Joe Jones

Notts County captain Michael O'Connor visited Scotholme Primary School in Hyson Green as part of the Football In The Community-delivered Premier League Primary Stars project. The midfielder, who is currently recovering from a long-term knee injury, signed autographs and participated in a Q&A with students eager to learn about the life of an athlete. The Premier League Primary Stars project uses the appeal of the Premier League and professional football clubs to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. As well as engaging children in physical activity and healthy living, PLPS uses the power of the beautiful game to teach core subjects such as Maths, English, PE and PSHE (personal, social, health and economic education). “Today’s project has been a fantastic day and a real eye opener for me,” O'Connor told the official FITC website. "Like many people, I was aware of the work FITC within Nottingham schools but I didn’t quite appreciate the impact they have on the students. "With a young family myself, it is great to see students, regardless of sporting ability or background, get the opportunity to enjoy the sessions these great coaches deliver. "Footballers like myself and the delivery staff FITC have are role models to children with Nottingham and it’s great to see first-hand the impact they’re having." Adam Dunleavy, Lead Coach of Premier League Primary Stars programme, added: “Scotholme Primary School are a fantastic example of a school have benefited immensely from the work we deliver in schools. "We wanted to reward the pupils with a very special guest and Michael was a fantastic ambassador for the club on the day. "My coaches, FITC staff and the children of Scotholme Primary would like to say a massive thank you Michael and we look forward to him being back on the pitch very soon!” The project also saw fellow Notts players Jonathan Forte, Noor Husin and Matty Virtue visit Whitemoor Academy earlier this month. Find out more about Notts County FC Football in the Community by clicking here. 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.

Alan Hardy has expressed his disappointment with drawing Sheffield Wednesday away in the fifth round of the FA Cup but believes that Notts County could beat the Owls should they get past Swansea City. The Magpies remained in the hat for Monday's last-16 draw after holding the Premier League Swans to a 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane for a replay at the Liberty Stadium. The winner of the tie will go on to face Wednesday at Hillsborough and, despite hoping for an away tie against a Premier League giant, Hardy thinks the Yorkshire side could be a similar proposition to third-round opponents Brentford. “We were hoping this was going to be the big one after Brentford and Swansea. We were hoping this one would be Man United or Spurs away,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post. “It’s not to be but it gives us a great opportunity to progress through the rounds if we can beat Swansea. “We have got a chance to do that. We’ve shown we aren’t scared of them. I know the boys are up for the replay. “Wednesday are an iconic club in their own right. It’s one of the great grounds in the country. “It would be a great atmosphere. They’re well below Brentford in the Championship and we won there. “There’s no reason we couldn’t do that again. The lads would love to go there. “Sheffield is one of those great tribal football cities like Newcastle or Manchester.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Swansea City boss Carlos Carvalhal has praised Notts County for stepping up their game in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round encounter at Meadow Lane, which enabled them to come away with a 1-1 draw. The Magpies began brightly but their opponents soon stepped up a gear and had the hosts under the coash before finding the net on the stroke of half time through Luciano Narsingh. Kevin Nolan's charges were much improved in the second half, however, as Jorge Grant spurned three gilt-edged chances in quick succession. Eventually, County's pressure was rewarded as veteran striker Jon Stead turned home on the hour to draw the Magpies level and ultimately clinch a replay at the Liberty Stadium. "After the first ten to 15 minutes we started to control the game," Carvalhal told reporters. We created chances and took the lead against a side that defended very well and in numbers. We were prepared for that and we were in total control. "In the second half we must give credit to Notts County. They played more long balls and were more physical. They scored and they deserved it during that period. "After that, it was just Swansea on the pitch moving the ball. They were compact but we created two clear chances to finish the game. The negative was not winning the game, but there are lots of positives about this game. We are still fighting in this competition. We have another chance to get to the next stage of the competition." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Kevin Nolan has reiterated his support and pride in Jon Stead, who boasts a perfect goalscoring record of a goal a game for Notts County this calendar year. The veteran striker had his fair share of criticisms in the first half of the season but in 2018, only Manchester City's Sergio Aguero boasts more goals than him in the four top divisions of English football. Alongside scoring in every league and cup game this year, Stead also has a goal in every round of the FA Cup he's played in, and his tally this term currently stands at 11. "I spoke a month or so ago about Steady and said his contribution to our football was absolutely terrific," Nolan told the official Notts website. "Now he is scoring the goals himself and that is why everyone is talking about him again. "But he brings more than that to my team, he has been magnificent and one of our outstanding performers of the season so far and long may it continue. "As long as he keeps rattling them in, I'm sure we'll keep moving in the right direction." