Chris

Notts County have returned to the English Football League after a four-year absence, thanks to a thrilling penalty shoot-out victory over Chesterfield in the National League promotion final at Wembley. The Magpies came from behind twice in a 2-2 draw, with John Bostock and Ruben Rodrigues scoring late equalisers in normal time and extra time respectively. Substitute goalkeeper Archie Mair then proved to be the hero, saving two penalties in the shoot-out to seal Notts County's promotion. Their head coach Luke Williams, who replaced Ian Burchnall in June 2022, praised his players for their resilience and character. He said: "It was an incredible game, full of drama and emotion. I'm so proud of the boys for never giving up and fighting until the end. They showed their quality and mentality throughout the season, and they deserve this moment." Notts County have been one of the most prolific teams in the National League past season, scoring 107 goals in the regular season and reaching the promotion final with a dramatic extra-time win over Boreham Wood. However, their defence has been a cause for concern, as they have conceded 14 goals in their last 10 games, including two in each of their last two home games. Their head coach Luke Williams has demanded his players to be more "proactive and aggressive" without the ball and to improve their intensity and concentration. He said: "When we have a lot of the ball and want to be attacking, sometimes when we don't have the ball I just feel that sometimes our intensity drops a little bit, and it's just waiting for us to get the ball back and start playing again. I want us to be much more proactive and aggressive." The Magpies' may look to strengthen their defence in the summer transfer window, as they prepare for life in League Two. Here are some potential signings that Notts County might want to consider: Notts County have signed Connell Rawlinson on a two-year deal. The club is still waiting to hear from Kyle Cameron, who has also been offered a new contract. These two defenders are among the seven remaining players from last season’s squad. The Magpies hope to keep the core of their team intact for another promotion push in League Two. With Richard Brindley, Adam Chicksen, Geraldo Bajrami, Tobi Adebayo-Rowling, and Aden Baldwin. The Magpies are hoping to keep the core of their team intact as they prepare for another promotion push in League Two. Defensive players Tom Bradbury Tom Bradbury is a left-sided centre-back who joined Cheltenham Town from Halifax Town in 2022. He helped Halifax reach the National League play-offs last season. He has made 13 appearances for Cheltenham, scoring one goal. He is 25 years old. Bradbury could be a useful option for Notts County’s defence, as he can also play as a left-back or a defensive midfielder. He is quick, agile and composed under pressure. He has also shown his versatility by playing in different formations for Cheltenham last season. Mamadou Jobe Mamadou Jobe is a young and strong centre-back who joined Maidstone on loan from Cambridge United in 2023. He has also played for St Albans, Concord Rangers and St Neots Town. He has made 13 appearances for Maidstone. He is 20 years old. Jobe could be a promising talent for Notts County’s defence, as he has the potential to develop further under Luke Williams’ coaching. He is powerful, athletic and confident on the ball. He has also impressed with his aerial ability and tackling skills for Woking past season. Adam Senior: Adam Senior is a promising and talented centre-back who has been with Bolton Wanderers since he was eight years old. He made his first-team debut in 2019. He has made 4 appearances for Bolton. He has been on loan to Ashton United, York City, Chorley, Telford United and Halifax Town. He is 21 years old. Senior could be an exciting prospect for Notts County’s defence, as he has shown his quality and potential at League Two level with Bolton past season. He is composed, intelligent and brave on the ball. He has also demonstrated his leadership skills by captaining Bolton’s under-23 team. Tom James: Tom James is a skilful and adaptable defender who can play as a centre-back, a full-back or a defensive midfielder. He joined Salford City from Hibernian in 2021. He has made 62 appearances for Leyton Orient, scoring 8 goals. He is 27 years old. James could be a quality signing for Notts County’s defence, as he can play in different systems and roles. He is technically gifted, creative and composed on the ball. He has also shown his defensive awareness, positioning and work rate for Salford last season. Jack Armer: Jack Armer is a defender for Carlisle United. He was born on 16 April 2001 in Preston, England and has represented Scotland at the youth international level. In August 2020, Armer joined Carlisle United after being released by Preston North End. Since joining the Cumbrians, he has scored three goals in 111 games. Armer could potentially be signed to cover Adam Chicksen while also offering support to the centre-back positions. If Carlisle is looking to strengthen their side for life in League One, a reasonable offer may tempt him away from the club. Ajibola Alese: Ajibola Alese is a robust and reliable defender who joined Sunderland last