Leaderboard

Good luck to Didzy at his new club.Signs a one year deal at Barnsley.https://www.barnsleyfc.co.uk/news/2025/july/09/david-mcgoldrick-signs-for-the-reds/

I never thought he’d go to MK Dons or Chesterfield. I just didn’t think he’d see them as a step forward in his career, even if the money was decent. It didn’t feel like the right move for someone with his experience and connection to Notts. Barnsley should suit him. If he helps them win promotion to the Championship, that would be a great way to finish his playing career on a high. And who knows, there’s always the chance he could come back to us one day as a coach. Nothing’s stopping it, and it would be a nice full-circle moment.

It seems like he wants to finish his career with one last good run. I’m disappointed we couldn’t agree terms to keep him here, especially since ending where you started is a rare and special thing. Still, it’s clear he wants to write his own story, and I respect that. I wish him all the best. I just hope he doesn’t let the search for one last bit of glory harm how his career finishes. It’s important to go out on a high, not with regrets.

So the speculation about David McGoldrick's future has been answered tonight. Many of us thought that David would hang up his boots after refusing an offer of an extension to his contract at Notts. He has opted to join League one outfit Barnsley on a one year contract. Barnsley finished mid table last season, & with Didzy they will hope to push on & at least make the playoffs this time. It will be interesting to see how they use him & whether it will be by super sub or for 60 mins of a game. No matter how he is used, they have secured a quality player who I'm sure will score a few goals for them & provide quality upfront or behind a striker. I was sorry to see him leave Notts, but he has been a great servant for Notts & I do hope he has a brilliant season for Barnsley.

yeah, it would be nice to see it being used as an extension to what is happening. some things might not be right as a conversation, such as more personal things and that is where the status feature could thrive. i did not know about it until tone shared about his running, or i had forgot about it. i have used it to check in with people too.

I would like to encourage members to use the status feature, just as you would on social media networks like BlueSky, X (Twitter), Facebook, and Threads. https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/ustatus/ This feature caught on after @Fan of Big Tone posted, and it's been a real joy sharing updates and posts as statuses to it. There are a handful of members who seem to be making the most of the feature; the statuses go in your profile and on the page above. There's even a widget in the dashboard which shows x amount, where you can read more and comment. This could be a very nice addition to our community, and another way to express something short: your day, a photo, etc. I'll be continuing to use it, especially during the new season. PS. Once the moods app is upgraded, you'll be able to set that, too. 👍🏻

We have another new member to welcome @Triton 61 has joined us. Welcome to our friendly forum I hope you enjoy being a member.

If you can effectively address the morale challenge that comes from a significant defeat, while also mitigating the lack of offensive threat, and subsequently uplift the squad, it would be a remarkable achievement. The frustration goes away, but it is important for the players to understand the difference in our level and theirs. A lot of teams these days do want to put themselves into these positions where the team has to work hard against a much higher level of opposition. My comparison would be to the days when under Ray Trew we mostly played non-league clubs and we were the teams doing the whipping. It can give you a false sense of security, then when you play against good teams or ones on a similar footing, you have a wake-up call. I found FC Kaiserslautern to be quite a good team, but they won't be winning awards for being gracious hosts. In fact, I thought they were very much poor winners with few of their players making any effort to shake our players hands. It was visible that our lads would walk to them and the exchange would happen, but their players seemed more fussed about congratulating themselves. One right near the end, one of their players decided to walk from their established group, who were celebrating, to walk near the semicircle in order to shake hands. Our players had to initiate it, and it's not about losing; it's about being good sports. As a team, they were good. Very organised, quick to press and win the ball. Fitness will be used here, but it's more about paying attention. A lot of our team was guilty of just ball-watching, but again this could most likely be due to being overwhelmed by just how good they are and how little we had to combat them. I'm not sure why we made a big thing about Jodi Jones arriving, only to not play him at all. Part of me understands he's lacking confidence, but I think he could have used it as an exercise in defending. With some productive steps for us to get out of our own half, he has played for Malta since returning, so I find it a bit puzzling. The camera caught a glimpse of Jodi, who hadn't changed into training clothes. Not a big deal, but I don't think he needed hyping, because it just leads to the calls that will come that he's not fit or ready. Then it will loop back to how uninvolved he has been in the pre-season. Barry Cotter being sent off, I can understand, but I agree with DangerousSausage. European referees are less mindful, so I do think the official made the right call, but at the same time, I think he could have been forgiving and issued a yellow card. Cotter was quick to acknowledge the mistake; I think he genuinely attempted to go for the ball, and considering it's a friendly, I would have thought a yellow was deserving. So, yes, in a normal game I think red would be justified. I do think the official could have given him the benefit of the doubt and allowed Martin Paterson to take him off. It wasn't a challenge out of spite, which Kaiserslautern did some of their own. They left studs in many times and raised elbows to clatter our players, which loops back to them being very poor hosts. The melee that their players created should have seen at least two yellow cards and several warnings. Why some of their players decided to go after any Notts player, again, just convinced me that they were poor hosts. Chasing after Cotter, who at all times had his hands up, just seemed very unwarranted. Very poor officiating; the officials didn't do a good job dispersing it, and it's not for our players to do this - which they did despite being aggressively confronted. I don't think we can criticise our players; it seems very unfair to say they didn't want to play or that they made no effort. The only thing I would agree with is pointing out the ball watching, but even if we had reduced that. It would still be a no-contest game. The result doesn't matter, and I am not that bothered about the performance. I can understand that it was difficult for us defensively. There could be points made about doing better. Yet you have to understand the class in terms of quality between us and them. I think Paterson should perhaps have changed the formation to make us better suited to defending; it might have allowed us to attack a bit more confidently, but he might just want to see how we coped under pressure.

