Jump to content

Articles

Our website articles
Show all categories

Stat Attack: Notts County vs. Newport County

Notts County and Newport County have met a total of 44 times over the years, the first fixture coming in 1930, which the Magpies won 3-2, and the last previous game taking place in 1987, a 5-2 win for Notts.
The head-to-head record is skewed in the Magpies’ favour, with 23 wins, 9 draws and 12 defeats.
Notts’s record league win is against Newport – an 11-1 victory! We have also beaten them 5-0, 6-2, 7-0, 6-0 and 8-1 over the years. A similar win would be nice on Saturday!
Newport County, originally nicknamed "The Ironsides" due to Newport being home to Lysaght's Orb Works steel works, started out in the Southern League in 1912 at Somerton Park.
The official name of the club was The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club, although the shorter Newport County was soon adopted. 
The club were reformed in 1919 and were first elected to the Football League in 1920.
Newport County were Welsh Cup winners in 1980 and subsequently reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1981. 
The club was relegated from the Football League in 1988 and went out of business in February 1989, but reformed shortly afterwards and entered the English football league system at a much lower level. In 2013 the club then won promotion back to the Football League for the first time since 1988.
In the 1970s and 1980s comedian Frank Carson was appointed as a Director and Vice President in order to raise the profile of the club.
Newport based rappers Goldie Lookin' Chain are also supporters of the club and were the team's shirt sponsors for the 2004–05 season FAW Premier Cup matches.
-
Stanley Aborah and Jon Stead are injury concerns for Notts ahead of the visit of Newport.
Aborah has a knee problem and has undergone a scan and Ricardo Moniz will give the midfielder as long as possible to prove his fitness.
Striker Stead is nursing a muscle injury but Moniz is hopeful he will still be involved on Saturday.
Elsewhere, winger Julian Jenner returns to the reckoning after serving a three-match suspension.
Newport's on-loan defender Scot Bennett is unable to play against his parent club ahead of his return to Meadow Lane on January 2.
Bennett has played a big part in the Exiles' 10-match unbeaten run under new manager John Sheridan since joining from Notts in October.
Oliver McBurnie, who scored a 23-minute hat-trick on his debut against Luton Town, is set to start after missing last weekend's FA Cup victory at Barnet as his parent club Swansea City did not want him cup-tied.
Fellow striker Zak Ansah is likely to be on the bench when he is involved for the final time before returning to Charlton Athletic at the end of his 93-day loan spell.
Joe Jones

Thierry Audel: Notts County are more comfortable following rest

Notts County defender Thierry Audel has expressed his eagerness to put the result at Cambridge United behind him and move forward, adding that he and his teammates are more comfortable than they were following their two-week break.

The Magpies welcome Newport County to Meadow Lane on Saturday, the hosts’ first game since the 3-1 defeat against Shaun Derry’s new side on 28 November.

Audel told reporters: “We’ve been working really hard this past week. When there is a break you have to rest, but also you have to communicate with the other players so you can come back better after the break."

“We have to put Cambridge behind because that’s football. Whether you win a game or lose a game, you have to move forward."

“We don’t have the results that we want, but it’s midway through the season, we have lot of games coming, and all of us as players feel more comfortable now – but we need to get results."

“We’re still working on it, I’m sure we will do well as we have a lot of good players in every position and we believe we have the ability to do it now.”

Notts currently sit 16th in League Two, seven points off the playoffs.
Joe Jones

Ricardo Moniz provides updates on Stanley Aborah and Jon Stead

Ricardo Moniz still doesn't know how long it will be before Stanley Aborah will be available for selection, The midfielder limped off and was replaced during Notts 4-2 victory against Barnet. The summer signing has made 20 appearances for the Magpies, scoring one goal, and has been one of Notts more consistent players.

Stanley had another scan last week and, speaking to local media, Moniz said he was constantly being monitored and assessed.

“It's day to day with Stanley at the moment,” he said

“Obviously it was a very bad challenge which put him out of the game, but I cannot say how long he will be out for.”

“He is constantly being monitored because obviously he is an important player for us”.

“We want to make sure he is right.”

Jon Stead, who missed Notts defeat by Cambridge, is also in the treatment room recovering from a muscle tear.

Although Stead is making progress, Moniz couldn't say when the striker would be fit to return to League Two action.

“He has a good chance and that is all I can say,” he said.

“He has been working with John (Wilson) the physio.”

“We will have to wait and see how he is.”

“At the moment though a date can't be put on his return. We will have to wait and see how he is.”
To discuss Stanley Aborah's injury visit here or alternatively join our 'Match Discussion'.
super_ram

Ricardo Moniz: 'We must train like every day is our last'

Notts County manager Ricardo Moniz has urged his team to train like ‘every day is their last’ in a bid to improve their form away from home in League Two.

