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Chris
For myself I had been disappointed that something I knew I could have helped with would be passing me by, I had quite seriously dislocated my knee and although I am now on the mend. I was advised that this would be too much and likely cause me further complications, I had taken to Facebook to filter my disappointment. I wasn't aware that help was required, so I was really chuffed when I was asked to consider being a Marshall.

On the 14/07/2013 I arrived to see scenes which looked quite spectacular, a large amount of people lining up outside various places. From the main gate/conker tree, club shop all the way to the ticket office. Immediately I was alerted to the ex players who were forming to the side of the conker tree.

It took me a little time to realize who some where, regardless of being told who was already there. I could only recognise players who I had grown up watching, the likes of Tommy Johnson, Steve Cherry, Mark Draper, Lawrie Dudfield and later “Charlie McParland”.

After obtaining my high-visibility vest, it was soon time for myself and Andy Black to set off to our locations but before we could reach our points, Andy needed to pass on some more details, along with their vests to some of the other Marshall's and make sure they understood their location points.

Andy also needed to place some ribbon to a bench, as concerns of turning right at a point was raised which could send the cyclists in the wrong direction. As we approached the area, the first team was already zipping by us but it was fairly large in numbers and it appeared that some had separated away from their team leaders.

The ribbon was placed on the bench, as the third team was approaching and it was now our time to get into position. If we didn't reach our points fairly quickly, the first team would pass us by and we'd have no way of knowing if they were on course.

Thankfully by the time I had reached my point nobody had passed the Marshall before my point, which was Jimmy Willan a name most if not all county fans will know. I set my point up, sat in my chair and took to taking some photos of my point, Nooning Lane. Quite a nice and peaceful area, I really like surroundings like this and I felt quite lucky to be stationed there.

Not long after I had gotten comfortable, a car passed and some easily recognizable faces who seemed to be chanting county songs (possibly my name also but I couldn't quite tell). Then after that, the players approached who had broken off course and came flying passed me. Mark Draper was talking to the other three about Jimmy Willan and I heard one say 'Who's he?' and amusingly the other three piped up 'The guy who writes and sings those county songs' followed by a quick 'Oh right, yeah'.

The first team passed me not long after and before I knew it, I was being kept company by Jimmy himself. A lovely man, my feeling of privilege and luck was almost sky high by this point. My grandfather had a lot of respect for Jimmy Willan, I often heard his songs as a child and when we went on trips we always sang 'County's the team for me'.

I have to admit, which I hope is not taken the wrong way, I was a little nervous of seeming ignorant, as I was concerned that I would struggle to pick up his Scottish accent but unlike my next door neighbour (who's Irish) I could easily follow.

Jimmy shared some really nice stories, I was surprised to learn that he had spent time living in and supporting Liverpool but the part I feel most came home was when he told me why he liked supporting Notts. Very similar to what made me connect, as when my Grandfather first took me I wasn't all that interested. I wanted to go watching Derby with my father, although this has been touched upon before by me. It was the fact that you can feel 'close' to the club and that players like Michael Johnson would speak to fans, a player my Grandfather often chatted too.

During our conversation we had missed a phone call each from Andy, neither of us had heard our phones but the first team had set back off to Meadow Lane. I was a little saddened I didn't have longer to speak with Jimmy, although I hope there will be a next time.

I stupidly sat back down forgetting I need to change locations, as I tend to forget things. I thought I noticed a part of our group which reminded me, so I folded my chair and collected my things. Before making a dash across to the other side and thankfully it wasn't any of our group.

I took to trying to share the event via our Facebook Page and Twitter, although Twitter doesn't seem to like me sharing images via 3g and so I missed an opportunity there.

All of a sudden a group of four emerged and I was on the phone to my wife, who notified me of a change at home. As the cyclists got closer and I'm not joking, I responded 'Oooh It's Tommy Johnson and Mark Draper'. Followed by Dudfield, Cherry and then Bartlett. They briefly stopped and chatted to me, Mark had noticed who I was and he asked me how I was (followed by a why aren't you doing this?'. Despite having spoken to Mark and Tommy quite a few times, I still felt like a child seeing their icon. Luckily, I didn't stutter and I spoke pretty clearly.

By the time the second group had passed me, Andy had joined me and we was waiting for the other groups to pass.

Andy took to taking some photos of the teams/cyclists who passed. I pointed them in the right direction and as soon as it started, we were on our way back. Quite amazing how events like this can bring a sense of pride, a word I'm rather fond of for obvious reasons.

After sweeping and running some safety checks, I had found my way back to the starting point and the scenes again very impressive. I liked how the players mingled and everyone had huge smiles on their faces, it was nice to see younger fans turn up along with their parents. Time for the celebrations to start and several group photos, which I quite happily hide from but I did think it would have been nice to have a group photo of all the helping hands and organizers.

The celebrations continued at the nearby Navi pub, where I was surprised to receive a certificate and photo with 3 three of our ex players. Also, noticeably the atmosphere increased after England had won their first test match.

I'd like to take time to Thank Lisa and Andy Black, also Jimmy Willan and I'd like to give a special mention to one of our other Marshall's Shaun.

Well Done to everyone involved and thank you, Photo's will eventually follow.
Chris

Danny Haynes Signs!

By Chris, in News,

Born on 19th of January 1988, he started his career at youth level for Charlton Athletic before moving onto Ipswich Town.

He made his senior debut in 2005, which saw him go on to make 115 appearances and scoring 17 goals, noticeably gaining popularity after scoring a last minute winning goal against arch-rivals Norwich City in the following year.

Haynes was later loaned out to Millwall where he only made 5 appearances, scoring 2 goals.

He's spent time with Bristol City and Barnsley making a combined 83 appearances and scoring 14 goals.

Charlton Athletic signed Haynes on the 13th of January 2012 for an undisclosed fee, making a return to them after starting out as a youngster.

Chris Kiwomya told the official site “I think everyone was aware that one of our top priorities this summer was adding extra firepower to the squad and I knew very early on that Danny was the man that I wanted to bring in.”

“It was far from straightforward, but then it never is when you’re going after good players, they always have other clubs interested in them and that is reassuring in some ways,” he added.

“I know Danny well, having seen him play at the very start of his career and I think he’s the perfect fit for Notts County, he's a player that has the ability to excite the fans and we're looking forward to seeing him in action.”

