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Joe Jones
Notts County loanee Andrew Boyce has criticised his side’s performance in Saturday's 1-0 League Two defeat at Yeovil Town, admitting that only goalkeeper Scott Loach could emerge with any credit.
The towering centre-back made his debut at Huish Park, having arrived from Scunthorpe United on loan, but was unable to prevent the Magpies slipping to defeat as former striker Francois Zoko struck in the second half to give his side all three points.
Loach, enjoying an extended run in the first team, kept the scoreline respectable with a series of top class saves, including one to keep out Leroy Lita's penalty.
"It wasn't a great performance and the only player who can come away with any credit was Scott Loach," Boyce said. "He kept us in the game at 1-0, but obviously we couldn't get a decent enough chance to equalise.
"It was an even game and at half-time all the manager said to us was don't concede in the first 10 minutes. He reminded us don't do anything silly, but that's exactly what we did.
"It was a good header by Zoko and it was just disappointing. And what is even more disappointing is that we have not pushed hard to get back into the game.
"The manager wasn't happy, but you can imagine what he said. I will leave what he said in the dressing room. He's not pleased.
“I was frustrated myself because it was my first game for the club and was disappointed in the timing of my headers. But it was just good to get back playing football again."
What do you make of Boyce’s comments? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Another matchday, another defeat for Notts, this time away to a resurgent Yeovil Town side who claimed a 1-0 win over the freefalling Magpies on Saturday.
The visitors enjoyed a bright start to the game at Huish Park, with Curtis Thompson firing just wide of the left hand post in the seventh minute.
Moments later, Liam Noble's well-worked low corner found skipper Jon Stead, but his shot was blocked on the line before being scrambled clear.
Yeovil then piled forward and forced a save from Scott Loach in the 10th minute before Mark Laird blasted wide three minutes later.
A lull then took place with both sides battling in midfield, but in the 27th minute Adam Campbell's pass to Stead was fired towards goal but blocked on the six-yard line.
The Magpies ended the half strongly, with Stead once again pushing forward and threatening with a shot four minutes from the break, but ultimately neither side could break the deadlock come the referee's whistle.
This all changed three minutes after the restart, as former Notts striker Francois Zoko connected onto Ryan Dickson's cross to head the ball past Loach and into the net to put the Glovers a goal ahead.
Jamie Fullarton had his goalkeeper to thank for keeping the scoreline down with a succession of brilliant saves, including to thwart Leroy Lita's 76th-minute penalty following an alleged handball in the Magpies box.
Notts pressed on a number of occasions and came close through Stead, Noble and Campbell, but Yeovil were clearly the better side and, were it not for Loach's saves and some lacklustre finishing, would have finished the game multiple goals to the good.
Six games played. Five defeats and one draw (to a struggling Dagenham & Redbridge side). Two goals scored in those six games. None scored in the last four.
Just how bad are Notts at the moment? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
The League Two clash between Yeovil Town and Notts County remains goalless at half time, despite a number of threatening efforts from Jamie Fullarton's side.
The Magpies enjoyed a bright start to the game at Huish Park, with Curtis Thompson firing just wide of the left hand post in the seventh minute.
Moments later, Liam Noble's well-worked low corner found skipper Jon Stead, but his shot was blocked on the line before being scrambled clear.
Yeovil then piled forward and forced a save from Scott Loach in the 10th minute before Mark Laird blasted wide three minutes later.
A lull then took place with both sides battling in midfield, but in the 27th minute Adam Campbell's pass to Stead was fired towards goal but blocked on the six-yard line.
The Magpies ended the half strongly, with Stead once again pushing forward and threatening with a shot four minutes from the break, but ultimately neither side could break the deadlock come the referee's whistle.
What did you make of County's first half performance? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County and Yeovil Town have only met 12 times over the years. The first game took place at Meadow Lane on 4 November 1961, with the Magpies beating their opponents 4-2 in the FA Cup.
That was the only meeting of the two pre-21st century - the 11 meetings following that game all took place between 2004 and 2015.
The last game took place earlier this season on 17 October 2015, with Ricardo Moniz's side triumphing 2-0 at Meadow Lane.
The record stands evenly poised for both sides at 5 wins, 5 defeats and 2 draws.
Yeovil Football Club was founded in 1890, and shared their ground with the local rugby club for many years.
Five years later they were renamed Yeovil Casuals and started playing home games at the Pen Mill Athletic Ground.
In 1907 the name Yeovil Town was adopted, which on amalgamation with Petters United became Yeovil and Petters United. The name reverted to Yeovil Town prior to the 1946–47 season.
The Somerset outfit have spent most of their existence in the lower leagues, though they briefly made a name for themselves in the 1948-49 season when they beat Sunderland 2-1 in the FA Cup fourth round.
In the 1980s, Yeovil were founder members of the Football Conference, where they remained for the next two decades, save for a few relegations to the Isthmian League which usually resulted in an instant return to the above tier.
Yeovil Town earned promotion to the Football League in the 2002-03 season, by winning the Football Conference by a record 17 points margin, accumulating 95 points and scoring 100 goals, remaining unbeaten at Huish Park.
In their second ever season in the Football League, the Glovers went one better by achieving promotion to the third tier as champions of League Two, and in the following years even reached the League One playoffs, beating Nottingham Forest in the semi-finals in 2006-07 before losing to Blackpool in the final at Wembley.
