts than we get for home games, because people enjoy the trip to Nottingham, a few beers at the waterfront, Hooters, it’s easy to get to by train and of course with us not having electricity or water over in Mansfield it’s a big treat to visit a big city!

Who are your squad's danger men?

It’s hard to predict our danger men because on paper we’ve got a lot but on the pitch we’ve not really shown much danger apart from a brilliant 80 minutes against Luton. There’s a few who if they show their true potential will be a great asset. Paul Anderson, Jacob Mellis, Will Atkinson, Alex MacDonald, Calum Butcher & Alfie Potter all have got the potential to be match winners on their day and have got experience in the Championship/L1. We’ve also got former Notts defender Krystian Pearce who was player of the season last year. He scored twice against Grimsby recently so I’m sure he would like to grab a goal against his old club.

What do you think the score/scorers will be?

Predicting the game is impossible. My heart says we’ll win 2-0, my head says we’ll lose 0-2. I’d take a point if it was offered now, so I’ll go for a 0-0 draw and get splinters. May the best team win and hopefully it’s football that we’re talking about after the game.

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How good does it feel to be a Notts County fan right now?

Kevin Nolan has masterminded an epic climb to the top of League Two, the foundations of the club appear steady from top to bottom, and every so often a nice little bit of PR in the form of, say Matt Tootle's goal celebration, gives the club exposure on a global scale.

But it's still early days, and tonight, the Magpies will be given their harshest test, taking on previous fourth-tier leaders and current second-placed side Exeter City away at St James' Park.

Ahead of tonight's clash, Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Grecians fan Nathan Smith (Twitter: @Nathanecfc) to get an insight on the opposition.

About Nathan: I'm 16 years old, I started supporting Exeter when I was around 5 and I was taken to a game for my birthday and since then, I've been a fan! My all time favourite player would probably be Richard Logan as was one of those players that just scored the important goals. For example, the winner against Rotherham which sent us into League One.

Q1- You had financial troubles in the mid-00's how did you overcome these?

It all started in 2003 when the club was raided by police and took the chairman, his wife and the vice chairman in for questioning. This led to future chairman Dr David Treharne and other members of the trust going into Ivor Doble (who was the majority shareholder at the club) and paying £20,000 to purchase the club. Doble agreed and the deal was announced on the 5th of September. Despite the takeover, Exeter had to enter a CVA in order to reduce the £4.5 million debt left behind by the owners. A campaign called 'Red or Dead?' was started to help pay off the debts and the fans managed to raise £140,000. The 2005 FA cup games vs Manchester United meant that the clubs debts had been basically cleared due to the tv and ticket revenue.

Q2- You famously have links to the Brazil team, how have you kept this link alive?

The link between Exeter and Brazil obviously goes a long way back and most recently, the club went on a tour of Brazil in 2014. We played 3 different teams, including Fluminense at the same venue in which Exeter played Brazil back in 1914. Unfortunately, the tour did not go exactly to plan as some of the squad caught a illness which led to Tisdale having to name himself on the bench for the opening game!

Q3- Tell us about your FA Cup matches with Manchester United in 2005?

To be 100% honest, I didn't go as 3 year old me probably wasn't that keen! But, I do know that the games where huge for the club as they wiped off most of the clubs debts + getting a 0-0 draw at Old Trafford during Sir Alex Ferguson's reign is a huge achievement for a conference side. For the replay, we saw a young Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney take the stage and they ran out 2-0 winners.

Q4- You were bottom of the League Two table last November, but you ended up making the play-offs. How did the turnaround come about?

At the start of the season, we were absolutely awful at home, while our away form while not being great, kept us near the teams above us. The two reasons we ended up in the play offs was our fantastic away form, in which we broke our personal record for most away wins in a season, and we also changed the way we played at home. We were very guilty of keeping the ball for the sake of keeping the ball and teams with a bit of power would just bully us and roll us over. We became more direct, relying on the aerial strength of David Wheeler and we also became very hard to score against, as we went through a period in December/January of barely conceding.

Q5- Who are your teams dangermen?

Reuben Reid is the top goalscorer in the league with 7 goals which makes him our biggest danger man. He is a clinical finisher in front of goal with great strength and decent pace. Lee Holmes is another danger man as despite not having a lot of pace, the winger is comfortable on both sides of the pitch and can easily take on the opposition full back. We have one of the better centre back pairs in the league but captain Jordan Moore-Taylor picked up a knock vs Coventry so I'm not sure whether he will play. The other half of the pair, Troy Brown is one of Tisdale's success stories as he arrived slightly overweight after two straight relegations with two different clubs. He has become a strong centre half with a powerful header and he is physically great. I'd also watch out for 16 year old Jack Sparkes who can make an impact if selected.

Q6- What do you think the score and goalscorers will be?

I'm going to go with a 1-1 draw with Jayden Stockley getting our goal.

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This week, we have a surprise for you on Pride of Nottingham - we have not one but two Opposition Views for this weekend's League Two clash between Notts County and Lincoln City.

Alongside our chat with Luke Kempson, we have also spoken to 20-year-old Andrew Bruce (@andrewbruce97), who has given PON another great insight into life as an Imps supporter.

About Andrew: Truth be told, I’ve only been watching City since 2015, and I’d describe myself as being a fan since late 2016. I got into the club after moving to Lincoln in September 2015 to study at the university and have regularly watched games ever since. As I have only supported City for a short time I don’t have a huge array of players to pick from, but it is a tough pick between Sean Raggett and Alex Woodyard. As Raggs has actually moved on now (but is back on loan from Norwich) I’ll have to say Woodyard – a proper fans’ favourite.

Q1- You guys were in non-league for a number of years. What went wrong and how has it been put right?

Well, as just stated I wasn’t around the club at that time, and I can’t imagine how awful it must have been. I have read a lot about that period though and what I can gather is that Chris Sutton quitting as manager was a blow. Yes, he was a contentious figure, and made some awful loan signings, but he wasn’t helped by board disagreements over budget and FA Cup funds not being made available to him. However, the general consensus is had he stayed longer into his second season we would have stayed up in 2010-11. After he left relegation was almost inevitable.

I think what changed was partly the fan group, the 617 Squadron, forming in late 2011 – and Bob Dorrian, the chairman, really stepping up and putting everything on the line to keep City afloat. Although it was 6 years in non-league, it was 6 years of a sort of stability that made people really appreciate the club – how it could have been taken away with that relegation and that this was a chance to build the club back up to where it belonged.

Q2- Danny Cowley has been a revelation - just what makes him so special?

Oh, Danny. What a man. Don’t forget about Nicky though too! The brothers are special in that this is their first professional job, and first time in the Football League, so they are giving it absolutely everything they’ve got. Their man-management is exceptional – they are people who players want to play under, and the way they keep the team going is unbelievable. This team never stop – we scored a lot of late goals last season and it was certainly no fluke, so the energy Danny and Nicky have instilled into the team is crucial. Also, his inherent belief in statistics and sports science played a huge part in the success of last year, and it is an approach not seen often in this level of football.

Q3- You enjoyed a good cup run last season - can you give us an assessment of it?

The cup run caught a lot of people off-guard I imagine, especially as it started so inauspiciously in the qualifying round against Guiseley. My first game of the competition was the 1st round against Altrincham, and from what I remember we were fairly poor that game – edged out the side in a division below us and definitely didn’t look like a cup-run sort of side. The next round against Oldham was the turning point not just in the Cup, but the season. There were over 7,000 fans inside Sincil Bank, which was unheard of at that stage, and it was the perfect game. Up 3-0 by half-time against a team 2 leagues above you, then concede 2 quickfire goals midway through the 2nd half, so you’re left so on edge for the last 15 minutes you’re in the row below! And as if that wasn’t bad enough, we could barely see the action in the last 5-10 minutes as heavy fog came down and made visibility almost non-existent. It all just added to the game though and made it that bit more special.

The Ipswich games were when Lincoln first really caught the attention of the nation, and we were unlucky not to win at Portman Road – over 5,000 Imps made the journey, and the ‘Impvasion’ hashtag was born. But a draw meant that a replay at the Bank, under floodlights and on BBC 1 was required, and the feeling when Nathan Arnold rounded the helpless Ipswich keeper was indescribable. I’d said to my mate minutes earlier “we’ve scored a lot of late goals this season, we could do it again” and then it happened. Yes!

Brighton was when most people expected it to end I think, especially when they went 1-0 up – what was I thinking when I thought we could win – they were leading the Championship for goodness sake, what did you expect?! But that penalty from Alan Power and Theo popping up again meant we were in dreamland – we’re going through, and surely we’ll get one of the big boys this time?!

