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Joe Jones
Notts County duo Shaun Brisley and Nicky Hunt paid a visit to Westglade Primary School in Nottingham as part of the Football In The Community-delivered scheme Premier League Primary Stars project.
The defenders were enthusiastically quizzed by the school's children about their career in the game, and also joined in a game of handball.
The Premier League Primary Stars project uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills.
As well as engaging children in physical activity and healthy living, PLPS uses the power of the beautiful game to teach core subjects such as Maths, English, PE and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education).
Hunt told the FITC website of their visit to Westglade in early December: “The power of football is incomprehensible to young boys and girls at their age.
"Myself, Shaun and the boys are happy to put our names to such a great activities that are proving to be really positive.
"To see the work FITC are doing with primary school aged children has been brilliant and a real credit to the club and the charity.”
Tom Curson, Education Officer and Premier League Primary Stars delivery team member, spoke with pride at how Westglade Primary have benefited from the scheme, saying: “The children I see every week have been a joy to teach.
"The feedback myself and FITC have received from both the children and the staff has been phenomenal and even if we play a small part in the development of these children it would all be worth it.
"Their numeracy and English have seen huge improvements and we look forward to seeing them again in the New Year.”
Find out more about Notts County FC Football in the Community by clicking here.
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Joe Jones
Alan Hardy has revealed that Notts County are plotting a "marquee signing" in January.
The transfer window will open at the start of next month, leading to speculation as to who the Magpies will seek to recruit in a bid to remain in the League Two promotion hunt.
Although Notts are "in a really good place" at present and Kevin Nolan has faith in his current squad, the chairman gave an update about two enquiries being rejected so far and
“We are in a really good place and the gaffer is not in a mad rush to make signings,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post.
“He is convinced that, with the squad we have got, it is good enough to get promoted.
“However, we are looking for that one special player and he has to be able to come straight into the first team.
“We have made two enquiries this week and both of those were rejected. We won’t be going back in for them. The door has been closed and we move on.
“If that marquee signing does come off then it will be very late in the window.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County assistant manager Richard Thomas has confirmed that goalkeeper Adam Collin has returned to full training.
The 33-year-old has been sidelined for two months after suffering ligament damage in October's 2-1 win over Barnet.
Collin limped off in the second half of the match after taking a blow to the knee and was replaced by Ross Fitzsimons, who has done an admirable job in between the sticks ever since.
However, Notts have been boosted by their first-choice keeper's return to fitness, although Thomas suggested that he won't be rushed back into action just yet.
“Adam is back to full training now,” Thomas told the Nottingham Post.
“We are managing his load in the sessions when we are taking him out momentarily. We’ve just got to manage him back in now.
“It’s aerobic fitness that’s important rather than the knee so much because fitness can fall off when you are out injured.
“It’s just that side of it but he’s moving well. He looks like he’s never been away if I am honest. The lads are clearly pleased to have him back around the place so it’s all good.”
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Joe Jones
Notts County will be hoping to get back to winning ways following their draws against Luton Town and Grimsby Town when they host Cambridge United this weekend.
Managed by Shaun Derry, the U's are currently in a bad vein of form and may be missing key players.
Pride of Nottingham spoke to Cambridge fan Tom to get an insight on this weekend's opposition.
About Tom: I'm 26, been supporting the U's since I was a child, as long as I can remember, and my favourite player is Dave Kitson.
1) Cambridge dropped out of the Football League in 2005 and returned in 2014; what led to relegation and how did you bounce back up?
The U's were having money problems since the late 90s in all fairness and with financial issues comes the drop down the leagues, less revenue, less quality players, and it becomes a vicious cycle. In the Conference it's then really difficult to gain promotion - we finished second two years in a row but then lost in the playoffs. After a few more years of no luck, third time lucky it was in 2014 - second-placed finish but playoff success.
2) How are things going this season for Cambridge United?
Badly. Shaun Derry's clearly not the man to take us forward, the team's performing poorly on the pitch, we've been having injuries and suspensions all over the place, and behind the scenes it feels like a mess - Dave Doggett has resigned as chairman and nobody knows why, there's been reports of a takeover,  there's reports of the club running at a £630,000 loss... basically, watch this space!
3) What's been your proudest moment as a United fan?
It's a tie between the 2014 Conference playoff final, finally seeing the U's back in the Football League, and the FA Cup draw with Manchester United at the Abbey Stadium, a superb result which kept the dream alive and which gave us an unbelievable away day at Old Trafford. Closely behind is the 2014 Trophy final win over Gosport at Wembley.
4) Who are your biggest rivals?