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Jon Stead kept up his record of scoring in every round of the FA Cup as his equaliser earned Notts County a deserved replay in a 1-1 draw with Swansea City in the fourth round. Luciano Narsingh's strike on the stroke of half-time put the Premier League's bottom club ahead at Meadow Lane but the Magpies went up a gear after the restart, with Jorge Grant coming close on three occasions in quick succession. Stead, who famously put in a superb performance for Bradford City in their fourth-round upset of Chelsea several years ago, then fired home on the hour mark to guarantee a place in the hat for round five and a replay at the Liberty Stadium next month. Pride of Nottingham has compiled some of the key post-match reaction from Notts boss Kevin Nolan, the players, and the fans. Kevin Nolan "I'm absolutely delighted and immensely proud. We got we deserved and made the better chances throughout the game. "But against a Premier League team they only need half a chance and it's in the back of the net and that showed today. "We were really good in the first half but all it took was one slip and we were 1-0 down. "The reaction after the break was fantastic and we had some excellent opportunities both before and after our goal." "The way the players have performed today is a testament to what they are all about." Jon Stead "We matched them and we've got to be immensely proud of ourselves. "We were a bit cagey in the first half but at the start of the second half we really showed what we are capable of and pushed them all the way. "You know they are going to have large amounts of possession and keep the ball well so it's about getting in the right areas and limiting their space. "We had to work hard for it but we gave as good as we got and created some decent chances. "If we had won the game I don't think you could have argued too much about it but, on reflection, a draw is probably a fair result." Shola Ameobi "We got our just rewards for a really tough, battling performance. We're in the draw for the fifth round, and in the FA Cup magical things can happen. "We know it'll be a tough order at Swansea, but the team spirit in that dressing room right now is fantastic. We'll go there and give it all we've got." Players on social media The Black and White Army Who R Ya? You Pies!: That was class , great atmosphere , great occasion , terrific result, in the draw , get the replay on TV , well done Notts great combative performance had our moments as well , so proud COYP Chris: No criticism of either us or Swansea, I felt both teams did very well. Second half again for Notts was a delight to watch and, although I think it shown how the formation being 4-4-2 suites us best. I do feel we gave Swansea a good fight and wholeheartedly deserved the draw. Very impressed with our fans and the fact the performance was motivated. Liampie: I thought we could count ourselves lucky that swansea seemed poor on goal in the first half. we had a few okay chances but never really tested their keeper, i do think we defended well throughout the game. good to get level with them after the lapse in concentration. Jay Dalton: notts gave 100% shola held the Ball well Collin made some crucial saves and when stead got the leveller the fans errupted l with sheer jubilation brilliant kop atmosphere Trevor Robinson: Great support from the kop today. I'm in Pavis stand and you lot sounded fantastic. Pat yourselves on the back. Jimmy Gee: Soft goal just before halftime spoiled good work. Deserved equaliser, Notts had more chances to win it. Well done! Richard Thompson: Much better 2nd half, sat back a bit at times, we were at our best putting pressure on them, then again why am I moaning? a draw against a team 3 leagues above? great result really Share your thoughts about this post-match reaction piece 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.

Kevin Nolan has lauded Notts County's "magnificent" performance in their 1-1 draw with Swansea City in the fourth round of the FA Cup. The Magpies began brightly at Meadow Lane on Saturday but their opponents soon stepped up a gear and found the net on the stroke of half time through Luciano Narsingh. Notts were much better in the second half as Jorge Grant spurned several chances before veteran striker Jon Stead turned home on the hour to clinch a replay at the Liberty Stadium. "I'm absolutely delighted," Nolan told BBC Sport. "I thought the boys were fantastic, and we were unfortunate not to go in the break level, but the reaction in the second half was brilliant. "The lads' work-rate was brilliant, and the togetherness, and the communication - we were magnificent. "I think we showed them a bit too much respect in the first half, but we rattled them early doors in the second half, which was magnificent. And we got the goal in the second half, but we couldn't quite keep it going. "It's [Stead's] vision in and around the box that does so much for us, and it's his nous that allows him to get in the right areas to score goals, let's hope he continues doing it for us." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Notts County's FA Cup adventure is still alive as the Magpies held Premier League side Swansea City to a 1-1 draw in Saturday's fourth-round encounter at Meadow Lane. The hosts began brightly as Jorge Grant and Jon Stead combined to get the ball into the box and Elliott Hewitt came within a whisker of turning home at the far post. Swansea took a while to get into gear, with Mike van der Hoorn and Tammy Abraham failing to trouble Adam Collin, whose return to fitness coincided nicely following Ross Fitzsimons's suspension. Around the half-hour mark the visitors began to provide more of a threat as Van der Hoorn and Wilfried Bony both mustered more significant chances. Notts, however, resisted and looked like going back in the dressing rooms all square but on the stroke of half time Carlos Carvalhal's charges took the lead. The Magpies' defence was cut open as Ki Sung-yeung, on for the injured Renato Sanches, rolled the ball into the path of the overlapping Luciano Narsingh down the right side of the penalty area. The Dutch forward made no mistake, beating Collin with a low shot into the far corner of the net to edge the swans ahead just at the right time. Notts were much improved after the restart, however, and Jorge Grant had three chances to equalise as he went close with a free kick, then rifling over the bar, then nodding a header just wide. Grant made amends by turning provided as a rejuvenated County side launched another attack in the opposition third, his low ball across the face of goal turned home at the far post by Jon Stead. Swansea, desperate not to add another fixture to their schedule given their Premier League strugglers, pushed forward in a bid to restore their lead. Ki's dangerous 80th-minute strike was parried down low by Collin while Bony sent a header just wide of goal as Kevin Nolan's side held firm en route to a famous draw and a replay at the Liberty Stadium. Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Alan Hardy has expressed his hopes of seeing Notts County repeat the heroics against Brentford in knocking Swansea City out of the FA Cup at the fourth-round stage. The Magpies have done superbly in the competition, seeing off two higher-league teams in the Bees and Bristol Rovers, plus a banana skin in non-league Oxford City, to find themselves up against the Premier League side. Hardy has described the third-round win over Brentford as the greatest day of his reign as chairman so far and is hopeful to become "the centre of the headline-writers’ attentions across the world". "When I bought the club just over a year ago, never did I envisage Notts County playing a Premier League team in the FA Cup fourth round at Meadow Lane," Hardy wrote in his weekly Nottingham Post column. "But it has now become a reality and we are hoping that, come 5pm, we will have become the centre of the headline-writers’ attentions across the world. "I accept that nobody will give us a chance of winning, but earlier this month there were plenty who dismissed our hopes of getting a result at Championship side Brentford. "In the end we produced a quite magnificent performance to win 1-0, in which determination was matched with inspiration as Jon Stead’s wonderful goal sealed a memorable victory. "I said afterwards that it was the greatest day of my reign as chairman so far. I was so overcome with emotion I felt as if I couldn’t breathe. "Should we do the unthinkable against a Premier League team blessed with so much talent, I’m sure it will eclipse that fabulous afternoon we experienced in West London. "I know the players are absolutely buzzing with excitement because games like this do not come around very often. "Equally, the fans I have spoken to cannot wait for kick-off because they know our home record is extremely impressive regardless of the last couple of results. "Like our manager, Kevin Nolan, said in the build-up, he fancies us against any side at Meadow Lane so why can’t we beat Swansea? "We hope to have more than 10,000 fans inside the ground, generating an excellent atmosphere to give the players further inspiration. "And with our home record, combined with determination, quality, and incredible backing from the stands, we would give ourselves a fantastic chance of causing a real upset." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Head to head Notts County have met Swansea City/Town 70 times over the years - the Magpies have 24 wins, the Swans have 30 wins, and 16 games have been drawn. The first meeting came on 23 October 1926 in Division Two, Swansea Town winning 3-1 at Meadow Lane. The last time both sides met was in League Two on 5 March 2005, a 1-0 win for the Magpies thanks to Mark Stallard's 50th-minute goal. The last meeting between these two sides in the FA Cup came in January 1934, with the Swans winning 1-0 at home. Stats Notts County have reached the fifth round on just one occasion this century, beating Wigan Athletic 2-0 in a fourth-round replay in 2009-10. The last time Swansea reached the fourth round was in 2014-15, losing to Championship side Blackburn 3-1 at Ewood Park. In fact, the Swans have been eliminated from two of their last three ties against lower league opponents. After being eliminated in eight successive FA Cup ties against top-flight opposition, the Magpies have progressed in two of the last four - beating Wigan in 2010 and Sunderland in 2011. Swansea City have won just eight competitive games all season so far - three of which have come against lower-league opposition in domestic cup competitions. History Swansea City began life in 1912 as Swansea Town Athletic Football Club. Following the lead of many other South Wales sides, the club joined the Second Division of the Southern League for the following season. J. W. Thorpe was the club's first chairman. A site owned by Swansea Gaslight Co., called Vetch Field due to the vegetables that grew there, was rented to be the club's ground. The club's first professional match was a 1–1 draw at the Vetch Field against Cardiff City on 7 September 1912. During that first season the Welsh Cup was won for the first time. The Swans beat reigning English champions Blackburn Rovers 1–0 in the first round of the 1914–15 FA Cup, Swansea's goal coming from Ben Beynon. Following the First World War the Southern League dropped its Second Division, and with many clubs dropping out due to financial difficulties, the Swans were placed in the First Division. After four seasons in the Southern League, Swansea became founder members of the new Third Division of The Football League in 1920 and then Division Three (South) the following season. The club changed their name in 1969, when they adopted the name Swansea City to reflect Swansea's new status as a city. Swansea moved to the new Liberty Stadium during the summer of 2005. The first competitive game was a 1–0 victory against Tranmere Rovers in August 2005. Team news Notts County goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons and defender Matty Virtue are both banned for Notts County after being sent off against Crawley Town. Matt Tootle has missed the last two games through illness and remains out for Saturday's FA Cup encounter with the Swans. Swansea, meanwhile, have no injury concerns - striker Tammy Abraham, defender Angel Rangel and Bayern Munich loanee Renato Sanches have all trained and could feature at Meadow Lane. Share your thoughts about this match preview 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.

