Chris

Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Been a fan since the early 70's. Moved around the country alot in 80's, 90's an 00's so didn't get to see that many home matches but always saw them if they were playing nearby. Moved back to midlands three years ago and get to most home matches and local derbies. I keep reading comments from Saddlers fans regarding your good form, can you tell about the past 3 games and how important this form is at this period in the season? Went 16 games without a win and relegation was looming. A dire FA cup replay match against Lincoln was when we hit rock bottom. However, Smith stuck to his guns of wanting to play proper football rather than hoofing it and it has all come good. Confidence in the team his high. David Grof, Febian Brandy and Craig Westcarr are all players from Notts County's 2011 squad, do you expect any to feature in our game and who do you prefer personally? David Grof won't be playing. Smith has no confidence in him, hence a merry-go-round of loan goalies this season. McLoughlin's loan period is up after we play you so we shall probably see a new face betwen the sticks a week on Saturday (unless MK Dons let McLoughlin stay). Febian Brandy has been a revelation. Got injured in a pre season friendly so was slow to make an impression. Now he can't stop scoring. We need to sign him up for an 18 month contract now. Westcarr is an enigma. When he plays, the team plays well. He can hold the ball up and spread it well. Some fans don't rate him, some are undecided, some think he is great! Will probobaly come on for Baxendale in the second half. We're still playing under caretaker manager Chris Kiwomya, as an opposition fan who do you think is likely to land the full time job and what's your opinion on Chris? I don't know who you will get. You could do worse than rescue Richard Money (Dickie Dosh) from Cambridge. Did well at Walsall but never seems to get on with fans wherever he goes! Chris Kiwomya played for Ipswich? Good player but early days to be judged as a manager As an ex player of Walsall FC, Dean Smith is doing a pretty decent job with the Saddlers what are your thoughts on him as a manager? Has a strong belief on how he wants the game to be played and won't be panicked into changing his systems. The team he has put together has cost nothing compared with other teams in the league. I think that speaks volumes about his ability to get the best out of what he has got. Now his name is linked with Coventry and Preston! Earlier in the season,he was criticised for some bizarre substitution decisionsthat have cost us points. He has seemed to have improved lately. Can you tell us about your favourite game from this season and a maybe about a classic match also? For me, the last home match against Oldham who beat Liverpool the previous week. The second half we were fantastic.The attendance went up too so there was a bit of atmosphere. I reckon there should be 5k plus there on Saturday. Classic Match. Watford 4 Walsall 4 FA cup 5th round replay 1987 Is there any current Notts County players, budget permitting that you would like to sign? (some of our fans will be thinking it's a shame we still don't have Tom Williams right now, some would have paid to send him to Walsall – probably would have even paid his wages). We don't need anyone from anywhere at the moment! Hang on... Whats your goalie like? Who are your dangerman? Keeping in mind we're familiar with Febian and Craig. Grigg (works hard and will create chances for himself). Paterson ( will make constant wrong decsions but still score) Bowerman from the bench. Adam Chambers will run the midfield. Which of our players do you see as concerns to your defence and who do you think will handle them? Butler will stick his head were people fear to put their feet. Downing is improving but can be a bit naive. Taylor and Purkiss are good attacking fullbacks with good crosses. Anyone with a turn of speed on the left could cause us problems. Can you tell Pride of Nottingham about Walsall, such as your ground and nearby pubs/bars? Well behaved away fans are welcome in the Saddlers Club. There is also a bar in the visitors end. Avoid the Fullbrook pub about a mile away. The ground is easy to get to and plenty of parking. We have our own railway station to. The snack bar will probably run out of food. We don't do chips! Out of interest did you see the Celtic/Juventus game and are you aware that some of their fans have shown great support to Notts County FC? (Known as Italian Magpies). Didn't Notts County provide Juventus with their shirts when they were founded? I think the similarity ends with the kit!! Where did you think Walsall and Notts County will finish up in the league table by the end of the season? Walsall could nick a play off place if teams around us lose their games in hand. Mid-table for you this season We would like to Thank DonningtonSaddler for the time of answering questions and sharing his views.

Unaware of such tragic events, Pride of Nottingham would like to ask all fans who are in attendance to consider donating to the worthy cause. Ian from Walsall's Supporters Trust fund will be collecting around the Bescot Stadium with a bucket on Saturday from about 1.30. www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2159191/Professional-footballers-daughter-17-months-dies-holiday-rare-blood-infection.html Pride of Nottingham would like to add their sympathy to Dean and Danielle, wishing them all the best in the future.

