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Peterborough Utd Preview

Pride of Nottingham brings you our Preview, Notts Reignite Season with Feisty Encounter! I remember not too many moons ago when Notts were at London Road facing the Posh in what could be described as one of the feistiest and tensest matches in recent history. A 2-3 all thriller was matched off the field with a good old-style brawl with ex-Notts manager Craig Short getting stuck in. It’s hard to imagine a brawl off the field this time around with the cool composed maturity Chris Kiwomya oozes. It is though unlikely he’ll be sat in his slippers tonight relaxing surrounded by black and white candles in his latest Notts County bathrobe. No, not at all.

Instead, the manager has a defensive nightmare upon his hands caused by the suspension of Smith and Liddle along with young Haydn Hollis out injured.

This arrives perfectly in time for a match against a Peterborough United side who score goals wherever they go. They slotted a cool five past Colchester on Tuesday night and Darren Ferguson will surely be out to keep things simple tomorrow afternoon. Whilst there is quiet on the Meadow Lane turf now, a ferocious bombardment is seemingly heading Notts way tomorrow with the likes of Bostwick, McCann and Tomlin all hunting for goals.

Notts aren’t a damsel in distress though in the face of a brutal, ugly, goal scoring menace in United. Alan Sheehan looks the likeliest to partner Dean Leacock with the mightily impressive Dumbuya slotting in at right back. Perhaps left back will be filled by Tempest? The young lad looks the most natural talent currently being harvested by Notts and he seems most fitting to this position.

In the middle, Mark Fotheringham – fozzy to the diehards, is a man who loves a tackle and so long as he watches his discipline, will provide some much needed fight. McGregor looks a talent having been brought in on loan from Celtic and it’s hard not to see him playing after a great display against Fleetwood.

In the goals department, the towering Enoch Showunmi must start alongside Danny Haynes, a partnership that could flourish particularly given the formers recent efforts. Showunmi could be the hold-up man we need tomorrow which could allow Haynes to be creative around the big man.

Notts could well take the counter-attacking philosophy tomorrow and this could well suit the players we have available. Providing the defence can hold off the immediate attacks of Peterborough and get the balls in good areas and retain possession, anything is possible.

The bookmakers have Peterborough at 7/5 with Notts best priced around 9/4 so in theory, they see us having a better chance tomorrow than against United. So for me, a point would be very good to kick us off on the board. Avoiding defeat at all costs is a priority tomorrow and Kiwomya will know we need points on the table. I find it hard to envisage a Pie being unhappy with a point tomorrow…

You Pies!
By James Constantine
UniPie

Peterborough Utd - View

Peterborough United come into this game having not lost in the league or cup, they enjoyed a narrow but exciting one nil win over Swindon Town on the 3rd of this month. They also beat Colchester United five goals to one in the Capital One Cup, which indicates the level of opposition we are up against here at Meadow Lane on this very Saturday.

Pride of Nottingham is again delighted to bring you the views of a Posh fan, we hope that you enjoy this feature and of course have a look around out site after. We're very keen to provide a good reliable source of content to fellow Notts fans, so please bookmark us! Come One You Pies!!

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

Firstly I'm Aaron Shelton born in Peterborough, grew up in london so get some funny looks when I say I'm a posh fan but I support where I come from, luckily back living in Boro now, been going to games last 5/6 years on a regular basis, last 3 years home and away.

Can you please tell us about your pre-season, such as how you feel it went and are you happy with the signings you've made?

Pre season has been good for the posh, went on a tour of Ireland, draw 1-1 with shelbourne, then another draw 2-2 with UCD. Beat QPR 1-0 with a late winner which surprised many of our fans, we then suffered a shock defeat against Mansfield losing 4-2, credit to Mansfield there goals were screamers, the posh then bounced back Beating our biggest rivals Northampton with a 1-0 win. We also draw 1-1 to Watford but then lost 1-0 to hull at London road but that was another belter. Overall I am very happy with the signings, we signed jack Payne from gillingham who was on loan with us last season, great central midfielder works very hard and not afraid to put a challenge in, we also signed Britt assabalonga for a club record fee from Watford, he has impressed all at London road in his opening games, by scoring on his debut vs Swindon, very powerful quick and excellent work rate only problem is we're not sure how to say his name. We've also signed a promising young goal keeper from the states who is certainly one for the future.

It's quite rare in football that you see a manager return to a former club and remain successful, what do you make of Darren Ferguson’s return and do you think he can continue to be successful at Peterborough?

We all love fergie, he got us 2 straight promotions when just a few years before we were fighting to even stay in the football league, he deserves all the credit he gets, was tough for us to loose him but let's face it he went to a bigger club with more money would of been daft to stay with us, he then came back and gave us that extra boost for promotion back to the championship, I hope he sees out his contract and goes on to extend it, he can certainly give us a chance of one day just make reaching the prem.

Your teams widely known for being creative and a real attacking threat, on Saturday you narrowly won Swindon and on Tuesday you hammered Colchester away in the Capital One Cup. Can you give me your thoughts on these two games?

We are one of the most entertaining sides in the world, sounds big headed but just look at the amount of goals we score. Swindon at home was a very close game but we looked very comfortable all game, Colchester the first 50 minutes were tough we didn't play how we all know we can, then suddenly the one touch football came in the touches and skills of lee Tomlin and Daniel kearns really came into play, controlled the game, 2 great goals from lee Tomlin, big Tyrone Barnett scored a header, fan favourites tommy Rowe and zakuani also got on the score sheet.Tomlin, nlthe, Alcock, kearns and tommy Rowe all had stand out games but in fairness every player had an excellent game.

Coming into the game, Notts have a slight issue at the back with one centre back being injured and two others being suspended. How do you feel the game will go?

The suspensions for notts county will really help posh, a weakened defence for county will surely mean goals for posh and if we play the way we can we could run riot, but all depends if the players turn up in the right frame of mind. I believe will be a 3-1 win for posh but can't count county out they will always be a threat.

Which game(s) are you most looking forward to this season and why?

The first fixture I looks for was wolves away because they will most likely be a big contender to win the league, mk dons I think every posh fan looks for because we have a little rivalry with them. County was also a stand out for me because Nottingham is good day out.

Can you tell us who you see going up this season?

All honestly I believe posh will go up, hopefully as champions, wolves or Bristol city could also in my opinion but I think Rotherham could surprise a few in the play offs.

How much would it mean to you and Peterborough fans especially to become established in the Championship and how far do you feel you are from this?

Would mean a hell of a lot to get back in the championship especially due to the way we went down, we were robbed by a bad decision and a late Kevin Phillips goal. I believe all we need is maybe one more star player, whether it be in defence or just a proven goal scorer and we could easily make ourselves an established championship team, but the real hold back for us is our support in the city, we have a large city but not enough fans of the posh, most support the likes of Manchester United, arsenal and Chelsea.

Who are your main treats to Notts County on Saturday, can you single any players out?

Lee Tomlin and assabalonga is a certain threat against notts county, Daniel kearns has also really impressed of late. Rowe/McCann/bostwick are also a threat due to there creative play, McCann and bostwick certainly know how to hit a ball.

Which players would you have marked tightly and who do you consider to be a threat to Peterborough?

Not to threatened by any particular players from county but Showumni scored a belter vs Sheffield united so will need to look out for him.

What formation and team would you start with and why?

4-4-2 seems like the formation. We're playing as of late, I would stick with exactly the same squad as against Colchester;Olejnik, ntlhe, zakuani, bostwick, alcock, McCann, kearns, rowe, tomlin, assombalonga, barnett. Payne and Swanson could also be played. Guaranteed goals on Saturday.

Please tell us what your thoughts are of Nottingham and how many times have you visited Meadow Lane?

I've never actually been to meadow lane before will be my first time on Saturday, however I went to first last season and was a great day out, plenty of things to do plenty of pubs and a great atmosphere from the locals, always nice to see the statue of Brian Clough in the centre as well.

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Arron for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish him all the very best.
Chris

We've Met Before...

This Saturday will see the 43rd meeting between Notts County & Peterborough United, and the first for two seasons following Peterborough United's dramatic relegation with virtually the last kick on the final day of last season. Of the previous 42 meetings, Notts have won 12 times with Posh winning 17 times, while 13 draws have been played out. Notts have scored 46 goals against Posh, while they have netted 54 against us. It's relatively even really. The first ever meeting between the two clubs took place on 7th September 1961, in a Division Three match at Meadow Lane. Notts were then managed by Frank Hill, and the entertaining game ended honours even.

Goals from Tony Hateley and Bert Loxley were cancelled out by a double from legendary Peterborough striker Terry Bly. Notts first ever visit to London Road came on the final day of that same season. Frank hill had been sacked in October and replaced by Tim Coleman. Peterborough won the game 2-0 to secure a 5th place finish, while Notts ended up 13th.

The following season, the Magpies achieved their first ever win over Peterborough with a 2-0 win on 8th December thanks to goals from Tony Hateley and D Edwards. The reverse fixture ended 0-0. The two sides also met in the FA Cup 1st round that season, Posh winning 3-0.

The 1962-63 season saw the clubs have remarkably similar seasons. Peterborough finished 6th, Notts 7th. We both finished on 51 points, and Notts conceeded just one goal less than Peterborough.

The following season however was not so similar. While Posh finished 10th in Division Three, Notts finished rock bottom. The season included a 5-1 drubbing for Notts at London Road in September, which remains Peterborough's biggest win over Notts.

Terry Bly, who had scored twice for United in the two clubs first ever meeting had been a goal scoring sensation at Peterborough, scoring an amazing 81 goals in 88 appearances for the club between 1960 and 1962. He then netted 25 goals for Coventry during the 63-64 campaign before Eddie Lowe brought him to Meadow Lane. Unfortunatly, he failed to find his form for Notts, scoring just 4 goals that season. Something about Notts and miss-firing strikers!

By the 1970-71 season both sides were playing in Division Four, but this would prove a memorable season for County. The Magpies won the league under Jimmy Sirrel, and their biggest victory of the season came at home to Peterborough on 30th January. Goals from Don Masson, Les Bradd, David Needham, and a hat-trick from Tony Hateley helped Notts to a 6-0 win, which remains our biggest ever win over Posh.