Notts County have announced the departure of Curtis Thompson on loan to Wycombe Wanderers until the end of the season. The 24-year-old has been restricted to just four appearances in cup fixtures this season, reaching a total of 100 appearances for the club he joined as a scholar in 2009. Thompson, who will wear number 29 at fellow League Two side Wycombe, will not be eligible to play when the Chairboys visit Meadow Lane on Friday 30 March. “Curtis is someone who impressed me when he’s played against us and I’ve kept tabs on him ever since, so I’m really pleased to be able to bring him here and work with him to help unlock his potential," Gareth Ainsworth told the official Wycombe site. “He’s a tenacious midfielder – someone who can win the ball and give us extra strength in the midfield. We’re in a great position in the league and need competition for places all over the park to make sure we can consistently pick up the results we need to have a successful end to the season. “I know Curtis is looking forward to getting some minutes under his belt and we may need to be patient with him while he recaptures some match sharpness, but I think there’s plenty of talent there and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do for us.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Much like in politics, a week - or to be precise in this case, two - is a long time in football. When Notts County learned of their FA Cup fourth-round opponents, quite a lot of fans would have been happier to be up against Swansea City than against Wolverhampton Wanderers. After all, one is a team top of the Championship with momentum, players way too good for the division and shedloads of cash, while the other is a down-and-out team with morale the same as their position in the Premier League table - ie rock bottom - and couldn't score in a brothel. Notts, meanwhile, had enjoyed a decent enough festive period, began the year with victory over Port Vale to entrench their place in the top three of League Two, and had put in a superb performance to beat Championship Brentford on their own turn in the FA Cup third round. Then, over the following two weeks since the fourth-round draw, Swansea City have drawn against Newcastle and beaten Liverpool in the league, as well as overcoming Wolves in the cup, while Notts have drawn one and lost two in the league to put their automatic promotion hopes in jeopardy. Another transformation is that of Ross Fitzsimons. When he came along at the FA Cup fourth-round draw event at Meadow Lane, he could do no wrong. After Adam Collin suffered his long-term injury, a lot of people were worried about just how good the back-up keepers at Notts were. Fitzsimons was drafted in, a big ask for a 23-year-old who had virtually no experience of senior league football, but over the coming months put in impressive performance after impressive performance to leave fans wondering whether Collin was going to simply reclaim his first-team place. And then, came the moment when he went from "hero" to "zero" in the eyes of a lot of fans - Crawley Town, Meadow Lane, Tuesday 22 January 2018. Notts were level with their opponents in injury time but had just been reduced to 10 men and were hanging on, but they had possession as Fitzsimons claimed the ball from a corner and set himself up to lump it upfield while the outfield players made their respective ways forward up the pitch. And then came the glitch in the matrix - Fitzsimons, still in possession of the ball, kicked out at Mark Connolly, who then made the most ridiculous fall since the ref that was nudged by Paolo di Canio all those years ago, and by the rules of the game, red card and penalty. I admit I described the ending to the game as "shambolic", and it certainly was. You can understand to a degree how a footballer can get so riled up that they lash out at another, and you have to wonder whether Connolly had said something to Fitzsimons prior that made him lash out. But at the same time, as football mistakes go, it's pretty big - I'd compare it to an own goal scored by a player who decided to pull off some inexplicable stunt and, predictably, it backfires - Lee Dixon's own goal in Arsenal v Coventry is a prime example of it. Not deliberate, but so daft that it feels like it may as well have been. Predictably, heads were lost among the Black and White Army, many of whom wanted to see Fitzy dropped from the first team entirely or sacked outright for the incident. It all felt like a pitchfork-wielding mob. Yes, it was a bad mistake. Yes, it cost Notts a point and deprived them of yet another goalkeeper at a time when things are wobbly and ahead of a crucial cup tie against PL opposition. But Fitzsimons will know this. He will be absolutely mortified to have succumbed to his red mist and his confidence will undoubtedly have taken a hit, especially how he will now be powerless in the stands watching his team in action when they need him the most. And he will learn from it. Kevin Nolan has had his fair share of brain farts over the years as a player and, even though he probably gave Fitzsimons a rollocking behind closed doors, he's come out in support of his player and will be good guidance to helping him overcome this blip. In the meantime, there's a chance Collin could return to contention and, if not, Branislav Pindroch will be given his own chance to try and make the number 1 spot his own. So in conclusion, the best thing to do is to keep faith in Nolan and in the club, and I'm sure when Fitzsimons returns from his ban, he will be a much better, wiser player. 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.

