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Joe Jones
Notts County midfielder Alan Smith has revealed he wants to sign a new contract at Meadow Lane.
The 35-year-old, formerly of Manchester United, is one of three players offered fresh deals by the Magpies – along with Haydn Hollis and Wes Atkinson.
"I would imagine that I will be (putting pen to paper) in the not too distant future," he told the Nottingham Post.
"This is where I want to stay. I've no qualms about that. I see it as a good club to develop my coaching side, but also, it's a good family club.
"I've had a few options to go to other clubs, over to play in India and a couple of clubs in America.
"But I've made no bones about it, I want to stay and play here, and be involved in this club.”
Would you be happy with Alan Smith staying at Notts County? Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County defender Mike Edwards has described the club as a “second home” as his testimonial year celebrations got underway with a Legends derby between the Magpies and Nottingham Forest.
On Sunday, Meadow Lane hosted a Legends Community Match Day, with the game itself taking place alongside a number of family friendly activities.
Steady Eddy was given a guard of honour by both sets of teams before the game got underway, and the first half went the way of Notts, as Jamal Campbell-Ryce gave his side the lead.
The second half saw Forest get back into it, as Luke Thomas bagged a brace and Chris Freestone added a third to give his side the win.
Edwards, however, gave an amusing reason why his side collapsed in the second half.
He said: "Our players who were coming on were just getting a little bit older and older, and theirs were getting younger and younger!
"The last 20 minutes I knew we were going to die a bit!"
Edwards also paid tribute to Notts, the club where he has clocked up more than a decade over two innings.
"When I signed, I loved it here," he said. "It grows on you, definitely.
"Ppeople said that, 'that we'll have ups and downs but we'll get under your skin'. That's definitely happened to me.
"I'm a Yorkshireman, I'm from Hull originally, but this is a second home for me."
How important has Mike Edwards been to the club over his spells at the club? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Guy Branston, Notts County's head of recruitment, has left the club after 15 months on the same day as the retained players' list was released.
The 37-year-old joined as chief scout in February 2015 and has played a role in recruiting players for the struggling League Two outfit.
In terms of playing staff, the key departures include Northern Ireland international goalkeeper Roy Carroll, midfielder Liam Noble and defender Blair Adams.
The full retained list is as follows:
Out of contract, offered new contract: Wes Atkinson, Haydn Hollis, Alan Smith
Option to extend contract taken up by the club: Jordan Richards
Out of contract, released: Jordan Aghatise, Blair Adams, Jason Banton, Colby Bishop, Roy Carroll, Will Hayhurst, Taylor McKenzie, Ronan Murray, Liam Noble, Lartey Sarpong, Filip Valencic
Loans expired: Andrew Boyce
Under contract: Stanley Aborah, Mawouna Amevor, Thierry Audel, Scot Bennett, Graham Burke, Adam Campbell, Kyle De Silva, Elliott Hewitt, Scott Loach, Izale McLeod, Rob Milsom, Rhys Sharpe, Genaro Snijders, Jon Stead, Curtis Thompson
Apprentices offered professional contract: Montel Gibson, Jack McMillan, Luther Wildin
Apprentices released: Paolos Beraki, Kieran Blaney, Benjamin Browne, Kenan Layton, Monty Parkes, Jake Payling
Do you agree with the departures and retentions? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Grimsby Town manager Paul Hurst has ruled out a move to Notts County by pledging his future to the Blundell Park outfit.
The 41-year-old was second-favourite among the bookies to take on the reins at Meadow Lane behind ex-Magpies boss Martin Allen.
Following Hurst's criticism of some Mariners supporters after their National League play-off final win over Forest Green Rovers, it was thought that he would be departing Humberside sooner rather than later.
The latest development, however, saw him pledge his future to Grimsby.
"I genuinely haven't got any other offers to be a consideration," he said.
"There's nothing to tempt me. My plan now is to look to next season with Grimsby Town and building a squad that we can be proud of."
That leaves Allen as clear favourite to become Notts boss with the current Barnet manager now 1/1 to return to Meadow Lane.
