Chris

@Michael D Pie.: I have never seen a bathtub used to store drinking water for farm animals. I have seen those big double farm sinks used in the past though, and when I dug up my back garden I found 3 of them all in perfect condition (well once cleaned). No chips or anything, a friend sold two of them and the third he installed into his kitcehn. I hope one day, that bath doesn't end up under ground only to be reused in the future.

@Fan of Big Tone: The first real computer I used at school was an Apple PC, a very early version before Windows became popuplar. I enjoyed using its painting application. I haven't used a Mac, but I do like how efficiant they are and how even the lower end specs still perform well. Though, despite all these people claiming to jump on the Linux bandwagon just because Microsoft keeps adding thngs, and dropping the ball. I wouldn't switch because I feel comfortable with the OS. Everyone finds their own preference, so it's interesting to see your response.

I find him quite unbearable, he was very smug and cocky when in charge of MK Dons. His fall to grace seems to have levelled him up a little, but he's amongst managers like Paul Cook. He seemed to be watching for ages after the final whistle, it panned to his face and he seemed lost in thought. I wonder if Salford did exactly as to what we did with Stuart Maynard. Either way, he's going to find a new club and I doubt he will spend long out of the game. His stock worth due to Salford and MK Dons will put him in a favourable position for boards seeking a new appointment.

I have been working on a stats application recently, so I decided to check the server records just to compare and I realised a lot of members visit using a phone. It seemed very few were actively using a desktop or laptop. Mobiles - IOS, Android Tablets - Ditto Windows 10/11 - under them which I found interesting. Does anyone else use a laptop? I haven't managed to use my desktop PC for awhile, though I found the chair my daughter gave me to be helpful with my back pain. I find it easier just to use a laptop, I seldomly use my phone. If you read, please join in and share what you feel comfortable with. It's nice to learn about members, and it's interesting because I have recently added a custom theme (not announced) 👀 and one of the downfalls about the mobile responsiveness is that they don't look all that much different on smaller devices.

Happy Birthday, @Dan. Have a wonderful day, and I hope you get to do something special with Helen and Henry. 🙌

I had a busy day looking at the resources I created and what's still waiting to be released. I managed to speak with Super, who sounded cheerful and I needed to try to get over to see him. We brought him a couple of small things from Skegness, and my minions won him something on one of the 2p pushers. Prior to going away, Cheeky bought me a small 14inch laptop which is secondhand, but ideal for what I need. That's what I took on the break to do site-related stuff, and I am finding it very useful. It's a Lenovo ThinkPad, no issues at all. Except I had to add fresh thermal paste and fix the setup, as the seller who said it had been refurbished had installed the wrong version of Lenovo Vantage, and I had to do a clean install prior to going away due to overheating. I have fully fixed and resolved this now, a flawless machine and very affordable. My youngest daughter, Ava, has always liked ThinkPads. They make a lot of sense as they are ex-business models and are highly configurable. I stuck in 4gb of ram from one of my dad's old laptops to bump it up to 20gb, and it's nice to be able to type without hitting broken parts of my main laptop (which I still do use). It's a nice present to be gifted for my birthday. 😁 PS. I don't mind the issues I experienced. I only mentioned it as some might have returned it. The condition is excellent, and it clearly had been cleaned but visible corners had been cut. These tend to be bulk lots, where repair and sellers get huge quantities for a set price and that's why they tend to be sold cheaply even though it was £1,500+ laptop a few years ago when it was sold. So, it's natural some people will miss things or even send an item out that hasn't been fully refurbished. It feels like a steal for what was paid.