It's a day most unlikely to forget, as it's one our younger fans will be able to pass down to their children in future years. The club very optimistic – as in recent years had seen Notts County go onto have decent cup runs. Back in 2009 the previous season before this meeting Notts County had a very successful cup run which had seen them beat Wigan Athletic after 2-2 draw Meadow Lane. I fondly recall the draw as a 'change' very much seemed to be in the air at this point and after a concerning season it was nice to get things into consideration. The FA Cup is something I look forward to each season, as it's the time we can forget about our struggles, promotion aspirations and just be ourselves. I was unlucky enough to be unable to attend the game due to work commitments, my line manager knowing I was a county fan asked a few days prior to the game if I wanted to alter my shift slightly to allow me to catch the game on television which was a very kind gesture. The shift went by quite fast surprisingly and I fondly recall telling my joy to the residents about this big tie, who I hold very dear to my heart. It was a honour working in the care home, I made so many good friends whose lives had become effected due to mental and physical health. During my time their I often took a resident down to the lane to watch a match. Having rushed home, my family and parents sat in our living room. My two children (at this point) Jake and Ellie had their county shirts on. Ellie was loosely watching but Jake, excited that Grandma and Granddad were over, quickly lost interest temporarily. I wasn't very optimistic, I will openly admit to seeing this one as being a tie we would struggle with. The earlier minutes saw Manchester City dominating play but only conjuring up a few key chances. As time progressed Notts County managed to find their feet, which saw us hold play and attempt to attack at times. Alan Gow would try to use his trickery which drew them into making fouls, Karl Hawley was also very impressive with his work rate but it was a day very much so when our team was a unit. Most chances in the first half fell to Manchester City who kept Krystian Pearce, Mike Edwards but also than keeper Stuart Nelson on his toes. Around the 8th minute mark, a chance which saw a save made by our keeper after a pass across our back line by Micah Richards had Toure Yaya stretching and Stuart Nelson saving the ball with his feet. Then in the 59th minute Notts County had a corner, as the floating corner by Alan Gow reached 6 yard box Neal Bishop made a run unmarked through the City defence and latched onto the ball with a gliding header saw the ball fly into the net. Flapping Joe Hart and poor Pablo Zabaleta unable to prevent the wonderful set piece, which made a huge impact on the game. Finally I was thinking could we do the undo-able and actually beat the giants Manchester City of the Premier League? This saw changes made to the way City were playing, they started to become more direct and they had memorable chances which again kept our defence very active. As frustration seemed to be getting the better of most of Manchester Cities chances, the game looked in very good shape for our club as our players fought to keep the ball around the half way line, however in the 80th minute once again Micah Richards probably one of their better players of the match ran direct towards our area and provided Edin Dzeko an easy tap in. The lads unlike some teams kept battling showing great character, as chances fell for both sides. Alan Gow again (underrated in my opinion) floated in another wonderful ball from a free kick which saw the unlikeliest of players 'Steady Eddie' creep around the back narrowly missing the ball. The game finally drew to a close, by this point I wasn't fully sitting on my sofa but practically right on the edge and somewhat in the air. A great game, one which must of felt more amazing for those in attendance, the final score 1-1. A day that many will remember and for exactly the right reasons. The cup often brings some exciting fixtures, this provided us Notts fans a chance to dream and re-visit one of the biggest sides in the Premier League, a very proud day in modern football. http://youtu.be/CBQwC5EyT98

