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Northants Pie
To usher in the Alan Hardy era I thought I'd start a new piece that will be a fortnightly ramble about all things football and also some things slightly away from football with the focus being on what effect this has or could have on Notts County.
This week I will be starting with the January transfer window.
The two transfer window periods only favour the teams paying the biggest wages - they can attract the better players at the start of the season, leaving very little, low-lying fruit for the smaller clubs. This system is best suited to the Premier League and like many other things should be left there but that's a rant for another ramble.
Under the old system the smaller clubs could pick up a better player during October and November than would be allowed at the start of the season due to players falling out of favour as the season wears on and wanting to play - this is another facet to this system, the player power this has inadvertently granted them (anyway back to where I was before this ends up at Donald Trump...).
Now clubs have to wait and the void just gets bigger - look at Mansfield and Newport, between them they have brought in nearly a whole new team.
Then you have Notts County, who, because of this transfer embargo, are having to stick with what we have and are relying on good old man management to stir the players into giving a toss, something that happened against Mansfield thankfully. I wait with baited breath to see if it can happen again and again and again like we need it to.
If that fails, given the emergency loan window has been scrapped (thanks FIFA, sticking up for the little clubs once again I see), we have to rely on our own youth players who we can bring through without the hassle of having to worry about embargoes. One of which has come through in Sam Osborne, he should be starting every game now, his energy and directness causes defences problems.
Another youth team player I would like to see is Montel Gibson, give him a chance to start a game and he will score. If you are planning on going to watch our youth team at any point, if he is playing watch his movement and the positions he takes up, we are desperately missing a player of his abilities up top, it is of no chance of luck that he finds himself in the right place at he right time.
If our future is in the youth, let them play.
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Joe Jones
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has pledged to get momentum going and edge his side to League Two safety, starting this weekend at Grimsby Town.
Despite the Magpies slipping into the drop zone, they managed to stop the rot last week with a point against Mansfield Town at Meadow Lane.
The goalless draw was an improvement on the previous 10 league games, which all ended in defeats, and John Sheridan's successor is hoping for more in the coming weeks.
"We want to build momentum now," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
"We have been down in the dumps for so long with the 10 losses on the spin, but now we want to go as long as we can without losing.
"That may be picking up draw after draw until we get that confidence going and getting as many clean sheets as we can.
"These are all factors that are going to keep us up. There is lots of emphasis on that because I think we find goals easy to come by with the attacking options we have got.
We have 10, eight and seven between the front three, (Jon) Stead, (Jonathan) Forte and (Adam) Campbell. We know if we get chances they will put them away.
"We have to look forward, take all the good things from last week and build on them."
Nolan has also placed emphasis on video analysis to try and improve the players, whilst promising not to use it as a shaming technique.
"They are good players and good players for this league," he said.
"When they start expressing themselves we will start reaping the rewards.
"There's not going to be criticism. Whenever we watch a video and pull someone out, it's not a criticism.
"It's to make him better and to make him do what we want him to do on Saturday. If we don't make them mistakes then we will be a better team for it.
"It's all about helping players and giving as much information as I can without burning their head out.
"It's about being positive on the training pitch, and we've done it visually with the video as well.
"It's hoping they can learn from that and not make the same mistake too often."
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Chris
The atmosphere around Meadow Lane since the Notts County takeover has shown just how much fans wanted change, whilst the hope has remained in many prior to this – there is something refreshing about the club having found a ‘new hope’.
After the dismissal of John Sheridan, I was probably in the minority camp that was disappointed to see the departure of the 12th manager at the helm of the Magpies since we gained promotion to League One in 2010.
Yet the appointment of Kevin Nolan may not have appeased all Magpie fans, he does come very highly regarded from Leyton Orient fans who have spoken about how they would have liked to see him remain as their manager (rather than as a player/manager).
Personally, as always I would have tried to get behind whoever came through the revolving door – for me it was vital from day one that we all regrouped as supporters of the world’s oldest professional league club.
Whilst we have only seen a short glimpse into the ability that Nolan possesses, he does share some very intriguing traits as a player and his general approach to answering question isn’t a case of boring us to death with ‘football talk’ or beating around the bush.
It’s certainly refreshing to see this surge of optimism - considering the predicament that the club finds itself in, it really does arrive at the most welcomed time.
I honestly believe Nolan will be the type of manager who will revive the club's fortunes. It will be a slow, steady process, yet I have no doubt we will be better off with him around.