Although his goal scoring record perhaps would leave room for some concern, the fashion he tends to score would not. The move to our club at League One level is exciting, he's a very natural player, with both pace and movement. A contributing factor that might well see him finding the net more for us, especially with the talk of strengthening our midfield.

Pride of Nottingham would like to welcome Danny Haynes to Meadow Lane, we hope he enjoys his time with us and becomes a fan favourite.

You Pies!
Chris

Malcolm Melvin Signs

By Chris, in News,

Malcolm proved to be fierce midfielder for Aston Villa, he produced a string of all-action performances for their youth team, chipping in with four goals in the 2011/2012 season.

He began the previous season with an opening goal in a 4-0 victory over Watford, he also went on to score against Birmingham City as Villa triumphed with another impressive 4-0 win.

Melvin has been capped by Scotland at U17, U18 and U19's.

He's the typical quick, strong and holding type player. He's keen on challenges, which he isn't known for backing down from. He joins on the recommendation of our Chief Scout Matt Alexander, who rates Malcolm highly.

Although he hasn't made his professional début, he could prove to be the type of capture we will need to learn to spot.

It's great to see the positive feedback, we certainly don't have anything to lose by offering him a 6 month contract and we here at Pride of Nottingham would like to wish him every success, wheather it's here at Notts County or away from the club.

Well Done to Notts for making this promising signing, hopefully a sign of more to come.
Joe Jones
Born on the 12th October 1981 in Dublin, Ireland, Thompson began his football career with his local team River Valley Rangers, before joining Home Farm FC, a club famed for its illustrious youth system.
During his time there, he was called up to the Irish Under-16 team, and helped the Boys in Green to a first UEFA European Under-17 Football Championship, defeating the mighty Italy in Scotland.
At the age of seventeen, he signed for Forest, another team with a strong youth system, and by 2000 he had won another youth tournament, this time the Premier Academy League, as the captain of an Under-19 team including future Premier League mainstays as Andy Reid, Jermaine Jenas and Michael Dawson.
His full debut for the Reds came in the 2001/02 season away at Sheffield United, and by the following season he was a valued member of the first team, starting 25 games in a strong team which also featured the likes of Marlon Harewood, David Johnson, and Wes Morgan.
His impressive performances for Nottingham's second team led to an international call-up for the senior Ireland team, his first cap coming against Canada in 2003. This made him one of the few footballers in Irish history to represent his country at every level.
In 2005, a knee injury against Sheffield United saw him sidelined until the end of the season, one which would end in Forest's relegation from the First Division.
Although in fine form in the third division, even netting several goals along the way, several factors, including injuries and backroom instability, meant he would fall out of the first team picture.
In the 2006/07 season, he went out on loan to Tranmere Rovers, performing well during two separate spells with the Lilywhites.
In February 2007, a ligament injury saw Thompson out for six weeks, which, given his struggle to reclaim a first team place at Forest, came at the worst possible time. Indeed, the end of the season saw Forest release nine players, Thompson being one of them.
The Irishman joined Oldham Athletic, but injuries restricted his appearances to twelve, three as a sub. Knowing he wouldn't be in the club's long term plans, he returned to Nottingham, hooking up with the Magpies in October 2008 for a month's loan.
This would be extended for a further two months, as he slotted in perfectly in Notts' back four .
In January 2009, he made the decision to sign for Notts permanently, agreeing to a two and a half year deal. His uncompromising defending and immense aerial presence meant he was an instant success.
By the end of the season, he'd replaced Notts legend Mike Edwards as club captain, the club confirming he would remain skipper for the following season.
As every Notts fan knows, the 2009/10 season was a very odd one, as the club was taken over by the mysterious Munto Finance and saw a media circus complete with some of English football's marquee names turn up at the Lane, playing great football and winning the title but always having the fear of uncertainty regarding the club's finances and future as it emerged the whole affair wasn't entirely legitimate.
Thompson, along with other players like Ricky Ravenhill and Mike Edwards, were a bastion of stability and calm, however, and never let their guard or game down both on and off the field, as Notts emerged from the whole debacle relatively unscathed, Thompson lifting the championship trophy at the end of the season.
The 2010/11 season was more of a struggle, as Notts struggled in League One on the final day of the season, but Thompson's contributions were nonetheless important.
However, at the end of the season, his contract was not renewed, as new manager Martin Allen arrived at the Lane at the tail end of the season, and with him the intention to build his own team.
Thompson was one of a contingent of players to be released, alongside other first team players such as Jon Harley and Liam Chilvers.
Wishing to stay in Nottinghamshire, he chose to step down two divisions to join Mansfield Town, signing a two-year deal at Field Mill.
Tipped by the Mansfield hierarchy to become an instant success, his life was suddenly turned upside down as his team faced local side Ilkeston Town FC in a pre-season friendly on the 3rd of August 2011.
One member of their team, Gary Ricketts, had already caused injuries two of Mansfield's players, Ritchie Sutton and Martin Riley, before clashing with Thompson in the 68th minute.
All three players had to be taken to hospital. Thompson suffered a broken nose, required nearly 60 stitches, damaged his shoulder and dislocated his finger.
Even after recovering physically, so harrowing was the experience that he began having panic attacks and lost confidence on and off the pitch.
Despite seeing a psychologist, he wasn't able to fully overcome his issues, and as a result, was forced to retire from the game at the young age of 31 in 2013.
Since then, Thompson has qualified, and has been working as, a physiotherapist and personal trainer, and also does media work discussing the county's clubs.
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super_ram
There were a lot of other factors though that helped the sudden, rapid growth of soccer and indeed other field sports. Some may appear insignificant but were nonetheless vital and helped speed up the development process.

The invention of the lawnmower by Edwin Beard Budding in 1827 (patented 1830) was one such occurance, replacing the very laborious use of a Scythe and making the preparation of playing areas much easier.

Advances were also made with the actual balls used, Inflated animal bladders(usually pig), later encased by leather were most commonly used. These balls didn't keep their shape very well and bounced unpredictably. In 1855 Charles Goodyear, an American patented a method of vulcanising rubber and thereby paved the way for standardised, stable balls.

The spread of the railway network in the U.K was also important, providing a speedy and relatively cheap mode of transport to all classes of the population.

The one single factor that changed the British way of life and accelerated the changes in sport was the passing of the 1850 Factory Act which restricted the working week to 60 hours and all work had to stop at 2pm on Saturdays.