Firstly, Could you tell Pride of Nottingham how long you've been a Notts County fan and a little about yourself? Tom: I have been a Notts fan for 21 years, for the first 18 years often wondered why haha. Well my name is Tom I am 21 and currently in the process setting up my own business within sport. Vicki: Been going down Notts for 43 years, used to with my 'dad, brother, grandad and cousins'. My brother, hubby and cousins still go. I now take my granddaughter Tia age 3 and a half, been working for Notts City Council for 22 years now. What are your earliest memories of the lane? Tom: Think it as to be Steve Thompson on the touchline spending whole game ranting at his own players! Hated by fans but adored for one night only during the famous league cup run. Vicki: Used to fetch my dad and grandad a brovil at half time, lots of fans then, our dad used to take us to away games too, can remember still and bansley we get surround by bansley fans, they took my brother scarf!! If you could choose any season bar the Munto year, which year is the most memorable for you and why? Tom: It as to be season under Thommo and going to the Riverside to see N'toya score and send us through, only to end the cup run against Wycombe. But being at SOL in FA Cup as that season close second. Vicki: It's got to be the playoffs with warnock, so many fans went; we was playing football in a pub car park down there, also bumped into Jimmy Sirrel in the car park, like meeting a long lost friend (think he thought i was mad) Over the recent years we've seen many managers enter and exit, if you had to put the following into order of your favourite to least what would the order be? (Keith Curle, Martin Allen, Paul Ince, Craig Short and Steve Cotterill) Tom: Keith Curle, Steve Cotterill, Paul Ince, Martin Allen and Craig Short. Vicki: Managers, emm, loved Mad Dog, Steve Cotterill, Craig Short, Keith Curle, Ince How many Notts County shirts do you own and which is your favourite? Tom: Own shirts from last three seasons, this seasons limited edition is my favorite. Vicki: own 5 shirts, like the home bitter one best, Tommy Johnsons time. lol What was it like growing up as a Notts County supporter from your point of view? Tom: Growing up in Mansfield at a time when Notts want the best, made for few awkward situations in school on derby weekend, but was always proud to say I was a Notts fan. Vicki: At school most of the kids was into forest, they thought only OAP's went to notts and I got a lot a stick at school Can you tell Pride of Nottingham about your favourite player growing up? Tom: Has to be Michael Johnson for ensuring we stayed in the football league with assistance from Hoult, was great how he returned home to his club and following season took a pay cut to end his career, one game in particular stands out against Rochdale, he took a battering all game with blocks, goalline clearance with shot hitting him right in his stomach, only to end the game with his first Notts County goal. Vicki: My favourite player Les Bradd, omg he was great lol So far this season, which game stands out the most to you and why is that? Tom: Curse of Hartlepool;) Game that possibly stands out most is first league game of the season, from that confidence increased and got the feeling no team be bullying us unlike last season. For majority of the season that as gone on to be the case. Vicki: Got to say yesterday, the team was crap first half, was a different time after half time (think Chris gave them a smack). If you were the manager and you could realistically sign two more players, which position would they be and who? Tom: I would sign a new striker in Tom Craddock in hope be able to show his potential, along with carrying on an impressive lower league scoring record. Second player would been Bogdanovic due to believing he would had the ability to ensure top 6 finish. Vicki: Striker, anyone who can put the ball in, sometimes i think midfield needs someone too. We've got the strongest side Notts County have had for many years, yet we are struggling. What's your take on the current form and how can we see past it? Tom: We seem to have hit a blip in form recently, one main reasons as to be our inability to score when on top, this then giving opposition the confidence to go down other end and go for the win, so only way past it is signing a striker. Sadly for what ever reason we have struggled last couple of years to sign a good one. Vicki: Think we have signed to many donkeys, they love the money but not our club, there's NO passion. Have you ever been to a match that wasn't Notts County related? If so can you tell about the match? Tom: Went to watch Mansfield Town play Portsmouth to see Tony Adams. But left disappointed due to him refusing to stop for picture and autograph. Vicki: Only to watch my sons play at school. How important would you say success is on the field for Notts and where did you see us finishing at the start the season? Tom: Very if we are to improve the gates and therefore increasing player budget, but same time good attacking players get fans in, so its a bit cat and mouse atm. Need more fans but fans want good players before willing to pay for matchday tickets. At start of the season under KC I expected play-offs with decent chance top 2, but sadly we are couple players short of that. So have to settle for decent chance at top 6. Vicki: VERY, VERY thought we would make the play off, still hoping, onwards and upwards NCFC for ever. Pride of Nottingham would like to thank Tom (who we wish the best with his business adventure) and Vicki. Many thanks for taking the time to answer our questions.