Do you want Mad Dog back at the Lane? Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Dutch Notts County duo Stanley Aborah and Mawouna Amevor could depart the club and return to the Netherlands, according to reports.
It is understood that former Magpies boss Ricardo Moniz is considering a swoop for his compatriots after being appointed manager of Dutch second division side FC Eindhoven earlier this month.
The 51-year-old he is believed to have targeted moves for Amevor and Aborah, two players he was instrumental in signing for the League Two club last summer.
Both players are still under contract for another year at Meadow Lane, but it is thought that Notts, currently in a transfer embargo, would be willing to let them leave.
Would you be happy to see one or either of them go? Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County are reportedly still hoping to appoint Paul Hurst as their new manager after the Grimsby Town boss criticised a number of his side's supporters following their play-off final victory.
The Mariners overcame Mark Cooper's Forest Green Rovers at Wembley, their 3-1 victory seeing them return to the Football League after a six-year absence.
Hurst has come under fire from some supporters this season, which included a "Hurst Out" banner being hung over a flyover after their play-off semi-final first leg defeat to Braintree Town.
And even after winning promotion, the Grimsby boss took the opportunity to criticise those fans, insisting "there were some here (at Wembley) who have been out of order throughout the season".
Should Notts move for Hurst ahead of current favourite Martin Allen, they would be required to pay compensation to the Mariners for his services.
Should Paul Hurst be appointed as Notts County's new manager? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County defender Blair Adams has claimed that the turmoil behind the scenes at Meadow Lane contributed to the players' poor showing in the league this season.
The Magpies, one of the favourites for promotion back to League One at the start of the campaign, were candidates for relegation out of the Football League by the last few weeks of 2015-16.
Adams identified issues behind the scenes, including a succession of managers, fan unrest and a protracted sale that is yet to go through at the time of writing as factors in the club's implosion and bottom-half finish.
He wrote in the Nottingham Post: "Uncertainty around the club crept into our performances and teams came to Meadow Lane and sensed fragility.
"We had three managers during the season and each gaffer brought their own tactics and management styles that, inevitably, took time to adapt to.
"Under Jamie Fullarton, we were consistently defended in the media for below-par performances, whereas Cooper chose to openly criticise.
"Both manager reactions should have triggered an immediate response from the players, either to repay the faith or prove them wrong. But as each game was ticked off, the same problems materialised.
"Unfortunately, now, we as players can't say "we'll put it right in the next game". The season is done and the league table reveals a bitterly disappointing position."
To read the whole column, click here (redirects to the Nottingham Post website).
Is Blair Adams right or do you feel it's all excuses? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County have been hit with a transfer embargo following their failure to pay for £20,000 worth of match tickets they sold for the recent local derby against Mansfield Town at the One Call Stadium, according to Stags chairman John Radford.
The Mansfield Chad has reporter that the Stags have asked the Football League to step in and ensure the money is paid, and have subsequently had the embargo placed on the Magpies until the matter is sorted, meaning they will not be able to sign players.
Mansfield, who won the game 5-0, were already reeling from a number of matchday incidents, including damage to toilets in the Nort Stand, but Radford said the failure to pay for the advance tickets was the last straw.
“They are not paying for anything at the moment,” he told supporters at the club’s weekly ‘An Evening With’.
“They sold their tickets for the game here, over £20,000 worth, and they’ve not paid us for that – or for the damage caused.
“We’ve got an embargo on them. I think they have about 12 days left to pay us and we’ll have to see what we act on next. But at the moment Notts County are not paying anything.
“They are in a bit of a state to be honest with you since Ray Trew’s left them. He doesn’t want to put his hand in his pocket any more. So we’ll see what happens.
“But I am assured we should be able to get our money back from them.
“They can’t sign any players or anything like that. The thing about the embargo we’ve put on them is that, I believe, when they get the money paid from the League next month, we’ll have first shout on that money before it gets paid into Notts County’s bank account.
“So we should get our money back before the League pays them any money for next season.
