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Here are our first results: Luton Town 0-0 Birmingham City Rotherham United 1-1 Swansea City Ipswich Town 1-1 Bolton Wanderers Plymouth Argyle 1-0 Barnsley Sheffield Wednesday 3-3 Portsmouth Leyton Orient 2-0 Grimsby Town Salford City 2-0 Mansfield Town Walsall 4-0 Hartlepool United --- Our first winners, and therefore our first leaders, are @magpiejue and @gtownjohnno - congrats! I'm not ecstatic with my own tally, but I'll be happy enough if Notts have the same number of points in a week's time... @magpiejue, @gtownjohnno - 7 @dan westwell - 6 @4everapie - 5 @GrannyPie, @super_ram, @liampie, @ARLukomski, @nottsnutter - 4 @Chris, @DangerousSausage - 3 @Dripsey3 - 2 @Megan_Elizax - 1 --- So that's it. Please feel free to add banter, commiserations, gushing praise for me or none of the aforementioned below. Otherwise, keep your eyes peeled for the next batch of fixtures on Wednesday (or thereabouts) ahead of the next round on Saturday. Thanks for playing, see you then!

'Hasn't been the most exciting of summers'?Speak for yourself @DangerousSausage Up till a couple of weeks ago I didn't think my first team would be around for me to support and they still aren't allowed to pay a fee to sign players but I'm now looking forward to next season with renewed optimism.I hope it will be a double celebration next spring along with my second team too and an improvement in my position in the prediction league.Bring it on !

The results: Sheffield United 2-0 Millwall Stoke City 2-0 Blackpool Charlton Athletic 1-0 Derby County Portsmouth 0-0 Lincoln City Barrow 3-2 Bradford City Crewe Alexandra 3-0 Harrogate Town Torquay United 0-0 Oldham Athletic York City 2-0 Woking --- Congrats to this week's winner @GrannyPie, the first player to hit double figure this season! @GrannyPie - 10 @super_ram - 9 @barnet11uk - 8 @gtownjohnno, @KB1862 - 6 @4everapie, @Megan_Elizax - 5 @ARLukomski, @Chris, @DangerousSausage - 4 @Dan, @Dripsey3, @jimbob - 3 @magpiejue, @nottsnutter - 2 --- Overall, @GrannyPie now leads the way, a point ahead of @super_ram and @gtownjohnno! GrannyPie - 14 super_ram - 13 gtownjohnno - 13 4everapie - 10 Dan - 9 magpiejue - 9 barnet1uk - 8 ARLukomski - 8 Chris - 7 DangerousSausage - 7 KB1862 - 6 Megan_Elizax - 6 nottsnutter - 6 Dripsey3 - 5 liampie - 4 jimbob - 3 --- The next round is on Saturday, so look out for the fixtures on Wednesday (you too @DonnyNotts!). Thanks for playing and have a great week!

"What line-up should Ian Burchnall opt for"

4 points after being on 13 at half time. Prediction league is back baby

It’s a gutting way to start the week. He's a great player, technically gifted and a massive threat for defensives at this level, in all honesty too good for this level. But with one year left on his contract if he's not going to re-sign like Woots I don't think taking the money is a bad move. I'd assume there'd be some clauses in there too, so if he does well and gets a move again we'll hopefully get some more money. And since Ruben came in Cal’s effectively been sacrificed to accommodate him. His best position as an inside forward/inverted winger is one he’s barely played since the switch to 3-5-2. And judging by pre-season the formation looks to be in the mould of a 3-5-2. Loved watching him and wish him all the best.

I have a title to defend so I'm in. Did I mention I have a title to defend?

Yes, I am in also. I'll even make sure I don't miss any rounds.

been waiting with baited breath for announcement

Iam in........ Got to be better than that gash performance at Boston last night!!!!!!!

I've participated since the start of it. So its a yes from me

I'm in and hoping to improve on last season.

It's the second round and, alongside the proper leagues, even the Vanarama National Conference is getting in on the action. I've just been over at the neighbours' drinking home-made liquor that seems to consist only of alcohol, but I'm sure these fixtures will be OK. So have fun, get your predictions in by 3pm on Saturday and don't forget your jokers! Sheffield United v Millwall Stoke City v Blackpool Charlton Athletic v Derby County Portsmouth v Lincoln City Barrow v Bradford City Crewe Alexandra v Harrogate Town Torquay United v Oldham Athletic York City v Woking

top corner....where the spiders live and the owls sleep

The first half wasn't really the best and, despite the score line, it wasn't remotely a good team performance. It was acceptable, but defensively we need to be better, as I think better teams would've punished our poor passing and lack of defensive mindset early on. Maidenhead, although not a great side, did give us enough concerns early on as they pressed for a quick tempo. I think their travelling fans should be happy with their side's performance. Our goals came through pressure and good play, which is a promising sign as we worked the ball quite well at times. Second half we looked very lively, I wanted to see someone like Frank Vincent sit on the ball a bit. Yet Jim O'Brien did extremely well in my eyes, both defensively and assisting going forward. At times, he tracked back, won the ball and played us forward. I don't get why some fans moan about him starting because he brings experience and fire to the side. I wasn't a big fan of Joel Taylor on the right in the first half. He did quite a bit better in the second half, yet I think it highlighted that someone else there could do the job more comfortably. I actually wished Richard Brindley was given this role, as I do think he does well at times when he plays, but he's a lot more effective for us going forward. He's willing to cut in, run into space and go wide when the times are right. Taylor looked like he had been given the role of Jayden Richardson but needed to either gain confidence or just grown in the position. Perhaps he will get better as his deliveries are good, but I would be lying if I felt he wasn't better suited on the left. Good win, fantastic start for Macaulay Langstaff. It's early days, but I do feel a lot more confident that we'll continue to have the best start to any season for years.

