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Chris
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Pride of Nottingham's Chris was back at Meadow Lane taking pictures throughout this past Saturday's game against Gillingham. Despite the frustration on the pitch, and the disappointing 1-0 defeat. The magpies will come back stronger, take a look to see if you feature in the Faces of PON gallery.
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@Piethagoram Yikes! I'm sorry to hear that you were caught in a thunderstorm and had such a nightmarish journey home as a result. I was mostly home when the rain started, and fully back when my home windows were vibrating from the noise of the storm. I'm glad this didn't happen during the game, or am I? It's a shame the game wasn't postponed, actually, oh well we move on.
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@Turkey_Twizzler mentioned this: Firstly, I hope Jodi is okay. He looked concerned and barely able to walk, he wasn't as such just limping but not walking on his left foot. The support will most likely help with compression and support. The crutches will just help him avoid putting too much weight on his injury, or putting his other leg/foot in danger due to compensating how he walks. We can't really read into this, just as to how serious the injury is. There's more negative signs from how he got up, dropped to the floor. He sat for a moment before attempting again, only to hobble afterward. It could be a potential sprained foot/twisted ankle. It didn't seem to be the actual "leg" which is a potential good sign, even though this isn't ideal.
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It was probably "those" friends who got him hired by Notts. I don't recall him being at the club, before he left for his Forest gig. I hate how certain staff use Notts as a stepping stone, especially when it's due to be appointed within the friends and family circle. I think the Reedtz have done well, with making sure the club appoints the right people. How he went from Solihull Moors to AFC Wimbledon I don't know, he must have some connections though. I think I found his account from before he got into football here: https://uk.linkedin.com/in/craig-cope-2a8459b7 ????????????????
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I thought it was a lively start by both teams, Gillingham did look like a good team but once we took control of the first half - Notts piled the pressure and did have chances to open the lead. I thought defensively we looked comfortable, we dealt with threats, but the counter from Gillingham was a concern. Their goal came against the run of play, we had all the better chances but they either managed to score a perfectly timed goal, or it was offside. It happened so quickly, in person that I couldn't tell. The camera angles of Sky Sports are poor, they barely keep up with it, and it looks hard to judge. Even with this, I felt frustrated by the officials as they missed many clear fouls. There were numerous instances of pushes and throw-ins awarded to them despite it being our possession, alongside countless questionable decisions that left the referee and his assistants in utter disarray. I thought we would still get into the game, and we did have chances, we pretty much ran the show in the last 45th minutes. Sam Austin's goal didn't look offside to me, watching the footage, I found it hard to spot anything that would lead to it being so lately called. Jonny Williams aggressive approach to the assistant is what changed and the reason for the late call for offside. He shouldn't have approached the assistant, but cowardly he flagged late. Since, I have seen a picture which @ARLukomski showed me a still image, and I have listened to Stuart Maynard. I wasn't sure about the penalty call on Javani Brown, but I can say he wasn't offside or interfering with the play when Austin scored. It was very frustrating, but I am pleased by the Notts performance. Gillingham deserve credit, they made the game hard, but there are elements from their game which wasn't good to see. Jodi Jones departure from the field of play raised significant concerns. To expand on this:
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Jacob Bedaeu, he played some quality football and was defensively spot on for me. Bedaeu, can play a quick pass which a lot of our players seem afraid to do, but this from him gave David McGoldrick a good chance and he put Conor Grant clear through until a Gillingham player clattered Grant. I felt a bit miffed by Matty Platt's Man of the Match at the game, I thought he was quite solid but wasn't as involved. I wouldn't say poor, as he was good but just not Man of the Match for me.
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He's a ????????, people like him shouldn't be working in football. He became abusive towards fans after Jamie Fullarton was sacked, he told me that he believed Fullarton was the best manager he had worked under. ???? He claimed the players were getting him sacked, and that tactically Fullarton was a football genius. It's a good job I had my camera with me and witnesses. He went to Nottingham Forest, god knows how and got caught out for knowing absolutely nothing. I am afraid, in my opinion - which all of this post is. He uses his friends in the game to land jobs where he pretends to "know" more than he does, but what he does isn't worth much at all.
