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My last blog currently has 1,225 views, 3 comments, and 4 interactions. Since then, I believe the club has evolved significantly, and the summer signings have certainly made Notts much more solid. Having a strong defence should lead to more creativity upfront and the ability to handle the opposition, as Notts did against Tranmere Rovers and Grimsby Town early on. This makes me believe that, with time, our back line could improve significantly. While results will ultimately tell, the signs are promising. Notts have never looked more creative than they do with Jodi Jones in the team. He has been improving game by game, and his goal against Grimsby Town should benefit the players around him. I have seen comments from negative fans suggesting that Notts only performed well because they were on television. I don’t believe the players would act like that. We have been showing signs of improvement, even though it is only three games into the season. I don’t think Jones is playing to attract interest; he is playing for his own pride and the kit he wears. While I agree with the sentiments expressed here, I think Macaulay Langstaff has been such a huge part of the last two seasons that fans will naturally post and mention him. Although, it seems a little strange to talk about him instead of Notts. I admit he is still a talking point. I personally look out to see if he plays or has scored his first goal. Hopefully, the fans who still feel bitter about him leaving have gotten over it. However, some of our fans will continue to discuss him because of how relevant he has been. It's easy to say that he's not relevant now, but he's been the closest goalscorer we have had in years to beating the club's all-time record, which is held by Les Bradd with 125 goals. Macca has 70 goals, Mark Stallard is ahead with just six more goals, and Lee Hughes sits on 67, according to transfermarkt.co.uk. This is in two seasons, compared to around 11, 5, and 4 seasons respectively. So, naturally, he will be a talking point, but fans should also focus on Notts. Notts has truly gone international, but let’s not forget about our overseas supporters who watch the games live in various locations across the globe! If we were impressed watching the Grimsby game unfold, imagine how our exiles and overseas fans felt about the game! While it might not be the same, Sky Sports certainly has an impact from the fans’ perspective with them changing game dates and kick-off times. There’s one bonus: when Notts performs so well, not only do we get excited by the prospects, but our international friends can show their support by watching the games. Being broadcast in America via CBS might encourage more people in the States to adopt Notts as their club, especially with all the hype surrounding “Welcome to Wrexham”. Plus, the money Sky pays EFL clubs must have some impact on how clubs can operate. Did I just see a glimpse of the Pride of Nottingham gaffer, Chris, near the end of the video? It’s great to see him back to his best! The atmosphere was very good against Grimsby; it felt electric and is something we, as fans, can build on. I was impressed by my visit to Tranmere Rovers. We made an incredible amount of noise, silencing their fans. Yet at Fleetwood, I could feel the tension. This was before Fleetwood had scored, so I can imagine it was tense for the players too. Seeing the KOP, Family, and Pavis Stands react to the goals scored by Notts made it even better. The sense of excitement and seeing the players fully in control against a team that can’t be dismissed as one of our rivals was fantastic. Can we move beyond the doubt and finally get behind Stuart Maynard? I get that some fans are unsure, and others are just negative for the sake of it. Yet, if we can, as a majority, finally get behind Stuart Maynard, we might start to see continued improvements. I wouldn’t be able to guess how much of our fan base is on board with Maynard. It seems much more than last season, but on social media, I still see fans easily criticising him despite more positive impressions, such as the opening day’s defending against Tranmere Rovers. All managers are learning, thinking, and doing their best. He took over from someone most fans regard as the best manager for a decade in Luke Williams, but we need to rally behind him. The board showed courage when fans were more vocal due to the string of poor performances and defeats, but in truth, this was never fully on his shoulders. Let’s get behind him. I want to see the KOP and away fans chant Stuart Maynard’s name. Can we see what effect this has? Embrace him and hope he can take us up to League One, as we don’t have anything to lose. Despite my thoughts on those who dislike Stuart Maynard and seem dead against him, let’s not separate our fan base by labelling areas. There will always be an element of fans who are quick to boo. Some will have the club’s intentions at heart, and others are simply short-term focused. The main thing is the bigger picture, so I think for the long term, and that’s the way I believe the majority of fans should strive, especially if they want the club to have a future. Singling out fans is a bit petty and needless. It doesn’t reflect well on the performance the club puts together. If anything, it creates a division among the fans. I agree with the principles that Notts are showing signs of improvement after the time we had with Luke Williams, but even Williams showed signs of improvement over Ian Burchnall and Neal Ardley. The positivity towards Maynard is great, especially pointing out how fantastic the football on the pitch was. It makes the pitch feel even more like a place to showcase Notts at their very best, and every player looked capable of helping the club to promotion. But let’s stick with being behind each other. As the chant goes, “All Notts Aren’t We!” Follow me on x.com (Twitter) at @20JOSHUA04, please subscribe to my blog here if you liked it and ensure you opt to receive alerts on any upcoming posts.