It used to be Cambridge City, but they've been playing at a lower level than us since forever. It's Peterborough now, though we're not overly keen on Northampton, Colchester and Luton either.
5) Who are your danger men?
Uche Ikpeazu and Jabo Ibehre are our key men up front, but the latter is on the sidelines at the minute and we're not sure if he'll be back this weekend. They've both missed games here and there and their absence has been felt.
6) Can we get your score prediction?
I'd be delighted with a draw. Let's call it 1-1.
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PON_News
November did not start in the best way for Juventus, but manager Massimiliano Allegri went for something radical - he inserted players like Douglas Costa, Medhi Benatia and Blaise Matuidi in the starting XI, while pulling the likes of Paulo Dybala and Alex Sandro off the bench.
This 'breakthrough' gave its positive signals, 3-0 against Crotone in the league, then a 1-0 victory in Naples in the big-match Napoli-Juve, decided by Gonzalo Higuain, who also had a broken hand.
On December 5, Juventus qualified for the Champions League round of 16, beating Olympiacos 2-0 in Greece.
In the last 16 we will play against Tottenham Hotspur, the first match will be at Allianz Stadium on February 13th, the return will be on March 7th at Wembley.
Having beatem Napoli, Juve then had the chance to return to the top of the table - however, it finished 0-0 between Juve and Inter in Turin.
In our last league match Juve won 3-0 against Bologna, with a splendid free kick by Miralem Pjanic, Mario Mandzukic's goal and Matuidi's first goal with Juventus.
The Bianconeri are now second in the league, +1 on Inter. On Wednesday, Juve successfully navigated the Coppa Italia last-16 tie with Genoa and will now face city rivals Torino in the quarter-finals.
The injury situation is on stand-by: Mandzukic has a calf injury, Mattia De Sciglio a thigh problem and Gianluigi Buffon a muscle strain, but they should have less serious problems than Benedikt Howedes.
The German defender, who had made his debut with Juve against Crotone, has again a lesion of the rectus femoris and he should remain out for at least 2 more weeks.
But there are also good news: Marko Pjaca returned to the squad list for Juventus-Bologna on the 17th day of Serie A after a 9-month layoff with a knee injury.
Meanwhile, Juve are also moving forward in the football trasfer-market: Liverpool midfielder Emre Can will see his contract expire in June, and Juve's society may already have an agreement to sign him on a free.
Mattia Caldara will arrive to Juventus in June once his loan with Atalanta finishes, while Leonardo Spinazzola could already arrive in January, given the possible departures of one between Kwadwo  Asamoah and Alex Sandro.
Dybala's situation is complicated: he had started very well, he had reached 10 goals in Serie A after a few games, then he had a drop in form.
He changed his agent and now, according to newspapers, the Argentine’s manager would have offered him to Paris Saint Germain. Meanwhile, we are waiting to see the best of Dybala again because we need his magic!
Thank you to Leo from Daje Juve for this article. Follow them on Instagram by clicking here.
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Joe Jones
Notts County assistant manager Richard Thomas has urged caution against a Cambridge United who come to Meadow Lane in poor form.
The U's, managed by former Magpies boss Shaun Derry, come into this weekend's match 13th in the table on the back of three straight defeats.
Thomas, however, believes Cambridge's bad form has been more a case of bad luck and missing key players, but expects them to be more dangerous than their current status.
"I've been to watch Cambridge a couple of times this season and they're a really good side," Thomas told the official Notts site. "I think their league position belies what they offer.
"They might have underachieved, but with Cambridge I think it's to do with availability of key players through suspension or injury.
"It looks like they haven't been able to put out their top individuals consistently, which is why they might have stumbled to this point.
"But we're only halfway and they're absolutely a team that can put a good run together post-Christmas and be right up there.
"There are no doubts about what they can do but, after their recent results, they might come here and look to protect and keep the game tight.
"They might also come right out of the blocks and get at us. You've got to prepare for every eventuality."
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Joe Jones
What's been happening in League Two over the last week?
Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days.
- Adam Yates will reportedly not have his Port Vale contract - which expires this month - renewed following reconstructive facial surgery after a freak collision with his own goalkeeper in a reserve game, although the Valiants will reportedly still continue to pay his medical bills.
- Dave Doggett has stepped down as chairman of Cambridge United after nearly five years in the role.
- Still with Cambridge, director Graham Daniels says head coach Shaun Derry will remain in charge of the team until at least the new year.
- Yet more Cambridge news as Derry confirmed that coach Mick Halsall has left the Abbey Stadium to join Coventry City.
- Coventry midfielder Callum Maycock has signed a new contract to stay with the League Two club until June 2020.
