Chris

Bournemouth come into this game with a very impressive winning streak of 5 games, prior to this completely the opposite with a 5 game losing streak. Notts County roll on the back of two disappointing defeats at the hands of Brentford and Yeovil, surprisingly the same score lines. Pride of Nottingham has taken the time to speak with young Bournemouth fan Max ahead of our game against them on Saturday. We hope all traveling fans enjoy the day out and fully get behind the team, lets give Chris his chance and lets support him 100%! Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? I'm a 16 year old student currently doing my first year of A-Levels and have been a Bournemouth fan since I was about 5, my first game being during the 01/02 season. I've seen a promotion, a relegation and numerous average Bournemouth sides so far, but I lived in Toronto, Canada from 2008-2012 so this has been my first season as season ticket holder since the 2007/08 season. At the start of the season things didn't quite go to plan for Bournemouth, prior to your 2-0 win over Orient what were you thinking? It was very worrying to be honest. The previous season had been odd, it had started awfully but had picked up and we received new Russian financial investment, but Paul Groves had been placed in interim charge in February after Lee Bradbury was sacked. Groves proved during his spell as caretaker manager that he wasn't up to the job (I think we won once or twice) but our very controversial chairman decided to hire him anyway. We had high aspirations with such an expensive and talented squad, but the opening 11 games were disastrous and the team looked on course for a relegation battle. Personally, I thought we had a group of talented but overpaid individuals who could not work as a team. Your form greatly improved after the win, having a run of 15 games unbeaten. What would say the turning point was? For me the turning point was the first home game after Eddie Howe was announced as our new manager, a 2-0 win over Leyton Orient. It was the first of these 15 games but a determination was finally present in the players and they showed their potential. With a club hero back for a second spell in charge, it truly felt like there were good times ahead, although obviously a lot of work still had to be done. Please tell us about a couple of your favourite away days so far this season? My favourite away day was our 3-0 win at MK Dons in early February. We were on a good run and had also just signed Matt Ritchie from Swindon, so I think all Bournemouth fans were in a pretty good mood already. I think most people like to win their because it symbolizes everything that is wrong with football is present at that place, but our match was not just another win. We took the lead early on, but on the verge of half-time MK forward Ryan Lowe tried to headbutt our captain Tommy Elphick; a couple of minutes later Lowe jumped in with a two footed tackle (assault would describe it more accurately) and was sent off with Elphick being stretchered off too. The fans were livid but we grabbed a second just right after, and a superb shot from Harry Arter capped off a fine victory in a very important match. Recently our 1-0 win at Colchester on Good Friday was another important victory in front of a good travelling support nearly matched my day at MK. We also came into this match on the back of a decent run of form and we knew that 3 points would be significant as we aim for promotion to the Championship. While Colchester's ground is another soulless place, it was a comfortable win for us and many Colchester fans calling us "disgraceful" and "cheats" after the game made winning even sweeter. How is Matt Richie settling at the club and how important of a signing as he been so far? On the face of it, it would be easy for opposition fans to view Ritchie as being overrated due to his lack of goals and assists so far. However, a defensive injury crisis forced him to play left-back for his first couple of months here, and he filled in superbly for a small right-winger. Since moving back to his natural position, he has already scored once and set up a couple of goals, showing how much there is still yet to come from him. It also helps that we took a player of his ability away from our promotion rivals, Swindon Town. Brett Pitman like Eddie Howe, seems to bring the best out of Bournemouth. 