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Joe Jones
The start of the new EFL season is but a few days away - 72 teams playing 46 fixtures each in the Championship, League One and League Two, plus a load of cup games to boot. It'll be a slog, a marathon, and all sorts of emotions will be flying round the country as some teams hit the jackpot and others hit the mud.
In this piece, Pride of Nottingham gives its predictions on who is expected to impress in League Two, from the automatic promotion candidates to the playoff hopefuls, as well as those who are expected to have a tough time staying in the Football League. And of course, looking at where Notts County will be expected to rank among the 24 teams come may.
Promotion candidates
Luton Town
Luton Town lost in last season’s playoff semi-finals, but should challenge again under the management of Nathan Jones. Alongside Mansfield, the Hatters have one of the highest budgets in the division, and although they lost Cameron McGeehan and Jack Marriott in the summer, they have made a number of impressive signings, including Alan McCormack from Brentford and 22-goal striker James Collins from Crawley Town.
Mansfield Town
The Stags finished last season just four points behind the playoffs, but over the summer, owner John Radford has financially backed manager Steve Evans to the hilt, leading to more than a dozen additions, many of these high-quality, alongside an already talented squad. And with Evans already boasting seven promotions on his CV and determined to make it eight, it is no surprise many are tipping the Stags to go up (but as a Notts fan, I hope they don't!).
Coventry City
Relegation was a bitter pill to swallow for Sky Blues fans last season, but manager Mark Robins gave the club a much-needed boost with an upturn in performance and results. In addition, a number of quality signings have arrived at the Ricoh Arena, including Michael Doyle from Portsmouth, Liam Kelly from Leyton Orient, Mark McNulty from Sheffield United and Peter Vincenti from Rochdale.
Playoff hopefuls
Crewe Alexandra
The Railwaymen have been on a downward trajectory for a number of years now, culminating in a woeful 17th-placed finish in League Two last season, but this time round, Steve Davis is gone and David Artell will be able to stamp his mark on the team. With the impressive Chris Porter up front and a host of other quality players, Crewe could well mount a playoff tilt.
Cambridge United
Former Notts County manager Shaun Derry is building an impressive side at the Abbey Stadium.  The U's had one of the league’s standout performers in goalscoring midfielder Luke Berry last season and have strengthened by recruiting Jabo Ibehre from Carlisle United. They finished four points shy of seventh last season and have strengthened at the back with the goalkeeper David Forde, a big influence at Portsmouth last season.
Swindon Town
Following relegation to League Two, the Robins will be hoping to find more stability this season with the departure of director of football Tim Sherwood that many fans were eager to see. With a proven manager in David Flitcroft at the helm and a good squad which includes Chris Robertson and James Dunne, Swindon will probably fall short of automatic promotion but should be in the hunt for a playoff berth.
Stevenage
Stevenage made huge strides in Darren Sarll’s first full season at the helm and looked like genuine contenders for automatic promotion as they claimed ten wins from 13 matches, but limped over the line with two wins from their final six games. Sarll will want to make amends this time round and, with the additions of Blair Turgott, Danny Newton and Joe Martin, the team is a stronger proposition this time round.
Notts County
Perhaps a little biased given this is a Notts fan site, but I honestly believe the Magpies will be pushing for a playoff position. Although the latest batch of signings may be somewhat underwhelming, let's not forget what preceded it - all the key players from last season renewing their contracts, some shrewd acquisitions which have strengthened most of the outfield areas, and of course the return of Jorge Grant. I'm a little skeptical about the goalkeepers, but I'm hoping Ross Fitzsimons and Branislav Pindroch will surprise me. With stability behind the scenes and a quality manager in Kevin Nolan, it bodes well.
Potential Strugglers
Newport County
Last season, Newport were a dead club walking, only to pull off one of the greatest escapes in modern football. However, the reality is that they have one of the smallest budgets in the division and lost several key players over the summer, including Mark Randall, Ryan Bird and Mitch Rose, to leave them with a playing squad of just 19. They've pretty much been the Sunderland of League Two, and I think they will finally give in this year.
