Chris

The Millers left Meadow Lane having fully deserved their victory, which instils a bitter taste in the mouths of many. The game as such was lively, especially in the second half which saw Notts try to attempt to fight back, unfortunately it was far too late. Saturday is now a chance for the team to put this and the previous home results to bed, concentrating on the promotion fight ahead. Despite the performance, the focus now will be very much on the league. All three goals came in the first half, with simple errors leading to the goals. The first was a wonderful strike from Ben Pringle, who punished us in our previous meeting but in truth the goal should have been prevented. The marking was very loose, allowing them to play in such a style that really dominated the match early on. The second goal, again was down to a lack in defence, although a simple nod onto Mark Bradley allowed him to shoot the ball into our net from a very inviting corner (which arguably should have been cleared). Notts had brief spells which saw us play our passing football, which wasn't always the best it as been. The odd miss timed pass, missing link in the play and lack of final finishing really had it's impact on the game. Frustration appeared to be getting the better of the players, as each time a chance came to us it seemed to only end up being wasted. The game became even more difficult when Damon Stewart lashed out with his elbow at Alex Revell who had been making a habit of making the most of incidents all evening. It was clearly a bookable offence, most probably deserving the colour red. The third goal was dubious (possible bad call from the assistant referee “linesman”) who appeared to flag for offside only to buckle, allowing play to continue. A simple pass towards an open net saw Daniel Nardiello tap in a easy finish. By this point it was clear that unless changes were made, this would be an even more depressing evening as no signs early on gave me the feeling we would be capable of fighting back. It was around the third goal when noises increasingly started to echo out and it was clear by the comments of fans, that Notts would have a uphill battle, with not only the game. The second half showed signs of what Notts are capable off, having gone down to 10 men. No further goals were conceded and for the most part, Notts attacked with open football. The direction of which didn't have any final product, although it was much better to see. We piled pressure onto Rotherham, although no clear chances arose. Jamel Campbell-Ryce tried his best throughout the game, his dedicated play and availability really impressed me. Alan Judge had a very quiet game, though tried his best to create play. The substitutes allowed us to take back the hold of the game but Notts were unable to make it count. No doubt a debut to forget for Liam Mitchell, who was probably one of Keith Curles tactical mistakes. No fault is aimed in his direction, although I felt it wasn't the best time to give the lad the nod to play. I hope he doesn't take the games negativity on board, as it's always nice to see our youngsters break through although personally I would of given Kevin Pilkington the nod instead.

It was early on handing out flyers ahead of the Brentford game on Saturday that I originally heard the rumours surrounding Lee Hughes. I had approached a supporter, who at first seemed interested until he noticed the artwork in the centre of the flyer. He responded by asking if I had heard the 'news' giving no indication as to what he meant. He added 'He's leaving anyway, good riddance if you ask me', I couldn't help but feel disappointed. Not long after, I overheard a group of fans talking about the circulating rumours. I asked one of them what the news was surrounding Lee Hughes and one of the fans replied 'It's been on the radio, He's handed in a sick note. He'll be gone in January. I focused on giving out the flyers but it seemed to be getting quite some attention, as I noticed many fans debating it. During the warm ups, I briefly scanned through themag and noticed Yoann Arquin wasn't listed among the substitutes but I thought nothing of it. (I'm still not sure what to make of it) It seems odd that he would go to get a 'refreshment', especially with the timing but I recall the Jon Harley moment the previous season. It can't be all that weird, surely? It was after the match the rumours, at least for me appeared to be getting more momentum. I noticed many comments online, around various streams, giving the feeling that fans we're mixed regarding the rumours and only a few appeared to be indecisive of what to think. Now the media are picking up on the story, which is probably going to escalate the matter. The evening post online mentions '"I will be speaking to Lee and we will see where we go from there. As soon as we can get him back available and back into the club the better," was all he would say when quizzed on the matter by the Post.” which would now suggest that Curle was in denial at first. Either way I look at it, Lee is one of our players and if the rumours are true the club really need to address any possible situation. It would be a shame for him to end his career in doubt, especially considering he's a cult figure at the club.

On loan Striker Chris Iwelumo is making his desire known about wanting to join Notts County on a permanent basis. He's spent the majority of his career playing above the 3rd tier of English football and would certainly add depth to our team, with his previous time at Colchester United being a prime example of what he brings to any team. Despite finding it hard to establish himself in Gianfranco Zola's starting eleven, Iwelumo has been received fairly well by our supporters and this appears to be one of his reasons behind wanting to make the move permanent. At 34 this might not be the signing for every fan but if Chris Iwelumo finds his feet early on, while the desire is fresh, this may become a very positive experience for the club. If the basis was to be on a short term deal, this would be even more beneficial with the extra clause of a possible extension earned on his performance similar to the deal originally offered to Gavin Mahon. When interviewed by Nottingham Evening Post, Iwelumo responded "I would make the move permanent tomorrow." adding, "I'm happy here, there's a great bunch of lads, the gaffer is quality and the training facilities are a different class – I can't ask for any more. It makes a big difference being so close to home as well.”

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, We're a Fan Site dedicated to Notts County FC, It's our goal to bring a competitive friendly fan site which focuses on key features to the members of our community. It's early days, although with support we can provide somewhere for fans to be truly proud of. I'd like to urge anyone who agrees/likes our sites message to get behind the community and help out by doing whatever they can. This may be helping promote the site, posting or offering to help by joining our team. If you are interested in writing content for us please contact me. The site provides many features for fans to interact, the blog and gallery system will hopefully play a major role in our site as we would like to share life as a Notts County fan. These can be used to interact with us and the community by sharing special moments and we hope to attract match day bloggers and fans who also like to share pictures of match days. Our site is integrated with Facebook, with an easy one click registration which just requires you to fill in minimal information compared to our full registration form. All our skins are mobile friendly, although we have a special lite featured one especially created for mobiles and tablets. Each month from this point on we will be running a member of the month competition which is aimed at praising the dedication of the members. We will also be running many different aspects and from time to time, you find us running fun competitions. Please keep tuned for our announcement regarding a raffle and a prize give-away. Enjoy visiting us here at PoN (UNCFS).