Notts would end the season on 69 points (2 points for a win back then), 9 clear of second placed Bournemouth.

It would be another 21 years before the two sides met again in the league, although we did meet three times in the 80s in cup competitions.

On 24th January 1980, Divison Four Peterborough knocked Division One Notts out of the FA Cup 4th round with a 1-0 win at Meadow Lane. They would lose 1-0 at home to Manchester City in round 5, and City went on to play Spurs in the final where, after a 1-1 draw, they lost the replay 3-2.

The two met in the Football League Trophy the following season, Peterborough winning 3-1; and they met again in the same competition in 1989, where goals from Gary Lund and Mark Draper secured a 2-2 draw at Meadow Lane.

The two met in the league for the first time since 1971 in a Division One (Championship) game in 1992 - Posh winning 3-1. Since then the two clubs have played eachother in the league on a fairly regular basis, as both clubs have been up and down the football league over the years.

On Good Friday 2001, the two sides played out a thrilling 3-3 draw in a Division Two game at Meadow Lane. Notts' goals that day came from Danny Allsopp (penalty), Kevin Nicholson, and Mark Stallard.

In 2003, Notts were hammered 5-2 at London Road on their way to relegation, Paul Riley getting both County goals.

Another game of note took place on 18th February 2006. Posh's 2-1 victory over Gudjon Thurdarson's Magpies may not be the most memorable of matches, but it was the first match in a TV documentary "Big Ron Manager". It involved Barry Fry bringing Ron Atkinson into the club as a "football trouble shooter", and he was tasked with helping the club out in any capacity he could; be it organising fund raising events, scouting pottential new signings, or helping the manager.

Unfortunatly, it all ended with Peterborough manager Steve Bleasdale resigning in front of the players and cameras just hours before a game at home to Macclesfield.

Atkinson & Fry took charge of the team for the final three games but the club missed out on their target of reaching the play-offs. It was certainly an entertaining programme, although I wonder how the Peterborough supporters felt about it!

The last two meetings between the two sides took place in the 2010-11 season. The first match was a fiesty affair at London Road on 28th September. Ben Davies fired Notts into a 2-0 lead but Gabriel Zakuani pulled one back. Craig Westcarr restored the two goal cushion on the stroke of half time, but Craig Mackail-Smith's goal on the hour mark made it a nervy final half hour for Notts, made worse with the sending off of Ricky Ravenhill. Notts held on for a 3-2 win, and inflicted on Peterborough their first home defeat of the season. Sadly though the match was marred by a mass brawl between both sets of players and both benches at full time, which resulted in both clubs being fined.

The return fixture at Meadow Lane was slightly less memorable. Posh won 1-0 thanks to a wonder goal from Charlie Lee early in the second half, and Posh went on to win promotion with a 3-0 win over Huddersfield in the play-off final.

That was the last time the two sides met, and the visitors will be hoping for a similar outcome come the end of this season with promotion back to the Championship their main aim.

There's been plenty of history and some great games between the clubs over the years. Let's hope this Saturday's match lives up to it and Notts get their first points of the season.

Hope you enjoyed this article. If enough people like it I'm hoping to do something similar for every game.

COYP!
weymouthPIE

Notts 3-2 Fleetwood Town

Notts County made it to the second round of the League Cup for the first time in three years with a nervy 3-2 win against Fleetwood Town. The Lancashire side took the lead and were on top in the first 25 minutes, but the Magpies equalised with a superb Enoch Showunmi header. They added two more superb goals in the second half, but David Ball's last-minute goal made for a tense finish. Another sour point was the sending off of Manny Smith, who will now miss the Peterborough game. Chris Kiwomya began the game with a 4-4-2 formation, Smith replacing the suspended Gary Liddle, and Greg Tempest and debutant Callum McGregor also in the starting eleven.

Notts enjoyed a bright start, winning a corner within the first two minutes, and just four minutes later, nearly scored, but for an awkward bounce taking the ball too far away from Enoch Showunmi.

At the other end, Tempest bravely blocked a goalbound shot, before bombing down at the other end and forcing another corner, courtesy of a deflected cross. Two corners in the first seven minutes were promising signs, and attempts from Danny Haynes and Showunmi in the following few minutes further emphasised Notts' intent to win this game.

One of the main talking points about this game was the return of ex-Notts midfielder Hughes to Meadow Lane, and he made his presence felt with a good one-two before heading towards the box, but Smith charged him down.

Sadly, Notts' early pressure couldn't stop Fleetwood from drawing first blood. On sixteen minutes, Gareth Evans coolly and skilfully chipped the ball over Bartosz Bialkowski after beating Smith.

Notts, for the second time in two games deflated after quarter of an hour, pushed on for an equaliser, Joss Labadie's ambitious free-kick sailing over the bar, but the visitors piled on the pressure for a good ten minutes as they had their eyes on consolidating their lead.

Much like a pendulum, however, the momentum then suddenly swung Notts County's way. On 25 minutes, Haynes headed wide after Showunmi's flick from Mustapha Dumbuya's throw. Just two minutes later, the provider then attempted a header of his own. Again, wide. However, the third headed chance in quick succession finally yielded that crucial equaliser for Notts, as new kid McGregor's brilliant ball was stunningly converted by Showunmi.

The provider and scorer combined again to great effect as, on 33 minutes, the Celtic loanee's pass to Showunmi was crossed into the Fleetwood half and very nearly led to an own goal, courtesy of Mark Roberts.

Just a minute later, the same man very nearly succeeded in lobbing the Fleetwood keeper, much to the surprise of Notts fans who hadn't been used to this much confidence and pomp from the Nigerian international in the previous season. He even showed off some showboating skills!

Soon after, Haynes managed to steal some of Showunmi's thunder by powering in a second goal, a classic poacher's goal and his first for the Magpies, after Mark Fotheringham's cross and Labadie's post-rebounding effort.

Fleetwood threatened first in the second half, Antoni Sarcevic's shot going wide of the left-hand post, but Notts countered with the excellent Tempest nearly combining with Labadie for a potential chance.

The pendulum would swing towards Fleetwood again, a half chance coming on 52 minutes, before Bart's great save from a Matty Blair shot just a few minutes later, going down low to thwart the opposition player.

On 56 minutes, an unfair challenge by Smith on Sarcevic led to his booking, the second Magpies yellow of the game (first came to Labadie for a tackle on the old boy in the first half) but his free kick was blocked and cleared.

Notts eventually got a third to ease pressure on the Magpies players and fans, the superb debutant McGregor curling a fantastic left-footed effort into the net. One assist and one goal for the Celtic loanee, you can't ask for much more on your debut!

The final ten minutes were nerve-wracking for Notts, however. Smith's challenge on David Ball was deemed worthy of a second yellow by the referee, and so Liddle's replacement walked. A second Notts defender to be sent off in the space of two games.

In the 88th minute, the comfortable 3-1 scoreline was suddenly made a lot more precarious by David Ball's right-footed shot from inside the box, which pierced the Notts net. 3-2 with injury time beckoning.

Fleetwood, invigorated by the goal and sensing an opportunity to equalise against a Notts side now increasingly beset by nerves, pushed on, and very nearly scored on a number of occasions, but Bart, showing how indispensable he is to the club, came out on top, saving from Ryan Crowther's dead-cert shot. Tempest and Dean Leacock also contributed with great clearances and blocks, before, to the delight of the Notts fans, the final whistle blew, and Notts County were in the second round of the League Cup for the first time in three years!
Joe Jones

Fleetwood Town - View

Pride of Nottingham's delighted that we was able to bring this feature for the Capital One Cup clash against Fleetwood Town. Below you will be able to read questions aimed to learn more about our opposition and we cannot thank Liam enough for stepping in at the very last minute to save us from missing this feature. It's always good when you can see football coming together, so this makes an excellent addition to our growing opposition views. Pride of Nottingham hopes you find this interesting! Please keep tuned for our next one which will be against Peterborough United.

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

I've been a fan of Fleetwood since the appointment of Tony Greenwood back in 2003, but on a just follow basis, but a regular since there inclusion of the northern premier back in 2007 (I think, memory has gone). I work at sea as an Merchant Navy officer so can only go when I'm on leave, but I am a season ticket holder with my brother, I'm a local lad so have grown up around the town, I'm 26, even though my good looks say differently, he he.

What are you expecting from the season this year, both in the cup(s) and league?

League wise, I'd say minimum play offs with the signings we've had, and traditional our Chairman doesn't like to stay in the same league longer than 2 years, we've always gained promotion in the second year of the league, so big fingers crossed!!

Cup, don't really know this year as a cup run is always nice but personal I'd prefer to concentrate on the league and do the graft there, but the cup does have something about it and it could/does bring big clubs to the lower league clubs (Bradford last year is a great example)

Can you tell us about some of your squads newest additions?

Great summer signings and as always the chairman does like to do business early so new team members can settle into the squad. I think bringing in the skipper Mark Robberts is brilliant, pure leader on the pitch, Ryan Cresswell is a brilliant centre half, both like to get on the team sheet scoring wise, but personally I think Antonio Sarcevic is the one to look out for in our league.

How do you see the game going and what formation do you see Graham Alexander starting with?

I'd like to say we'd stuff you but I don't think we will, although we did give Preston a good hiding in pre-season. Formation, a solid back of 4, 4, 2, but our wingers pushing forward creating space on the wings and giving Matt the need space to work his magic, hopefully.

What did you make of Jeff Hughes performance against Dagenham and Redbridge?

Unfortunately I was away for the opener of preseason but from all reports Town played with the passion and desire they were lacking at parts of last season, a massive plus for the fans to see.

Can you tell us about your highest and lowest point whilst supporting Fleetwood Town?

Highest has to be the opening game in the football league, what an achievement from where as a club we have come from, also the local derby against Blackpool in the FA cup, although we got battered by them, it was a brilliant run just to get to play them and the rivalry/banter was brilliant.

Lowest for me was the play offs against wimbledon to get out of the Conference, the less said the better, we played really poor, but we bounced back next season and were the champions.

If you could sign any player from the Football League realistically speaking, who would you choose and why?

