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Joe Jones
Notts County owner Alan Hardy has given his seal of approval to a number of changes being proposed by football's lawmaking body.
The International Football Association Board (IFAB) are discussing a number of proposals to make the game quicker and more attractive for fans.
There are plenty of changes which will go up for discussion, with one of the more notable ones involving two halves of football at 30 minutes each, with the clock stopped when the ball is not in play.
Other suggestions include players being able to dribble from their own free kicks, penalties awarded to the opposition if a goalkeeper picks up a back pass, and "penalty goals" awarded if a defending player handles on the goal line.
"I think the changes that have been mooted are fabulous," Hardy is quoted as saying by the Nottingham Post. "I am all for progression and we need to give the fans excitement, value for money and more enjoyment.
"We have to eradicate diving, which is what they have done with retrospective action, and time wasting. Too often the ball gets kicked into row Z for no reason when it could just be tapped out of play. The ball then takes an eternity to come back. Anything we can do to reduce blatant time-wasting must be looked at.
"Everybody seems eager for the rule changes especially the self-taking free-kick which is just one way they are looking at speeding the game up. It's all about bringing pace into the game.
"For me, players being allowed to dribble straight from a free-kick is the most radical while I suspect most will say it's the 60-minute games. But I think the self-taking free-kick will speed it up and get the team in an offensive position much quicker than normal."
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Joe Jones
Jon Stead has admitted that uncertainty over his future last season led to him taking his eye off the ball, but has reassured Notts County fans that there is "more to come" from him in 2017-18.
The veteran striker was considering a move to America in January, while the period directly after the League Two campaign finished saw him on the radar of clubs all around the world.
However, Stead has since put pen to paper on a new deal at Meadow Lane and, looking back over his time at Notts so far, conceded that he may not have been at his best from time to time.
"I've had some off games but I don't think I've had any stinkers," he told the Nottingham Post.
"For the best part, I think that shows in the offers that I had because I've had two decent seasons, which helps massively.
"But the uncertainty regarding my future led to me taking my eye off the ball and I don't like doing that.
"But there's certainly more to come from me and I just can't wait to get going again."
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has reassured Notts County fans that the signings they have lined up will ensure that the team will "mean business" in League Two this season.
So far, the Magpies have only recruited two players, Terry Hawkridge and Lewis Alessandra, while the owner himself has claimed that four more players will be taken on before the deadline.
Some Notts fans have expressed concern over numerous issues, including the seemingly slow pace of recruitment and the desire for more than four players.
However, Hardy says the quality of signings he hopes to get over the line will make the fans' wait worthwhile.
"I will be disappointed if we don't make the play-offs," Hardy told the Nottingham Post. "I think we will have a good chance knowing who we have signed and knowing who our targets are.
"We have some special players lined up and we are hopefully going to be getting those over the line. These players will make the fans go 'wow, Notts mean business this season'."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has reassured Notts County fans that the squad will be strengthened with players who will not only make the team competitive in League Two, but who will be at Meadow Lane for the full season.
The Magpies have been relatively quiet in the transfer window so far, with Terry Hawkridge and Lewis Alessandra the only two acquisitions, although every player who was already on the books and offered a new deal has renewed their stay.
Some fans have expressed concern at the lack of new blood in the team, with local rivals Mansfield Town signing a glut of new players, but Nolan insists that there is a lot of hard work still to be done prior to the end of the window.
He told the official Notts site: "We are working hard to ensure we get a number of quality players in.
"We are trying to find out if certain people are available and if they want to come here but, like last season, there will be nobody here who does not want to be here.
"If someone does not want to be here then they will be shown the door and the players we bring in will want to come here, work with us and be a part of this fantastic football club which is going in the right direction.
"We have a few targets and hopefully a few gems up our sleeve but there is still a lot of hard work to do.
"We have a couple of lads coming in to be a part of the training squad so there will be some unknown faces but we are trying to get a squad which will be here for the season and be capable of making sure we compete in the division."
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Super_Danny_Allsopp
All the Notts County players that were offered contracts have re-signed, which speaks volumes for the atmosphere that people like Alan Hardy and Kevin Nolan have created around the club.
Some people may dismiss players such as Curtis Thompson and Haydn Hollis signing the contracts offered to them, but as Adam Campbell signing for Morecambe has shown, players that were on the fringe of our squad are capable of signing for our League Two rivals.