Now the working classes had free time on Saturday afternoons to spend as they pleased, which led to the traditional 3pm kick off time.

Soccer's popularity quickly gathered pace in the second half of the 18th century with new clubs being formed all around the U.K, particularly in the newly industrialised areas of The Midlands, Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Football was also developing north of the border and Queens Park formed in 1867 and Scotlands oldest club were invited to take part in the first F.A Cup competition. They were invited to take part due to withdrawals by other clubs but had to withdraw themselves due to lack of funds

Queens Park even played in the final twice in 1884 and 1887, losing both times to Blackburn Rovers (2-1 and 2-0) and were instrumental in the formation of The Scottish Football Association in 1873.They were also the winners of the first Scottish F.A.Cup final beating Clydesdale 2-0 1873/4

The Scottish F.A. barred its members from participating in The F.A. cup in 1887 and apart from a brief spell in the 1980's when Gretna opted to play in The English League system until returning to the Scottish League in 2002, no Scottish team has entered since.

The early years of the F.A. cup were dominated by the Sourthern elite clubs made up mostly of well off ex public school and university members, whereas the members of clubs in the North and Midlands were mostly poorly paid, and working class.

Although soccer was still strictly amateur, a number of clubs particularly in Lancashire were attracting the better players, including a lot from Scotland, with the offer of a job and under the counter payments. Compensation for loss of earnings while playing for a club was allowed but often abused.

The stranglehold of the Southern amateurs was loosened in 1881/2 when Blackburn Rovers reached the F.A.cup final losing 1-0 to the Old Etonians.

A programme from this match was sold by auction at Sothebys in May 2013 for £36250, a world record for a football programme.

The following season, 1882/3 saw the southern dominance finally broken when Blackburn Olympic beat Old Etonians 2-1 after extra time.

The practice of payments to their players by some northern clubs disgruntled some of the southern 'Gentlemen' and led to the expulsion of Accrington from the cup in 1883 and a years suspension for Preston in1884.

The F.A, in an attempt to assert its authority and stop the spread of professionalism, introduced many new rules including the banning of non English players.

The majority of Northern clubs were however in favour of professionalism so in October 1884 37 clubs at a meeting in Manchester broke from the F.A. and formed The British Football Association.

Fearing further mass defection to The B.F.A by more of its members the F.A. eventually gave in and legalised professionalism on 20/7/1885(thus making The B.F.A.redundant)

The Amateur Football Defense Alliance, later The Amateur Football Alliance was founded in 1907.

After the acceptance of professionalism it became necessary for clubs to arrange fixtures on a regular basis, rather than just take part in cup games and occasional friendlies, so they could pay their players.

With this in mind William McGregor, a director of Aston Villa wrote a letter to his committee and several other clubs on the 2nd of March 1888 suggesting a league competition which would provide revenue from guaranteed fixtures .

A meeting was arranged at Andertons Hotel, London for the 23rd of April 1888 (the eve of the F.A. Cup Final) This was quickly followed by a second meeting in Manchester at the Royal Hotel on 17th of April when The Football League was formally created.

No southern clubs showed any interest at this stage, so the original league membership comprised 6 teams each from The Midlands and The North. These were Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Bolton Wanderers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers

The first season kicked off on the 8th of September with each team playing all the other teams twice, once home and once away, but the point system (2 points for a win or one point for a draw) wasn't agreed upon till later in the season.

Preston won the very first league competition without losing a game, and also went on to achieve the first league and cup double when they beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 3-0 in The F.A Cup Final at The Kennington Oval in front of 22000 spectators.

A second division was added in 1892 when the rival Football alliance was absorbed, with the addition of amongst others, Nottingham Forest, The Wednesday(later Sheffield Wednesday) and Newton Heath(later Manchester United)

Now the first division comprised 16 clubs and the second division had 12.

Automatic promotion and relegation was introduced in1898 replacing the previous 'test match' method of deciding who stayed up and who went down.

The Football League continued to expand over the years (this will be covered in future articles) but by 1958 there were 4 national divisions.

In 1981 3 points were awarded for a win and play offs were introduced in 1986/7 along with automatic promotion and relegation between division 4 and The Football Conference league.

In1992/3 the top 22 clubs in the Football League broke away to form The Football Premiership but reduced to 20 in 1996.

This now left a Football league membership of 72 clubs evenly split over 3 divisions-The Championship and Leagues one and two.

The Football League is the oldest such competition in the world and also organises 2 knockout cup competitions - The Football League Cup and The Football League Trophy.

The Football League Operations centre is in Preston with commercial offices in London.

Liverpool hold the record as winners of the Football League when Division One was the top flight of English football with 18 titles.

Manchester United had won the title 7 times before adding another 13 titles in The Premier League.

The next article will be a summary of events relevent to soccers development up to the end of the 19th century and Footballs first superstar.

Discuss the Series - Super Rams Articles in the Community.
Previous Article | Introduction of the F.A Cup
Chris
Nottingham City council eventually leased a plot of land to Notts and a new home stadium was quickly erected.
The stadium, 'Meadow Lane', would become the centre of football within Nottingham, as the ground en-counted historic moments, such as the World War II bombing, many matches and legends of the game.
Moving onto the early 1990's then Chairman, Derek Pavis, set about plans to modernise the stadium. Over the years, the ground had witnessed a few characteristic additions but largely remained unchanged.
After the Bradford City Stadium fire, when sadly 56 deaths occurred, plus over 250 injuries and the Hillsborough disaster, the Taylor report required football clubs to abide by health and safety regulations. This brought about a swift move towards many English football teams being required to modernise their ground.
Meadow Lane was subsequently redeveloped in the early 90's.This saw the Meadow Lane End, County Road Stand and Spion Kop demolished and new modern stands replacing the former one's, as the Family Stand (Hayden Green Family Stand), Jimmy Sirrel Stand and the Spion Kop stand were rebuilt in a matter of months. Revamp cost the club an excess of around £5million pounds and a combination of selling strike partners Paul Rideout and Tommy Johnson contributed to the costs.
During the close season of 1994, the Main Stand was replaced with the existing Derek Pavis Stand.
The stadium is somewhere to be truly proud., it's many fans second 'home' and over the years we've seen other parts receive it's own revamps, such as the Meadow Lane Sports Bar. The whole ground has a 'special' family feel.
It's only when you think back into the past, recall the nostalgic memories and look about the redevelopment that you truly the appreciation the feeling.
Meadow Lane is also the only ground in Europe, possibly the world where the Chairman has his own personal view. The balcony is a wonderful feature of the stadium, as are many other aspects. My personal favourite being the tree locations, which I believe one will become the home of the Jimmy & Jack statue.
I've taken some pictures of the Stadium using my mobile phone, I will share some below and hope to share the album with fans who might be interesting in browsing.
-Edit: 28/05/2017
Due to the date in length of time between now and the original date of this publication, the link to the gallery has since experienced but if there's any interest (please do let us know) - I will consider releasing a new gallery of images that I have taken over the years.
http://prideofnottingham.co.uk/community/gallery/album/15-/
Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank 'Notts County Football Club' for allowing me to take the pictures.
Joe Jones
The 2009-10 season saw the Devon team retain Judge's services, and the rising star played 37 games, scoring five.

