Simon Clark

This is purely a personal view and no doubt every reader will disagree with my choice and want to replace at least half of this list! There’s no logic to some of it, and there are no old scores to settle – I’ve chosen these on days I expect (hope?) to enjoy, which is why I’ve left some out on the basis that unless we’re 4-0 up in the first 10 minutes, I probably won’t enjoy them… Sutton United – the first game back. Yes, I want to win and will be disappointed if we don’t, but it’s lovely to be back (and an easy ground to get to as long as the trains aren’t on strike), although I’m guessing it will be tough to get tickets for this one. Bradford City – the first UNESCO City of Film and a city of great history, often overlooked by more photogenic neighbours. With an average attendance of almost 19,000 and the last 2 games last season seeing over 20,000, it should be a great atmosphere (albeit they reportedly include all-season ticket holders whether they actually attend or not). AFC Wimbledon – the first of the fans’ clubs to start from scratch and work their way through to the League. A museum of football in Wimbledon reminds visitors of their past glories as a non-league side before being hijacked and relocated to Milton Keynes. A lovely club that made a fantastic (and spontaneous) gesture to a friend of mine when he completed the 92 just over a year ago. Stockport – easy on the train, good pubs, a weekend in Manchester and a proper club. Say no more. (although 23rd December might not be the date I’d have chosen for this!) Barrow – a blooming long way, so it makes sense to have a weekend in the Lake District. October might not have the best weather, but it’s a wonderful part of the world at any time and there’ll be fewer tourists around. Harrogate – a week before Christmas might be a wonderful time to visit a picturesque market town. With the Montpellier Quarter and the Crescent Gardens area, there’s plenty to enjoy for a relaxing weekend away. Tranmere – one of my favourite away days. A proper ground, decent support and great atmosphere. It’ll be tough, but the huge beer tent outside the ground making up a fan zone for followers of both sides is a great place to review the game and hopefully celebrate. Salford – although they get a lot of bad publicity because of the Manchester United millionaires backing them – and I understand that – the volunteers and workers behind the club seem to be good people who want to support their local football club. Watching the shows about them on TV, it seems as if they feel their club is being taken away from them, and they are happy watching a small club at whatever level. Forest Green – the last game of the season, hopefully one to enjoy for all the right reasons, and it won’t be a tense affair where we need a result to secure 3rd or 7th (or, dare I even think it, 22nd!) Almost half a season of away games to enjoy – will that happen? Of course not. I’ll be desperate for 3 points and on the edge of my seat hoping we can hang on, make a comeback or keep control of a game we’re winning. Unless we get a 3-goal lead and control the game, the 90 minutes I can’t control will be the part I HOPE to enjoy rather than expect to. Be sure to check out the latest discussions on Pride of Nottingham’s dashboard page and get involved! We want to hear from Notts fans what are your thoughts on the Pre-Season friendly against Nottingham Forest? Let us know.