Six years later, however, Yeovil achieved what had been deemed unthinkable a decade earlier - they reached the second tier of English football after beating Brentford in the 2013 League One play-off final.
Their stay in the Championship was brief, however, and they went on to suffer back-to-back relegations, leaving them in the bottom tier of the Football League.
Yeovil is a pretty small town, home to just 40,000 people - two Meadow Lanes could comfortably take in the entire population!
In the 21st century, Yeovil became the first town in Britain to institute a system of biometric fingerprint scanning in nightclubs, and the first English council to ban the children's craze Heelys (those trainers with wheels that popped out from the heels).
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Yeovil host Notts at Huish Park on the back of three wins and an unbeaten run that stretches to five games, with four clean sheets along the way for good measure. The Magpies, in contrast, have not won in five and have also lost four of those.
On-loan Scunthorpe United defender Andrew Boyce is expected to go straight into the squad for Saturday's trip to Yeovil, after his loan move was finally completed midweek. His arrival should allow Elliott Hewitt to move back to right-back.
The only long-term Magpies absentee is Will Hayhurst, who is on the mend from a cruciate ligament injury.
Darren Way has no new injury concerns going into the game with long-term absentees Wes Fogden, Jordan Gibbons and Omar Sowunmi the only ones out. Meanwhile Jack Compton and Liam Walsh have been back in training this week and could well make the squad.
Leroy Lita is also in line for his debut after signing on a free transfer until the end of the season last week.
How do you think this game will pan out? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Businessman and Notts County fan Alan Hardy has given fellow supporters possible hints that his planned takeover of the club has not come to fruition.
Hardy, the chief executive of the Paragon Group, is understood to be one of several businessmen or groups interested in the club, which was put up for sale by Ray Trew last month.
Taking to Twitter last night, and responding to a fan who used Notts County's Twitter handle saying "sort it out", Hardy said: "I wouldn't hold your breath".
When another supporter tweeted "oh no", Hardy continued: "Sorry, I did my best. But sometimes you just have to accept that your best just isn't good enough."
Hardy is the only potential buyer who had made public his intention to take control of Notts, but he reportedly hit a stumbling block over the club's asking price.
Who would you like to see take over Notts County? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County have confirmed the loan signing of Scunthorpe United defender Andrew Boyce until the end of the season.
The 26-year-old former Lincoln City centre-back has joined in training with his new team-mates and could make his debut at Yeovil Town on Saturday.
Current Magpies manager Jamie Fullarton has claimed that Boyce's leadership skills and physical presence will be a welcome addition to his side.
"Boyce brings physicality and he has a hugely strong presence. He's a leader and I am happy he has chosen to sign for Notts County," Fullarton said.
"There was definitely a lot of interest out there, locally and from further afield across the divisions. But I spoke to Andrew and he's decided he wanted to come here.
"He wants to play for this club, which is a huge factor when looking to bring players into the football club."
Boyce made nine appearances for previous loan side Hartlepool United this season, in addition to a solitary showing for his parent club.
What do you think of this signing? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Scunthorpe United defender Andrew Boyce will join Notts County on loan on Friday, according to reports.
The former Lincoln City centre-back, who has managed only one substitute appearance for the Iron this term, will spend the rest of the campaign with a club in League Two rumoured to be the Magpies.
"Andrew Boyce will be going to a club in League Two on Wednesday to sign a loan deal that runs until the end of the season," manager Brian Laws told the Scunthorpe Telegraph after his side's 2-0 success over Doncaster Rovers last night.
"It's a great opportunity for him. In many ways he's going to a club of a really good standing within League Two and I'm sure he'll enjoy his time there. He needs to play games, like a few of our players that are not involved."
The deal for 26-year-old Boyce was meant to be completed on Thursday, but journalist Mike White tweeted: "Andrew Boyce to Notts Co still expected to happen but no official word from them or Scunny. Hearing it won't go through until tomorrow now."
What do you think about this deal? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County striker Jon Stead has claimed that the hostility being directed towards manager Jamie Fullarton is the worst he has known in his career.
Magpies fans aimed chants including “you don’t know what you’re doing” and “get out of our club” towards Fullarton as his side lost 2-0 to Bristol Rovers at Meadow Lane on Saturday. Stewards also had to intervene to prevent a banner being unfurled.
Stead says it has been difficult to see F0ullarton become the focus of the fans' anger, having admitted after the Gas game that the atmosphere is beginning to affect the players.
"In my career, I've never known any group of fans direct so much stick towards a manager," he said.
"It's hard because you feel for him because ultimately it's us that are not performing.
"I know the stick is always aimed at him, but I don't think that's just to do with us as players, I think it's to do with everything that built up at the club.
"It's quite an easy target to go for the manager, but the anger has to go somewhere.
"What we have to do is take that all together. There's no other way we can get out of it other than show unity.
"You want to keep it together because we could pull each other's heads off. You've just got to make sure you don't let anything boil over."
What do you make of Stead’s comments? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
super_ram
Nothing much changes. Northampton win again, making it thirteen games unbeaten and Notts lose again making it six games since a win. It was different at Dagenham & Redbridge as their 1–0 win over York gave the Daggers their first home win since last April.