Crawley Town
The Red Devils have a real fight on their hands beating the drop again. New manager Harry Kewell is inexperienced - his first managerial job in senior football, in fact - while highly-rated striker James Collins has moved to Luton, with no adequate replacement having yet been recruited, and their back line let in 71 goals last season, so it's difficult to see them do anything but struggle this year.
Yeovil Town
The Glovers have dropped down two divisions and finishing in the bottom six of the basement for the past two seasons. Last season they won just three out of their last 27 games, and although manager Darren Way has not been shy in the transfer market, few of them are particularly impressive and it is hard to see where goals will come from, while at the back, Alex Lacey's departure will be difficult to replace.
Morecambe
Off the field problems and the loss of Ryan Edwards at the back and Paul Mullin up front will likely make it a hard fight for survival this season for the Shrimps. Their budget remains one of the lowest in the division which means recruitment will not bring in any exceptional players, so once again, it is difficult to see the Globe Arena side offer anything more than a battle to stay in the Football League.
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Joe Jones
New Notts County signing Nicky Hunt has expressed his delight at linking up with former teammate Kevin Nolan at Meadow Lane.
The veteran defender, most recently on the books at Leyton Orient - where he played under Nolan - played alongside him at Bolton Wanderers and signed for Notts on Tuesday alongside young midfielder Elliot Hodge.
Hunt told the official club site: "I'm delighted to sign here. It's a great club and I'm looking forward to the challenge ahead.
"When Kev gives you a ring you know what he's all about and it's fantastic for me to join up with him again.
"I've known him since I was 17 and he's a good friend of mine. His work ethic's tremendous, which is key to success especially in the lower leagues.
"There's a great group here with a mixture of experienced and young lads. I've been very impressed with the players that are here."
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Joe Jones
Notts County have completed the signing of veteran defender Nicky Hunt.
Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play.
Full name: Nicholas Brett Hunt
Date of birth: September 3, 1983
Place of birth: Westhoughton
Age: 33
Height: 1,85m
Nationality: English
Position: Defender
Preferred foot: Right
Last club: Leyton Orient
Came through the ranks at: Bolton Wanderers
Other clubs he has played for: Birmingham City, Derby County, Bristol City, Preston North End, Rotherham United, Accrington Stanley, Mansfield Town
Credentials: "The thing is with Nicky, he can play right-back, centre-back or left-back and will just fit in. It’s such a great asset to have. He’s got a calming influence on the pitch and off it. Got a lot of experience and is really good around the place, so will help a number of the young lads who have come through, with the standards he sets." - Kevin Nolan
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Joe Jones
Notts County have completed the signing of midfielder Elliot Hodge following a successful trial with the Magpies.
Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play.
Full name: Elliot Hodge
Date of birth: December 23, 1995
Place of birth: Unknown
Age: 21
Height: Unknown
Nationality: English
Position: Midfielder
Preferred foot: Right
Last club: Lincoln City
Came through the ranks at: Notts County
Other clubs he has played for: Stamford, Gainsborough Trinity, Stafford Rangers, Telford United
Credentials: "My best quality is probably my pace. I'm a winger, so I like to go out wide and find myself in one on one situations against the defender, I feel that's where I'm most comfortable. I'm more than happy doing the dog work, but the situation where I'm best is on the wing, attacking and being direct." - the player himself.
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Joe Jones
Notts County have completed the double signing of midfielder Elliot Hodge and defender Nicky Hunt.
Hodge, 21, is the son of former Nottingham Forest and England midfielder Steve Hodge, and previously spent time as an apprentice at Meadow Lane.
Hunt, meanwhile, was signed by Kevin Nolan during his spell in charge at Leyton Orient and the pair were also teammates at Bolton Wanderers early on in their careers.
Speaking about Hodge, Nolan told the Nottingham Post: “Everyone who has spoken to me about Elliott has been asking when we’re going to sign him.
"We had an agreement with his agent about him coming in and spending a good pre-season with us.
“We wanted to get to know him as a lad, as someone who has previously been here. It was about really getting to know him.
“We’ve seen him in different games against different kinds of opposition. When you see players who are direct and quick, people love to see that. They get fans off their feet.
“Ells has been great but the first thing about him is his attitude is first class.”
Meanwhile, Nolan said the following about Hunt: “I’ve spent a lot of time with Nick. He’s a quality pro and was out of contract.