There are some interesting statistics when looking at the previous teams who have won the National League playoffs since they were introduced for the 2002-03 season. Those 21 finals have seen 8 of them go to extra time (and beyond) while only one of them has been won by more than a 2 goal margin. Exeter, Grimsby, Forest Green and Tranmere all won after losing the previous year’s final while Luton followed consecutive losing finals by winning the league! Almost all losing finalists have eventually made it into the league although Gateshead, Fylde and Torquay also saw relegation to NLN or NLS. The first winners – DONCASTER ROVERS with 4 players with Notts connections – beat Dagenham on golden goal or, as it was called for this game, ‘promotion goal’ (the only time promotion has been settled that way in the UK). They immediately won the Third Division as it was called then and have had 3 spells in the Championship, albeit one season spells, and they are now in League 2. SHREWSBURY TOWN beat Aldershot on penalties in 2003-04 and finished 21st in their first season back but were 11 points clear of relegation. After 3 playoff campaigns in 7 years, they eventually got promoted in second place and reached the L1 playoffs before falling back into tier 4, bouncing back the following season. Currently, in League 1. CARLISLE UNITED beat Stevenage 1-0 and followed that up by winning the League Two title at the first attempt. After an 8-year stay where they had a playoff campaign, they fell back into League Two and have just won the playoff final to get back into League One. HEREFORD UNITED twice came from behind to beat Halifax 3-2 after extra time in the only game to be played at Leicester City’s ground. It was also the only game where neither club currently exists in the same form. They finished 16th in their first season in L2, gaining automatic promotion the following season. They rarely left the relegation zone, falling back into L2 immediately and fell back into the National League after 3 seasons and were expelled then wound up in 2014. MORECAMBE beat Exeter in the 2006-07 final – the first to be played at Wembley - to become the first side to earn a place in the Football League for the first time and managed 11th placed finishes in their first 2 seasons, following that up with a playoff spot. In the 2019-20 Covid shortened season, they were 22nd after 37 games and stayed up then bounced back to win the playoffs the following season and get to League 1. They managed 2 seasons at that level and will face Notts next season in League Two. 2007-08 was probably the year when things stepped up and for 10 years almost all finalists were typical Football league sides who had fallen on hard times as EXETER CITY beat Cambridge United. They immediately went up again as runners-up and spent 3 years in League One before dropping back into L2 where they spent 10 more seasons before gaining another runner-up spot. Currently, in League One. Cambridge were broken-hearted again next season as they became the first side to lose consecutive finals, losing to TORQUAY UNITED. The Gulls finished 17th in their first season back and reached the playoffs twice before returning to National league football in 2014 and a further relegation back to NLS in 2019. Another NL playoff campaign beating Notts in the semi-final gave them hope before relegation again last season. Currently, in the National League South. OXFORD UNITED beat York City in 2009-10 and finished their first season back in 12th place. They went up to League One in 2016 and are another side to have reached the playoffs at that level. Currently, in League One. AFC WIMBLEDON squeezed past Luton Town on penalties in 2010-11 in only their 9th season of existence, including 3 league titles and the lowest final position of 8th. It’s been hard work for them since then, following a final place of 16th in their first season with 20th, 20th and 15th before getting into League One via the playoffs in 2016. Since then, they haven’t finished higher than 15th and were relegated last season. Currently, in League Two. YORK CITY were the next team to inflict final defeat on Luton (whatever happened to them?!), returning to the league after an 8-year absence. They finished 17th in their first season back in the league, securing survival late in the season and managing a L2 playoff spot before suffering consecutive relegations after just 4 years in League Two. Currently, in the National League. The 2012-13 final was an all Welsh affair, with NEWPORT COUNTY getting the upper hand against Wrexham. They finished in a comfortable 14th place in their first season back and followed that with 2 narrow escapes, including a famous ‘Great Escape’ as they were 11 points adrift with 12 games left, securing survival with a last day win against Notts. Famous for their cup runs, they also had 2 unsuccessful playoff campaigns, losing in both finals. Currently, in League Two. CAMBRIDGE UNITED beat Gateshead in the next final, a Wembley double with an FA Trophy win as well, and finished 19th in their first season back. Shaun Derry then guided them to 9th and after 7 seasons in League Two (mainly in the bottom half) they finished runners-up in 2021 to gain promotion. Currently, in League One. 2014-15 saw BRISTOL ROVERS beat Grimsby on penalties in front of the largest final attendance of 47,029 to gain an immediate return to EFL after just one season. They followed this up with another promotion, finishing 3rd in L2 in