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Matt Tootle sure Notts County can challenge for promotion

Matt Tootle has claimed that Notts County are more than capable of challenging for promotion from League Two next season.
The former Crewe Alexandra man had suggested last summer that the Magpies could have been up in the playoffs, but the season ended up being a slog for safety in the end.
Tootle told the Nottingham Post: "When I signed here last summer I probably looked a bit of an idiot to some people because I said we would get promoted.
"We were third at the start of the season even though we weren't playing very well.
"But the class we had in the team, and the players we had, we knew we weren't playing to our ability.
"But we were winning games because we had that experience and that bit of quality was coming out now and then.
"Then something went wrong over Christmas and I don't know what it was.
"I believe if we still had something to play for then we wouldn't have lost two out of the last three.
"The Pompey game would have been different too if we had been closer to the play-offs.
"So looking at next season with the right additions I think we will be up there.
"I won't look stupid this time by saying it. Every team we played, the opposition would say that our team on paper was ridiculously good.
"If we can continue what we were doing and keep sticking to how the gaffer wants us to play, we will challenge I am sure of it."
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Joe Jones

Notts County publish retained list for summer 2017

Notts County have released their end-of-season retained list, with nine players being released and another nine offered new contracts.
The out-of-contract players who have been offered new deals are Jon Stead, Shola Ameobi, Richard Duffy, Curtis Thompson, Elliott Hewitt, Haydn Hollis, Rob Milsom, Alan Smith, and Mike Edwards.
Meanwhile, the players who have been told they can leave Meadow Lane are Thierry Audel, Adam Campbell, Mark Yeates, Scott Loach, Jack McMillan, Luther Wildin, Wes Atkinson, Montel Gibson and Jordan Richards.
The last three in the above list have however been given the chance to impress Kevin Nolan during pre-season training.
Nolan told the official Notts site: "This is the toughest time of the season for a manager and I haven't enjoyed it one bit. I am, however, confident we have made the right decisions and put fair offers on the table.
"It's never nice to see lads go but it's my responsibility to put what I think are the correct foundations in place for next season.
"I can't fault the efforts of any of the players since I walked through the door and we wish those who are moving on all the best."
Notts chairman and owner Alan Hardy added: "I can't thank this group of players enough for keeping us in the league.
"They all contributed to what was a remarkable turnaround and those who are moving on to pastures new leave with our best wishes and immense gratitude."
Michael O’Connor, Adam Collin, Carl Dickinson, Matt Tootle and Jonathan Forte have contracts beyond the end of the season.
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Chris

Matt Tootle opens up on mental health struggles

Notts County defender Matt Tootle has opened up on his battles with anxiety and depression, saying nobody is immune from mental health struggles and urging people to seek help.
The 26-year-old revealed how he had enjoyed a superb season at Crewe Alexandra going into the summer of 2014, but "something then just triggered" in his mind while he was on holiday in the off-season.
Speaking during Mental Awareness Week, Tootle told Leigh Curtis of the Nottingham Post: "I was on top of the world. There was talk of a move to Blackburn, Burnley and Nottingham Forest and as any player who has been at Crewe will tell you, and given the club's history, it's all about 'that' move.
"I went on holiday and something then just triggered in my mind. I was reading the newspapers and there was so much bad news happening to good people. Then I just started thinking deeply about life and how you can be happy at one moment but knowing it can all change in an instant.
"It hit me a bit and I just started panicking, thinking I hope that doesn't happen to me. Those thoughts then become obsessive and they snowball. Anxiety took hold and in the end you keep on recycling those thoughts over and over and over again. It was the worst week of my life.
"After that I returned back to Crewe for the following season and I played 16 or 17 games and just wasn't at it. What was going on in my mind was just too important. I was sweating, hiding in my own house and it just got ridiculous. It got to the stage where it was affecting my reputation. Crewe fans were probably thinking 'why is he rubbish all of a sudden?'.
"I eventually told my mum and she said I just needed to give myself a break. I told Steve Davis, who was the manager, and the physio about what I was going through.
"The fans had no idea what was going on and they probably thought I was trying to force a move because it was the end of November and I just stopped playing.
"But I went to the Priory Clinic and they then sent me for cognitive therapy. If you have any kind of anxiety or anything like that, if you can begin to understand it then you can deal with it."
"We should be talking about this every day let alone one week of year. The problems with mental health is that you can't see it.
"If you see some guy with a broken leg in casualty and there's another just sat there with his head in his hands, you think the guy with the leg is worse because you can see he's in pain. But people suffer in silence and this is what we've got to address."
Read the entire Matt Tootle interview on the Nottingham Post by clicking here.
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Joe Jones

Goalkeeper Scott Loach to leave Notts County

Scott Loach has confirmed that he is leaving Notts County.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper will see his deal at Meadow Lane expire in the summer, and he will not be offered a new contract by the club.
Loach spent the latter part of the season on loan at York City in the National League, with the Minstermen suffering relegation on the final day of the season.
He is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying: "I have loved every minute of my time at the club and it's been a pleasure to play for them.
"The fans have been different class with me and I wish the gaffer and the lads all the best for next season.
"Given the way they ended the season, I expect them to really kick on. It's a great club.
"But it's going to be a new challenge for me somewhere else. I am 28 and I do need to be playing."
 