No disrespect to Burnley, but the draw was a bit of an anti-climax – we’d earnt a huge tie – a Chelsea, Man United etc, but got Burnley. Now we were definitely going out – Burnley had just drawn against Premier League champions-elect Chelsea the previous week, we had no chance. Their team was fairly strong, but I was determined to enjoy the day, particularly since it was the first Cup away game I’d been to. What. A. Day. No words could give an assessment of that Burnley game – the split second when the David Fishwick stand had our hearts in our mouths, eyes glued to the referee as he looked at his goal decision watch…had Sean Raggett’s header crossed the line? He pointed back to the halfway line and blew, and then it was all a blur. Mental.

The Arsenal game really was just a day out, no more than that! Obviously, we all wanted to win, and had hopes of Arsene playing a weak team, but when we saw Koscielny, Ramsey and Sanchez we knew it was over. If only Nathan Arnold had scored that chance in the first half...

What a cup run that was though, something that will never be repeated in Lincoln’s history I’m sure, and will take some beating from any non-league side in the future. Not only was it enjoyable on the pitch, but the revenue gained from it was a massive financial boost and has left the club in the black for the first time in years.

Q4- With Notts, Lincoln, Chesterfield and Mansfield all in League Two this season, which game are you looking forward to the most?

A lot of good derbies in there, and that’s without mentioning Grimsby! But I think after the recent Mansfield match, and how much of a controversial figure Steve Evans is, the away match at Field Mill in January is one I’m particularly looking forward to. Seeing Terry Hawkridge back at the Bank for Notts County at home will be nice as well, providing he doesn’t score at the weekend!

Q5- Terry Hawkridge has done well for Notts so far. How will you greet him on Saturday?

I’m sure Terry will get a great reception from Imps fans – he left for all the right reasons. He didn’t force his way out or anything like that, he was offered a 1-year deal from City, but a 2-year deal from his hometown club, and arguably a ‘bigger’ side in Notts County. We can all see why he left – plus, towards the last part of the season he was in and out of the team a lot and when he did start he was often the first substituted player, so from his point of view it made sense. It was sad to see one of the heroes of last season go, but we’ll always have those 2 goals against Macclesfield – unforgettable.

Q6- Who are your key players this season, and what do you think the score/scorers will be?

Although Sean Raggett is only back with us on loan until January he will be vital, as he was last season and so far, this season – he won back-to-back MoTM awards recently. Alex Woodyard does everything all over the pitch, and as the chant goes, he “never gives the ball away!” And finally, Matt Green is our key forward, with electric pace and a poacher’s instinct we’ll be relying on his goals this season. With the way Notts County have started the season this will of course be a tough game, but we’ve been great away from home of late. I’ll go for a 1-1, with Matt Green scoring for City.

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There is little to be said about Notts County that hasn't been said already - we are flying high at the minute in virtually every aspect of the club.

Eight matches unbeaten, four-game winning run in League Two, four clean sheets in a row, second in the table, and our brilliant manager Kevin Nolan has just signed a new three-year contract at Meadow Lane.

Up next for Notts is one of two derbies in the next three games, which sees newly promoted Lincoln City come to Meadow Lane on Saturday.

Pride of Nottingham has spoken to Imps fan Luke Kempson (Twitter: @LukeKempson1) to get an insight on the opposition.

About Luke: I have been a fan of the Imps since moving to Lincoln about eight years ago, it's the first time I can say that I truly felt what it's like to support a football club as I would rather have been playing but something clicked when I first went to Lincoln the last time we were in League Two against Hereford when the World Cup was present at Sincil Bank. My personal all time favourite player is Alan Power, as I think his hard work, mixed with his loyalty is something that is hard to find in football these days and he stuck with us through some bad, dark times and got his reward at the end of last season.

Q1- You guys were in non league for a number of years. What went wrong and how has it been put right?

What went wrong was we had a squad full of players who didn't care, they weren't proud to put on the shirt and they certainly put in very little if no effort at all. That has been an issue until recently where we seemed to give up and get bullied a lot of the time. It's been put right I feel when Chris Moyses took over, he installed some form of fight into the squad, and bought in hard working, honest players such as Bradley Wood, Matt Rhead and those players helped us out of a dark time and a sliver of light at the end of the tunnel, even though we finished 13th. I do feel that Chris Moyses laid down a foundation of which the Cowleys have taken it upon themselves to transform the club to another level and it's also been key that the football club has come back to the community which I felt during our relegation and the first three to four years it had taken a step back and not engaged as much with the fans as it did before.

Q2- Danny Cowley has been a revelation - just what makes him so special?

What can I say about these two brothers that hasn't already been said, they bought a new lease of life into Lincoln and they got the entire city to be proud of its football club again. Danny is a manager who puts players first beyond anything else, his man-management skills are perfect and because of his teaching background I am sure that has helped with the man-management side of things. Also, Danny engages with the fans and always has time out to come and talk to fans or if any fans approach him he always seems to have the time to make everyone feel a part of this club. I've not seen any football manager who puts in as much hard work as the Cowleys, they don't sleep I think or at least very little, they're at the club at 7am and won't leave until 9pm everything is thorough and everything is worked through to the finest detail. He uses a Sports Science background which I think helped propel the club to the next level and also combining two universities which are in the City and building good, solid partnerships with them.

Q3- You enjoyed a good cup run last season - can you give us an assessment of it.

It was beyond anyone's wildest dreams the cup run we went on last season it no doubt helped bring fans back to the club and engaged the entire City which seems to have stayed beyond. The fact we had a replay in the 4th qualifying round against Guiseley just to get through to round 1, then scraping a 2-1 win against Altrincham in the 1st round. Then it began on a very foggy night at Sincil Bank on a Monday, Oldham who were struggling in League One came into town and I felt we dominated 60 minutes of that game and were 3-0 up before they had a late comeback but it wasn't enough for them to get anything out of the game and what I remember by the final whistle you literally couldn't see the pitch as the fog was that thick and it had come down that low but that was the beginning of what was to come. The third round, the magical round for all lower league clubs felt a little underwhelming at the time to be going to Ipswich away, but as the game got closer and closer the more tickets being sold a 5,000 strong army of Imps fans made their way down to Portman Road, we of course went in with no expectation - I mean we were top of the National League, but they're a Championship side it was more of enjoying the day and hoping to battle. It finished 2-2 but in the replay we went on to win and into round four we go and the visit of then Championship leaders Brighton. Again, Sincil Bank was sold out and the atmosphere had been building, queing hours for tickets and they took the lead from a good flick on by Glenn Murray and it was a good finish from their striker in a first half which I think Brighton edged. The second half was something magical as Alan Power, an OG one of the worst I've seen and Theo Robinson set Sincil Bank a light as we came from 0-1 down to win 3-1 and that magical feeling spread again. Then more hours queing up for tickets in the freezing cold, as we all hoped to get a Burnley ticket and need I say more about what happened at Burnley, we bought them down into a physical battle, with Rheady bullying the life out of Barton all game long, why Barton would choose to mark our big man is still beyond me. But come the 89th minute and one of the set piece routines the Cowley's work on in training as Waterfall was free at the back post to head it back across the face of goal for his CB partner Sean Raggett who was always going to get on the end of that and beat Keane and Heaton, a slight pause before the goal was given and that then was utter madness for the next five minutes of injury time as we held on and claimed a priceless victory away at a Premiership side who the Sunday before had held Chelsea to a 1-1 draw and we'd beaten them, Lincoln City had made it to the Quarter finals of the FA Cup. It truly was a fairytale and then we get to Arsenal, due to the pressure Wenger was under at that time he fielded his strongest eleven and for 45 minutes we were in it, battling as 9,000 Imps were roaring the side on. It took a deflection from a Walcott shot to break the deadlock just before HT. Then well, you saw world class players tearing apart the Lincoln defence. We lost 5-0 but we played very well, with some passion. I'll always remember at the end, Danny Cowley had got the players in a huddle to reassure and encourage them that what they had achieved no other Non-League side had ever done that in over 100 years. The players were disappointed to be on the end of a 5-0 result but they came to applaud the 9,000 strong contingent and even was clapped by Arsenal fans as well, the effort was there for all to see. The money generated from this cup run has helped us have a much more healthy budget for this season and going towards building our own training ground. All in all it was a magical cup run, in a magical season almost once in a lifetime season for where we were at.

Q4- With Notts, Lincoln, Chesterfield and Mansfield all in League Two this season, which game are you looking forward to the most?