“I get on really well with him and he just brings quality to what is already a good squad which is growing.
“He’s got a lot of experience and is really good around the place, so will help a number of the young lads who have come through, with the standards he sets.
“He’ll fight Matt Tootle all the way for his position. That’s what we want, we want competition for every position – and I feel we’re getting there now.”
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Joe Jones
On Monday, Notts County announced three new signings in one go, recruiting goalkeeper Branislav Pindroch, defender Pierce Bird and striker Callum Saunders.
Here is what the players themselves have said about their move to Meadow Lane, as well as some thoughts by Magpies manager Kevin Nolan.
Branislav Pindroch
His thoughts
"I am very happy. This is a big opportunity for me and I can't wait to be out there on the pitch.
"Kevin Nolan is a big name. I am happy to be able to meet him and work for him."
Nolan's thoughts
"Mark Crossley had a tip-off about Branislav from one of his contacts so we had a good look at footage of him before bringing him in.
"We think he's going to be another good addition. He has demonstrated a first-class attitude and has all the attributes.
"We have two goalkeepers in now to push Adam Collin for the starting jersey because they all want to be number one.
"It will be an interesting battle over the course of the season."
Pierce Bird
His thoughts
"I was working as a civil engineer but this was an opportunity I could not turn down. My manager is a football fan and was very supportive of me following my dream.
"It's a big jump and the quality is completely different to what I'm used to but I feel I have settled in well and performed on the training ground.
"I never thought this would happen but I am glad it's sorted now. The club is moving forward and it's good to be part of it.
"The manager has told me to keep working as hard as I can to show what I've got."
Nolan's thoughts
"Pierce is a great kid and we are absolutely delighted to have him here.
"There is nobody more deserving of a contract - he has been fantastic since he walked through the door.
"We played against him in a friendly at the back end of last season and were really impressed so we told him to go away over the summer and work on a few things, which he did.
"I think he's lost more than a stone in the space of two months and he has a real desire to be a footballer.
"Hopefully we can continue to improve him. He is another one who we feel can get better the longer he is with us.
"He took a real punt coming to us because he was told his scholarship as a civil engineer would no longer be there for him if he came on trial with us for four or five weeks,.
"We spoke to his parents, who have been great, and thankfully it has paid off for him."
Callum Saunders
His thoughts
"I'm delighted to be here. I came in on trial initially but luckily the gaffer has taken a chance on me and hopefully I can replay him.
"I like to run in behind defenders, stretch teams and run the channels. We have a couple of targetmen so hopefully I can bring something a bit different.
"There is a good, experienced squad here and I think we have a good chance of going up.
"I have spoken to Shola [Ameobi], Jon [Stead] and Alan [Smith] because there is nobody better for me to learn from than them.
"The gaffer was a poacher too and I like to think of myself as one so hopefully I can pick up a few things from him."
Nolan's thoughts
"He plays off the shoulder, runs in behind and does all of the ugly stuff well, like closing down and running the channels.
"We are pleased to have him here. I have spoken to his dad, Dean, a lot and he said Callum just needs a chance.
"You know he will not go home and be told the wrong things. He will have good influences around him - his dad knows what it takes to be a professional.
"I don't think there are many better players for a young lad to learn from than Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi.
"Their influence can only be positive for him and he needs to make sure he gets his head down and works hard. He will get opportunities - it's about taking them now."
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Joe Jones
Notts County have completed the signing of striker Callum Saunders following a successful trial with the Magpies.
Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play.
Full name: Callum Luke Saunders
Date of birth: September 26, 1995
Place of birth: Istanbul, Turkey
Age: 21
Height: 1,78 m
Nationality: English
Position: Striker
Preferred foot: Right
Last club: Crewe Alexandra
Came through the ranks at: Crewe
Other clubs he has played for: None
Credentials: "He plays off the shoulder, runs in behind and does all of the ugly stuff well, like closing down and running the channels." - Kevin Nolan
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Joe Jones
Notts County have completed the signing of Slovakian goalkeeper Branislav Pindroch following a successful trial with the Magpies.
Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play.