Since my last bout of keyboard clattering, Stuart Maynard has somehow surfed the tsunami of fan outrage without wiping out spectacularly. Astonishingly, Notts managed to snatch the 2nd place spot. Quite the magic trick for a manager who was being booed louder than a pantomime villain just for losing an FA Cup game and an away match against Salford. Given the circumstances, we haven't nosedived into oblivion, which is, frankly, impressive. I must admit, I was wrong about Dan Crowley before, shocking, I know. But it's crucial not to jump the gun before the ink's dry. Take your eye off the ball, pun fully intended, and you start to slip. As a fan base, perhaps we need to exhibit a tad more faith in the club's ability to adapt to changes without spontaneously combusting. Losing Dan Crowley won't be the catastrophic event some are prophesying. If he genuinely believes MK Dons, a club with all the rich history of a microwaved lasagna, is his destiny, then perhaps his ambitions lie elsewhere, beyond mere promotion. Let's not forget that Notts actually beefed up after selling Cal Roberts. At his peak, he was unstoppable, a player who could flip a game on its head faster than you could say "transfer window." Crowley, talented as he is, seemed to have grown a bit too comfortable holding the midfield like a man clutching a lukewarm cup of tea. The first half of the season, he and Jodi Jones were dynamic, until inconsistency and injuries crashed the party. Twenty-five games in, we're smack dab in the middle of a promotion race. The transfer window swings open, and the club has been busy, snapping up Zak Johnson on loan and the young Everton midfielder Charlie Whitaker. Will Jarvis joins the fray too, an exciting prospect, though I'd personally prefer if a striker waltzed in as well. Things aren't looking nearly as dire as when I first penned my doom-laden scribbles here on the Pride of Nottingham. Stuart Maynard has steered Notts to some brilliant results, and the form has improved from "abysmal" to "actually quite decent." The recent away win against Accrington Stanley was a solid performance, a rare sight worth celebrating. We've been boosted by the news that rising Spurs star George Abbott will remain for the rest of the season, despite the rumour mill trying to whip up a frenzy about a potential recall and another Ryan Yates saga. Add to that whispers of Plymouth eyeing Alassana Jatta, and you might think the sky is falling. But again, let's have a little faith in the club's ability to adapt if Jatta decides to pack his bags. Selling a £400,000 signing for £750,000 isn't exactly a disaster; it's decent business, even if it feels like pawning off the family silver. I get the frustration of offloading our best players. Personally, I'd prefer this sort of wheeling and dealing happened when we're not in the thick of an active campaign, but life seldom bends to our whims. Naturally, these things can't always be helped. The club likely has every scenario mapped out on a whiteboard somewhere and, fingers crossed, we'll hear news of a new striker sauntering in soon. The fan base seems relatively content at the moment, but if a bump does occur, let's try not to descend into collective hysteria. If you've supported Notts as long as I have, you'll know that selling players can be a double-edged sword. But when those sales strengthen the existing squad, perhaps it's time to trust in the mysterious "system" everyone keeps mentioning. A gentle reminder: Notts has to knuckle down for the remainder of the season. The return of Jodi Jones to full fitness will be a massive boon. Yes, the news of Lucas Ness and Scott Robertson likely being out for the rest of the 2024–25 League Two season is a kick in the teeth, but let's pull together, take the rough with the smooth, and see how this rollercoaster ends. The final run of games looks quite exciting from where I'm sitting, and I still fancy Notts' chances of clinching automatic promotion. We've got everything to play for at this stage, and despite December looking grimmer than a rain-soaked Tuesday, we've come through that dreary period far better than we went into it.

Ah, the beautiful game. Except when it isn’t. Over the past few weeks, I’ve found myself sinking deeper into a pit of despair, not because of anything happening on the pitch, but because of the unique breed of hysteria emanating from certain corners of the Notts County fanbase. It’s as if some believe we’re entitled to waltz our way to the top of the league with the ease of a TikTok influencer making their morning matcha. Spoiler alert: we’re not. This sense of entitlement, coupled with a knee-jerk dismissal of just how far the club has clawed its way back from the brink, is as exhausting as a wet Tuesday night away fixture. Let’s rewind to the recent fans’ forum. A glimmer of hope! A rare oasis of satisfaction in a desert of misplaced rage. Those in attendance seemed genuinely optimistic about the club’s plans for January. But, as ever, it didn’t take long for the mood to nosedive. Almost immediately, the pitchforks were out for Stuart Maynard, with some fans sharpening their knives for a couple of players as well. Honestly, the venom is ridiculous. Lest we forget, Notts County has never been a club known for champagne football or a stress-free existence. Supporting this team has always been more of a gritty soap opera than a glossy Netflix drama. Progress here isn’t measured in leaps and bounds, but in the tiny victories. Let’s be grateful we’re no longer teetering on the edge of oblivion like we were not so long ago. And yet, despite six players being sidelined through injury, some fans are spinning conspiracy theories about Dan Crowley packing his bags for London. (Spoiler: he’s not. Put down the tin foil hat.) Where has the logic gone? Has it been benched too? The reaction to our FA Cup second-round loss to Peterborough United was another highlight in this melodrama. Before the game, some fans wanted a weakened lineup. Post-game, those same people were clutching their pearls over the strong XI that Stuart Maynard fielded. You can’t win. (And apparently, neither can we, but let’s not dwell on that.) It’s easy to dissect every decision with the smug clarity of hindsight, isn’t it? Did Maynard make substitutions to rest players or protect them? Who knows? He’s a football manager, not a psychic. Now, about last night’s loss to Walsall. Predictably, it’s triggered another full-blown meltdown. Let’s recap: six players out injured, including key figures like Matty Platt, Jodi Jones, and (the apparently London-bound) Dan Crowley. This isn’t just bad luck; it’s like fate has us on speed dial for its next cruel prank. Here’s the thing: clubs that are serious about progressing use moments like this to recalibrate and come back stronger. Despite everything, Notts County is in a better place this season than it has been in years. There’s actual promise here, and if we can just get through December with some dignity intact, January could be the start of something special. Let’s not forget the bigger picture. Players are drawn to the club because they like how we play and believe in where we’re headed. That’s a huge selling point, and it counts for something. So, while it’s tempting to wallow in doom and gloom, how about we focus on what’s going right? Football is a long, winding road, not a straight sprint to glory. So let’s all take a deep breath, stop yelling at Maynard, and remember why we love this maddening, beautiful, frustrating team. Come on you Pies!