15 goals so far, another impressive return. Why do you think this is? Brett is a very unique player, and despite his goalscoring record, the kind of player many still somehow manage to criticize. He has an odd style that sometimes makes him seem rather lazy and unfit, but he's the kind of player that can be anonymous for an hour then pop up with a wonder goal. He has his form once more here and Eddie Howe knows how to bring the best out of him, proven by his goal scoring record with us in League Two. Lewis Grabban plays up front alongside him, running the channels allowing Brett to stay in dangerous areas constantly, and his finishing ability allows him to score a lot of goals. Back when were both in League Two, how different would you say things are now for both clubs? It's almost impossible to compare both clubs to when they were in League Two. When we were in that division, we had literally no money, often having to play our assistant manager on the bench and we weren't allowed to sign any players. Our success was totally down to a squad with brilliant team spirit, many of whom went on to play at a higher level. Now we have one of the most expensive teams in the league, higher crowds, and a new training ground- it's almost a different club. I can't say I'm an expert on Notts County, but I do remember the Munto Finance group and Notts receiving significant financial backing during that campaign and ultimately winning the league. Personally, I think Notts have built off of that promotion well and certainly established themselves as a solid team at this level. While I'm sure many of yours fans would like to be further up the table, I wouldn't be surprised to see The Magpies challenging for promotion in the near future should they find the correct manager. Currently sitting in 2nd place, do you feel Bournemouth can grind out the result required to finish in an automatic place? Automatic promotion is more than attainable, but the League Table is slightly deceiving right now as a few teams have games in hand on us. We only face one team challenging for promotion in our remaining games, which so far has worked in our favour. The team has proved it can grind out those difficult 1-0 wins, when some teams would concede devastating last minute goals. There is a certain professional ethic present in the squad when they take to the pitch, and while I do think this team can finish in the top two, it will require us to win most if not all of these games and other teams to drop points. Eddie Howe return to Bournemouth, he seems to get the most out of your squad. What are your views on Eddie as a manager? I do not have anything negative to say about Eddie as a manager. Each season he has been in charge here he has achieved something spectacular; in 200809 he saved us from relegation, in 2009-10 we won promotion, when he left in 2011 we were in the top 6 of league one and this year he has taken us from 21st to 2nd place. He comes across as an intelligent man in his interviews and clearly loves the club, I'm not sure Bournemouth fans would swap him for any other manager. His only fault is that his two loan signings (Marcos Painter and Dan Seabourne) have been terrible! Which Notts County do you consider to be a threat and which single player would you like to see marked successfully? I didn't go to the reverse fixture and have to base my judgements off of highlights and reputation, but Alan Judge often seems to be involved or scoring goals, and he was also nominated for League One player of the year. He seems to be a tricky, dangerous player who could definitely pose us a threat come Saturday. Another player who has captured my attention is Jamal Campbell-Ryce who caused us numerous problems at Meadow Lane and has been a good player for years now, but Judge is the man I hope we can keep quiet. Who are your danger-men and who would you say poises Notts County the most risk? We aren't necessarily a team built around one or two 'star players' as practically all eleven of our starting eleven on Saturday play an important role. Brett Pitman is obviously scoring a lot of goals right now, so I'd say he's the man for Notts to keep an eye on. However Matt Ritchie is very dangerous when on the ball, and he scores most of his goals from outside the box, but his determination to whip in a cross whenever he receives the ball is what can cause a defence a lot of problems. Can you tell Pride of Nottingham about the facilities around the ground and Bournemouth in general? The location of our ground is rather unique for a football ground in this country. It's not great for pubs or restaurants around the ground, but those can be found within a 5-10 minute walk in nearby Boscombe. Boscombe isn't in the immediate area but it has pubs and restaurants making it often the choice of away supporters. The plus side of our location is that it's conveniently located just off the road entering the town, but it's by a large park and houses making it more appealing than other new builds in the middle of an industrial estate. Bournemouth does have a reputation as a place 'where people go to die' but it's a nice place to live, I'd say go to the beach but unless you fancy strong winds and freezing water I wouldn't go there! Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank Max for sharing his views and comments, he kindly took time out from his holiday to answer them. #Passion!