A lot of Fleetwood fans would agree that we would love to have Jamie Vardy back, we sold him to Leicester for a record £1million, and he was brilliant, he just knew where the goal was, would be amazing to have him back in the squad we have currently, we missed him when he went.

What would say is the most important thing about supporting a football team?

You've got to follow your team through thick and thin, Town is a very involved community club (I think we are the smallest by population in the entire league) so you sort of know everyone, but it's great to be part of what's going on here. Every club has its moaners but that's life I suppose.

Who do you see as being a threat to Fleetwood Town, are there any Notts County players you feel should be tightly marked?

Gary Liddle is a big lad and know doubt could cause us some problems on corners etc. I remember Ryce scoring a few goals for you last season but i may be wrong, to be honest you play at a higher level than us and it will be a good test to see if we can compete against a team such as yourselves as we are trying to gain promote to play in your league.

Please tell us a bit about the players who you would consider to be your danger men?

As said above Antonio Sarcevic is a threat, young talented lad and work rate is really good. If he's back fit, you'll have to watch out for the beast that is Jon Parking, just his pure size is an amazement, he he.

What's your thoughts on Notts County's shirts this season? Both shirts have received some split decision comments from fans of the footballing world.

It's very barcode like, but at the end of the days your going to wear it and if your a fan, with pride. The pink shirt, ha ha, brilliant, real men wear pink, so I'm told!!

We've had a new kit sponsor this season and our home kit is really nice but the away one, a lot has to be desired.

Have you ever visited Meadow Lane before?

Unfortunate not but its on my list, may be next year!!

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Liam for taking the time to answer our questions, we also wish them the very best with their campaign this season - as they push for promotion.
Chris

International Midfielder?

After our interview with Mr Trew, interestingly it splurged some healthy and open discussion as to regards a comment made by our chairman. “We do have 2 more targets in our sights – 1 being a midfielder who is an International and the other is a striker” The striker hinted at was Adam Coombes, a player who we featured not that long ago and is a player highly regarded by Chelsea fans. The international player, well it left room for debate but after several reports in the local media, Notts are being linked with Jackson Irvine a young player from Celtic on loan. Pride of Nottingham have taken the time to write a little about Irvine and collect some views on him!

Jackson Irvine was born and raised in Melbourne Australia on the 7th of March 1993, he had brief spells with clubs in the Victoria League but he signed for Celtic after a successful trial period in December 2010.

He featured for the Scottish U19's making three appearances but eventually switched to his home country where he progressed into Austrilia's U20's team. He's made a total of 12 appearance for the Socceroos so far.

The loan deal is expected to be agreed shortly, with Jackson Irvine expected to feature for Notts shortly after.

Although no actual league experience is attached to his name, he can come to us and make a name for himself. If he settles and takes his chance, we might continue to hear much more from him in the future and so it seems on paper like a very good move for both Notts and Irvine himself.

Pride of Nottingham's managed to speak with two Celtic fans with regards to what type of player Jackson Irvine is and how they feel about such a move for their youngster and of course for a club like ourselves.

Dazzabhoy88 said “he is a very good young player and going to a good league 1 team like Notts county, It would be a good move for him! Decent standard and playing against some good sides can only be good! The only criticism I can give notts county is that they let that big fa**y Davie Weir get his first league win lol....although I heard you guys had ten men so ill not be too hard on you guys”

Kennys Dugleash said “Jackson has a lot of potential and although our pre season in Germany never went the way we wanted in terms of results several of our Academy/Development players more than matched the opposition.

Irvine would be one of those and I think if this transpires you will have acquired the services of a very competent and technically sound defender.

He can also play in midfield so has a bit more to his game than just blocking shots ,heading and tackling.

I always hope our youngsters if they are to be farmed out on loan for experience go to decent Clubs and your Club certainly falls into that category.

He is not so far off the first team at Celtic and I gather there may be interest in Both Kelvin Wilson from Forest (revised bid) and interest in Efe Ambrose from down South so if either or both go I would be surprised if Jackson was allowed to leave myself?

If it happens then I don't think you boys will be disappointed in him.”

With comments like these it seems even more likely to be an impressive short term signing, we have actually a fantastic response from Celtic fans and we're unable to share all the glowing comments but I can add that none are negative. You Pies!

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank both Celtic fans for taking the time to talk to us, which ultimately allowed us to go ahead with this feature.
Chris

Fleetwood Town Preview

Jeff Hughes returns to Meadow Lane tomorrow evening no more than two months since he departed to the League Two outfit. Having scored on Saturday, the wide man looks to have settled in and there’s a sense that he could well be on the score sheet again tomorrow. Without dipping into the various opinions that have tried to interpret the form of Friday night’s performance against Sheffield United, it is hard to know what Kiwomya will do with the Notts side. It is most likely that the squad will be rotated considering pre-season feels as if it has hardly finished.

Without Gary Liddle at the heart of defence, an opportunity could well show itself to Manny Smith who could possibly rate as the most unlucky of Notts’ playing staff. Having not been able to get a game for love nor money, he could finally have a chance to stake his claim to the centre half position.

At the top end of the Notts squad, it’s likely that Enoch Showunmi could start after his beautiful strike against United. Who partners him is also wide open with Arquin and Haynes having both been unable to really feature in the United match. Adam Coombes could make his debut; it mostly depends on how seriously Kiwomya would like to take this fixture.

Notts are currently priced around 6/5 for the win with Fleetwood just a shade over 5/2. The draw is priced around 3/1 and again I envisage a low scoring game with Notts really needing to display some creativity and ability in passing forward and creating goal scoring chances.

It is most certainly not going to be the game of the season; perhaps the best outcome tomorrow is a good Notts performance including some of the newer and younger players. A lot of Notts’ ambitions rest on the players performing consistently and being better in attack than they were last season.

You Pies.
By James Constantine
UniPie

How It Came Together

In this article I will try and show how football developed, slowly at first then suddenly took off in the second half of the 19th century as all the right conditions gradually came together and brought with it footballs first superstar. (Who could that be?) The first part shows how inventions and discoveries changed the lives of people living in the United Kingdom. The second part shows a timeline of events in footballs evolution. As before there are links to the previous articles for anyone who may have missed them or wishes to read again. I hope readers will bear with me as I recap a little and add more, hopefully interesting information in a chronological order.

Part 1 was about the formation of Notts County. Parts 2, 3 and 4 concentrated on, amongst other things, the formation of The Football Association, F.A. Cup, The Football League and professionalism.

So, 150 years ago on 15/1/1863 The Football Association was formed but it took events in the previous 100 years or so to make this possible.

Until the middle of the 18th century life in the UK had hardly changed for centuries.

The UK was a mainly rural society with most of the population working the land or from their homes and hardly venturing far from their villages, but with increasingly efficient methods of harnessing the power of water, factories and mills were built utilising this energy.

This was an age of invention and discovery with advances and improvements being made in all walks of life

The invention and further improvements of the steam engine accelerated the spread of mass organised production in factories and mills. These mills spread quickly where there was a ready supply of water, attracting workers and resulting in a migration of the population and thereby increasing the local population.

Improvements in agriculture increased the supply of food. Medical advances and better medical care reduced the infant mortality rate and raised life expectancy causing a rapid growth in the population.

Coal now became important as a means of heating the water for the steam engines and in the iron foundries and replaced wood as the UK's choice of fuel and luckily there was a plentiful supply of coal in many areas of the UK. This also helped create new communities and enlarge others, where coal mines flourished.

Now a new problem became apparent. How to transport all the raw material to the factories and mills, and then the distribution of the finished goods for export or around the UK.

The transport of large amounts of heavy material by road was slow and costly but the entrepreneurs during the industrial revolution came up with the idea of building canals to add to the river transport already in existence. One horse could haul a barge carrying much more cargo by canal than could be transported via road.

By 1830 a network of canals had been built in the UK in excess of 4000 miles.

Turnpike(toll roads) trusts were also set up to repair, maintain and sometimes build new roads to further aid the transport of materials and people.

The development of machine tools made better and more accurate mechanisation possible especially with the improvements made in the manufacture of iron and steel.

Another advance was the introduction of gas lighting. This was first used in London in 1807 and slowly spread throughout the UK reaching Nottingham in 1819. Now streets and interiors could be lit on a greater scale allowing factories and stores to operate longer and allowing nightlife to flourish.

In 1831 Nottingham became the first place in the world to have a high pressures mains water supply.

The Railway was one of the most important developments during the industrial revolution and was a great improvement on its predecessor - The wagonway.

Wagonways were carts drawn on track by horses. The earliest known wagonway was the Strelley - Wollaton line built in 1604 to transport coal from the Strelley mine to Wollaton where the coal was then moved by road to the River Trent for transportation down stream by barge.

The first public steam railway was built by George Stephenson and ran from Stockton to Darlington in the north east and opened in 1825.

The worlds first intercity link was the Liverpool to Manchester line opened in 1830.

Nottingham was linked by rail to Derby in 1839 and to Leicester the following year 1840

In 1830 there were only 98 miles of railways but by 1860 there were 10,000 miles and still expanding.

The new transportation now available also helped the rapid spread of ideas.

Between the early/mid 1700's and 1850 the UK population had risen from about 5,750,000 to nearly 17,000,000 (Liverpool from about 20,000 to about 376,000 and Nottingham from about 10,000 to about 58,000 (though this was only the central area and did not include much of what is now the City of Nottingham).

So now we can at last trace how football evolved from mob football to Soccer.

18th Century and before - Mob football - played on public holidays, with no rules and almost anything allowed short of murder.

Ball games played in public schools with varying rules.

1830 - Invention of lawnmowers - making the preparation of playing surfaces much easier.

1836 - Charles Goodyear patents vulcanised rubber and in 1855 produces a football.

1842 - First reference of a referee in a game in Rochdale

1845 - First time a referee is used in a public school match - at Eton College

1846 - Time limit for length of a match used in Lancashire games

1848 - Cambridge rules formulated in an attempt to unify the laws and enable inter-school games.

They included goal kicks, throw ins, forward passing and outlawed running while carrying the ball.

These laws were revised in 1856.

1849 - First reference of 3 officials in a match, at Cheltenham.

1850 - The 1850 Factory act - Gives workers free Saturday afternoons.