season, where he had previously been at Cambridge United on loan from West Ham United in 2021. He has also played for Accrington Stanley. He has made 20 appearances for Sunderland, scoring one goal. He is 22 years old. Alese could be a smart loan signing for Notts County’s defence, as he has the potential to improve further under Luke Williams’ coaching. He is physical, athletic and confident on the ball. He has also impressed with his consistency, concentration and communication skills for Cambridge past season. Zac Williams: Zac Williams is a young and agile defender who came through the Crewe Alexandra youth ranks in 2021. He has also played for Wales Under 18s and 19s. His season was ended by injury against Ipswich Town. He made 37 appearances for Crewe. He is 19 years old. Williams could be a promising talent for Notts County’s defence, as he has the potential to develop further under Luke Williams’ coaching. He is quick, skilful and composed under pressure. He has also shown his versatility by playing as a centre-back, a right-back and a left-back for Crewe past season. Di’Shon Bernard: Di’Shon Bernard is a skilful and athletic defender who joined Portsmouth on loan in 2023. He previously played for Hull City on loan from Manchester United in 2021. He has also played for Salford City. He is currently out of contract at Manchester United and could be a bargain signing for any League Two club. He has made ten appearances for Portsmouth last past season. He is 22 years old. Bernard could be an exciting prospect for Notts County’s defence, as he has shown his quality and potential at League One level with Portsmouth. He is composed, intelligent and confident on the ball. He has also shown his defensive awareness, positioning and work rate for Portsmouth and Hull City. Join the Pride of Nottingham and get involved with our forum discussions, be part of a lively fan site built on unity. Have a look at the Pride of Nottingham’s ‘Topic Feed’ where fans can easily respond to forum-related content.

Born on July 25, 1986 in Sheffield, England, Jonathan Forte is a former professional footballer who played for several notable clubs during his career, including Notts County. Forte began his football journey as a schoolboy at Rotherham United's Academy, but later joined the Sheffield United Academy, where he played alongside Billy Sharp. During his youth career, he also featured for England at youth level. He made his professional debut for Sheffield United in 2005, playing in the Championship against Plymouth Argyle. He went on to play for various clubs, including Doncaster Rovers, Rotherham United Scunthorpe United, Notts County, Southampton, Preston North End, Oldham Athletic, and Exeter City. Forte's career saw him play for several clubs on loan, including Rotherham United and Doncaster Rovers. He later signed for Scunthorpe United in 2007, where he spent three years, scoring nine goals in ninety-eight appearances. In 2008, he joined Notts County on his first loan spell at the club, initially for a month. Forte scored a hat-trick on his debut against Barnet and his short spell at Meadow Lane ended with four goals in four appearances. The striker later re-joined Notts after renewing his loan in 2009, where he scored a further 4 goals in 14 appearances. Forte then signed for Southampton, but he only played 11 times in three years, scoring just two goals. In 2011, he had a short loan with Preston North End, where he struggled to score and only made three appearances before securing a loan back to Notts in 2012. Forte found his earlier form with the Magpies, netting five goals in ten appearances. In the same year, he was also loaned out to Crawley Town, scoring three times in twelve appearances. He would rejoin hometown team Sheffield United on loan in 2013. Before leaving Southampton in 2014, after playing as a trialist for Oldham Athletic against Australian outfit Melbourne City, Forte signed permanently for the Latics. He went on to score a career record amount of 18 goals from 60 appearances. In 2016, Forte and Notts had another reunion, joining the Magpies for an undisclosed fee. During his time at Meadow Lane, Forte became a fan favourite, scoring some crucial goals that helped the club avoid relegation. In the 2017-2018 season, he scored a crucial goal against Coventry City in the playoffs at the Ricoh Arena. In the home tie at Meadow Lane, he wrongly had a goal ruled out for offside which would have put Notts level at 2-2. Forte then joined League Two club Exeter City, where he played for two seasons, scoring five goals in 27 appearances. He left the club in 2019 and unfortunately had retired from professional football at the age of 33 due to injury. During his 15-year career, Forte played for ten different clubs and scored 80 goals in 412 league games. Throughout his career, Forte was known for his speed, dribbling ability, and clinical finishing. He was also capable of playing in a variety of attacking positions, including as a central striker, on the wings, and as an attacking midfielder. His versatility and work rate made him a valuable asset to his teams and helped him establish himself as a regular player throughout his career. Since his retirement, Forte has become involved in coaching and