 
 
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan seeking EFL talks over standard of refereeing

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has admitted that he wants a word with the EFL over the standard of refereeing in League Two.
The Magpies boss claims the Magpies were denied clear penalties against Crewe Alexandra and Portsmouth, and feels Newport County's spot-kick on the final day of the season shouldn't have been given.
"I am not really happy about it," he told the Nottingham Post.
"If we keep moaning about it, will anything get done? It's something I am going to have to think about.
"I will see if I can speak to somebody at the league to get some clarity because I just feel there have been a lot of major decisions that have gone against us.
"Had those decisions gone in our favour who knows where we could have finished in the league?
"I can accept human error, but there's been too many. I am not one to keep harping on about referees because I know it's a difficult job.
"But I just think over the last month we've come unstuck over some bad decisions and it's affected us."
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Joe Jones

Tom Gordon Savage: The Nottingham man who brought the black and white stripes to Juventus (Part 2)

The second and final part of Andy Black's account sees him make contact with Tom Gordon Savage's descendants, informs them of his plans to get his name changed at the Juventus Stadium museum, and culminates with a trip to Turin for a Bianconeri game and a ceremony to honour the man himself on the anniversary of his passing.
That evening I found Anna's daughter, plus Alasdair and his three children. I sent a message to all of them one by one and it was one of Alasdair's daughters that replied confirming that they were indeed the descendants of Tom Savage. She sent me a message requesting my email so that Alasdair could email me.
Alasdair emailed me the following evening and copied in his sister thanking me for making contact. He informed me that his mother Athalie was alive and living near Anna and her daughter.
I spoke to Anna first on the phone and then Alasdair and explained that I wanted to change the name that was next to the photo in the museum from John to Tom. Alasdair said that their mother had requested to them a few years ago that he and his sister get in contact with Juventus and change the name.
I explained that I was taking a Notts County football shirt printed SAVAGE 1903 on the back with a request that they amend his name next to the photo. I requested that if the family sent me a letter addressed to the manager of the museum it would increase the chances of the name correction taking place.
Alasdair sent a letter to me which arrived on 31st March. So with the research done on Tom's life as a lace maker and designer, football player for Juventus and amateur cricket player for Notts Waverley, I sent an email to the manager of the Juventus museum requesting the name to be changed.

I got a reply that morning asking for my phone number and by lunchtime it was agreed that the name would be changed in time for my visit on the 23rd April. Marco, the manager, asked who was coming with me and if there would there be any family members attending. I replied that at that stage there was only a contingent of Notts County Supporters who would be seated in Curva Nord (North Stand) for the game against Genoa.
Marco said it would be good if a family member could attend the unveiling of the new photo in the museum; I said it was a bit short notice but I would ask.
I phoned Alasdair in Cape Town but he said he was committed to a meeting but to call Anna as it would be easier for her from the UK. I phoned Anna who said she was available to attend so I emailed Marco back and agreed to make some plans on Monday morning.
The weekend passed and Alasdair had rearranged his meeting so now was able to attend so I gave Marco the good news. Marco's reply was to offer two tickets to sit with Andrea Agnelli in the most prestigious part of the stadium for the game on the 23rd. I informed Alasdair and Anna what was being offered and they insisted that I have one of the tickets and Alasdair the other.
On the 20th April my wife and I drove down to Oxfordshire to meet Athalie, Anna, Alasdair and Anna's daughter at Athalie's home. I felt it important to visit Athalie to show her the football shirt and letter that will be presented to Juventus and to listen to her talk about her grandfather Tom and father Richard.
We spent just over four hours talking to her before, during and after dinner. I explained to her that all the Juventus friends that I had made was down to her grandfather's inspiration in requesting Notts County shirts in 1903.

On the 22nd April the group of Notts fans flew out to Turin where in the evening we met up with Alasdair and Anna for a pizza. My friend Luigi, a member of the Italian Magpies, was also present and was overwhelmed with emotion when I informed him he was the first Juventus fan to meet the family of Tom Savage.
The next day we all headed to the Juventus museum to meet Marco in reception at 3pm to take part in a stadium tour, followed by the unveiling of the picture which was filmed by Juventus TV and uploaded onto Juventus.com, Twitter and Facebook. Marco informed the family that the shirt with the letter will be put on display in a glass cabinet for all to see.
Alasdair and I proceeded to club Gianni e Umberto to take our seats for a pre match meal with Marco and then to our seats in the stadium for the game.
At half time we were introduced to the mother of the president of Juventus FC, Allegra Agnelli. She was genuinely pleased to see us and accepted one of the postcards we were handing out before the game explaining the significance of the date and name change.
Marco then introduced us to the director of the museum who also accepted a postcard and it was reassuring when he made sure that the museum had my details to keep up to date with any more information found on Tom. We returned to the stadium for the second half where the game finished Juventus 4-0 Genoa.