The Magpies’ record at Meadow Lane is impressive enough, with six wins and a draw out of 10 games, but on the road it’s a completely different story, with just one win out of nine.

Moniz told local media on Thursday: "We didn't win too many home games last season, but this season we have tried to excite the crowd."

"We have only lost three at home in the league and okay against Northampton we didn't have enough."

"We played very well against Plymouth but lost, and against Mansfield we lost too which was deserved."

"The rest of the games we have dominated, but of course it is away from home we need to improve."

"Sometimes we have a lack of confidence to go and make the 2-0 like Thierry (Audel) at Cambridge for example."

"(Izale) McLeod can make the 2-0 at Wimbledon, but we are not confident enough in our own strength."

"But it is a process you cannot implement in three months. What we can do and what we must do is train every day like it is your last."

"And of course we confront each other on the inside, it is sharp and nobody must underestimate that. I must give confidence to people who don't have it."

"I see in a game who wants the ball and who doesn't, who wants to press his opponent for 90 minutes and who doesn't."

"A lot of time it is to do with a lack of physical power. In League Two, when a defender is under pressure I believe he will panic."

"We are okay at home, but for Cambridge for example, we refused to keep the ball. That is what we must improve."

Notts welcome Newport County to the Lane on Saturday.
Discuss what's happening in and around Notts within our community forum - Here.
Joe Jones

Jordan Richards hopes to return to Boston United

Jordan Richards has returned to Notts as his successful three month loan spell with Boston United has come to an end. Loan rules prevented an extension to the original loan deal but he will be eligible to resume in January, which is what he would like if Ricardo Moniz has no plans for him at Notts. Jordan believes his own interests would be best served by returning to Boston in the new year.

Referring to Boston United Jordan said "I'd love to come back, particularly if I'm not going to get a look in at Notts."

"In that case, I would be better off enjoying my football out on loan."

Boston manager Dennis Greene has turned to former Derby County youngster Mo Adams to fill the gap left by Richards departure as he fulfils a similar holding midfield role. However Greene would still like to bring Richards back after Christmas.

"I really hope so and we're working on it," said Greene.

"I don't think he can come back until January, but we're certainly working on it."
super_ram

Leanne Crichton puts pen to paper on contract extension

Notts ladies and Scottish International Leanne Crichton has extended her stay at Meadow Lane.
The central midfielder has put pen-to-paper on a new one-year deal with the magpies and is pleased with her personal contributions throughout her first season at Notts, whilst hoping to help the club further by achieving silverware next season.

She said “Last year was good year for us, but it’s now time to build on the success of last season and bring silverware back to Meadow Lane”.

“I am delighted to be extending my contact for another year, the club has been everything and more than what I expected and the fans were a huge reason behind my decision to stay.”
The lady pie has been key in Notts ladies team, with manager Rick Passmoor selecting her for all but two games last season. She played a key role in helping Notts reach the women’s F.A Cup final and the Continental Tyres Cup Final.

Leanne grew up playing football for her hometown club Glasgow City, before moving onto fellow Glaswegian side Celetic and Scottish side Hibernian but later re-signed for her hometown club Glasgow City where she reached the Champions League.

She has since settled within Nottingham and has committed another season to the lady pies, after signing the new one-year deal with Notts County. At the start of the 2015 season, she became a professional footballer by making the move to Notts.
Discuss what's happening in and around Notts within our community forum - Here.
Chris

Away Day Travel: Carlisle United

Fans who are preparing to travel to the Carlisle game are advised to pick up their travel and tickets beforehand. The game will be taking place at Deepdale Stadium (Preston), with the match moved due to the flooding experienced at Carlisle.

If you are planning to travel via coach, we have listed all the current options known to us below.

Notts County have been allocated 300 tickets, for all information leading to up-to the away day, you will find within this article.

Match Tickets are priced at:

£15.00 - Adults
£10.00 - Seniors (65 years and above)
£10.00 - Young Person (17-21 years of age)
£5.00 - Under 16

*must be purchased with an adult or senior ticket.

Supporters Club travel is as follows:

Coach leaves at: Saturday 19th December at 10am
Adults: £20
Under 16’s: £14
Under 11’s: One FREE with each paying adult.

