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With the news that League One has also ended, it's time to bring this season's prediction league to a close. And the winner is.... drum roll... @ARLukomski rose to the top of the table for the first time on the very last weekend before the season was stopped, nicking it from under the noses of @Dan and @weymouthPIE. So he's the champon for the second season running - congratulations! Congratulations also go to @barnet11uk, @super_ram and @4everapie, who had a very strong season. Thank you to everyone for playing, and especially for @Chris for providing a platform! The prediction league will be back as soon as league football returns. To be continued...

Thought never entered my mind. I find the money each year to renew, so will do the same this time. The club is lucky the owners have been so behind the club. They deserve the break and, whilst I understand the financial need for some to claim a refund, I would hope most can leave the money in the club.

donated. All the best Chris.

This is really an excellent read: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/50289343

At the last few home games at Meadow Lane, a discussion I often had with fans that I know was based around refunds. I know the club has now said that they will refund fans for the remaining 3 home fixtures. I have always said I wouldn't request a refund, simply because I don't believe the hit should come to the club due to the COVID-19 outbreak. As a supporter, I could use the money to put towards my next season ticket but I wouldn't want to take that support away from the club at a time when many are struggling. Will/Have you be claiming your refund?

i dont think people are born racist, i think its about their upbringing and not just the parents. i know of people who have borderline views who have very friendly parents, but they have fallen into the wrong crowds at school etc.

Who do you feel will be the most important player in the playoff push? Experience under pressure will be needed. Yes, the team needs to work together but who will lead Notts to Wembley in your opinion?

Two issues with it for me. 1. The mixed messages sent out by the government 2. People pretending or acting like life has returned to normal

the uk will regret giving into the people who moaned about wanting it to be lifted. its not the right time yet.

Not surprised with how much rebuilding had to be done. We had to build an entire new squad

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/2020/june/play-off-training-squad-confirmed-030620/

I am curious as to if any more will end up being released once the playoffs are concluded. No complaints from me.

Hey Chris. I found one more. Everton beat Notts in the quarter finals in 1984 and went on the beat Watford 2-0 in the final. I know there are more, it's something I'll look into when I have time.

I'm reading a book on the FA Cup. Sunderland won the cup in 1973. They were lucky to get past Notts County in Round 3. Notts lead 1-0 at Meadow Lane, thanks to a Les Bradd goal in the 29th minute. Sunderland levelled it on 79 mins but even they will admit that Notts were the better team and should have won the game. Notts lost the replay 2-0 at Roker Park but were in the game right up to the last minute. Match report below. I wonder how many times Notts have been knocked out by the eventual winners? https://rokerreport.sbnation.com/2011/01/07/roker-relives-safc-v-notts-county-fa-cup-3rd-round-replay-1973

Good stuff. The Stasi had a massive networks of spies and informants - nearly 2% of East Germany's population! And on top of that they played at Dynamo Berlin, the Stasi's favourite club that won 10 championships in a row up to 1988, so they really were under the noses of the secret police. Other recent players who played in the GDR include Uwe Rösler (Magdeburg) and Michael Ballack (FC Karl-Marx-Stadt, now Chemnitzer FC).

I absolutely agree, I think if people can afford to write it off - it should be considered a donation towards keeping the club on track.

I stand correct @ARLukomski.

Massive thanks to @DangerousSausage for running this seasons prediction league. This is my 2nd title @Chris

Saturday 13th June: Elimination Round - Match A - 5th place vs 6th place Elimination Round - Match B - 4th place vs 7th Place Saturday 20th June 2020 Semi Final - 2nd place vs winner of Match A Sunday 21st June 2020 Semi Final- 3rd place vs winner of Match B Sunday 28th June 2020 Promotion Final Allow Barrow automatic promotion