I was just happy to be back in the EFL, however with some wonderful local games to whet the appetite again was good. Games against Notts, Mansfield, Chesterfield and Grimsby were all dates most Imps fans were looking out for I'd imagine and the ticket sales for the trip to Notts on Saturday is clearly one a lot of Lincoln fans are relishing with selling out our allocation and even the 300 extra tickets we were given so 4,500 Imps will be at the game and the atmosphere should be amazing too.

Q5- Terry Hawkridge has done well for Notts so far. How will you greet him on Saturday?

Hawkridge is one hell of a player with one hell of a delivery, he scored the two goals to assure us of the League and I was gutted when he turned down a new contract with us and signed for you. However I shall be giving him a good reception before and after the game as he was one of our better players we've had and it's good to see him starting well for Notts, but during the ninety minutes he is the enemy so probably some banter during that time but I have nothing but respect for Terry.

Q6- Who are your key players this season, and what do you think the score/scorers will be?

We've made some shrewd signings this summer, none other than a contract extension for our engine Alex Woodyard and also his new partner in midfield of Michael Bostwick which was a signing I never thought we would be able to get. Those two for me are a danger if we can play through the thirds as both are more than comfortable on the ball. Also I feel we've got electric pace down the flanks with Harry Anderson, Nathan Arnold, Jordan Maguire-Drew and Josh Ginelly. That is also a danger, especially as we usually bring one of them off the bench fresh when the full backs of the opposition are tiring. Matt Green up front an accomplished striker who scores goals at this level and has such pace and strength in the channels.. Those are my key players to watch out for. I can only see it being a 1-2 win for the Imps, usually we wake up after going a goal down, but with this squad a majority of the time we're fighters and we have no idea when we're beaten.

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Notts County continue to go from strength to strength, unbeaten in seven games in all competitions and sitting second in the League Two table.

Up next for the Pies is a trip to Broadfield Stadium, where Crawley Town await.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to Red Devils fan Jordan Knott (@JordyTekkers) to get an insight on the opposition.

About Jordan: I'm 21 years old and have been a Crawley Town fan since 2002, when my dad took me to my first game at the age of 6. My all time favourite player is Matt Tubbs.

Crawley are relatively new in the Football League - how do you make of your time in the EFL so far?

I would say our time in the EFL so far has been quite successful for a club of our size. Back to back to promotions to League One in 2012, after finishing 3rd in League Two, and reaching the 5th round of the FA Cup for the second season running, losing out to Stoke City.  In our first ever season in League One we finished 10th under the guidance of then manager Richie Barker. He then departed the following season, with John Gregory replacing him in December 2013. We ended the 2013-14 season in 14th place. During the summer of 2014 is when things started to go down hill. Gregory had a complete overhaul of the playing squad, getting rid of many fans favourites including Sergio Torres, Dannie Bulman and Kyle McFadzean, partly due to lack of funds from the club. The 2014-15 squad was unrecognisable, with only a handful of players remaining from the previous season. Subsequently we were relegated back to League Two that season, along with Notts County. Dean Saunders had taken over as interim manager in December 2014, and did his best to try and keep the club up. There were signs of improvement under Dean Saunders, but unfortunately it wasn't too be, losing out to Coventry City on the final day in May 2015. In our first season back in League Two we finished 20th under manager Mark Yates, our lowest finish since joining the EFL. We had a new owner take over the club in March 2016, Turkish businessman Ziya Eren. Yates departed in April 2016 with a few games of the season left. Former Chelsea and Arsenal youth coach Dermot Drummy replaced him, taking charge of the final few games. Last season we finished 19th under Drummy, a much improved squad from the previous season with the arrival of James Collins, Dean Cox, Enzio Boldewijn and the returning fans favourite Mark Connolly from Kilmarnock. However it was again a disappointing season with the team only just staying up. Hopefully there are better things to come this season.

Steve Evans made his name at Crawley. A rather divisive character, what do you make of him?

Steve Evans is a manager who is a lot like Marmite, you either like him or loathe him. If you've ever read former Crawley and Hereford United midfielder Ben Smith's book Journeyman, then you'll see exactly what Steve Evans was like to play under. A very much Jekyll and Hyde like character in the dressing room. Personally I like Steve Evans, and we played some of our best football under him. In August 2006 the club came within an hour of liquidation, but luckily we survived. Steve took over in May 2007, and we had 6 points docked before the start of the season due to our finances, so not the easiest of starts for him. We finished 15th that season, despite the off field problems and points deduction. The 2010-11 was our best season under Evans, promotion from the then Blue Square Premier to the EFL, and a 5th round FA Cup tie with Manchester United at Old Trafford.  Steve departed us for Rotherham United in April 2012, and was very successful there, having got them from League Two to the Championship in a few seasons.

Striker James Collins left in the summer - how big a loss is he?

The departure of James Collins in the summer to Luton Town was a big one for us. Without his 22 goals last season then we would without doubt have been relegated. Our last player to score that many was Izale McLeod, who we sold to Notts County in 2015. Whenever Crawley find themselves a prolific goal scorer, we find it very difficult to keep hold of them. Unfortunately we haven't been able to bring in a striker of James' quality this season. We have signed 3 new strikers, including Panutche Camara from Non-League Dulwich Hamlet, Thomas Verheydt from MVV Maastricht, and Ibrahim Meite on loan from Cardiff City. So only time will tell if they can fill James' shooting boots.

Harry Kewell is a well-known name in English football - how did fans view his appointment?

Harry Kewell's appointment was received with mixed opinions from fans. The fans were hoping for an experienced manager who knows the lower leagues. After appointing Dermot Drummy, a head coach with no lower league managerial experience last season, fans were sceptical with the appointment of Kewell. Having been sacked as Watfrord under 21s head coach in April 2017, and having no football league managerial experience, it did seem a strange one. Without doubt Kewell's playing CV is up there with the best, but his lack of experience as a manger does have to be questioned. He brought in former Plymouth Argyle forward Warren Feeney as his assistant, as the two played together at Leeds United. Warren has got lower league experience having been manager at Newport County in 2016. We have got off to a mixed start under Kewell so far, inconsistency being the main problem for us. When we play well, we play really well, but when we're poor, we look like a team that hasn't played together before. It seems to the second half of a match that we actually start playing, so hopefully we address this problem sooner rather than later. However it is still early days, so hopefully we can get back to winning ways and kick off from there.

Who are Crawley's danger men in the current squad?

Our main danger man is Jordan Roberts, who we signed from Inverness Caledonian Thistle last season. He's missed the last few games with injury but he's back for selection to face Notts County. Predominantly a midfielder, he's been playing up front so far this season and is our top goal scorer with 3 goals. Ibrahim Meite who scored his first Crawley goal at Stevenage the other night looks to be a really handful as well. Our captain Jimmy Smith will be one to look out for too, his return from injury coincided with our first two league wins of the season against Swindon Town and Yeovil Town respectively.

Score/scorer predictions

Notts County are doing well so far under Kevin Nolan this season. They have got a very experienced squad and look like a tough opposition. Notts County have got the better head to head results, and we have struggled against them in recent seasons. However, I believe we can take positives from our draw at Stevenage the other night, so I think the score will be Crawley 1-1 Notts, Meite getting his second Crawley goal.

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Notts County are flying high at the minute, currently unbeaten in five in all competitions and sitting fifth in the League Two table with 10 points from five games.

September is a busy month - having got one fixture out of the way, a 1-0 win at Port Vale, we now embark on the second of seven league games, against Morecambe at Meadow Lane.

The Shrimps have been widely tipped to endure a difficult season, but they are somewhat of a bogey team for Notts, given they're unbeaten in four and have registered two 4-1 wins.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to Morecambe fan Brian ahead of Saturday's game to get an insight on the opposition.

About Brian: I've supported the Shrimps since 1995 - a good year as we were promoted into the Conference - and my favourite player of all time is Kevin Ellison.

What happened last season with the whole ownership saga?

Wish I had an actual proper answer for you! Was all a bit of a mess really. So a Brazilian businessman, Diego Lemos, takes over the club in September. He then goes AWOL, then another suit, Joseph Cala, turns out saying he's the new owner, then Lemos comes back, then the whole thing ends up in court and now it's in the hands of a guy called Graham Burnard. Just a load of nonsense.

You're celebrating 10 years in League Two this season. How would you assess your first ever decade in league football?

Nothing less than we deserve. We had been steadily rising up the leagues - it's not been quick, but it's about getting there. Being promoted from non-league is hard but we've persevered and got there in the end, and we've had a good run so far in League Two, got some great results along the way and really just enjoying the ride.

In an era of hiring and firing managers, you've had just three different men at the helm since 1994. Do you see it as a kind of honour to have had such a little turnaround?