I eagerly looked forward to the fans forum, I felt it was the perfect chance for things finally to come into perspective and focus to the concerning matter of 'support'. Usually I would have missed this, I wouldn't want to sit alone through an event like this and I was very grateful for Jurgenpie allowing me to tag along with him. I feel as always it's proven to me how naive I am, as my eyes widen further to what was a pretty disappointing night for me. I enjoyed the company but the night could be so much more, which I feel should have been the aim. The night started off with a question pointing out the absence of the players, I agree to a point but I don't feel all of the players should have been there. Key players, anything more would have turned the night into a complete witch hunt. Another question raised was the concern of the Sirrel stand being empty, which isn't the case as the away fans are seated in the stand but I felt a little sorrow when I thought of the fond memories I have of sitting in that stand myself with my Grandfather, who I believe would understand that it makes no sense to spend money filling a stand, when we can't fill two others. Chris put himself across rather well, I liked his answers and his passion. I believe we as fans need to make a turning point ourselves and some things we need to respect will not change. It's for us to make the stands a place to be heard but with very little reason I don't see much changing but I personally try. The pitch for me has become an area to blame, the pitch is poor but football is being played and if we can be beaten on it, well we can win simple as that. The fact is the players need to learn to raise their game, they need to get used to it. Ambition seemed to be questioned with words of 'backing'. I think any potential striker will look at many different aspects and unfortunately Notts County isn't always going to be their number one choice. It's important that any players who do come are given a chance, they need to prove themselves although far too many players receive negative comments far too early on. Walsall for example have unproven strikers and have supported them, it helps them and give a much needed boost. They aren't struggling, the case for me is Arquin can be a very important player if we look to play to his strengths. Admission prices should be met with deals and the club is doing very well with this, regards to my opinion and I am very glad to see the increase of a free childs season ticket bought with an adult season ticket. I will be taking up this option myself, the fan yesterday who said he had two children and couldn't afford it. Well I have three, my children love attending games and I have to choose who I can and can't attend with. As a family club it's all about 'families' and deals should be made to keep attracting them, as a regular guy with no general background it could be lost in the future but a family who live and breathe Notts County clearly have it in their blood. Students are a great option, although not as attractive for me, as they may simply move on and attract lifestyles away from the city. I think things need mixing, creativity with admission fees is the answer and knowing the market more wisely would greatly benefit the club. Performances, well this comes down to many things and it includes morale. At this point in the season we sadly won't see the best of all the players and I feel we should, though morale is a funny thing and it's all down to getting the best out of the players. I don't feel Chris fails to motivate them, I personally think it's a big ask for an unexperienced manager but he's a role model for any player to look up to. Top Spenders, isn't exactly the answer. You need the right balance of cost and value, I think we have a few too many players increasing our budget compared to some of the smaller clubs and sadly the mentioning of a top six budget gives some fans high expectations, we deserve to be placed where our budget falls and this isn't football. Gary Lidde, I've been a huge fan of him and he is underrated in my opinion. When we saw the return of Manny I took to the official facebook page and commented on how he should return back to midfield, it was greeted with abusive responses and negativity. If Gary enjoys playing at the back fair enough, though I do feel it's worth giving him the chance to shine as he does in defence but back in a more forward position, after all we see him making the runs often enough and him pushing up from defence. I would also like to note, I would be disappointed for us to move on from Meadow Lane even if we had the money. Making the ground smaller isn't the answer, just because Juventus do something quite successfully, along with a few other clubs doesn't mean it's our answer. Yesterday I left the fans forum a little disheartened, probably rudely to those I was with which wasn't my intention. I walked (on crutches) to the city centre wondering why I bother, why I try to make a difference and why I should continue but the answer is I love the club my grandfather introduced me to.

In this edition of "PoN on One", Pride of Nottingham has taken time to ask two members to battle out for the crown. At some point, we will face the winners together if this interests them and we can also see a return for the unlucky contestants too. As a community it's always nice to have a fun way of interacting with each other, so it's nice to see two friends and two members compete for their pride. TonyHateley takes on Magpiejul, lets find out who has won the third edition of this feature. If you would like to take part please let us know! Come on you pies! Q-Les Brad Is Notts record goalscorer with 137 goals but who is in second place? Tony: I was in two minds about this either Tommy Lawton or my all time hero Tony Hateley. I am going to plump for Big Tony Hateley. Magpiejul: Lee Hughes Tony Hateley with 114 goals Q-Who managed Notts immediately before and after Jimmy Sirrel? Tony: Jimmy was in charge for two different times and I seem to remember after one of them Howard Wilkinson took charge Magpiejul: Jack Wheeler Before-Billy Gray, after-Ron Fenton. Q-In which season were Notts unbeaten at home? Tony: That would be when Big Sam was in charge I think, was it 1997-1978 season? Magpiejul: 1970.71 1970/71-19 wins,4 draws-4th tier champions. Q-What is the official name of West Ham United's home ground? Tony: I thought it was Upton Park but it's probably had a new name but I won't cheat and look it up, so my answer is Upton Park (probably wrong) Magpiejul: Boleyn Ground (Upton Park) A-The Boleyn Ground but it is also known as Upton Park. Q-Name 2 teams known as The Hatters? Tony: Luton Town is definitely one, is the other one Stockport? Magpiejul: Luton Town & Stockport County Luton Town and Stockport County due to millinery connection. Q-Where did Chris Kiwomya begin his career, being their leading scorer in season 1991/92? Tony: This is going to have to be a complete guess, I'll just pick a team at random and say Bolton Wanderers. Magpiejul: Ipswich Town. A-Ipswich Town. Again very interesting to see the answers, very close and credit to both contestants. Tony: 2.5 Points Magpiejul: 4 Points (Tony You haven't been playing attention in class!!, Magpiejul very well done to you!!) Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank both Tony (Pretty much considered a legend around PoN) and Magpiejul for taking the time to answer, feature and be part of this. Thank you very much!