In the same way that Roger and Helen Stirland became friends while working on the Herbert Kilpin plaque, Alasdair and Anna have become friends and I look forward to learning of Athalie's reaction to achieving what we all wanted.
The importance is that a Nottingham man who created a link between the world's oldest football league club, Notts County and the most successful club in Italy, Juventus now has the correct recognition and as a consequence football friendships and a unique piece of football history for Nottingham is recorded forever.  
As we say, "Two hearts, one soul". Forza Juve and Forza Notts County!

To go back to the first part of the story, click here.
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy sheds light on Notts County close-season transfer dealings

Alan Hardy has revealed how Notts County are in talks with non-league players, free transfers from the Football League and Premier League youngsters as he looks to forge a winning team for next season.
Only five players are contracted to the club past the summer and, although he says contract negotiations are under way with some of them, he suggests a need to rebuild.
With League Two boasting quite a few teams from the Midlands or otherwise not too far away from Nottingham, Hardy is also hoping to come out on top of the "Midlands mini-league".
He wrote in the Nottingham Post: "As a football fan and as the chairman and owner of this wonderful football club, I cannot wait for next season.
"It will be a fantastic division next year with a lot of local games and we will strive to ensure we come out on top of the Midlands mini-league!
"Mansfield, Lincoln, Chesterfield, Grimsby and Port Vale are not big journeys to undertake so I am expecting big crowds with big atmospheres.
"We have a lot of work to do moving forward but it is tremendously exciting as we look to put our squad together.
"We only have five players contracted to the club, one of those is the captain Michael O'Connor who will be out for most of the season, so in essence we only have four.
"We have new contracts to negotiate with members of the existing team and have already started discussing transfer targets. Some are non-league players and others have been released by clubs further up the pyramid.
"We also have our eyes on two to three seriously talented young Premier League players and we are discussing moves for them with their parent clubs.
"They do say a loan player only ever comes into his own when he is on his second or third loan spell away from their club.
"The players we are talking to have already been out on loan before and wouldn't it be great to have them here next season."
To read the rest of Alan Hardy's weekly Nottingham Post column, click here.
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Joe Jones

Notts County have not ignored fan opinion on EFL Trophy, says Alan Hardy

Notts County owner and chairman Alan Hardy insists he has not ignored the fans' opinions after the club voted to retain the current EFL Trophy format.
The competition has found itself boycotted over the last year after a shake-up which saw academy teams included, and with lower-league teams sanctioned if they played weaker teams.
Despite the uproar from fans, the Magpies nonetheless voted for its continuation, which seemingly flew in the face of nearly 95 percent of Notts supporters not being in favour of retaining the under-23s teams next term.
"We have by no means ignored our supporters – nor has that ever been our intention," Hardy told the Nottingham Post.
"Their views on this matter were taken seriously, reviewed in detail and passed on to the EFL at club meetings.
"As chairman, however, I have to take every factor into consideration when making these decisions. Unfortunately, as much as I would like it to be, it isn't always as simple as giving every supporter what they want.
"My greatest concern is that some people are being misled by the idea that our chosen format of the Checkatrade Trophy is providing a pathway for 'B-teams' to be inducted into the EFL.
"This, quite simply, will never happen. We would certainly never vote in favour of it.
"Perhaps once this scaremongering ceases we will all be able to see that the competition provides an opportunity to generate significant revenue for the football club through prize money, while offering our supporters, players and staff the chance to enjoy a trip to Wembley.
"I understand fans' frustrations and respect their passion. This subject has always divided opinion and has been a point of controversy.
"But the responsibility falls on me to do what I believe is best for the club and I would ask all our supporters to stick by us as we move into what I'm sure will be a very exciting summer."
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Joe Jones

Tom Gordon Savage: The Nottingham man who brought the black and white stripes to Juventus (Part 1)