The tying down of Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi perfectly demonstrates the attraction of Notts as a club, of the atmosphere and aspirations that the aforementioned people have demonstrated.
Stead had numerous offers, by his own admission, from throughout the world including the United States. Some may snort at the American leagues, but the offer of a ‘last payday’ as so many modern footballers find all too alluring (see the Chinese Super League) is quite real.
The fact that a combination of the competitiveness of the Football League, the feel-good factor created by Nolan and the aspirations of Hardy has convinced Stead to sign a new contract with the club is outstanding.
He is not alone. Ameobi - who without a doubt has received interest from other clubs in and around (or even above) us following some fine performances in a Notts shirt - has also re-signed. No doubt ex-colleague Nolan had an influence, but I don’t think it was the only pull factor.
I also echo some fans’ opinions that a young, pacy striker to learn from Shola and Stead would fit perfectly, but let us not underestimate the threat these two veterans pose to opposition defences. We saw it last season, we will see it again next season.
We all want to see new signings, we all have an F5 button that is showing the signs of a bit of wear and tear. We have already signed two wingers, who may not receive the ‘trial by Wikipedia’ nod of approval, but we have to trust Nolan’s judgement, January 2017 didn’t prove so bad.
There has been many a season where Notts have offered contracts to existing squad players who have chosen to move, for one reason or another. We should be confident that the players who we have offered contracts have all signed, they all want to be here, and the reasons why they want to be here should be reassuring for all Notts fans.
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Joe Jones
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has given his opinion on several current topics, including pre-season, the recently-released League Two fixtures, transfer window activity and higher-league loanees such as Jorge Grant.
It is low season within English football at present as many players and staff are on holiday, recuperating from the season just gone and with at least a week until pre-season gets underway.
However, plenty of work is being done behind the scenes, with contracts being signed (or turned down) by players already on a club's books, as well as thrashing out deals to bring new players in.
And this week, the EFL fixtures were released, giving fans the chance to begin planning their excursions on the road to follow their beloved teams (and cancel any other plans that may have got in the way of their beloved football).
Nolan is about to embark on his first ever full season as a manager, so for him it's relatively uncharted territory.
Speaking to the Nottingham Post, he touched on a number of topics.
On fixtures (and previous boss Sam Allardyce)
"I don't want to place too much emphasis on it, but I always believe in hitting the ground running.
"I've got that from Sam Allardyce. He massively believed in having a good start and that's why all that preparation will be going into the first game.
"It's not about beating Nottingham Forest in a friendly and then losing to Coventry and then losing to Chesterfield.
"They are the two games that matter so that Forest (pre-season friendly) game, while it will be a fantastic occasion, will be about the boys getting those minutes in and making sure they are good minutes too.
"We want to be ready, we don't want injuries and we want to make sure we keep moving forward, making sure that everybody is getting fitter.
"Then come August 5, we are ready to explode and hitting the ground running."
On the Carabao Cup first round clash at Scunthorpe United
"It is a difficult one but it will be a good test for our boys to see if they have the ability to match them.
"It is a game we will go and enjoy and hopefully give a good account of ourselves to get through to the next round."
On players and current transfer dealings
"We've kept everybody that we have wanted to retain from last season's squad.
"Now it's about looking at specific positions, particularly the spine of the team.
"We are also looking at signing a left-sider so we are talking to people and seeing if they want to come here.
"As I've always said I want people who want to play for this club and I don't want to be negotiating for £50 here or £100 there.
"I want a player who has a passion and a desire to play for Notts County."
On Jorge Grant
"I am absolutely delighted for Jorge (on his new Nottingham Forest deal).
"I've built up a great relationship with him and I think the boy is a special talent.
"He thrived in the environment that we created for him here and I spoke very well with his dad in the office and on the phone.
"He is going to be one of those boys that I will continue to speak to throughout my career I think.
"He knows what is expected of him. He's got a lovely family behind him, he's got a little bit of nice arrogance about him.
"It's what he needs to become a top player. He's got fire in his belly and you have to embrace that.
"But I am hoping if Jorge gets made available for loan again that he comes back here."
On other higher-league loanees
"We want people to come here and thrive so we can have that great relationship with Nottingham Forest.
"We've already built up good relations with Arsenal, Hull and West Brom after the loan signings we made from them last season.