To book your seat, please contact: 07946021408
Official travel is as follows:

Coach leaves at: Saturday 19th December at 9:30am
Adults: £21
Under 18’s: £10.50

For more information please visit the OS website - Here

Pride of Nottingham wishes all Notts safe travelling and for the black & white army to spur our lads onto victory. C’mon You Pies!!!
Chris

League Two News - Football League chairman to stand down

Football League chairman Greg Clarke has announced he will stand down from his post at the end of the season.
The former Leicester City chairman, who was appointed in March 2010, will stay in the role until the league holds its annual general meeting on 10 June.
"I leave with the Football League in excellent health and with solid foundations in place," he said.
"Clubs are largely in better financial shape and there is a greater solidarity between our three divisions."
-
Portsmouth defender Matt Clarke says he is open to extending his stay at Fratton Park.
Clarke joined Pompey on loan from Championship side Ipswich Town in August.
The 19-year-old has made 16 appearances for the League Two side so far this season.
-
York City have released defender Keith Lowe by mutual consent.
The 30-year-old joined the Minstermen from Cheltenham in January 2014 after a loan spell.
He won the club's player of the year award last season but found himself out of favour after Jackie MacNamara took over from Russ Wilcox last month.
Lowe, who started his career with Wolves, made a total of 92 league appearances for the Bootham Crescent side.
-
Mansfield Town manager Adam Murray says defender Luke Jones will almost certainly have to retire because of an Achilles tendon injury.
Jones, 28, has not played for the Stags since rejoining them from Stevenage for a third spell in May 2014.
"He's had two years of hell. His main focus is being able to live day-to-day life as best he can," Murray told BBC Radio Nottingham.
"He still can't walk to 100% and we're gutted for him as a football club."
Jones made 25 league appearances in his first spell with the club before helping them to promotion back to the Football League in 2012-13, scoring eight goals in 33 league games.
-
Oxford United manager Michael Appleton has questioned why any of his key players would want to leave the League Two leaders.
Midfielders Kemar Roofe and Callum O'Dowda have excelled this term for the in-form U's.
Roofe, who has scored 12 goals this season, has been linked with a move to the Premier League.
"I think the most important thing for them to do at the minute is to do it here," Appleton told BBC Radio Oxford.
"Why would you want to go to a Championship club right now when the reality is you might be on the bench each Saturday?
"If there are big clubs monitoring Callum and Kemar, at the right time, they will make a serious offer."
-
Armand Gnanduillet's loan spell at Stevenage from Chesterfield has been extended until January.
The 24-year-old striker has scored twice in 10 appearances for the League Two side, helping Boro go unbeaten throughout November, a run of five matches.
Gnanduillet has had previous loan spells at Tranmere and Oxford since signing for Chesterfield in 2013.
Stevenage are currently 18th in League Two having won five league games from the 20 they have played this season.
Joe Jones

Newport County: Scouting Report

Newport County's disastrous start to the season is only just starting to see a new silver lining, with four draws and two wins under their belts within their last six league games – It’s not so easy to dismiss this struggling League Two team. Impressive victories have come against Bristol Rovers (4-1) and a 3-0 win over promotion favourites Luton Town.

The Monmouthshire (Wales) side are currently 21st with 19 points, seven away from the relegation zone and only six behind the Magpies.

Run-down of their last six games.

Saturday 21st October – Bristol Rovers 1 Newport County 4
Saturday 31st October – Newport County 2 Northampton Town 2
Saturday 14th November – Accrington Town 2 Newport County 2
Saturday 21st November – Newport County 0 Yeovil Town 0
Tuesday 24th November – Oxford United 1 Newport County 1
Saturday 28th November – Newport County 3 Luton Town 0

The Players – Fact Sheet

Highest Goal Scorers; Scott Boden 6, Lenell John-Lewis 5, Oliver McBurnie 3 and Scott Barrow 2.

Persistent Foulers; Danny Holmes 1 Red Card and 1 Yellow Card, Scott Barrow 4 Yellow Cards, Jazzi Barnum-Bobb 4 Yellow Cards and Matt Partridge 3 Yellow Cards.

The Key Players.

Front pair Scott Boden and Lenell John-Lewis are Newport County’s threats on goal, John-Lewis is one which particularly will require attention. The 5’11 striker can double up as Winger whereby his pace can be put to use.

On-loan Magpie Scott Bennett has also been performing well for the Exiles, with several calm performances being praised with local media.

Zak Ansah currently also on-loan from Championship side Charlton Athletic and is also a player the Notts defence must be aware of.

Style of Play, Strengths, and Weaknesses.

Newport County would be best described as a team which utilises their players as a tight unit, they attempt to suss out their opposition and are not afraid to be direct with their play. However, it’s neither patient or progression based with the tempo aimed to be kept high from the start to finish.

Their strengths are dynamic balls, which off load within deep dropping passes that allow for freely found movement.

As mentioned, they tend to break sides down by mixing their passes – yet frequently play long balls that are placed into no-man’s-land, solely aimed at causing pressure within their oppositions half. These balls are chased so that Newport can keep men behind, which allows them to sustain pressure as they attempt to break sides down.

Weaknesses are mainly the lack of commitment from their defence, as sides appear to be easily able to create chances and combined with stray passes, often as a direct result to them trying to gain ground by hitting long balls to anyone.

And yet, they do not look comfortable trying to sustain a steady flow of possession.