Double click on the twitter thread above

As I was bored, I spent some time reading the excellent Notts County FC and the Birth of Modern Football by Darrin Foss (buy it!) and discovered a bit of a gem. It was the early 1890s and Notts had recently adopted black and white kits after the Football League had appealed to several clubs to change away from blue to prevent kit clashes. The change doesn't seem to have been popular at first and many club members wanted to see a return to chocolate and blue. In an early round of the FA Cup, Notts were away to Sunderland while Forest were playing at home to Newcastle East End. Trouble is, both our beloved neighbours and Newcastle played in red. As change kits weren't yet quite "in", there was a bit of a discussion about who should wear red, and Forest were ultimately allowed to wear their home colours as they were the first team to wear red. Luckily for Newcastle many Notts members were in attendance, and thanks to one of them the visitors were able to take to the field resplendent in black and white. Fast forward a couple of years and East End had become United, with the renamed team formally adopting black and white as their colours. And maybe we had something to do with it too

Heart breaking in a way but his community show much they care

https://www.dw.com/en/bayern-munichs-jerome-boateng-no-child-is-born-a-racist/a-53674096

Nottingham city council dont control many schools now though, most have been forced and chosen to change to academy so its upto the academy not the council. To me it is a good decision to keep it to keyworkers children only at the moment though.

So, the play-offs are happening. The semi-final is to be played by 18 July, and the final by 31 July. We are two wins away from the promised land of League Two.

2 hours on the phone with Chris last night...watch this space

I agree with this. Usually, we'd have a few extra days to recuperate while our semi-final opponent runs themselves ragged. But in this case it'll be our first competitive game for three months. I wonder if it would be possible to play a friendly before this? Or even the FA Trophy semi? The system is design to give the teams in second and third an advantage, but now it seems to do the opposite. We had a similar case in the German cup this week - Saarbrücken (just promoted to the third division) played Leverkusen in the semi-final. Saarbrücken hadn't played a competitive match since early March, Leverkusen already had four or five Bundesliga matches under their belt. It was a farce and totally unfair.

Interesting. Some thoughts: - If we are going to be in the play-offs, the players need to be in training. But how? According to the rules, six people from different households can exercise together, so that'll permit training in small groups. But what about playing? The rules are there to protect people after all, and footballers should be no exception. I assume there'll be a similar testing/quarantine system in place as in Germany to prevent infection. - How lucky are Wycombe? They've jumped from 8th to 3rd, basically because they had a game in hand! - I hope the games are streamed somehow, as I can't get BT Sport over here... - But most importantly of all, this has consequences for the PON prediction league. I'll be in touch

@hissingdwarf Just to clarify, my comment wasn't meant as criticism of the NEU's line, they're exactly right (I know a number of people involved in that union myself). The countries where schools are reopening are far ahead of the UK in lowering the number of infections. Safety should be the only consideration here, and not getting the parents back to work ASAP, as seems to be the case.

Regards the NEUs line...I was fortunate enough to 'virtually sit in' on the executive board meeting the day after Johnson announced it. I know Both Mary B and Kev C well from my headship years, NUT rep years and political meetings, so when Kevin Courtney asked me to sit in, I jumped at the chance. The decisions made by the unions are sound. The 'tests' that need meeting are secure and sensible to protect the children and all the staff involved from cleaners to teachers. Strike action was discussed, which I cautioned against. Public opinion is volatile at the best of times, but now..... The current education system in England struggles due to the Academisation issue. Take Nottingham City for example. City Council have agreed with the NEU line and refused to open for more than key workers or vulnerable children. (Which is correct imo.) The issue occurs with multi-trust academies making their own decisions so one school may be closed and the next one along only a few hundred yards away may be looking to open for all year groups asap. Ludicrous.

How does parents feel about those calling for schools to return to being open? I wouldn't allow Jake, Ellie or Ava to return until I know its back to normal, teachers risk re-spreading it and, all it takes is one time visiting my parents unknowingly for them to catch the Coronavirus. We've done our part already by keeping clear and, myself and @cheeky~k8 are perfectly fine with home schooling until it's beaten.

Pity we didn't leave them playing in their underwear, while we went on to do what they've done since!

He would have broken the internet and took our server down.