mentoring young footballers. He has set up his own academy, the Jonathan Forte Football Academy, which provides coaching and training to young footballers in Nottingham. Coaching and mentoring can positively impact the workplace in various ways such as building stronger teams, supporting talented employees, aligning the organization's culture and ethos with employees, creating a more inclusive culture, improving employee satisfaction scores, and staff retention. Jonathan Forte was a versatile and skilled footballer who played for several notable clubs during his career, including Notts County. He established himself as a regular player through his speed, dribbling ability, and clinical finishing, which enabled him to play in a variety of attacking positions. Despite retiring in 2019, he will be remembered as a hardworking and valuable asset to the teams he played for throughout his career. Join the Pride of Nottingham community and stay up to date with all the latest news and discussions by checking out our ‘All Activity’ page. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County’s victory over Chesterfield at Wembley was a special moment for fans of the club. Although they began the game feeling very anxious and struggled to handle Chesterfield, who was a fast and aggressive opponent, the team managed to keep the score at 1-0 and gradually gained momentum. Luke Williams made the right call taking off Adam Chicksen, who didn’t have the best of games. Jodi Jones proved to be more effective and switching him from the left to the right gave the team more edge going forward. Chesterfield faced a dilemma when they had to assign a new player to mark Aaron Nemane, consequently granting Jodi Jones a valuable window of opportunity to exert his influence on the game. It was crucial that Notts didn't lose their spirit and determination. This helped them stay in the game and remain focused on their goal. This shows that they are a strong and resilient team, and their efforts should be applauded. Notts' tenacity was a key factor in their success. John Bostock stood near the centre of the pitch throwing his arms up as if to say to the lads, ‘come on, we’ve got this - don’t let your heads drop’. This proved to be something that allowed the Magpies to stay in the game. During the extra time period, Notts exhibited superior performance compared to Chesterfield. The game could have gone either way still, but the better chances came to Notts who kept knocking on the door and forced Chesterfield to defend. In the 80th minute, it was clear that Chesterfield players were becoming exhausted, leaving them vulnerable to the attacks of Jodi Jones and Aaron Nemane. It was inevitable that running at them would lead to trouble. One player who really found himself during the game was Aaron Nemane. He played outstandingly, taking on Chesterfield despite little support and in turn taking the pressure off the rest of the squad. John Bostock’s strong presence in midfield also made it harder for The Spireites to bully the midfield. His ability to stand up, win the ball back and use his strength to hold play helped to bring other players up to speed and reduce their nervousness. Matt Palmer also showed his class by completing passes and moving into areas where he could creatively get the team into creative pockets. His passing, especially through the lines, linked up well with Aaron Nemane and Jodi Jones once he came on. It was truly heart-warming to witness the players' joyous reaction upon seeing their club earn a promotion. Equally, pleasing was hearing Luke Williams express his gratitude towards everyone who had contributed towards the team's success leading up to the game. Overall, it was a delightful experience that left a lasting impact. From Tom Weal with preparing the keepers, to giving advice on the players when it came to practising taking penalties. Williams spoke highly of how he turned the focus from off himself to former managers who he credited for starting the journey. It was just a sign of class from the gaffer when he spoke so freely about others with his warm smile. The club’s return to the Football League is a significant achievement and one that brings a sense of pride and belonging to fans. Many feared for the future of the Magpies following their relegation in 2018/2019, but thanks to the contributions made by Christoffer Reedtz, Alexander Reedtz, and Jason Turner, the club has flourished. One of the biggest transformations has been in the club’s approach to recruitment. Notts County has been signing some of the best free agents from teams around them while also bringing in robust midfielders such as Matt Palmer. The hiring of Luke Williams as manager has also proven to be a master-stroke. The future looks bright for Notts County. With a talented squad and an upcoming manager, there’s no reason why the club can’t adapt well to life in League Two and push for promotion again. Retaining key players and adding further quality will be important in achieving this goal. Don’t forget to browse the Faces of PON’s gallery for all the best shots from Notts County’s victory over Chesterfield at Wembley! For a one-stop glance at everything Notts County, be sure to check out the Pride of Nottingham Dashboard page.