If Notts can dictate the tempo and pass the ball around whilst being careful not to allow the Exiles to keep the ball in the air, chances are likely to present themselves. The key thing I feel the Magpies must focus on is using their width, enabling bodies to be picked out for passes but we must attack directly to avoid being blocked off.
 
Chris

The Match Officials: Notts County v Newport County

The Magpies host travelling Newport County on Saturday 12th December, the visitors didn’t win their first game of the season until September 26th but will arrive at Meadow Lane not having lost in their last six games, having drawn four and won two.

The match officials for the game will be referee Darren Handley, assistants Darren Strain and Lloyd Wood, and fourth official Andrew Hendley.

Referee: Darren Handley
From: Lancashire

His matches involving Notts County within the last four seasons;

He hasn’t refereed a Notts game during this period.

Run down of his last three games:

League One – Saturday 31st October 2015 – Port Vale 2-0 Shrewsbury Town (6 yellow cards, no red)
Championship – Saturday 21st November 2015 – MK Dons 1-1 Fulham (2 yellow cards, no red)
League Two – Saturday 28th November 2015 – Leyton Orient 1-1 AFC Wimbledon (6 yellow cards, 1 red card)

In his last four games he has issued 14 yellow cards and only 1 red card.

So far this season in his total of fifteen games, he has shown fifty-seven yellow cards and three red cards - 3.8 yellow cards per game.

Assistant Referee: Darren Strain
From: Cheshire

Last three games:

League One – Tuesday 29th September 2015 – Burton Albion 0-0 Sheffield United
Championship – Saturday 21st November 2015 – Birmingham City 0-1 Charlton Athletic
League One – Saturday 28th November 2015 – Walsall 2-1 Bradford City

Assistant Referee: Lloyd Wood
From: Essex

Last three games:

League Two – Saturday 17th October 2015 – Crawley Town 2-1 Luton Town
League Two – Saturday 24th October 2015 – Wycombe Wanderers 1-1 Carlisle United
League Two – Tuesday 24th November 2015 – Portsmouth 6-0 York City

Fourth Official: Andrew Hendley
From: West Midlands
Chris

PON News: A vast revamp

As many of you have realised, the Pride of Nottingham website has undergone a vast revamp. Not only has the layout completely changed, but its functions have also been improved. In this article, site webmaster Notts Joe discusses the changes made to PON.

So when you click on the site, it looks completely different. Why did you change it?

With the original PON page, that was effectively the first site I created for the purpose of supporting Notts. The old site had things about it which frustrated me, both as a member and as a webmaster. So I decided that using available options to me, would improve things, whilst the experience for everyone overall would be far better. The expertise I gained within a number of few years is very useful when it comes to this. It’s built on the same foundations as the original site – things like a forum, articles and so on – but this is so much more up to date, functional, attractive and just more of a pleasure as both admin and user.

What exactly is new compared to the old site?

 The homepage is totally new, it's more modern and stylish. If you prefer a more tradition view of articles, it's covered by adding /home/ to the main domain and I like that. The community section is clearer, features are far more obvious and the design is completely new. There are several features, such as the way members can find our content which is completely new – like the activity stream which replaces our former 'live centre'.

How is it better for visitors and fans?

With the improvements, it allows PON to make use of even better web principles and in turn this allows me to not only speed our server up but it enables us to offer much more. Overall, it gives us the foundation to move forward and better serve the Notts fan base. And on a personal level, I just feel that how clean and tidy it looks is far better than the old site and, combined with the speed increase, it makes for a much better experience for users and visitors of the site.
Joe Jones

League Two Preview: 12/12/2015

Once again PoN looks to the weekend fixtures in another League Two preview. There are several stand out fixtures this week, with table toppers Oxford playing host to 6th placed Carlisle and 4th placed Accrington at home to 9th placed Wycombe. At the other end of the table, bottom club Yeovil are at home to 19th placed Barnet. Another interesting fixture is 5th placed Portsmouth playing 20th placed Hartlepool.

*Important game **Key Games

Saturday 12th December 2015
**Accrington Stanley v Wycombe Wanderers – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Wimbledon v Stevenage – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Bristol Rovers v York City – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
Crawley v Dagenham & Redbridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-1)
Luton v Northampton – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-2)
Mansfield v Leyton Orient – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)
Morecambe v Exeter – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-2)
Notts County v Newport – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-1)
*Oxford v Carlisle – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
Plymouth v Cambridge – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (3-0)
**Portsmouth v Hartlepool – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (2-0)
**Yeovil v Barnet – Kick Off 3:00pm – Score Prediction (1-0)

My Stand-out Games

Oxford v Carlisle
Accrington v Wycombe
Portsmouth v Hartlepool
Yeovil v Barnet

We are now approaching the busy festive season and halfway stage of the fixture list with the league table clearly showing the favourites for promotion and relegation.