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Luton Town 1-1 Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield United 0-1 Derby County Bolton Wanderers 2-1 Reading Peterborough United 3-1 Bristol Rovers (Joker) Bradford City 2-0 AFC Wimbledon Salford City 1-1 Walsall Hartlepool United 0-0 Dagenham & Redbridge Oldham Athletic 0-1 Yeovil Town
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Personally, I think it just draws attention and makes officials less likely to offer protection - with teams realising it bothers us. This said, Michael Kelly didn't do anything to Curtis Edwards. Edwards trailed himself into the keepers feet, maybe momentum, but to me, it looked like he thought he could get a penalty. By the time Kelly had two hands on the ball, Edwards tripped himself into the keepers feet. A wiser decision would have been to just jump over them, but as I say, either genuine momentum or a thought a penalty could be won led to the injury.We're going to miss his presence, and it's very sad news, but the injury in my eyes could have been avoided. The incident unfolded as Curtis Edwards charged towards Michael Kelly, the goalkeeper for Accrington. Kelly, had already won the ball, I am not sure Edwards had to continue. At the time part of me thought he was trying to win a penalty. Falling like that is never going to end up well. I wish Edwards all the best, we will miss him because he has been quality in the games that he has featured. When I learned of the news, I felt surprised, since he carried on, but I did notice he seemed hurt after thie moment I mentioned. I assumed he would be okay, and that it wasn't anything serious.It's awesome how we have started, it has been important after the Fleetwood game that we got off to winning ways and have managed to protect the three wins leading into the Bromley match. At some point, it will be broken, but whilst Notts are working hard and the players are enjoying their football - we could within the right approach been somewhat unbeatable. Gillingham is going to be a good insight as to how we match up against another but for now, I do feel we can make Meadow Lane a fortress. With Notts being prompted around various social media pages, it's great to see!I would say since the formation of the Premier League, football has been more about having a squad of about 20–22 players who any of those could be considered first team players. With the rest of the squad made up of youngsters, reserves or players just making the step-up. I think lower down, sometimes teams would sit around 16-18. That's the way Notts has been for a while; we've had spells where the focus was "depth" but usually we did fall short of it, especially under the Trew era. Sometimes it would see us top-heavy with "experienced players" and "journeymen". I think it's not always a bad idea, but the season where Craig Short took over after we gained promotion to League One, the championship winning side was torn apart, and we went for a focus on "former Premier League players". Some who've had experience were beyond past it or were too injury prone. We had spells where that approach was scrapped, with the focus on young players which was exciting, but it was always going to lead to issues. Even under Alan Hardy, we had a lacklustre approach, with the focus being more on attacking players at the expense of people who could actually defend. I think the best we have had true depth has always been under the Reedtz. I thought we would struggle to sign players in our first season in the National League but the depth we had, it looked good enough and far better than I expected. Every season from that point, the quality has increased and depth has become better. This is despite losing players such as Kyle Wootton, Cal Roberts and decent prospects like Sam Osborne. This year, I did think we need a few more signings after the departures, but I think we have done well to avoid being "top-heavy" and instead of recruited players who offer something different but fit within our system. George Abbott is a very good use of the loan system, I am hoping Jevani Brown proves to be too. If we have a good enough budget, we should always try to make sure we have a good amount of quality. I don't mind filling some space with young, such as the likes of Ed Francis and Will Patching (although they may have been on a decent wage). My point is, there's space to have some room for those coming through. I would mention Regan Booty, but his injury history with us wasn't good - yet I thought he was a promising player.Introduction: Name: Steve Hall. David Garth. How long have you supported Gillingham? Steve: Supported Gillingham since 1964. David: I've been a Gills' supporter since the 1963/64 season when Gillingham won the old Division 4 title on goal difference from Carlisle United. Are you a season ticket holder? Steve: I am not a season ticket holder as I live away. David: Yes, I've held a season ticket for many, many years now. Age? Steve: I'm 68. David: 21 plus 59! Favourite Player? Steve: If pushed... David Peach, who went on to play for Southampton, but Bradley Dack, Steve Bruce, Tony Cascarino, Brian Yeo, John Simpson, etc, etc. David: There are so many that could fall into this category, but in recent years, I'd say my favourite has to be striker Cody McDonald, who played for us between 2010 and 2017 and scored 105 goals. He was very quick, both in pace and thinking, and worked well with several different pairings during his time at Priestfield. From today's squad, I'd have to pick Conor Masterson, who has been outstanding alongside Max Ehmer in defence. I'm hoping he'll be back in the side soon after his injury! How do you feel about Gillingham’s performance so far this season? Which player has impressed you the most? Steve: Obviously, I am very pleased with the points total. Very pleased indeed. Maybe I sound like a manager now... "it's a team performance." That is exactly the sound bite you get out of Bonner, and in this case, it is true. With the obvious