1857 - Sheffield FC formed - The worlds oldest club playing association football.

Sheffield rules formulated with free kicks, throw ins and a cross bar (previously a tape) across the goal posts and no off side.

1862 - Notts County formed - The worlds oldest league club playing Association football.

1863 - The Football Association formed and rules formulated. Playing area and goal size determined.

1865 - Nottingham Forest FC formed.

1866 - The offside rule introduced by the FA.

FA representative side play Sheffield FC using FA rules.

1867 - The Youdan Cup, the worlds first football tournament is played in Sheffield between 12

Sheffield Clubs with the final being played at Bramall Lane.

Sheffield FA introduce the corner kick.

Late 1860's - Passing strategies evolving.

1869 - Further amendment of FA rules with handling of ball being excluded except for throw ins.

1870 - First appearance of goalkeepers and teams set at 11 a side.

England draw 1-1 with a Scottish eleven at The Oval, though this is not recognised by FIFA as an official international as the Scottish team was made up mostly of Scots playing in England and was organised by the FA.

1871 - The FA Challenge Cup, the worlds oldest surviving knockout competition is established.

1872 - The Wanderers beat The Royal Engineers 1-0 in the first FA Cup Final.

England draw 1-1 with Scotland becoming the first FIFA recognised international match

The FA adopts the the Sheffield rule for corner kicks.

1873 - Goalkeeper restricted to handling the ball the in his own half of the pitch.

The Scottish FA formed.

The offside rule amended to now apply when the ball is passed not as before when received.

1874 - Referees given authority to send a player off for certain offences.

Shin guards(Shin Pads) invented by Samuel Weller Widdowson who played cricket for Nottinghamshire and football for Nottingham Forest. He cut down a pair of cricket pads and tied them inside his socks. He went on to become a referee and officiated the first match where goal nets were used and became chairman of Nottingham Forest - 1879-1884.

1875 - Goal crossbars first used.

1876 - Sheffield FA organises its own challenge cup. The final was watched by 8000 spectators - twice as many as the FA Cup Final of the same year.

1877 - FA adopt Sheffield FA throw in rule - The ball can now be thrown in any direction as opposed to a line out type throw as previously used.

Match duration now set at 90 minutes.

1878 - Experimental use of electric floodlights in a match at Bramall Lane.

Penalty kick first suggested by Sheffield FA but rejected.

Referees begin using whistle.

1880 - First official use of shin guards.

1882 - The 4 UK National Football Associations(England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales) meet to discuss unification of laws.

Two handed throw in introduced.

1883 - Accrington expelled from football association for paying players.

The International Football Association Board is formed at a meeting in Manchester by the 4 UK national associations.

Goal crossbar height set at 8 feet from the ground.

1884 - Preston North End given a 1 year suspension by The FA for paying players.

Rules are introduced by the FA in an attempt to prevent players being paid.

Northern clubs in favour of professionalism form The British Football Association in direct opposition to the FA.

The British Home Championship (The home internationals) is established between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales with Scotland winning.

Derby County FC formed.

1885 - on 20th July The FA give in to pressure and legalise professionalism. (BFA now redundant)

1888 - The Football League formed.

Founder members - Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

The Combination football league formed in competition with The Football league comprising 20 teams but due to poor organisation was wound up in April 1889.

1889 - The Football Alliance formed with 12 clubs, the same number as the Football League, and covering roughly the same area comprising, Ardwick (Manchester City),Birmingham St. George, Bootle, Burton Swifts(not Albion), Crewe Alexandria, Darwen, Grimsby Town, Lincoln City, Long Eaton Rangers, Newton Heath(Manchester United), Nottingham Forest, Small Heath(Birmingham City), Stoke(City), Sunderland Albion(Not Sunderland FC), The Wednesday(Sheffield Wednesday and Walsall Town Swifts (Walsall FC).

1890 - Frank Whitby becomes the first professional playing for a southern team, Luton Town, being paid 2 shillings and sixpence(twelve and a half pence) plus expenses.

Irish FA propose introduction of penalty kick to the IFAB but again it is turned down.

The Combination reforms with Burton Swifts(not Burton Albion), Chester, Denton, Derby St. Lukes, Gorton Villa, Hyde,Leek(not Leek Town), Macclesfield Town, Northwich Victoria, Stafford County, Witton(Not Albion) and Wrexham.

In the Football League Sunderland replace Stoke who are not re-elected.

1891 - The referee moves to on field operation.

Football nets invented by Liverpool engineer John Alexander Brodie. After being trialed in a North v South match at Nottingham Forest's Town Ground they are adopted by the FA.

Assistant referees introduced as linesmen.

On the 14/2 /1891 Notts County were playing Stoke City in a FA cup quarter final tie. Notts were winning 1 - 0 when, with time running out, Notts left back, Jack Hendry, blatantly handled the ball preventing Stoke from scoring. The resulting free kick was easily saved and Notts won the match. This incident helped with the introduction of the penalty kick in the 1891/2 season.

Darwen are admitted to the Football league and Stoke are re-elected.

1892 - Stoke were again the victims of injustice while playing Aston Villa. With seconds remaining Stoke were awarded a Penalty kick but the Villa goalie kicked the ball out of the ground and by the time the ball was retrieved the referee had blown for time. The law regarding penalties was changed later in the season to allow time for penalties to be taken.

Football league expands to 28 clubs and forms a second division with the absorption of Football Alliance teams. Nottingham Forest, The Wednesday (Sheffield Wednesday) and Newton Heath join in the new first division with 16 club Darwen are moved to the new second division which also added, Northwich Victoria, Burslem Port Vale(Port Vale) and Sheffield United bringing the number of teams to 12, with Birmingham St George disbanding.

FA adopt penalty kick.

1893 - Football League 2 increased to 15 with the addition of Liverpool, Middlesbrough Ironopolis (Not Middlesbrouh FC), Newcastle United, Rotherham Town(not United) and Woolwich Arsenal (Arsenal),with Bootle resigning.

1894 - Bury, Leicester Fosse (Leicester City) and Burton Wanderers are admitted to Football League 2 but Northwich Victoria resign and Middlesbrough disband.

Referee given complete control of games.

1895 - Walsall Town Swifts are replaced by Loughborough.

1896 - Burslem Port Vale and Crewe Alexandria are replaced by Blackpool and Gainsborough Trinity.

1897 - Burton Wanderers are replaced by Luton.

Juventus FC formed.

1898 - Automatic promotion and relegation between leagues 1 and 2 introduced replacing test matches.

Football leagues 1 and 2 both now contain 18 clubs after the admission of Barnsley, Burslem Port Valle, Glossop and New Brighton Tower.

So there we are, the 20th century approaching and Football, more or less as we know it, well established and ready to spread around theworld.

All we need now are the players. Coming soon - 'Football's first superstar'

Discuss the Series - Super Rams Articles in the Community.

Previous Article | The Football League
super_ram

New boy Coombes

Notts County have confirmed the signing of Adam Coombes, known to many as 'Adam Phillip'. He is a youth/reserve team player who started life out at Chelsea FC. He's still regarded quite highly by the Blues fans and I've managed to speak with a couple regarding our newest signing. Adam Coombes was scouted whilst playing Sunday league football for a local club and was offered a chance to join Chelsea's academy, he ended up making his debut in January 2007 against Norwich City in a game in which he hit the crossbar with a header and throughout looked hard to handle. We've tried to find out what the Blues fans thought of him!

Adam's league experience only spans a months loan at Yeovil Town, where he made 3 appearances. Whilst at Chelsea he encountered some injuries which hampered his progression from reserves to Chelsea's first team.

Although during his tenure at the Blues, he knocked up an impressive youth team scoring record.

He was tipped to follow in the footsteps of other youngsters who had broken into Chelsea's first team, although after an injury, Chelsea cancelled his contract.

I spoke to a Chelsea fan who said “All the times I've seen Phillip (or Coombes as he should be technically called now), has been at youth level, having said that I think he'll make a smooth transition into a first team.

When he was younger he had a very good scoring record, with Frank Nouble who's also in the Football League now. Like you said he's fast, skilful, can play wide (probably wide left) and through the centre, even with his injury problems as he grew older, when he was fit, he still always used to score goals. I remember one game, I thought he had a similar style to Sturridge but opposite sided.

It has been a while since I saw him though, his contract cancellation and injury problems meant he got less and less appearances as he entered his 20s. Real shame about his injury problems, as without them (like Woods, Hutchinson and Pappoe) I think they would be making a much bigger impact on the Chelsea team.“

Quite a glowing report, although this isn't the only kind comments I've received whilst trying to find more about Adam.

Esk Watson (username) said “It was important to get Adam a loan move, whilst at Chelsea. He needed regular football and he is a good goalscorer. Hope he does his stuff there..”

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank both Chelsea fans for helping us with this feature, we wish Adam all the best with getting his career back on track and we look forward to seeing “doing his tuff here”.
Chris

TH's 2013/14 Final Table

This is our final table - aside from our special guest's. All was written before the first game of the season and this one features our Tony Hateley's prediction. Much like the one's before we see similar teams included in the relegation zone, with the addition of Tranmere Rovers. We also see Leyton Orient included in the play-offs, a surprising gamble for me and one which after today's result seems one likely we will have to watch out for. We here at Pride of Nottingham hope you enjoyed this development and series of features, why not compare the tables? Let us know your thoughts!

1. Wolves
2. Sheff Utd
------------------------------------
3. Peterborough
4. Bristol City
5. Gillingham
6. Leyton Orient
------------------------------------
7. MK Dons
8. Port Vale
9. Crawley
10. Bradford City
11. Notts County
12. Coventry
13. Swindon
14. Walsall
15. Preston NE
16. Crewe Alexandra
17. Brentford
18. Colchester
19. Rotherham
20. Oldham
------------------------------------
21. Shrewsbury
22. Tranmere
23. Carlisle
24. Stevenage

Please keep tuned for our special Guest!

