Chris

I've always been a big fan of Matt Palmer's. When we signed him I was over the moon because I knew what sort of quality he would bring. It surprised me that he stepped down to the National League to join us, especially when he was still only like, what 26-years-old? He really could have joined a League One/Two team and found himself back higher up the football pyramid quite easily. I also genuinely believe he arrived here because he liked the project which was being built and could see Notts creating a team where he would thrive and most importantly enjoy his football. He's like that as a player, when he enjoys his football nothing can unsettle him or put him off his game. I don't remotely think he joined us because we offered the best wages, as that's not the type of person he seems to be. Having him back will be a massive boost to our squad, because players not only know what he brings but what to expect from him when he is in the team. There's a reason why he's always in the squad selection on match days, and it's not just because he's consistent or hard-working.

I used to bet on Notts when I used to occasionally do accumulators, the games we should have won - we always lost. Not a single draw, I mean they were games we really should have won. I only would add Notts when I didn't fancy other teams to make it six-fold. Ironically, there were several times when I could have won a nice return if I hadn't. It's for this reason, I won't bet on Notts any more. I mean, during the season we got relegated, I had friends from Notts asking me if I had placed any bets on promotion!!

That's much better news, I hope he and Mrs doesn't name the baby anything after the Euros or football.

It makes it seem like his family may have suffered a death, I know I shouldn't jump the gun and I hope I'm wrong with my thoughts. He's a good player, but if he is gone permanently, it leaves the door open for another player. I wish him well.

It's all very flexible, but I understand that not everyone will have time. Members and people outside the site are welcome to apply. I don't expect it to be easy to find people, but I do feel it important that anyone interested should apply. The primary focus is on the global moderators and writers. Yet each position would make a significant difference.

It's saddening to learn about Frank Duckworth, I can't say I am into cricket at all but I appreciate people within the sports.

@Robbie it used to be a yearly habit of watching the Grand National, we used to have a friendly bet within the family and on occastions a bet would be placed, but I have to admit, I lost interest. It's the same with the University Boat Race. Habits change; information isn't stored the same. Technology has a lot to do with it IMO.

I'm very grateful to all the members who've kept PON updated during the off-season. When things are quiet, it's crucial to keep plugging away, and those interactions really count when it comes to the times when fans start getting excited about the upcoming season. With pre-season on the horizon, I'm putting in the graft to get everything back up to scratch, all the while making sure I'm organised so that we don't have a repeat in the future. We're still working on sprucing up the users' post area, which will bring in some handy information and show various details about a poster, like their age if they've got that enabled. Their post count, reputation and more. The post count will also show up on handheld devices, which is a nice touch when you're seeing who's shared a comment. On top of this, I'm putting together a FAQ page which should provide answers to questions that some members might not know about. A good number of Notts Alumni's have been written and are waiting for final proofing. I'll be getting back to publishing these for Sunday reads. The Pride of Nottingham PONcast is also making a comeback, with episodes yet to be scheduled but work is underway to bring back our popular talk show podcast. We'd like members of the community to get involved, by sharing their thoughts in an audio format. Calls can be made at a stage to me, which I'll produce into episodes to give us that fan element. Lastly, I'm chuffed to say we've got some team openings. I'm keen to beef up the content side of PON again, by publishing fan-written opinions. But it's not just that, we're also on the lookout for volunteers who'd help with researching tasks, graphic design and joining our social media team. Check out our openings on the link below. https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/openings/ Cheers to all the members! Pride of Nottingham Team, Chris

Haha! I'll add it to my list of things to look at. Fingers crossed we can resolve it for good.

I don't think people pay a lot of attention to things these days, once most would have known about who was who. Yes, some might be unknown but more likely Hayley Turner would have been known in our circle with her being a Notts fan. Those days of knowing a lot about the people in film and TV credits are long gone. Which is extending to presenters, sometimes when I watch something, and it changes, such as Pointless with the quiz assistant - I'm like... Who's that?!!? Oh I preferred so and so.

You can suffer many type 1 concussions heading the ball, even though your forehead is protected by your skull - the brain still moves, and it's that constant movement which causes a lot of damage. There needs to be more studies with lighter balls, which I am sure is happening, but the data really does need to be collected. Data has shown that footballers are at a high risk of brain related injuries, including dementia. This is the documentary, which I mentioned.

@Piethagoram I met his family and daughter at the unveiling of the Jimmy and Jack statue, she also thanked me and Joe for writing about their work and honouring Jeff. They have dedicated a lot of their lives to research and bringing awareness, something Joe Kinnear's daughter could contribute if she wants to help other people in the future - not just footballers. @Wheelbarrow repair man I nearly wrote about the NFL, who in the past dismissed studies and failed to acknowledge the severity of brain injuries. I can understand why they have had class actions brought against them but football, there's little known and the major research that has been conducted is mostly through ex-players families such as Jeff Astle. I know, Alan Shearer did a documentary which was well worth watching. There's also professional wrestling, where the WWE (formerly WWF have been taken to court over brain injuries, especially after the Chris Benoit incident) but that was a tragic event and suing them in hindsight for not knowing, it rubs me the wrong way. The family of Jeff Astle is deeply committed to making sure that no one else has to go through what they went through. Their efforts have helped to re-design footballs, brought changes such as not to head the ball in training and even removing it from kids games as mentioned by @Fan of Big Tone.

