True Magpie

I thought he did commentary work? Though reading his obituary there is no mentioning of this. Rest in Peace, Dickie Bird.

It's a shame that people who can't afford to lose money were caught out. Even though Louis Tomlinson is in a different position, it's still worrying when someone gets involved in something that doesn't seem safe. Older people are sadly seen as easy targets. It's not fair, and it happens too often. But when a well-known figure like a popstar is fooled, it makes you wonder how convincing the pitch must have been. Louis must have really wanted to be part of the ownership. That kind of hope or excitement can make someone overlook warning signs. It's not right that it came to that.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! Thank you for trying to help the gaffer out. We sure do appreciate it!

Hello, @KatrinaPIE. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Please do let us know if you need any help adjusting to the site, we are delighted to have you here with us. I hope you become a regular within the community.

Hello, @Marks. Feel free to introduce yourself, but until then welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Please do reach out if you need any help.

It was a routine day in the office with very little going on. I spent most of it handling documents and answering calls, just the usual bits. Even the monthly meeting passed without anything worth noting, but I won’t grumble. Quiet days like this don’t come around too often. The weather’s turned a bit gloomy. It’s darker than usual, slightly murky outside with the odd bit of rain here and there. Nothing heavy, just enough to notice. I managed to find a bit of time to post two short guides. One explains how to use the content editor, and the other shows how to make use of the follow function. I hope they’re useful to the community, as there are plenty of great features on PON that deserve a bit more attention. At the moment, I’m looking at tidying up some of the pinned content. I’m also thinking about what I can work on next to keep things ticking along.

Recently, a number of spam accounts have managed to get past the tools Pride of Nottingham uses to keep the site clear of unwanted content. This is unusual and has been checked by @Chris. To make sure this does not happen again, all new members will now need to be approved by a senior admin before they can join. Reports have been sent to CleanTalk, which is a trusted service for spotting spam accounts. Stop Forum Spam is also now in use to give extra protection. Any accounts flagged by IP, username or email in the SFS system will be banned automatically. Fans who are trying to join but find themselves blocked should use the contact system to get in touch. We know about the issue and will keep working to make sure Pride of Nottingham stays free of spam. Comments have been turned off for security reasons. At a later date, @Chris will share any updates or address any concerns.

Chris spoke to me in person about his ambitions, what he wanted to achieve and how he felt PON represented the fans but needed help to be more organised. He asked if I would consider joining the team. I was a little unsure at first. I already knew about the great work he had been doing with the site, especially on social media. I do not think the fan base realises how demanding it is to give so much time and effort to a team you care about. It was only after more conversations online that I understood how I could help and why I was being asked to join. Why did you join prideofnottingham.co.uk? I joined because I felt it was my duty to help a fantastic fan who clearly lives and breathes black and white. As I said before, joining something where I could use my skills, make a difference and feel wanted made the choice much easier. What is your main highlight of being a member? The highlight for me has been seeing more members get involved. PON is a labour of love for the volunteers and I think the gaffer works hard to give value to those who take part. Once you join in, it becomes easy and you start to enjoy it more. When I first arrived, I did not know any of the team and I felt I had something to prove. I always felt accepted, which matters a lot. How much have you seen PoN grow during your time? There will always be quiet times or moments when poor results make people less keen to contribute. Even so, I have seen the site grow a lot since the upgrade to v5. I think this shows the effort of the team and the members who want it to succeed. As a community, what would you say are the three core values to PoN and why? Core values are easy to name. Dedication, togetherness and professionalism.

Hello, @Jimbo78. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Would you mind telling us a little about yourself as you settle in? Soon you will be greeted by various community members, which we are delighted to have you here. If you need any help, please do reach out.

I am sure the loss will have been felt most by those who knew Kim well. Every regular fan who sadly passes leaves an empty seat that can never truly be filled. Kim was a real character. It is so sad to see that she passed only a few months after Chris had written this in the hope of helping her tick things off her bucket list. I hope she was able to achieve most of those dreams. Rest in peace, Kimbo.

Notts do not have enough individual players performing well on a regular basis. As a team, nobody is really taking it upon themselves to drive the side forward. At this stage, even with the new signings, the team should be playing with much more cohesion. I do not think Ollie Norburn is providing the level of experience in midfield that the club spoke so highly of when he signed. Jodi Jones, even out wide, was ineffective against Gillingham. He did try, but he does not seem comfortable in the attacking midfield role. I hope that in a few more games things will start to click, but the players need to take more responsibility for the standard they are showing. The inconsistent performances are only holding us back. Martin Paterson could also look at running some team-based training camps or bonding activities to get the best out of the squad. I am sure Notts look capable on the training pitch, but too often in matches things go missing that you would not expect from this group. Martin Paterson gives me hope, but he does not seem to be getting the best out of anyone so far. If his bond with the players was stronger, I think he could get the defence throwing themselves in front of every ball or at least making better attempts to block what they cannot chase down. The most frustrating thing is how disconnected the midfield looks at times. Against Gillingham, it might have been better to play with a single striker. I also thought Ollie Norburn could have been replaced to allow Jodi to play further forward. I believed bringing on Barry Cotter and Jodi would help, but in truth only one of them got involved enough to give any real hope. Paterson needs to work out which players are giving their all and which are not. If he sees that someone else could do the job better, he must be braver in dropping players before a game. Right now, things feel very average, with the odd glimpse of promise but a lot of frustration as well.