They could easily work alongside each other, there’s room for both in my view. Each brings something useful and doesn't need to replace the other. I don’t always take part in the weekly chat, but I can see how it’s separate and offers something different. It’s good to have choice in how to get involved.

So it turns out the Bradford City talk was just gossip. I’m relieved it’s not Chesterfield or MK Dons, going to either of those might’ve taken the shine off his legend status with us. Some fans won’t be happy about Notts offering him a lower deal, but those savings could help strengthen the team elsewhere. At least with Barnsley he should be earning a decent wage and be content with that.

League One will be more of a challenge, especially now he’s two years older than when he last played there. Still, he’s a quality player and was well above the standard in League Two. I hope things go well for him at Barnsley. I did chuckle at the Meadow Park slip-up, classic mix-up. It’s also a bit amusing how Barnsley rolled out the red carpet for him as if he were a marquee signing.

Football needs change. A regulator that’s truly separate from clubs and the league could make a real difference. If they get it right, it’ll be a big step forward.

Its true that we shouldn’t place to much importance on preseason friendly results, but you do hope to see some signs of the way the team is shaping up and indications of who might be in the starting lineup for the first league game. The concern is that after watching todays game, we didn’t seem to have any identity as how we will play as a team, it all looked a bit chaotic. Not to mention after 3 friendlies, not one of our strikers has scored. Has anyone noticed any standout performers?

That’s something I really admire about PON. There’s always a feature tucked away that you might not have noticed before, but it’s there if you choose to use it. It makes the site feel rich and full of useful bits. The status feature sounds like a solid addition for the community. It could help bring members closer, let them share more, and make it easier to understand each other.

All the best to David McGoldrick at Barnsley. He’s got the ability to make a difference there. That said, chasing glory doesn’t always lead to the ideal ending. I do hope it works out for him, though.

I'm glad he didn't join the franchise, and him going to L1 softens the blow somewhat. Sometimes you can improve the team as a unit even when you lose a quality player, and that's what we've got to do.

What’s the betting we get Barnsley in the cup. 😂 It was a real shame he didn’t stay to end his career with us but I bear him no ill will and I don’t blame the owners for not giving him a better contract. Its football these things happen we wish him well but move on.

It's something that has been needed for years now; it's taken a while for football to operate within an acceptable loss, and even then, you can accumulate a considerable amount of debt over many seasons, which in the long term, doesn't offer much stability. I really hope this decision goes a long way towards securing football clubs futures and ultimately lessens the chance of historical debts becoming a problem for clubs moving forward. This won't be a quick fix, but it will be part of the solution if they handle it well and get the right regulators in.

So MPs have voted to back the Football Governance Bill and establish an independent regulator to oversee the men's game in England's top five divisions . Thie Bill is set to become law now, & I think it will be great for English football. Hopefully this new independent regulator will prevent the possibility of the sad situations that clubs like Bury & Macclesfield found themselves in when those original clubs went out of business. I'm not saying that the Football Regulator will prevent every single club from getting into financial trouble in the short term, but once the Regulator is in post & gets established, the instances of clubs going into receivership should reduce over time & hopefully will disappear altogether.

The third & final match of Notts County's Pre Season German tour sees them take on 4th tier club Stuttgarter Kickers on Tuesday 15th July at 6 pm. BST Head Coach Martin Paterson will be looking to finish the tour with a good performance & a positive result to lift the spirit of the players & the fans after being defeated in their previous two friendly games. I think Martin will want to see a composed & workmanlike performance from the lads this time. The lads will need to show plenty of energy & a steely determination to come out on top. Martin has been talking the talk, now it's time for his team to convert that positive talk into positive action on the field of play. I hope to see Jodi Jones get some time on the pitch & for Martin to begin to put together the team that he believes could be his strongest team available.