Tomorrow Saturday 23rd of March, Notts County will make a trip to Swindon Town who are currently 3rd in the table. The County Ground will hopefully not fall victim to the weather that we are seeing, as the snow is starting to flurry down. It's pretty cold out in Nottingham, so it would be interesting to hear what it's like currently in Swindon. Notts come into the game having beat Scunthorpe United with a Dean Leacock goal sealing all 3 points in County's favour, all surrounding the club will say it's a nice returning gift for his team and fans. Swindon Town themselves having picked up three vital points at Yeovil Town last Tuesday, will hope to return to home soil collecting a further 3 more points by continuing their form against Notts county. Their manager Kevin MacDonald has urged The Robins to keep backing the team as Notts County visit the County Ground. Notts County will visit Swindon Town with very little risk, the expectations seen regarding the play-offs would surely now be seen as a miracle, so it's important that the lads just go out hoping to have fun and claim victories on the back of improved performances. Tommy Miller's fitness is currently being monitored after he picked up a suspected calf injury, with Louis Thompson returning after being on international duty with the Welsh under-21's. Jamal Campbell-Ryce has a knock, who is likely to miss the game. Right back Kelly continues to struggle with his calf injury which has seen him miss the past couple of games. Both sets of fans really need to get behind their respective squads, it will be a very good occasion for the 'Wheelbarrow Song' to be repeatedly sung and I personally hope to hear all Magpie supporters firmly getting behind the team and silencing the home crowd. Previous results might leave us asking questions, it's now we stay loyal and help to build for the upcoming season.

Pride of Nottingham returns with the 'Opposition View' prior to the game against Swindon Town, We've taken the time to ask a series of questions to medievalmikey. Notts have found a good string of form in away games, Saturday may prove to be a challenge. Swindon Town come into the game having previously beaten Yeovil 2-0 and narrowly losing to Brentford before that. As the season dwindles all games begin to be play there part, hopefully we can get something out of the game! Who knows if Judgey will score the winner again? Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? I am 67 years old, mainly retired and have followed Swindon Town for many years. I recall my grandad taking me to watch 3rd Division South matches when I was 7 or 8 but watched local Southern League football in 60s and early 70s. I began watching Swindon seriously around early 80s and have held a season ticket for around 30 years. Can you tell us your opinion on the Di Canio saga and how did you feel about his departing from Swindon Town? Paolo DiCanio was very strong on the family ethos and had the vision that the club was an extended, loyal family. Both his parents died last season on the eve of our Plymouth matches and this seemed to tighten that bond. Despite this he has a fiercely individual persona and I felt that his standards were so exacting that our club would be too small a stage: his early departure seemed inevitable. Such a pity it was so abrupt and unpleasant. Under Paolo there always seemed to be a problem. Kevin MacDonald is much more pragmatic. The clubs debt sent a shock-wave around League One, I myself was surprised to hear such news. How is this going and are you any closer to a potential takeover? The debt appears to be internal and came to light because Andrew Black, the majority shareholder, seemed to have had enough of running the club in the style of the manager. He decided to sell up in a hurry and sell Matt Ritchie which led to all the well publicised events. We do have new owners but are still subject to a Football League embargo. Things are generally uncomfortable just now. Do you think Swindon Town can climb back into one of the top two positions? We are currently 3rd after another excellent away result so a top two finish is still on but it is very tight. We cannot be relegated! Please share a little about your clubs progress in the past 3 years, do you have a special memory from this period? The last three years have been like a roller coaster ride: wooden spoon, championship and losing appearances at Wembley. I guess the special memory would have to be the appointment of Paolo DiCanio and his team because this led to the on field excitement over the last 2 seasons. How long have you been following Swindon Town and do you travel to away games? I have watched Swindon Town off and on for close to 60 years but have done so regularly for around 30. I do not tend to travel to away games: home matches involve a 65 mile round trip. Matt Richie, an ex Notts County loanee departed for league one rivals Bournemouth. How much of a loss was this? I do not think that Matt Ritchie's loss was of major significance so far as the playng side was concerned and Kevin MacDonald can't miss what he never had. The political effect of Matt's move was cataclysmic. How important has James Collins been for you and at the age of 22, he must be gaining some