Compare | Notts-Joe - WeymouthPIE - ncfcdrapes - Joe Jones - Super Ram - Special Guest
Fan of Big Tone

SR's 2013/14 Final Table

The final league tables are slowly being published, Super Ram's kindly taken part in this. His table see's Bristol City gaining promotion along side Wolverhampton Wanderers, the play-offs are being thought out by some pretty strong contenders. With the likes of Coventry who appear very likely to be docked points - Manage to stay a float. Oldham, Carlisle, Colchester and Stevenage have been tipped for relegation by Super Ram. We have one more table and then hopefully our special guests! Please keep tuned for more news here at Pride of Nottingham - Let us know your thoughts!

1 Bristol City
2 Wolverhampton Wanderers
------------------------------------
3 Brentford
4 Peterborough United
5 Swindon Town
6 Notts County
------------------------------------
7 Walsall
8 Sheffield United
9 Leyton Orient
10 Gillingham
11 Bradford City
12 M.K.Dons
13 Tranmere Rovers
14 Crawley Town
15 Preston North End
16 Crewe Alexander
17 Port Vale
18 Rotherham United
19 Shrewsbury
20 Coventry City
------------------------------------
21 Oldham Athletic
22 Carlisle United
23 Colchester United
24 Stevenage

Please keep tuned for more!

Compare | Notts-Joe - WeymouthPIE - ncfcdrapes - Joe Jones - TonyHateley - Special Guest
super_ram

Sheff Utd - Action Shots

Pride of Nottingham is once again delighted to be able to bring you some action shots of yesterdays game, which saw Notts lose 2-1 to Sheffield United away at Bramall Lane. The support was very impressive and great to hear fans vocal throughout. It's just a shame about Gary Liddle being sent off and the final result. We now leave you to view the photos which have kindly been submitted to us, we're very proud to showcase fans talents, so we hope you enjoy the pictures! With many Thanks going to Jurgen Halligan, mobile users please see the link below which will take you to our gallery - You Pies!
Mobile Users please visit | Gallery

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Jurgen Halligan for providing us with these excellent fan action shot.
Chris

Supers 2013/14 Preview

So what does an old codger Rams fan make of Notts County's previous season and prospects for the next one? Well here goes, my honest thoughts on the team who are second in my affections. The 2012/13 season began promisingly enough with Notts even briefly claiming top spot in September and the only real disappointment being the league cup defeat by eventually to be promoted league 2 side Bradford City. Notts season began to fall apart in November with the surprising and shocking news that your legend Lee Hughes was to be allowed to leave and with no replacement.

Then just before Christmas, there was the embarrassing home defeat in the FA cup to Rotherham United, another team to gain promotion from league 2.

Notts home form was now beginning to cause concern and it was only the tremendous record away run that was keeping the team near the top of the division and this came to an end with a 2-1 loss at Leyton Orient.

This defeat was soon followed by the sacking of manager Keith Curle. I don't think this was much of a surprise, his tactics and team selection were being widely criticised by fans and the team in general appeared to have lost purpose and direction.

The appointment of Chris Kiwomya as interim manager, soon to be made permanent, did little to raise the mood of Notts fans and any hopes of a play-off place eventually disappeared.

The poor home record and performances in the winter months saw attendances fall and led to a broadside from chairman Ray Trew who seemed to have become disillusioned and disheartened.

Chris Kiwomya did manage to lift fans spirits a little in the final few matches with the introduction of promising youth players and a tremendous last day victory away at champions Doncaster but the season was hugely disappointing in both league and cup matches.

The outlook for Notts fans did not seem overall very rosy though;

A winding up court order added to the gloomy mood of Notts fans even though it was dismissed in 60 second.

The announcement by Ray Trew that the playing budget was being cut by 30% added further concern for the Notts faithful.

Behind the scenes there were accusations of coaching staff behaviour, leading to sackings.

On top of everything else going on at Meadow Lane there was the player unrest;.Judge, Bishop and Jeff Hughes all eventually leaving.

The mood of Notts fans was very mixed and mostly pessimistic as the close season began very quietly. There were no new signings only players leaving and question marks over the future of the remaining players. There was even talk of relegation.

Throughout the summer months CK has remained upbeat and very positive. After an initially slow start to his rebuilding CK has managed to get important players to re-sign and added a good mixture of experienced and younger players to his squad with Dumbuya, Fotheringham, Hayes, Bell, Howarth and others. Individually, some of the signings may not get Notts fans jumping but collectively I think a really good squad is taking shape.

An excellent pre-season abroad and more particularly at home has all but replaced the end of season doom and gloom. CK is winning his doubters over and Ray Trew seems to have his enthusiasm restored.

There was more good news with the chairman changing his mind over the 30% cuts and also the mention of 2 more imminent additions to the playing staff.but the rift with the supporters club needs settling quickly(and quietly).

It's going to be a long hard season, starting at Bramall Lane and the fixtures wont get any easier with relegated Wolves, Peterborough and Bristol City expected to be amongst the pacesetters. There is also the possibility that the promoted clubs could continue their momentum. If you also look down last seasons final positions beyond teams like Brentford and Sheffield United the fixtures list looks even more daunting.

There is still a lot of work to be done and there will be a lot of twists, turns and set backs but if CK can get the best out of players, like Arquin, and there are not too many injuries, well the future looks very bright.

If management, players and fans all unite and pull together I think a top 6 finish is a real possibility.
super_ram

Sheffield United 2-1 Notts County

Notts County’s first game of the season ended in defeat after Gary Liddle’s sending off in the first quarter of an hour allowed a strong Sheffield United side to earn a narrow 2-1 win at Bramall Lane. Chris Kiwomya, in his first full season with the Magpies, had a virtually full-strength squad at his disposal, giving debuts to Mustapha Dumbuya, Danny Haynes and Mark Fotheringham. Within the first minute, the Blades were given a free kick, which was taken by Jamie Murphy. Bartosz Bialkowski had to get his hands on it, but it wasn’t especially threatening.

Just a few minutes later, Fabien Brandy fell in the box under a challenge, but the penalty appeal was waved away by the referee.

Murphy once again tried his luck in the seventh minute; Notts giving the ball away too regularly for the travelling fans’ liking, but his shot was fluffed wide, while a minute later, Kevin McDonald’s through-ball was just a tad too heavy for Brandy, Bart coming out to collect.

Notts eventually got their act together and managed to force the first corner of the game in the eleventh minute, Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s cross being cleared behind, which was very nearly converted by Haynes, were it not for a good stop by Blades keeper George Long.

However, any hope of building momentum was thwarted when, shortly afterwards, Gary Liddle was spectacularly sent off for a high tackle on McDonald. More recklessness than malice, there still weren’t too many complaints as the referee produced a straight red for the Notts defender. Terrible error of judgement for the Magpies’ Mr Reliable, who played every single minute of every single league game last season.

A panicking Notts soon lost all their momentum, as the Blades began to assert themselves over the game, enjoying over two thirds of possession in the first half hour or so. Chances came from Murphy, Stephen McGinn and Brandy, with another Blades penalty appeal being turned down, before the imminent breakthrough eventually came, courtesy of McDonald’s finish, helped by Brandy and Darryl Westlake.

Notts had their moments in the first half, notably a Joss Labadie diving header from a free kick which went just wide, despite little pressure from the United defenders, and the team and fans felt hard done by after Haynes received a kick from Neil Collins, but aside from those, it was clearly all Blades. Brandy in particular was being a real thorn in the side for the Magpies.

The half ended somewhat favourably to Notts, given they could have been several goals down. As it was, just the one goal difference, but there would be plenty of work to be done to try and address this deficit.

No changes made by either side at half time, and service resumed somewhat after the return whistle, McDonald’s effort on 47 minutes forcing a good low save out of Bart. Just two minutes later, the midfielder attempted a shot from 25 yards, going just wide.

After dishing out yellow cards to Brandy and Mark Fotheringham for both teams, Chris Porter nearly doubled the Sheffield lead twice. The first time he blazed the ball over from just six yards out, and just two minutes later, his failure to react in time to a ball whizzing across the face of the Notts goal meant it was still 1-0.

The Blades would come to regret those missed chances, because Notts equalised in spectacular fashion. Just two minutes after taking the field in the place of Yoann Arquin, a stray ball fall to Enoch Showunmi, and lashed it into the bottom corner from over 20 yards out. An absolute beast of a strike, which surprised everybody.

Sadly, less than ten minutes passed before the Blades were in front again. An innocuous Notts challenge was penalised by the referee, and the awarded free kick was headed in by Harry Maguire.

An injury to Michael Doyle, the United skipper, caused a delay on 77 minutes, before a powerful free kick taken by Taylor was comfortably saved on 80.

Towards the final ten minutes, Notts nearly equalised in spectacular fashion again, as Fotheringham lashed a dangerous volley from over 30 yards out.

Sadly, it didn’t smash into the net like Showunmi’s effort did, and that was pretty much it for the Magpies, as the Blades saw the game out while nearly scoring a third.

A good effort from Chris Kiwomya’s side, but sadly Gary Liddle’s sending off was critical and had a major impact on the Magpies’ chances.
Joe Jones

JJ's 2013/14 Final Table

So far four writers have written their thoughts on last season, they've included a prediction for the final finishes also. Here's Joe J's final standings, it's a very hard league to predict now and as you can see he's go for Shrewsbury, Colchester, Stevenage and Gillingham to lose their places within the Sky Bet League One. Bristol City and Sheffield United have gained automatic promotion, whilst the play-offs contain a surprise. It will be fun to compare how each writer is doing mid season and no doubt even more so at the end! Enjoy catching up on others. You Pies!

1 Bristol City
2 Sheffield United
------------------------------------
3 Rotherham
4 Wolverhampton Wanderers
5 Bradford City
6 Preston North End
------------------------------------
7 Peterborough United
8 NOTTS COUNTY
9 Oldham Athletic
10 Tranmere
11 Brentford
12 Crewe Alexandra
13 Leyton Orient
14 Walsall
15 Crawley Town
16 MK Dons
17 Swindon
18 Coventry
19 Carlisle
20 Port Vale
------------------------------------
21 Gillingham
22 Stevenage
23 Colchester
24 Shrewsbury

Please keep tuned for more!