It’s easy to criticise players when they’re not performing well and the disappointing results are accumulating, but it’s refreshing to see such positive tweets emphasising a player’s effort in a game that might not have gone as expected. On the field, no position is more scrutinised than the goalkeeper. I believe each of our goalkeepers has the potential to excel and also bring different styles to the table. Sam Slocombe has performed well since his return to action. His experience provides us with a slight edge at a time when we’re chasing points. While every player on the pitch can make an error, it’s usually the goalkeeper who bears the brunt of it all. Personally, I don’t mind having Sam Slocombe in goal. I think there are valid points to play either him or Aidan Stone. I personally believe Stone is better at distribution and command. Both are excellent at stopping shots. The downside for Stone is his confidence; once he’s beaten by the opposition, he can falter, but that’s something he can overcome with experience. It’s not that he doesn’t make some good saves after conceding, it’s just that it’s highly likely more will follow. Would we be in a better position if Luke Williams had stayed? I don’t believe there would be a significant difference. Luke Williams didn’t demonstrate any ability to rectify the flaws. He was excellent at bringing out the best in the players, motivating and inspiring them, but the downturn started well before he left Notts. While we might not be experiencing a series of losses as disheartening as we are now, I don’t think we would be any better off if Williams had stayed. Is this a call for reason or just wishful thinking? I’m inclined to agree with this statement, although Stuart Maynard isn’t doing himself any favours with his in-game decisions. I’ve noticed that he’s tried much of what the community has asked for, from changing the formation to giving other players a chance, and I think consistency is crucial from here on out. There are many issues, but blaming Maynard for everything seems wrong to me. I acknowledge that the team’s form doesn’t make it easy to support him, but this campaign is crucial for learning. Any mistake should be a learning opportunity, and this period could aid Maynard in his development as a manager. Assuming he manages to retain the board’s support, as currently, I can only see him losing support, which saddens me because I feel the club as a whole needs a bit of faith to turn things around. Is this a hope for learning and improvement, or simply a preparation for giving someone else the opportunity to settle with the squad ahead of a new campaign? Personally, I’m against the idea of sacking Stuart Maynard. It would appear as a weak appointment if the Notts board decided to dismiss him after offering him a three-and-a-half-year deal. However, I can understand the club’s perspective in wanting to give someone else the chance to prepare the squad for a new campaign. I believe Maynard would improve given time. He should be aware of what’s holding us back, something the recruitment decision-makers clearly don’t understand, at least not before Maynard joined the club. An experienced centre-back was crucial, and we focused too much on signing a player that was hyped by the media team for a transfer fee of £150,000, which could have been better spent on improving the defence. Alassana Jatta should be ready for next season, but until then, I can’t see him making much of an impact. We need to consider what to do with Will Randall and Junior Morias, two signings who have barely featured and show no signs of being considered for starting games. Ideally, going into next season, we should strengthen the defence, sign players to provide depth, ensure quality is available on the bench in all departments, and abandon the idea of having a small squad. We need cover. If players aren’t being played, they are either not considered good enough or should be loaned out so they can play competitive football with the mindset of recalling them if needed. Follow me on x.com (Twitter) at @20JOSHUA04, please subscribe to my blog here if you liked it and ensure you opt to receive alerts on any upcoming posts.

Following on from @AmericanPie commenting on favourite actors / actresses, thought I would share my eclectic favourite films...and if you are expecting a list of Hollywood blockbusters, then best not read further Cinema Paradiso Breaking the waves A very long engagement Big Fish The Lives of others The secret in their eyes Hidden City Three Colours Trilogy, Brassed Off Little Voice Fever Pitch Notting Hill Mute Witness Starter for 10 The Reader Grand Budapest Hotel The Hunger Marathon Man Dr Zhivago The Life of Brian This is England Dead Man Shoes Brass Target Charade North by Northwest Arabesque The girl in the cafe Before Sunrise

Chris Buckley, the owner of Pride of Nottingham, has been a lifelong supporter of Notts County Football Club. In this interview, he shares his journey from attending his first game with his grandfather in 1993 to starting the Pride of Nottingham website in 2009. Growing up in Aspley, Nottingham, Chris was initially drawn to football through his father, a Derby County supporter, who would occasionally take Chris's brother to games. However, Chris was deemed too young at the time and they only had two tickets. Seeing his disappointment, Chris's grandfather Ray decided to take him to see Notts County instead. From then on, Chris became a regular attendee at Notts County games, making every Wembley visit except for the playoff final against Brighton and Hove Albion. The concept for the Pride of Nottingham came about in 2006 when Chris decided to start a small forum on the domain notts-county.co.uk. However, it wasn't until 2008 that he started thinking more seriously about the project and decided to call the site Pride of Nottingham. The site went live in 2009 with a small number of posters, but it was only really pushed in 2013 when Chris's children and family gave him the push to hand out flyers. Chris's background in websites comes from poetry and art – his first site was quite popular in the days of MySpace. He also had a site that gave tips on how people at home could make a living from various sites before it was common for people with good writing abilities to land remote jobs at home. Unfortunately, that site ended up being hacked by a cyber group that tried ransoming him for its release. One of the biggest challenges he faced early on was dealing with negative comments that were abusive and threatening. He felt surprised that he would attract such negative emails and felt like he needed to win people over. Learning what interested fans and focusing on improving has been a rewarding challenge for him. He has always put effort into keeping fans engaged and the site grew throughout difficult circumstances. Over time, he has learned to improve his writing and has enjoyed giving fans a platform where more than one person can have their say. He is thankful for the assistance of Joe Jones, a qualified journalist who helped him improve his writing skills. His support for the club has evolved over time and he now sees himself as playing a role in representing fans and keeping a sense of togetherness within the community. He feels that it is important for the club, especially during difficult times. He has become more focused on helping other fans and has met some wonderful people online over the past 10 years. Chris's advice for someone who wants to get involved with the club or make a difference in their community is to join an existing part of the community and get to know people while keeping an open mind about what the community around Notts does. He suggests joining Facebook groups, Twitter pages, and the Pride of Nottingham website.