After a series of away games we finally managed to watch an home game at Meadow Lane, one I had been personally looking forward to watching. Mr Trews notes come at a time where the fans will genuinely appreciate having a clear insight into the daily life of the football club. After the dismissal of Keith Curle and other matters, Mr Trews notes reflect on a very important matter with regards to the attendances. Please take the time to read the notes as they give a little more reflection to life at Notts County. Good afternoon everyone and welcome to Meadow Lane for this npower League 1 fixture against Crewe Alexandra, our first home game under Caretaker Manager Chris Kiwomya. There are obviously a few things to cover in my notes this week, but I must start by wishing my wife Aileen a very happy birthday for yesterday and hope that you will join me in wishing her all the very best. I will let her tell you how old she is! I would also like to welcome the players, officials and, of course, the supporters of Crewe to Meadow Lane, I hope that they enjoy the hospitality available to them. Now, to the obvious matter of interest. Whilst I don’t want to dwell on the departure of Keith Curle as Manager last weekend, it would be remiss of me not to mention it and thank him and his team for the work that they did here at Meadow Lane. Suffice to say, performances had not been what we had hoped for in recent weeks, attendances had begun to drop, albeit for a number of reasons, there was a rising level of discontent amongst supporters and two wins in eleven games simply isn’t good enough at this stage of the season. That is a very brief summary of the reasons behind our decision, but I will be able to talk further about this at our Fans’ Forum, which is due to take place in the Meadow Lane Sports Bar on Friday 1 March. For now, I must call on everyone to get behind Chris Kiwomya and his team. No decision has been taken on a permanent appointment at this stage, but Chris has a great opportunity to state his case and I know it's an opportunity he is keen to seize. Onwards and upwards Ray Trew Chairman Many thanks to both Mr Trew and the media team for providing us with these notes.

Notts County today have confirmed the signing of John Cofie on loan from Manchester United. John spent time earlier in the season with Sheffield United where he scored 2 goals in 16 appearances. He's a young striker at the age of 20, hopefully adding some hunger to our squad. Notts agreed terms on Thursday with United and he travelled to Meadow Lane on Friday morning to complete his move. He is the first signing under caretaker manager Chris Kiwomya, who has signed in a fairly decent prospect and will have a pacey player at his disposal. Many fans might have hoped for a more experienced player, one whom may already have more playing experience but none the less we welcome John Cofie as a magpie! He started his career off at Burnley where he was highly rated for being strong, determined but also very fast. He quickly earned a move to Manchester United where he stayed in their youth system until late 2010. After which he moved onto their reserves team, since being loaned out. His first experience was found at Royal Antwerp of the Belgian Second Division which saw him play 13 times scoring 3 times. Speaking to our own resident from Manchester SteveMUP regarding this loan signing, Steve told me that John is a very raw product but gives nothing less than 100%. “He's still regarded fairly highly amongst the United fans who follow our development system” Steve added. “I had hoped he would establish himself further at Sheffield United, he's a very fast player. I see him being a very useful signing for Notts County. Obviously this isn't a signing that your fans will be over the moon about, give the lad a chance first”. John has been given the number 19 shirt, which makes him eligible for the game tomorrow. We encourage all fans to try to turn the recent events into positives, lets get behind the club and sing until we can't. http://youtu.be/M349xIgSHPg

Crewe Alexandra come to Notts having won their last two games, one in which was against Coventry City in the JPT. Notts County will be focusing on changing the recent form which has seen them lose two away matches to the hands of struggling Hartlepool and then last tuesday against Stevenage. Crewe haven't beaten Notts in the league for awhile, so Chris Kiwomya could very well be the man to continue this record against them. Pride of Nottingham has taken the time to ask Mike and Andy a series of questions. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Mike: Hello, Thank you for this opportunity to Interact with some fellow football fans. My name is Mike Sheridan, I have been a Crewe fan for 30 years and a season ticket holder for 25, ups and downs have been witnessed by my eyes at this club. Many of those at the hands of great clubs such as yours. I cannot wait for this game. Andy: I have been a Crewe Alexandra fan for many years this is my 45th season and am the current Stadium Announcer We share the same amount of points, however you have a game in hand, if you beat us on Saturday your team will be making steady ground towards the play-offs. How important is it for you and for the club to be pushing on for a place in the play-offs? Mike: Our manager has said that the playoffs are his aim, but in my eyes finishing that high up is a bonus to surviving in a league we had no intentions of being in half way through last season. We are doing a bit better than what I expected though, so who knows! Andy: P.O place isnt that important most fans would be happy with a mid table finish anything else is clearly a bonus, but we want that JPT now we've got such a great chance. You haven't beaten Notts County in the league since 96/97 which since you've only managed to draw once, the rest resulting in