Towards the end of the season, then Blackburn manager Sam Allardyce told the youngster he was surplus to requirements at the club, meaning he had to move again.

On the 31st of August 2010, Alan Judge's spell at Notts County began, first joining on loan, then signing outright.

For three years, the talented Irishman delighted Magpies fans with his impressive skills and his knack for scoring important and impressive goals, and soon had all clubs in the Football League talking.

Judge's decision not to renew his contract is understandable, bearing in mind Notts County failed to win promotion and couldn't satiate the player's desire to grace the higher echelons of the league pyramid. Given Blackburn's recent troubles at the foot of the Championship, his decision to return to the Lancashire club in order to help them regain their rightful place in the top tier is noble and should be lauded.

Thank you for three wonderful years in the black and white stripes, Alan Judge, and best of luck with your childhood club!

(Oh, and if you could bang a couple past the red neighbours when you play them next season, it would be much appreciated!)
super_ram
So on Monday the 26th of October 1863 The Football Association was formed. The first and therefore oldest football association in the world, often referred to simply as The F.A. and with no 'English' prefix.

Today the F.A. oversees all aspects of the amateur and Professional game and is responsible for the management of the men's, women's, youth and national football teams. It is based at Wembley Stadium, London.

All English professional teams are members of The F.A though it does not control day to day running of The Premier League.

In the early days the F.A's membership (about 50) was quite small and its authority was often challenged or ignored completely. It's main rival in Sheffield had a membership of 26. Throughout the country though, new clubs were being formed, playing F.A.,Sheffield or mixed rules. The game of football was evolving quickly now with formations and tactics gradually being introduced.

On the 20th of July 1871 a meeting was held at the offices of The Sportsman newspaper when Charles Alcock (F.A. Secretary,1870-1895) proposed a knockout competition open to all F.A. member teams, partly in an effort to promote the F.A.

The first ever cup competition however was The Youdan cup held in Sheffield and played under Sheffield rules It was named after and sponsored by Thomas Youdan,a Sheffield theatre owner who provided a trophy and a prize of £2. The final was held at Bramall Lane on the 5th of March 1867 in front of 3000 spectators paying 3d admission and won by Hallam F.C.

The cup was lost until 1997 when Scottish antique dealer contacted Hallam F.C. who subsequently paid £2000 for it.

The F.A cup is the oldest national football association tournament in the world.The first matches were played 11/11/1871 with only 15 clubs entering. There were only 12 matches played in total, with many byes and walkovers and contested by teams from the London area only due to the cost of travel. The final was held at the Kennington Oval, London with 2000 spectators paying 1 shilling.

Wanderers, an amateur team made up mostly of ex public school and university members and founder members of the F.A. beat the Royal Engineers, a British Army team, 1-0. The Royal Engineers were considered favourites but one of their players broke his collar bone and substitutes weren't allowed in those days.

The Royal Engineers were the first football team to 'tour', playing games in Sheffield, Nottingham and Derby in 1873.

The following year 26 Teams entered, though 6 withdrew and Wanderers were given a bye to the final. In the1875/6 season the number of entrants rose to 29. The competition was slowly growing with teams throughout the UK now taking part. One very important factor now was that for a team to take part it had to agree to play under Association rules. The popularity of football as a participation and spectator sport was now becoming evident as by the 1888 final it was watched by 22000 people.

In the 2011/12 season there were 763 teams entered making it the largest such competition in the world.

This is a convenient point to close for now as we have reached the point of my next subject, which will be the formation of the Football League and professionalism.

I've tried to limit the article to the main aspects of the development and history of football and if any member has any questions or comments please feel free to do so on the links below and I will do my best to give a satisfactory response.

In the mean time here are a few random statistics;

Most F.A. Cup Final appearances and wins - Manchester United - 18 apps, 12 wins.

Most appearances in final without winning - Leicester City.

Biggest win in tournament - Preston North End 26 - Hyde (1st round 1887).

Biggest away win in tournament - Clapton 0 - Nottingham Forest 14 (1st round 1891).

Highest attendance - 126,047 Bolton Wanderers v West Ham - Wembley - 28/4/1923.

Preston N. E. achieved the first double (league and cup) beating Wolves 3-0 in 1889.

Notts County have appeared in 2 F.A. cup finals, losing the first on 23/3/1891 3-1 to BLackburn Rovers at The Oval, even though they had beaten Blackburn 7 - 1 only one week previously.

Notts did win the cup, though, on 31/3/1894, beating Bolton wanderers 4 - 1 at Goodison park.Jimmy Logan became the second player to score a hat trick in the final and Notts becoming the first team outside the top division to win having finished 3rd in Division 2.

Henry 'Harry' Cursham scored the most F.A. goals in a career period from 1877-18, a total of 49 goals whilst playing for........Notts.

Biggest cup final score - Bury 6 - Derby County 0.

The Rams had appeared in 2 finals previously, losing 3 - 1 to Nottingham Forest in 1898 (another unwanted statistic) and again losing 4 - 1 to Sheffield United.

The 1945/6 season had no league programme so for the only time in its history the F.A. cup was played over 2 legs up to the semi final and final. In a semi final replay at Maine Road, Manchester, Derby beat Birmingham City 4 - 0 in front of 80,407 spectators, a midweek record attendance between league clubs. The Rams went on to beat Charlton Athletic 4 - 1 after extra time.