Here are the League Two results for the weekend:

Saturday 5th March 2016

Wimbledon 0–0 Accrington
Barnet 1–3 Hartlepool
Cambridge 0–1 Exeter
Carlisle 1–4 Northampton
Crawley 1–1 Morecambe
Dagenham & Redbridge 1–0 York
Leyton Orient 0–1 Luton
Mansfield 0–1 Yeovil
Newport 1–0 Wycombe
Notts County 0–2 Bristol Rovers
Plymouth 2–2 Oxford United
Stevenage 0–2 Portsmouth

Today there were 2 home wins, 7 away wins and 3 draws.

League Two Update

There's no change to the top 6 places in League Two but Wimbledon's 0–0 draw with Accrington was enough to see them replace Leyton Orient in the final play off place at 7th with 53 points but only on goal difference.

Northampton are in 1st place with 78 points and are now 13 points clear of 2nd placed Oxford and 3rd placed Plymouth who each have 65 points. Furthermore the Cobblers are a massive 21 points ahead of 4th placed Accrington who have 57 points.

Portsmouth and Bristol Rovers are at 5th and 6th and occupy the other play off places with 56 points each.

Cambridge's 0–1 home loss to Exeter sees them fall to 13th with 50 points while the Grecians climb to 14th with 48 points and only 5 points away from the play offs.

Wycombe, Mansfield, Carlisle and Luton complete the teams between Exeter and Wimbledon.

There's no significent change at the bottom though the Daggers are 24th and have 24 points and have closed the gap to 23rd placed York to 2 points.

Hartlepool's 3–1 away win at Barnet keeps them at 22nd with 31 points and 5 points above the drop.

Stevenage's home loss to Portsmouth sees them drop to 21st but with 34 points.

Yeovil lift themselves to 20th with 35 points after winning 1–0 at Mansfield.

Notts are now 17th with 40 points and 14 points clear of the dreaded drop.