Oxford, Plymouth and Northampton head the table, each with 40 points, while Yeovil are bottom with 11 points, below York at 23rd with 12 points and Dagenham at 22nd on 13 points.

Oxford will be hoping to consolidate their position at number one, while denting Carlisle's play-off hopes.

Plymouth and Northampton will hope to win against their mid table opposition.

Barnet will be aiming to put another nail in Yeovil's relegation coffin and at the same time distance themselves from the bottom places.

Halfway and 12th placed, Wimbledon have 28 points and are only 4 points off a play off place.

21st placed Newport have a 7 point cushion over 2nd bottom York and are on 19 points, which shows that there is still plenty of time for teams to make a significant move in any direction, up or down the table.

Thoughts on Notts County v Newport

This weeks matches sees Notts County at home to Newport, a match that should be an easy win for Notts and I've predicted a 3 -1 score (I hope I haven't jinxed the result).

The last time they played was 3/3/1987 and Notts won 5-2 at Meadow Lane.

The overall record between Notts and Newport is: Notts won 23, Newport won 12 and 9 Draws.
Discuss the Notts v Newport game within our community - Here.
super_ram

Match Report: Youth Team - Lincoln

The 'Top of the Table' young Magpies travelled to Lincoln this morning to take on a Lincoln City side who were 'breathing down their necks' being only a single point behind them in the table.

The game was played at Lincoln United's Ashby Avenue ground in a strong wind with an uneven playing surface.

Notts were without their usual two wide players through injury and illness and this affected their attacking play.  As always, they battled hard, but they struggled to get the ball down and get their usual passing game going and without their usual two wide men their attacking options were limited.

Half-time: Lincoln 0-0 Notts.  Defences on top as both sides struggled against the strong wind and a very uneven playing surface.

The second half continued as it had in the first with both sides battling against the conditions as much as against each other.  On 72 minutes the young 'Pies fell behind when a shot from the edge of the area found its way into the corner of the net.

For the rest of the game Notts tried to get back on level terms but just didn't have enough options going forward and the game ended in a 1-0 defeat for Notts.  Because of the conditions and the loss of a couple of players it was a below par performance for the young 'Pies who have ended the first half of the league season just a couple of points from the top of their league - so not a bad position to be in.

If you are not going to Wycombe on December 15th why not pop down to Meadow Lane to see the youngsters take on a Luton Town side, still undefeated after 21 games, in the FA Youth Cup.
Join our match discussion for the youth team - Here
shepshedpie

Adam Campbell: 'One away win could change everything'

Adam Campbell has claimed that just one away victory could change Notts County’s poor form on the road.
The Magpies succumbed to their fifth away defeat last Saturday when they were beaten 3-1 by Shaun Derry's Cambridge United – leaving them with a record of just one league win away from Meadow Lane.
Campbell said: "I can't put my finger on it at all. It's the million dollar question isn't? We are so good at home, yet away we are struggling.
"We thought we had turned the corner against Bristol Rovers where we ground out a good 0-0 draw. And then we went to Exeter, played really well and perhaps should have won the game given the chances we created. It looked then that we might have cracked it, but then came Salford and we know what happened there.
"It's so frustrating, but I genuinely think if we can get that first away victory then I think that could spark us off. The sooner we get it the better. Not just for the players, but the fans as well because they've been tremendous and have always travelled well.”
Joe Jones

Ricardo Moniz: Stick or twist?