attention from other clubs, how do you see Swindon Town handling any possible offers? James Collins is something of an enigma in that he seems to promise more than he has achieved yet has scored a lot of goals including 4 as a second half substitute. He appeared to be afraid of making a mistake because Paolo would have no hesitation in subbing him in the first 20 minutes. Many of our players seem to have suffered from that phobia. I think we must accept the fact that we will become a selling club especially since Kevin MacDonald's appointment. he is already giving youth players a taste of first team involvement. Which Notts County players would you consider to be a threat and which of your defenders is most likely going to be made aware of them? I must admit to knowing little of Notts County's strengths. Our defence is well marshalled by Darren Ward and Wes Foderingham is our best goalkeeper for years. Our strength is teamwork: we have no star player. Can you tell us which Swindon Town players are most likely to be lively? Nathan Thompson has been a revelation this season and has seamlessly replaced Paul Caddis. Darren Ward is a great leader and Alan McCormack is hurting oppsition with his strong runs now he is back in midfield. Simon Ferry is our best ball player. Andy Williams has pace and control but finishing is not great. James Collins and Adam Rooney are beginning to score more regularly. Please tell us about the facilities around County Ground and anything which our travelling fans may find useful? There are a few fast food oulets close to County Ground and various pubs although I don't know which are away fan friendly. Our friends from Walsall meet up for a drink in the cricket club which adjoins the County Ground. There are Pay and Display car parks within easy walking distance. Lastly could you tell Pride of Nottingham about your all time footballing hero? My all time footballing hero is Brian Clough an immense footballing talent whose career was cut short by injury. He then became a very successful and charismatic manager. I was fortunate to see him play against Sweden at Wembley in 1959. I turned up and paid at the turnstile! We would like to Thank medievalmikey for taking the time to answer our questions, also for taking the time register and join us. Any members reading this who haven't already please consider saying hello to his introduction.

Pride of Nottingham returns with their 'PoN on One' feature. We take one community member and find a fan from any of the English leagues, asking both a series of 6 questions. The original trial went down very well, which saw Dan vs 2Piesonmyshirt. This time we've asked Daz who's main side is Nottingham Forest, we put him against our very own MuddyPatchPie. We hope you enjoy reading this feature, if you would like to take part please get in touch. Now let's find out who our winner of the PoN on One #2 is!! Best of luck to both contestants. Q-Which team did Notts beat in the 1894 FA cup final and what was the score Daz: Bolton 3-1 I think Muddy: Notts beat Bolton in the 1894 FA Cup Final, I believe the score was 4 1. A-Bolton Wanderers-4-1 Q-What were Notts nicknamed before becoming The Magpies. Daz: Not sure on the nickname, County? Muddy: Our original nickname was 'The Lambs'. I think we were named after a gang of Nottingham thugs! A-The Lambs-Apparently named after a notorious gang of Nottingham thugs. Q-Which team plays at Glanford Park. Daz: I think Glanford Park is Scunthorpe Muddy: Scunthorpe United play at Glanford Park. I've been there twice to watch Notts. On my last visit, Judgey broke a light fitting in the away stand during the pre match warm up and the stewards tried to cordon the area off with tape, which we then had to climb over every time we left our seats. Think we were more in danger from the tape than the light fitting dropping on our heads!! A-Scunthorpe United. Q-Name 2 teams who play or have played at a ground called The Racecourse Ground (not the same ground) Daz: Wrexham for sure, I don't no who else plays at the racecorse ground Muddy: Well Wrexham is the obvious one. I think i'm going to go for Derby County as I believe they played at the Cricket Ground known as the Racecourse Ground before they moved to the Baseball Ground. A-Wrexham play at one now And Derby County played on one before moving to The Baseball Ground. Q-Which player scored 6 goals in a FA cuptie but finished on the losing side. Daz: Dennis law Muddy: Denis Law scored 6 goals for Manchester City against Luton. The match was abandoned and they lost the replay. A-Denis Law-Man City were beating Luton but the match was abandoned after 70 minutes.Luton won the replay 3-1. Q-Which team is known as The Glovers. Daz: Yeovil Muddy: Yeovil Town are known as The Glovers, something to do with the town's links with glove making. A-Yeovil Town. Another well thought contest between two knowledgeable football fans, lets see who wins. Daz: 2.5 Point Muddy: 5 Points (Daz very narrowly missed out on 1.5 points, MuddyPatchPie very impressive!!) Pride of Nottingham would like to Thank both Daz (Forest Fan - Boooo!, He likes all locals teams in truth) and @MuddyPatchPie for taking the time to answer, feature and be part of this. Thank you very much!