It is a strange place we find ourselves in given that the FA and football teams will happily accept the money from sponsorship to, in turn, promote this financial wrecking ball to supporters who are often paid a lot less than footballers. As uncomfortable as this is, I bet it wasn't a shock and makes Aljofree signing all the more sensible. I just hope he gets the help he needs and that him and the club cooperate accordingly.

On holiday, so one of those days nursing a hangover, which when you're older you really can't be doing with ☹️ It took only 4 pints! What a lightweight. The muggy weather, and difficult sleeping make it worse. Still got a thick head and it's late into the afternoon. But I had a thick head yesterday, and will still have one tomorrow, next week, next year, so I shouldn't blame the drink.

I love this. 😂

Stuttgarter Kickers have been up and down the leagues since their brief foray in the Bundesliga in the late 80s and early 90s, but after a five-year stay in the fifth-level Oberliga Baden-Württemberg they returned to the fourth-level Regionalliga Südwest in 2023. They very nearly sealed a second straight promotion to the third division, but blew it on the final day and VfB Stuttgart's B team went up in their place. Now they'll be hoping to win promotion at the third attempt after finishing fifth last season. As a Waldhof follower I've seen far more Regionalliga Südwest football than is good for me. The larger teams are fully professional and could hold their own in League Two - MSV Duisburg, who won the Regionalliga West least season, beat us 4-1 a year ago. However, the standard is highly variable and differs from one region to the next. Technically, the standard in the Regionalliga SW is relatively high, but many of the teams (especially the part-timers) can't maintain a press for 90 minutes - the league lacks the intensity and athleticism you see in the higher divisions in Germany or the Football League in England. As one of the strongest teams in probably the best of the five Regionalliga divisions, I'm expecting Stuttgarter Kickers to pose a tough test. I'm also familiar with a couple of their players as they used to play for Waldhof. Midfielder Per Lockl, who joined Kickers last year, previously played for SV Waldhof in the third division and Borussia Mönchengladbach II in the Regionalliga West. He played for Germany's youth teams and is a skilful player with lots of potential. He struggled to cope with the physicality of the third division at times, but he's a great player for that level and has his best years ahead of him. Another familiar name from further back is Lukas Kiefer, a bustling defensive midfielder and occasional right back I remember from Waldhof's days in the Regionalliga SW. Another interesting name is their new signing from Würzburg Maximilian Zaiser, a product of Bayern's youth system who played around 30 games for their B team in the third division. Kickers played a pre-season tournament today (Sunday), losing 2-0 to FC Villingen (relegated from the Regionalliga SW last season) and beating SSC Tübingen 11-0. As they're much closer to our level than Darmstadt or Kaiserslautern, I'm hoping we'll see much more of the ball and start to get an idea how Martin Paterson wants us to play. It'll be good to see Jones and a bit more of Aljofee too. If you're going, @BlackPudding has posted a few tips if you're planning on having the odd refreshment before the game (although those sausages don't convince me, sorry!).

Getting Championship clubs to Meadow Lane, or arranging friendlies at their grounds, is never easy. It depends on their pre-season plans and how much they want a competitive test. It would be great to attract a few though. German football is treated very seriously. Their approach is about discipline, with every player expected to defend and attack. It’s quite different to how we play, with our game working more in phases and structure. The last two friendlies were useful. They gave a clear view of who’s coming along well and who might still need more time. These games aren’t just for fitness, they can show real progress. I think this upcoming match will be tighter. It’s my first proper look at German football, and it’s not bad at all, so long as you’re not expecting miracles. I respect how Martin Paterson treats each game properly. That said, he should also use it to learn just how far apart we are from some of these sides. It’ll be a lesson, not just a test. It’s shaping up to be an interesting match. I reckon we’ll learn a fair bit more about the team and where we’re heading.

david Braig fpr stuttgarter kickers is a very good player, even at 33 i am sure he will be a threat against us. i think we should be able to compete more against them so it should be interesting and a better game for people to see how things are improving. main thing right now is the fitness and getting players more match sharp.

Agree. And choice of captain is a Head Coach thing, surely...part of team selection? Although they're bound to go over it collectively as well Platty has been up front recently on the kit and the MC podcast, is first team regular and looks like a top choice to me. Also, relieving the responsibility from Matty Palmer might allow him to focus on his game and rediscover a bit more adventure. And if some passes don't come off at least he won't have put the ball at risk as captain. So making the change might help out in many different ways.

Welcome and guessing you are into bikes?...