their first season back, returning to L2 after finishing bottom of the league 5 years later. Again, they made an immediate return with a third place finish in 2021-22. Currently, in League One. GRIMSBY TOWN bounced back from that disappointment a year later, beating Forest Green Rovers to return to the EFL after a six-year absence. Three managers, including Russell Slade, took them to 14th place in L2 in their first season back. After 5 seasons, 5 managers and 4 caretakers, they were back in the National League in 2021, bouncing back at the first time of asking after a dramatic playoff campaign saw them win at Meadow Lane and Wrexham. They finished in 11th place last season as the only team to have won the National League playoffs twice. Currently, in League Two. FOREST GREEN ROVERS followed suit and recovered from disappointment a year earlier to beat Tranmere Rovers in the final. This made Nailsworth the smallest town ever to host a Football League club and ended a 19 season long run in the National League without promotion, the longest consecutive period since promotion to the EFL began. They finished 21st and one point above relegation in their first season (a season where Notts were in the playoffs) and managed two playoff campaigns in three seasons before winning the league in 2022. They only lasted one season in League One, being relegated last season. Currently, in League Two. TRANMERE ROVERS completed a hat trick of losing finalists coming back to win promotion as they beat Boreham Wood in the 2017-18 final after being in 18th position after the first 12 games. They gained back-to-back promotions as a sixth-place finish got them into the playoffs and some would say unluckily relegated from L1 in a Covid shortened as positions were decided on a point per game basis when they were on a run of three consecutive wins when the season was called to a halt. Currently, in League Two. SALFORD CITY gained the largest final win with a 3-0 victory over AFC Fylde as the two smallest clubs to contest a final albeit with significant investment especially for Salford. They finished in eleventh place during Covid shortened season and made it into playoffs last season. Currently, in League Two. HARROGATE TOWN broke Notts hearts during Covid enforced empty Wembley Stadium as third winner moved into EFL for the first time. They have finished seventeenth, nineteenth, and nineteenth during three seasons. Currently, in League Two. HARTLEPOOL UNITED beat Torquay on penalties ending a four-year spell in non league but only managed to finish seventeenth, twenty-third returning to National league next season, making the quickest return for any previous winners. Currently, in the National league. As mentioned, GRIMSBY TOWN won again twenty-twenty one twenty-two beating Solihull finishing eleventh in league two last season. Of nineteen previous play-off winners nine will face Notts next season in league two action six plying trade league one two hoping to repeat success in national league one national league south one disappeared. After fantastic start play off winners returns two sides winning division first three seasons seems hard work only two sides last fourteen years managing top ten finish cautionary note perhaps overall average final position twelfth first season back. Be sure to check out the latest discussions on the Pride of Nottingham by using the “Topic Feed”! Don’t forget to read all the latest articles on the Pride of Nottingham, drop a comment and share any content you enjoy!

After a multi-record-breaking (record-shattering?!) season which will hopefully end with a promotion, what would I want our squad to look like next season? With so many great performances and stability running through the club, it's no surprise that I'd want to keep the core of the current squad, but there may be one or two of my suggestions which divide opinion. The easy ones – Macaulay Langstaff, Cedwyn Scott and Sam Austin. Three summer signings who made the move up after being named in the National League North team of the season have shown exactly why they were so highly rated. Plenty has been written about Langstaff and with a record of a goal every 89 minutes (and no penalties), he is greatly in demand. Scott is actually 3rd in the National League charts on minutes per goal (and second if we remove penalties) despite not really having a good run in the starting 11. With only one more year on his contract, there could easily be teams looking at him this summer. Austin is another one who hasn’t had a regular starting place but has an energy that lifts the team and is number one in the League for goal involvements per match. Sam Slocombe has adapted to Luke Williams’ style with more comfort than many of us would have expected and has been a calming presence at the back – and what an assist at Chesterfield! Adam Chicksen has had the season of his life by hitting double figures in goals while excelling at his defensive role as well. What an engine this man has! He never stops running and has great positional sense. Toby Adebayo-Rowling had a difficult start, with the new coach telling him he was short of what was required. He knuckled down and worked hard, earning a place in the side and looking capable of moving up a level or two before injury cut his season short. Aaron Nemane needed a fit and firing Toby, in my opinion. Unless you are freakishly fit (like Chicksen), you need a rest to keep up that level of performance, and Williams has improved