- Forest Green Rovers are about to submit new plans for a new ecological wooden stadium by the M5.
- Portsmouth defender Drew Talbot is reportedly in talks with Chesterfield over a return to the Proact Stadium.
- Coventry have signed Reading forward Josh Barrett on a loan deal until the end of the season.
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Joe Jones
We're 22 games into the League Two season and things are looking very rosy indeed for Notts, with 43 points gained so far in the campaign.
On Facebook, Richard Thompson wrote a post on the Pride of Nottingham wall after the 21st game, comparing the tally of this season with that of the other two promotion campaigns in recent history, in 1997/98 and 2009/10.
Having adjusted the statistics to include game number 22, Notts had 37 points in 09/10, and 41 in 97/98. And in both these seasons, the Magpies finished top of the pile.
It's worth mentioning that in both the previous League Two/Division Three promotion campaigns, Notts enjoyed a strong second half to the season.
In 09/10, the Magpies picked up 56 points from the remaining 24 games to finish on 93 points, and in 97/98, they finished with 99 points, so they picked up an additional 58 points.
Heading into the halfway point of the season, Kevin Nolan's boys are better placed than their promotion-winning predecessors were after the same amount of games, but it's absolutely crucial that standards remain high in the second half of the campaign.
Obviously the prospect of a title or promotion hunt is always going to be relative to the teams around Notts.
After 22 games of the 09-10 campaign, the Pies were fourth in the standings, 14 points behind then-leaders Rochdale, while in 97-98, the heavy win over Doncaster Rovers put Notts back on top. This year, at the 22-game mark Notts are second.
Luton Town, who top the current standings have outlined their credentials as the strongest team in the division and, below Notts, things are relatively even among all the other teams, with just 12 points separating third-placed Exeter City from 16th-placed Stevenage.
The January window will be interesting to see - how will Notts strengthen their ranks so as to improve the squad without unsettling the current crop, and how will the other promotion and playoff contenders recruit in the New Year?
It's been a superb 2017-18 campaign so far and, if any manager is going to ensure that standards don't slip, it's Nolan.
So Notts... it's over to you!
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has spoken highly of the improvement in Notts County's defensive play, as highlighted by their clean sheet against Grimsby Town at the weekend.
The Magpies recorded their first shutout since the 3-0 win against Newport County in October, with Ross Fitzsimons also playing his part with a smart save from Jamille Matt in the first half.
Although Notts have conceded goals in recent weeks, the last team to register more than five shots on target in a league game was Carlisle United back in October.
“We are clearing up at the back and you can see their desire to defend,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “They are a really good unit and they are working their socks off for each other.
“We were delighted with the clean sheet against Grimsby and hopefully this gives us a base to start on.
“If you keep a clean sheet then it’s only one goal that’s required to win the game. We have goals all over the pitch and we know it can come at any time.”
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Joe Jones
Hello and welcome to episode 36 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, presented by Chris and JJ.
In this week's episode we discuss Notts County's League Two draw with Grimsby Town - why couldn't the Magpies break down their opponents?
We also look ahead to the weekend meeting against Cambridge United, the 23rd game of the season and an encounter against ex-Magpies boss Shaun Derry's current side.
We then talk about Derry's time at Meadow Lane and whether things would have been different had he been given the resources that Kevin Nolan has at present.
In addition we review the season so far, including what we deem to have been the standout match and who we think has been the best player, and discuss the club's FA Cup shirt sponsorship with William Hill.
All this and more only in episode 36 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast!
Share your thoughts about this PONcast episode on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans.
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Joe Jones
Notts County manager Kevin Nolan is expecting a tough game on Saturday when Shaun Derry's Cambridge United visit Meadow Lane for their League Two clash.
The former Magpies youth product returned to NG2 as manager in November 2013 and helped conjure up the Great Escape at the end of that season.
However, Derry was sacked in March 2015 and has since taken over at Cambridge where the U's are six points off the top seven.
“We’ve got a tough one coming up against Cambridge,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. "They lost on Saturday but they will come here and respect us.
“Shaun Derry will be coming back and I am sure he will be wanting to prove people wrong here.
"He’s got a lot of people who think he was unfortunate to lose his job during the time he was here.
“For me, it’s about making sure we are at it all week. It’s at home, it’s the next game and we are looking to get back to winning ways.”
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Joe Jones
Matt Tootle has expressed his pride with Notts County's impressive home form this year and believes Meadow Lane can truly be deemed a fortress.
The Magpies could end the year with just one defeat at home in the league, depending on how they get on with Shaun Derry's Cambridge United this Saturday.
