DangerousSausage

Well that closes the book on a chapter of our club's history that will hopefully remain unique. What I sometimes thought (but dared not articulate) was that the National League is something you could get nostalgic about, but only once you've left it behind. Now we have, and I'm so relieved all the superb efforts that went into rebuilding the club - and not least the loyalty of the fans - were rewarded. We started the journey with the shock of an unthinkable relegation, facing liquidation and with a skeleton squad, and end it with a record-breaking team and manager well placed to take the momentum into L2. Along the way we had Neal Ardley steadying the ship, our own PE teacher Ian Burchnall turning us into a force at Meadow Lane, Schmeichel Doyle between the sticks, the likes of Kyle Wootton and Cal Roberts in the black and white and of course JOB, who was there for all of it. While the club has never been lower, we finished fifth or above every season - Oldham and Scunny fans know it can go very differently, and even Wrexham spent 15 years messing about in the NL. Hopefully these years will be remembered as a springboard for better things to come - Lincoln and Luton have shown the way. What do you think? And what were your personal highlights and lowlights?

Welcome to the community @Bee, feel free to get involved! We don't usually bite. I'm mostly relieved that you're not a wasp

I think Cameron and Nemane will stay, wouldn't be surprised to see Rodders end up in L1 though. I'm on the fence about Rawlinson and Vincent - both would do just fine in L2 (and Rawlinson gives us more aerial presence at the back), but I can imagine them being released to accommodate new signings. He's already a coach at their academy. In his interview he said that he wants to do it all again next season, so he's clearly hoping for a new deal. I'd try to keep him on board as a player-coach - it's really important to have personalities like JOB on board behind the scenes.At the same time, he's a squad player who rarely played 90 minutes in the NL and would probably find his opportunities more limited next season, so it's hard to justify keeping him just as a player.

I don't see it personally. LW has a chance to do great things with us, he had ample support from the board and a very thorough and dedicated backroom team. He knows he's onto a good thing. We'll have to get used to this though

Personally I think he's on his way and it's a done deal. He recently did an interview where he said he'd "always remember" the club and the fans, which is a strange way to talk about a club you're looking to go into next season with. If I'm wrong, great. Fingers crossed he does stay and we can enjoy watching him next season. There's always a chance that teams higher up see him as an expensive risk, especially with plenty of other options available on free transfers. But if he does go, it's not the end of the world. He turns 27 next season, which will be his first in League football, so you couldn't blame him for wanting to play in the Championship. In that case it'll be thanks for the memories, thanks for the goals - we'll still have Scott, who's more than capable of leading the line, plus a hefty wad of cash to strengthen the squad.

That's not really a fair comparison as the first three are highly decorated coaches from the very top of the game and the latter two have achieved very little as managers. Ince and Campbell also benefit from having been top-class England players, making them a tempting choice for chairmen looking for a celebrity manager. So they're not at all representative of up-and-coming black coaches. The likes of Ince and Kompany have a high enough profile to buck the trend, but where's the black Graham Potter or even Ian Burchnall? I don't pretend to know the answers, and it probably isn't my place either, but it's a thoughtful article. I think the following section is illuminating:

It wasn't the greatest of performances, but we did it. A number of players out there seemed (mentally) exhausted, but they dragged us through and earned their luck through sheer willpower. In the first half in particular, Chesterfield were brighter, more dangerous and handled the occasion better. But from the second half onwards they posed very little threat, it was defence against attack. Lady Luck smiled on us with the goals, but these things sometimes fall in your favour if you have a go. What an insane and nail-biting way to win promotion!

I am loving these videos. Who needs an open top bus when you can have a car park party?

Good stuff. But behind Mansfield, they're still the team I'd most like us to beat next season ????

Dad dancing deluxe from LW!

The whole season was decided by goalkeepers and penalties in particular. And not to forget Ben Foster, who looked a liability until he saved Scott's penalty last month. Had that gone in, we may well have gone on to win the league. Thank god our fortunes changed. Mair's left foot will forever be the stuff of legend!

Congratulations @Piethagoram and thanks for all your input to keep the board swinging! Hope you'll be dancing with tears in your eyes tomorrow ????

We shouldn't worry about the opposition too much, yes they're tricky opposition and gave us two tough games, but they should be more worried about us. We just need to impose our game on them and not mess about at the back. Any other analysis is probably pointless, at a Wembley final previous form is out of the window and it becomes a question of nerves. I wonder if it'll be significant that we still have four players who experienced the last one three years ago?

Great article. There are one or two mistakes (the Football League was created in 1888, so we can't have been in it for 157 years), but the passion shines through and it's such a good description of what we've been through recently. Our club has been mismanaged for so long that it's sometimes difficult to imagine being successful again. Tomorrow is a golden opportunity to reward every Notts fans for keeping the faith, and we deserve it so much.

Why not? It's a nice gesture and it's not like he's depriving anyone of a seat. The Independent calling it "weird" for someone who loves football to attend a football match is a really mean spirited take on it. Of course the press will be interested in him, he's an A lister. But who cares? From 3.30pm tomorrow the whole focus will be on the team and the big prize.