Full name: Branislav Pindroch
Date of birth: October 30, 1991
Place of birth: Banska Bystrica, Czechoslovakia
Age: 25
Height: 1,94 m
Nationality: Slovakian
Position: Goalkeeper
Preferred foot: Unknown
Last club: MFK Karvina
Came through the ranks at: FK Dukla Banska Bystrica
Other clubs he has played for: None
Credentials: "He has demonstrated a first-class attitude and has all the attributes... which will only be helped by Mark [Crossley's] tutelage." - Kevin Nolan
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Joe Jones
Notts County have announced three signings in one fell swoop on Monday evening with Branislav Pindroch, Pierce Bird and Callum Saunders all putting pen to paper on deals at Meadow Lane.
Pindroch is the first Slovakian to be on the books at Notts - born in the central city of Banska Bystrica, the 25-year-old came through the ranks at FK Dukla Banska Bystrica before joining Czech club MFK Karvina in 2013.
The goalkeeper had been on trial with the Magpies and came off the bench during the recent friendly against Nottingham Forest.
Defender Bird, meanwhile, had also tried out for Notts and scored the winning goal in the victory at York City last weekend, the 18-year-old working as a civil engineer in a factory before penning a deal at Meadow Lane.
Striker Saunders, the son of former Liverpool striker Dean, has also been on trial with the club and scored in the friendly victory over Alfreton Town.
The 21-year-old came through the academy system at Crewe Alexandra, scoring twice in 35 appearances for the Railwaymen before being released at the end of the 2016-17 season.
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Joe Jones
New Notts County midfielder Liam Walker has praised the club setup, describing the way it works as "top class".
The 29-year-old, a Gibraltar international, signed a contract at Meadow Lane last week after having impressed during friendlies against Nottingham Forest and Wigan Athletic.
Walker has also hailed the methods of Notts manager Kevin Nolan and thanked his new teammates for having welcomed him warmly to the club.
"Ever since I walked into the club it seemed the way it works is top class," Walker, who has also played for Portsmouth, told the Nottingham Post.
"I really like the way the gaffer operates in training. He talks to the players and tries to get the best out of everyone.
"I've been really happy since day one and I'd like to thank the lads for welcoming me.
"Once the deal was sorted I went straight back home, grabbed my gear and headed back over for the long term. I'm buzzing."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has revealed that he will continue to assess Sheffield United striker Jake Wright, depending on what the diagnosis is on a potential hand injury.
The 20-year-old, who shares the same name as the seasoned defender at Bramall Lane, played in the 1-1 draw with Carlton Town, but was taken off in the second half after an awkward landing.
“Mark Crossley has a good link with the Sheffield clubs so we had (Wright) over with us for the last week,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
“Unfortunately he took a bad knock to his hand so we had to send him for an X-ray.
“But I’ve been delighted with what I’ve seen from him. He’s a great lad and he’s eager to impress, perhaps a bit too much at times. That’s because he’s just trying to standout.
"We will wait to see what the medical staff say about his hand. But we are hoping to keep him for another week.
"Sheffield United have been great with us. If it comes off then great. Hopefully his hand is just bruising.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County manager Kevin Nolan and assistant Richard Thomas have given their reaction to the pre-season friendlies against Carlton Town and York City.
In the local friendly, overseen by Nolan, the hosts took a first-half lead through Robbie McNicholas but Jon Stead equalised from the penalty spot.
At Bootham Crescent, meanwhile, Pierce Bird struck late on to give the Thomas's Magpies squad the win after Liam Walker and Jon Parkin had the game on a knife edge.
Nolan told the official website: "All in all I am delighted to have got another 90 minutes into the lads' legs because they needed it. It was a good test for us.
"Fair play to Carlton. They have a set of principles and they stick to them. They are well-disciplined and were well worthy of what they got from the game.
"When we started doing the basic stuff right it made us look a lot more dangerous and we probably should have had another penalty.
"It's put a lot of thoughts into my head which we can work on during the next week to make sure we are ready and raring to go at Coventry."
Thomas, meanwhile, said: "The lads showed great character to respond with a goal - a fantastic goal as well after a great delivery from Liam Walker.
"It shows we've got good grit and determination - we'll go for the entire game and we're not going to give up. I'm sure that will help us be successful over the course of the season.