Well, the manner in which the club changed manager in 2005-06 was a bit unsavoury - Jim Harvey took us into the Conference and kept us near the top for ten years, then he sadly suffered a heart attack - he recovered, thankfully - which saw Sammy McIlroy take the helm supposedly until the end of the season. Jimmy then came back and was sacked, with McIlroy getting the job permanently. Left a very bitter taste in the mouth, but the club was then promoted the following year, so that was sort of forgotten. But as for the original question, yeah, it's good that each manager has had the chance to create a legacy here. Don't really see it much anymore nowadays.

You've had one playoff finish in 2009-10. Can you see Morecambe challenging again for a top seven place this season?

I would be surprised if that was the case. Below the top 3 that season, it was all up for grabs, the playing field was so even among the clubs - we were 4th on 73 points, Northampton were on 67 and finished 10th. Now you've got clubs in League Two with huge budgets that are signing Championship-quality players, so unless we get another perfect storm, it's unlikely. But we've got a fairly large squad with a lot of youngsters, so we should be competitive.

Who are Morecambe's danger men in the current squad?

Adam McGurk joined us on deadline day and he's a striker who caused us no end of trouble when playing against us so we're hoping he hits the ground running for us. Vadaine Oliver is suspended at the minute but he looks a handful, and same for Callum Lang, the young loanee from Wigan. Garry Thompson and Kevin Ellison aren't getting any younger but they've still got goals in them.

Final score?

Notts are a tricky proposition at the minute, you're on form and are unbeaten at home, but I'm hoping our good recent form against you guys will hold up, so I'm going to say a 1-1 draw.

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Notts County have ended August in a healthy league position of seventh in the table following two wins, a draw and a defeat from their first four League Two fixtures.

This weekend, in the first match of September, the Magpies travel to Vale Park for yet another difficult proposition in these early weeks, against recently relegated Port Vale.

As baptisms of fire go, having three teams that were in League One last season as your opponents in the first five league fixtures of the season has to be right up there.

Nonetheless, Notts are in a healthy position both on the pitch and off it going into Saturday's game.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to Valiants fan Robbie Earle's Perm ahead of the fixture to get an insight into the opposition.

About REP: I've been a supporter since 1982, I fell asleep during my first game against Scunthorpe apparently! My dad was a Vice President and dragged me along as a very small child. Favourite player without a shadow of a doubt was the legend that is Robbie Earle, I have his shorts from the play off final victory over Bristol Rovers from 1989!

You've twice been in administration this century - what happened and how did you as a club overcome it?

The first followed the collapse of ITV Digital and our slightly hookie chairman sticking all his eggs in one basket with it after he had axed our legendary manager John Rudge. The second was simply repulsive. We were being run by a 'fans' consortium', Valiant 2001, who sourced money from the average fan and then basically used their positions for their own their own benefit from 2003 to 2012 in various guises. They brought a number of odious characters to the board during that time and clung to power so desperately even though they did not have the finances to support the club and ignored many fans' protests, the fans they were supposed to represent! One member became CEO and took out a significant salary annually and even got his share money back before admin struck, others bought in with nil-paid shares (they never paid for them) but ultimately every single board member (Micky Adams briefly aside) should hang their heads in shame during those 9 years.

You were relegated last season - what went wrong? - What steps has the club taken in the summer to have a team with the potential to bounce back?

Things were going well until October when the playing side began to fall apart and Bruno Ribeiro, who was brought in by our owner last summer to reinvigorate the club after a particularly dull and uninspiring time under Rob Page. Sadly as seemed obvious to all the vast numbers of players from overseas struggled to adjust as the temperatures dropped and Bruno resigned on Boxing Day. That lead to Michael Brown taking over the role of manager on a temporary basis until the summer and finally being appointed full time this summer. This ultimately is where the problems went from bad to worse, we have signed a crazy amount of players over the last 14/15 months and Brown's signings have in the main been injury prone, aging or unproven youngsters. Tactics have largely been completely baffling and his training regime has led to many muscle injuries. Fans started to turn a couple of weeks ago during our abysmal defeat to Chesterfield but Brown and his assistants Morgan and Kelly seem slightly oblivious hoping more signings and a settled side will improve us. We have cried out for quality over quantity during the reign of Page, Ribeiro and Brown and all three have simply ignored this which has lead in my opinion to our decline.

We in Nottingham have "noisy neighbours" in Forest - how does it feel as a Port Vale fan to have Stoke City FC on your doorstep?

Its a little inconsequential at the moment to be honest. We had the upper hand for much of the 1990s but since the early 2000s our paths haven't crossed. Fans still sing songs about Stoke and that little diver Mark Stein but in all honesty we are light years apart currently which is a huge shame as, when I was growing up, the intensity in the city between the two teams was superb.

Robbie Williams is arguably your most famous fan - do you have any stories, or have heard any stories, about him at Port Vale?

Quirkily, he actually went to the same school as me and saved me from being beaten up by some older kids during my first year! I also sat on the same row as him away at a Stoke game in the early 90s. Other than that not too much as he doesn't attend or openly support Vale so much anymore. That said during the 90s and at the height of Take That's powers he generated record club shop sales by wearing replica shirts etc which young girls the world over then ordered and of course he put in £249k to the club when the 'fans consortium' Valiant 2001 (the maximum amount allowed at the time) came to power, sadly that and his proxy vote on the board was then used by the repulsive board members to protect their positions of power.

What games are you looking forward to the most this season?

Coventry to be honest, one of my closest friends is a huge Coventry fan and finally I'm hoping we will get to attend both games together as it hasn't happened over recent seasons. Other than that any local game where there is a good atmosphere created by the crowd is always worth attending, so roll on the 2nd September!

Score/and scorer(s)

I can't see anything other than ANOTHER defeat if Brown is still in charge sadly as you appear well organised with a strong spine, 0-2 with Lewis Alessandra and Michael O'Connor, a real favourite of mine, scoring. (We wish he was playing but he's out for the long term - Ed) Hopefully you will leave that terrible excuse for a human being Dan Jones a long way away from Vale Park.

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Notts County have the chance of topping the fledgling League Two table on Friday night if they beat Accrington Stanley at Meadow Lane.

The Magpies have improved game by game this season, with the 3-0 loss to Coventry City largely forgotten now thanks to improved performances and results.

With those over the Trent playing on Saturday, the Notts fixture has had to be moved, but if it all goes well, the Black and White Army can kickstart the bank holiday weekend the perfect way.

Ahead of the game, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Accrington fan Alan to get an insight on the opposition.

About Alan: I've been supporting Stanley since 2005, through my dad taking me to games as a kid, and my favourite player is Paul Mullin.

You're known as "the club that wouldn't die" - what's it been like supporting the club in recent years?

The last few years haven't been so bad to be fair. In the 60s, when the club went bankrupt, I've heard about how the town itself suffered and everyone was miserable before it was reformed. Then in the late 2000s we weren't far off it again. This decade we've had two playoff finishes and we're still dreaming of going up the leagues.

Since promotion to League Two in 2006, you've finished in the lower half of the table every season except for two, where you had playoff finishes in 2011 and 2016 - why such fluctuation in positions?

As good as it was reaching the playoffs, the problem is if you don't follow through and get promoted from them, and particularly in League Two, other clubs will identify your players as good prospects and snap them up. This happened both times, with many of our star players moving on, so it's back to square one.

That milk advert from the 1980s - do Accrington fans hear it a lot from away fans? What are your thoughts on it - a joke that's worn thin or something more positive?

I find it irritating as hell personally. Yes, we're not exactly a huge club, but now we're in the Football League, aren't we? I doubt either of those two kids made it beyond playing for their pub team. But some fans enjoy the recognition and say it's put the town and club on the map.

Accrington is a bit of a bogey team for Notts, who haven't beaten Stanley in the last 6 games. Have you seen any of the games and what did you make of the Notts performances?

I went to the last two home games against County. The first one we went 3-0 up and you lot seemed clueless, in all fairness, but you nearly pegged it back and it ended 3-2. The second one, we won 2-0 and it was our first home win for months - again, I feel we were more focused and organised than you on the day. But you lot have had a bad few years, from what I gather - I expect a much harder game this weekend.

Favourite memory as a supporter?

The 2015-16 season, where we were second in League Two and two points clear of fourth with just one game to go. Sadly we could only draw against Stevenage and other results went against us, and we couldn't negotiate the playoffs. So painful, but prior to that, a cracking season. And we got our own back against Stevenage the following year!

Danger men for Accrington this season / who should Notts watch out for?

Billy Kee is the main man, top scorer the last couple seasons and always a threat up front. And Sean McConville is quality too, a solid midfielder with an eye for goal and even better at creating chances for his teammates.