The doom and gloom can make you quite depressed. You get used to seeing fans week in and week out, but as the weeks roll on, more and more faces are missing. You may not be aware of their names or know them personally, yet you will recall seeing them virtually every week.
This is the feeling the club had prior to the takeover; so much credit is deserved to Alan Hardy for the fantastic turnaround and for the open dialogue with supporters.
In addition to the fantastic offers being put out the by the club, it certainly goes a long way with reviving the lot feeling of anticipation on match days.
I realise it will be cliché to say this, however I am going say it regardless – what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and the past three seasons certainly has seen us become stronger amongst the core who no doubt have found it hard to watch a Notts edging closer and closer to the non-league.
Within various discussions within the Pride of Nottingham forum it has been said that relegation isn’t all that much to be worried about, but the detrimental effect it may have on the attendances is a source of anxiety for me.
As our most recent opposition [insert joke about how many fingers they have] will no doubt know, the non-league is very difficult to get out of, what with having just two promotion places, as champions and as playoff winners.
However, I won’t dwell on this – I would rather focus on not seeing the good vibes that currently surrounds our club evaporate, and any bleak, minor recollection of the past is laid to rest or forgotten.
It’s time for the Magpies to rise, rebuild and challenge for respect – not just in the city of Nottingham but in the league we play in. The new era is full of more promise and worthy merit than any false dawns we may have had in the time.
And provided the players who represent our club continue to improve under Nolan, things for shouldn’t be all that negative.
The transfer embargo is not yet lifted, but the club is working hard to do so, and so we may see some quality added to the squad.
It’s starting to feel like December all over again. It’s just a shame the takeover wasn’t able to happen then! You Pies!
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Joe Jones
Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has revealed that the transfer embargo at the club is "starting" to be lifted, and hopes that he will be able to sign some players before the end of the month.
Despite Alan Hardy's takeover of the club, the embargo remains due to "higher than expected levels of debt during the takeover process", but Nolan is hopeful that this will be rectified.
Nolan is also considering registering himself as a player, but not for the time being.
"At this minute I'm fully focused on getting the lads right and trying to get my mentality and formation in place," he told talkSPORT.
"We've got this week to do that before Grimsby. The lads have been first class I've got to admit since I walked through the door.
"The chairman has been first class since I've come in. Anything I've needed he's kept his promises.
"We are starting to get the embargo lifted. Maybe we can get some faces in before the end of the window. He's working hard to do that."
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Joe Jones
Richard Duffy has revealed that the Notts County players were smiling in the dressing room after holding Mansfield Town to a goalless draw last Saturday.
The Magpies had lost 10 games on the trot prior to the derby, but were able to claim a point against their local rivals in front of more than 11,000 people at Meadow Lane.
With new manager Kevin Nolan at the helm and Alan Hardy taking over the club, Duffy believes that he and his teammates showed the fans what they're capable of.
"If you had offered us a clean sheet before the game we would have snapped your hand off," Duffy told the Nottingham Post.
"The way we have gone about our business recently hasn't been good enough and we all take responsibility for that.
"But we stood up and showed what we can do against Mansfield.
"There were a few smiles in the dressing room because it stopped the rot.
"It's been a terrible run. We take responsibility for it, but we showed the fans we can do it."
Up next for Notts is an away fixture at Grimsby Town in League Two this weekend.
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has issued a heartfelt thank you to Notts County fans for the bumper attendance at Meadow Lane for the derby against Mansfield Town.
The attendance for Saturday's game was above 11,000 as the Magpies played out a goalless draw against the Stags which gave them their first point after 10 defeats on the trot.
Hardy wrote on the official Notts website: “I would like to place on record my thanks to everyone who supported Kevin and the players on their way to a much-needed point and clean sheet on Saturday.
“It was brilliant to see such a positive response to our ticketing initiatives and there’s no doubt in my mind that the fans played a huge part in us getting the result.
"Hopefully we have now turned a corner on the field and we can look forward to climbing the table.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my first matchday as chairman, meeting so many fascinating, passionate people - including the Italian Magpies, of course!
“The messages of support keep flooding through and everyone here at Meadow Lane is determined to repay that by performing to the best of our ability on and off the pitch."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has claimed that many of the Notts County players just needed "an arm around the shoulder" to get them back on track.
The former Leyton Orient player-manager only took his first Magpies training session on Friday, but the following day the team was able to claim their first point in 11 games with a goalless draw against Mansfield Town.
Nolan said he spoke with several players individually to explain what he wanted from them, and they duly put in improved performances, such as Adam Collin and Richard Duffy.