Compare | Notts-Joe - WeymouthPIE - ncfcdrapes - Super Ram - TonyHateley - Special Guest
Joe Jones

J Jones 2013/14 Preview

So here we are, what originally felt like an eternity has finally come to an end, the season is due to start just this week! Finally, we will be able to see our beloved Magpies competitively once again! As has been mentioned before, last season followed the standard Notts template of recent years, that is hitting the ground running and being in the promotion places for the first couple of months, before running out of throttle towards November and finishing somewhere between upper-middle and mid-table. Last season fell apart a lot quicker than usual however, and though we rallied towards the end.

However notching up a spectacular win against Doncaster away, it was too little too late.

Where did it all go wrong then? Three things, in my humble opinion: the humiliating and morale-sapping FA Cup defeat to Rotherham, which left us short of much-needed funds for the second half of the season, Lee Hughes' departure, and the failure to replace him adequately.

The results were clearly visible on the pitch - I lost count of the times I wrote about us having no penetration, no eye for goal and other similar phrases in the match reports. It was so frustrating, and despite our good rearguard, we just couldn't get those all-important goals in, which resulted in loss of points and, ultimately, the slide down the league table.

Once the season was officially over, more trouble seemed on the horizon: Alan Judge, who carried the star player mantle once Hughesy left, departed himself, on a free transfer to first club Blackburn Rovers. Skipper Neal Bishop, so hard-working and inspirational for us, also left the club, and perhaps most embarassingly of all, Jeff Hughes left the Magpies for... Fleetwood Town of League 2. The message was clear for all: "Players would rather drop down a league than stay with Notts".

However, things have recently turned a corner. We have managed to secure some impressive signings: Mustapha Dumbuya has international football experience, Mark Fotheringham was immense against Galatasaray, Danny Haynes is young and has a good goalscoring record, David Bell was a regular for Coventry City, and Andy Howarth is also showing promise despite previously negative reviews.

In addition, Alan Sheehan deciding to stay on is very pleasing - aside from the fact he's a top player, it shows that maybe Notts County isn't that bad an option that players need to drop down a league to get more out of their careers!

All in all, it's been a make-or-break pre-season for Notts, and the board and backroom staff seem to have handled it well. I'm feeling a lot more positive than I was just two months ago, that's for sure!

As for a prediction, I'm going to play it safely and say we'll finish in the top half, but as we Meadow Lane faithful all know, even if we're ten points clear by the end of December, it doesn't matter, because if you're not in that position by the end of April, then it counts for nothing.

So let's hope this season is an exception - in a good way - and we can maintain good form all the way until the end of the season, and then who knows!
Joe Jones

Sheffield United - View

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

Linsbord; I just turned 50 and my first game watching United was in November 1971 when we beat Ipswich 7-0. I thought football was great but I've been waiting for a similar performance since.

YouFUMS; I was born a Blade in 1965, and I must have been to my first game around 4 years later. My grandad was a keen football fan, and used to take me along to Bramall lane with him. My earliest memories are of a 3 sided football stadium, with the 4th side housing the cricket pavillion. Watching great players such as Alan Woodward, Geoff Salmon, Tony Currie, and my boyhood favourite, Trevor Hockey.

The curse has stayed with me, and I have followed United to over 80 different grounds over the years. The Blades gene has been passed onto my 2 sons, and my 1 year grandson is already enrolled as a junior Blade...Childline have been informed!

40+ years of heartache and underachieving - sound familiar?- has been interspersed with spells of mediocrity, and an occasional highlight....cup semi-finals...play-off defeats...and flirtations in the top league. However, Your football club is part of what makes you who you are, and nothing will ever change that.

Are you happy with your pre-season, signings and new shirt(s)?

Linsbord; I'm happy with pre-season so far. The new manager has completely changed the style of play and it's great to see the kind of football we haven't really seen since Nigel Spackman left in 1998. In terms of new recruits we have Brandy, who you'll be familiar with and who is now starting to deliver on all that potential he showed previously. Still only 23 and a proper handful nowadays. McGinn looks a tidy CMF and Conor Coady on loan from Liverpool and the England U-20 Captain looks a very assured young footballer. Lyle Taylor was prolific for Falkirk last season but we know that doesn't mean he can cut it in the English Leagues. He does however possess a trick or two and has plenty of pace. McGinty and Johns, from Man Utd and Everton respectively, are really more development players and will probably see action in the cups or later in the season. So far we've retained George Long in goal and Harry Maguire at CB so I'm happy with that too.

I like the design of the new home shirt but not the quality of the fabric or the 'iron-on' sponsor logos. The away shirt is a catastrophe and looks like a Norwich reject. The worst part of it is the fact that it says 'football manager - hand held' on the back. I'll let you work out your own connotations of being handheld by a football manager - embarrassing stuff.

YouFUMS; Very happy that we have targetted young players. The oldest of the 6 new signings is 24 year old. We lacked pace last season, so the additions of Lyle Taylor and Febian Brandy will give opposition defenders something to worry about. We've added a defensive midfielder in Stephen McGinn to put pressure on captain Michael Doyles position, and have the bright young prospect, Conor Coady, in on loan from Liverpool. He's captained the England U'21s and made a couple of appearances for the scousers last season, so obviously has some pedigree. The final 2 signings are 19 yr old defenders, Sean McGinty and Jasper Johns, released from Man U and Everton.

I'm not one for buying a new replica shirt each year, I much prefer my Toffs 1971 replica. This years new home shirt looked pretty good when I saw pictures on the net and I was tempted into the club shop before our home friendly game last week. Trouble is, there are too many sponsor logos on the thing. The worse one being the 'Football Manager' on the middle of the back. I'm pretty used to one or two people pointing and sniggering behind my back, but this would cause severe paranoia, so I gave it a miss. The away shirt does nothing for me...it's yellow..it looks like a Norwich cast off. It could be a lot worse, have you seen your new away monstrosity?

How disappointed were you on missing out on promotion to the championship?

Linsbord; I wasn't remotely disappointed about failing to get promoted last season. Let me explain. The season before, of course we were disappointed. We had one of the highest goals-for tallies in Europe and were only 2nd in English football scoring behind Man City, yet our main striker gets locked up and we end up getting pipped at the post by our deadliest rivals. THAT season we played some great stuff and I was very disappointed although, as I was living darn sarf at the time I got to go to some great away games such as Yeovil, Charlton, Brentford, Bournemouth etc. However, last season Danny Wilson lost his bottle. Instead of wanting to go out and beat everybody he concentrated only on 'not losing'. This led to dour, slow and predictable football and I was glad to see the season finish to be honest. I was actually pleased we failed in the playoffs because I was afraid we would try the same tactics in the championship and thereby end up back down where we started.

YouFUMS; I think we all knew how it would end, once we were confirmed in the play-offs last season. We'd gone into the last 5 games in poor form, and our Chairman had made another ridiculous footballing decision by sacking Danny wilson, and giving the job to Chris Morgan. Expectancy was low, and it was no surprise that we whimpered out to Yeovil.

Where do you see Sheffield United finishing this season?

Linsbord; Where do I see us finishing this season? Well we have a new manager, new system, several new players so I do think it'll take a few months for it all to click into place. I'm happy for us to build up a head of steam to become a force in the League even if it takes 2 seasons providing we can see some genuine progress. Having said that, I do expect us to finish in the top 6, especially as 2 excellent players in Miller and Diego de Girolamo will be back fit around the turn of the year so watch out for us in the run-in. I think we'll get stronger as we go, so I'll say my heart says top 2, my head says 4th or 5th.

YouFUMS; A lot depends on how well we start. New manager, new players, new system. I can see us getting stronger as the season progresses. If we can hit the ground running, then there's no reason why we can't be pressing for a top 2 finish. In reality, I think it may take time for players and systems to bed in, but we could finish the season strongly, and for once be favourites to get up through the play-offs.

On the 10th of June 2013, David Weir became manager. How is he settling in and what was your thoughts on this his appointment at the time?

Linsbord; David Weir. At the time of the appointment, a huge relief. They were looking to give it to Robert Page or Michael Appleton. David Weir came from nowhere, I'm told a call from Moyes to our Owner set the ball rolling, and I have to say I'm delighted. He's calm, intelligent, hugely respected, and he is starting to introduce some excellent tactics into the players. The guy clearly knows what he's doing and we're generally buzzing here about our prospects for the new season, if only in the expectation of hugely higher levels of entertainment.

YouFUMS; Fantastic appointment that has united our fanbase and given us new hope. When you consider some of the candidates that we were being linked with; Chris Morgan, Gareth Southgate, Robert Page, Wally Downes, Keith Curle Then to get someone like Weir, with all his playing experience and contacts in the game, a man who comes across as very knowledgeable and well respected. Then we can't help but be excited.

Since our last opposition view with a Sheffield United fan, James Beattie's moved into management. Would you have liked to of kept him on?

Linsbord; James Beattie. Superb the first time around, should have kept him then. Second time around he was fatter, slower, and spent all his time trying to fight with defenders. A waste of time. I wish him well but have no problem with us letting him go.

YouFUMS; Beattie is yesterdays man. He was great when we first had him in our team, scoring for fun...well, actually scoring for a reputed 30k per week!! We sold him at the wrong time, again that was a chairman decision, as I believe his goals could have got us back to the PL. However, to take him back after his stints at Rangers and Blackpool was an even worse decision as he contributed very little.

Can you single out your main threats to Notts County and who's been your best player in your pre-season?

Linsbord; Main threats....Porter or Taylor as core striker, Brandy and Murphy joining in from the wings, MacDonald pulling the strings behind the striker. I'm not giving anything away there because a delegation from Meadow Lane were at our friendly with Atromitos last Friday.

YouFUMS; I would have said Lyle Taylor. 29 goals in 42 games for Falkirk last season. But he may not start due to the form that Chris Porter has shown in pre-season. Porter is generally a scapegoat for Blades fans, but I admire the way he gets on with things. He knows his limitations, plays to his strengths; uses his height, holds the ball up, and gets the occassional crucial goal. He always seems to play well against Nottingham County

The player that I think could be the difference in the game is Febian Brandy. Top assists player for Walsall last season. He is so quick and direct, he will terrorise many defenders this season. I think this could be a 'breakout' season for him.

Another threat is Jamie Murphy. He took time to settle in last season after leaving Scotland. We have so many scots around the place this year, that he probably feels like he's still back home. He has been in good form pre-season.

Which Notts County player(s) do you see posing a threat to your team?

