Let's talk about the National League

[heraldmagpie]

Has the despair and disappointment settled yet?

I was just re-reading the brilliant article by @Simon Clark and his thoughts about the National League. I would encourage you to give it a read if you haven't already done so.

Nobody wanted to see Notts relegated, or for the club to lose its title. I do have to say I am surprised by the standard of football, it seems better than expected but the officials are somewhat weaker I feel.

To say I am enjoying the trips I've made, wouldn't be entirely honest.

I have enjoyed the change, I think the clubs in a good transitional period and if this continues I do feel it will go a long way to resolving the years of mess that Notts County has found itself in. I also believe that the season for us hasn't quite started and that in a few more games things should become a little more livelier. Don't get me wrong, relegation still hurts but we have a club that is adjusting well.

[allardyces tash]

It's football, the club exists and lets face it relegation from the football league has been coming for years.

it is, what it is.

[liampie]

i dont think its as bad as i thought in my mind, the fans are still behind the club and it does still hurt to see how far the clubs fallen. i just see it as a chance to force a bigger reset so that the club could become bigger in the future.

[NCRichie]

It's far from glamours but the same could be said about League Two, if it wasn't for the bigger teams like MK Dons, Portsmouth and others over the years this would have gotten boring and to a degree it did for Notts. I am attending more games as a result, yes the situation isn't ideal but I have made the most of it.

This club needs to see this as a warning sign and use it to improve.

[Joshua]

I have accepted it for what it is, I don't see the point in being down about it. You have to turn negatives into positives sometimes and that is how I see this.

Notts needs to learn to be better, recruit well and form a formidable team.

I see this as the base for this season, there's nothing wrong with the National League but the longer Notts remains down here, the harder promotion will be.

[ExiledPie]

I can't wait for Notts to escape this league but for now, I am enjoying it. The current season is starting to build momentum, it's only just starting to get better.

Relegation was last season.

[cheeky~k8]

We are doing much better this season so not yet.

[Chris Website URL Visit Site 𝕏 fmcj10 Instagram fmcj10]

I don't think I showed it, yet relegation hurt and only the fans got me through Swindon as it was very depressing to see. I won't accept the National League, I have refused to have the patches on my shirt because I simply don't want to see it. This said, Notts are where we are due to how poorly we've been ran and this has been an issue for years. As said before me, it's been long coming.

Whilst I feel the club will finally turn things around, I do feel it hits that much needed reset button.

Do I feel that the leagues tinpot? No, not at all because every club starts somewhere.

We also have to earn promotion, which Notts should do eventually if they continue to work hard. Can people say we are too big for this league? No, not at all. Does relegation still hurt? Absolutely, yet you have to get on with it. Those still remaining at the club from last season still have a point to prove, they also must make it up to us.

[ARLukomski 𝕏 ARLukomski Instagram declanweliczko_arlki]

It hasn't sunk in really. It's been mostly the reverse because it's so refreshing to have a well run club. I think the fans, players and staff can see that we have a club that has the potential to move forward again with new, fresh ideas.

Despite not being able to sign players till late, we have done really well in the transfer market. It's about the team kicking on now and turning draws into wins. With this squad I believe we have a very good chance of making the top 7.

 

 

[AmericanPie]

8 hours ago, allardyces tash said:

It's football, the club exists and lets face it relegation from the football league has been coming for years.

it is, what it is.

It seemed hard to accept, I feel so out of the loop that it felt like I had lost a loved one whom I hadn't seen for many years.

Notts County is a great little club.

The history won't change, that will always be there but life outside of the Football League, well, it's hard to put into words just how I feel.

I've been away, not kept track on Notts since the Swindon game.

I didn't lose interest, just became distracted.

In a way, I suppose I was mourning but this is all daft. It's what it is, it cannot be undone but if we learn it can be corrected.

[thommo]

I do miss the days of League One, the standard of football was much better but it is what it is. The National League is okay, some of the teams make me feel like we really have messed up but got relegated for a reason.

It will take a few seasons to fix, I am willing to see it out.

[CliftonMagpie]

I have felt the standard of football isn't that much different than league two, some teams actually pass it on the ground better in my opinion. Its just when sides panic about getting some from the game, they resort to hoofing it at times and this includes Notts.

We can't keep crying about relegation.

[cheeky~k8]

I cant say its settled but at least we know where we are and we arnt losing every game so better than last season.

[cheeky~k8]

If it has already that would be bad, we did much worse last season.

[TheSkipper 𝕏 TheSkipperNCFC]

I've found games to be more entertaining, I don't think there's a vast difference between most clubs and this could be why the football seems more open. When Notts puts their class on show, there is a gulf between most but that don't take anything a way from the National League.

In League Two, some just resort to being dirty as a way to make up for their lack of ability.

Some teams are just poor, I have been more impressed so far but Notts needs to get out of this league as quickly as possible.

[DangerousSausage]

Good article!

The "happy just to have a club" phase was always going to wear off quickly, especially if we were losing. To be honest I was expecting us to be where Chesterfield are now, but we seem to have stabilised and that's a pleasant surprise.

It's certainly a novelty playing different teams, and it must be interesting visiting different grounds. Even in League Two many grounds are becoming increasingly identikit, but the ones in the National League seem to have real character. We might as well embrace it while we're here in the hope that we'll be gone in a year or two. But if we're still hanging around at this level in five years or so they'll have lost their charm.

[Wilfordpie]

I'm just trying to enjoy the games that are more relaxed due to it being Non League, with time, I hope Notts gets it right and reclaims but stability is the key this