"I told Adam what I wanted and what I expect and I think a lot of these lads just need an arm around the shoulder and a pat on the back," he told the Nottingham Post.
"They need a bit of loving. They had lost 10 games on the spin and I know what that's like.
"It's like Michael O'Connor, the skipper. I've been in his situation when the team is getting beat because you're the one who always gets hammered from every angle.
"I thought he was fantastic. I also managed to get hold of Richard and have a good chat with him.
"I know his quality. That lad is a fantastic footballer and he reads the game so well.
"I think he's brilliant having Thierry Audel next to him. I want to make that a solid centre-half partnership.
"I said to the players after the game that they had shown me the standard and that's the minimum required from now until the end of the season.
"We will be working our socks off week in, week out, to get better."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has described the reception he got from the Notts County fans in his first game in charge as "absolutely fantastic".
The new Magpies boss was introduced to fans before kick-off between Notts and Mansfield, and received a huge ovation from a crowd of more than 11,000 at Meadow Lane.
"It was absolutely fantastic and I can't thank them enough for the reception they gave me," Nolan told the Nottingham Post.
"I hope now that I can start bringing them success to the club.
"To have 11,000 in your first game in League Two was amazing.
"I didn't expect it and neither did I expect all the nice messages I received on the messageboards and things like that.
"I've a lot to prove and I promise them and the chairman I will give them 110 percent."
Nolan's first game ended in a goalless draw against the Stags, which ended County's losing run in League Two.
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Joe Jones
Notts County finally stopped the rot and avoided an 11th consecutive League Two defeat after holding local rivals Mansfield Town to a goalless draw in Saturday's early kickoff at Meadow Lane.
The biggest crowd of the season - 7,843 Notts fans from a total of 11,328 - packed into the Lane for the derby, the first game of new owner Alan Hardy's tenure and also the first match for new boss Kevin Nolan.
It proved a tense, heated derby, with the Stags eager to inflict more pain on the Magpies, who in turn were galvanised from the change of ownership and management.
The only concrete chance of the first half came just after the half-hour mark, when Ben Whiteman charged into the Notts box and rattled an effort off a defender which looped into the air and looked to go in before Adam Collin clawed it away.
From the corner, Rhys Bennett headed wide, while at the other end, there were claims for a penalty as Jon Stead was hauled off the ball by Malvind Benning, but nothing was given.
Magpies captain Michael O'Connor saw a rifled shot charged down by a Mansfield defender after the restart, but in the 51st minute the hosts came within a whisker of conceding, only for former Magpie Yoann Arquin to sidefoot wide at the far post when it seemed easier to score.
That proved to be the best chance of the game, with both sides ultimately cancelling each other out and playing out a scoreless draw, which was incredibly well received by the Notts faithful, even if it did mean that the side slipped into the League Two drop zone after the 3pm kickoffs were played.
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Joe Jones
Nottinghamshire rivals Notts County and Mansfield Town have met 48 times over the years.
The first fixture between the two was in October 1937, a 2-0 win for the Magpies in Division Three (South).
Notts only just have the upper hand with 18 wins, 17 defeats, and 13 draws.
Between 1989 and 2001, the two sides met six times – and Notts won each time.
County's record over the last 10 meetings, however, is poor, standing at two wins, four defeats, and four draws.
This record is embellished by the fact Notts have beaten Mansfield twice in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the last two years.
In reality, the Magpies haven't got a league win over the Stags since August 2005.
The Stags were formed in 1897 as Mansfield Wesleyans, changing their name to Mansfield Wesley in 1906 before settling on Mansfield Town in 1910.
Mansfield won the Football League Trophy in 1987, in their first game at Wembley Stadium. After a 1–1 draw with Bristol City, they won the cup 5–4 in the deciding penalty shootout, thanks to Kevin Hitchcock saving two penalties.
That remains the only cup win in their history, though they did win the Division Four title in 1974-75, Division Three two seasons later, and the Conference in 2012-13.
Famous people from Mansfield include Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, media presenter Richard Bacon, FA Cup-winning goalkeeper Steve Ogrizovic and award-winning fashion designer Elspeth Gibson.
Team news
Kevin Nolan will be in charge of Notts County for the first time when local rivals Mansfield Town visit Meadow Lane.
The former Bolton, Newcastle and West Ham midfielder, formerly manager at Leyton Orient, was named as John Sheridan's successor on Thursday and will look to halt a club-record run of 10 straight league defeats.