Over the next few days, Pride of Nottingham will be publishing Andy Black's account of his journey to discover more about the identity of Tom Gordon Savage, the Nottingham-born man who famously requested for a number of Notts County shirts to be sent to a fledging Italian football club by the name of Juventus over a century ago.
Here is part one, where Andy first notices the discrepancy between the established records identifying the man as John Savage and a handwritten note penned by one Tom Savage, and how research into another Nottingham football pioneer, AC Milan founder Herbert Kilpin, led to the first lead about the man responsible for Juve's black-and-white stripes, and soon developed into establishing his family tree and tracing his descendants.
When it comes to football clubs, few are bigger or more famous worldwide than Italian outfit Juventus.
The vertical black and white stripes on their shirts are emblematic of the club itself, and those with a bit more in-depth knowledge of the history of football know that a man from Nottingham, an expatriate living in the Northern Italian city of Turin, was responsible for this design being imported, given to and duly adopted by the Bianconeri (white-and-blacks).
According to the history books, "John Savage" had requested that the shirts be sent over from Nottingham to Turin in 1903; he was approached by the Italian club, whose name is Latin for "youth", to source properly-made football shirts from Britain after the pink shirts they wore faded in colour as the season went on. He got in touch with some people from his home city, and a shipment of Notts County shirts was duly sent across Europe to Juve.
In the Juventus museum, there is a photo of a postcard which also shows the handwritten message on the reverse sent to a friend. The message reads:
Dear Varetti,
Please accept many greetings from me and my family, your devoted Tom Savage.
P.S. Have you seen the next football game that will be played in Saluzzo next Sunday for a silver cup?
This message is signed Tom Savage, not John. So why is he known as John? It also left me wondering many other questions - what happened to him and his family? What were their names? Were there any more children? Did they stay in Italy?
I started to search the internet in May 2016 for any information on "John Savage". After two nights of research, a different name kept popping up: "Herbert Kilpin", who became a distraction as Kilpin played football with Savage in Turin from 1891 and went on to co-found a football club in the nearby city of Milan which eventually became AC Milan in 1899.
I approached Nottingham City of Football to ask who I should approach about having a plaque placed on Kilpin's birthplace - 191 Mansfield Road, Nottingham.
They put me in contact with Robert Nieri, who was finalising a book on Kilpin's life, so it made perfect sense to team up with Robert to achieve this long overdue memorial to this Nottingham man.
On the 22nd October 2016 a Nottingham City transport bus was named "Herbert Kilpin" in presence of his great-great-niece Helen Stirland. The plaque is due to be mounted later this year.
I intended to start my research into the life of Savage once Kilpin's plaque was mounted but about nine weeks ago I received an email from Roger Stirland, the husband of Herbert Kilpin's great-niece, Helen,  which included many documents on Savage.
I met Roger at the bus unveiling outside Kilpin's birthplace. His research had revealed that John Savage was actually Tom Gordon Savage - born in Lenton, Nottingham on 18th February 1867, and died at the Nottingham City Hospital on 23rd April 1951.
Roger had discovered that Tom married his wife Sarah Mallet in Turin and they had two sons both born in Turin - Ettore Savage, on 16th February 1891, and Richard Savage, on 20th December 1892.

My wife, Lisa, searched the two sons' names on the internet and found them both listed on a family tree named Mallet with their parents. I messaged the owner of the tree and within a few hours I received a reply from one Bob Mallett in Canada - he copied in Mary Cassidy, another member of the Mallet family, living near Turin.
Mary proved to be another very useful contact and by her own admission loves a challenge after I explained that I was wanting to find a living relative of Tom Savage. By now another week had passed and with now Roger and Mary working on the case they quickly found many descendants from the marriage of Tom and Sarah.
Roger continued to research Tom's siblings' tree just in case there was not a direct relative to contact. Mary is connected to Tom's wife Sarah in her family tree and was able to locate a relative that knew Tom's granddaughter,  Athalie Savage.
Athalie is the only child of Richard Savage, Tom's youngest son. Ettore married but had no children so the only hope was that Richard's line continued to the present day. The research shown that Athalie married and had two children, Anna and Alasdair.
Mary's cousin wrote an email to Anna who said that they knew each other as young children from school. The research confirmed that both Anna and Alasdair married and, between them, another four direct descendants were born - Anna with her daughter in Oxfordshire and Alasdair in Cape Town, South Africa.
I had agreed that it would be best to wait for a reply to the email sent to Anna to see if contact could be made with the family.
In December 2016 I had chosen to watch Juventus play at home in Turin on 23rd April 2017 with some other Notts County fans. Once a year I arrange for a group of Notts fans to travel to Turin to see Juve play and in return the Italian Magpies come to Nottingham to see Notts play. This has happened since the friendly match to open the new Juventus Stadium between the two clubs in September 2011.
It wasn't until the 24th March that I realised that the date of the game was the 66th anniversary of Tom Gordon Savage passing away. With this in mind I decided to search for Anna, Alasdair and their children on social media.
To see how the story ends, read part two of the feature by clicking here.
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Joe Jones