So to make up for all the unwanted records I would like to claim that Derby County are the only true winners of the F.A. cup.

Discuss the Series - Super Rams Articles in the Community.
Previous Article | 150 Years of Football
Chris
Harry was born 11th of February 2010, and was joined up to the junior magpies two weeks later. He was a proud owner of the football shirt at the same time. We took him to his first match when he was only a few weeks old. The match was against Macclesfield Town, and we won 1-0 (goal by Clapham in 18th minute). Harry was taken to every home game of the season, and a running joke that he was our lucky charm was soon banded about within the family and friends at the club.

We also got married at the club in May 2010, which Harry proudly wore his Notts County Football kit and England football boots. As well as this, Mr Trew kindly arranged it so that we could bring Harry to the club, following training to meet players and the manager at the time, Steve Cotterill. He met many players who made a real fuss of him including; Neil Bishop, Ben Davies (shortly before his Derby departure), Lee Hughes, Kasper Schmeichel….But Harry was laughing and giggling away when he met Mike Edwards. Mike kindly spent around 15 minutes talking to us about his family and playing with Harry, so much that he had to be called back to perform his duties. This day is one we will never forget as a family, and Harry still treasures these photographs to this day.

While going to the matches, it was wonderful to see Harry grow, and take more of an interest in the matches. It even became apparent he had favourite players. We always sat in the Pavis Stand, and so he would watch the players on the bench warming up, and Craig Westcarr in particular would always getting Harrys attention. Mike Edwards would always wave and usually come over to say ‘Hello’ to Harry during the pre-match warm up. And luckily Harry got to see Notts County get promoted, which he enjoyed at the final home game of the season.

We still try to get to matches but unfortunately have not been able to afford it for a season or so. Hopefully we will be able to go to a few more of the games in the 2013-2014 season, and Harry can add many more signatures to his NCFC autograph book.

Current Favourite Player; Alan Judge (but he also loved Hughesy)

Favourite Chant; Wheelbarrow Song

Best highlight of Meadow Lane; Promotion from League Two

Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank Vicky and William, Also a big hello to young 'Harry' who we are delighted to feature as a Junior Magpie! If you would like us to feature your little one or child, please get in touch by E-Mail. webmaster(at)prideofnottingham.co.uk - Replace (at) with @
UniPie

The Future

By UniPie, in News,

After an astonishing end to the previous season, all the signs pointed towards Keith Curle developing Notts into strong play-off contenders, perhaps even more. But just as quickly as the leafs fell from the trees, Notts sleepwalked into an abyss. The confident squad, filled with match winners such as Zoko, Judge, Liddle and Leacock turned into draw specialists. Notts managed only one win, a surprise 1-0 victory against Swindon, in an eleven match streak which saw the month of December go by without a single victory. Thrown into the mix was a thorough drumming by Rotherham in the FA Cup.

We sit here now with the season over and summer on the horizon. Fans get ready for a month without the worry of the next home match or whether they will have to endure one of the woeful sausage rolls in the Kop. Unlike most normal seasons however, something does not feel quite finished yet at Notts. Normally we would talk about new signings towards mid-June and the list of those released would normally be about as surprising as the mud laden state of our pitch. This time however, the war drum is being thoroughly beaten by Chairman Trew. Reports of a slash in our budget of 30-40% strike a distinct fear into the hearts of those who want to see Notts sign proven goal scorers and recognisable, quality names in midfield. Whilst fans understand that cuts need to be made in order to comply with the new Financial Football League legislation and to secure the long-term future of our club, one cannot lose the initiative on progression.

Who couldn’t be happier to see Romello Nangle and Tyrell Waite grab a goal each in our final two matches of the season? Curtis Thompson and Haydn Hollis look sure to feature heavily in the Black and White stripes and no one would deny that bringing through the youth is a great strategy and investment. But one mustn’t lose touch with reality. The quality of League One this season has been bitterly poor; many fans saw this as a very big opportunity missed. Next season, larger clubs will be entering through the Championship trap door and strong teams from League Two will also be gracing our League. The idea that League One will be anything but stronger next year is totally incomprehensible. But why is this important?

This is important because if speculation is to be believed, Judge is as good as gone. Bishop, Zoko, Arquin, Showumni, Bencherif all look to be shown the door and even Jeff Hughes could potentially be on his way out. It is hard to see how our budget can be slashed by 40% without nearly all of these players leaving. Even the likes of Campbell-Ryce could be heading on the next train out of Nottingham should finances not permit an extension of his stay. If the majority of these players were to leave, it would be naïve to believe we could replace them with matching quality on significantly less money.

So with some of our best talent on the way out, the introduction of more youth players and a far stronger League on the horizon next season, can Notts realistically aim for anything higher than where we lay now in 12th? The answer is no.

No fan wants to see their team turned into mid-table fodder, it is not in Notts County’s nature to be in 12th spot. It doesn’t feel right not being on the edge of our seats right until the last game of the season either trying to avoid relegation or seal promotion. So what are we looking for as a club over the summer and into the new season?

The answer to this question will vary widely from those who want to see money invested from the top down to buy in the talent for promotion compared with those who are happy to wait for bottom up results from the youth. Next season will be decided in the months June to August. Chairman Trew cannot rely solely on more youth to create a squad with top 12 credentials next season, nor can he allow the likes of Hughes or Liddle to leave and not expect us to slip down the table. The obvious gamble being taken may result in dwindling attendances and the need for even more cutbacks should the youth fail to bring in attractive, goal scoring football and most importantly, wins. Conversely, we can neither expect more investment from the top, something Trew has ruled out more times than a monorail.

So with all things considered, our conclusions on next season’s predicament are not the exciting and plentiful paths to glory as we may hope. The first phase is likely to see Rodwell filling out P45’s with a large proportion of our squad on the way out. Rodwell’s pen will be out again in drawing up numerous contracts for new youth players set to turn pro. Along with the exit of current players and the restocking of the shelves with young pro’s, Kiwomya will come into his own as he searches for players to complement the youth. His first target must surely be a striker, or three. Notts’ tragic failure to score has undermined what is largely unnoticed as one of our best defences in years. Sheehan, Liddle, Leacock and Kelly with Bart in behind has surely got to be one of the strongest back fives in the League.