This has left the Magpies just one place and one point above the relegation zone.
Nolan said he will take guidance as regards team selection from Alan Smith and Mark Crossley, who took charge at Morecambe last weekend, before making the final decision based on what he sees in training on Friday.
Since the 4-1 defeat at the Globe Arena, loan pair Aaron Collins and Vadaine Oliver have returned to their parent clubs.
Mansfield, meanwhile, will be without central defender Kyle Howkins after he limped off in the EFL Trophy win over Oldham in midweek.
However, the West Brom loan player looks set to be replaced in the back four by Hayden White after he joined the Stags on loan from Peterborough for the rest of the season.
White is a right-back so Rhys Bennett will probably be moved into the centre to fill in for Howkins.
Recent signings Joel Byrom and Ben Whiteman come back into contention after being cup-tied against Oldham.
Stags boss Steve Evans hopes to make another signing in time for the short trip to Meadow Lane but it remains to be seen if that deal gets done in time.
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Joe Jones
Out with the old and in with the new.
The protracted Notts County takeover saga is now but a distant memory, with new owner Alan Hardy now officially in charge of the club.
Hardy appeared in front of the cameras on Thursday afternoon at Meadow Lane to introduce himself to the world and discuss his plans and hopes for the world's oldest Football League club.
Here is a breakdown of some of his key points, which were posted on the Notts Twitter page.
What he wants from the Notts players
"I have told the players that it is about unity. Today is the start of a new era and a blank piece of paper. What I am looking for is passion, desire and commitment. We have to show the fans that we want to win. They have to leave everything on the pitch. That is all we can ask of them.
"I understand the frustration of the fans and I have conveyed it to the players. The players need to rise to this challenge. The passion and determination in this club needs to go up a few notches and I think it will."
On speculation linking the club to Harry Redknapp
"I have had lots of conversations with Harry Redknapp this week but they were never about him becoming manager here. I like to surround myself with people who know more than I do and Harry fits that bill with regards to football."
On the appointment of Kevin Nolan as the club's new manager
"Kevin is an outstanding leader. We have 20 games left and we need immediate change on the pitch to ensure our EFL safety. He shares my ambition and desire to have young players come through into the first team."
On the transfer embargo
"It is no secret that there is a transfer embargo in place and we have a court hearing with HMRC on 6 February. It is a hugely complex situation. It is not as easy as me writing a cheque and writing off the debt. I expect to make the last seven days of the transfer window to be able to bring players in. That is my target. I cannot say the embargo will be lifted by Monday. My solicitors are now working on resolving that situation."
On grassroots football and appointing a new academy director
"I have been brought up on local football. I love grassroots football. We have scouts from Forest, Derby, Leicester but never one from Notts watching games. That will change. I will appoint a new Academy Director tomorrow... coming from West Bromwich Albion.
"Once we have secured survival this season I want to bring academy players into the first team. We need to start breeding our own. I want Notts County to be the club of choice for local 12 and 13 year olds who want to become professional footballers."
On the Notts fans
"I have been astounded by the passion of Notts County fans. I think we will get 10,000 people through the gates on Saturday. I want all of the fans to get behind the football club and give us a chance. Come for a few games and we will show this is a new club. I want to encourage children under 12 to be able to come to every game for free. They are our Magpies of the future."
On the Notts training facilities
"One thing holding us back is the lack of a proper training facility. That is one of the key deliverables to unlock success here."
His personal thoughts on becoming the new Notts owner
"Driving into the Chairman's space in the car park was the first time it really sank in for me. The last few weeks have been so stressful. I have not slept for more than 3 hours a night. It is probably 90% a decision [to buy the club] with the heart and 10% with the head. I am torn between excitement, nervousness and being incredibly humbled."
Where he sees Notts in the next five years
"There is no reason that we cannot be as big as our neighbours... there is no reason that we cannot be in the Championship in five years. This is a massive football club but that is not reflected by the success on the pitch. We have a 1, 3 and 5 year plan. We want the debts cleared in 3 years but if it takes 5 then so be it. I am here for the long haul. If this deal did not happen there was a good chance the club would have become extinct."
Joe Jones
Notts County have confirmed the appointment of Kevin Nolan as the club's new manager.
The 34-year-old became the youngest boss in the Football League last January when he became player-manager of Leyton Orient.
He enjoyed a long playing career as he made his name as a combative midfielder at Bolton Wanderers, and also enjoyed fruitful spells at Newcastle United and West Ham United,
Nolan's appointment comes as Notts welcome new owner Alan Hardy, who took over the club from Ray Trew on Wednesday after a few issues had to be ironed out.