Upcoming Fixtures

Tuesday 8th March 2016

Accrington v Portsmouth
Bristol Rovers v Wimbledon
Dagenham & Redbridge v Carlisle
Newport v Barnet

A Newport win on Tuesday will see Notts drop to 18th. The 14 point cushion shouldn't worry Magpie fans too much, only the fact that Notts are where they are and not much higher up League Two!
Check out the Pride of Nottingham 'Dashboard View' - Visit our home page and don't forget to visit our community.
Joe Jones
Notts County manager Jamie Fullarton has pledged to work on getting his side to become more dangerous in front of goal after failing to score for four games in a row at Meadow Lane.
On Saturday, Bristol Rovers sealed a 2-0 win as the Magpies fell behind to a Cristian Montano goal before seeing Lee Brown double the lead after half-time.
The current Notts boss said: "We were always looking to get back into the game and for us to push on. We tried to get back into the game, but we couldn't. It stayed at 2-0.
"All we have to keep doing is keep working as hard as we are doing. The lack of goals is something we are trying to correct."
Fullarton also felt that once the Pirates had taken the lead it affected the way his side were playing. 
"I think it was evident in the two goals that we conceded, that it was naivety," he said. "We were playing against one of the top six sides in the division in what is a young squad.
"Building on from the first half we were looking to improve and unfortunately we didn't. There were a number of circumstances and situations with it. 
"Goals change games and affect players. When something does go against us, then it can't affect us the way it did."
What do you make of Jamie Fullarton’s words? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Being a Notts County fan is never an easy role. We’ve had more ups and downs at Meadow Lane than a rollercoaster for the majority of our history. But it’s safe to say that, like many fellow supporters, I’ve reached the end of my tether here.
Just this week, a Facebook “memory” from four years ago appeared in my feed where I’m proudly declaring that the Magpies had “played four, won four, scored five goals, conceded zero, and will take on Charlton Athletic (top of League One), Sheffield Wednesday (third) and Sheffield United (second) in the next 11 days.” The post ends with “challenge accepted”.
Fast-forward four years and we’re in League Two, losing against the likes of Oxford United, Morecambe, Accrington Stanley, and Cambridge United, failing to beat Dagenham & Redbridge, and perhaps worst of all, being brought down by SALFORD CITY in front of a national audience.
Oasis once sang “Don’t Look Back In Anger”, but how can we not see where we were just a few years ago and not feel anger, resentment and bitterness at where we are now? 
It should have never come to this. At the end of the 2011-12 season, we finished seventh in League One, missing out on the playoffs by goal difference.
Then it all went pear-shaped. Despite having a squad well equipped to push for the playoffs, Ray Trew abruptly decided to decrease funding, and was quoted by BBC Sport on 9 January 2013 as saying: "I am not prepared to increase that sum (said to be £12m since taking over in 2010)."
He added: “The only way I will inject further monies is in the form of loans. If I am being totally honest I am not motivated to even do that currently because I am not being supported by you, the fan base."
Keith Curle left and was replaced by Chris Kiwomya, the first of four consecutive managerial appointments with no English league experience. The likes of Lee Hughes, Alan Judge, Neal Bishop and Jeff Hughes would all be out of the door by the summer, and most of the replacements – save for loanees Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor – were simply not up to the same standard.
We went from fighting for promotion to fighting against relegation, and even though we survived at the end of the 2013-14 season on the final day, the following season was just as much of a slog, though lightning did not strike twice as relegation to the bottom tier was finally confirmed – the marvellous achievements of the 2009-10 season and subsequent hard work were all undone in the space of two seasons.
Although Ricardo Moniz was a decent enough proposition on paper, he simply was not cut for the slog of the English fourth division. The start of the season was difficult enough, and Moniz was rightly, in my opinion, dismissed. 
Now comes the point in this sorry tale which just defies all logic. A team scrapping in the bottom tier of English professional football, and not having a particularly good time of things at that, should be looking to hire a manager with knowledge of the English lower leagues – it’s not like there aren’t many knocking about – to drag this club back up the pyramid, in the words of former Manchester City defender Andy Morrison, “kicking and screaming”.
Instead, what do we get? An Under-21 manager with no experience of the English leagues.
Like many other fans, that was the final straw for me. No amount of PR could sell Jamie Fullarton as a good choice of manager to a group of fans that have seen their club endure a deterioration of health since 2013 to the point that it’s now on its last legs, with three equally unqualified and inexperienced managerial choices preceding it.
Much talk is made of “fair-weather” fans that only turn up for the good times and stay away during the bad times. This is a discussion that takes place among fans every matchday at the pubs and bars in and around Meadow Lane, in the stands, on forums and on social media.