Swansea City manager Carlos Carvalhal has claimed that he "will not take risks" in Saturday's FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Notts County and admitted the priority is the Premier League. The Swans sit bottom of the table but have picked up form in recent weeks, including a shock 1-0 win over Liverpool on Monday night, to give themselves a better chance of survival. Since Carvalhal’s arrival in South Wales, the Swans have tasted defeat just once in seven games, but despite the morale-boosting win over the Reds, he says it will be a "totally different game" at the Lane. "When I said Liverpool were like a Formula One car, I also meant because of their style of play. They are very fast in the offensive transition," Carvalhal told the official Swansea site. “Against Notts County it will be different. Of course we are the bigger side, but we will respect Notts County. We will pick a team that can win the game. “Especially in England, opponents will always ask you questions, so we must give the correct answers. Even the smaller teams are very organised and difficult to play against. “And as we have seen in the cup competitions, such as the Carabao Cup, there can be surprises. We have to be ready and focused. If we do that, we will have a big advantage. “We will prepare the team as well as we can to progress in this competition... our priority, of course, is staying in the Premier League, so we will not take risks in this game. But we will respect the competition and will respect Notts County." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Hello and welcome to episode 38 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast, presented as always by the inimitable Chris and JJ. In this week's episode we discuss Notts County's League Two defeats by Exeter City and Crawley Town, looking at what went wrong and if there is serious cause for concern in terms of our automatic promotion hopes or whether we should just keep calm and carry on. We also look ahead to the FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Swansea City this weekend and see whether the Magpies have a good chance of progressing, given their upturn in form which included a shock win over Liverpool in the Premier League. In addition we discuss Ross Fitzsimons' red card in the Crawley game, addressing whether he can be forgiven for his actions or whether he should be taken out of the first team for good, as well as looking at what further reinforcements should be made this month. All this and more only in episode 38 of the Pride of Nottingham PONcast! Share your thoughts about this PONcast episode 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.

Kevin Nolan has given his Notts County players one simple message ahead of their FA Cup fourth-round meeting with Swansea City - "enjoy it". The Magpies have seen off Bristol Rovers, Oxford City and Brentford to reach round four, where they have been drawn with the Premier League strugglers. Although Swansea have picked up form in recent weeks, including a shock win over Liverpool, Nolan is eager for the players to just make the most of the occasion. “Enjoy it,” Nolan said at his press conference, as quoted by the Nottingham Post. “When I was playing, and because the priority was the league, I was always left out of the squad. “But these are the games that, when I look back, I would have loved to played in. “These games don’t often come along. It’s once a year and it’s how far you can get in the competition. “I want my lads to enjoy it from now until 5pm on Saturday. And whether we win, or lose, I know they will have given me everything to make sure they get into the next round.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

What's been happening in League Two over the last week? Here is Pride of Nottingham's round-up of the biggest League Two news from the last seven days. - Exeter City have signed forward Ryan Loft on loan from Tottenham Hotspur until the end of the season. - Crewe Alexandra will be without leading scorers Chris Porter and Chris Dagnall for several weeks because of injury. - The Railwaymen have also completed the loan signing of Carlisle United striker Shaun Miller on a deal until the end of the season. - Mansfield Town leading goalscorer Danny Rose has signed a new deal which keeps him tied to the One Call Stadium outfit until the end of the 2019-20 season. - Yeovil Town midfielder Otis Khan has been banned for five games for shoving the referee in Saturday's defeat to Chesterfield and will miss Friday's FA Cup tie against Manchester United. - Colchester United have signed Millwall defender Paul Rooney on a deal until the end of the 2018-19 season for an undisclosed fee. - Forest Green Rovers have signed West Bromwich Albion striker Tahvon Campbell on loan until the end of the season. (Sources: BBC Sport and Sky Sports News) Share your thoughts about this news round-up 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.