defeats. Do you think this Saturday will be different considering our recent events? Mike: Is that how long its been? Wow, what a real thorn in our side! to be honest anything can happen on the day, I have always been a passionate believer in that when 22 men get on a football field. No records or off field situations have anything to do with their performances and overall result. Andy: Yes our record against County is very poor at best, on the back of a 0-3 win away at Coventry confidence has to be high. At the start of the season who did you think would win the league but also get promoted and finish in the play-offs? Mike: I genuinely thought Coventry and Preston would be the big two pushing around the auto promotion places. Swindon, Stevanage, Sheffield and yourselves were also top runners in my predictions. Andy: The obvious as in Sheff Utd and I always fancied Swindon to do well, P.O places I predicted could be County, MK, Doncaster and PNE. Crewe Alexandra have produce some of the best youths at our level, some of which have gone onto bigger clubs, such as David Vaughan. How many of your own youths feature in your current squad and do you rate any coming through the ranks? Mike: If you think back to our Wembley win, I think all but 3 of our starting XI were youth graduates. At the moment however with new signings from last summer and a couple of loanees I think That number is more like 5/6 depending on what side Davis goes with. I could name a few young lads who are coming the youth system, but I don’t think Mr. Gradi would be best pleased with me publicizing their names

After the dismissal of Keith Curle, Notts will be facing Stevenage with Chris Kiwomya acting as caretaker manager. Notts are five points away from the play off spots so it will be vital for our lads to keep their heads down and just get stuck in if we're to gain a play off spot. Stevenage sit 15th with two games in-hand of Notts and if they were to win they'd be on the same amount of points as us. Pride of Nottingham once again asks two opposition fans a series of questions as we gain their view ahead of our league one clash. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Chris: Been a fan since 2003, when I went to my first game as a seven year old. Been going along regularly since then, and have now been a season ticket holder for four years. Josh: I'm 17 on Thursday, so Tuesday is a big game for me. I'm a passionate supporter who loves the club and have been a fan for 10 years this august. My first game was a 0-0 draw against Chester City in 2003, and have been a Stevenage fan ever since. I'd never watched a game of football before, not even on TV, so I have Stevenage to thank for my love of football. After a pretty good start Stevenage found themselves near the top of the table however things started to drop since your 4-0 defeat to Swindon Town. Can tell us how things are going for you now? Chris: Home performances recently have often been dire - no win in 15 weeks at Broadhall Way, and don't appear to be picking up any time soon. Our away form has been patchy too, but we look to be on track for a lower mid table finish, thanks to our excellent start to the season. Josh: I think we need stability. Results have been getting to the fans and players and to shut off teams, get a few 0-0 draws and then push on from there would do us no harm. We showed signs of improvement against Doncaster, however lacked anything good against Orient. I think we'll pick up form and have a good mid table finish, however I couldn't tell you when I think that'll start. On 3/2/2013 Notts County announced that they had parted ways with Keith Curle, as an opposition fan what are your thoughts on this and do you see it as being something Stevenage can capitalize on? Chris: I can see it going one of two ways. Either the County players will kick into life and secure the three points, or it will give our players the thought that they can get something from the game. I was surprised to see him sacked, although I'm not sure why given the way modern football is! At the end of the day despite County's recent poor form, you're still only five points off the play-offs. Josh: Notts are in a reasonably good position, table wise. 5 points outside play offs, and they can easily be made up as we've seen from other teams such as Coventry and Bournemouth. However if the club don't feel the manager is able to do this, then I can understand the sacking. As for the second question, I think we could capitalise on it, although we lost our manager last season and pulled out 3 fantastic results before getting a new manager in. So although I think we could gain an advantage from it, teams react differently to losing a manager and you could well rally behind the captain or leader figure of the team and play well. How busy has your club been during the transfer/loan window? Chris: We've released a couple of players who haven't featured at all this season, and brought in three new players. We've been light up top all season, so brought in two young strikers on loan - Sam Hoskins from Southampton who is a small but pacey striker who looks like he could do well for us. The other loan signing was Steve Beleck - intriguing because he is technically a Udinese player, on loan at Watford, who then loaned him out to us. He's the complete opposite of Hoskins - big, strong, and suitably good in the air. He also seems to be a decent signing, although time will tell. Finally we signed Leyton Orient's captain and centre half Ben Chorley who made his debut against the club he had just joined us from on Saturday. Too early to tell how well he'll do here, but he put in a decent shift. Josh: 2 loan players in Steve Beleck and Sam Hoskins, both of whom look like good players. Belecks a strong and tricky character, while Hoskins looks nimble and a very tough character to handle. Chorley