Chris

There's nothing like a nice cider, especially Old Mout on a nice warm day.

There's a bug with some of the names not being recognised; he's in my CSV file and within the database. Maybe avoid typing it during every guess you make. 😂 It will be fixed soon.

I am surprised nobody is giving James Belshaw a shout, as he did make a mistake that led to the goal and could have done better not to be beaten, but without several amazing saves, I don't think we would have left with a point. Lucas Ness did very well, as did James Gibbons, but I feel Belshaw really does deserve the vote from me.

It's nice that they keep themselves to themselves and just allow the club to be run by whom they pay to do it. We have benefited from Football Radar, I don't think it's just the work on the pitch or the facilties being improved. It's the overall sensible approach that just allows us to scale up as we establish ourselves. There are heaps that go on within a football club, much of which nobody thinks about from ground staff to other areas. Notts is operating very well, much to the credit of Chris and Alex. Promotion comes off the back of hard work, and that goes for all involved.

Firstly, Huddersfield are too good for this league, but their downfall is more the greediness that some of their players have. I thought some of our lads had a lot of nerves; at least I hope the likes of Jacob Bedeau were down to that. It seemed to be the case for me: a very poor start by him and a lot of rushed, clumsy passes. Nothing I hold against him; I just think it's worth pointing out, as it's all very natural. It was a big occasion for us, and after our time in the National League it was a very big away day. Our support was excellent throughout the game, with a couple of quiet spells but much more vocal than the home support. That must have helped with the nerves and encouragement, as I think Notts battled bravely to take the draw. I think the opening goal goes back to my earlier point: nerves were a factor, but we played ourselves into that danger. It does feel somewhat disappointing, but the response was good. Pulling level changed the game no end; it helped us from being under pressure, and it made them have to think about committing men. On the counter, again I thought we looked good, but I think with a little more calmness we will be able to give a fuller performance against a good side. Defensively, outstanding once we got a grip on the game, and I think James Belshaw made up for being beaten and his poor clearance. Proud of the team to show spirit and grit, that proved we will fight even if a team has more quality; we cannot be underestimated.

This is brilliant news; I need to remind myself to keep an eye out for the loan players. As I do want to see how they are getting on, for Notts it’s such an important part of our future to develop our own players. I'm pleased Harrison Iwunze is doing well; I hope he's enjoying his time out on loan. It is vital to have first-team experience.

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Burnley 2-0 Bristol City Millwall 0-1 Bolton Wanderers Barnsley 3-1 Stevenage Joker Burton Albion 2-2 Cambridge United Accrington Stanley 1-0 Crawley Town Bristol Rovers 0-2 Rotherham United Fylde 0-0 Worthing Wealdstone 0-1 Kidderminster Harriers

The transfers in have all been pleasing; I think we have lent in on loans as a means to top us up, but I think they bring the quality we otherwise wouldn't have been able to bring to the club. It's also always sad to see players depart, but you always will, and at least we aren't having a whole new team every season. We have a stable squad, which can be improved with quality signings, and each season should see this continue. It's hard to be disappointed when several of the captures look like solid candidates for the XI, and the rest look easily pushing to start. Defensively we are robust enough; with Lewis Macari, Matty Platt and Rod McDonald back, we will have good options. The midfield looks much better in depth and quality. Attacking-wise we have done well too. Luka Smyth looks to be a cracking signing; I know some still have doubts, but I think once fully match-fit we'll see more from him. He makes good movements; he's just always being heavily marked. I just wish we had signed another keeper, as I would like more experience in League One, but then if we play Harry Griffiths I hope he will show his potential. I would have thought that last season he would have been given a bit more of a shot, what with Kelle Roos being so erratic. I would hope not; he was rubbish in the pre-season games I watched. He's also been a massive idiot when he's played against us, and I hold this over him. If he wasn't good enough to earn a new deal with Walsall, then we certainly don't need him. We have far better young players who deserve a chance, one of which has Championship clubs watching his progress.

I don't remember James being released. No offense to Milai Perott, but promotions were likely destined to seal his fate, especially since we had signed Harry Griffiths. He didn't seem comfortable in training or practicing when the players were shooting. I do think he will come good, so it's probably for the better that he's going to gain experience.

I like Tom Crawford, he was unlikely to stay with Hartlepool United for longer. He might not look like your usual footballer, but he always stood out as someone with natural talent and a good eye for goal. He somewhat reminds me of Conor Grant, but not in terms of goalscoring/assists, but in the way they play and try to link in others. Nonselfish but an excellent team player. I hope he continues to do well for Altrincham.

Any championship team would be considered a backward step for a bright, young, talented keeper who has expressed interest in representing his country. He has done well for Sunderland in the Premier League, and as a player who is quite clearly highly regarded, stepping down beyond a loan move is quite risky. Wrexham is ambitious, and for a keeper like Anthony Patterson, regular football will help him in the long run. Southampton and Wolves were linked around the same time as Wrexham; they would have been the same for me. I think Wolves will likely go back to the Premier League. Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have also been linked to watching his progress; both would be risky, but they are likely to remain where other top-flight teams would have interest in him. What young keeper would get the light of day at United? Jordan Pickford almost dropped to the Championship back in the day, but secured a move to Everton. Backward steps aren't always a bad thing. It's just not the direction usually attached to ambition when you want to play for your nationality.

If it had worked, it would have been a meaningful signing, but it didn't. I think the loan was a good move last season, but I suspected he would end up being released. Some of the comments from our fans, while they are funny at times, do become personal, and I think those types should remind themselves that he didn't really do anything wrong. I had very limited belief in his ability, and he had me on the edge of my seat for all the wrong reasons, but is it his fault he signed? With the right team, he could be the right choice, but for us it isn't to be. I appreciate what he tried and did during his time. I heard a lot of personal comments directed at him on match days; I disagree with that, but I do understand why many simply felt he wasn't a good fit for Notts. Best of luck in his next move.

I have implemented two updates to fix topic related bugs, I will await further feedback in the announcement topic before making changes to the game.

Thanks, @liampie. I hope fans will take part and see it as a bit of fun. Yesterday, I helped Mark H (@BigNCFC) move all the stuff he had in a storage unit and brought what couldn’t fit in his house yet into my garage. Jake's been looking at the CDs among the stuff, as he's gone all in on owning digital media. He's very annoyed that Sony are scrapping physical games for their next-gen console. Meanwhile I am resting my back, as it hurt a lot after Doncaster, but now it's calling out for a bath for me to relax.