“It annoys me because their directors came and had drinks in our board room and smiled. And we always give a free bar to away directors when they come and see us.
“It was nice that we thrashed them, but they’ve not paid us their bills.”
A Notts County spokesman said: “As with any other business in the course of a potential sale, it is not unusual for creditor payments to be extended whilst discussions are ongoing with potential investors.
“Football League rules state that clubs failing to meet football creditor debts on time are automatically temporarily embargoed until such time as these payments are settled.
“We are currently in the process of scheduling due payments, including the monies owed to Mansfield Town relating to ticket sales, to ensure that the club can re-engage with out of contract players and enhance the squad when the new manager is appointed.”
A Football League spokesman said they do not disclose information about embargoes or private matters between clubs.
What do you think about the supposed latest piece of bad news from Meadow Lane? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County are not interested in either former Crawley Town manager Mark Yates or Braintree Town boss Danny Cowley, according to reports.
There had been speculation in previous days that the Magpies were considering making a move for the above managers.
The Nottingham Post, however, says Notts are searching for an experienced manager to take the job, in the hope of reviving the club's fortunes.
This would rule out Cowley, with Braintree chairman Lee Harding saying he had received no approach from the Magpies.
In addition, Notts are thought not to consider Yates a suitable candidate to take over from Mark Cooper.
Grimsby Town boss Paul Hurst remains the bookmakers' choice to become Notts’ next manager, with Sky Bet offering odds of 1/4 on him being in charge of the club next season.
Who do you think should be Notts County's manager? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
The rumour mill has gone into overdrive at managerless Notts County as a wide array of names have been tipped to take over the reins at Meadow Lane.
Notts, who have had three managers in the hotseat during the past 12 months, find themselves without a boss once again after Mark Cooper left the club right after the last game of the season - a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of Carlisle United - to join Forest Green Rovers.
The Lincolnshire Echo claims that Braintree Town manager Danny Cowley is the subject of a tug-of-war between the Magpies and local rivals Lincoln City.
Cowley has been sensational for the part-time Essex club this season, guiding them to the National League playoffs despite having a day job as a PE teacher.
Former Crawley Town boss Mark Yates, meanwhile, is being interviewed for the vacant managerial position at Notts, according to Sky Sports.
The 46-year-old, who was reportedly in the running to become the Forest Green manager before Cooper was hired instead, has been out of work since leaving the Red Devils last month.
Former Notts title-winning manager Steve Cotterill is also not tied to a club at the moment and, despite no reports of the 51-year-old being in talks with the Magpies, he has been named as the man most Notts fans want to see back at the club's helm, according to the Nottingham Post.
Who would you like to see manage Notts in the upcoming season? Share your thoughts by signing up to the Pride of Nottingham website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Chris
Notts County's last game of the 2015-16 League Two season saw Mark Cooper's side take on Keith Curle's Carlisle United at Meadow Lane.

As it turned out, the Magpies did not have a good game, falling to a 5-0 defeat which was followed by Cooper leaving the club for pastures new.

Pride of Nottingham spoke to a number of fans before the game and asked them a number of questions, including whether they were looking forward to the end of the season.

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Pride of Nottingham's Notts-Joe and Joe Jones prior to the Cambridge United game on the 23/04/2016 took to asking Magpie' fans key questions.

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Joe Jones
Mark Cooper has been unveiled as the new manager of Forest Green Rovers, just two days after leaving Notts County.
The former Swindon Town boss will be the National League club's manager "for the 2016-17 season", according to a statement on the FGR website.
Forest Green's statement added: "He hit his points target and was offered the (Notts) role permanently, however he declined the post in favour of joining Forest Green."
Mark Cooper said of his appointment: "I'm excited to be joining a club with a clear aim and strategy on where it wants to go and how it wants to get there.
"There are not many opportunities to join a club that has that foresight – a lot of clubs are run day to day and don't plan for the future.
"These clubs may be bigger clubs in stature, but this is a big club in the way it is looking forward."