“If you were a proper fan, you’d carry on supporting your club,” an ever-decreasing amount of people will say.
However, it has now reached the point where many fans have just had enough. The decline from League One playoff contenders to League Two relegation threats. The illogical managerial appointments. The public fallouts between fans and boardroom, fans and manager, manager and boardroom, and player and club. The revolving door of players through the Meadow Lane doors. Boardroom members resigning. And of course, the culmination of all this turmoil on the pitch – football that the likes of Mark Stallard have described as ‘not suitable for League Two’ live on air.
I admit I cannot wait for this season to be over and put Notts to the back of my mind for a few months. The club is in a perilous state of affairs, and no amount of emotional blackmailing from anybody over “supporting the club” will convince me otherwise.
Like many other fans, I will support my club in the lower reaches of the Conference if need be, playing derbies against Carlton Town and Alfreton Town. But all I ask for is a team with passion, a manager who knows what he’s doing, and a little bit of harmony behind the scenes. Not utopian perfection, but enough to give the fans reassurance that everyone is singing from the same hymn sheet.
And at the moment, none of this seems to be the case at Meadow Lane. 
Do you share JJ's views about the club? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County have slumped to a new low by putting in a diabolical second-half performance in their League Two clash against Bristol Rovers and end up on the receiving end of a 2-0 defeat.
Just one minute of the Meadow Lane clash had elapsed when Gas man Liam Lawrence suffered an injury and had to be replaced by former Magpies loanee Cristian Montano.
The first concrete chance of the game fell to Jason Banton, who cut inside onto his right foot and curled a shot just past the far post.
Notts came close again in the 24th minute when Banton managed to beat his man and send a low cross into the six-yard box, where Atkinson came within inches of getting to the ball in a perfect position.
Jamie Fullarton's charges continued to dig deep and just after the half-hour mark Jon Stead's ball into the six-yard was just too fast for the in-sliding Izale McLeod.
The Pirates, however, would end the first half in front because, just a minute before half time, Montano skinned Atkinson before firing the ball past Scott Loach.
Lee Brown then doubled Rovers’ lead soon after the restart by collecting Chris Lines’ corner kick on the edge of the area before planting a left-foot shot past Loach from 20 yards out
Notts fans had seen enough, and a number of individuals in the Kop soon unfurled a 'Fullarton Out' banner and raised a chorus of "get out of our club".
On the pitch, McLeod headed a good chance wide from an Adam Campbell cross before the pair were replaced by Fullarton in a bid to claw a way back into the game.
At the other end, meanwhile, Loach palmed a Jermaine Easter effort away before coming out on top in a one-on-one, while full-back Blair Adams also cleared another attempt off the goal-line.
How did you rate Notts’ performance against Bristol Rovers? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
The first half of the League Two game between Notts County and Bristol Rovers has finished with the visitors 1-0 ahead.
Just one minute of the Meadow Lane clash had elapsed when Gas man Liam Lawrence suffered an injury and had to be replaced by former Magpies loanee Cristian Montano.
The first concrete chance of the game fell to Jason Banton, who cut inside onto his right foot and curled a shot just past the far post.
Notts came close again in the 24th minute when Banton managed to beat his man and send a low cross into the six-yard box, where Atkinson came within inches of getting to the ball in a perfect position.
Jamie Fullarton's charges continued to dig deep and just after the half-hour mark Jon Stead's ball into the six-yard was just too fast for the in-sliding Izale McLeod.
The Pirates, however, would end the first half in front because, just a minute before half time, Montano skinned Atkinson before firing the ball past Scott Loach.
How did you think Notts fared in the first half? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Notts County and Bristol Rovers have met a grand total of 86 times over their history, with the first fixture coming on the 11th January 1913, a 2-0 win for the Pirates in the FA Cup at their former home ground, the Eastville Stadium.
The Magpies have claimed 31 wins and 29 draws against Rovers, whilst falling to 26 defeats.
The club was founded in 1883 as Black Arabs F.C., and were also known as Eastville Rovers and Bristol Eastville Rovers before finally changing its name to Bristol Rovers in 1899.
The club's official nickname is The Pirates, reflecting the maritime history of Bristol. The local nickname of the club is The Gas, from the gasworks next to their former home Eastville Stadium, which started as a derogatory term used by fans of their main rival Bristol City but was affectionately adopted by the team.
Rovers were admitted to the Football League in 1920 and have played there ever since, apart from spending the 2014–15 season in the Conference Premier.
They previously came close to losing their league status in 1939, when they were re-elected after finishing bottom of Division Three (South), and in 2002 when the team finished one league position away from relegation to the Football Conference.