If Kiwomya can galvanise this defence, bring in some reliable and committed players with proven records at a similar level to our current position, progress is very realistic. Trew’s vision of a home-grown player fully establishing himself as a first team pro will take time, equally time worth waiting for. If Kiwomya can find the balance between the long term youth vision and next season’s viability as a competitive and prosperous team, then we really could be in for better times. If he misjudges this though, it could be quite catastrophic.

For all that has been said, let’s enjoy the very weeks that our blood pressure doesn’t sky rocket and hope that a sensible and cohesive plan is in place to bring the best out of our club. You Pies.

By James Constantine
Joe Jones
Under a bright sun trying desperately to shine through an overcast sky, Notts County finished a disappointing season on a decent note, drawing against fallen giants Coventry 2-2 at Meadow Lane. Buoyed by a good run of form and a victory against eventual League 1 champions Doncaster last week, Chris Kiwomya began the game in a 4-4-2 formation. Notable points included Kristian Pearce and Tyrell Waite making the starting eleven again, Bartosz Bialkowski back in goal, and Neal Bishop making the bench after his injury spell.

The first shot of the game fell to Coventry's Callum Wilson, who picked up the ball over the top and fired a half volley from the edge of the box. Bart was equal to it with a good diving save.

A few minutes later, John Fleck was brought down by Jamal Campbell-Ryce and won a free kick. Carl Baker's impressive shot curled round the Notts wall and required another stunning Bart save.

Despite some neat football by the home side and a couple of forays into the Sky Blues half, the away team had the upper hand, and it took the Magpies just over half an hour before their first meaningful shot on goal, JCR's long range attempt finally testing stand-in keeper Chris Dunn.

The succession of attempts by Notts, however, led to the breakthrough, as a shot by Alan Sheehan was saved by Dunn on 34, but young Tyrell Waite was on hand to head home the rebound. Much like Romello Nangle's first goal against Colchester two weeks ago, this was a moment to be cherished for the player, the team and the fans.

Notts were revitalised after the goal, and shortly after the restart, Sheehan nearly helped make it 2-0, his cross falling to stand-in skipper Dean Leacock. Dunn, however, forced a great save.

More close shaves followed as Yoann Arquin's header was nearly deflected into the Coventry net by their own backline, before Pearce's header from the corner was just over.

The second half saw Coventry come at the home team, with David Bell rattling the County crossbar from twenty yards out, before netting the equaliser on 52 minutes courtesy of Fleck's top corner finish.

The disappointment lasted about three minutes for the home fans, as the impressive Pearce seized on a loose ball after Alan Judge's header met the post. A simple finish which fell right into his path, it put Notts back in front.

Coventry, back on square one, set about trying to find a second goal, and on 71 and 73 minutes, David Bell's 25 yard missile required another top draw Bart save, before Fleck's left footed shot from deep inside the area went just wide of the left hand post.

Coventry piled on the pressure and eventually County caved in on 86 minutes, substitute Franck Moussa's half volley flying into the bottom right hand corner of the home goal.

The closing stages of the game saw more attempts being traded by both sides, Jeff Hughes for Notts and Bell and Cody McDonald for the Sky Blues.

2-2 would be the final score, however, and as the final whistle blew, the curtain fell on Notts County's 150th season, one which promised so much but ended up delivering so little. In the grand scheme of things, however, the club is in relatively healthy shape financially, and a top half finish isn't perhaps too bad a result.

In addition, the future is looking bright, with some of the young Academy players like Greg Tempest, Tyrell Waite, Haydn Hollis, Fabian Speiss and Romello Nangle showing they can cut it at first team level, which heralds for a promising season in 2013-14.

Thank you to all who have been following, reading and enjoying my match reports this season, and don't forget, even in the off season, Pride of Nottingham will be reporting on transfer rumours, happenings behind the scenes, and of course casting an eye on the Lane legends of yesteryear! Thank you for all your support, and Come On You Pies!
super_ram

150 Years of Football

By super_ram, in Media,

A short while ago I wrote an article about Notts County's 150 year existance, which I will link to at the bottom of this article for any readers to catch up on (if you choose to do so). Here is the second in the series of posts, where I've tried to describe the development of 'football'. Of course there are other codes of 'football' that grew out of 'mob football' in the mid/late 19th century. I've concentrated on the growth of football as we now know it in England, I hope you all find it interesting and any comments are again most welcome, so please get posting.

In 1857 Sheffield FC was formed by members of Sheffield Cricket Club as a way of keeping fit during the winter months, so becoming the worlds oldest club playing Association football. (Notts now being a professional league side) They began just playing games between club members and in 1858 laid down the rules by which they would play, these became known as The Sheffield Rules.

Hallam FC was formed in 1860 and soon there were at least 15 teams playing in the Sheffield area. Now inter club games were being organised and it became necessary to have a governing body to administrate these clubs. Thus in 1867 The Sheffield F.A. was created, becoming the first county association in England. Sheffield FC v Hallam FC is the oldest derby match still being played. Sheffield FC played an eighteen a side game in Nottingham under Nottingham rules on the 2nd of January 1865, their first game outside the Sheffield area.

Football was also developing all over the country particularly in the London area and in public schools, however when inter-team matches were arranged there was a good deal of confusion regarding rules of play, One way round this was to play one half of a game using one teams rules and then use the other teams rules for the second half.

This was obviously unsatisfactory. Also when pupils moved from school to university there was confusion about the rules of play. So in 1848 a compromise set of rules was formulated. These became known as The Cambridge Rules and were revised in1856.The rules included throw ins, goal kicks, forward passing and no running while carrying the ball.

In 1862 Ebeneezer Cobb Morley founded Barnes FC (London) and being concerned about disputes over rules wrote a letter in 1863 to the Bell's Life newspaper suggesting that an association similar to the MCC in cricket be formed to decide set rules and govern football.

So on the 26th of October 1863 a meeting was arranged at The Freemasons Tavern, Great Queens Street, London,with representative of several public schools and interested parties in attendance.

Over a series of 6 meetings rules were drawn up by Mr. Morley using the Cambridge rules as a basis but also incorporating some of The Sheffield rules and others and favouring dribbling and kicking the ball rather than handling and running whilst holding the ball. As a result of the handling and other rules being removed the representative of Blackheath withdrew his team from the FA.

