Match thread. Alfreton Town v Notts County

The first friendly match of the season for Notts kicks off at 3pm 05/07/25.

No doubt Notts will have some trialists playing in the team & there will be plenty of substitutions during the match.

Will be interesting who will play in goal now that Alex Bass has left.

I wish I could go, but sadly I can’t make it. It would’ve been great to see the new signings in action and start to get a feel for what Martin Paterson might bring as our head coach. These friendlies are really just for getting players back into shape and building up match fitness. I don’t read too much into them. I am a bit curious about the goalkeeper spot and whether there’ll be any surprises. I also wonder what formation we’ll go with, and if there’ll be any changes during matches.

The result and performance don’t mean much, especially if we end up playing different XIs in each half, which is likely.

Any ideas about the chances of a live stream for the Alfreton friendly???

I won't be at the game either, but it should be a good run out for the squad.

Alfreton Town are a good team at their level; while we can outplay them, they do tend to be defensively organised and can be challenging to break down. It all depends on how they play. I know previously they stuck a veteran striker up top, and he had no service. For us, it's all about getting shape, communicating, and preparing to listen to Martin Paterson's instructions. The formation will be interesting, and I hope we can start with the strongest XI at the beginning.

There are plenty of minutes to get the new signings settled and embedded into the team, though I do think most will start.

3 minutes ago, gtownjohnno said:

Any ideas about the chances of a live stream for the Alfreton friendly???

I don't think the club is doing it, from what I have been hearing; if so, I would have thought they would announce it. It does seem a shame if they don't stream the game to those of us who can't make it.

it will be nice getting out back to watching notts, i hope to see some glimpses of early signs of the new signings. i am hoping that matthew dennis can show case his ability, it would also be nice if jodi jones has managed to refind his confidence. last season was difficult with the injuries but hes such a class player. we need to get that drive back out of him, but it might take time. friendlies would be a good way to encourage it.

What I tend to look for early on is who looks sharp, how fit the lads are, and how the new signings are settling in. That first in England, before the Germany trips, it will be a real eye-opener, and it’ll mostly be about fitness. I just hope no one does anything daft in protest over Martin Paterson’s arrival. He deserves a fair chance and shouldn’t be judged too soon.

Some fans might want us to win by a lot or play really well, but it’s the first game since last season ended, so it might not look that good. That’s okay though. What really matters is making sure the players stay fit and get some time on the pitch before the League Two season starts.

I hope Alfreton play nicely and remember it’s just a friendly match. I don’t want to see anyone like Jodi getting kicked or hurt. It would be really bad if someone got injured this early, before the season even begins.