Their highest finishing positions were in 1956 and 1959, on both occasions ending the season in 6th place in Division Two, then the second tier of English football.
The only major cup competition won by Bristol Rovers is the 1972 Watney Cup, when they beat Sheffield United in the final. The club also won the Division Three (South) Cup in 1934–35, as well as winning or sharing the Gloucestershire Cup on 32 occasions.
The team has never played in European competition; the closest Rovers came was when they missed out on reaching the international stage of the Anglo-Italian Cup in the 1992–93 season on a coin toss held over the phone with West Ham United.
In the FA Cup, Rovers have reached the quarter-final stage on three occasions. The first time was in 1950–51 when they faced Newcastle United at St James' Park in front of a crowd of 62,787, the record for the highest attendance at any Bristol Rovers match.
The second time they reached the quarter final was in 1957–58, when they lost to Fulham, and the most recent appearance at this stage of the competition was during the 2007–08 season, when they faced West Bromwich Albion.
They were the first Division Three team to win an FA Cup tie away to a Premier League side, when in 2002 they beat Derby County 3–1 at Pride Park Stadium.
They have twice reached the final of the Football League Trophy, in 1989–90 and 2006–07, but finished runners-up on both occasions. On the second occasion they did not allow a single goal against them in the competition en route to the final, but conceded the lead less than a minute after the final kicked off.
Actor Nick Frost is a Bristol Rovers fan, with his character Danny Butterman seen wearing a club shirt in the 2007 film Hot Fuzz.
The retired Conservative MP for Hayes and Harlington Terry Dicks, is also a Gas fan. He mentioned the club in parliament on 5 May 1994 when debating with Labour MP and Chelsea fan Tony Banks.
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Notts County midfielder Rob Milsom is the biggest concern for current manager Jamie Fullarton, after having limped out of the goal-less draw against Dagenham & Redbridge on Tuesday night.
Should he not be fit, Liam Noble is likely to come into his place in the centre of midfield, having played as a second half substitute against the East London side.
Scot Bennett is still working on his fitness and could be available again at Meadow Lane, having picked up a knock in the 2-0 win at Luton Town last month.
Winger Will Hayhurst is still recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury and is almost certain to be out, while Stanley Aborah is unlikely to be selected following the public fallout between himself and the club this week.
Fullarton also has a decision to make regarding the goalkeeper after he played Scott Loach on Tuesday, having opted to rest Roy Carroll.
How do you think Notts will fare against Bristol Rovers? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.
Joe Jones
Former Notts County goalkeeper Fabian Spiess has revealed how he turned down a trial at La Liga outfit Espanyol when he was 14 years old, a decision which eventually led to his signing for the Magpies.
The 22-year-old, who currently plays for Boston United, was spotted at an amateur tournament in Dubai by Mick Leonard, who was County's academy manager at the time.
Writing for the Lincolnshire Echo, Spiess said: "Just before me and my family were set to go to Dubai for a property search, I had the chance to go La Liga side RCD Espanyol for a trial.
"However, I turned the trial down. I would never have gone to Barcelona at the age of 14, it was simply too big of a move and, therefore, I didn't believe it was worth going for the trial.
"Some people would look back and think 'what if', but I would go crazy if every time I made a decision in life I thought 'if only I had done that'.
"The decision to go to Dubai rather than attend a big tournament in Spain changed everything for me.
"My stepdad's son was living in Dubai with his mother. He was playing for a local expat team, the equivalent of a Sunday league team.
"Before we left he told me to bring my football boots and gloves because they needed a goalkeeper for their game on Saturday.
"The game was at the Jebel Ali complex, a classy set-up where a lot of professional football teams go during their international breaks.
"After the game, a gentleman who was standing on the side came up to me and my stepdad. He said he had been watching me during my warm-up with my stepdad and that he was very impressed with what he had seen.
"His name was Mick Leonard, an ex-professional goalkeeper who had played in the Football League with Notts County and Chesterfield, among many others.
"He invited us to come down on Monday to do a session with him. After the session he said he was very impressed with me and that I had all the right attributes and great potential to become a professional.
"Mick was about to take on the job as academy director at Notts County. The youth set-up had been scrapped a few years before, but was being reopened and it was his job to fulfil this task.
"He invited me to go to Nottingham and have a trial at Notts County."
 
What do you make of Spiess' decision? Would you like to see him back at Meadow Lane? Let Pride of Nottingham know by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

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

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