Over the years I've followed football I have witnessed some very special events though I haven't seen Notts County in the highest English division or seen England win a major international trophy. I have witnessed things I hold dear to my heart, so growing up as a Notts County fan never really held me back. I was never bothered during Junior school about what people said about Notts County, I was always proud, more importantly, when you have someone who inspires you, well nothing can make it seem as bad for following your heart. When I was in year 5, I switched school as the one I was attending wasn't very supportive. I recall being told stories about how rough the school was, little did I know it would become a place where I felt I could be me,to do the things I wanted and not listen to what people thought of me. My first day went very quickly, it was a hot topic when people found out who I supported. I recall being asked why, although nobody really judged me – It was all friendly. I recall the majority supporting either Nottingham Forest, Manchester United or Liverpool. My best school years was the year and a half I spent there, I made so many friends and got to know them pretty well. It was during break time or dinner, when it became fun. Playing football and being the only County fan who would voice it, I think that brought me a lot of respect and my attendance and learning all become a very positive thing. One lad, a forest fan, used to put himself across a bit like Paul Gascoigne, a practical joker but also very weird. He was alright though, I used to enjoy listening to his antics and my class probably had the most natural mix of people. The first time I was given the nod to play for the school, I honestly didn't see myself making the side. I was talented but I allowed my confidence to become an issue, 5-a-side was the first competition I entered and I excelled in the smaller space. Rival players started having to take me out, I recall the last game being subbed because two lads had sandwiched me into this thick plastic divider, pushing me straight into it. I can't really say I ever played well on a normal pitch, I never really settled and it's much harder than people realize. By this point in my senior year, I was into playing football all the time and any chance I got I would do so. The ball was never too far from my feet, naturally I liked to be the player who shone when I did. I never really shined when I was around people equal or better, which is a shame. Some interesting moments towards the final years, if there's enough interest I will touch upon these more. I only really intended to talk about my earlier days, then start mentioning my work. I got a little side tracked remembering a fond period of my life, one I often wished I could re-live. Out of school, I didn't play much football. I went straight into working pretty much, I got a job very quickly thanks to my brother and it was going well. During that time, I had met the Australian cricket team which included stars like Shane Warne. They actually got me into trouble and were very unprofessional, although later on one of them apologised to me. I didn't know who he was, I just pretended. A couple of other famous people stayed at the hotel I worked, although it was on the decline to be honest and I started working mainly mornings and functions. I got quickly noticed for being a hard worker, which ended up getting more responsibilities. It was pretty cool, laid back and if it wasn't for the chef, well it would have been a totally different story. From there, I moved onto helping to look after my mum who had become fairly ill. It wasn't really until Kate was expecting that I managed to find work again. It was very rewarding, yet was a stressful place to work. I came across and met more famous people during my time there, it was pretty cool for that. Nottingham Forest's opposition would generally stay, especially if it was long distant. I recall Watford booking the upstairs function room for their meals and a couple of players spoke to me, again I didn't know who they were. The highlights for me was when Notts County actually were taken over by Munto, although now it's not the best thing, it was exciting for me then. Peter Trembling, Sven-Göran Eriksson and Sol Campbell etc. All people I met and spoke to, although I never really liked Peter, he was very flashy and a little snappy. Sven was amazing, he made a fuss of me for wearing an England shirt (I always did back then). He stopped, politely asked me if I supported England, I laughed a little, then realizing who it was I became tongue tied. He then asked me 'Do you follow local football or support a premier league side?'