County's home record is the best outside the Premier League, testament to the improvements made by Kevin Nolan and Alan Hardy.
“When I signed in 2016 I came in and said this place should be a fortress,” he said.
“It wasn’t for six months, but then the gaffer came in, and straight away he said we would turn Meadow Lane into a place where other teams won’t get anything.
“He made that clear. The only team this year to have got a result in the league was Portsmouth and they were the champions of League Two last season. That says it all and about how well we have done.
“It is a great achievement. It’s a credit to us and it’s just a shame we lost one because I have OCD and I would have liked it to have been zero.”
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Joe Jones
Russell Slade has hailed his Grimsby Town charges for claiming a goalless draw against a "relentless" Notts County side and suggested that the visitors could have even gone on to win the game.
Neither side could break the deadlock at Meadow Lane, although the Mariners arguably had the best chance of the game as Jamille Matt forced a great save from Ross Fitzsimons during the first half.
"I thought we started the game really well and that's what we were searching for because we've been on the front foot recently," Slade told the official Grimsby site. "I thought we did really well.
"At the end of the half Notts County were showing why they're in the mix because they came back into the game but again we started the second half well and matched them and you know, I thought we could've won it and had the best chance overall.
"But overall I thought we matched them in most areas, we've put a little marker down and it was a step forward from my point of view.
"The whole team defended well. You have to against a Notts County side that do basics eight and are relentless, look for free kicks and corners and try and get the ball wide and into the box so you've got to do all those things well.
"It was two teams that were trying to competive for everything whatever we were trying to do and sometimes there were free kicks one way and then the other but it makes it dificult for a referee to be fair."
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Joe Jones
Kevin Nolan has stressed that Notts County will not be able to "run riot over teams week in, week out" at Meadow Lane after Grimsby Town held the hosts to a goalless draw at the weekend.
In a game of few genuine chances, the Magpies failed to muster a single shot on target against a Mariners side that defended well and had the best chance of the encounter through Jamille Matt.
The result sees Notts still in second, four points ahead of third-placed Exeter City, but with Luton winning 2-0 at Forest Green Rovers, the gap between first and second is now two points.
It was also the first time that Nolan's side have failed to score since the 2-0 defeat at Crewe Alexandra in October.
"We respect the point and the clean sheet, which I'm delighted about," he told the Nottingham Post. "We looked good defensively. We gave them an opportunity in the first half but we looked in control.
"Grimsby came here on the back of three wins so we had to show them the respect they deserved. You're not going to run riot over teams week in, week out when you're at home - we have to earn it.
"The lads did all the right things out of possession but in possession we weren't as good as we have been lately.
"It told because we weren't able to mount that pressure on them and show our quality in the final third."
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Joe Jones
Notts County have maintained their unbeaten home record but lost ground on League Two leaders Luton Town in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Grimsby Town at Meadow Lane.
In a game of few genuine chances, the Magpies failed to muster a single shot on target against a Mariners side that defended well but likewise couldn't break down the hosts.
The result sees Notts still in second, four points ahead of third-placed Exeter City, but with Luton winning 2-0 at Forest Green Rovers, the gap between first and second is now two points.
How did the gaffer, the players and the fans react to the result? Pride of Nottingham has compiled some of the post-match quotes.
Kevin Nolan
"It was a fair result. We weren't our usual selves today.
"It's just one of those days. You're going to have them but we've not had too many here in the past year. We huffed and puffed a lot but our ability on the ball wasn't as up to scratch as it has been.
"We didn't create enough clear-cut chances or have enough sustained pressure so it was a job well done by Grimsby, as well as us not being at the top of our game."
Matt Tootle
"It keeps us on a run and they're a decent side. They've won their last three games and are one of the form sides in the league so it's not a bad point.
"They came here to frustrate us and made it hard for us. We've got to respect the point, which is something we didn't do last year.
"They had a couple of chances but I don't think they really threatened or put any sustained pressure on us. We weren't quite at it in the final third - it just didn't happen for us today.
"Hopefully we can pick up a win next weekend and it will all be fine."
The Black & White Army
Phil Wright: My first game of the season. And our first 0-0. We had a couple of chances. So did they. Fair result, but not a great performance.
Mick Jones: Frustrating game with both sides cancelling each other out and the ref doing his best to spoil it as well.
Jay Dalton: fair result really though if forte played first half things might have Been different but we march on coyp
Martyn Malone: Well that's 2 hours of my life I won't get back should be winning them games
Jimmy Gee: Memories of 18 months ago! Very poor team performance! No leader! Limited attack!
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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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