What do you think of Forest Green Rovers' appointment and of Mark Cooper's comments? Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County assistant manager Richard Dryden has given a scathing assessment of the season just gone, describing it as “abysmal” and “heartbreaking”.
The Magpies have finished the season in 17th place, losing half of their 46 games and experiencing a number of heavy defeats, including a 5-0 thrashing at Mansfield Town and a 5-0 loss at home against Carlisle United in the final game of the season.
In addition three managers have been and gone, while Ray Trew has put the club for sale but has not yet been sold amid a flurry of media speculation over new owners.
Dryden said: "Personally I'm glad it's finished because when you know you can't win promotion or get relegated, it's been tough to keep players motivated.
"It's best to draw a line under this season. It's been really disappointing this season. We've let everybody down.
"I am hurting massively. I came up here as a young lad with Neil Warnock and his ethic was work hard for each other.
"I have been up here ever since bar four or five years and Notts is a club close to my heart. It is heartbreaking to see what is getting turned out some times.
"We've been short on certain areas. We've not hit the ground running. If we've been scoring goals, we've been conceding them.
"If we are not conceding, we aren't scoring. The quality just hasn't been there. Hard work isn't enough.
"Everybody at the club has to take responsibility. We've all got to be pushing in the same direction and aim for much higher because this season has been abysmal."
What do you think about Richard Dryden’s words? Share your thoughts on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County defender Blair Adams has criticised himself and the entire team for letting three managers down this season.
The Magpies began the season with Ricardo Moniz and, despite some promising early results, the team went off the boil, resulting in the Dutchman’s sacking.
Rookie Jamie Fullarton was next at the helm and, similarly to Moniz, a couple of decent results at the start of his tenure were followed by a horrendous run of form.
He was next to walk before Mark Cooper stepped in on a short-term deal until the end of the season but, despite marked improvements which helped Notts steer clear of relegation, he still saw two 5-0 defeats and one 4-0 loss under his tenure.
Following the 5-0 defeat against Carlisle United, a game which Cooper said he had to get something from to see his contract extended, the ex-Swindon boss decided to leave Meadow Lane, with non-league Forest Green Rovers said to be his next destination.
Adams said: "Obviously I am disappointed. We should be at least in the top half of the table, but we were nowhere near it. It was the last game of the season and Mark Cooper has had 10 games in charge and we've not done enough for him.
"It wasn't just him that we let down but Ricardo Moniz and Jamie Fullarton. It hasn't been good enough for them and we have let them all down.
"I've missed a large chunk of the campaign to be fair, but I am not excluding myself. None of us have been good enough."
Share your thoughts on this article by signing up to Pride of Nottingham's website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Finally, FINALLY, Notts County’s wretched season of 2015-16 has come to an end. Finally, we can consign one of our worst, most embarrassing and most mentally draining campaigns to the dustbin of history. But where do we go from here?
I had actually felt somewhat guilty after posting my previous column, where I had longed for the season to be over, but I then found out that a lot of people shared my views.
And when I say a lot of people, I mean virtually everyone I’ve spoken to at and around Meadow Lane, in the street and online. They ALL wanted this season over and done with.
Just over a month ago I flat out refused to come to Meadow Lane to watch Notts play Exeter in what turned out to be Jamie Fullarton’s last game in charge – good job I didn’t, because it ended 4-1 to the Grecians.
This brief mini-boycott came to an end just a week later when Fullarton’s brief reign came to an end and Mark Cooper came in his place, and indeed things turned round on the pitch, our fight against relegation ending in a positive note.
After safety was assured, however, it all fell apart again. We went from an upturn in form, which yielded two draws – including against champions, Northampton – and two wins, to losing three on the bounce and conceding 10 on the way, though a win against Newport seemed to somewhat alleviate the pain in the same manner paracetamol will stop a gunshot wound from hurting.
And then came the crowning moment to the whole farcical affair – the final game of the season against Carlisle United, which began under a bright blue sky and gorgeous hot weather, soon turned to clouds both above the pitch and on it.