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has stuck up for goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons following his red card in the 2-1 defeat to Crawley Town on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was sent off in injury time for kicking out at Mark Connolly after claiming a corner, also giving away a penalty which Josh Payne converted. “What I’ve said to Ross stays with us,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “Ross has been absolutely fantastic for me since he joined the club, but he knows he has done wrong. “I am not going to protect him, but what we will do is rally round him and make sure he learns from this mistake. “He’s still a young boy and this is his first major run in a team in the league ever. “He’s let a silly push rattle him and it’s cost him. He’s probably going to miss three games and it cost us a point.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Notts County have fallen to a second League Two home defeat in a row after Crawley Town won 2-1 at Meadow Lane on Tuesday night. Jimmy Smith scored in the 25th minute to give the Red Devils the lead but Jon Stead levelled from the penalty spot 13 minutes in the second half. It looked as though the Magpies would claim a point but late drama saw Matty Virtue sent off before Ross Fitzsimons also saw red - and conceded a penalty - for kicking out at an opposition player. Josh Payne went on to convert his stoppage-time spot kick for their first ever win at Meadow Lane and leave Notts at risk of slipping out of the automatic promotion places. How did the Notts boss, players and fans react to the game's events? Here is a round-up of the post-match reaction. Kevin Nolan on the result "It's disappointing to lose the game but it's the first time we've lost successive games in the league this season, which shows how far we have come. "It could have been a different game for us if we had put our chances away in the first 10-15 minutes. Over the last two games I think we have created more chances than I can remember here but not put them away. "We've been hit with sucker punches and I have told the lads we need to manage the game in both ways and we haven't done that in the last two games as well as we have done in the past. "To lose a goal from a throw-in, which was so basic from our point of view, is disappointing. "I'm proud of these lads to be where they are at at this stage of the season. Nobody envisaged it. What I want the players to do is go back to what they were doing and be true to themselves - they'll be ok." Kevin Nolan on Ross Fitzsimons "Ross has been fantastic for me since he joined the club but he knows he has done wrong tonight. "I'm not going to defend or condone what he did but what we will do is rally around him and ensure he learns from this. "This is his first major run in a league team and he has been doing really well but tonight he has let a silly push rattle him and it has cost him a three-game suspension." The Black and White Army Chris: Well, that all went out the window. FA Cup seems a potential downer now, if we win Notts must re-focus! Otherwise the cup could be a distraction to the current mission, we didn't go top by being lucky. So, lets get things back to how they was and sign two players (ST/CB). Kevin Hopcroft: We need to be realistic. Where we are in the league is still amazing. We are still second. We are still over achieving. Every team has a dip in form at some point. You cant win every game. I agree we need a new centre half as we are conceding too easy. We also need a young hungry forward who can feed off either stead or ameobi. But come on look where we have been for the last 4-5 years and get behind the team. Let us be the twelth man instead off slating the players, manager and whoever else. COYP!!!!! David Skelding: If we want to win promotion we're going to need to find some composure from somewhere. What's the point in entering the pitch all hyped up if you're just going to gift a poor opposing team two ridiculously preventable goals and have two men sent off? James Odell: We are just getting far too predictable and easy to play against. Meant to be 433 but its obviously 451 with stead left isolated. Huge gap between strikers and midfield, never around to picking up 2nd balls on the edge of the box. Squad has over achieved all season sadly getting found out now. Share your thoughts about this post-match reaction piece 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.