is the permanent signing, the orient captain joining us on deadline day. He seems like a strong, reliable defender and has definitely given us a more resilient defence. Currently Stevenage are sitting in 15th place but with games in hand, where do you see your club going from here on? Chris: I see us slipping further away from the play-offs, our away form should be enough to see us easily clear of relegation, but the awful home performances will stop us climbing the table. Given the size of our club, and the fact we bought almost an entirely new squad in the summer, I think most of us would have taken safety at the end of this season. Josh: We'll strengthen, learn from mistakes and push on. Our games in hand are tough, Notts, Brentford home and away and Bury away will prove difficult challenges and will require serious planning. On our current form, I would expect 4/5 points at best. What are your thoughts on Gary Smith currently and how did you feel about his appointment at the time? Chris: I was impressed with his appointment at the start. It was obviously very disappointing when Graham Westley left us given the amount of success he had given us, but bringing in a coach who had won the MLS with the lowest budget in the league gave me hope for the future. Currently, I can't make my mind up about him. On one hand, I've been happy with most of his signings and a mid-table finish is fine by me with the new squad. However, it does worry me at times that the fans can spot mistakes straight away, which he then won't attempt to fix for several games - and the fact he spends the vast majority of his time on the touchline leaning on the dugout with his hands in his pockets. I do think by sticking with him we'll achieve some more success though, in time. Josh: I feel he can do well with the team if the fans give him a chance. He's bound to make mistakes in the transfer window and we'll develop as I said. Hearing of his success in America I was excited on hearing of his appointment. Westley had been a massive part of the clubs history and although it's cliqued, it felt like a new era for the club. Can you tell me which Stevenage players poise a threat to our team and who has been your overall best player of the season so far? Chris: Frankly, right now none of our players pose a threat to anyone! On his day Freeman can be an absolutely class act but he has found himself frozen out of the team recently. Lucas Akins, our right winger and top scorer, has his good games too. Player of the season so far for me personally would be our central midfielder James Dunne, who we picked up from Exeter City in the summer. He's got it all - tackling, interceptions, vision, passing and a decent shot too. Josh: I'm not a Preston player I can't give away team information. But on a serious note, Tansey can hit a good strike, and Akins and Morais can prove very troublesome down the wings. In defence, Roberts is a commanding figure and a great captain at CB, and Gray get's forward well from RB. Hoskins looks very tricky up front and could be a handful. Which Notts County players do you feel Stevenage will have to be wary of and who do you consider to be our best player? Chris: Thinking back to the away game earlier this season, I thought Zoko and Showunmi looked like a threat - I certainly wouldn't want to be the centre back given the job of marking them. Hard to say who I feel your best player is overall though, I'll been impressed with some of the saves I've seen Bialkowski make on the Football League Show though so I'll go for him! Josh: Campbell-Ryce scored against us last time, and Jeff Hughes has caused us problems in the past. Alan Judge is a good player and could be a real threat to us. Please tell Pride of Nottingham about Stevenage, the ground and anything which may be important to away fans? Chris: Stevenage isn't as bad as some people make it out to me, and the ground is in a reasonably pleasant location. My only advice would be to avoid the burger bar! Josh: Macdonalds, Asda, Burger King, all en route from the train station to the ground. You'll get no problems from Stevenage fans, we're a nice bunch and are more interested in the game. Do you ever visit opposition fans forums? If so will you be visiting any of Notts County's prior to our game to look up the general on-goings of the club? Chris: I normally visit opposition forums a few days before games - I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Notts County's especially given the sacking of Curle. Josh: I rarely do, however if something big has happened like the signing of the player from another club, I'll look to see what their thoughts are on him. What has the weather been like at Stevenage recently? Chris: The same as most of the country - wet. Thankfully the pitch looked fine on Saturday, but you'll need to wrap up warm on Tuesday night if you're making the trip! Josh: It's brightened up recently, and has felt a bit less like winter and more like spring. That's jinxed it however and it'll probably hammer down on Tuesday now I've said that. How do you see your season finishing and where do you feel Notts County will finish by the end of the season? Chris: As I've said I'm predicting a lower mid-table finish for us. I do feel however that the winner of our match on Tuesday will have earned a massive victory - it could be the platform that both of us need to push on for the play-offs - who knows. I reckon County will finish just outside the play-off spots though, around about where they are now. Josh: I think we'll finish in similar positions, both seem to be having similar form and problems. And I expect both teams to pick up. 8th to 12th for both of us I think. Additional Note: I hope we'll see a good game on Tuesday, and all the best for the rest of the season. We would like to Thank both Chris and Josh for taking the time to answer our questions.