It should have been a game of redemption where Notts ended the season on a high and secured either a draw or a win to officially crown Cooper as permanent manager.
This being Notts, of course, it had to go wrong. Cooper was heavily linked to the Forest Green Rovers – a team that, at the time of writing, was still in non-league – before the game, with both sources in Gloucestershire and our own Colin Slater saying he had opted to turn his back on the whole “points target” malark for something more stable and less farcical.
Indeed, the Magpies gave one of the worst performances of the season against the Cumbrian side, managed by Keith Curle – yet another of our ex-managers who has got a fair measure of revenge this season – the result of which was a 5-0 defeat.
And then, almost as perfectly timed as Earl Hebner’s scampering from the Montreal Screwjob (if you’re not a wrestling fan, Google it) or Craig Joubert’s sprint away from the pitch when Scotland were knocked out by Australia in the Rugby World Cup, so was Meadow Lane a shrinking object in Cooper’s wing mirror – he had bailed out on Notts no sooner the season was wrapped up.

So, here we are then. The 2015-16 season has come to an end, and I’m feeling like I’ve just done 12 rounds with Mike Tyson. I’m sure many fans will be feeling similar.
At the very least, is the future bright? Is it hell. We have no manager, we have an owner who wants to sell but, following a plethora of mixed messages in the media, seems no closer to do so, and we are lumbered with a load of players on two-year deals who seem to be just as disillusioned with the whole farce as us fans.
Let me ask you this, fellow Notts fans – over the last three seasons, how often have you actually felt like things were actually going well, either on the pitch or off?
I can pinpoint to a handful of moments at most – the Liverpool game, the Great Escape, the five-game winning run in October 2014, the 2015 off-season, the Aston Villa game, and securing safety this season. Out of about three years, we’re talking a total of three weeks, while the rest has been virtually all bad.
This season, in my opinion, has been the worst of the lot, bearing in mind the expectations we had at the start.
Just being consigned to this pathetic division is bad enough, but when we’re getting turned over by teams whose stadiums still have standing areas, who up until a few seasons ago were semi-professional non-league nobodies, whose badge features a PRAWN, then you know you’ve plumbed the deepest depths the likes of which you would need concrete shoes to reach.
Add to that being humiliated by a non-league side on national television, losing twice to your local rivals, falling to a record defeat against said local rivals, and all the chaos behind the scenes, and you have the perfect recipe for pretty much the worst season in recent memory – and Notts have had plenty of candidates since the turn of the century.
The other week, Cooper banished Liam Noble away from Meadow Lane and said he will deal with him when he feels like it. Now he won’t have to.
Us Notts fans haven’t got either of those luxuries, to either postpone the murky tasks or escape them altogether – once the season is over, it’ll be three months before we have to tune in again for another 46+ games.
The reality is that increasing numbers of fans are choosing not to deal with it anymore and are sacking it off. They won’t get season tickets. They are ignoring their heart, which tells them to support Notts through and through, and using their head, which is telling them not to bother anymore because of the heartache, grief, and wasted time and money.
In day to day life, relationships – in business, in love, in family, and whatever else – have their ups and downs, and people must take the rough with the smooth, but if the relationship isn’t going anywhere, if one party isn’t pulling their weight or, god forbid, if one party is abusive, then the other party is more than entitled to stop giving their other half any more chances and depart, never to look back.
If Notts County want to ensure that fans don’t abandon the club – which, as “sinful” as it is in the world of football, drastic times call for drastic measures – they need to make sure the relationship is fruitful, is going in the right direction, and isn’t abusive.
So for the sake of thousands of long suffering fans, Notts County, STOP MESSING US AROUND AND GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER.
Do you agree with Joe Jones' rantings? Share your thoughts on the Pride of Nottingham forum.

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Pride of Nottingham

Pride of Nottingham is an independent fansite devoted to Notts County, the world’s oldest professional football club. Created in 2013, it has served as a source of Magpie news, features, match previews, reports, analysis and interviews for more than three years.

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