Final score / scorers

I'd love to say a good solid win but being realistic, I reckon a draw. 1-1, Kee to get our goal.

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Following a poor start to the season for Notts County, things are looking up.

A solid performance against Scunthorpe United in the League Cup, a cracking win against Chesterfield in the kind of dirty archetypal League Two game that would have stumped the Magpies in seasons past, and a good runout for some of the fringe players against Everton Under-21s in the Checkatrade Trophy, the attention now turns back to the bread and butter and our second league away day of the campaign, against the Adebayo Akinfenwa-led front line of Wycombe Wanderers at Adams Park.

Ahead of Saturday's game, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Chairboys fan Ben Caplan to get an insight on the opposition.

About Ben: He has been a Wycombe fan since he was four years old, his dad taking him to games from an early age, and his favourite player is Sam Saunders.

You went from just surviving relegation in 2014 to finishing in the playoffs, mid-table and close to playoffs the next three seasons. What issues were addressed after the 2013-14 relegation battle?

In all fairness, I feel we just got lucky with who we signed, both permanently and on loan. Players like Alfie Mawson, Aaron Pierre, Nico Yennaris, Josh Scowen, Fred Onyedinma, Aaron Amadi-Holloway, they're all playing above League Two now.

Just missing out on the playoffs last season - what do you feel the team could have done better, any particular games you felt you should have won?

I feel we were awful last season to be fair. Games we should have won? Against Spurs in the FA Cup!

How did you do in the transfer market this summer? Any standout signings? What about departures - anyone left who you will miss?

We've only signed players over 30, but Craig Mackail-Smith today looks quality. Aaron Pierre's left for Northampton, we'll miss him.

Who are the three players who could pose the biggest danger to Notts this weekend?

Adebayo Akinfenwa of course. Sam Saunders is also quality and Paris Cowan-Hall when he comes back from injury.

Do you fancy Wycombe to make the playoffs this season - and maybe go one better and get promoted?

No. In all honesty, I reckon we'll finish mid-table this season.

Score/scorer prediction for Saturday?

2-0 to Wycombe, Akinfenwa and Nathan Tyson with the goals.

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Ahead of Notts County's first home fixture of the 2017/18 League Two season, against local rivals Chesterfield, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Spireites fan Gary Hewitt (@Gooey1983) about his team to get a better insight on the opposition.

About Gary: I've been a Spireite since I went to my first game in 1995 against Blackpool with my dad and grandad, and always found a pride at following my home town team, felt a sense of belonging. This is despite moving to Scunthorpe in 1993, I always felt 'home' was still Chesterfield. I'm second cousin of Chesterfield legend Jamie Hewitt, who scored at Old Trafford against Middlesbrough in 1997! I try to get to about half of the games a season, work depending.

What went wrong last season and what has the club done to address relegation so far?

I believe the biggest mistake we made last year was our shocking recruitment in January. We brought in a group of young, naive youngsters who quite simply weren't up for a relegation scrap, and one in particular was sent home in disgrace. Our inability to defend set pieces and weakness down the spine of the team also cost us plenty of goals.

There are quite a few East Midlands clubs in League Two this season. Which fixture are you most looking forward to and why?

Naturally Mansfield due to the history between the 2 towns and clubs, I love the atmosphere! I'm also looking forward to Lincoln away as it's a nice city which has plenty of good pubs to choose from. I know Nottingham quite well too so County is another I look out for, again because we'll make it a full day out. If I had to choose... got to be Mansfield!

What's your favourite memory as a Chesterfield fan and why?

The moment Jamie Hewitt slammed a last minute equalising header in against Middlesbrough in FA cup semi in 1997! I was only 14 and just remember losing control of where I was for quite a while and ending up far away from my family!

How do you reckon you'll do this season?

Tough one... I'm going to say top 10. Play-offs will be a surprise to me.

Which players are likely to be the biggest threat?

Ian Evatt is a stalwart at the back and reads the game so well and marshals the back line like nobody else. I've got high hopes of Chris O'Grady too due to the level he's recently played at and he holds the ball up well and brings others into the game.

Can we get your score and scorer predictions for Saturday?

We need a clean sheet but I don't think we'll get one! I'm going for 2-2 with O'Grady and Reed our scorers.

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Ahead of Notts County's opening fixture of the 2017/18 League Two season, against Coventry City at the Ricoh Arena, Pride of Nottingham spoke to Sky Blues fan George Baker (Twitter: @georgedbaker_) to get an insight on the opposition.

About George: I'm 19 years old and have been supporting the Sky Blues since I was about 6. My Dad, who happens to be the chairman of the Sky Blue Trust nowadays, took me to my first game at Highfield Road in a game against Birmingham which we drew 1-1 I believe and I've been hooked ever since. I would say I would have a genuine love for the club and I think I know that since they've broken my hear so many times over the last few years!

What was your initial reaction to the fixtures release, and are you happy with the opening fixture?

Seeing the fixture list for the first time was a bit of a reality check to be honest with you. When I first started supporting the team, we were a mid-table Championship side who had previously had 35 years in the top flight up until 2001. And now, we're in the fourth tier and playing the likes of Forest Green, Mansfield Town and Lincoln City. I don't mean any offence to those teams mentioned but it just highlights our fall from grace. As for our opening fixture against Notts County, I think it's a tough first game for sure. I fully expect them to be challenging for the play-offs at the very least so Saturday's game may provide an indication of where the two sides will end up come the end of the season. It would have been nice to have been eased into League Two with a slightly easier opponent but it may be a positive to chalk off a game against one of our rivals this season.

After last season's disappointment, how do you think Coventry City will adapt to life in League Two and what have you made of your pre-season?

After last year's relegation we've been quick in clearing out a lot of the deadwood and replacing it with a fair bit of quality. I must admit I think we have a better team now than we did in League One. I think we have the right manager this year though and Mark Robins appears to have built a squad to withstand the rough and tumble of League Two. I think we may take a short while to adapt, not just to the League but as a team as nine new faces are being bedded into the squad with a few more expected but come September/October that's when we'll really get the ball rolling. As for pre-season, it's been a mixed bag. We've had a few decent results and one or two uninspiring performances but I don't look to much into pre-season. I'll be making my first full judgement this weekend!

Which three players should Notts County be aware of, and which would you say is your key man and why?

I think all of our danger men are new signings at the club. We'll start off at the back with Jack Grimmer. We've signed him from Fulham after some decent loan spells at Shrewsbury and judging from his first few outings he looks to be a real asset. He is able to bomb up and down the right hand side and is more than capable of beating his man and whipping a cross into the box. With Chris Stokes playing a more defensive left-back role it allows Grimmer push further up the field and provides an welcome option in attack. Our second player to watch out for sits in the middle of the pitch and that would be Peter Vincenti. We somehow managed to prize him away from Rochdale and he's a player who really excites me. Whilst he's the wrong age of 30, I believe he's still got plenty in the tank. We are likely to deploy him on the left of an attacking three and standing at 6 foot 5, he'll be real threat at the back post from Grimmer's deliveries. Our final player to watch in my opinion is Marc McNulty, who I believe will challenge for not only club top scorer but also the league as a whole. He's scored three in pre-season which yes were all from the penalty spot but he's shown to a be a real threat. He tends to play in the number ten role so picks up space in between the midfield and defence and will likely be playing off knock downs and link up play with Stuart Beavon, who is another player to arguably watch out for.

Do you have any memories of Notts County over the years? If so, please share a couple of your favourite memories.

I'm not sure I have too many memories of Notts County if I'm honest, since I've supported Coventry we haven't played on too many occasions - and when we have we tend to lose! I remember Jack Grealish tearing us apart a few seasons ago at your place!

Both clubs have experienced somewhat turbulent times due to ownership, how do you feel about Otium Entertainment Group (SISU) and would having a good League Two season put things right?

I like many want rid of SISU. They are nothing but a cancer to this club and until they leave we will not move forward. If we were to have a good season and get promoted then of course, that would be fantastic but it wouldn't solve our ownership problems. We still lack investment on the pitch. We have another ongoing court case against our landlords, our rent agreement ends at the end of this season, as does our academy's stay at their usual facility. A promotion would not fix the mess we are in. It may help, but we really are a shambles. There is talk of a takeover and that is the only way we can move forward. Until we have new owners, I don't believe that any form of success can rectify or put right what SISU have done wrong.

What do you think the score will be?

It's a hard one to call as both teams will be looking to make a statement early on. I think there will be goals though. I'll go for a 2-2 draw, an entertaining draw that is. McNulty and Willis scoring for us.