Kevin Nolan has criticised referee Scott Oldham for his officiating in Notts County's 2-1 defeat to Crawley Town, insisting "he simply wasn't good enough". Tuesday's rescheduled League Two game proved another forgettable evening for the Magpies as they ended the game pointless and down to nine men. Matty Virtue was sent off for a second yellow card before Ross Fitzsimons lashed out at a Crawley player for a red card and a penalty which was converted by Harry Kewell's side. “I was angry for all the wrong reasons,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post after the game. “I was very disappointed to lose the game and when you look back, it’s the little decisions that referees get wrong are costing us at the minute. “One of those was Matty Virtue’s yellow card. It’s not a yellow – everybody can see it. “The lad has won the ball cleanly. Then for the second red, it’s a goal kick and not a corner. “But listen I am not going to try to look after Ross Fitzsimons in this because we all take accountability for our own actions. “It has cost us a point, but if it’s a goal kick then it doesn’t happen. “But I’ve said to the lads that to suffer back to back defeats for the first time this season shows how far we have come. “I am delighted with that. I don’t want to keep harping on about referees but he simply wasn’t good enough to referee this game.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Notts County have suffered a second League Two home defeat in the space of three days as Crawley Town emerged 2-1 winners at Meadow Lane on Tuesday night. The Magpies' unbeaten league home run came to an end at the weekend as Exeter City won 2-1 and the Red Devils won by the same scoreline in a game which ended in rambunctious circumstances. Kevin Nolan's side began brightly, forcing five corners in the first ten minutes, and nearly took the lead when Matty Virtue's shot was hacked off the line by Josh Lelan. Lewis Alessandra then came just as close when Liam Noble's header came off an opposition defender and fell to the winger but his shot on the turn clipped the top of the bar on its way over. The pendulum soon swung the other way, however, and Crawley enjoyed a bright spell before taking the lead on 25 minutes. Lelan’s throw on the right was flicked on by Thomas Verheydt towards Jimmy Smith, who made the most of the space at his disposal to volley beyond Ross Fitzsimons and inside the right-hand post. The first half ended with Notts on the back foot, save for Virtue heading a yard wide in stoppage time from Dan Jones’s cross. The restart saw the hosts push forward in a bid to chase an equaliser and enjoyed several good chances as Grant volleyed wide of the post before Stead curled wide of the upright. Eventually the equaliser came when Lelan was adjudged to have handled inside the area for a Notts penalty, which Stead dispatched low to the keeper's right. Unfortunately, County's hopes of hanging on to a point were dashed in stoppage time when Virtue was shown a second yellow card before Fitzsimons, looking to send a claimed corner upfield, was blocked by Mark Connolly. The Notts keeper lashed out and kicked the Crawley man, prompting the ref to not only send him off, but to award the visitors a penalty, which Josh Payne slotted home. Share your thoughts about this match report 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.

Kevin Nolan has claimed that managers should be given power to use video assisted refereeing (VAR) to challenge major decisions. At present, either the referee or the video assistant can make use of the system when there is a "clear and obvious error" involving goals, penalty awards, red cards, or mistaken identity. Nolan, meanwhile, is proposing a system similar to tennis or cricket, and thinks both managers should be allowed one unsuccessful challenge per match. "You won't have as many stops, possibly only two. Once you've got it wrong, as a manager you have to say 'right, keep schtum and trust the referee', the Notts County boss told BBC Sport. "Give managers a flag to say we want something reviewing. That stops the game right away. "What it [the review] will do is tell the referee that he got something that he's seen spot on and that will give him a confidence boost, or they will go 'fair enough you have seen something different, so let's have a look at it'. "What VAR does is give us the opportunity to go to the screen if we need to. "Say I think it is a penalty and the referee hasn't given it, I can put the flag up and say I want to look at the penalty. Then if we go to the VAR and give the penalty, I keep my flag. If it's not, I lose it and then we have the discussion afterwards. That is the best way." Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Kevin Nolan has claimed that no team has deserved to beat Notts County at home in the league since Portsmouth last April. The South Coast side won at Meadow Lane at the tail end of last season to secure promotion and, since then, the Magpies had remained unbeaten on their own turf in League Two. However, Exeter City have now ended County's superb unbeaten league home record, winning 2-1 on Saturday. Speaking ahead of Tuesday night's meeting with Crawley Town, Nolan says his side will look to bounce back, and couldn't help but feel bemused about losing the record. “We are just looking for a reaction,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “When we lost to Swindon, we followed that up with a really good performance against Port Vale just a couple of days later. “For me, it does not matter we lost at home. It was a fantastic record that we held and hats off to the lads because we had some really good teams come here this year. “Exeter were the team who ended the run, but I don’t think they deserved to win. In fact, I don’t think anybody has deserved to since we played Portsmouth last April. “But I felt we did more than enough to get something out of the game at the weekend, and the only thing I didn’t think we didn’t do, is work the keeper enough. That’s what we have been working on over the last 48 hours or so.