Notts vote for EFL Trophy format which includes academy teams

Notts County have confirmed that they have voted for the EFL Trophy to remain in its current 64-team format.
The EFL had asked clubs eligible for the competition to vote for one of four options to establish their preference for how they want the tournament's format.
The options were to keep a 64-team format with 16 "invited" teams, a 48-team straight knockout setup, a 48-team format with a group stage followed by knockout rounds, or the scrapping of the competition altogether.
On Tuesday, Notts confirmed they have picked the first option, adding that SLO surveying of fans showed "more than 50% of participants wanted to see the competition continue in some form".
In addition, the club said any "option one" voters were asked to choose between enhanced prize money per win/draw and an increased participation fee, with Notts opting for the former.
Chairman and owner Alan Hardy told the official club site: “From both a competitive and financial point of view I am confident we have voted in the best interests of the club.
"The prize money on offer is vastly increased, presenting us with an opportunity to generate significant revenue to help us move the club forward.
“The results of our survey showed the majority of Notts fans see a future for this competition and, in light of the amendments proposed by the EFL, we believe we have opted for the best way forward.
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank supporters who took the time to give us their views. Our chief executive, Jason Turner, has passed on their feedback at EFL meetings.
“We look forward to learning the result of the vote and giving the competition our best shot next season.”
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan eager to keep Jorge Grant at Notts County as contract negotiations begin

Kevin Nolan has admitted that he wants Jorge Grant to stay at Notts County as post-season contract talks with players begin this week.
The Nottingham Forest loanee scored his sixth goal of the campaign in Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Newport Town and is highly regarded among Magpies fans and club staff alike.
Grant's contract at the City Ground expires in the summer, although the Reds do have the option of extending it by a further year, but Nolan will try and recruit him to the black and white side of the Trent.
"Jorge has been absolutely first class for me," the gaffer told the Nottingham Post. "He's a great kid and I am hoping I can keep him next year.
"Whether the money determines otherwise, we'll have to see. But he's a top lad and I love working with him. I feel that if he does stay here with us then I can make him better and improve him."
On the subject of contracts among the club's players, he said: "There is a lot of work to be done, but at the minute, the first thing we have to do is talk with the current players this week. Once we have done that then we will then look at our targets.
"There is a lot of negotiating to do not just with new players, but also with the current squad and whether the players we want to sign put pen to paper.
"We have a budget and what we will offer players will be at the top end anyway, so if they don't accept it they will have to move on somewhere else. But I am confident we will get the quantity and the quality right come July and August."
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Joe Jones

Notts County 2016-17 Season Review: Jekyll and Hyde

And so ends another season in the Football League, and luckily for us Notts County fans, we had the luxury of being able to sit back and enjoy the last few fixtures of the campaign without crippling anxiety - some supporters even had the luxury of complaining about losing the final game, against Newport County, describing it as "finishing with a whimper".
I will take a season which fizzles out on a losing note with a lower-mid-table finish any day compared to what the prognosis was just a few months ago.
We've all witnessed what happened with Leyton Orient over the last few months, a proud club virtually dying before us and ending up relegated out of the EFL.
That could have been us. That WAS us, at least until Alan Hardy completed his takeover of Notts in January, and from then on, a club that appeared terminally ill has been healed, revived and galvanised to the point that safety was secured with several games to spare.
This was the same team that had lost 10 league games in a row, the kind of woeful run you get in Sunday Leagues where one team clearly just does it for a laugh, bringing together a load of hungover, overweight duffers every Sunday morning only to get spanked each week by a team whose players actually know what "cardio" means (and no, it's not Spanish).
We were losers, plain and simple.
Now, I'm not necessarily having a dig at the players, because the way their form picked up so dramatically after the takeover suggests that their minds might have not right for whatever reason beforehand, but if I can't use the word "losers" for a team that loses 10 games in a row, then when can I?
The season didn't get off to the best start - a 2-0 defeat at Yeovil Town, followed by a 2-0 loss at Scunthorpe United in the EFL Cup.
There was a mild upturn when Notts won at Hartlepool United and Crawley Town before beating Pools again in the EFL Trophy, before things took a downturn again with a draw with Grimsby Town and defeat to Accrington Stanley.
Then we got victories over Cheltenham Town, Leyton Orient and Exeter City, which saw us move into the League Two playoff places heading into October.
Defeats to Rochdale in the EFL Trophy and a 3-1 loss at bitter rivals Mansfield Town soon dampened spirits once again, but the month also included a hard-fought 2-1 win at Portsmouth, arguably the best performance and result of the first half of the season, and come the end of the month, which saw a goalless draw against Luton Town, we were sixth in the table.
And then things went wrong. Very wrong.
A 4-0 loss at Blackpool. a 3-0 hammering at Meadow Lane against Newport County. And so on, and so on for 10 painful games in the league, while the FA Cup didn't provide much solace either, having to have a replay with non-league Boreham Wood and eventually going out to Peterborough United, who then enjoyed a third-round tie at Chelsea.
By the time 2017 rolled round and we got spanked by Cambridge United and MORECAMBE (losing to a team that has a sandwich filling for a badge is particularly painful), we weren't so much flirting with the bottom two as buying it drinks in a desperate bid to take it home for the night.
Off the pitch, meanwhile, there were real fears that the takeover was in jeopardy due to "undisclosed issues", and so for a few days in early January, it looks like it - and the club - was going to collapse.
Luckily, Hardy did manage to complete the takeover, announcing his "new era" on January 11.
Out went John Sheridan, his expletive-ridden rant against Wycombe a few weeks earlier leading to dismissal for gross misconduct, in came Kevin Nolan (via a brief caretaker spell by Alan Smith) and, soon enough, the recovery began.
The first game with Hardy and Nolan at the helm was against the Stags, and all that our fans were hoping for at the time was not to get destroyed by them lot.
As it turned out, a very creditable goalless draw stopped the horror sequence of defeats and stopped Mansfield fans claiming local bragging rights again, but it would be a slow, steady process getting the confidence-depleted team back to scratch.
The following week, Grimsby claimed a 2-0 win and, even though Notts beat Crawley 2-1 seven days later, the next result - a 2-0 loss at Stanley - kept the Magpies in the doo-doo.
But by then, Nolan's leadership and Hardy's stability were reaping benefits - a 2-1 win over Cheltenham followed, and then a ridiculous, miraculous game where Notts were two goals down against Exeter with 89 minutes played, only to salvage a 2-2 draw in stoppage time.
It was still touch and go in the weeks that followed, with defeats to Stevenage and Doncaster keeping the Magpies near the bottom two, but then four consecutive wins - against Barnet, Wycombe, Colchester and Carlisle, put Notts 13 points clear of the bottom two with just five games to go. The miracle was almost complete.
By the time the Easter Bank Holiday ended, Notts were officially safe, and from then on, it was just a case of keeping the players focused for the last few games - easier said than done, but there was still time for a 1-0 win over Blackpool before the season-closer, where all the pressure was on Newport.
What a Jekyll and Hyde season it's been. It looked like Notts were on a one-way ticket to the non-league, but Hardy and Nolan have saved the club from what looked to be certain oblivion.
And now comes the summer, and with those two at the helm of the club and the team respectively, there is scope for real optimism in the pre-season and going into the new campaign.
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan plays down suggestions of Notts County title challenge