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The Magpies' take on Luton Town tomorrow at the Kenilworth Road Stadium, which will be the second time Notts have played them within the 2015/16 season. On Saturday 12th September 2015, Notts managed to defeat Luton Town at Meadow Lane after enjoying a 2-0 lead upto the 71st minute, when the Hatters responded and then quickly drawn level on the 76th minute.

Liam Noble sealed all three points by scoring in the final seconds, the final score 3-2 to Notts County.

In this feature, Notts-Joe has taken the time to put several questions to two Luton Town fans - Beanite and Matt kindly took the challenge to respond in-depth for our own faithful's and beneath you will be able to gauge tomorrow's opposition. Find out what they both fans have had to say!

Could you tell Pride of Nottingham a little bit about yourself, such as how long you have supported Luton Town?

Beanite: Although born in Lutonia I'm one of  the many exiled Hatters. Having lived in Hampshire for the last 30 years a home game for me is a 150 mile round trip. My first match was the 4-0 win over Doncaster Rovers in Feb 70. Who was to know then that the young defender we'd signed from Fulham would still to this day hold the record for scoring 5 goals in a match for England!

Matt: I'm a 29 year old season ticket holder who has been going to Kenilworth Road for 24 years. My first game was a drab 0-0 draw with Sunderland on a cold December day in 1992. Despite this, I was hooked, and was rewarded the following season with our fantastic run to the FA Cup semi-final, beating Newcastle and West Ham on the way before losing 2-0 to Chelsea at Wembley.

That's pretty much the high point of my Luton supporting life. There have been a few highs, namely our first season back in the Championship under Mike Newell (where I genuinely thought we could get promotion to the Premiership), the FA Cup ties with Liverpool, beating Norwich as a Conference side and the vast majority of our Conference Championship season where it just seemed as though we could turn up anywhere and win. However Luton's recent history is largely a tale of woe, synonymous with player sales, relegations and points deductions. However all that is now behind us and, with a new manager and shiny new stadium on the horizon, the future could very well be orange.

How do you feel your seasons going so far? What was your hopes at the start and have you since reflected on them?

Beanite: It's fair to say that we all had high hopes for the squad that John Still had assembled at the start of the season. Unfortunately he wasn't able to put out a good enough team & he has now returned to his roots, albeit with the gratitude from all Hatters for returning us to the FL.

Matt: In a word, horrifically. That may sound dramatic however such were the expectations at the beginning of the season given the quality of player we bought in, the results and more worryingly the performances were incredibly disappointing. If you had asked 100 Luton fans at the beginning of the season what their expectations were, I'm sure 99 would have said automatic promotion. It was only a catastrophic loss of form from February onward that saw us drop out of the top 3 (and then 7) last season and so the additions of Scott Cuthbert, Danny Green, Paddy McCourt and Craig Mackail-Smith would surely propel us to the summit. Or not.

As much as I like the guy and will forever be grateful for him hauling us out of the Conference, it was the right decision to part ways with John Still. The tactics (or lack thereof) were akin to what most people would call 'hoofball', which is not ideal when CMS and Jack Marriott up top are about 5'8. These tactics may have been acceptable had they produced results however the lack of wins, goals and entertainment duly saw Mr Still make way.

It will be interesting to see how Nathan Jones does with this group of players. I still believe the majority are 'above the level' players who were hamstrung by the previous management teams negative tactics. Jones is seen as a forward thinking coach and has said he wants to bring Tiki-Taka to Kenilworth Road. The early signs are encouraging, but time will tell.

Many Notts fans would have like to see Alan Sheehan return to Meadow Lane, what do you make of this signing for Luton and did it come as a surprise?

Beanite: TBH I'd never heard of him but then any player who scores his first goal against whatfor'd has got to be a top signing!

Matt: It did come somewhat out of the blue. Our defense has been shaky all season, particularly since Sumo (Steve McNulty) moved to Tranmere to be closer to his family. There was a huge gap in defense and a massive lack of leadership in his absence, so I wasn't surprised that Nathan Jones bought a center half in. It was slightly more surprising that he replaced Luke Wilkinson (sold to Stevenage) who had probably been the least best of a bad bunch when in came to center halves this season.

I'm yet to see Alan Sheehan play as I couldn't make it to his debut up in Mansfield, however I hear only good things. I've done a little bit of YouTube trawling and his left foot is a thing of beauty. Hopefully we can sort our issues at center half and move Sheehan too left back to get the most out of him.

Which of your 2015/16 signings have stood out? Are you disappointed personally by any?

Beanite: Two signings stand out for me, Jack Marriott from Ipswich and Magnus Okuronghae from Col Utd. I guess we are expected to feel disappointed with Craig M.S. but this chap works his proverbials off and playing him as a winger with hoof ball probably wasn't John Still's finest moment.

Matt: It's been a really mixed bag for our signings this season. Some, such as Jack Marriott and Danny Green have shone in patches. Others like Craig Mackail Smith and Paddy McCourt have rather flattered to deceive (although the former has spent most of the season trying to win headers against center halves and the latter has started one game since October), whilst others have been outright disappointing. Scott Cuthbert and Magnus Okuonghae, I'm looking at you.

I have faith however that they are decent enough players who were playing to instructions which rather hampered their abilities. Jack Marriott has pace to burn and has had a lot of success coming off of the bench. Cameron McGeehan has a lovely knack of being in the right place at the right time to score from midfield. I really think Nathan Jones' appointment will do them all (and indeed the entire squad) the world of good.

What did you make of the game between our two teams at Meadow Lane earlier on in the season? Did you think the result was fair and which Notts player stood out the most?

Beanite: A draw would have been a fairer result back in Sept. Stand out contributor on the day for you would have to be Ben Toner!!

Matt: I was unfortunate enough to be at Meadow Lane to watch us lose to yet another late goal. This was exacerbated by the fact I had spent the previous two days in Doncaster at the races and had about us much luck as Scott Cuthbert did trying to keep up with Izale McLeod.

It was a frustrating performance as we went 2-0 down with barely a whimper. It was only after the second goal that we started to play and scored two pretty good goals. I swear Jonathon Smith has never hit a ball that well in his life. Seriously, watch him try and make a 5 yard pass if he plays Saturday.

When the sucker punch came it wasn't unexpected. We had already dropped points to Oxford, Pompey and Bristol Rovers because of late goals and you could see it coming as soon as Cuthbert bundled McLeod over. It was the right result and I couldn't complain with the final score.

Obviously McLeod stood out for Notts having run Cuthbert and Wilkinson ragged all game, although most center forwards have this year. The left midfielder who may have been Aborah, also gave our right back a torrid time all game, and he wasn't seen in the first team for many months after that.

What line-up do you feel will be selected on Saturday for Luton and who are your main threats?

Beanite: It's hard to guess the line up with a new manager but the main threats to watch out for would be Justham, O'Donnell, Cuthbert, Sheehan, Howells, Smith, Lawless, Ruddock, Marriott and CMS.

Matt: It's difficult to judge what formation we will go on Saturday. Jones' first game he went 4-4-2 with a fully fit squad and we drew. We then had 6 players injured and through necessity switched to a 4-5-1/4-3-3 with wingers for the game at Mansfield and won 2-0. My gut feeling is that you don't change a winning side we will line up the same as at Mansfield with the possible exception of Alan Sheehan moving out to left back and Magnus Okuonghae coming in to partner Scott Cuthbert. That would see us line up a bit like this.

                          Justham
O'Donnell Cuthbert Okuonghae Sheehan
                    Lawless Smith
                        McGeehan
Ruddock-Mpanzu               McCourt
                    Mackail-Smith

The main threats will come from the wings. Paddy McCourt looks rejuvenated under Nathan Jones and had a great game up at Mansfield. However most of our hopes with be on Pelly Ruddock-Mpanzu. Pelly was signed on loan and then permanently from West Ham as a center half in our Conference title season and was immense. He then spent the bulk of the next 18 months injured or "a week away from fitness" as John Still kept telling us. When he did play he had moved to central midfield and then out to the wide right position. He's fast, powerful and strong as an ox. He grabbed an assist and a great goal up in Mansfield and if he's on song your left back is in for a long afternoon. Outside of that, McGeehan has 9 goals despite being played out of position on the left wing for most of the season and Jack Marriott loves coming off the bench to run at tired defenses.

Who do you feel will gain promotion from League Two and who do you think will be relegated?

Beanite: Aided by a £10m grant from the local taxpayers it would be criminal if Northampton don't go up. Plymouth and Oxford both play fairly high tempo football so it's hard to see the present top 3 change. One or two teams always come from nowhere towards the end of the season so why not a Luton v Notts PO for the final place?