"That's what you want, but for me Jorge was obviously the pick of the bunch.
"He's a lovely lad and I am hoping that he goes over the road and speaks highly of us.
"Anyone who is coming through at Forest and is sitting there wondering about us, then they can go to Jorge and ask him about us.
"I am sure he will say 'get yourself over there' because we will make players better."
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has revealed that he plans to speak to the EFL about certain aspects of the Notts County fixture list.
On Wednesday, all 72 clubs found out their fixtures for the 2018/18 League Two season, with the Magpies starting with a trip to Coventry City followed by a home game with Chesterfield.
Despite the tough start against two League One relegation sufferers, Hardy is relishing those games, but was left unhappy with having an opening away game for the seventh consecutive season as well as some of the festive fixtures.
He wrote in the Nottingham Post: "Amid all the euphoria of the fixtures coming out, I have to say there were a couple of aspects I was very disappointed with.
"We are away on the opening day for the seventh consecutive season and I need to have a conversation with the Football League as to how that can happen.
"The Christmas holiday fixtures are also extremely disappointing.
"We play Morecambe on Boxing Day and leaving at 10am in the morning and getting home at 9pm isn't appealing at all.
"Christmas has always been about families and not spending seven or eight hours in the car travelling to a game.
"At the chairman's conference recently, I was talking to the fixtures secretary and said that it must take hours and hours of planning.
"But apparently it all goes into a computer allied to certain conditions that ourselves and Forest must not be at home on the same day for instance.
"There is also another that tries to cut down on the travelling for a midweek fixture, but we have Yeovil and Exeter away on Tuesday nights.
"It's disappointing the return games are not on a Tuesday either because at least it would have been fair to both sides.
"I just don't think the EFL have done a great job in terms of the scheduling and it's something I intend to raise."
To read the full column on the Nottingham Post website, click here.
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Joe Jones
Transfer sagas are usually the domain of clubs in the upper echelons of the football pyramid. Virtually all the players currently in the middle of the annual soap opera currently play for one top team and are rumoured to desire a move to another top team.
Will David de Gea move to Real Madrid? Will Diego Costa return to Atletico Madrid? And so on and so on. It's basically the sort of cliche love triangle storyline you get in your typical soap opera / reality TV show, but adapted to the beautiful game.
But a similar "love triangle" is now taking place in the slightly less glamorous surroundings of League Two, and the three parties involved are Liam Noble, current squeeze Forest Green Rovers, and the ex, Notts County.
So the soap opera storyline is as follows: Noble was a bit of a bad boy back in the day, let Notts down on multiple occasions due to his disciplinary record, and so he was turfed out, clothes metaphorically chucked out the window and all that.
Noble then winds up at Forest Green, where former Magpies manager Mark Cooper - who had previously said the midfielder would not be allowed anywhere near Meadow Lane following one red card incident - was now at the helm.
And lo and behold, Noble gets his act together, weighs in with a modest seven goals and a gargantuan 21 assists, winds up becoming captain, and helps get FGR promoted. Oh, and his prior Achilles heel was no longer a problem - just eight yellow cards all season.
Now, you'd think a player whose career has been revived thanks to this club, and in turn has helped said club get into the Football League, would be buzzing from a personal and also a team perspective, and would be raring to go in League Two next season, maybe even show the ex what it's missing when it comes to the relevant matchdays.
But here comes the twist: Notts have tried to get Noble back, and Noble is reportedly eager to return to Meadow Lane - and FGR are having none of it, with Cooper publicly admitting the club had turned the initial bids for him down.
And of course, all this is being played out in front of the public. The Notts fanbase is still split over the prospect of Noble returning.
The Remain (at FGR) camp says ex-players should never return to pastures old, or haven't forgiven his previous indiscretions on the pitch, maybe even worrying whether he might return to the red card habits of old, while the Leave camp thinks his spell at FGR has changed him and he would be a much improved player this time round.
So what's PON's opinion on this? Well, Noble's had a barnstorming season, his goal tally is decent enough and his assist tally is amazing, and it looks like he's managed to get his act together on the disciplinary level.
But the point that sticks is the reported transfer fee - £100,000. Which in League Two / non-league, is frankly too high.
For that amount of money, you would expect a player to be unanimously accepted by the fanbase as a player that, in terms of how proven and reliable he will be, is as close to "guaranteed" as you can get.