It's a special double featured opposition view from Pride of Nottingham, as we speak with two Hartlepool United fans Mr Ripper and Poole In Nottingham. Notts will be looking to continue our new away record by making it 2 wins from 2 away games, whilst Hartlepool will be eager to cause us trouble. Hartlepool sit at the bottom of the table and their fans will be hoping for some light ahead of the difficult situation Hartlepool United find themselves in. It has been interesting for myself to read two fans views so I hope you enjoy the feature as much as I have. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Mr R: I'm 39 and have been a fan for as long as I can remember. My dad took me to my first game when I was about 4 or 5. Poolie: I've been a Poolie since I was taken to my first game in 1983. We beat Halifax 3-0 and I was hooked. I moved to Nottingham in 1995 and have lived here ever since (in Beeston for the last 10 years or so). My job is selling and installing EPOS till systems. Me and oldest son Ewan are season ticket holders. For 5 years I was the editor of 'Monkey Business', the Pools fanzine, which is sadly no longer in print but is online now. Things haven't been going too well for Hartlepool United so far this season, could you tell me your views of the season up to this point? Mr R: We've been crap. Not just results wise but generally performance wise too. Performances have picked up slightly in the last month or two but at least half of the players we've got just aren't good enough. Poolie: It's been the worst I can remember. Many years ago we were bad, but that's because we had no money. Now we have money, but a collection of pea-hearted money grabbers masquerading as footballers. Unfit, uninterested and unlikely to find another league club when we release them. Before we played Sheffield United at the end of December, Own Goal was joint top scorer with 2, which I think is indicative of our plight. Your recent form is slightly better than the teams above you, do you feel the club can pull off a great escape? Mr R: A great escape? It would be monumental and would probably require four or five signings or half a dozen of the current bottom 10 teams going into admin and being docked at least 10 points! Poolie: Not a chance. If they do I will run round Market Square on a Saturday afternoon wearing nothing but a red indian headdress. At the start of the season Notts signed Gary Liddle who has been putting in impressive performances for us. How much of a loss is his presence form Hartlepool United? Mr R: Liddle was good when we first got him but to be honest he was gash for the last two seasons. The Liddle of the last two seasons he was here is no miss whatsoever. Poolie: Even if he was still here I don't think he'd have made too much difference. He'd been stale for the last couple of years anyway, so I wasn't really sorry to see him leave. Can you tell me your highlights from past and present memories of following your club away from home? Mr R: Highlights away from home? Before IOR (the current owners) bought the club the highlight of away days was the beer and the craic and getting a draw was a rare feat to savour. Since then we've had cracking away days including sealing play off places on the last day of the season and that can't really be bettered by anything other than a 3-0 win on our only ever visit to former local rivals Darlow's big daft ground. Poolie: Best away game is probably Peterborough away. First game back in the third tier for a long time. Blazing hot day, and we came back from 2 goals down twice to win 4-3. I've seen us play at about 70 grounds, including Meadow Lane about 6 times. There's lots of away days I miss - Sincil Bank, Field Mill, Millmoor - I even had a soft spot for Saltergate. I love a London trip, Charlton away where several hundred drunken Poolies dressed as Smurfs was brilliant. Often previous players come back to haunt their clubs, with Neal Bishop our captain suspended many expect Liddle to return back to midfield, how would it feel if he scored on Saturday? Mr R: I'd only be as bothered as if any of your players scored to be honest. Poolie: I hope no County players score on Saturday, but as we haven't kept a clean sheet since what seems like the Boer War, its highly likely they will. It doesn't matter to me which players score against us, they are all bastards to me. What formation do you see John Hughes playing and if you was to make the calls what would you do differently in terms of tactics? Mr R: We have a formation? Somebody should tell the players. If it was up to me I'd give them slightly different instructions to the current "go out there and run about a bit" that they appear to be being told. Poolie: Don't change a winning team, so keep the same starting line up that despatched Pompey last week. As for tactics, I don't know if our players are capable of understanding any. Who poses Notts County a risk and which players would you say we need to mark? Mr R: Not telling you. (none really) Poolie: You're just as likely to score an own goal than we are to score, but I would keep an eye on James Poole, as he has a point to prove after being left out for so long. Which players of Notts County do you feel could influence the game and would therefore require being marked by which of your players? Mr R: No idea, but if you've got any players with a bit of pace they should enjoy themselves. Poolie: Probably all of