Well we’re just over a third of the way into the season, and what looked to be a season full of promise most certainly has not lived up to expectations thus far.
We find ourselves lying 16th in the table following a series of poor displays interspersed with the off half-decent performance, which seems to suggest a rate of progress going along at one step forward followed by two steps back. And given the tools we have at our disposal and what we’re up against, that to me is totally unacceptable at this stage of the season.
Now of course, given that we had a relatively new manager, new coaching staff and about 30 new players it was always going to take some time to gel. Fine, I get that. But is there really a hint of progress being made? Personally I don’t think so. 
You only need to listen to Ricardo Moniz’s post-match interviews to see where I’m coming from. Particularly after away games, it’s pretty much the exact same interview on repeat. The same mistakes, the same problems. 
It does beg the question: what do we actually do on the training ground all week? Because learning from our mistakes certainly doesn’t appear to be one of them. So here we are, once again with a fan base (one which continues to dwindle at that) split on whether to stick or twist.
Let’s be honest, nobody was really all that surprised when Shaun Derry lost his job, but the appointment of Moniz certainly did raise a few eyebrows, and it always looked to be an appointment that would go one way or the other. It’s all well and good saying he had so much success abroad in Austria or Switzerland or wherever, but let’s be right; League Two is a completely different world. 
I felt at the time we needed someone who had been there, seen it, done it and got the t-shirt at this level. Funnily enough the last manager we appointed with that in mind did a fairly good job while he was here. Say what you want about Martin Allen and his off-field antics, but nobody can really deny that it has all been downhill since he went. 
I certainly feel that we have created a lot of our own problems by signing a quite outrageous number of players, again many of which are unproven at this level. And then the proven players we did sign we go and play out of position! 
Jon Stead – a 32-year-old centre forward is NOT suddenly going to become a winger overnight so why stick him there? We signed him to score goals to play him in a position where we can do just that! We have good wingers at the club who don’t get a game, where’s the logic in that?
Meanwhile we persist with playing a pensioner in midfield and leaving the young and hungry local boy Curtis Thomspon out of the fold, that despite his outstanding performances in the first few games of the season! I thought our whole philosophy under the last few managers was to blood these youngsters into first team regulars, yet all of a sudden we’d sooner stick a has-been in there? It doesn’t add up at all.
Oh, and then there’s the left back situation. Blair Adams was for me one of the better players last season. Granted that’s not saying a great deal considering the side he was in, but the decision to send him out on loan to one of our main rivals in this league is completely baffling. What does that leave us with? Well there’s Alan Sheehan, but seeing as none of the centre halves we have at the club are capable of carrying out even the most basic of defensive duties we have a left back and a fitness coach playing there, leaving us with Gill Swerts or Audel – neither of which are capable of blocking a cross.
And while I’m at it, whatever happened to Rob Milsom? Or Rhys Sharpe? Or Wes Atkinson? What was the point of them signings exactly? I mean Scot Bennett gave me hope I could still make it!
I could go on. I never like seeing any manager get the sack. The rate at which this club has gone through managers down the years is embarrassing, but I really do think it’s getting to the stage where Ricardo Moniz’s position is becoming untenable unless we can finally start a winning run, but there’s certainly no sign of that happening anytime soon.
I don’t think it’s all Moniz’s fault. The board of directors and the transfer committee need to look at themselves, because they’re all combining to drag this great club to an all-time low.  
The players certainly were not playing for Moniz at Salford, and the second half capitulation at Cambridge was a complete shambles – the likes of which we’ve seen all too regularly on the road. Gillingham, Morecambe, Wimbledon, Sheffield United to name but a few. 
I would love nothing more than for us to go on a winning run and turn this season around, but for now I’m firmly of the opinion that sadly, Moniz needs to go. I don’t see where progress is being made, and as it is this season is in severe danger of fizzling out into mid-table obscurity at best, and as I said given the tools at our disposal that is totally unacceptable. Top seven should be the absolute bare minimum and right now we look a long way off that. 
But who do we get in? Well that’s the problem. There’s not many managers out there we haven’t tried! Knowing us we’d go and give the job to Alan Smith and Mike Edwards as joint player-managers. We’re not in a position to go and poach somebody off of another club. And anyway you’d have to be mad to take the job on at Notts given the rate at which we go through managers. 
This will probably come across as a bit of a rant, mainly because it is. I just don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel. Supporting Notts has genuinely become quite tedious over the last few years. I’m at the point of almost dreading our matches now. I’ll still go as often as I possibly can, but I always go fully expecting the day to take a turn for the worst from about 3pm onwards! 
Oh to have been around in the days of Jimmy Sirrell or Neil Warnock...
weymouthPIE

Preview: Youth Team - Lincoln

This season can only be described as starting slowly, with only a single league win in the first five games, leaving the young ‘Pies third from bottom of their division.
Then followed an amazing turnaround.  With a few positional tweaks by their coach Dan Leivers the team went on a fantastic run winning nine of their next ten games in all competitions, including six consecutive league wins, which has taken them to the top of their league.
This successful run was also achieved with a very young team, with, on average, only three second year scholars being selected, the team being made up with mainly first year scholars and a few cameo appearances from lads in the under 16s – which augers well for the future.
Tomorrow, in their final league game before their Christmas break, (resuming on 9th January) the young ‘Pies face a trip to Lincoln with their opposition only a point behind them in the table – so a tough game in prospect as they try to keep their outstanding run going.
Join our match discussion for the youth team - Here
shepshedpie

New Notts Ladies CEO: 'I picked Lady Pies over Premier League'

Notts County Ladies have welcomed Matt Alexander as their new Chief Executive Officer following the resignation of Luke Negus-Hill.

Previously a scout for the men's team, he is now tasked with helping to bring the Lady Pies forward and build on their two sensational seasons thus far at the top of the women’s game, including two cup finals.

Matt spoke to BBC Radio Nottingham’s Match Talk on Thursday about how he picked a role at Meadow Lane over one in the top tier of English men’s football, and why he made that decision.

He said: “I had been approached by a Premier League club to go and work with their Under-21s, but then the opportunity came by to work with the Ladies and it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.

“The women’s game is on the cusp of something quite big. Just from the league we’re in with Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea, we’re kind of like the underdogs, but we have real heart, fantastic players adnd the ability to really make a mark on the women’s game.