exception of Bradley Dack, I would not say we have too many "stars," but we field a team ready to shed blood, sweat, and tears. David: Considering our injury list (we've had between 5 and 7 regular starters out all season), we have done exceptionally well. Armani Little has been particularly impressive since joining us from AFC Wimbledon in the summer, and youngsters Jayden Clarke and Joe Gbode are both flourishing under Mark Bonner. I'm sure they will continue to improve and make valuable contributions this season. What are your thoughts on the team’s current tactics? Do you think they need to make any changes to stay competitive? Steve: We have only conceded two league goals. If we carry on like that, we will be in with a shout. We have had injuries, and I am not sure if we have hit top gear yet. That's encouraging. David: Still, the tactics have most certainly worked with four wins from six! Mind you, I am still an advocate of 4-4-2 and do wonder if at some point there will be a switch from one up to an attacking pair once Elliot Nevitt and Josh Andrews are both fully fit. How confident are you in Gillingham’s chances of maintaining their position in the top three? Which upcoming match do you think will be the toughest? Steve: If we can keep Bradley Dack fit, I am confident of a play-off spot. He really is a quality player, but obviously, it will be a challenge to get 30+ games out of him. Another sound bite is "there are no easy games," but I am comfortable we will take six points off the Plastics. Tougher games? Notts, Barrow, and Doncaster are all six-pointers. Twelve points from those games would be a huge step towards promotion. David: I think we are good enough to maintain a promotion push and would like to think we've got a realistic chance of an automatic spot, but there are several very good sides in this division, including Notts County, Chesterfield, and Doncaster Rovers, so it's going to be a real fight throughout the season. The toughest match? They are all tough! What do you think of the new signings this season? Have any of them exceeded your expectations? Steve: I refer to my earlier answer, as they say in the Commons. Bradley Dack is the standout signing. A lot depends on him. Let's hope he can start proving everyone's faith very soon. David: I'm very pleased with our recruitment for this season and with how most of the new signings are shaping up. As I said, Armani Little has been particularly impressive, while, on the other hand, I think Jack Nolan has been a bit below par, but it's only a matter of time before he starts to fire on all cylinders. As for Bradley Dack, there's no doubt that on his day he will be right up there as one of the best attacking midfielders in the business, but it's all about getting him fit as he's hardly played any football for some time. If he gets fit, we will be a real force for sure! What are your thoughts on the manager’s decisions so far? Do you think he has the right strategy for the rest of the season? Steve: I was not convinced with the choice of Mark Bonner. I thought Stephen Clemence had done okay. I thought Neil Harris would also have brought success given time. To be honest, I am quite impressed. The defence looks strong, the keeper is fine, and he has fostered a strong squad feeling with a committed dressing room. I am not eating my words, but I am reasonably optimistic. He is focused on what I am... promotion. Anything else is not acceptable, to be blunt. David: Mark Bonner has really impressed so far and has made the right call in most games. He's done particularly well in the last two home games when we've had a player sent off on the hour mark, as his substitutions all worked really well - just ask Tranmere after last weekend when we broke out from a solid defence to score twice late in the game. How do you feel about the team’s performance in cup competitions? Do you think they should focus more on the league or balance both? Steve: A nice FA Cup run would be nice and can often help a league campaign. I'll forego it if we go up! David: Personally, I'm not too fussed about the League Cup or the Trophy, but I would love a run once again in the FA Cup, which is the cup competition that most of us really care about. What are your expectations for the rest of the season? Do you think Gillingham can challenge Notts County for the top spot? Steve: Going out on a limb, yes, I think we can go all the way this season. Yes, it's a long way to go, but from what we have seen so far, we are definitely in with a chance. A 1-0 win at Meadow Lane would do our season no harm. David: My expectation is that we will hopefully feature in the promotion race throughout the season and will have a good go at an automatic promotion spot. As for today's game, a lot may depend on who is available (back from injury) for our side, but I think a 1-1 draw is the most likely result. It will be two very good teams going head-to-head, I'm sure! Final comments from Chris Both teams will be eager to make the most of the game, so it could be a very difficult match for both respective teams. For Notts, it will be a good insight as to how the team will cope against coming up against an inform team at Meadow Lane, with the likes of Dan Crowley and Jodi Jones recently having been influential in the magpies recent 4-2 away win over Bromley. Gillingham will be looking to cause as much trouble as possible early on, so defensively Notts must be ready to take on that challenge. I suspect Gillingham will want to try to retain as much of the possession as possible, so it will be interesting to see if Notts can retain their usual high amounts, and if the Gills' will focus on pushing back Notts forcing them to be more creative going forward. I have this down as a 2-1 home win, although I don't deny the quality of the opposition. Join the Pride of Nottingham match discussion for Saturday's game at Meadow Lane against Gillingham FC! Share your thoughts and opinions on how Notts County will fare in this crucial clash. What have you been up