Kevin Nolan has poured cold water on suggestions that Notts County can be considered title challengers in League Two next season.
Sky Bet has put the Magpies joint-fourth to win the championship outright, while promotion is at a mere 3/1.
This is following the resurrection of the club following Alan Hardy's takeover and Nolan's shrewd management, culminating in a 16th-placed finish just weeks after being on the brink of relegation.
However, Nolan insists that there is a lot of work to be carried out at Meadow Lane after a tough couple of seasons.
"It's about managing expectations and I can't get carried away with people thinking that I have a team that is worthy of finishing in the promotion places or winning the league," he told the Nottingham Post. "This club has been in disarray for a long, long, time.
"Yes we have had three months in which there has been a massive lift and everybody gets carried along the crest of the wave. But there will be some bumpy waves along the way and we have to be ready for that.
"That could be for the first couple of the months of the season when we don't have a good start or so on. But we are hoping it won't be like that because we want to ride the crest of the wave for as long as we can.
"However, you would be mad, silly or stupid not to expect a rocky patch, and it's how we handle that between myself, Thommo (Richard Thomas) and Norm (Mark Crossley). It's been a great few months, but it's nothing to get carried away about.
"We finished the season in 16th in League Two. Just because we had a decent end to the season, because we needed to by the way or we would have got relegated, doesn't automatically mean we will be one of the top teams in the division.
"We would be naïve to think I will come in next year and think everything is fine, but because of the mentality we have, we'll make sure our standards never slip."
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Joe Jones

Faces of PON: Newport County 2-1 Notts County, Saturday 6 May 2017

Notts County played a part in one of the biggest Great Escapes of recent times when they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newport County on Saturday.
With Hartlepool United 2-1 up against Doncaster Rovers and the Magpies drawing 1-1, the Exiles were set to drop out of the English Football League.
Mickey Demetriou and Jorge Grant exchanged goals either side of half-time as the match looked set to end a stalemate.
However, Mark O'Brien chested and volleyed home in the 89th minute to ensural Newport's survival in League Two, while Notts, with nothing to play for, finished 16th in the fourth tier.
Pride of Nottingham was at Rodney Parade for the game taking photos of fans - see if you feature in the last Faces of PON of the season!