Nemane’s game immeasurably this season. Yes, defensively he is weak, but he never stops battling and has been a revelation going forward. I just wish Chicksen and Nemane’s crossing was better, but I guess if it was, they wouldn’t be in the National League! Connell Rawlinson has turned from a ‘head it kicks it’ type of defender to one who is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence and running with it – who would have thought?! Matt Palmer and John Bostock struggled to play together initially, and it seemed as if we’d struggle to fit two excellent players into the same line-up. Palmer has undeniable quality. Current player of the year, he has got even better and could comfortably play 2 divisions higher. One of my favourite things about him is that he always plays with his head up and is constantly looking around. I genuinely think you could stop a game at any point, and he could tell you where the rest of the players are. Bostock didn't become a fan's favourite immediately, although I must admit I liked him from the start even though you could see he needed a bit of time to get up to speed having not played for almost half a season before joining us. His quality is now shining through and he is controlling games. An early tip – I think he will be the player of the season 2023-24. Frank Vincent has come back from a loan spell with a great attitude and forced his way back into the picture. Another player with great energy, I'd like to see him stay and kick on his career with us. He also seems to have adapted to a wing-back role really well. Junior Morias will be a star! OK, I'm maybe getting a bit excited after his short cameo off the bench against Woking, but I think he has everything to help soften the blow of losing Langstaff in the summer, as it is almost certain. You may be wondering why I haven't mentioned Ruben Rodrigues yet. One of my friends earlier this season described his performances as a 'bag of manure' (something like that, anyway...). Well, my friend, if you spread enough manure, you will get beautiful roses and that is what Ruben gives us. Yes, sometimes he makes the wrong decision and tries to run through a defender or shoots when a teammate wants the ball, but what a player. A slow start on the goalscoring front, but he's added another aspect to his game this season, and he will be a sad loss should he leave. Spread that fertiliser on the Meadow Lane pitch as long as you like, Ruben... Surprising to some for a defence which has conceded so few goals this season, but I think our defence is a real weak point which has been covered up by having so much possession and so much domination of most games this season. I really hope the radar is looking at central defenders as I would be far happier if our current ones are no more than squad players next season. Kyle Cameron has great ability and is super going forward, but his unforced errors have been responsible for more than 10% of the goals we’ve conceded this season. Unforced errors. How often does he get himself in trouble then throw himself to the floor to get a free kick? Too many times for me. Aden Baldwin, while having had some excellent games, always seems to have at least one glaring error per game in his locker, where he will pass the ball to an opposing forward. Geraldo Bajrami never seems to have an average game. He is either excellent or has a shocker. And you can’t afford too many shockers, although he seems to have great character having come back from a spell out of the side to come back in and turn in some excellent performances. Let’s hope Richard Brindley has recovered from his injury and gets back to his form. His pace will be needed as we are short of that in the middle. Tiernan Brooks got a chance when Slocombe was injured and did brilliantly. He will surely be challenging for the first choice next season. Although comments recently from Sam and Luke have made me wonder whether he has a few attitude problems? I hope I’m reading too much into that. Jim O’Brien is like a dog chasing a ball in the park; he never stops. Constantly urging on his teammates, he provides great energy, and I’d love to see him stay at the club in a coaching capacity and be a handy squad member. Although, as a coach at Sheffield United, he may have his future mapped out away from us. Ed Francis and Kairo Mitchell seem destined for the revolving door with long loan spells away from us. Although, I think Kairo can feel a little unlucky to be behind the top 2 strikers in the division based on minutes per goal from open play. Especially as we often only play one striker. He seems to be delivering for Eastleigh with both goals and assists and I wish him well. Francis has been a perfect example of the progress we have made this season. A perfectly adequate player, how can he get a game when we have Palmer and Bostock? The summer, as always, will be interesting and exciting. I fully expect us to make signings I have never heard of and will be singing their praises to anyone who will listen by the end of September! If you enjoyed this feature, please show your support by liking and sharing it on social media. We would also love to hear your thoughts, so don't hesitate to leave a comment if you have the time! The Pride of Nottingham is a product of passion and effort from our dedicated team of writers and admins. They work tirelessly to provide quality content that you can enjoy. Take a moment to get involved and show your support for our community.