Notts County is enthusiastically preparing for the forthcoming season. Their schedule includes a sequence of pre-season friendlies and rigorous training sessions aimed at priming the team for success. Luke Williams, the team's Manager, has introduced four fresh faces to the squad this summer. Each has participated in some form within the team's initial pre-season friendlies. Macauley Langstaff, a forward for the team, has expressed his favourable impressions of how smoothly the newcomers have integrated with the rest of the group. Jodi Jones, one of the new arrivals, made a remarkable impact on Notts County's journey to the playoff final against Chesterfield, following his impressive loan spell from Oxford United last season. Jones was highlighted thanks to his triumphant match-winning goal against Boreham Wood. Subsequently, Jones has now signed a permanent contract. This newly committed pact aligns him with Will Randall, David McGoldrick, Dan Crowley, and Aidan Stone, who have also joined the ranks. The positions that each player brings to the team are as follows - Jodi Jones serves as a right-winger, while Will Randall fulfils the role of a left-winger. David McGoldrick operates as a centre-forward, Dan Crowley offers his talents as an attacking midfielder and Aidan Stone holds the fort as a goalkeeper. It appears that Notts County has strategically bolstered their team with these solid acquisitions. All the new players are projected to have a tangible effect on the overall squad's performance. For instance, Will Randall and Jodi Jones have already shown good rapport, performing particularly well together against Stoke City. David McGoldrick importunes experience to the team, given his past playing in the Championship. Dan Crowley appears to be a skilful attacking midfielder who can both identify passing opportunities and advance into potential spaces. His experience at the Arsenal academy has had a clear impact on his performance, which is likely to remain impressive, particularly in the upcoming friendly match against Nottingham Forest. Aidan Stone has shown promise in his performance against Nuneaton, displaying a slight struggle against Stoke due to defensive missteps. However, playing against League Two players should be more to his advantage. As a goalie striving for first-team status, Goalkeeping Coach Tom Weal is expected to bring out his best. Despite my innate optimism, I genuinely believe the squad possesses enough prowess to compete against the most formidable teams in League Two. If the wind is in our sails, a title race or staggering back-to-back promotions are not impossible. The team possesses impressive depth and is poised to be a formidable presence. We have a group of players in our team, including Jodi Jones, Will Randall, Aaron Nemane, and Adam Chicksen, who are renowned for their relentless ability to score goals and provide assists. Our midfield strength is evident with the likes of Matt Palmer, John Bostock, Dan Crowley, bolstered by the experienced Jim O'Brien and David McGoldrick. To summarise, the new summer signings at Notts County are anticipated to substantially impact the team's success this season. A balanced combination of experience and enthusiasm should make for a thrilling season ahead for Notts County. Even without an additional centre back, the team could potentially vie for another title while possibly achieving back-to-back promotions. Everyone awaits keenly to see how this season unfolds for Notts County.

This blog is personal, as a result it’s not your typical read on Notts County and I thought that I should warn potential readers before – if you prefer the regular variety of opinions be sure to have a read of our home page otherwise I would suggest clicking away from this blog. Towards the end of last season I decided to make changes, I wasn’t all that happy with things and as most fans (who know me) will have seen I started using my real name. It was more of a positive change than I had thought, but I was worried about trolls. Despite this I was actually pleased, as I made the change for the right reasons – some fans didn’t know if they should call me Joe or Chris and the confusion really started to impact how I felt inside. I’m not going to dwell on the mental side of my feelings, despite people claiming to understand depression – I find most don’t have the foggiest and take to judging rather than offering support which does help to heal. So, I cast my mind back to the remaining league home games – a point where I started to realise that the regular fans that I grew to enjoy speaking with, well, the numbers had dwindled despite the new ownership. I wanted things to be different, I wanted to feel happier and I realised at this point avoiding things only impacted how I felt. Those people who warned me about others, the idiots who would send me stupid messages and the likes of a certain fan who has received a lot of media attention for being the tool that he is – really take no bearing on me. I ended the 2016-2017 season promising myself that I would try harder to be more sociable, I mean I don’t avoid it but I tend to be busy. I’m not the biggest user of social media, I write my thoughts and feelings – rather than reforming to the standard form, popularity really doesn’t concern me. Yet I did want to try and break some of the anxiety that I felt inside. There’s people who only see the confident, fairly outgoing Chris – who don’t understand remotely why at times I find it hard to even speak. And again this comes back to the ‘judgemental’ side of things, though it is something I have been trying to tackle head on. In my private life, I try to occupy myself as the close season I have fewer things to do and this is the time I fall into traps about what I think about, and how I feel. My wife’s has been a great support, as we have made a lot of home improvements – and things feel homely. The house had been left in a very bad state by the former owners, plus teens and thieves who had vandalised the property and stole all the lead or mental in the house. It’s funny how little things, such as blinds or just having the kitchen in a more finished state changes how you see things – again this is something I felt I would take notice of with match days which is a good release for me. Though I wished my son would attend more games, there’s many who ask about him and it’s not the same but I do respect his decision. This season I feel I’ve been doing the right things, as I use Fridays to focus on my health and the weekend as a way to just to enjoy without the pressure of having to do things. That said, match days are extremely busy for me but if I wanted – I could make it easier. I’m hoping to get back on the road once things settle, I can’t justify spending money away from my family and I really do need to choose which away games I make carefully – fingers crossed I can get to Mansfield as I haven’t yet been to the One-Call Stadium.

