Simon Clark

It’s certainly a fact that a toxic atmosphere within a ground has a negative effect on performances, we only have to remember back to the brief tenure of Jamie Fullarton. At that time, it felt as if a reasonable number of fans were turning up wanting us to lose. Now, I’m not suggesting that was the case this season. In fact, quite the opposite as I think our supporters – in the main – have been really supportive and patient, far more than the performances have deserved. It’s an expensive hobby to follow a football team. Even if you only watch home games, it’s approaching £500 a year when you add in travel costs and maybe the occasional cuppa. For those who go away, it must be getting on for £2,000 as a season or even more, and that’s not including any overnight stays. We don’t do it for glory, this is Notts and anyone who does this for glory must have started watching at a very narrow point in our history. However, most of us have pride in the club. Or at least have had pride in the club until the recent past. Incidents such as that infamous photo accidentally published on Twitter, boardroom resignations and plenty more have made Notts fans an easy target for friends and colleagues who follow other teams. Hopefully, we’re very close to new ownership now and we can look for closure on a period of the club’s history which will make a fascinating read should Charlie Slater, Jon Stead or anyone else with inside info over that period choose to write it in the future. Regardless of what happens next season, it’ll be the lowest position the club has ever ended a season so what can the new owners do to help restore some pride and let fans hold their heads up high again? Here are some ideas, in no particular order... - Remember that you are only custodians of the club. At some point, you’ll move on. Every player who is currently at the club, will move on. I dare say some fans will also move on, but the vast majority will still be here long after you and everyone else has forgotten about us. Fans will pass the love onto their sons and daughters, they are the lifeblood of the club and they are the basis for a successful future. Treat them as that, and not as customers buying a product. We can’t decide we want our product from somewhere else, it won’t happen. - Stay away from extravagant promises. We’ve had plenty of those. Not just Hardy, but Munto, etc. Be realistic, we’re happy with that. - Be professional. Don’t turn it into a circus. Yes, some attention can be good, it can get some TV money, it can promote the club, but it can also turn very quickly and bite you. - Don’t gamble big. The lower leagues are under a huge amount of pressure at the moment, just look at Macclesfield and Bury among others. The Premier League runs football, the EFL does an appalling job at looking after its members. They certainly won’t help us out if we get into trouble, so do all you can to keep us on an even keel. - Put your ego away, it’s not about you. If we get the rewards we all hope for, you’ll get the plaudits without needing to go looking for them. It’s a bit like being a referee, you often don’t notice the really good ones. - Appoint good people and let them get on with the jobs you’ve asked them to do. - Certainly create that environment where it’s an expectation that the players put in the same effort on a Saturday afternoon as we fans do during the week at our jobs. - Finally, be proud to own this fine club. Without a doubt, we’ve been through the mill in recent years. I think I read that we’ve been in a relegation battle for 13 of the last 16 years. But we have history. We have a great fanbase for a club at this level. It’s a great opportunity and we all hope to enjoy the ride. Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

I’m a huge fan of the work Jorge Grant did when he was on loan with us, and by all counts, he’s a genuinely nice bloke, which is great to hear. In 2016-17, when we were in trouble following the John Sheridan fiasco, he missed only 2 minutes of the last 15 games and was instrumental in pulling us away from trouble. In 2017-18, he played 21 full games (plus an 88 minute game) and came off the bench 5 times, scoring 14 times and making 5 assists as we took our place at the top of the league and had one foot in League One. Although I think Jon Stead’s role in this is vastly under-rated. He’s one of the most intelligent footballers at this level, and some of the runs he made took defenders out of the way to create space for Grant to run into. And this is where the huge January love in doesn’t fit with me. And, as far as Forest fans are concerned, they punished us by sending Grant to Mansfield. But is that right? Let’s look at what he’s done when put under real pressure and you need to roll your sleeves up and fight. The final 19 games of that season produced just one goal and one assist as we slipped out of the reckoning and hung on for a play off place. At the time needed big players to step up, he was one of the many who didn’t, starting just 12 of those games as his inconsistent form took its toll. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not singling him out or blaming him for what happened, but is he the man for the crisis we were in at the end of January? I’m sure he’ll do very well in a good League Two side, and his start at Mansfield has confirmed that. In a team which has a lot of the ball and a lot of pressure, with other attacking players to occupy defenders, he’s one of the best to take advantage of the space his teammates create. But is he any better than a good League Two player in a good League Two side? He’s 24 years old now, the days of having potential are slipping away. He’s not been part of a Forest matchday squad for 2 seasons and doesn’t seem close to it, while other young players are starting at that level and higher. He was given a chance in League One in the summer, and I thought Luton would be a good fit for him. An attacking side, plenty to occupy defences, and a manger who wants teams to play expansive football. And he did well initially, starting 12 of the first 15 League games of this season, as Luton made a solid start to life after promotion, finding themselves in 9th place at that point. Luton played 11 more league games before he returned to Forest. Of those 11 games, he wasn’t in the squad for 2 of them and an unused substitute for 5 of them. He came off the bench in 2 games, playing a total of 11 minutes and started the other two, coming off after just over an hour in each of them. At the end of that run, Luton were second. His start at Mansfield has confirmed my thoughts. His first 6 games brought 4 goals and 2 assists, missing only 3 minutes of football. But, in game seven at Meadow Lane when everyone needed to roll up their sleeves and battle for the cause, he flitted in and out, making some good runs and passes around the half way line but very little where it hurts the opposition. A lot of the credit for that is down to the way Notts played, of course, but with a reputation comes more attention and tighter marking. The really good players deal with that. When we’ve signed winners like Jim O’Brien and Michael Doyle, and the huge change in Enzio Boldewijn (who’d have thought he’d put an opposing player into the third row of the crowd?!), is there really room in our squad for a luxury? Share your thoughts about this feature article on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.