Linsbord; County have some good players and have made some astute signings, with pace and creativity amongst them. I think you will do well this season and before a ball is kicked I have you down for top 8 with playoff potential. At this stage I'd pick out Fotheringham, Haynes and Dumbuya as ones to watch from the clutch of new players but I do think you'll miss Judge. We all wanted him down here

YouFUMS; Obviously a player like Haynes is always a threat. He has power, pace and an eye for goal. Our centre halves are strong in the air, but always look clumsy when a player is runnung at them. I also like that big oaf, Showumni. Is Sheehan still in your team? If so, then you have a player capable of putting some dead balls for Enoch to attack, that could make it difficult for us.

What formation and team do you see David Weir starting with?

Linsbord; No comment.

YouFUMS; From what we've seen so far, he likes to keep the centre of the park very tight, with 2 defensive midfielders, but also likes to use the wings in attack. So the formation is a 4-2-3-1. This then can easily change to 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 with the players at his disposal.

How do you Notts County doing this season and have you looked into any of our signings ahead of our game on Friday?

Linsbord; No comment.

YouFUMS; I think you will be one of a dozen clubs that has a chance of finishing in the top 6. You have picked up a quality finisher in Danny Haynes, and I also saw that you had signed Dumbaya from Crawley. It seems you have a lot of pace available to play with the likes of Zoko also being no slouch. I honestly see you finishing somewhere between 4th and 8th.

Can you tell us who you see finishing in the top 6?

Linsbord; Top 6 Sheffield United, Wolves, Peterborough, Bristol City, Preston, and either Rotherham, Milton Keynes Dons, or Notts County.

YouFUMS; Wolves are the obvious choice for champions. They still have a championship squad, and are still getting parachute payments. I'm a big admirer of Shaun O'Driscoll and his methods, and so expect Bristol City to be up there also. Brentford, Peterbrough, Notts County, and ourselves for play-offs. As a long shot, look out for Rotherham making a charge on league 1.

Please tell us about Sheffield and the facilities around Bramall Lane?

Linsbord; As for the facilities etc, for those who haven't been before, come out of the station and turn left

Safe pubs with excellent beer and food are: Rutland Hotel on Paternoster Row - very close to the Station, the Devonshire Cat on Wellington Street - a bit of a walk but worth it and the ground's not too far away. If you're not wearing 'colours' the Sheffield Tap at the Railway Station is a beer-lover's paradise. Most pubs near the ground are a bit scruffy although the new one on London Road, The Bell Jar is OK. Aside from these places, good food and good beer is a tad further afield. If you just want a pint, look for the Red Lion on Charles Street, again very close to the station and again, a safe place for visiting fans.

Inside the ground you can get expensive fizzy wee if you want a drink. We've just done a deal with Pukka Pies but if Bramall Lane is anything like previous seasons they'll sell out by 12 seconds after the half time whistle.

After the game it will either be very peaceful as we all exit, but if there's been any tension inside just be sensible as every club has its nutters, so just keep your head down and get to your transport quickly and quietly, just as I do when I come to Meadow Lane

For any other info I always use http://www.footballgroundguide.com/ - never let me down yet.

Right then, that's that. I hope you enjoy the visit to the world's oldest professional football ground, and I hope everything passes off in the right spirit, although when Brandy gets that penalty you will be spitting feathers - Hopefully we'll be spitting Magpie feathers by full-time, in a footballing sense at least.

All the best for the new season Joe, at least from Saturday onwards. Cheers

YouFUMS; Beautiful Downtown Bramall Lane is a proper old lady of football, much like Meadow lane except that Bramall Lane is better dressed. The oldest professional football ground in the world has a wealth of history. If you get a chance, take a look at our club museum 'Legends of the Lane', to see how the stadium has evolved over the years.

Our Club is in the heart of the city, unlike our blue n white sisters that play in South Barnsley. So when visiting Bramall lane, you have all the amenities of the city centre, just a 10 minute walk away. Bus station, Train station, a plethera of pubs and eateries all within walking distance.

I hope the game lives up to it's historical billing. Enjoy your visit to the home of football, but I hope your journey home is a miserable one.

Up the Blades! Up the Magpies!

Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Linsbord and YouFUMS for taking the time to answer our questions, we wish Sheffield United all the best for their season but tomorrow is all about NOTTS COUNTY!! Come On You Pies!!
Chris

Sheffield United Preview

In a sense, this is an indirect gem for those amongst us who enjoy the speculation and prediction phases of the modern game and present us with a robust challenge.

The challenge of predicting the composition of the league table come the end of the season has thankfully already been undertaken here on Pride of Nottingham. This leaves me with the slightly easier, but still baffling task of dissecting and digesting what may happen come 9:35 on Friday.

I must admit, I was slightly worried with the departures of Judge, Hughes and Kelly. A few holes were appearing in the squad and as a Notts fan it is always hard not to feel uneasy. Alas those holes were filled in as quickly as they appeared and it must be said both the backroom and playing staff have done a sterling job in replacing and building what was lost.

Dumbuya, Fotheringham, Bell and of course Haynes have entered the squad and seem to have provided grit to the cause so badly needed in League One. Perhaps it is thought, rightly so, that passion and determination are more important on a wet and windy night up in the far North in January than raw technical ability. Thus with Fotheringham already talking like a leader off the pitch, it is thought he can add character to the tough personalities within our squad.

Yoann Arquin looks reinvigorated. His goal against Ipswich was a sign more of confidence than of a change in ability. Alan Sheehan remains at Left Back and the solid trio of Bart, Liddle and Leacock are enough to build any great League One side. With some great fixtures and performances across pre-season it is fair to say that nothing bad can be said or aligned to the way in which Notts will have prepared for Friday.

A few murmurings of impending signings from Scotland nestle themselves at the glee of fans wanting to see even more quality brought to the side. For the purposes of Friday’s game, we shall leave it to you to speculate on these quietly spoken words.

Thus, with Notts looking in respectably fine shape heading into Friday’s game, what can we expect from Sheffield? They harbour a new manager at the helm in the form of David Weir who has wasted no time in imposing himself on a rather flat side who lost out in the play-offs of last season.

Febian Brandy, remember him? He has been brought into the side along with Lyle Taylor, a 23 year-old who netted 29 times for Falkirk last season. Conor Coady has come in on-loan from Liverpool to support the other end of the United side already boasting Liverpool first team appearances.

Both sides will want to start with three points, talk about stating the obvious. But I don’t see either team being too open at the back. Important to start out well and accumulate points early on, I fail to see either side willing to take too many risks in going for broke to fulfil this theory.

A front two likely to compose of Haynes and Arquin, will both be raring to make a goal scoring debut in the 2013/14 season. From my perspective though, I would be very happy to come away with a point and see a good solid performance with lots of potential demonstrated.

It would not be far off in saying we are about equal with Sheffield United going into this match in terms of new signings and pre-season activity. The bookmakers tell a different story though with United best priced 20/21 to win with Notts a 10/3 shot. Reputations should be avoided with no competitive matches having been undertaken at this point and thus my prediction for this Friday is a good display with a 1-1 draw. Or, if I’m being cheeky, a 1-0 victory to Notts.

You Pies

James Constantine. @JConstantine22
UniPie

ND's 2013/14 Final Table

1st. Wolves
2nd. MK Dons
------------------------------------
3rd. Peterborough
4th. Bristol City
5th. Preston
6th. Brentford
------------------------------------
7th. Sheffield United
8th. Bradford
9th. Notts County
10th Crewe
11th. Gillingham
12th Swindon
13th Coventry
14th Stevenage
15th Leyton Orient
16th Port Vale
17th Tranmere
18th Rotherham
19th Crawley
20th Walsall
------------------------------------
21st Oldham
22nd Carlisle
23rd Colchester
24th Shrewsbury

Please keep tuned for more!

Compare | Notts-Joe - WeymouthPIE - Joe Jones - Super Ram - TonyHateley - Special Guest
ncfcdrapes

Reflections & 2013/14 Preview

If we couldn't do anything with arguably the best player in the division in Judge last season, how were we to fare without him and, yet worse, with very little cash to spend?

The lack of transfer activity at the start of the summer heightened concern, particularly when a discarded Aston Villa trainee in Malcolm Melvin and an unwanted journeyman in Andy Haworth became our first two signings - and the only two for a while.

But suddenly things changed. The arrival of striker Danny Haynes, and the belief Kiwomya and the fans have in him to go and do the business and be that missing marksman we so desired last term, had a lot to do with it.

But moreover, impressive performances in difficult pre-season fixtures against Galatasaray, Rayo Vallecano and Ipswich Town shifted lots of the gloom. As did the immediate scoring form of Haynes and more surprisingly Yoann Arquin. He who couldn't be arsed last season has returned from international duty on fire, scoring two absolute belters in his two pre-season appearances to earn draws with Vallecano and Ipswich.

Fellow new boys Mark Fotheringham, Mustapha Dumbuya and David Bell have looked assured, while the likes of Bartosz Bialkowski, Dean Leacock and Gary Liddle have picked up where they left off last season - in resolute mode.

Suddenly our first eleven - which for the season's opener with Sheffield United should, for me, consist Bialkowski; Dumbuya, LIddle, Leacock, Sheehan; Labadie, Boucaud; Arquin, Campbell-Ryce, Bell; Haynes - looks a decent bet for a play-off push. And suddenly Kiwomya's work in the transfer market commands respect. Especially if he can continue to get out of Arquin the talent he clearly has on a regular basis.

Now everyone is looking at the Blades encounter - which has brought even greater excitement as it opens the entire new football season live on Sky Sports on Friday evening - with great optimism. It seems everyone thinks we will win.

I, too, am convinced we can get something at Bramall Lane - though most likely a point, which will definitely be a good one.

They are under new management, an untested, untried one at that, and will have suffered from great cutbacks after a second successive play-off failure.

But the Blades are too big a club to be down for too long and they, along with Wolves, Peterborough, Preston, Bristol City and last season's surprise package Brentford will contest the promotion battle. I also fancy MK Dons to rejuvenate and make a push.

As for Notts - I'm still not entirely sure. I've tried to work out an outcome during the course of this article but there are still too many question marks over many at the club.