Newport and Yeovil for the drop as York always seem to get the luck when it matters and D&R will probably have 4 or 5 ex-Hatters in the team shortly.

Matt: I think Northampton and Oxford are nailed on now. Northampton in particular have been very impressive and Oxford have recruited well. Plymouth will probably take the last automatic place. The playoffs are a lottery and a lot will come down to who takes momentum into them. I think Accrington are a really good side but it depends whether Windass and Crook leave in this window or the summer. Wycombe will be there or thereabouts, as will Pompey. However I'll go for Bristol Rovers who I've been impressed with in both games against Luton.

Relegation-wise I think York are doomed and the John Still effect at Dagenham might see them jump above Yeovil and send them down.

Lastly, what do you feel te score will be?

Beanite: A close game with the home team shading it by the odd goal! Safe trip to all the Magpies making the journey South.

Matt: Tough one. From what I saw earlier in the season, defending is neither of our strong points so their could be goals. That said we haven't conceded in the two games under Nathan Jones. I'm going to say 3-1 Luton with 2 goals from Cameron McGeehan and a 25 yard free kick from Luton legend, Alan Sheehan ;-)

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank both Beanite and Matt for taking the time to do this feature - If you haven't already joined us, why not consider it? You can do so by visiting - Here | Also, don't forget to check our other content - Here.

As Pride of Nottingham builds up to this weekends game, Notts-Joe has taken the time to put several questions to one opposition Douglas. Whilst towards the bottom, you will find a link to a mini fan view from within our camp.

Could you tell Pride of Nottingham a little bit about yourself, such as how long you have supported Carlisle?

I'm 26 years old, and my first Carlisle game was 8th may 1999, the final game of the season at home to Plymouth argyle. This game is most remembered as the game where Jimmy Glass (the goalkeeper on loan from Swindon town) scored in the last minute to save us from dropping into non league. I was brought up in a Manchester United mad family (family are from the Manchester area originally) and always looked out for Carlisle results for as long as I could remember. I started supporting both until finances really took a hold with the premiership, so I then decided rather than doing both Manchester United and Carlisle matches, I would concentrate all my support on my local club. Now in this day I feel that I have no connections to Manchester United because of this and Carlisle United is the only club for me.

How do you feel the season is going so far? Is there anything you would hope to improve on as a side?

The season started off okay, it took us until the end of August v Hartlepool away to register our first victory in the league. We'd had a good victory in the Capital One Cup round 1 previous to that game at home v Chesterfield. After the victory at Hartlepool we have went from strength to strength, improving the squad with a number of effective loan signings that have pushed the permanent squad members as far as replacing in the starting XI. We are currently doing very well indeed, up to 6th place as things stand after a very good point away at the league leaders Oxford United (a game I thought we should have won as well being there) and not many teams in this league will leave the Kassam Stadium with anything I feel. We've had the glory of a fantastic game at Liverpool in round 3 of the league cup, taking them to penalties but now promotion is our main aim. I would like a good run in the FA Cup though, currently through to round 3 where we face Yeovil at "home" (Blackpool fc are hosting us that day).

I would like an extra 3 players in on loans in January and release the players that aren't in the squad regularly. I feel like we could use a right winger and a couple of midfielders of the Liam Noble mould.

Have you been effected by the floods? How has this impacted Carlisle and the Football Club?

I live very local to Brunton Park which was badly affected, however the floodwaters stopped 300m away from my front door so I've not faced the devastation of having water raging through my home like many others, however I was left without electricity and gas for 4 days which was hard for me as family have now moved down south. Carlisle as a city have been amazing, along with the rest of the county have shown the strongest community spirit I've witnessed, along with the rest of the country through donating what is now £3.1 million. The stadium has been ruined, I was 1 of the volunteers who went to help clean up for a couple of days while I was off work and waiting for electricity and gas to come back on in my home, and I've never seen devastation like it. Archives were destroyed, the concourse of the stands were caked in a brown sticky liquid. The first team players made a marvellous offer of helping out locals affected in clearing homes, ripping up carpets ect in the vicinity of brunton park. Even after the club 'digs' outside the stadium was hit by floods, and our first choice keeper Mark Gillespie was airlifted out of the digs as he was unwell to travel to our FA cup fixture at welling United that weekend. Fantastic community spirit from the players, some of whom are local lads and some of whom who are foreign all mucked in when the city needed them.

Who will be your key(s) players on Saturday and why?

Key attacking players I've got to start with jabo ibehre. Big, strong and loves the physical battles with centre backs and currently has 10 goals this season despite missing just over a month injured. Charlie Wyke, his strike partner. Not as physically strong as Ibehre, but after an indifferent start to the season he's found his form and is now scoring goals and doing an awful lot for the team. Alex gilliead, a young winger on loan from Newcastle that has speed in abundance, regularly takes on 2-3 defenders at a time and passes them all with ease.

In the back line, Michael Raynes. A tough, no nonsense typical English centre back, takes no grief and is a focal point in attack due to his strength and stature, if we are chasing a result tomorrow then don't be surprised to see him played as a centre forward and balls flying into him.

Luke Joyce. A no nonsense defensive midfielder. Great tackling and distribution of the ball is excellent.

I'm expecting goals in the game, we tend to play in a gung Ho 'we're gonna score 1 more than you mentality' which makes us exciting yet excruciatingly painful side to watch.

The game will be played at the Deepdale stadium, what are your thoughts on the kindness shown and what does it represent to modern day football?

I think it's fantastic from pne, allowing us use of Deepdale for this game when no club have to offer their stadiums. There has always been a bit of a rivalry between us and pne but this has quelled them thoughts for me personally.

For modern football it's fantastic to show that league clubs do help each other out, with us being as isolated where we are geographically we don't have any near neighbours that we can turn to, so along with Blackburn and Blackpool who are hosting our "home" fixtures (against Plymouth in the league and Yeovil FA cup respectively) it truly does reinforce the theory that there is a football family. Also it's less travelling for you to do as well, with cheaper tickets.

Lastly, what do you feel the score will be?

I'll go for either a 2-2 draw, or a 3-2 win for Carlisle with ibehre and gilliead scoring for Carlisle and Campbell (just because we had him on loan) and Sheehan scoring for Notts.

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Douglas for taking the time to answer our questions, especially at such short notice and we hope Carlisle quickly find their feet again after the flooding.

You can read our Notts fan view by clicking - Here

Notts County travel to Aston Villa in the League Cup keen to replicate their heroics in their match against Liverpool two years ago, where they took the Reds to extra time.

Villa, meanwhile, will be keen to avoid another surprise early exit from the competition when they host the League Two side. Last season they were dumped out at this stage by Leyton Orient, who triumphed at Villa Park thanks to Romain Vincelot's winner.

In this piece, Pride of Nottingham speaks to devoted Villa fan Kevin - whose son plays for the first team and was once on loan at Notts - about how he feels his club got on last season and what he hopes to achieve in tonight’s game and for the season as a whole.

Firstly, could you please tell Pride of Nottingham a little about yourself?

My name’s Kevin Grealish, I’m from Solihull, and I’m Villa mad!

What are your stand-out moments from last season at Villa?

Seeing my son play at Wembley in the FA Cup final. Not only as a Villa fan, but as a father.

Are you optimistic about your season ahead and what do you think of the squad assembled by Tim Sherwood?

We’ve built a complete new team, with plenty of youth. Hopefully we’ll be able to play some nice attacking football – 10th in the league will do nicely for us!

How do you think Jack will perform against Notts?

He will want to win. And score. Sorry Notts fans!

Who do you think will the win the League Cup?

I’d love to see the Villa win it! That plus Notts going up would cap off a great football season on a personal level.

Who will be your key men against the Magpies?

Jack, of course! And also Adama Traore, the new lad from Barcelona. He is seriously pacey – you better watch out or you’ll be blown away!

Lastly, what do you think the score and scorers will be?

2-1 to Villa. Jack and Rudy Gestede for us, Graham Burke to pull one back for you. Of course, all the best for tonight. Up the Villa and Come On You Pies!

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Many thanks to Kevin for his opposition view. To discuss the game, join us on Pride of Nottingham's dedicated match thread and join the conversation.

The upcoming local derby between Notts County and Mansfield Town has been labelled by magpies boss Ricardo Moniz as having “No difference between Arsenal and Spurs” and in fact mentioned “This club is also big”.

Notts County have the foundation of having impressive performances under their belt, whilst Mansfield are yet to win within the 2015-16 season.

Pride of Nottingham has taken the time to put several questions to one of the most recognizable match day photographers Dan Westwell.

Firstly, could you please tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a Stags fan?