And let's face it, even though he's had a great season, fans cannot be blamed for having doubts over his temperament and whether he would be the same player under Kevin Nolan as he was under Cooper, as well as the fact that League Two is markedly more difficult than the National League, and faced with tougher opposition, frustration may set in again - and we all know how that turned out.
So it's a gamble, a big big gamble, and at £100k, a risky one too. Surely for that amount of money we can get one or even two quality players who come with no prior baggage at Meadow Lane?
Just our opinion here, but whether this saga rumbles on well into August (or a future transfer window) or it comes to a tangible conclusion either in the form of a contract extension at FGR or the player standing in front of the cameras at the Lane holding a shirt with his name on the back and talking about how he's got unfinished business and wants to prove himself with this second chance bla bla bla... it's one that will continue to keep the Notts faithful talking.
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has earmarked the Mansfield Town derby as arguably the biggest League Two clash of 2017-18 for Notts County, but believes it will be an exciting season all round.
The Magpies boss began his tenure at Meadow Lane with a goalless draw with the Stags which stopped a 10-game losing run in the league.
This season, Notts will face Mansfield away in September, and will also take on National League champions Lincoln City in the same month.
"Everybody is talking about the Mansfield game because of the atmosphere the game generates," he told the Nottingham Post.
"That's no disrespect to the other teams in the league, but I think there is more hype about that game because of the amount of signings they have made. They have got a whole new team plus the team they had from last year.
"But I think it's going to be an exciting season. You look at some of the teams and think 'crikey, some were playing in the Premier League', like Swindon and Coventry.
"I've never had a first day of the season as a manager. Being back in amongst it and hearing the fixtures gives you that little tingle and butterflies in the stomach.
"I am looking forward to seeing the boys next week and looking to see if we can add a few quality additions to those we've already signed."
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has spoken excitedly about the prospect of taking on Lincoln City this season in League Two and also of facing Coventry City in the very first game of the season, but was unhappy with the festive program.
The EFL fixtures for each of their three divisions were published at 9am on Wednesday, with Pride of Nottingham at Meadow Lane to cover the reveal as it happened.
The draw was not kind to the Magpies, however, as the Sky Blues and Chesterfield, both of whom were relegated from League One in 2016-17, would be first and second to take on Kevin Nolan's charges this season.
Hardy was happy enough with the initial set of games, but was even more excited about renewing rivalries with the Imps and with Mansfield Town.
He told the Nottingham Post: "The Mansfield game will obviously be massive with a big crowd, but I am really looking forward to playing Lincoln.
"Their boys will be cock-a-hoop after the season they have had and they will be full of confidence. I can't wait to get them here on our new pitch.
"But overall I can't wait. Coventry away for the first game is a top, top, draw. It will be tough, but how exciting?"
The post-Christmas fixtures are not kind either - Notts will travel to Morecambe on Boxing Day before a trip to Swindon just four days later.
"There are two disappointments for me and the first is that we play Morecambe on Boxing Day," Hardy continued.
"That means the fans are going to have to leave at 10am in the morning and is that really fair on their families?
"It's a poor fixture for us and that is then followed by another long trip to Swindon over the holiday period.
"It's also the seventh consecutive season we are away on the opening day and that can't be right."
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Chris
Notts County will begin the 2017/18 League Two season with a trip to Coventry City on Saturday 5 August.
As fixtures go, it is arguably one of the trickiest propositions for the Magpies, with the Sky Blues coming down from League One the previous season.
Things do not get easier either, with local rivals Chesterfield coming to Meadow Lane a week later in County's first home game of the campaign.
In terms of the other first local clashes of the season, Lincoln City will head to the Lane on 23 September, while Mansfield Town are the opponents at the One Call a week later.
The regular season will then finish with a home game against Luton Town on 5 May.
Here is a list of all the fixtures.

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Edited 21 hours ago by Joe Jones (show revisions)
Chris
With Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi both signing the contract extensions offered to them by Notts County, it dismisses my concerns over who can lead the Magpies front line during the 2017-18 season.
The majority of fans I know were quietly confident about both of them signing, but I had my doubts and I thought it would be just one of the two staying put.
Yet it is fantastic news that Kevin Nolan has successfully managed to retain them both, they showed us last season what a hard-working duo could do up front.
Even when they didn’t play together, they allowed a poor Magpie squad to bounce back and shine after the 10-game losing run in League Two.