them - your keeper could have ten minutes up front at some point and you'll still come away with a clean sheet. This game will be my first away game for awhile, can you tell me about Hartlepool in general and about your stadium? Mr R: Hartlepool is great, on the coast, lovely beaches, good pubs, cracking beer. The ground is small but tidy although you get the short straw in your end if you're behind a pillar but it is the best stand in the ground for acoustics. Poolie: The ground has loads of character, with different sized stands built at different times. It's compact, and there's a low roof on the away end which amplifies any singing. Hartlepool is one of many former industrial towns around the country which have been neglected over the years. Not all of it is pretty, but we have a superb beach, Poolies are very friendly with a good sense of humour, virtually everything important (beer, food, taxis) is cheaper than in most places, and the fish and chips are great. Where do you see Notts County finishing at the end of the year? Mr R: Mid table. Poolie: 10th. How many fans do you think will be in attendance on Saturday? Mr. R: Seeing as though we've sold a fair few season tickets and had a few Saturday games postponed recently we might edge towards 4k if we're lucky and the weather isn't awful. Poolie: Under 3000. We have around 4000 season ticket holders, but given our awful performances, large numbers have decided to do something better on Saturday afternoons, such as unblocking drains or watching paint that has dried actually crack and fall off. I have to work this weekend, so I don't have to think of excuse. We would like to Thank both Mr Ripper and Poolie In Nottingham for taking the time to answer our questions.

Pride of Nottingham had kindly been allowed permission by Neal Bishop to ask him a series of questions. As one of our only surviving League Two winning players at the time, we were hopeful of being able to ask Neal some questions about his time at the club which he kindly accepted. During a busy December period the questions were sent across to Neal but unfortunately I waited to publish his answers. We're very grateful for the time and kindness shown by Neal who was expecting his first child with his partner Fran, which shows his dedication towards fans. Having spent time in the lower leagues, how did you feel when you made the step up to the football league with Barnet? Yeah i was delighted, i think i was 25 when the chance came to go into the football league with Barnet, there was a bit of interest from other clubs but Barnet made me feel like they really wanted me so it made my choice easy. How does this reflect now, having played with Notts in League one and being promotion challenges for the Championship? Looking back i honestly can say i wouldn't change the way my career has progressed, obviously i would have liked to go into the football league earlier but i loved my time in non league and met some great people so i wouldn't change that for the world Do you have any match day rituals? I've got no rituals are superstitions on a match day, as long as your preparation is spot on I don't believe putting 1 boot on before another makes that much difference! What's it like at Christmas being a professional footballer? Christmas is actually a time of year i really enjoy as its non stop games, and as a footballer, there's nothing better than playing competitive games, it can be hard on lads who are away from there family's but we get our time off come May so we cant really complain What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and what are your ambitions for the future? I think there's been so many personal highlights in the last few years it impossible to single out 1, the Man City games were brilliant, beating Sunderland, winning league 2, going to Juve, been made captain, all have been fantastic, for the future, the aim of myself and the football club has got to be the championship What's your favourite music, any particular bands/singers? I'm not someone who follows a particular singer or band, my music collection is fairly eclectic, there's stuff in there from 60s soul to 90s dance! What's been your favourite Notts shirt and football shirt in general? My personal favourite was the home shirt of our 1st season in league 1, as for the away shirts i like the pink 1 we currently play in You and Lee Hughes feature in our flyer, what are your thoughts on being featured on it for a Fan Site? Aha! very good! any picture I'm in with Hughsey as great as he makes me look like I've got hair! Apart from Lee Hughes, you are the only Notts player remaining from the 2009/10 season. What's it like for players who come in on loan or on a transfer that don't know any other players? I've never done it myself but i imagine its really hard to come into a new dressing room, full of strangers, knowing you could be gone again in a week or so, however since I've been here our dressing room has been full of great lads and anyone who has come in has been welcomed in to the group from day 1 Lastly, what would you say would be your most defining moment of this season so far? I'm hoping this seasons defining moment is yet to come! Please note that the questions were asked before Lee Hughes's departure. We would also like to Thank Neal for answering our questions and congratulate Neal and Fran! On their first child little baby Oscar! (Future Notts captain no doubt)