@Robbie on the community index page (forums index), I have implemented a way to make the "Who's Online" widget show higher for mobiles. I will be making changes to other widgets to include these settings, so that the right parts show where best. The next game is the one I wrote about for review before next season. I've made some theme tweaks to improve the UI/UX but I doubt those will have been noticed as it's cosmetic more than anything. I am glad you are seeing the benefits of the move. 😁

We know just how much the club has put effort into being sustainable, and understanding that the growth must be natural and organic. I think the statement by Joe Palmer is encouraging, and I hope those who were questioning the Reedtz ambition see that things fall into place via hard work. I look at Notts like a jigsaw puzzle, that needs all the right pieces to be completed. I think previous regimes only had parts, and never really had a clear vision on what worked best for us. I have praised the Reedtz for how they have a clinical and calm thought process, and it does seem to extend down to the staff. Our promotion has been incredibly successful, especially since Alan Hardy sold the business. Whilst they make things look easy, I don't hold any ill feelings over Hardy or the Trews. I just don't think they were ever the right fit, and it's saddening the amount of damage suffered which thankfully has been erased by our current owners. Some might say that 'promotion' does that, but it's not so easy. As a community-based club, that is steeped in family tradition, we need to look out for each other. If we can do that, the club will naturally benefit and only a stronger sense of togetherness will emerge which is great in terms of our fan zone. With the World Cup coming up, The Nest could play a huge role in making the playing budget go further or additional ground improvements.

@Robbie I created an application that embeds Facebook content without the requirement of using Meta's API. I will incorporate support for embedding meta cards commonly used by most sites for social media. We haven't had this feature since 4.7, the dev who created that seems to have left the scene. 😥 I made great progress during my family break with many of the apps, including the graphic studio. The PSD import is very, very close to being perfect. The advanced mode uses an open source editor called "miniPaint", and I have specially designed that to support opening PSD files, saving them and exporting to the studio, which is more click and place. It already supports gif creation, so my aim is to tie in assets and allow those who help access to what they need. 😁

Who wants to play PON bug bingo? 👀Eyes down, who's ready to play? One, two, three.... GO! 👇 I have fixed some issues that were left prior to the migration, such as completing the "What's new" section. I am working on the team members, 'PON HQ' area as I write this, well not right now because I stepped away from it but once I finish rambling I will. The breadcrumb has been fixed, though some fine-tuning polish may come. There's still apps pending to be installed that are now fully completed but I want to make sure I have fixed what is installed. Our new server offers great value, with far superior performance. Please do report any issues; I would like to get them all nicely fixed. You won't be bothering me; in fact it will make me happy knowing that I can resolve them and provide better support to the community.

I felt an immense sense of pride seeing that, and to say I had to watch the play-off final on TV instead of live. I feel all the more happier knowing I made the majority of away games and all but a few home. It instills pride and hope in the future. Great video!

I had hoped we would focus on avoiding these types of tours, as the German one barely benefitted us. Yes, we can say it worked out in the end. However, pre-season should help adjust to life in League One. I think this should happen by trying to play well against Championship teams and former League One and League Two teams. It's tiring playing Alfreton Town every season, and this is coming from someone who's father grew up in the town. Mind, Super has agreed to come with me, Mark, Jake and Katrina. Why can't we avoid the tours from time to time? I am not saying this to be negative but it limits our fans from attending especially younger fans who can't travel and it's a bonding time we could actively encourage on the back of promotion by focusing on English clubs. At a push, surely some Irish or Scottish teams might be interested? Friendlies are all about fitness, but I am not that impressed personally. Those who can go, enjoy it! I am not trying to be a dampener but I haven't changed my thoughts on the last German tour. I fail to see how Denish teams are any different or better.

@StarkMallard He's done it throughout his career, with almost every club. It's well documented and even at the international stage but the complaints about drones watching training have been ignored. Personally, I think the manager needs to be investigated, then banned from working in football.

Mrs P has done a wonderful job with it. It looks very nice and it makes for a great birthday present.

We have a great set of staff, from the groundsmen, coaches, kit manager, stewards, office staff/managers that are entrusted to carry out their duties and perform them in a way that does make the club feel hole again. There's going to be people who do a lot of good, who might go unnoitced such as the grounds staff, not only on the Meadow Lane playing surface but all that goes into the training ground etc. These bonds are only growing stronger, even though some do leave for pastures new. We are still holding a lot of talented people that remain to continue making a difference. At our level our coaching team looks huge, but for me it's money well spent. I know it's becoming common in League Two, but we had a full setup long before this and when we were in the National League. The club is pushing forward, and when the 'lack of ambition' is thrown around, I honestly think our progress shows we aren't just settling on one or two good seasons, but actively building to push on.

