StarkMallard

This is OK. It's also lovely to see Baldwin back. He should visit more often.

What's Father Christmas bringing you this year? Maybe some prediction league points? You've got until 3pm on Saturday! @Robbie, @ARLukomski, @liampie, @thommo, @menzinho, @TheSkipper, @Chris, @Blake, @allardyces tash, @Joshua, @JustLikeJuve, @DonnyNotts, @NottsTastic, @CliftonMagpie, @The Heff, @NottsLoyal, @upthepies, @OoooooTommy, @JIMBO, @Harry Buckley

I don't feel very woke today, probably because I got five hours' sleep last night. This seems more a hopeful, hubristic punt by Real Madrid than anything serious. They've already downgraded their ambitions to replacing the Champions League. And they're clearly running out of names too - whatever next? The Utter Division? The Mega League? The Europa Blue Square Conference (actually we almost have that one already)? The idea that they'll bring in more money through free streaming than with the huge Champions League contracts already in place also seems overly optimistic to me. Not that I've got much love for the CL as it is now. As new EU legislation makes it difficult for UEFA to stop this in its tracks, they'll likely just call the clubs' bluff instead. I doubt many will want to sacrifice the Champions League riches for the sake of a vanity project. Slightly OT, but surely the English champion would win every time? But I've always liked the idea of merging the English and Scottish League Cups. Could add some interest to a tired competition. Away day in Edinburgh anyone?

It gets earlier every year! But happy Christmas to you all in advance

Burnley 2-1 Watford QPR 1-1 Preston North End Blackpool 1-0 Stevenage Northampton Town 0-2 Charlton Athletic Chesterfield 2-1 AFC Wimbledon Morecambe 0-2 Bromley (joker) Hartlepool United 1-0 Yeovil Town Wealdstone 0-2 Dagenham & Redbridge

Yeah, we discussed this at work a while back. It doesn't really make a lot of sense as it can be used in the context of shop and business names but not in ordinary speech - so Rosi's Bar is now correct, but Rosi's Familie is still wrong although the apostrophe denotes ownership in both cases. Make it make sense. Another problem is how it is used. Many Germans who love to drop in Anglicisms often do so incorrectly. Most also have no idea where the apostrophe key is on keyboards - on German keyboards it's on the hashtag key, but the key to the left of the backspace has something that looks very much like an apostrophe. However, it's actually used for French accents. So many people here would write Rosi´s Bar instead of Rosi's Bar (trust me, it looks pig ugly when you're not writing on a forum). All languages evolve @Robbie, but many of the "evolutions" in Germany are decided by a committee in a pretty arbitrary and wrong-headed way. One example is gender-neutral nouns, which are normally used in the plural. The problem is that the female form is slightly different - the male form of "the student" is "der Student", while for women it is "die Studentin". The plural - "die Studenten" - is therefore assumed to be male because of the lack of an "in" suffix. So over the past few years we have had various attempts at constructing plural forms that are gender-neutral, each stranger than the last - StudentInnen (yes that's a capital I), Student*innen and the current flavour of the month, Studierenden ("those who study"). They could just abolish the female form like we did in English (does anyone still say manageress or directress?) and use the same word for everyone, but that would be far too simple...

21 December is the shortest day of the year, Frank Zappa's birthday and coincidentally the date of the 21st prediction league round. These games all kick off at 3pm, and remember your joker! Burnley v Watford QPR v Preston North End Blackpool v Stevenage Northampton Town v Charlton Athletic Chesterfield v AFC Wimbledon Morecambe v Bromley Hartlepool United v Yeovil Town Wealdstone v Dagenham & Redbridge

With Harris's contract up next summer, I wonder if the club told him they wouldn't be renewing it, and he offered to go earlier? Having Macca back on loan would be great, but I doubt it will happen. The new manager might be keen to work with him, and if he does go out on loan, I think it's more likely to be in League One.

It's probably fair enough. However, I think it's natural to feel more enthusiastic during a promotion race or when battling the drop, crowds rise at those times for a reason. It would be nice if everyone kept attending come what may, but that's not the world we live in. You've also got more casual fans who have an affinity for Notts but are more likely to come when they're being entertained. It takes all sorts! As for bandwagon fans, many people who are now die-hard fans started off as bandwagoners. Not so very long ago, the average age of supporters at Meadow Lane was very high - probably because of the large number of pipe-smoking old boys who had started coming when Tommy Lawton signed and had gone on to become loyal and lifelong fans. No doubt the odd Notts fan in the 1940s grumbled about the bandwagon jumpers who just wanted to see Lawton play, but those of them who were still coming in the 90s definitely earned their stripes!

It's a decent haul, but is it even a professional club? They're currently sitting second bottom of the Cypriot first division. It's a shame really, with the right breaks he could have played on a bigger stage.