Several other clubs soon followed suit and later in 1871 formed The Rugby Football Union. So now we have Rugby football and Association football or 'Soccer', a corruption of association. Sheffield FC joined the FA in November 1863 but continued to use their own rules until 1878 when the FA incorporated some further Sheffield rules.

The game of football (Soccer) was now becoming recognizable as the game we know today but there was still quite a way to go.

To be continued soon.

Discuss the Series - Super Rams Articles in the Community.

Previous Article | Notts County - 1862
Chris

Q/A with Lynn Lawson

By Chris, in Media,

Pride of Nottingham recently asked Lynn Lawson some questions in hope to further raise awareness to such a worthy scheme - Lifeline. This as been a privilege for us, as ideally we would like to help the club. Yesterday we featured an article based on the membership side, this gave a brief insight to how Lifeline started. We hope the questions are interesting and of use to promotional members. Hopefully this will be a gentle push in the right direction, as it would be nice to fill the allocated spaces and reach a PROUD 2,500.

Q; How important is it too for the club and fans to have the Lifeline scheme?

A: September 15th 1986 the Club held a crisis meeting that drew 1500 supporters to the Astoria night club, funds needed to be found and Lifeline was formed.

Now nearly 27 years on, Lifeline continues to plough money into the Club’s coffers and helps the Clubs finances.

In 2009 we donated £80,000 to the Club

In 2010 we donated £93,000 to the Club

In 2011 we donated £110,000 to the Club

In 2012 we donated £120,000 to the Club

So you can see, the donations are increasing each year, so Lifeline is very important to us.

We also pay out weekly to members £1520 in prize money and annually £10,000, a Car and Holiday vouchers.

You Have to be ‘in it to Win it’ .

Q; Can you tell us how the money raised is spent?

A: Generally it helps the Club with running costs, bills, improvements, wages, and equipment.

We also make regular donations to local charities, most recently The British Heart Foundation in memory of Joy Sharpe of Hillside Medical.

Q; How long have you been handling Lifeline?

A: I have been administering Lifeline since 2001, so 12 years now.

Q; How is Lifeline comparing member wise in recent years to when it was most popular?

A: We currently have 2025 members, the only other time the membership has been higher and to nearly full capacity was in 1986 when it was set up and then it reached nearly 2200. As a members scheme, our maximum membership allows us for 2500. In 2001 when I took over, we had just short of 1200 members.

Q; What would be the ultimate achievement for Lifeline?

A: To one day reach the maximum membership allowed at 2500 and to one day reach it's 50th Anniversary which of course will be in September 2026!!

Fans have a better chance of winning than with the National Lottery and are supporting The World's Oldest Football League Club at the same time, so don't delay join today! It couldn't be easier!

This is a follow up to "You Have to be 'in it to Win it"

Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank Mrs Lawson for taking the time out to answer our questions. Please be sure to visit the official site to find out more about Lifeline and also to enter your chance of winning Kiwomya’s Lifeline Tickets.
Chris
On Monday the 15th September 1986, 1,500 supporters packed into the Astoria Ballroom while more fans were locked outside gathered to hear about the financial difficulties the club had found themselves in. The clubs future was threatened with the financial crisis, as then Chairman Jack Dunnett was the only financial support and the club desperately needed to clear debts of over £1.8 Million. It was a direct result of the fans, players and board members support that the Lifeline scheme came into existence with John Mounteney quickly reaching 2,500 members.

Lifeline could only be possible with the dedication of any steward, with the fans making sure just how important it is to have something to aid the clubs coffers especially times become hard financially.

Notts County has long been established as a family club. The presence of staff members, even to this modern day, and the board make our club feel much different to any other.

Lynn Lawson has been administrating Lifeline since 2001, which in 2003 would have played a vital part in saving our club as we once again found ourselves on the brink of administration quite similar to when the scheme was originally started.

At the fans forum on Wednesday 3rd April, the entry and all proceedings went to Lifeline. £250 was also donated to the British Heart Foundation in memory of Joy Sharpe who had sadly passed away.On Friday the 12th, I met up with Jurgen who kindly offered me to attend the fans sponsor dinner. Inside the club shop 'Lifeline' was being discussed, I am not a member but I have always been interested. Lynn and Jurgen spoke about it and you could see how much it meant to Lynn and with the right person behind such worthy scheme it can only go forward. I'm going to join, I hope those who aren't members that read this consider it also.

Inside our community 'TonyHateley' started a discussion about Lifeline, he had asked if anyone was also a member. He kindly allowed time to answer some questions, along with Kirk Ward (a budding photographer).

Q; When did you join Lifeline?

Kirk: Joined about 2 years ago

TonyHateley: You are testing my memory a bit here and as I have said before it is not good. I've just had a look at my bank statements back to 2007 and I was paying it then but I can't go back any further, so I've certainly been in it since then but I was in it a lot earlier than that but was made redundant in the early 90s and stopped it for a while and then started again when I got my finances back on track so I reckon on the present numbers I have been in probably since 2000 or some thing like that, sorry I can't be more specific.

Q; Why did you join Lifeline?

Kirk: Because it gives something to the club and also gives me the chance to win prizes at the same time.

TonyHateley: The reason I joined is simple I love the club and wanted to help them out whilst at the same time hopefully win a little something myself.

Q; Could you tell me some of your highlights during the time you've been a member?

Kirk: Highlights has to be winning £100 a few weeks ago.

TonyHateley: I have had one win and that was the jackpot £1,000, I remember I was working at the Derbyshire Times Newspaper in Chesterfield at the time and my wife phoned me, I was worried that something was wrong because she didn't ring me normally, when she said the postman had just brought a cheque from Notts County for £1,000 I nearly fell through the floor, I never checked my numbers so it was a great surprise. We used the money to have a great holiday that year.

Over the years we have been to some great events organised for Lifeline members, every year they have the Lifeline Gala Night, where there is normally some entertainment and a chance to win £10,000 and a car if your numbers are drawn out. At one such event we bought some raffle tickets and were amazed when we won an Executive Box for a match of our choice for 8 people. We had a great time, I can't remember that match but as soon as people knew I had won I suddenly had lots of friends who wanted to join me. In the end members of my family and two close friends including a Chesterfield fan joined me in the box, I think we won but again memory fails me.