When it came to discussing my thoughts on keeping him, I swayed more to offering him a one-year-deal. I wasn't that bothered at first, because I felt we needed someone younger for League One, but he really impressed me. I do also wonder if I was somewhat swayed by his sendings off, as I found some of his yellow cards to be silly and I don't like that in players. However, I think he became a much vital part in the squad and for me he was the 2nd best player when it came to the playoff final. His form towards the end, and in the playoffs formed the experience the midfield needed to overcome them. I wish Ollie Norburn all the best with his career, and the next step in that. If he somehow came across this message, I would add that his passion, honestly and focus on being the best that he can be came across strong. There's no question why he caught on as a fan favourite. As players come who spend a single season, I would class him as an icon and believe he's earned it.

I know a Notts fan, who's father made various wooden flower boxes in various shapes. Unfortunately, he got it with a cease and desist letter despite not using the club's logo. It was black and white striped, but some fans digitally printed one and would attach it, which I think is saddening to blame the crafts man for. They can be beautiful for the garden. I have a concrete painted Notts logo that a friend got me from Skegness many years ago. His wife painted it. I will take a picture of it sometime (that is naughty of the seller on East Gate market). Myabe, but that's just where I fell. I thought the tide would fix it. 🤣

It shows in one picture just how much support and potential Notts has, provided we keep working on establishing a secure future proof club then things like this should only become the norm. I don't mean every season, but there's no reason why we can't enjoy a promotion more often, even if it comes with the setback of finding life harder in the Championship, or League One in our current case. Even though I wasn't present, I felt proud and encouraged especially for the level headed fans who didn't get on the players backs or Paterson's during challenging spells last season. It shows unit as one, good things can come and even if promotion wasn't gained this past campaign, most will see the progress that it would be nearer the corner next time than it would be to fall short or drift off. Most who are hesitant may simply be concerned about football's unpredictability. However, well-run clubs often thrive, especially with the solid support we have.

VAR really should have been used across all of the playoffs, I would say this even if our outcome had changed. I think all of the EFL should have VAR, but the rules and use of it needs to be better implemented. Checks shouldn't take a long time; they should be effective and prompt. The issue is the referee has to check for his thoughts, despite him having relayed the findings before hand prior to him checking the big screen. It could massive reduce stupid decisions such as Nick Tsaroulla being carded for diving when he was fouled, whilst ensuring elbows and pushing is limited because players won't try it if they know they'll get caught. A professional league shouldn't be treated any different, and technology shouldn't be reserved for the highest league. I get the negatives, it can be poorly handled but I think used right it would be of huge benefit.

One negative of my seaside break was how stuffy and humid it felt inside the caravan we stayed in even with the windows and doors open. However, we coped but seem to be struggling back home. I have a small fan above my head, and a tower one in the corner of my bedroom. It feels far more humid, even though it looks mirky outside and as if it is going to rain. It's starting to make me feel tired. I wished we could get consistent weather that doesn't change so suddenly.

I think patience and support will be key, there's some big teams already in League One and combine them with the likes of Leicester City and Sheffield Wednesday, even with their current situation they are bound to be a diffcult. Whilst we could struggle or carry on from last season, I just want Notts to be prepared and settled before we start jumping to higher expectations. I think we'll do alright, but there's never anything given for sure and I think our support as always will be one of the biggest factors. Some fans may think we should aim for promotion, I think we need to walk before attempting to run. Luton Town, Blackpool, MK Dons, Bradford City in the past have all suffered from not being prepared to make the next shift after gaining promotion to their highest level or even in many, many seasons. Notts will always have that vibe of decline to me, that I recall from the 90s and 00s and after, which I fully appreciate the transformation we have made under Reedtz brothers. It's amazing how they haven't 'patched' the club but given us true structure, and I firmly believe with them at the helm we can navigate the leagues but we may need to bide our time.

The migration has now been completed, and the site is currently undergoing a maintenance phase to ensure everything is running as it should. Please allow up to 48 hours before reporting any issues, as they may be related to the recent changes. If problems still persist after this period, please do let me know.

Migration to the new server should take place today. I am awaiting further news but I will update you all as I learn what's happening. Tomorrow will hopefully be the first day moving forward constructively, with a return to regular content in terms of articles.