Depends. Maybe I'll relegate everyone but me

Curious. Now I'm tempted to check out the recording @Chris

The results: Middlesbrough 1-0 Millwall Stoke City 2-2 Cardiff City Charlton Athletic 0-0 Mansfield Town Rotherham United 3-0 Northampton Town AFC Wimbledon 1-0 Doncaster Rovers Grimsby Town 0-2 Crewe Alexandra Altrincham 1-0 Sutton United Southend United 0-0 Hartlepool United --- The PON elders won out this week - congrats to this round's winner @Fan of Big Tone, closely followed by @super_ram! @Fan of Big Tone - 9 @super_ram - 8 @Megan_Elizax, @menzinho, @Robbie - 7 @ARLukomski, @DangerousSausage, @nottsnutter - 5 @cheeky~k8, @Dan, @gtownjohnno - 4 @william1984 - 3 @4everapie - 2 @magpiejue - 1 --- This is our table after 20 rounds. @Robbie leads by a point from @super_ram, while the @Fan of Big Tone juggernaut gathers pace. --- The next fixtures are on Saturday, so I'll post the next round tomorrow. Thanks for playing everyone!

Just a general point from me. Last season I was calling for Crowley to play deeper as I thought he was ideal to cover for the missing Palmer. However, this season Palmer is back and we've got a lot more choice in that position. Right now we need him further forward as we've been so pedestrian and predictable the last few weeks. I hope SM draws the right conclusions.

I'm always sceptical when there's talk of a big club having a "crisis". However, the longer this goes on, the weirder it feels. And on top of it all, Pep Guardiola is clearly at his wits' end and his statements and behaviour are becoming ever more bizarre. He doesn't seem to know how to stop the slide. It's Sheridan-esque. They'll pick up eventually, but they'll be a long way adrift by then. Liverpool have a great chance to bag the title this season.

Off to the naughty step you go @Piethagoram!

Middlesbrough 2-0 Millwall (joker) Stoke City 1-1 Cardiff City Charlton Athletic 2-1 Mansfield Town Rotherham United 2-1 Northampton Town AFC Wimbledon 1-1 Doncaster Rovers Grimsby Town 1-3 Crewe Alexandra Altrincham 0-1 Sutton United Southend United 1-2 Hartlepool United

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for another prediction league round - hopefully more than four games will go ahead this week! They all kick off at 3pm, and remember your joker! Middlesbrough v Millwall Stoke City v Cardiff City Charlton Athletic v Mansfield Town Rotherham United v Northampton Town AFC Wimbledon v Doncaster Rovers Grimsby Town v Crewe Alexandra Altrincham v Sutton United Southend United v Hartlepool United

The results: Luton Town 1-1 Swansea City Cambridge United 4-1 Shrewsbury Town Gillingham 1-0 Salford City Harrogate Town 0-3 AFC Wimbledon All other games: sadly POSTPONED --- Despite the weather really doing a number on this round, every one of you scored at least a point from our four remaining fixtures! The top scorers were @4everapie, @Chris and @william1984 with six each - congrats! --- This is our table overall. @Robbie moves a point clear of @ARLukomski after another strong round. There are only two points between the top three, but anyone in the top nine could be right up with them with a big-scoring round. I will inspect my crystal ball closely as I'm starting to fall adrift. --- That's yer lot for another week. The next proper football (I'm not counting this Europa nonsense) is on Saturday, so expect to see the next fixtures on Wednesday. Have a good week!

Our Christmas tree remains resolutely in its box. I organised most of my presents a couple of weeks ago, but I've still got no idea to get Mrs Sausage. If we want something, we usually just buy it. We've got plenty of booze and sparkly things already. In other news, I'm going to be crazily busy at work for the next two weeks. Roll on the 21st!

Greenwashing FC. FGR already have a perfectly good ground that they don't fill. When you've got a choice between building something and using what you've got, the most environmentally friendly policy is to stay put, even if it's one of those terribly unfashionable concrete stadiums. But I suppose they wouldn't get any press attention that way. Second, this is an out-of-town stadium at the side of the motorway, miles from anywhere. It will only be possible to reach it by car. So forget the rolling hills in the artist's impression - this place will be surrounded by car parks, just like any other soulless new build.

I agree @liampie,not all of them played together at Notts (and Effiong and Mackail-Smith were only here briefly) but all bar Alan Judge played alongside Michael Doyle! To be fair though, Effiong has played for nearly everyone now and this is his third spell at Woking (he was there before he was with us). It'll be fascinating to see how they get on at least.

The only decision the club could have made. They look small on the picture, but if one of them falls on you you'll know about it. Football-wise it doesn't come at a bad time either. A week off would do the team good, and one or two players may be back from injury by the time the rearranged fixture is played. And Colchester are on a decent run right now and may have fancied it on Saturday.

Selling him on the eve of the season didn't put out the most positive of messages, but with Grant - a long-term target - coming in I was inclined to give the club the benefit of the doubt. Now Nemane is contributing with his assists elsewhere while Jones and Grant are on the treatment table, it's safe to say this transaction hasn't gone well for us so far.

@Piethagoram he's saying "I didn't mean you" - they stopped playing because he whistled!