“Me and my little girl went to the cup final in Rotherham. She’s really interested in women’s football, at just seven years of age. She’s a massive fan of Carly Telford – these women are idols for little girls and are accessible.

“If I can help to bring the women’s game forward so in future my little girl is still watching and enjoying it, that would be fantastic.”
Discuss the arrival of Matt Alexander within our community forum - Here
Joe Jones

All positives for Adam Campbell after being dropped

Adam Campbell was dropped after the game against Exeter City in October and believes that this motivated him to prove a point to Ricardo Moniz. Since returning to the Notts 1st team, he has scored in the game against Cambridge United last Saturday and provided 2 assists in the game prior to that against Barnet.
Adam says "My job is to score goals and create them and I wasn't doing that, so he had every right to make that decision" adding "I wasn't going to argue about it because he was justified and I cannot speak highly enough of the manager.

What it did do was give me a point to prove. Since I've come back into the team I've created 2 goals and scored one, even though that was a bittersweet experience because we lost".
"I've just got to keep that form going in the coming weeks and make sure I keep my place in the team."
After being told he was second with 5 assists, behind Liam Noble's 6, Adam remarked "I didn't know that about the stats, but I will take it.

I was very happy to create the 2 goals, hopefully by the Newport game I'll have overtaken Liam, but in all seriousness as long as the team wins, that's all that is important".
Join in with Pride of Nottingham's discussions via our 'Activity Centre'.
super_ram

So it’s official – Notts County are the most popular Football League club IN THE WORLD

The Football League’s Stand Up & Be Counted campaign saw fans of English clubs below the Premier League vote in droves to try and get their team to the top of the rankings – and be in with a chance of winning a trip to England to watch their club in action.

Much to the surprise of clubs unaware of our amazing support all across the world, Notts steadily climbed up the table and entrenched themselves at the summit – at no point did they look like relinquishing top spot.

Today the polls closed and the results were finally confirmed – out of all the clubs in the country outside the Premier League, including a number of champions of England and even Europe, the title belonged to the Magpies.

Leeds United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Burnley, Queens Park Rangers, Preston North End, Derby County and, sweetest of all, Nottingham Forest – all pale in comparison to Notts in terms of global fanbase.

Pride of Nottingham played its part in the Magpies’ no. 1 finish, by promoting the competition time and time again, and mobilising all of the international fan groups to spread the word and get voting – and it has paid dividends, showing just what a well-supported and historic club Notts is.

Stars of County’s table-topping achievement are without a doubt the Italian Magpies, who contributed 3502 votes out of the total of 6359 cast for us.

We spoke to Giorgio Zunino, the leader of the Italian Magpies, about the marvellous achievement.

Q) How active were you and the Italian Magpies with regards to campaigning for the Stand Up & Be Counted’ campaign?

A) We tried to involve as many people as possible to vote for the Magpies. We focused on the challenge to prove that the Italian Magpies are always interested in Notts County's activities. Our goal was initially to be the first supporters’ group.

Q) More than 3500 Italian-based Notts fan voted, this achieved the highest amount. Are you surprised how high it is? Do you feel the Italian Magpies and Juve connection helped? What are your personal thoughts to this?

A) The result is really high, unbelievable. Also because we have "just" 3.000 likes on Facebook. We tried our best talking about the link between Notts and Juventus to make people conscious of the need to vote and to make them proud to push the black and white higher and higher. We gave updates day by day to supervise the situation. We asked people to vote both for Notts County, both for the Italian Magpies as we strongly wanted to be the first supporters. It was great to see how many votes come from Italy. I though no other team received so many votes from just one country. The Juve connection was fundamental! An English guy we know talked to every Italian friend and spread the word to keep a lot of votes. At the beginning I was just focused on make Notts County arrive in the Top 10. It was quite impossible to get the first three places. And would have been ok as we challenged very big teams! I wanted the Italians to overtake the Hungarians. And when we did it was great. Then we really started to climb up the table. We were third and the two teams ahead lost many many votes due to the reuse of email addresses (they've probably voted more than once with the same email or the same IP). We were finally close to the peak!

3) After the announcements broke regarding Notts having won, what was your reaction and what do you feel this achievement represents to a club like Notts?

A) I am proud for what we did as a great family. There were many moments when other team's votes were growing and we pushed firmly on our call of duty. I am proud for our group and proud to see "Italy" on top of the countries. I really hope somebody from the Italian Magpies will win the final prize. I think is really amazing for the club to prove that is more known and supported than Championship clubs. But I think this could be just the beginning and more has to be done, in particular for the fans abroad that've showed this unbelievable support!

One lucky overseas Magpies follower will be rewarded with a special prize on Monday, which will be announced by the club.