Slocombe 6 Some good catching under pressure but footballing skills give me the colly wobbles at times Brindley 7 Some good forward runs Baldwin 7.5 Looks a great replacement for Lacey Cameron 7 Good work on left side Taylor 8.5 Goal of the season already? Surely not Chicksen 7 Reliable JOB 7.5 Some lovely lay offs Francis 8.5 Unsung hero but getting a deserved spot in this team. Austin 7.5 Lovely ball across for the 2nd Ruben 8.5 The ability to win the ball, turn his man and thread the pass exquisite. Premier League class. Nearly scored with a rocket of a free kick Langstaff 8.5 Someone that can finish!

Maidenhead at home is the ideal opportunity to start the season with 3 points and I think we will. A long season starts here and hopefully we have many many highs and very few lows.

As the title says, really. The season is nearly upon us. How do you think we'll get on? Who will be our main competitors? We're hard to predict this time round to be honest. We've brought in a clutch of players who looked amazing a division below, but that's no guarantee that they'll do it at this level against fully pro opposition. We also have a new head coach with a, let's be honest, less than sparkling track record. It could all click and we win the league, or we could have a tough season with multiple signings failing to bed in and missing out on the play-offs. My glass is half full today, so I'll go for top three, with Wrexham winning the league. Sorry, it's the best I can do.

Ask me again after 10 games

Aaand the PON prediction league is back once again! This is how it works: At least two days before every matchday I will post a thread with eight matches to predict, two each from the Championship, League One, League Two and (from 6 August) the Conference. You then reply with your predicted scores. The cut-off time for posting is kick-off. At the end of it all I'll then post a table with the current standings. Scoring system: 3 points for a correct score and 1 for a correct result. So if you predict Hartlepool to beat Walsall 2-1 and they do, you get 3 points; if Hartlepool win 1-0, you get 1 point. Each round you can also choose one match as your joker - any points you win for that match are then doubled. We have a dedicated (and very competitive!) hardcore, but newcomers are also very, very welcome! Maybe you could be this season's surprise package? Simply reply to this post with your predictions by 3pm this coming Saturday and nominate one match as your joker - good luck! Luton Town v Birmingham City Rotherham United v Swansea City Ipswich Town v Bolton Wanderers Plymouth Argyle v Barnsley Sheffield Wednesday v Portsmouth Leyton Orient v Grimsby Town Salford City v Mansfield Town Walsall v Hartlepool United

Not a bad start for me then. COYP

I was there. I said to my friend before the corner leading to the goal that England were going to score. Germany weren't marking properly. They were tired. England deserved to win it.

2022/23 National League Predictions

Considering I know very little about Luke Williams, and having only watched a couple of pre-seasons games I've not got too much to go on. But from the little I’ve seen I can’t help but feel positive. I like the general approach that will see us press teams from the front more this season, and signing mobile forward attacking players like Langstaff, Scott and Austin will aid this. Woots worked hard, but him and Ruben weren’t exactly a quick pairing. I think with the high-pressing, high tempo game-plan there’s more chance of us putting a good run of wins together, something that is going to be key to getting promoted but my slight worry would be that come the end of the season the players might just be completely knackered. And those are the potentially season defining games. I’ll say 4th, but I’m hopeful of more. It would be nice to challenge for the title this season.

Nostradamus says:

I think Notts will finish in a playoff place at the very least. I'm more optimistic about this season than last season. I think it will all come together and we will finally get out of this league.

Who told you about my belt

Luton Town 1-0 Birmingham City Rotherham United 2-0 Swansea City Ipswich Town 1-2 Bolton Wanderers Plymouth Argyle 0-0 Barnsley (Joker) Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Portsmouth Leyton Orient 0-2 Grimsby Town Salford City 1-0 Mansfield Town Walsall 1-1 Hartlepool United Let the games begin.... Good luck everyone

It feels a bit strange to be writing this in mid July when it's about a billion degrees outside, but the football season will be starting on 30 July - that's a week and a bit! And as we all know, the most important thing about the football season is the PON prediction league. It's been quiet here for a bit, partly because it hasn't been the most exciting of summers, but I'm hoping we'll spring to life again soon. So I'd like to gauge interest. I'm hoping to get enough people together to do it again this coming season - both the old hands and new people who fancy giving it a shot themselves, everyone is welcome! Just drop a message below if you're interested @Dripsey3, @Dan, @super_ram, @4everapie, @gtownjohnno, @Megan_Elizax, @magpiejue, @ARLukomski, @nottsnutter, @jimbob, @GrannyPie, @barnet11uk, @Chris, @KB1862, @liampie, @Joshua, @Feral Fox, @allardyces tash, @TheSkipper, @CliftonMagpie, @Alex, @Canadian

Can't really blame him, good luck to him.

I'm in too. Love prediction league. Good luck everyone and COYP

I'm down to do it again this season. I want to do better than last season

Great stuff everyone, you can all have a like. I'll put some fixtures up this weekend and will try to drum up some interest. I'm not sure it's THAT sort of excitement we're after! I still remember our administration saga very well and wouldn't wish it on anyone. Best of luck to Derby, I hope they can get on their feet again. Might even include their fixture the odd time

Oh go on then.

Maidenhead at home is one of the easiest fixtures IMO. The rest of August is quite tricky. Boreham Wood away is always difficult. Gateshead away won't be easy. They'll be well up for that game. Chesterfield at home, Halifax away and Solihull at home are tough. We visit Dorking Wanderers in September. That will be a cup final for them! Oldham at home on Boxing Day and away on New Year's Day. I personally love that. 2 big clubs going head to head. We finish with a home game against York. Hopefully we'll be celebrating promotion!