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Joe Jones

Match highlights: Newport County 2-1 Notts County, Saturday 6 May 2017

Notts County played a part in one of the biggest Great Escapes of recent times when they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Newport County on Saturday.
With Hartlepool United 2-1 up against Doncaster Rovers and the Magpies drawing 1-1, the Exiles were set to drop out of the English Football League.
Mickey Demetriou and Jorge Grant exchanged goals either side of half-time as the match looked set to end a stalemate.
However, Mark O'Brien chested and volleyed home in the 89th minute to ensural Newport's survival in League Two, while Notts, with nothing to play for, finished 16th in the fourth tier.
Here are the official Notts YouTube highlights of the game.
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Joe Jones

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan "not happy at all" with giving late goal away at Newport County

Kevin Nolan has hit out at his Notts County players for conceding at the death in their 2-1 defeat at Newport County, their final League Two game of the season.
The Magpies fell behind to a contentious Mickey Demetriou penalty but drew level through Jorge Grant's sixth goal in Notts colours.
However, Mark O'Brien struck a winner in the 89th minute to set off wild celebrations in the Rodney Parade stands as the Exiles secured Football League safety.
Despite their supporting role in one of the greatest escapes of recent times, Nolan remained pragmatic about how his side fared - and he was not happy.
"The way we conceded the goal was very disappointing and I was not happy with it at all," he told the Nottingham Post. "I told the lads that in the dressing room afterwards.
"I didn't want to end the season with a loss, and that's going to bug me for a long, long time.
"We made the substitutions in the second half because we felt we needed to change it as we were not getting any success.
"The lads who came on were brilliant, but in my mind we gifted them that goal.
"People who know me, know that I am never happy when we give goals away, especially when it is through our own sloppiness.
"It has made me feel very disappointed because I wanted to end the season on a high going into next season."
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Joe Jones

Match Report: Notts County undone by late goal as Newport County seal League Two survival

Notts County have finished the 2016-17 League Two season on a losing note, but all the pressure was on the opposition for 89 minutes as Newport County left it late to claim a 2-1 win at Rodney Parade on Saturday.
After some nervy opening exchanges, Lenell John-Lewis caused concern when he beat his man and squared for Tom Owen-Evans, but Alex Howes weighed in to deny the youngster a certain goal.
At the other end, Shola Ameobi got the better of former Magpie Scot Bennett on the right of the area and cut the ball back for Robert Milsom, but the midfielder sliced his shot out for a throw-in.
The Exiles continued to push forward and were rewarded in the 32nd minute when Haydn Hollis and John-Lewis tangled in the box, with the assistant flagging and referee Nigel Miller controversially pointing to the spot.
Despite Notts disputing the decision, it remained a penalty, and Demetriou stepped up to drill the ball past Adam Collin.
Kevin Nolan brought on Alan Smith and Marc Bola and his side levelled within five minutes of the changes.
Ryan Bird had just gone close for Newport with a speculative effort from 35 yards and the home defence was caught out by a long ball down the middle.
Jorge Grant took advantage and quickest to stab home the bouncing ball from close range on 62 minutes.
With Hartlepool United edging ahead against Doncaster Rovers, a point wouldn't have been enough for Newport to stay in the league because of their goal difference.
They threw everything forward in the search of the winner and when David Pipe launched a ball into the box, it dropped for Mark O’Brien, who chested down and lashed home on the volley to spark celebrations in the stands.
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Joe Jones

Stat Attack: Newport County vs. Notts County, Saturday 6 May 2017

Notts County and Newport County have met a total of 47 times over the years, the first fixture coming in 1930, which the Magpies won 3-2.
The head-to-head record is skewed in the Magpies’ favour, with 25 wins, 9 draws and 13 defeats.
The last meeting was in November 2016 and it proved an embarrassment for Notts as the Exiles cruised to a 3-0 win at Meadow Lane.
Notts’s record league win is against Newport – an 11-1 victory. We have also beaten them 5-0, 6-2, 7-0, 6-0 and 8-1 over the years.
Newport County, originally nicknamed "The Ironsides" due to Newport being home to Lysaght's Orb Works steel works, started out in the Southern League in 1912 at Somerton Park.
The official name of the club was The Newport & Monmouth County Association Football Club, although the shorter Newport County was soon adopted.
The club were reformed in 1919 and were first elected to the Football League in 1920.
Newport County were Welsh Cup winners in 1980 and subsequently reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup Winner's Cup in 1981.
The club was relegated from the Football League in 1988 and went out of business in February 1989, but reformed shortly afterwards and entered the English football league system at a much lower level.
In 2013 the club then won promotion back to the Football League for the first time since 1988.
In the 1970s and 1980s comedian Frank Carson was appointed as a Director and Vice President in order to raise the profile of the club.
Newport based rappers Goldie Lookin' Chain (which JJ saw live at Glastonbudget last year - and they were naff, it has to be said) are also supporters of the club and were the team's shirt sponsors for the 2004–05 season FAW Premier Cup matches.
Team news
Loanee Alex Samuel was carried off on a stretcher after suffering a hamstring injury during last week's 2-1 defeat at Carlisle United and has returned to parent club Swansea City.
Mitch Rose could return as Newport seek a win which will keep them up, while striker Lenell John-Lewis is in contention to start after making his first appearance of the season off the bench at Carlisle.
Marlon Jackson and Jaanai Gordon could also feature and Mark Randall is expected to be fit, but Ben Tozer and Jamie Turley are set to miss out.
Matt Tootle, sidelined for the last two games by a hamstring problem, has returned to training.
But the defender is unlikely to be risked on Saturday against the 22nd-placed Exiles given the club effectively have nothing left to play for.
Definitely missing will be captain Michael O'Connor, who is set to be out until deep into next season with a knee injury.
The Magpies will finish this campaign either in their current position of 16th or move up to 15th, a spot occupied by a Barnet side who are one point better off.
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Joe Jones