A total of over 52,000 supporters from around the globe took part in the initiative, with at least one fan registered in 247 different territories.
Join the discussion within our community forum - Here | Discuss this feature below.
Joe Jones

Moniz upset at erratic Notts form despite calm demeanour

Ricardo Moniz has claimed that he is upset with Notts County’s inconsistency, despite appearing calm on the surface.

The Magpies were beaten 3-1 by Cambridge United on Saturday, as Shaun Derry got revenge against his former employee – as player and manager – and boyhood club.

Just four days earlier, Notts had secured an impressive 4-2 win over Barnet at Meadow Lane.

The club’s home form is solid enough, with six wins and a draw out of 10 games, but it is a completely different story on the road, with just one win in nine.

Moniz told local media: "I am always disappointed. Maybe I do not show that because I must stay calm, but Saturday was a massive disappointment.

"And of course I am upset every single day (with inconsistency), but they are things I keep inside.

"You always have to protect from the outside world. But on the inside you can confront and people do not know what we say."

Notts currently sit 15th in League Two, seven points away from the playoffs.
Joe Jones

Mike Edwards to have testimonial year in 2016

Notts County have confirmed that veteran defender Mike Edwards will be having his testimonial year in 2016.
The 35-year-old is currently in his tenth year with the Magpies, having made 269 appearances in an eight-year spell between 2004 and 2012 at Meadow Lane before returning at the beginning of the 2014-15 season.
As reward for Steady Eddy’s service with Notts, the Football League has granted him a testimonial year after a committee of fans applied to honour the defender.
The celebrations will include a number of events, including a testimonial match, all of which will be announced in due course.
During his first spell with the club, Edwards was part of the team who lifted the League Two title six seasons ago under the guidance of Steve Cotterill. 
After leaving Meadow Lane to join Carlisle United in 2012, he then returned to Notts a year ago, taking on the role as strength and conditioning coach as well as registering as a player. 
Despite his coaching responsibilities, Edwards’s performances on the pitch have seen him make 15 appearances this season and scoring five goals, an astounding ratio for a centre-back.
Speaking on the announcement, he said: “I'm truly honoured that a committee has got together to ask the club for permission to hold a testimonial year for me. 
“It's a massive honour for me and I'd like to say a big thank you, not just to everyone in the committee, but also to the Chairman Ray Trew and to Aileen Trew for their support in granting the permission. 
“I'd also like to say a big thank you to the fans, you've always made me feel welcome in my ten years at the club and I'm excited to soon be able to announce what we have planned.”
Joe Jones

Calls for belief and calm are justified at this stage of the season

In recent weeks I’ve read articles calling for calm around Notts County, with Alan Smith among a few I’ve seen stressing on the need for level heads and a sense of realism in the early stages of the season. I share the sentiments of those who haven’t lost patience with the team so far this season.
I think what Notts fans need to remember is that it’s still November and nothing is cemented yet. The season has much of its course to run, so belief in what Ricardo Moniz is trying to instil into this squad must remain throughout the club and the fans at this stage. It’s an entirely new squad in essence, with new faces and mentalities thrown in the mix all at once. In all fairness, in my opinion we’re not a million miles from the finished article. 
The signing of Alan Sheehan on load from Bradford has, in my eyes, been one of the best bits of business this season alongside the signing of Izale McLeod. I literally punched the air in celebration when we announced the return of a player who was so significant in our great escape in May 2014. His inclusion in the back four has been a masterstroke – making us much more stubborn at the back, allowing us to build from the back and ultimately sort out the dismal away form and help build the momentum at fortress Meadow Lane. 
Goals haven’t flowed how we might have expected at the other end, but again, with time I believe this will simply happen. Adam Campbell is a promising prospect, full of energy and creative flair, and once we see the full return of Kyle Da Silva in the squad, defences in League 2 might just start quaking in their boots a bit more. With a couple of months gone I think Moniz now has an idea of his strongest 11 and where people fit into his philosophy.
Granted, the defeat against Salford wasn’t part of the script and I can’t ignore the disappointment I felt following that performance live to the nation – for any Notts supporter it was most certainly a night to forget. However, time is a great healer in my eyes and I have no reason to doubt Ricardo’s strategy or his selection so far. He’s had to learn about this squad as quickly as anyone, having built it from the ground up over the summer. Wait until the end of January and see where we are then. 
It’s only at that stage that we can start to make calls on whether this team can ultimately compete at the right end of the table. With the investment and the quality, I would certainly hope so. As for the recent form, my outlook is to scrap Salford, condemn it to history and move on. At this time, more than any other stage of the season, the team need to feel that the fans are behind them. Let’s hope they can recreate the jubilant atmosphere that followed the Portsmouth victory!
Onwards and upwards!
Tom Walters

Important Information

Pride of Nottingham uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. To approve, simply continue using the site or click 'I accept' Terms of Use.

I accept