Last saturday I went to see notts play with my dad, I woke up before him and mum got me my breakfast. I like having cereals before I go out, but my sister Ava wanted to come. She kept passing me her shoes all excited, I thought it was funny but I told her I didnt think she was coming. We walked down to the bottom of the road, dad was messing about and he kept telling me we was going to win. He asked me how I thought we would do, I dont like guessing so I tell him we will either win, lose or draw. One of our friends was celebrating her birthday, dad said we needed to get a balloon but we couldn't find one. On the way walking to the ground, this man with a funny accent started talking to dad. It turned out he was a walsall fan, he walked with us until dad directed him and his partner to a pub. Dad sent them in the wrong direction by mistake, I hope he found somewhere to drink before the game. Dad wrote on a card, it was now I realised I had lost the card I had made. I was a little upset but dad said I could write on the card and that it's the thought which counts, I just like making cards for people I like. Once near the ground dad went in to speak with some people, I went quite shy. We then went into the bar but dad did not get a drink. He started talking to our friends, I was happy to see them standing near the doors. Drew (a friend) came in and dad was already speaking to someone else he had met. Drew spoke to me, he's funny and very friendly. The person my dad was speaking to had a pretty nice camera and we went out but it started raining. We took shelter and they spoke a bit more before deciding it was best to get into the ground. We ran and then walked, it was funny for me because I was not bothered about it raining. Notts started the game quite badly and it wasnt long before the other team scored, dad did not seem very happy but he kept singing and trying to encourage me. I was more excited about being sat towards the back of the stand. At half time dad asked me if I wanted to play the drum, my sister Ellie as always wanted to play it herself and I was excited about trying but nervous. I did not think I would be allowed but dad insisted, he spoke to one of our fans who was sitting near the drum and I had a go but I was not very good. Someone else dad knew came and shown me, I played it a little better but it was good fun to try. After the other team scored three goals, I asked dad who controlled the scoreboard. He laughed and asked why, I then told him I wanted to go and have try of that. He asked me why laughing still. I told him I wanted to change the score to favour us. The fans where we sat was pretty vocal in support, although one fan kept swearing and I think hes naughty! He kept saying Notts was useless, I think it was just a bad day and I think fans some fans are quite unhappy people. At the end of the game it was 5!! goals to the other team and the player dad likes (Callum McGregor) was the only player to score for us. He scored a very nice free kick, I think we will do better next time, it was just a bad game. When we got back home, dad was getting ready to go to a party. He asked me to check on my blog, I was surprised to see all the comments but I was hungry and ended up forgetting to thank everyone. Im really happy that people read my blog, plus dad tweeted a few people and shared it on Facebook. There was comments elsewhere which was very kind, im hoping to write about an away day next time and hopefully one of my friends will answer some questions. I like when people reply to my blogs, its even better when they write really nice comments and like it on facebook. Its nice that Alan Judge and Bart saw it and that Aileen Trew reposted it to her friends. I like how Romeo read it too as he is my friend, i wish i got to see him more. Thank you for your kind comments and reading.

I like when notts give tickets a way at my school, though theres not many who support notts at my school. Louie (a friend) says his dad supports notts but he doesn't he supports a totally different team. I really like going to watch see notts with my dad, we have quite a few friends and I look forward to seeing them, I think this is one of the things which is special. The thing I find sad is that all my friends support teams which are not from nottingham or one's my dad does not like. My uncle used to take me to games when I was very little, I dont really remember them but I can remember going around the ground and meeting the players. That makes a difference and dad once told me notts visited him at school, along with the cricket team and them. I really think notts should send some of their players to do p.e or something, it would be nice. Our players are pretty friendly, I have pictures taken with quite a few and them taking time to do this also helps. On the 18th of this month, dad took me to go see stevenage. We go by mini bus and with a group of fans. I wished paul (friend) would be going but he didnt. I like the group who go, though I go pretty shy around them but its nice to travel. I sat on the last row, eating smarties one of the people dad knows gave me. I think our fans are really friendly! They are another thing which I like about supporting notts. I first became a notts fan when i started going to notts games in 2008 when i was 2 years old. I like to go to notts home games with my dad too because we get to have fun day out and i like the pie i can have at half time. Home and away days are different but we always see our friends at the games and its nice to see them all. I wish my birthday was in the football season because i would get to see my friends then. I like asking questions, so dad said i could message a member of the community. I asked JurgenPie 1: What was the first football match you attended, could you tell me about it? - first game was on 19 October 74, we beat Oxford 4-1, came back from 1-0 down and got goals from Ian Scanlon 2, Les Bradd and Steve Carter, still got the programme as well. 2: How long have you supported Notts and why did you choose them? Will be 40 years in October, had never been to a football game so just went down on a Saturday I was 18 at the time to see which Nottingham team was at home and got bitten by the bug. 3: Do you prefer Home or Away games and why? Home games in the Kop just for the atmosphere 4: Do you think young fans are important for Notts? My school sometimes gets free tickets but not many at my school support us, how could Notts encourage them? Young fans are important and are the fans of the future, sending players to schools might help to encourage them to watch Notts and things like Junior Magpie. 5: What are your match days like? - Match days I drive or ride my motorbike depending on the weather and park up before going to the Trent Navigation for my dinners and then to the MLSB via the club shop, normally go into the ground for about 2.20 to watch the players warm up. Thanks to my mum and Jurgen and to those who read my blog.