Kiwomya, despite impressing me with his summer business - not least bringing in Mick Jones and Andy Watson to the backroom staff - remains very unproven. It is difficult to know how he will fare with a full gruelling campaign and the notably thin patience of Notts supporters.

Also, are the new boys going to be able to step up and replace proven senior players like Hughes, Judge and Bishop?

Can Haynes handle the expectation of being the leading man for the first time in his career?

There are more, not least how we will fare with one or two injuries as the back-up brigade certainly don't look up to it… in defence, Haydn Hollis, in midfield, Andy Haworth and up top, Enoch Showunmi and the woefully out of form Francois Zoko, inspire next to no confidence.

So for once I will stave off a Notts prediction, only to say it will no doubt be fun and games once again.
ncfcdrapes

Weymouth's 2013/14 Preview

One of the main ones was probably the loss of Lee Hughes, and the failure to bring in a replacement. Losing our cult-hero really was very disheartening for the fans. Then again, Keith Curle’s tactics were questionable on a number of occasions – playing one up front at home, sitting too deep, not getting forwards; it just seemed to fall apart.

Keith Curle eventually got the sack in February and the players’ attitude quite frankly stunk after that. Many of them didn’t seem to care, and appeared as though they just couldn’t wait for the season to end so they could leave.

It looked like our season was going to fizzle out into a series of gutless, hopeless defeats but then Chris Kiwomya began to give our promising youngsters a chance. Although at first results didn’t improve, performances certainly did, and the penultimate home game of the season against Colchester United was a really big day for the club. A number of youngsters played and impressed in that match, and it was topped off with young Romello Nangle getting his first ever senior goal in his first senior appearance. A 1-0 win at eventual Champions Doncaster followed before we ended with an encouraging performance in a 2-2 draw with Coventry.

As far as player movements were concerned over the summer, Alan Judge’s departure was inevitable and no surprise. He leaves us with some great memories and goes with our best wishes. Neal Bishop’s departure didn’t come as a big surprise either. I was quite sad to see Bishop leave the club mainly because that made him the last player from that amazing 2009-10 campaign to leave the club. He was an important part of that side in the midfield, and he always gave his all. Sadly towards the end of his time with the club, his outspoken Tweets got him into hot water with some fans and in the end it kind of soured his relationship with them. Sad to see, but nevertheless he goes with my best wishes too.

One player who many were surprised to see leave was right back Julian Kelly. He’s deffinatly talented and on his day a fantastic player. Unfortunately, he appeared to be made of glass. He was constantly injured or carrying a knock during his time at the club, and to be honest I think letting him go made sense. If we’re tightening our belts we can’t really afford to be paying somebody who is constantly on the treatment table.

The loss of Julian Kelly may not be such a big problem though with the capture of Mustapha Dumbuya. Dumbuya played for both Portsmouth and Crawley Town against Notts County last season. I saw him on all three occasions he played against us, and I was really impressed with him every time. That must say something as I rarely take much notice of opposition players during a match, but his hard work and constant runs forward were noticeable. He must have covered every blade of grass every time. He’s impressed the fans with his hard working performances so far in pre-season and hopefully that’ll carry on into the new league campaign. He’s deffinatly a good capture for the club.

Former Charlton striker Danny Haynes appears to have been the Magpies most popular summer signing. He’s already netted two goals in his first two games against Rayo Vallecano and Ipswich Town. He comes highly rated by fans of his former clubs and he had a pretty impressive record at Championship level last season. He is a bit injury prone, but if we can keep him fit and get the best out of him, Haynes could prove to be that 20 goal a season striker we were crying out for last season.

Speaking of strikers, Yoann Arquin has impressed a lot of fans this pre-season. Despite being the club’s top scorer last season many people were un-impressed with Yoann. He seemed to lack interest and hunger a lot of the time and to be honest most people were surprised to see him stay at the club.

Arquin has been away in America playing for Martinique in the Concacaf Gold Cup, and he’s returned to Notts seemingly a different player! He’s netted two fabulous goals in the last two friendlies and suddenly appears to have a new desire and better attitude about him. He has a natural talent but we just need to get it out of him consistently. If we can do that, Yoann could prove to be a very dangerous player for us because on his day, he’s capable of causing any defence in league one problems.

Winger David Bell has also joined the club after leaving Coventry City at the end of last season. He looked a dangerous player in the two games against Notts last season and has also looked good in the friendlies, fingers crossed he can do well this season.

Andy Haworth is another new signing. He’s only here on an initial six month deal but despite a lot of people dismissing him on the news of his arrival, he’s had an excellent pre-season – scoring a few goals out in Finland and looking pretty dangerous going forwards in the home friendlies.

We have a small, but talented squad here at Notts County. We all know from last season how good Bartosz Bialkowski is in goal and Fabian Speiss is a competent number 2. Defensively we’re also very strong with new signing Dumbuya along with Captain Dean Leacock, Manny Smith, Alan Sheehan, Haydn Hollis, and midfielder Gary Liddle who played much of last season in the centre of defence very well.

In midfield we have wingers David Bell, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Greg Tempest and forward Francois Zoko can also play on the wing, while in midfield we have Gary Liddle, Andy Haworth, another new signing in Mark Fotheringham – who has been described as a younger, better version of Neal Bishop, a host of youngsters, Andre Boucaud and of course Joss Labadie. He struggled to get into the side for much of last season and was sent out on loan to Torquay United, where he netted 4 goals in 7 games to help the club in their fight against relegation. He came back to Notts a different player, scoring a memorable free-kick against Doncaster Rovers and showing potential to be one of Notts’ main stars this season.

With Danny Haynes, a seemingly revitalised Yoann Arquin, Francois Zoko, Enoch Showumni, Tyrell Waite & Romello Nangle up front, we have what looks like a very dangerous attack, it’s just a case of getting them firing on all cylinders. The youngsters have been very impressive.

There’s no doubt that this year League One is going to be even tougher than it was last season. At the minute I think the play-offs are a pretty tall order for Notts but we’re certainly capable of a top half finish. If we can be in the top half come the last few months of the season who knows what might happen!

As far as league one itself is concerned, I don’t think you can look beyond the relegated clubs for promotion. Wolves have by far the biggest budget in the league and getting Wolves out of league one shouldn’t be too much of a challenge for former Millwall boss Kenny Jacket. They’re certainly my favourites for the title, with Darren Fergusson’s Peterborough United to come second. Posh’s poor start to last season effectively cost them their Championship status, as they finished the season in promotion form, only being relegated with virtually the last kick of the last game.

Bristol City should also be up there with Sean O’Driscoll at the helm and what look like some impressive new signings on paper, and of course Sheffield United. The Blades have just missed out on promotion for the last two seasons now and will be more determined than ever to get back to the championship. They may have a rookie manager in David Weir, but Weir has years of experience playing at the highest level, and he was always known as a very hard worker on the pitch. If he can implement that side of his own game onto his new side the Blades will deffinatly be a force to be reckoned with.

Preston North End had a strong squad last season but it just didn’t happen for them. However they have Simon Grayson in charge now. He successfully guided Leeds United to the championship in 2009/10 and has made some impressive signings over the summer, in particular Kevin Davies. They could be dark horses for automatic promotion. They’re certainly play-off contenders.

And of course there’s Uwe Rossler’s Brentford – last season’s beaten play-off finalists. Brentford were one of the best sides we played last season, and they had the best home record in the division. They should be in the play-off mix again at least.

I think Crewe Alexandra could be dark horses for the play-offs. They have a great young manager and a hungry, talented young squad. They had an impressive first season back in league one last season and with their potent attack and fast flowing style of football, they could cause a lot of sides problems this season.

When I think about relegation candidates, the first club that comes to mind is Colchester United. Their league position has been getting worse for the last four seasons now and with one of the smallest budgets and smallest squads they could be in for a long season. Carlisle, perhaps surprisingly also struggled last season and don’t appear to have done much business over the summer.

I don’t think any of the four promoted clubs will go back down. Martin Allen’s Gillingham look quite strong. They’ve managed to keep to bulk of last season’s title winning squad and have made some impressive summer signings – most notably Cody McDonald from Coventry City.

Rotherham United have also kept most of their side together. They have a nice new stadium, plenty of money to spend and the experienced Steve Evans at the helm. They could be looking towards the top half along with the Gills.

Port Vale were the country’s leading scorers last season and we all know what Bradford City are capable of, those sides should all be fine.

I won’t predict a final league table because I don’t know enough about a lot of clubs, there are always a few surprises at both ends of the table but I’ve given you the sides I think will be the ones to watch at both ends.

One thing’s for sure, it promises to be a very exciting 2013-14 league one season. For Notts it should be a season of bedding the youngsters in and improving on last season’s 12th place. Chris Kiwomya is a good coach with great enthusiasm, and I think we can push for a top ten finish.

There’s a feel good factor amongst the fans, the new kits selling well (I love the home kit! The away not so much), and fans appear to be buying into the clubs philosophy of bringing through the younger players and building towards a brighter future.

So, roll on Friday night. We are capable of getting a result at Brammel Lane. We mustn’t go there with any fear. If we believe we can win there and play to our strengths we’re a big match for them.

We’ll need the black and white army in the stands to be our 12th man this season and get behind the team from the very first whistle. Sing loud and proud!

As Ray Winston would say - let’s get on it boys!

COME ON YOU PIES!
weymouthPIE

WP's 2013/14 Final Table

1st. Wolves
2nd. Peterborough
------------------------------------
3rd. Preston North End
4th. Sheffield United
5th. Brentford
6th. Bristol City
------------------------------------
7th. Rotherham United
8th. Crewe Alexandra
9th. Notts County
10th. Gillingham
11th. Leyton Orient
12th. MK Dons
13th. Crawley Town
14th. Oldham Athletic
15th. Walsall
16th. Coventry City
17th. Bradford City
18th. Swindon Town
19th. Stevenage
20th. Port Vale
------------------------------------
21st. Tranmere Rovers
22nd. Carlisle
23rd. Shrewsbury Town
24th. Colchester United

Please keep tuned for more!

Compare | Notts-Joe - ncfcdrapes - Joe Jones - Super Ram - TonyHateley - Special Guest
weymouthPIE

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