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @Triton 61. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

A big welcome from me @Triton 61 & welcome to our PON community.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @Triton 61. Enjoy sharing your thoughts on Notts.

I reckon there’s space for both. The discussion section draws people in and gets proper replies. The status feature feels more casual, good for quick thoughts that don’t need a full topic. It’s great to see all parts of the site getting used.

The weekly chat thread should continue because it encourages interaction, & what's great about the thread is one can talk about lots of different things going on in ones life, & any subject that one wishes to talk about from the weather, to going on holiday.

I used it to bring attention to my blog post, and I’ll look into sharing other things with it too. It’s got loads of uses, and it’d be great to see others make the most of it as well. There's real potential for us to use it more often.

He might not be first choice, but getting him on loan is still a smart move. It’s good to bring in someone with his skills, especially from a big club like Manchester United. He’s probably really talented, since he’s come through their academy. That means he’s been trained well and knows how to play properly, which can help our team a lot. It’s great that we’ve got him for the whole season. I just hope Man United don’t take him back if he does well! They’ve not been very good at defending lately, but I’m only messing about. It’s a really good signing.

Sonny Aljofree is a Magpie

I wrote this on our Facebook group: I do still feel disappointed by the comments he made when he arrived, because I think this says a lot about someone's true character. His decision to leave, after Notts offered him what sounded like a fair offer, and rejecting it. Well, it went against those first comments he initially made, but I do acknowledge that football changes. There was a sense of excitement around the reception when he arrived before the AFC Wimbledon playoff home leg. Moving to Barnsley, I don't have any issues with that, and I wish him well. Had he joined Chesterfield or MK Dons, it would have disappointed me further, and I don't think I would think of him in the same light. Regardless of the money they offered, I just wouldn't get my head around it.

Another belated welcome from me this time to @The Anti-Clough I wont make any comment other than at least you didn't turn to the donkey sanctuary

Good luck to him, may he plough his furrow to the end somewhere he is wanted. All the best Didsey, one of our own.

That’s what we are trying to do with @super_ram

Cheers. Seems like a great community of Notts fans. Me? I started off in the early to mid-1970s. My family thought I was at friends, but I'd taken 2 buses and was stood on the kop :) (in the era before fans segregation). Started going away in 1978, so right in time for the Jimmy-WilKo era in the top flight. It's a family thing for me. We were all Notts fans, especially my grandfather, who used to watch even before he served in WW1. They took their eye of the ball though, as I started a Derby fan, but a quick intervention when I was a nipper put me back on the right track.😄

things change, but i dont really care as much now hes left. i dont think his message really helped to take the impact off notts and whilst i do question his comments arriving at notts for his second spell. i am pleased hes not going to be playing against us. a different player would be getting stick and i do not wish for that which is why i do not care.

Fingers crossed it can play a massive part in securing the future of football and help prevent clubs from having to fold. There's room for better ownership checks, along with sanctions to force sales, but there are talks about much of this ongoing. This sounds like a significant step forward, one I do hope works out.

@theAnticlough,where are you on holiday, anywhere nice? Well I guess it must be nice or you wouldn’t be there. Or maybe just a holiday from work, either way enjoy. 😎

I think the captain should be a real leader. Not just on the pitch, but in the dressing room. Someone who can encourage, motivate and has real personality. Someone who can take individual players to one side and inspire them. Not sure if Matt Palmer fits that criteria. Maybe one will emerge before the start of the season

I do think the need for a captain is somewhat overvauled in modern day football. Footballers have become less volitile and more PR/media trained to shy away the main characteristics we'd be looking in for in a captain. That said, I do think Palmer isn't the choice, he's quite the middle man for everything. He's not really our most creative player, he's not our main output for defense or attack nor is he ever seen to be involved talking to other players. Given the amount of attention media give players like Bedaeu or Platt and attitudes are more linked to what we want in a captain, it should be on one of those two.

Yes I think Martin will appoint a different captain, I think Matt is too quiet, it needs to be someone who leads from the front, is inspirational and is forcefully communicative not only with his team mates but with the ref.

I think Didzy leaving might’ve helped calm the bad mood that came with the news he wasn’t signing again. That’s probably why I feel most let down about it. Barnsley doesn’t seem like the place I’d pick to hang up my boots if I were his age. You’d think he’d go somewhere sunnier, or at least somewhere with better tea.

Sounds good and a leader at a young age. Have all Notts signings thuis summer, so far been loanees and free transfers? Have we actually paid a proper transfer free for any of the players yet?

Yes, I would have been there,in the Ossie end upper tier and I would have teased my father in law(Chris's grandad} but I only have a vague memory of that day(Old age)