The New Manager.... Back when CK was sacked, I didn't really much thoughts on who would replace him. I only had a shortlist of who I would hate to see in the hot seat here at Meadow Lane. Openly, I would hate to see Paolo Di Canio and he was my only real fear. I know of friends who would hate 'Steve Evans' but at least he commits to doing his home work and as a manager he really hasn't done all that bad, it's just a shame about the type of person he is. Now we've seen the likes of Shaun Derry, Brian Kerr and Dean Saunders. Are these really the types of managers we can hope to expect managing the team so many fans truly care about? It's a shame really, it's a succession of bad managers and limited ambition (on whoevers part) for the reason of why we have such a lack of uninspiring candidates. I've actually grown tired of the blame game, I don't care and the type of person I am - I want to see us all move on and accept this, the only real way in doing so in my opinion is to make sure the right person comes in. It could very well be one of the 3 names mentioned above..... Notts County..... Big club, small club or even family club. We have an image, it's not being desperate or the fact we tend to find ourselves far to often in these situations but it's the fact that WE ARE BATTLERS. Perhaps the existing squad don't realize this, along with the tradition and history which comes for playing for the magpies but they have to care. I don't suggest that they enjoy losing, certainly I have the belief that they're good enough. If we go down, I will be there and along with many others. The people who suffer really for supporting Notts, as a club which reflections on the missing fans - The current fan base which I have come to know seem to greatly care and there's a good sense of family/good spirit among them. This suggests as a fan base we are perhaps braver than the actual players, who by the way will most likely leave us after relegating us to the basement division. It will be interesting to see what loyalty these players have! Coventry..... We matched them - I can't refer to Walsall because they looked sharp in the first half and I can't say Carlisle because we were considerably better than them. Coventry looked destined to play out a mediocre game, one which Notts should have taken it to the next level - especially if they had a little of self belief and pride. Can we really be upset about losing to them? No, though it's the fashion we did. It wasn't acceptable and apologizing is not the right thing to do, pretty weak and naive. My Personal Part.... Yesterday I actually enjoyed, I don't see results as being the only important thing. I can take winning, losing and drawing but for me it's about how we do it. The game was horrible, very depressing and I'd rather not try to remember any more about that. Jake was very excited, he likes the group we go with and there's several members (like me) that can make your day just by seeing. One of which did something very nice for Jake and he hasn't stopped talking about it, I really don't mind because I love to see him being confident. It was weird visiting a team playing away from home, although I wasn't impressed by Coventry fans. They seemed very deluded and in their position I wouldn't be making a joke. At half time they gave away free pizza! It was very funny, my honest thoughts was it was a poor joke. It seemed very Americanized, whip the crowd into a frenzy and finish off by throwing football away. Pretty pathetic but I've seen other odd things, so you shouldn't really be surprised. My final thoughts, I'd hate to see people as numbers or making up for a lack. I have to say I feel a little disappointed, especially since I have to make some big decisions but I have to add that the whole day wasn't a disappointment, just watching Notts and going back home.

Like I said yesterday this blog will be very controversial and may upset or offend some fellow fans. Whilst history is our greatest weapon do us fans rely on our history to much ? yes we are the oldest club in the football league and yes we have ties with the biggest Italian clubs in seria A. but what else do we have to fall back on ?? investors keep us at arms length do to recent problems, we have managerial problems every year where we see at least 2 every season promising the world but bring nothing to the table. We have owners that openly refuses on the club and national web site to invest in the club anymore unless they see more fans coming through the gates !! we've had problems paying our taxes the blacklisting goes on ! We've won one game drew one game and lost 7 if the manager was a doctor and made this many mistakes he would of been struck off by now ! the fans have always said he is not good enough and most of those fans have refused to go back to meadow lane until he is replaced, which in turn is a bit of a catch 22 situation from and earlier statement made in this blog, yes you can have your cheep promotions and discount days but it really doesn't make a difference as a fan you are probably just spending less for the same result !! at this rate if things don't start getting better and stay the same for the rest of the season notts will end on 20 points (go figure). Some of the statements from fellow fans are that the manager doesn't play the game and its down to the players on the pitch but that's like having a business with no manager to drive his or her department to achieve better thing which brings the loop back to the manager not doing his job !! Mr Trew if you want bums on seat and you want to maintain those bums on seats find a manager that has strong connections in the footballing world that knows how to develop a squad to have a positive mental attitude within the dressing room on the training field but also on the football field. next I come to the team most are paid 10 times the amount of a normal hardworking fan, they are classed as a team built to entertain the fans they are their to build the club in to something bigger better that it already is, which is something they have lacked in doing, these are all professional footballers that have trained all of their lives to do so why is it the team we have cannot string a movement together, cannot move around the pitch and make space for their fellow footballer ? think whilst on the ball think whilst of the ball our defence this season is a sham it's like they don't know how to block a cross or stop a shot or even get anywhere near the opposition these again are back to basic movements on the training field. now here is the biggest part of the controversy Grand Colin is it not time he gave it up ?? the guy makes that's many mistakes on the radio its unreal ! is it not time to let dean yates take the bull by the horns and rule the airwaves ?? I haven't heard so much negativity in all my life yes I agree that he has committed to the club and given his dedication to the work he has done but for me its time for out with the old and in with the new. offer him a lifetime membership card in the comfy seats and maybe a memorial match with new and old players that he has commentated on in years but for me its time he hung up his microphone and passed the baton on to the next person. I know this blog may sound like a rant but most if not all of what I have spoken about you are all thinking deep down. For me the club needs to concentrate on the future use our history and links to our advantage but not dwell on it. bring in someone capable of doing a proper job from the off and give him or her the financial backing they need to do that job. moving forward should be our aim not living in the past. hope you enjoy my blog scott

The hub and heart of the site is no doubt our community, I've tried to keep things engaging but simple. It's my first port of call when I visit, obviously due to me already knowing the content on the home page. It's the place also most commonly people visit, so I try to make sure it's not over cluttered. 1) If you click where it says "Welcome *your username*" you will see a menu display. This is where all sorts of useful likes are found and of course the place to edit your settings. It's pretty straight forward once you notice it, although you can do quite a bit from this location. My Profile, My Content, Manage Friends, Manage Blogs, My Gallery, My Settings, Content | Follow, Manage Ignore Prefs and Personal Messenger. You can also update your status here which shows in your profile and in the sidebar area of the community, a useful way to express yourself to the community. A useful tip to both Newpies and of course existing members is found in the breadcrumb bar. To the right you will see "Rules" please don't be put off by these but sure to familiarize yourself with our policies. "View New Content" the easy way to keep track on what's going off and has happened in the community, very good way of finding discusses to take part in also. To end you will see a little toggle box, if you scroll over it you will notice it says "Open Quick Navigation" this is a great way to quickly finding a location anywhere on our site. Easily noticeable is Community Message and of course the Community Notice, you don't have to take to much notice of these but eventually they will change. To the right, you will see the "sidebar" here we feature all the little pieces we feel you might be interested in. Next Match Block, Member of the Month, Mini League Table, Recent Status Updates, and Recent Topics. The Recent Topics is another useful way of keeping up-to-date with on goings within the community. If you follow this straight down, you will see a large block which lists Newest Users, Top Posters, Top Forums and Recent Posts. It's always nice to welcome a new member and you will find that one of our friendly members usually start a thread to welcome them, the two others "Top Posters" and "Top Forums" are just interesting information but of course again, the Recent Posts is another quick way to keep tabs on what's going on. Just a little lower than that, you will find some more useful information. A row of "Statistics" and then the "Who's Online", along with a little key legend to let you know what colour means what. This pretty much wraps the community index page up, in my next 101 blog series. I will cover #Posting. I hope these will be useful to everyone and if you're a new member please express yourself, seriously we're a very friendly community and it's the interactions which make any site. Right at the very bottom, we have our "Footer" with useful links inside. In the middle there's a button to send you back up to the top of the site, to the left - Change Theme (useful if you're on a mobile and the sites no detected your device) - Mark Community Read - Help - Rules and Privacy Polcy. To the right our copyright details and beneath you will see our chat system. The far right button (which I think looks like a pill) is the toggle on and off switch. Next to that the "blue and white" people icon, is our chat room and to the side very much like Facebook is the individual chat area (as you can I'm talking to Super Ram). To the left you find our social pages. Here's my previous Blog | Getting used to PoN 101 #Basics Thanks for reading!