"It was a very good workout against stiff oppostion and we created so many opportunities.
"We've still got to work on certain aspects and that will continue right through the season. That's the way the manager and I are - we're always going to strive for improvement."
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Joe Jones
Much is being made recently of the Jamie Vardy phenomenon, that is looking at the non-league for players who are late bloomers and may just have what it takes to flourish at the top, but really it's something that has been going on for years and years.
Take Andy Legg, for example. Born in Neath on 28 July 1966, he did not join the professional ranks until 1988, at the age of 22.
As a teenager, Legg attended Glan Afan Comprehensive School in Port Talbot. After he left, he worked for the Forestry Commission and later took on a job as a supervisor in a shelving systems factory.
Rather than go through the academy system, Legg played football for local youth side Baglan Boys Club, where his father was manager. He then joined Welsh League side Briton Ferry Athletic, where he attracted attention from several Football League clubs.
Legg first joined Middlesbrough on trial, playing up front alongside Bernie Slaven for the club's reserve side. However, manager Bruce Rioch was unhappy with Legg's hair, describing him as "too scruffy", and told him to cut his hair or to not come back. He chose the latter.
He was instead offered a trial at Manchester City and played for the reserve side, again as a forward, before being asked to return at the start of the following season for pre-season training in order for manager Mel Machin to assess him.
After returning from Manchester, Legg was offered a trial with hometown club Swansea City, playing in a reserve fixture against Cardiff City and, in August 1988, was offered a professional contract by manager Terry Yorath.
A stress fracture of his leg meant he was forced to wait for his professional debut, eventually making his first appearance in a 2–0 defeat to Bristol City.
Legg went on to make 163 appearances for the Swans and helped the club win the Welsh Cup in 1989 and 1991 as well as featuring in the team's European Cup Winners' Cup campaigns, playing against Panathinaikos and AS Monaco.
In July 1993, he was sold to Notts County for a fee of £275,000, and he soon became a fan favourite at Meadow Lane.
Legg was very hard working, pacey and gifted with good acceleration, as well as being very skillful, with a good set piece and eye for goal.He was versatile in the way he played, being able to pick up the ball and direct the tempo.
What really made Legg world-famous (literally) was his long throw, which made Rory Delap's missiles seem wimpy in comparison. He could regularly throw the ball over 30m and once held the world record with a distance of 44.6m!
He was at Meadow Lane until 1996, during which he helped the club win the Anglo-Italian Cup, in 1994-95, and made 89 appearances in total, scoring nine goals.
Along with Paul Devlin, Legg was sold to Birmingham City in February 1996, remaining there until 1998, and during this time he won the first of six caps for Wales, on 24 April 1996 in a defeat to Switzerland.
A short spell at Reading followed, before he found the club where he would tally up the most appearances, Cardiff City. He joined in 1998 and stayed there until 2003, making 175 appearances and scoring 12 times.
Legg's time at Ninian Park saw him initially hated by fans, due to his previous spell at Swansea, but he soon won them over, winning the club's player of the season award in 1999/00 and 2000/01.
During this time, in 1999, his wife Lucy noticed a lump on his neck which was later diagnosed as a non-malignant tumour, which he had removed at the end of the season.
Later on in Legg's life, the health issue arose again when at Peterborough United, a second lump appearing in his throat in 2005.
This time, it was more serious, and though he initially decided to wait again until the end of the season, he was hit in the neck by an elbow from Neil Kilkenny and it began causing him pain for the first time, so he booked himself in for the operation in April 2005.
The operation to remove it was successful, although he was forced to undergo a 28-session course of radiation therapy, and Legg was able to return to football, despite having believed that he would be forced to retire.
Since then, Legg plied his trade in Wales as player, manager, or both - save for a season at Hucknall Town in 2006/07 - until 2012, when he hung up his boots and worked exclusively as a manager, though he has often returned to Nottingham to play in charity games.
The next stage of Legg's career began on 6 July 2017, when he rejoined Cardiff City as part of their Under-23s lead coaching staff.
A legend for two rival clubs and in the English Midlands, Andy Legg will always be welcome back at Meadow Lane.