Continuing the good luck theme but not related to Lifeline, I always buy a 50-50 ticket at the match and have twice won, once when my son was with me at the time he was a struggling student so I shared it with him, I think it was about £400 he was well pleased but probably spent it all on drink as students do. The second time I was on my own and it was a night match so the win was a lot less about £200 I think but still a lovely surprise and I remember going to claim my prize and they gave me an envelope with cash but I had to wait a while and when I walked back to the car which was parked on Trent Embankment, the crowds had dispersed and it was dark, I was really worried about having this cash and if anyone had followed me I could be mugged. Paranoid or what.

To join lifeline please visit the official club website.

Lynn Lawson's kindly answered some questions for us, please do keep an eye out for this feature as we are very honoured to have had our questions answered. This will follow shortly but for now please do visit the official website to find more information.
Joe Jones
The 1960s. A truly exciting time to be in Britain. After the post-war hardship and belt-tightening of the 1950s, the 60s were the decade of social change in Britain.
Contraception became available, fashion became more risque, hedonism, optimism and the feeling of being able to change the world was on the agenda for many youngsters. On the footballing side, England officially became the greatest team in the world in 1966.
George Best was thrilling crowds (and ladies) on and off the pitch, and Celtic's Lisbon Lions were the first British team to win the European Cup in 1967.
Meanwhile, in Nottingham, Notts County fans were witnessing the advent of one of the greatest, most underrated players ever to grace the British game.
Tony Hateley, born in Derby in 1941, joined up with Notts in his youth, and was given his chance as a fresh-faced 17 year old in the 1958/59 season, scoring on his debut in a 1-1 draw against Stockport County. In his other three appearances that season, he showed enough promise to make people start talking about the potential of this youngster, who was already being taken under the wing of Notts legend Tommy Lawton for heading coaching.
He didn't get much first team action in the 1959/60 season, Notts' first in the Fourth Division, thanks to striker Stan Newsham, an older, more established player who scored 23 goals in 34 league games. His first start came on March 19th 1960 against Torquay United, Newsham by that point having been sidelined through injury.
Back in the first team, the young Hateley proceeded to score eight goals in ten games as Notts County dragged themselves out of the bottom tier at the first time of asking.
1960/61 was the season when Tony Hateley finally broke through the ranks, finishing the season as top scorer with 27 goals as the Magpies finished a very respectable fifth. Big Tone missed just one game as he announced himself to the footballing world.
1961/62 saw Hateley just miss the 20-goal mark, hitting 19 league goals in another all-round decent season for the club. When he was on form, he was unstoppable, hitting several braces and hat-tricks to demolish whoever he was faced against.
His final season for Notts saw more of the same devastating play and goalscoring, as he netted a massive 22 goals all season.
The scouts, always keeping tabs on Hateley since he broke through, were convinced he had what it took to make it at the highest level, and the young star was snapped up by First Division Aston Villa.
Carrying over his spectacular form and talent to the West Midlands, Big Tone's three years at Villa were so prolific that he was named 22nd in a list of the Birmingham side's top 50 players, despite the team going through one of its darker periods at the wrong end of the table.
His debut goal, ironically against Nottingham Forest, was a prelude to a 17-goal tally for the 1963/64 season, which ensured Villa didn't fall into the relegation zone.
Things were only to get better for him, as 64/65 saw Big Tone smash 20 in the league and 14 in cup ties. He is one of only three players to score four goals in a League Cup game for Villa - doing so in the 7-1 home win over Bradford City in November 1964.
His next and final season for Villa saw him bag a phenomenal 27 goals, including four in a 5-5 draw against Tottenham. His record was on par with Jimmy Greaves and Geoff Hurst, who became England legends as the Three Lions won the trophy on home soil in the summer. Sadly, despite being included in Sir Alf Ramsey's plans, he suffered a serious injury which saw him require an emergency operation, and so his dream to be part of what was to be England's defining World Cup never did happen.
With his stock at its highest, the then Villa manager accepted an offer from Chelsea for the striker in October 1966, and thus, Hateley was on his way to London for a club record £100,000. Without his goals, Villa went down that very same season.
His time at Chelsea wasn't quite as illustrious as at Notts and Villa, given the difference in playing styles - quick passing and movement-based football was the ordre du jour at Stamford Bridge, which clashed with Hateley's requiring of crosses and long balls which made the most of his aerial abilities - and, after 33 appearances and nine goals, he was transferred to another great club, Liverpool. At Anfield, he rediscovered his goalscoring touch, netting an impressive 28 goals in all competitions, but again, there were concerns about his role in the team, used to a passing, fluid style, having to change their gameplay to one based on long balls to accomodate him.
The next few years saw him change clubs several times, going from Liverpool to Coventry, then to Birmingham, before coming back home to Meadow Lane where he started his career.
In an interview with the Lancashire Post in 2009, he declared that his spells at Notts were his "happiest time in football", and judging by the attendance at Meadow Lane for his first game back, the Notts fans were equally as happy to see him in black and white - wavering between just under 6000 and just over 10,000, the Northampton game on November 7th 1970 saw a massive 21,012 fans pack the ground for his second coming.
22 goals in 29 games, including hat-tricks against Peterborough United and Colchester United, ensured Notts stormed the Fourth Division, finishing nine points clear as the Magpies were once again dragged out of the bottom division under Big Tone's watch.
The following season, injuries disrupted Hateley's campaign, as his 28 league appearances reaped an uncharacteristic 9 goals, before the forward finished his career with spells at Oldham and the Boston Minutemen in the US.
After he retired, Hateley worked as Everton's lottery manager at Goodison Park before several years as a rep for Thwaites' Brewery. He also got the chance to, in his words, "relive his career" through his son Mark, who made a name for himself with, among others, Rangers, Monaco, and Milan, as well as playing for England, in the 80s and 90s.
The stats for Hateley Sr speak for themselves. At the time of his retirement, his combined transfer fees were a record in English football. He had played 434 league games over 16 seasons, and had scored 211 goals with 7 different clubs.
In the last few years, he has lived in Penwortham, a town near Preston, Lancashire, out of the spotlight.
On the 1st of February 2014, it was reported that Tony Hateley had passed away after a long illness. He was 72 years old.
Tony Hateley isn't just a Notts County legend, he is an English footballing legend, and to have merely had him on the books at Meadow Lane is an honour in itself, but for Big Tone himself to proudly declare that he had the best time of his career at Notts County, that is truly humbling.
Rest in peace Big Tone.

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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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