I honestly can't see any teams coming in for Connell Rawlinson and Aiden Stone, not even if they are transfer-listed for free. There might have been interest already, we won't know, but I think those two would be best trying to mutually agree release terms with. Connell Rawlinson is a great guy. I have a lot of respect for him and many memories, but we can't keep players for sentimental reasons - not at this level. I also feel somewhat sorry for Aiden Stone, he tried and seems to lack confidence, but I just don't see anyone in League Two wanting him. I think he should consider dropping to the National League North/South. Will Randall should attract some form of interest, even if it's just from within the National League. There's a player in him, but it hasn't worked, and I don't think he integrated himself well into our squad. He always comes across as a loner, that might be his personality but when I have encountered him - including when I gave him a print I did of him, he sort of seemed rude and uninterested in anything but himself. He could be shy, but hasn't left a good impression on the field or off it.

His performance for Crawley Town last season and the goal which he scored at Meadow Lane, it was him at his best. I still feel a bit of resentment for the way he acted once he knew he wasn't going to be offered a deal by Notts. Good player, especially at this level and should do really well for Hartlepool United. He was in and out of our squad during his final season, and personally I think he gave up. I hope he serves Hartlepool well because I have a lot of respect for the club.

Hello, @Up the Maggies. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community. It's really nice to have you with us. COYP!

For free? I don't blame him. I hope Chesterfield didn't take him out of their own budget. I would dislike Notts doing a similar thing, even if it was an ex-well known Premier League keeper, it could be Joe Hart for all I care - it's not something I think makes financial sense. If they have done it to stop him going on trials elsewhere, or just to make sure he signs for them then it's even weirder.

Matty Virtue was linked to Wrexham, his time at Notts pretty much fell under the radar, but he seemed promising enough. I'm surprised Lincoln City didn't snap him up because they seemed to rate him during his loan spell. Things may have changed, with other doors opening up, but I wish Matty all the best with Fleetwood.

I haven't heard from him for some time, I have been wondering myself. I'll speak to @super_ram because I know they have communicated on here, I hope he's okay.

This might seem controversial, but I don't like when people decide to sue for retrospective issues, especially when nobody made them do what ultimately is the thing they are suing for. If they want to spread awareness, there are far better ways because it just comes across as wanting money. Making a difference isn't believable either, because all you are doing is lining your pockets. Dementia is a horrible, horrible illness, and it's hard seeing a loved one go through it, but you can only make changes now to help the future. If the grief is making them lash out, that's different entirely, but I still think it's wrong. Joe Kinnear managed teams when I was younger. He really deserves to be remembered for the right reasons.

It depends on who else is available, but I will add that Tom Crawford had some magical moments with us and during a time when others lack his spirit. Tom would do a decent job in the defensive duties, but he's better at the attacking side IMO. I would happily welcome him back, if the club deemed him as someone that fits us. He did very well for Hartlepool, I felt surprised when I learned that they had released him. Notts could do far worse, so it will be interesting but in terms of what Tom Crawford would bring to us. I think he's good enough and would fit various roles we might require. However, he wouldn't be guaranteed to start and that for me, means we need to find players who would make a strong contest for this. I feel Crawford might get overlooked in this scenario, but I do rate him as a player.

Tomorrow the excuses need to be put aside, and the team must put on a strong performance. Unless this is all a ruse by Gareth Southgate to control who we might get in the knock-out stages and for teams to think we will be push overs. It seems unlikely, but I just want to see England put in the effort. I'll be watching the game with @super_ram and @super_pie. A change of scenery and some more company might make it easier to watch.

What's the point in him going? Chesterfield are a bit weird with their recruitment of keepers.

I think @GrannyPie and @super_ram mentioned this to me, but I can't really stand Alan Carr. I didn't know his father was a manager until he started doing promotional appearances for the show. I'm not sure if it would be my thing, as the clips I have seen - I didn't find it to be all that interesting.

It really does look beautiful! Our ground staff have done an amazing job, but I am thankful that the club have invested in undersoil heating. Meadow Lane's ability to stay abreast of the latest advancements in the modern era is absolutely crucial. Not that I would have thought in a million years, that we would be getting it in League Two. seeing the pitch look so stunning, it makes part of that match day experience and no other League Two team will come close to us in terms of pitch quality. It makes me feel a lot more sorry for Bradford City; I wonder if they have managed to move from the seaside (sandy pitch) themselves?