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Head to head Notts County have played Crawley Town 11 times in their history. The first fixture between the two was on 10 November 2012 at Meadow Lane, a League One meeting which finished 1-1. Meanwhile the return fixture, played away on 9 March 2013, ended as a goalless draw. The record stands at seven Notts wins, two Crawley wins, and two draws - all games took place either in League One or League Two. Notts have won their last five games in a row agains Crawley, and seven of the last eight. Stats Notts have only won two of their last eight games, drawing four and losing two. Despite still sitting second in League Two, the chasing pack are now just a few points behind. Accrington Stanley and Exeter City now have the possibility to leapfrog the Magpies with their game in hand. Crawley, meanwhile, have won six of their last 10, allaying their early-season relegation fears. Harry Kewell's side went into last weekend's game on the back of a three-match winning run but lost 2-1 at Newport County on Friday night. History Crawley Town have been a non-league side for the majority of their history. In the 2010s, when Notts were struggling to survive in the old Second Division, Crawley had just been promoted from the Southern Football League. Crawley have won plenty of silverware in their history, though the majority of it is amateur-based. This changed when they won the Conference National title in 2011 and the League Two title just a year later. 2010-11 was a record-breaking season not just for Crawley, but also for the Conference. The West Sussex club broke the points total in one season (105) and tie with other teams for most wins in one season (31), fewest defeats (3), and highest goal difference (+63). Because of this season, alongside the funds they had to buy players and an unlikeable manager (Steve Evans), they were known as “the Manchester United of non-league football”. The town of Crawley is known for being close - just three miles in fact - to Gatwick Airport, the world's busiest single-runway international airport. Famous people who have links to Crawley include Australian footballer Kevin Muscat (born in Crawley), Gareth Southgate (attended the town's Hazelwick School), English rock band The Cure (formed in Crawley, several of its members attended St Wilfrid's RC School) and Gorillaz lead singer 2D (a fictional character, his back story claims he grew up in the town). Team news Shaun Brisley was taken off against Exeter City and Kevin Nolan says the defender has a haematoma and will not be risked against Crawley. Richard Duffy was back in training on Monday, while Matt Tootle sat it out, but both players could potentially play a role in Tuesday night's game. Crawley team news to follow. Share your thoughts about this Stat Attack piece 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.

Kevin Nolan has confirmed that Shaun Brisley will not be risked in Notts County's midweek League Two game with Crawley Town. The 27-year-old, one of the club's most consistent performers this season, was forced off late on in Saturday’s 2-1 defeat to Exeter City due to a dead leg. Although Richard Duffy is back in training after missing the weekend game at Meadow Lane, the Magpies boss admits that the team "cannot afford" to be without Brisley for more than two games. “I am disappointed because he has a knock on his leg and he has a bit of a haematoma,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “He feels good within himself, and Tuesday may come a bit too soon for him. We won’t risk him anyway because he’s got to be 100 per cent if he plays. “If he misses one or two games then that’s fair enough, but we cannot afford it to be any longer. We are just giving him as much time as we possibly can.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Alan Judge has admitted that he will seek a loan move away from Brentford this month if he's not involved in Saturday's Championship game against Norwich City. The former Notts County winger had been out of action for nearly two years with a compound leg fracture but made his first-team comeback in the FA Cup third-round defeat against his former club. However, Judge did not feature in the Bees squad for the subsequent two games against Bolton and Reading, and speaking to the Sunday Times, he expressed his frustrations at being overlooked. “This is probably the hardest part,” Judge said in an interview reprinted by Get West London. “It’s massively frustrating. You are just there waiting, but the team is doing well, I totally understand that. “I feel I am good enough to be involved, and I think I have shown that. I need minutes and the only way I can get them is by the manager putting me on the pitch. You don’t want to be told to be patient anymore. “I’m not one to make a fuss, but if by the end of January I am not playing I will need to go on loan. Hopefully people will remember what I did two years ago and think ‘he’s worth taking a punt on’.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.

Liam Noble has stressed that Notts County need a reaction in Tuesday night's fixture against Crawley Town following their weekend loss to Exeter City. The Magpies' proud unbeaten league home record, which stood since April 2017, came to an end on Saturday as goals from Jake Taylor and Jayden Stockley gave the visitors a 2-1 win. Notts are in action again in midweek, the fixture having been rescheduled due to their FA Cup progress, and Noble says it works out well to have the chance to bounce back straight away. “We were disappointed to lose the home record the way we did and it would have been a long week if we didn't have this game,” Noble told the official Notts website. “We need a reaction from everyone and I'm sure we will get it. There are 18 games left and there will be a lot of twists and turns to go along the way. “You're always going to get two or three weeks where you look at the scores after a defeat and everyone around you has won but there's no point looking at it or worrying until there are a few games left because it will keep changing. “Teams will continue to take points off one another and plenty of them still have to play each other too. We just need to keep going because we have the squad to bounce back.” Share your thoughts about this news story 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.