I've been a Stags fan for 30 years, since I moved up here from Peterborough when I was 11. I wanted to support my local team and that's where it started. My first game was against the Canadian national team, we won 3-0!

At the end of that season we went to Wembley in the Freight Rover Trophy and beat the favourites Bristol City on penalties who had Keith Curle and David Moyes playing for them. I thought I'd picked a winning team here but then the past 29 years have been a bit barren lol.

What are stand-out moments from last season and how have things changed within the pre-season?

There are no stand out moments from last season as it was a disaster. Had there not been 2 worse teams than us we would've gone back to that hell-hole again. We've got a lot to thank Tranmere & Cheltenham for.

This season can't be as bad as that (we hope!). Adam Murray has signed some good players and there was a lot of positivity surrounding the club in the summer, a bit like at Notts, we just need to see how these players gel & then try and find a winning formula as I can't remember the last time we did win a game.

Are you optimisic about your season ahead and what do you think of the squad assembled by Adam Murray?

Yes I am, if you can't be optimistic in August when can you be!? The squad is very impressive, he's mixed it up well with some old heads, some new heads and some youth, so if he can get the blend right then we'll have a good season.

Do you think having players like Craig Westcarr and Kristian Pearce will help you against Notts?

I hope so. I was at the Forest game in the cup when Westcarr scored for Notts and he ran along the main stand celebrating in front of the Forest fans. I don't think he would disrespect Notts like that, but if he does I'll be happy as it means he's scored!

Who do you think will the win the League Two title? More importantly where will Mansfield and Notts finish in your opinion?

I think you can't look beyond Portsmouth & Luton really, but I've had an outside bet on Cambridge as I think they've assembled a good team. Having said that, Notts have been really impressive in the 2 games I've seen so far this season and if they carry this on, then they will win the league.

I would love us both to go up, that would be awesome, especially if Forest got relegated! If I was forced to pick league positions I would go Notts 3rd and us 10th which I would take for sure with how we were last season.

As the clubs official away day photographer, does it make it more interesting to cover these types of local derby games?

It does at Field Mill because obviously I'm there doing the game for Notts yet it's at my 2nd home, so there's a strange feeling about it because I want both teams to win. Personally I want Stags to win because they are my team, but professionally I want Notts to win because it makes my photos better, if you can understand that? Like the pre season game last year when we hammered you ;-) the photos I was sending in were of fans looking fed up and not much action (especially goal action) so the pics weren't very good from a Notts angle (although my Stags mates loved them lol).

As for this game, I would've been going as a freelance not being paid and would just sit in one place and see what happened, but now I am doing it for the local Mansfield paper (CHAD) so I will be doing the Stags attack & Stags fans rather than anything Notts as the home photographer will be doing that.

What line-up would you feature against the Magpies? Who will be your key men?

Matt Green, if he is fit would be our main threat I would say. But you never know if Westcarr & Pearce play then you could have the curse of the returning player. I wouldn't like to guess at our line up as I don't think even Adam Murray knows what team he will pick.

Lastly, what do you think the score and scorers will be?

If you'd asked me this on Monday I would've gone for a Stags win. But having seen what Notts did to Huddersfield last night I am actually pretty damn scared of what could happen to us.

I wouldn't be shocked if Notts tanked us 4-0! We just have to hope that Notts continue their ill discipline and get an early sending off to give us a chance, but then they showed against Huddersfield that they can still see a game out with 10 men, away, at a Championship team. I just hope our good record against Notts helps us out, otherwise we could be in trouble. If you offered me a draw now I'd take it, a nice 2-2 like one of our favourite games when Iyseden Christie equalised 40 yards offside ;-)

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Dan Westwell for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish him all the very best with his recent fund-raising efforts and fingers crossed he brings Notts the luck tonight! No, good luck Mansfield in this new season.

As we are quickly approaching the new season ahead, Pride of Nottingham is delighted to bring you this opposition view for the upcoming game against Alfreton Town courtesy of Reds fan 'DarkSithLord'.

We have taken the time to ask eight questions, so that we can gain an insight to our fourth pre-season friendly and the opposition in general. Please be sure to leave a comment below regarding your own views, share and link. You Pies!

Firstly, could you please tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself such as how long you've been a Reds fan?

I am 21 and I have been following the Reds for around 7 years after my Dad took me one Saturday and I was hooked from there!

Can you tell our members and Notts fans in general a little bit about your clubs history and perhaps some of your achievements to date?

Alfreton Town was formed in its present guise in 1959 after Alfreton Miners Welfare and Alfreton United merged.

Just a year after being formed Alfreton achieved its highest attendance of 5,023 at North Street in 1960 when Matlock visited for a Midland League game.

One of Alfreton most successful seasons came in 1969/70 when they took the Midland League by storm winning 32 of their 34 league games.

Current Club chairman Wayne Bradley took over in 1996 when the club was at Level 6- The Northern Counties East League Premier and vowed to take the club to the Conference Premier and many didn't take him seriously but in 2010/11 after two failed Conference North play-off campaigns Alfreton were confirmed Conference North champions by a margin of 12 points following a 6-0 humbling of Guiseley FC and were promoted to the Conference Premier against all the odds. Pretty Ironic then that they were team to replace at us at Conference Premier (Now National League) when we were relegated on the last day of last season!

How have you seen Alfreton Town grow over the years, both as a football club and also a town?

I cant speak from experience but without a doubt Alfreton Town and the surroundings areas are unrecognisable from those humble beginnings in the Midland League. The Ground has been transformed too. It didn't even have any Dressing room for many years. The players had to use facilities just across the road at the Miners Welfare to get ready for matches!!

What signings have Alfreton Town made so far? How do you feel this upcoming season will go for you and what are your expectations?

IN - Sam Jones (Heanor Town) Todd Jordan (Lincoln) Tom Allan (Gateshead) Cliff Moyo (Free Agent) Sam Berry (Welling) Ryan Wilson (Ilkeston)

OUT - Bradley Wood (Lincoln) Callum Howe (Lincoln), Anthony Howell (Cartlon), Messiah McDonald (Bradford Park Avenue) Luke Graham (Brackley)

I must admit I was worried about what lay in store for this season but I think Nicky and Russ has done a very credible job following an exodus of players after relegation last term. They have recruited extremely well. Sam Jones from local Midland League side Heanor Town looks quite a player and in addition Alfeton withstood the interest from Lincoln to hold on to the services of star man Dan Bradley. And although of course its still early doors yet I think our performances against Sheff Wednesday and Rotherham have been fantastic and fully confirm our position as second favourites for promotion according to many bookies.

My personal expectations were for a solid top 10 finish with a late but unsuccessful push for a play-off spot but Id say on current evidence I would be disappointed to miss out on the play-offs.

How is your pre-season going so far, what was your reaction to the announcement of the planned friendlies and which of them stood out for you?

Well I am sure your readers will be glad to hear that our friendly really stood out for me as I have a soft spot for the club as my Grandad was a supporter and for the sheer history and tradition that surround the club. It was gut wrenching when just a few hours after our relegation was confirmed I heard a similar fate had befallen Notts.

Pre season couldn't really have gone any for us so far.

We followed up 4-1 success away at Buxton with a credible 1-1 draw at home to Sheff Wed and an excellent 3-2 triumph over a very strong Rotherham squad on Tuesday evening.

The news signings have began to gel extremely quickly and showed more passion and desire in the first half v Sheff Wed than for the whole of last season. Makes you wonder what could have been!

Can we have your score and scorer predictions?

Alfreton Town 2 (Joe Ironside and Sam Jones) Notts County 2 (John Stead and De Silva)

Who are the players which Notts should be wary of and what formation do you see Alfreton selecting on Saturday?

Dan Bradley. A pace winger and competitive midfielder with a good box of tricks who has a good turn of pace and is not shy to take someone on. Should be at least National League level and even League 2.

John Johnstone Signed from Crewe on a 18 month deal last summer he has become a firm fans favourite. Another winger with good skills and a mean shot. Caused Rotherham problems all night on Tuesday

Have you been following any of the Notts news? What do you think the squad we are assembling and what do you think of our chances of regaining promotion back to League One?

From what I heard at the back end of last season Moniz got you playing some good football and had you appointed him just a few weeks earlier the outcome may have been different. But all in your signings have impressed me. I think John Stead is a excellent acquisition. Id say you look good for a play-off position but need more fire-power up front to push for an automatic spot. I have to say League 2 looks the strongest its been for a while so you will face tough opposition but I think you will bounce back at the first attempt.

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Reds fan DarkSithLord for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish Alfreton Town all the very best for a successful 2015/16 season campaign.