It was always in the cards that Oxford would release him. Their loss. He'd be a quality addition whatever division we're in, and Rodders potentially leaving would give him the chance to shine. I think we're in with a good chance of signing him, but it might depend on whether he gets an offer he can't refuse from somewhere else. @Chris are you sure his loan spell is up? Seems strange for it to cover Sunday but not the following Saturday.

Unfortunately, hens' teeth have proven unexpectedly difficult to come by, but I'm working on it. But not to fear @ARLukomski, there is a plentiful supply of hairy chips! @cheeky~k8 it definitely won't be the same, but you taking over her predictions was a lovely gesture and you're very welcome to compete in your own right next season. You seemed to hit your stride towards the end!

Just when you thought the tension was unbearable, here are the final scores. Apologies for any dodgy formatting, I'll fix it once I have access to a computer. The results: Huddersfield Town 2-0 Reading Millwall 3-4 Blackburn Rovers Middlesbrough 1-1 Coventry City Preston North End 0-3 Sunderland Bradford City 1-1 Leyton Orient Newport County 2-2 Crewe Alexandra Tranmere Rovers 0-1 Northampton Town Walsall 2-1 Doncaster Rovers --- This round's winner is @DonnyNotts with a superb total! An honourable mention also goes to @GrannyPie's nine points - thanks to @cheeky~k8 for the predictions ???? @DonnyNotts 14 @Megan_Elizax, @GrannyPie 9 @gtownjohnno 8 @ARLukomski, @magpiejue, @jimbob 7 @4everapie, @super_ram 6 @Dripsey3, @Chris 5 @DangerousSausage, @nottsnutter 3 @liampie, @Canadian 2 --- All this means that @ARLukomski has held off the challenge from @Dripsey3 to retake the title after a close season-long struggle, while @magpiejue takes third. Congratulations to you all! But fifth place is where it's at, right?! ARLukomski - 243 Dripsey3 - 230 magpiejue - 211 gtownjohnno - 208 DangerousSausage - 206 4everapie - 204 super_ram - 197 Megan_Elizax - 196 Dan - 188 DonnyNotts - 175 GrannyPie - 173 jimbob - 173 nottsnutter - 165 barnet1uk - 156 Chris - 117 liampie - 59 KB1862 - 21 steve61 - 7 Canadian - 2 --- And that's yer lot for another season. A massive thank you goes out to all of you for playing, it was great fun as always! Next season we all once again start at 0 points, and I'll send you all a reminder in good time. Looking forward to it!

And the winner is... drum roll... @ARLukomski, who retakes the crown from this year's runner up @Dripsey3 and completes a hat trick of wins. Congratulations! You earn a place in the halls of prediction league legends and a hairy chip from down my sofa. The rest of you will have to wait a few days for the final scores, but I promise I'll be on it soon!

Huddersfield Town 2-1 Reading Millwall 3-1 Blackburn Rovers Middlesbrough 0-2 Coventry City (joker) Preston North End 0-2 Sunderland Bradford City 2-1 Leyton Orient Newport County 1-1 Crewe Alexandra Tranmere Rovers 1-1 Northampton Town Walsall 0-1 Doncaster Rovers I know you're all booking your Wembley tickets right now, but there are more important issues at stake here - the final round of the prediction league. Send them in by 11.30am on Monday if you want them to count! @Dan, @nottsnutter, @DonnyNotts, @barnet11uk, @KB1862, @steve61

I don't know how to begin to sum that up. Complete madness. A lack of concentration at the back led to us going in 2-0 down when we deserved to be ahead, I didn't feel it was over, but we needed a quick goal. Wet got it and the rest is history. One key moment was Nemane using his superhuman pace to get a block in when it looked like BW would have a tap-in. Just minutes later we had scored the winner. Sometimes a tackle is as good as a goal, and that one turned the game. If any of you have taken pictures or videos of the scenes after the game, feel free to post them. The stream was switched off seconds after the whistle, but it sounded like PANDEMONIUM on the radio! Onto the final then, and at the time of writing it looks like it'll be Chesterfield. I think the experience of winning such a tight game when we really had our backs against the wall will do us good.

We NEED the commentator cam for this. Providing he's still got his clothes on ????

Never really in doubt, was it?

"Interesting" decision there @Dripsey3, especially as Ashmore played the full 90 minutes on Tuesday. But I'd rather have Slocombe in goal than McDonnell, he never filled me with confidence. An hour to go and I'm proper nervous. There's a tendency to overanalyse games like this. We've just got to outscore the opposition, so let's get on the score sheet nice and early and take charge of this match. COYP.

Interesting topic. I think feeling like a minority is something shared by all Notts fans born after about 1970 and it's part of who we are. I've lived in cities where there is one professional club and supporting that club is the default, and the mentality is a different one. Personally I'm happy to engage in a bit of gentle ribbing, but the idiots whose idea of banter is "you're crap" get ignored. Life's too short.