. I responded nervously, local. He quickly smiled and rather passionately said 'I (long pause) like that very much', adding 'Are you a Notts Forest or Nottingham County fan'. I smiled, responded 'Notts County of course'. I then showed him my wallet and keys, which both had the Notts County badge on. He gave me a brief, very slight hug and then put his hand out. I didn't expect him to be so friendly! He was a real gent. I had the pleasure of seeing him very frequently, he would always visit for a meal at the weekend and become a figure who would be in attendance in events upstairs. However my surprise was going into work and the bar manager, then (a friend of mine) told me that 'you know who' was upstairs and he turned it into a game as to 'who' they were meeting, I didn't really know and guessed. I had a very strict briefing from the general manager, a women I despise to the tallest order. I was then asked by the events manager to go into the function room located upstairs, to collect some things behind the bar, while the shutters were actually down (which was odd). A faint voice (Peter Trembling) kept saying 'We can offer you a very good package, we want you to be a part of this' his voice quietened down. I then heard a laugh, then the same person asked a question which I didn't hear properly. Peter responded to the question 'Your Sol Campbell, we don't need to say any-more. We need iconic signings and the people behind the takeover are fully prepared to bring other top players into the club'. It was this point I really needed to stop being nosy, so I rushed to collect a few items I was asked to fetch. In the process I knocked into this plastic bottle bin and made a very loud noise. This didn't go down well, although nothing came of it. We were under strict orders to keep the area private, however, since I was asked by a manager it was resolved without my head being on the line, for this time at least. I have more stories like this, although I have gone on enough. Like I touched on before, if there's interest I will write more of these and I'll share some of my insights. I would prefer to write up about my previous job, as I found it the most rewarding without benefits such as meeting famous people. Working in the care industry is like a breath of fresh air, if you're prepared to try and make a difference and actually care. The job is the most rewarding and I spent a lot of my free time doing things with the residents who I dearly miss. I took a few to Notts matches, one is related to some very loyal fans who I also think a lot of, as does Jake. The amazing memories I have of the place, all for speaking to the residents as people and listening. I feel I became a vital part of the home and given a different chance, I would have welcomed to stay on, but things aren't so simple in life.

In 10 days time Notts County fan Hayley Rice will be taking centre stage live at Meadow Lane in support of raising funds for Cancer Research UK. Pride of Nottingham is always keen to help highlight charities and worthy causes such as this.As a small fan site right now we pride ourselves on the support we gain. It's only right that we support Hayley and her worthy charity, It's also one I'd like to strongly back myself since my Grandfather passed away from cancer, such a big loss for me and most people will have a similar experience with a loved one. Hayley a singer/songwriter from Nottingham first approached our fan site on the 28th of February, telling our community about her upcoming event. The event will see her début single 'In their eye's' released. The song is inspired by the legacy which is left behind when a loved one is lost. They still live on through their families, we still see them in their eyes. On the night Hayley will be joined by a pianist and a raffle will also take place with some fantastic prizes which includes a signed Notts County football. The single will then be officially released to buy on cd and available to download on Itunes. To celebrate there's also a live band which will get everyone in a lively spirit. The entry fee is a mere £5, the dress code is of course Black and White. Good Friday 29th March doors open at 7pm, tickets are available in the club shop. Pride of Nottingham would like to ask fans to get behind Hayley Rice, as this will be a fun and entertaining evening and all for a worthy cause. Why not have a nice enjoyable evening and see a live act, whilst supporting a charity? We would also like to wish Hayley all the best for her career and future. In the future who knows when Notts fans will see the return of Hayley Rice singing at Meadow Lane? Only time will tell what the singers future holds, although we hope to keep updated and in contact.with this rising star in the Nottingham music scene. http://youtu.be/wyY1I1ynm8k