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Joe Jones
So it's been six months since Alan Hardy took over Notts County, and even the most cynical Notts fan out there (I'm up there so I know what I'm talking about) cannot deny that the club is now in a pretty healthy state of affairs.
The four-year period between early 2013 and early 2017, when the club deteriorated to the point it was looking like a possibility that we would be following the Magpies in the conference, or in the ninth tier as a phoenix club, is now pretty much a memory which can thankfully be reminisced - if the will is there, not that anyone would really want to - as "the bad old days".
I mean, we've gone from moaning about consecutive defeats, possible relegation and whether we would have a club to support next season, to moaning that Alan Hardy's social media manner is a little bit unpolished. Talk about luxury!
Seriously though, along the last six months there have been things that I may have somewhat been less than impressed about, but in hindsight it turns out he was right.
So as a recap, let's have a look at the key things Alan Hardy has done and overseen as Notts owner.
- Bought the club and settled the various debts, saving the club from administration and possible liquidation
- Brought in Kevin Nolan, a relatively unproven manager who has been a sensation at Meadow Lane and has the potential of becoming one of the club's great gaffers
- Invested in new training facilities and a new pitch
- Developed a good working partnership with Nottingham Forest, which is handy to have (I'll still insult their fans though and I expect them to do the same to me)
- Established the club as a great place for young academy players to come on loan
- Pulled off some good transfer moves, not least the loan return of Jorge Grant, plus the retaining of the likes of Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi, who could very much still do a job in the Championship / League One, truth be told!
- Made Meadow Lane a fun, enjoyable place to come and visit again
Now, the one notable thing I haven't yet mentioned is the one that I personally had issues with at the beginning, and that was the folding of Notts County Ladies.
Yes, it was a massive shame to see the Lady Pies - the only Notts team to get to Wembley this century - cease to be, and I was even more gutted for the players to all of a sudden be out of work.
But the sad thing about business is that it isn't always rosy, and difficult decisions have to be made from time to time. And the truth is, Notts Ladies were simply unsustainable in their current form and there just wasn't enough interest in them besides a hardcore niche of followers.
It fell to Hardy to have to make such a decision in the interests of the club as a whole, and he's gone on record multiple times to express how heavy-hearted the decision was, and also that several aspects of the decision were made in the best interests of the players - folding before the start of the season to ensure none of them would be cup tied and not allowed to sign for any clubs, for example.
However, Hardy's interest in the women's game remains, and his subsequent setting up of a Notts girls' team for young age groups with a view to developing from the ground up is a definite sign of intent to do it the right way.
So, all in all, I would say Hardy's first six months at the club have been nothing short of a resounding success.
Most of his critics - and you can't blame there being critics, bearing in mind how poorly the club has been run at multiple times in its recent history, hence the skepticism - have been silenced, either via him toning it down on Twitter or through a number of signings which have led to people saying "ok, fair play", or whatever else.
So with the new season just days away, I am as optimistic as I have ever been as a Notts fan, and let's hope that, over the next nine months, the pressure and nerves are at the right end of the table, and off the pitch, it's so calm that we can afford to moan about the queues at the bar or the beer not being cold enough!
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Joe Jones
To Notts County fans, Lee Hughes needs no introduction. The last of the truly great Magpies strikers, his performances lit up the Meadow Lane pitch between 2009 and 2013, and to this day he remains a fan favourite.
Hughes has just as much love for the Black and White Army, which is why he has decided to launch his new business venture at an event at the club, surrounded by the faithful Magpies supporters.
The event will take place at Meadow Lane on Wednesday 2 August, 7pm, and is free to all attendees, who will be able to meet Hughes and chat to him about his time sporting the black and white stripes.
In addition to meeting Hughes, you will get to find out about the nutrition, health and beauty product line that he has partnered with and uses daily to help prolong his playing career and improve his health.
You will also learn about how you too can join one of the fastest growing companies worldwide and work alongside Hughes as part of his team.
Hughes, now at Worcester City, says: "I am thrilled to have found these amazing optimal health and lifestyle products to use for myself and my family.

"They are helping maintain and improve my health as I enter another season playing and scoring goals at 41.
"I wanted to launch at Notts County as my relationship with the fans is unbelievable and I have fantastic memories of the club and the success we experienced together."
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Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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