to this week? Join the weekly chat on Pride of Nottingham and share your latest activities with fellow members!Some Gillingham fans (not all) have this game won already by them, which is something I wish our fans avoid doing. It's one thing to predict the score, but it's extreme when you act like you are going to win the league and write off the team you are playing. That reflects a significant lack of understanding or may even verge on delusional thinking. I think they will be a good test for us, but I am confident about our home form and the ability we have within the team. This doesn't mean I would underestimate Gillingham at the slightest, because I know games like this can lift teams. Neither of us can underestimate any team, I mean I felt the game would be hard against Bromley, and whilst I didn't foresee them taking the lead - I don't think anyone would have done so early. Gillingham's fans would be foolish to believe we are in a false position, because it would show that they haven't seen any of our highlights. I would happily accept a draw, but I do think we have the quality to win the game. My prediction would be 2-1, I think we'll lead, and then they'll equalise perhaps before the end of the first half. For us to score around the 65th-70th minute and then the rest of the game will be a bit nervous at times.@cheeky~k8 found my blood results online, I haven't heard anything back from the doctors re: my recent blood test which was some time ago. I need to get my sugar levels under control, as I scored 42 and I'm still in risk of type 2 diabetes. I have cut down on my sugar intake, but I will start to drink more water again and stay clear of anything that might spike my levels up. I'm actually considering buying a Blood Glucose Monitors. I might be able to repurpose Granny Pie's, as I would just need strips. It's frustrating because I have got the levels down, and not much has changed since then. I have been avoiding things, except for like one off times. At least if I monitor it, I can see what I should be avoiding and see what to switch out. We have been looking at the back of ingredients to check the levels too. ????????♂️
Even though I went to the game, I watched this at the first opportunity I had, and I was so pleased to see @ARLukomski doing them. It's a lot for him, I know, but I do enjoy watching and hearing his thoughts. It's why I talked him into joining PON.Thank you, @TheSkipper. I have really valued your help with the content you've written and with the support on social media.I think it's very easy to get a little carried away, but I think we need to be prepared for a potential bump along the way and if this happens, I think us standing behind the players is vital. Seasons are tough, we're showing great signs and there's everything reason to be excited, but let's enjoy it and try to keep that feel 'good' factor' going. There are a lot of positive signs, which I don't think we would have pulled off last season but again, we got off to a good start then. Injuries and the loss of Luke Williams really took their toll. This said, again, I don't think Notts would have come back to win in such a convincing way if this was the 23-24 season. It's possible a point might have been salvaged, but it's even more likely Bromley would have taken hold of the game and dominated. Two crucial goals for them, at such an early point in the game. This could easily have got under our players skin, but credit to them, they kept focused and showed a spirited performance to get us back into it. I believe Matt Palmer, who has praised the quality we have, his absence was massive, and it's just as much seeing him return. Yet, we have other strong midfielders, all of which offer something different. Jodi Jones sounded like he took it upon himself to light a match under his teammates, combined with a world-class performance (at this level), he really did prove to be the difference. It was great to hear Dan Crowley, pulling off clever passes and marshalling the back - coming away with the ball to release Jodi and other players. Stuart Maynard is showing just as much progress, having the squad we have now, and the quality throughout really must help. So, Robbie Cundy didn't quite perform all that well (from comments I have seen), at least it's not costing us and the gaffer is showing that he's not afraid to make changes. This win will instil a lot of pride within our camp, we need to see the same work levels, and we need to back the players, even when it's difficult. They will fight for results, we need to encourage that.I wonder..... ????@TheSkipper Mark Stallard keeps mentioning the pitch, though he's trying not to go on about it (his words) - it does sound like the pitch is an advantage for them. It sounds like we are sussing it out, but we are getting chances. Conor Grant headed the ball over, just need to keep pushing for that leveller and go on from there.Jodi JOOOONNNNEEESSSS!! 2-1... What is with our start? Two very early goals, it's quite disappointing, but we can get back into this and something of it.Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @Pica. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.GK Kasper Schmicheal Steve Finnan Mike Edwards Gary Liddle Alan Sheehan Ian Baraclough Phil Turner Paul Devlin Danny Allsopp Lee Hughes Gary McSwegan Formation: 4-3-3 I really wanted to have three strikers, these are all players I have seen play for Notts.I saw Jason Manford at Skegness in one of the bigger arcades with one of his children, before he went off to what I assume were over family members. I didn't bother him, or anything like that. I did see some others approach him and ask for his signature and photo, which he did, but I felt sorry for him because he was clearly having downtime with his family. Not much to the story, other than at times when I upload pictures to Facebook - certain friends tell me I look like him. At least it's better than that Welsh snooker player, Mark Williams.
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