Some of those who are friends on my facebook account, will have noticed my new addiction to the Football Manager 2013 Handheld series. It would probably come to know surprise to say, I'm a big football gamer and I've played the original PC series for years. I actually manage Brighton on my laptop. Yet it's the handheld version which I find most compelling. The reason is, I'm not bogged down with some of the features they've bloated the actual game with and I am able to play much quicker. It's nice, when you're on limited time. I started off as Notts County and it's who I still manage. Yay!! I haven't been sacked. It's fairly easy, yet this doesn't stop the joy because you can still get beaten by a team like Portsmouth (Yes I really did). First thing I was greeted with was Alan Judge requesting to move on, none the less I offered him a contact and a few days later he rejected. I decided to play a couple of games and in came an offer, so I though what the hell, he's leaving and 2million is more than enough to win this league win. So I sold him Now, I don't often regret selling a player on a game. I do, take it seriously, as I feel I am playing with my time - why shouldn't I? After all if I just played and it meant nothing, I would be wasting time! I played upto 9 games, I had won 6, drawn 2 and lost 1. Sitting on joint top of the league with 20 points, Preston being the side I shared this with but Coventry had a game in hand, who had 19 points. At this point I didn't feel like I had lost a goal scorer, or a player who would have changed games, so lucky me! I received Manager of the Month, so things were defiantly becoming addictive. At 17 games in, I sat top still and shared the position this time with Doncaster Rovers, however Notts had a game in hand. I also won yet again the Manager of the Month award. Things looking quite promising huh? Well with that said things started to unwind and I realized that my squad had an issue with midfielders and I needed a new striker (when doesn't Notts need a striker???). 26 games into the first season, Notts had won 15, drawn 7 and lost 4. Coventry City, whom were top had a 4 point advantage and we had hit a spell draws, with the odd loss. Fulham then strangely approached me, as if it's not enough the game refuses to allow Alan Judge to remain with us. It knew that Jeff Hughes also wanted to part, so I sold him for a nice figure 650k. By this point I had strengthened the squad, so it wasn't really all that much of a loss. I had signed Leon Clarke, Matt Thornhill and another two players which my memory fails to recall. Our league performances was still leaving questions, I can honestly say it's this point I felt in real life that some fans would have been calling for my head! with this in mind, I came up with a cunning plan and that was to do the unthinkable. Yes, I planned to attempt to win the F.A Cup or at least throw these discontent fans off my tracks for a little bit. In the dugout, against Wolves (which the game tells me is a big team). I sit and watch the Notts players have fun, we score and if it wasn't for Matt Thornhill, all the talk would have been for hat-trick hero Danny Webber. Bishop, Zoko, Showunmi and Clarke also got on the score sheet. Can you see what happened here? Yes, 6 of the 8 goals was scored by a striker! More importantly, we had won in the 4th round of the F.A Cup (I told you take these things seriously, didn't I?). The Quarter Final - Notts were drawn against no other than Manchester United. I had hoped for a less appealing fixture, as I could tell my plan was unraveling, which by half time United was 2-0 up. Yet, a lovely strike from Alan Sheehan meant we had every chance to get back into the game. We controlled spells of play, yet the better chances fell to United obviously and in the 80th minuted Shrek scored against us. Pleasingly, in the 90th minute a certain Neal Bishop decided to popup and give us hope. It finished 2-3. Not bad! By this point, I was making a tactical push to get back up and for a short period I actually felt I could pinch back the first position. We remained 2nd for a fair amount of time, which I would have been happy with but we went on a losing streak and ended up finishing inside the play-off spots. 4th isn't that bad really, when you consider how I tried to do a Keith Curle (obviously that was joke). We storm through the play offs, we drawn Yeovil and any one from Nottingham would probably say luck would be on their side. Yet it wasn't, we beat them easily by 2 goals and in the second leg. We beat them by 5 goals, a Webber and Clarke finale. This meant we had to face a side we beat both times in the season, you can already guess how this going to turn out. A early goal, seen Notts decide to park the bus (despite me shouting from the touchline and dipping my head). They snatched two goals fairly late on and that sealed their promotion to the Championship. With the season over, I decided to sort out the areas where I felt we was weak and could do with improving. I won't go into too much detail, I hope to install you all with another addition but let me tell you it was no easy task. Firstly no left sided midfielder wanted to talk contracts and I had the annoying issue of getting players to resign deals. Yet, I did manage to make myself happy and so... Thank you for reading my blog about a mobile game, which I am rather addicted too. I hope this is of some interest, you never know! I also hope it made you laugh at times. well okay, spoil sport. Over and out, Joe