July 2022 and it was a chance to look at Notts’ array on new signings for the first time with a short journey to Basford. Yes, it was against a side which had struggled 2 divisions below Notts the previous season, but there were some hugely positive outcomes from this first run out. As supporters, we all want new faces to excite us, that marquee signing which sells a few extra season tickets for those sitting on the fence, but Notts have moved on from the fanfares and Hollywood glamour of a big name on the way down and our summer business at that time numbered 2 players each from Kidderminster and Gateshead and one from Ebbsfleet. While most of us have grown to trust the radar, it would surely not be enough to convince the uncommitted as none of those players had a proven track record at National League level while the remaining players from the previous season had shown a soft underbelly and tendency to underperform on a regular basis. On that sunny evening, however, clinical finishes from Langstaff and Scott showed that we had signed genuine goalscorers – but could they do it in tier 5? – and all 22 players involved that evening looked to have a spring in their step. We stepped it up against Leicester City to beat them with some style and the rest of the pre-season campaign gave me huge optimism for the season ahead. To many of us, it seemed as if we’d be playing for a home semi-final by finishing either second or third, as surely Wrexham would stroll to the title with a squad signed from League One and the upper reaches of League Two and a wage bill likely to be several times that of most National League sides. Surely no-one would give them a serious long term challenge, would they? With a new coach in Luke Williams, could Notts build on the 3 failed play off campaigns and dismiss a few of those ‘bogey’ clubs as well as show a harder edge? We all knew Notts could outflank football sides, but could they win the ugly games? Could they scrap to protect a one goal lead? Could their away form on some dubious surfaces match those on the carpet of a pitch we have at Meadow Lane? A comfortable opening day win and 2 goals from new signing Langstaff gave us hope, but this is Notts and when we gave away the lead twice to draw at Borehamwood then rely on an own goal to get a point at newly promoted Gateshead, it seemed as if the old problems hadn’t gone away with 4 points dropped already and only one clean sheet. A turning point – albeit early in the season – may well have been what came next. With half an hour to go and 2-0 down at home to old foes Chesterfield, a double substitution changed the game and 2 more goals from Langstaff showed he was adjusting well to the higher level, and we earned a point from a seemingly lost position with 4 of the 5 new signings on the field at the end of the game. A first reverse of the season may just have seen us wobble in previous seasons but this Magpies team responded with 7 straight wins although 3 draws in 4 November games showed this was still a work in progress, and we did have some issues trying to break down a team which had little to no positive intent. The away form, meanwhile, had been a revelation and any concern about ‘bogey’ clubs was swept aside with wins at Eastleigh, Aldershot and Torquay as well as a thrilling win at Chesterfield to prove we can win on TV! Another tv game – at home to Dagenham – may be the one which cost us the title. (Really? We matched the Hollywood Globetrotters this far?!) as a completely dominant performance saw 2 breakaway goals send us to a first home defeat of the season. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a game where one team hits the woodwork 3 times AND has 3 cleared off the line in the same game. Added to that, one absolutely nailed on penalty was ignored and another good shout was waved away. If that game were played 100 times, I feel Notts would win 98 with maybe one draw. Of all the seasons for the away win, it had to be this one… The most hyped game in non-league history is likely to have sealed our play off fate with defeat at Wrexham but with 2 games left we have exceeded all pre-season predictions and can still win the league. Unlikely, given that Wrexham need to fail to win 2 of their last 3 games, but pretty much everyone expected the title race to be over by Easter – practically, if not mathematically. And now we face the end of the season. Hopefully just 2 more games but realistically hopefully not 3 more games. For all the previous play off campaigns, this is one we can justifiably feel confident. The soft underbelly has gone (although tier 5 defenders still make mistakes) and the gap between Notts and the rest is the same as it would be between second place and mid table in a normal season. Of course, that doesn’t guarantee anything in a one off game but one thing we do know is that it’s been an incredible season and Luke Williams will not allow any complacency to get into this squad. Have a look at the Pride of Nottingham's 'Topicfeed' to peruse and participate in our discussions. Join our community at the Pride of Nottingham by creating an account and getting involved in our discussions!