Rob Milsom delighted with award-winning displays after struggling in first Notts County season

Rob Milsom has expressed his delight with putting a frustrating first season for Notts County behind him.
The 30-year-old has impressed in midfield in 2016-17 and was rewarded with the Fans' Player of the Year and the Players' Player of the Year awards.
Milsom is happy with having secured the accolades, but more so because of redemption after an indifferent, injury-disrupted maiden season at Meadow Lane.
"I've come a long way because I struggled in the first season," the 2015 signing from Rotherham United told the Nottingham Post.
"That was down to the injury which happened just a month or two after I signed. It never really went away and I was playing through a knock half the time.
"But I wanted to come back determined to make an impression this season and show people what I can do.
"I know it wasn't good enough in the first season so I was really champing at the bit. It was really frustrating, but it's all behind me now. Everything is fine and I just want to keep kicking on."
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Joe Jones

Kevin Nolan wants Notts County to go out with a bang at Newport County

Kevin Nolan has urged Notts County to finish the season on a high with a win at Newport County and get momentum going into the 2017-18 campaign.
The Magpies have the luxury of not having to worry about their League Two future at Rodney Parade, while the hosts need to win to make sure of a place in the Football League.
However, Nolan insists that he does not want the players to mentally be on their holidays and warns that a lot of them may not see each other again, so must make the most of it.
The Notts manager told the official club website: "I'm really looking forward to it. We've got to go out with a bang.
"We did it last week, beating Blackpool when a lot of people thought we'd be on our holidays. I don't want it to get to that 'end-of-season' feel.
"A lot of these lads might not see each other again, so they have a duty to each other to go to Newport and give it their all - and hopefully come away with another win to give us momentum going into next season.
"It's really important they don't let themselves down after doing so well since I walked through the door."
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Joe Jones

Rob Milsom eager to pen new Notts County contract

Rob Milsom has expressed his desire to "put down roots" at Notts County after enjoying an impressive and award-winning season at Meadow Lane.
The 30-year-old midfielder was voted the club's 2016-17 player of the year as well as the players' player of the year for his consistency in the middle of the park.
His contract is up at the end of the season but manager Kevin Nolan has publicly declared that he wants to keep Milsom at the club.
Now the former Rotherham United man says the feeling is mutual, telling the Nottingham Post: "I have really enjoyed it this season and hopefully I can put down roots here.
"I've really enjoyed playing under the gaffer and I think the club is going places.
"The fans have turned out and got behind us and it's been really enjoyable to play in front of them.
"I'd like to be part of a club that is going forward next season. I expect the talks to be straight forward and hopefully we can come to an agreement."
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Joe Jones

Alan Hardy vows to stick with Twitter but hits out at abusive users

Alan Hardy has vowed to keep using Twitter to interact with Notts County fans, but insists that abusive messages sent to him on the platform are not acceptable.
The Magpies chairman often tweets updates about the club and engages with supporters, though he has sometimes come under criticism for doing so rather than using the official club site.
He wrote in the Nottingham Post: "As the chairman and owner of Notts County, I am a firm believer that engaging with the fans is essential to make them feel part of what we are trying to achieve at Meadow Lane.
"Twitter is my chosen tool for communication because I believe it's a terrific way to interact with the supporters on a one on one basis especially if they have any questions.
"I firmly believe our success will heavily rely on engagement with the fans which is why I put myself out there on Twitter.
"It would be wrong of me to suggest that it has all been plain sailing and over the last week or so I have had to block a number of accounts.
"I have no problem whatsoever with people having a different opinion to me, but it's how that opinion is delivered.
"Some people have been nothing but abusive and the last thing I want when fetching a drink is somebody giving me gratuitous abuse.
"I just won't stand for it. I don't need it in my life because it adds nothing to it. If somebody has a different opinion, then fine.
"I welcome that because it's about debate, challenging viewpoints and being able to consider other perceptions.
"I always think of Twitter as being in the pub having a debate with your mates. But if somebody comes up to me, calls me an idiot and headbutts me then it's not acceptable.
"Likewise, somebody being abusive on Twitter is not acceptable. I encourage people to have different opinions not only on Twitter but in the workplace too.
"Fortunately, 95 percent of the people who do engage with me are polite, appreciate the interaction and leave me sometimes looking at my own thought process."
To read the rest of Alan Hardy's column on the Nottingham Post, click here.
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Joe Jones

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