Tonight's one of those days that make me wish I hadn't held back launching Pride of Nottingham, although to be honest the earlier site was stuck together using pva glue and built around paper mache. The earlier domain was actually 'notts-county.co.uk' which I still have active and if you type it in, you will be redirected back to here as it's now used as a forwarding domain. Certainly I owe many thanks to the earlier days to many kind people as I used to be part of a tight knit community which always made me feel very much at home but things weren't to be as the integration between the community and site were very much lacking. I had many good times working on the old site, so despite it's progress now I wouldn't say I fully regretted not taking it more seriously but I do wish I hadn't hidden away like I have over the years. My earlier times doing things like this were mainly around my poetry or the odd drawing. There was a point in time where I actually wanted to learn to code but that's not an easy task and those who can do it really have the power of the world wide web at their finger tips. It wasn't until my poetry and art site was fairly successful before I started contemplating trying my hands at doing a different type of site. The first idea being around helping people which didn't really work out to plan and almost knocked me back as the site was hacked by people who wanted money to return it to way it used to be. Due to earlier work commitments I worked every game and I never really got chance to go to Meadow Lane. Working in the hospitality trade can be very busy especially when you would work every hour possible. Feb-2008 Is when I purchased the old domain and I set about slowly trying to build a site around Notts as a way to get involved. It was pretty naive as I didn't have the time and for many years it became a side project which was one I tended to neglect but to be fair I was also pretty young at the time. To the modern day there's not an hour that goes by I don't do something to promote the site which at times I question 'Is it good enough?' certainly with everything in life there is room for improvement but I know that being a perfectionist the site has a good start. Within time it will improve and things will slowly come together, so anyone reading this who has a suggestion please do let me know. Tonight was very good in terms of the community coming together and I'm rather proud right now. The image above shows our stats and you can see that we are pulling in an audience. I will be focusing some time to completing areas which I have been saying for awhile I am working on but it's fairly awkward to build the way I'd like. This is the most we have had active at one time and 10 guests isn't that bad either This is another achievement I am really proud of and it's many thanks to those who helped today. I had decided to try to encourage activity as this will help the site no end with the promotion push of our own but I didn't want to seem ungrateful. I doubt we will hit a target like this again for some time which will be why I'd like to focus on making sure there's a reason for members to want to spend some of their free time with us. At least I would like to think this place can offer something to the Notts community, I will stride to improve on the things which lack and I am sure people understand as to why certain things aren't in-place now. We've come along way! Special Thanks to EVERYONE!

I woke up today very excited but nervous none the less, the reason? I had decided to break my social rules which prevents me from encountering negativity. It doesn't really work but I can pretend I cope. The day went very slow at first which is strange. I did much more than I normally would in the hours before I left for Meadow Lane and I wished I could spend time more like it normally. I had spent the majority of the time with my children who was off due to our alarm not going off. I bumped into a dear family friend, who i haven't seen for awhile and I wished my parents spent more time socializing with her family but I felt I allowed my nerves to get the better of me. (felt rude the way I ended the conversation) Not being defeated with how I feel about things, I didn't want to lose the chance of meeting up with some of the friendly people I have come across during starting the site. I sat in the MLSB looking around and feeling out sorts, as I don't really like bars. Jake and Ellie was taking turns using my phone to play games, until this elderly lady asked if she could sit down. Very nice that someone would ask, it's rare these days and of course I didn't mind. To be honest by this point I was glad of the company. I had a wonderful conversation with her and she helped entertain Jake, as by now Ellie had given up and had become bored (bless her) falling sleep in the chair she sat on. Jake really becomes brighter in these situation, I often fear about him becoming shy like I have been and it makes a huge difference to see him all bright eyed that he had someone interested in him who he wasn't related too. We left the MLSB about 10 minutes before kick off, I decided since Jake had been so good he could choose where we would sit. He decided to sit at the far back of the Pavis Stand and annoyingly (as kids do) decided he wanted the toilet after a few minutes of sitting down and not long after I had asked him. The game was very lively, I was impressed pretty much on the off and felt that we was easily in control. If I may, I would say I felt disappointed only by how we finished our moves. It lacked any real direction and could of secured an easier win if we did. They played incredibly well! I was waving like a madman trying to attract Mr Westwell attention, wearing my new pride and joy. (being a PoN T-Shirt). I decided to take him up on something he mentioned to me in a tweet, I approached him and openly spoke. This isn't something I normally would do but I am glad I did. He's someone I'm glad to have on my facebook friends list, despite not really knowing him. I admire his talent and the way he relates to us fans. Simply a truly great guy! He kindly took a few pictures, which will make Ellie's day as she was disappointed a few years back that Jake had been snapped. (without her) on our championship winning celebration game. I really like the T-Shirts, I was a bit nervous about putting it on and this is another thing I am glad I did. I can honestly say I wouldn't normally unless I had some dutch courage or in a very good mood. Second half we played a little different, I feel we allowed them to play the way they did but they did change their game plan which caused us concern but anyone who says that Oldham was a threat couldn't be more wrong. They was woeful on goal, in fact I don't really recall any clear cut chances apart from the one 'Every Liddle Helps' cleared of the line. I have to say, I wasn't sure it was him at the time. I was so far up and back, that I thought it could of been but was quite unsure. We gave a few flyers out in the stand and took to doing the same towards the end of the match. We easily gave away more than normal as Jake and I focused on doing so. Ellie helps but she is very quiet, a lot like her mum. A few people made a fuss of them both, which of course gave Jake his bright eyes. After Jake had handed a flyer to this guy, I didn't quite hear the comment made by him and sort of turned away. Only to notice the same guy return to speak with me and Jake in which he gave Jake his ticket and official team sheet. I very proud of Jake (Ellie too) but this feeling will be hard to forget. Reminds me a kind binman who gave me his Notts shirt, as I walking back from school at dinner time with Super Ram (my dad). I wonder if he remembers this? I couldn't forget it, it's a sign we have some very good fans.