Both players have a wealth of experience, each has something vastly different in their locker and I feel that they can be the key to passing the torch on and for this historic club to find their own natural goalscorer.
We all know it’s very unlikely that they will have the engines to play game after game from August to May - we have to accept that we will need someone else to step in for one or even both from time to time.
This isn’t a negative for me, I firmly feel it presents a perfect opportunity for Notts to recruit a young upcoming striker who can thrive as an understudy to the pair.
Stead has recently expressed his concern with the Notts squad, sending out a message that most fans will only know too well.
He said in relation to requiring a couple of 15-20+ goalscorers, "we are going to need a couple of them. I know the manager is working to get players in and I still think we are a little bit light. I think we need three or four more players in then we can have a right go."
There’s no denying we need more strength in depth in certain departments, yet a concern for me is injury up top and a lack of a pacey, speedy threat.
Aaron Collins would be the perfect example of someone young who fit the mould, he arrived with few expectations from my own opinion but quickly highlighted to me why he fitted the bill.
I feel Nolan should identify a young striker of that calibre who can fill the void and take the strain off Stead and Ameobi.
I’m not expecting fireworks from the off, yet it would be a great blessing to know we have depth throughout the squad and I feel the pair offer a lot of attraction to other potential signings – if we were able to get some creativity on the flanks and centre of midfield, for example.
Providing we strengthen the defence properly and allow the attacking players to do their thing, then I don’t see why a young striker couldn’t thrive at Meadow Lane.
I realise that we require a squad of about 22-25 players, but having the quality and depth in the squad will be paramount to Notts having a successful go this upcoming campaign.
Honestly, Notts should be far more hardworking – the question right now is all down to where the creativity will come from?
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Joe Jones
Shola Ameobi has joined Notts County strike partner Jon Stead in extending his contract at Meadow Lane.
The former Newcastle United marksman joined the Magpies in the January 2017 transfer window and quickly became a fan favourite.
Playing under former teammate Kevin Nolan, he flourished in the Notts team and played a big part in their revival, scoring four times in 17 games.
Ameobi told the official Notts site: "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club so far and I'm excited for what next season holds in store.
"I've been taken aback by the support of the fans, who have welcomed me into their club with open arms, and I'm determined to help make the 2017-18 campaign an enjoyable and successful one for them."
Nolan, meanwhile, said: "Not only did Shola make a huge impact on the pitch and in the dressing room, but he is also a big hit with our supporters.
"When a player of his quality and experience decides he wants to stay, it shows you are doing something right as a football club.
"It's great that the players have bought into what we want to try and do here. We now have the rest of the summer to look at ways we can develop and improve the squad."
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Joe Jones
Jon Stead has reiterated his desire to fire Notts County to the upper regions of the League Two table, for the fans and the club as well as for himself.
The 34-year-old was rumoured to be on the way out of Meadow Lane, with offers to join clubs all around the world, but he will be a Magpie next season after penning a new deal.
Stead admits that things spiralled out of control last season, but with Alan Hardy as owner and Kevin Nolan as manager, he believes things will kick on in 2017-18.
He told the Nottingham Post: "I want to be successful. I've had plenty of relegations and not many promotions.
"I want to be competing at the top end of the table season in, season out. I want that success and I want to do that here at Notts.
"I've got a great relationship with the club and the fans. They know I give it everything and that won't change.
"When I signed a couple of seasons ago, everything started well enough and looked promising.
"Suddenly things don't go to plan, things start to spiral and it looks as if it will go out of control. But the turnaround has been massive.
"It's huge for the club to have an owner with a real passion for the club. There's a real buzz about the place and it's great to be a part of."
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Joe Jones
Curtis Thompson has become the latest player to pen a new contract at Notts County.
The 23-year-old has made 96 appearances for the Magpies having progressed through the club's academy and is believed to have penned a deal until the end of the 2017-18 season.
Thompson told the official Notts website: "I am delighted to be staying and I am looking forward to next season.
"I had some setbacks last season with a long-term injury and getting a red card against Crawley but this is a fresh start.
"Towards the end of the season the boys were getting good results so it's good to be staying with them."
Notts boss Kevin Nolan added: "I am very pleased Curtis has decided his future lies with us.
"He is a player with a great deal of potential and I'm looking forward to helping him continue his development here at Meadow Lane."
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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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