Hardy told his first press conference on Thursday: "Kevin is an outstanding leader. We have 20 games left and we need immediate change on the pitch to ensure our EFL safety."
Nolan also spoke to the press and said: "I am delighted to be offered the job and I am looking forward to a top day on Saturday.
"We have a squad capable of staying in this league. I am aware of what I am walking into. I feel I can improve things. I wouldn't be sitting here as manager otherwise. It will be difficult but I have never been one to shy away from a fight.
"Sam Allardyce encouraged me to come here. I worked with Allardyce for almost 14 years. If I can emulate his success here it will be absolutely fantastic."
Nolan takes the reins at Meadow Lane with the club 22nd in League Two and reeling from 10 consecutive league defeats ahead of Saturday's visit of Mansfield Town.
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Joe Jones
Notts County have confirmed that Alan Hardy is the new owner of the club.
The Nottinghamshire businessman declared yesterday on Twitter that he "finally got there" and the takeover is now officially rubber-stamped.
It had been a tense few days this week as the transfer of ownership was expected to be completed on Monday, but a snag over the payment of a loan was successfully overcome.
Hardy, who takes over from Ray Trew, told the official Magpies site: “I am absolutely delighted to have brought these discussions to a positive conclusion and I am immensely proud and humbled to be the owner and chairman of this great football club.
“Clearly we all face a challenging time ahead but I am determined we should all meet these challenges head on.
"We have a huge amount of work to undertake and it is crucial that everyone connected with the club pulls together in the same direction.
"I wish to pay thanks to all Notts supporters for their backing, encouragement and humour in recent weeks and months.
"Our home fixture with Mansfield on Saturday has already adopted huge significance and I hope we will be able to see a huge groundswell of Notts support at Meadow Lane.
"My message to everyone would be to come down and support your club. We need it now as much as at any point in our club's illustrious history."
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Joe Jones
Saying it's not easy being a Notts County fan is as much a case of stating the obvious as proclaiming that bears probably go for number twos in forested areas.
Four years ago, almost to the day (9 January 2013), then-owner Ray Trew declared that he was not prepared to invest more money in the club, due to falling attendances and a lack of support.
This was at a time when the club was in the midst of relative stability and success, having enjoyed tilts at the League One playoffs and boasting talented, hardworking players like Alan Judge and Gary Liddle (Lee Hughes, sadly, had just left Notts at the time).
From then on, the Magpies went on a downward spiral - final-day survival in 2013-14, relegation back into League Two in 2014-15, and the soul-crushing almost-second-consecutive-relegation near-miss that was 2015-16.
With off-the-pitch turmoil going hand in hand with the poor footballing displays, it was getting increasingly difficult to keep the faith, and the gates duly dropped to reflect this.
The last three days have been especially difficult as Alan Hardy's takeover stalled and appeared in jeopardy, but finally it's been confirmed, and for the first time in months (we started this season quite well, after all), Notts fans can smile again.
A local businessman and devout Notts fan, Hardy is the owner that fans at Meadow Lane wanted, and his eagerness to post and reply to fans on Twitter is also reassuring, as it denotes transparency and a willingness to communicate.
Of course, the celebrations can only last so much, because there is much work to be done, and Hardy will no doubt hit the ground running.
Notts risk being dragged into the relegation dogfight following ten consecutive League Two defeats, a new manager needs to be appointed, the transfer window is open for incomings and outgoings to take place , and then there are those rumours of missed payments, all of which needs to be addressed swiftly.
But the key thing about Hardy is that he truly seems to care about the club and its fans, being one himself, and being from Notts, he will understand the role the club plays in the community.
This is what endears him to fans, so for the first time in a long time, the outlook for Notts is moderate to fair, rather than stormy and cloudy.
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has announced that he "finally got there" after a tense few days of negotiations to become Notts County's new owner.
The deal to take over the club was originally planned to go ahead on Monday, but the deal hit a snag following reports of a loan needing to be paid off.
Notts fans waited anxiously on Wednesday for an announcement regarding the future of the club, but at around half past 12 Hardy announced the news.
He posted on Twitter: "Finally got there guys, thank you for all your tremendous support! Now let's get this Club back where it belongs! New World starts today!", which the Notts page retweeted.
In addition, Hardy changed his profile on the social media platform back to "Chairman and owner of Notts County FC".
An official announcement, potentially about a new manager at Meadow Lane, is due on Thursday.
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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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