It probably won’t happen, but sometimes the best way to deal with pressure is to push back just as hard. If we go for it with attacking football, I think it could work. Keeping control in midfield and having a forward line that’s hard to predict might catch Gillingham off guard. I don’t think they’ll be ready for that kind of approach. You’re likely right though. Martin Paterson may choose to play it safe instead.

Ollie Norburn could be an option, even though he had his best game against Fleetwood. I’m still aware that he’s recovering from a serious injury and working on his match fitness, so it might be too soon to rely on him fully. I would go with Alassana Jatta as the main striker. Matthew Dennis could play just behind him, acting as a roaming forward who can drift wide and find space. That would give us more movement and options in attack. Jodi Jones should slot in as the player who helps open up space and decide where to move the ball. He’s good at finding gaps and linking play, which could be key in breaking down the defence. Matt Palmer could sit slightly deeper in midfield, giving Tom Iorpenda the chance to play further forward. That balance might help us keep control while still pushing for chances.

Let Jodi Jones drift wide and drop deeper to collect the ball. Someone like Tom Iorpenda needs to cover the space he leaves. If Jodi gets on the ball properly, with Matthew Dennis and Alassana Jatta up front, Gillingham will have more than one threat to deal with. This could also give more freedom to Nick Tsaroulla, Barry Cotter or Kellan Gordon, depending on who plays in the wing-back roles. It might open up space for them to push forward and support the attack. I don’t think Martin Paterson will make many changes, but getting Jodi back into the side and giving him time on the ball should help. He’s a smart player and can make a difference if used well. Notts will need to be clever with their play. Gillingham have some tall players, so we’ll need to find ways to break them down without relying too much on high balls.

There’s a good chance other clubs might try to bring him in for a role of their own. It could come down to money, a better opportunity, or simply him feeling ready to move on from his time with us. I’d be happy to see him return. Richard Montague was a good match for the club and did well finding players who suited our style and needs. Still, I don’t think it’s likely. It feels like one of those moves that made sense at the time but probably won’t happen again.

Hello, @ANTHONY PERKINS. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. The community will be delighted to see you join in and to see you share your thoughts on topics. If you have any questions or require help, please do reach out. Until then, why not tell us why you joined and a little bit about your background?

Hello, @Graham. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham and the Notts community that has been built here. If you need any help, or anything please do reach out to me via my signature link. It's great to have you on board. If you are passionate about Notts, this is the place to be.

It’s worth knowing that you can join a waiting list to become a Lifeline member. As of 2023, all places have been taken. Interest in the scheme went up during COVID, which helped bring the membership back to its full limit of 2,500 people. I’m not sure if that limit is due to gambling laws, small lottery rules, or just what the club finds easiest to manage. They might look into raising the cap by another 500, if it’s allowed.

Let’s hope this doesn’t come with a curse, like when someone wins Manager of the Month and things go downhill after. Still, it’s a great record for the club to hold. Not many teams have managed it, which makes it quite a rare achievement. That’s something to be proud of, especially for the players and staff who helped make it happen. Does anyone know which other club has done this? It’d be interesting to compare.

As a volunteer, I’ve been really impressed by how much the site has grown. It’s great to see some of the old features coming back, and I think long-time members will notice the effort that’s gone into making things better. Everything feels like it’s falling into place. It’s also encouraging to see familiar faces returning, along with new ones joining in. The mix of old and new members gives the forum a fresh energy, and it’s nice to see people engaging again. On the topic of donations, I’ll give you £20 at the next home game, @Chris.

Let me be the first to welcome you to the Pride of Nottingham, @sentient. Thank you for taking the time to introduce yourself! Usually one of our members are very quick to do this, so we can greet new people and hopefully give them a sense of always being a member. With all the friendly welcomes from those are active here.

Hello, @SoccerLord. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! I hope you like and enjoy being part of the community here on the PON. Feel free to tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, @Nat. Welcome to PON! I hope you like and enjoy being part of the community here on the Pride of Nottingham. Feel free to tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, @Eastcoastpie. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! I hope you like and enjoy being part of the community here on the PON. Feel free to tell us a little about yourself.

Hello, @John B. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! I hope you like and enjoy being part of the community here on the PON. Feel free to tell us a little about yourself.