Joe Jones

Notts County grabbed their first league win of the 2017/18 League Two season in impressive fashion, seeing off a dirty Chesterfield side 2-0 in Saturday's encounter at Meadow Lane. A game laden with controversy, Gozie Ugwu should have earned a red card for a number of clashes with home players, and was hauled off at half time by Gary Caldwell. Gibraltar international Scott Wiseman, meanwhile, did get his marching orders after hauling down Terry Hawkridge, denying him a clear goalscoring opportunity. In the end, the encounter was settled by Jorge Grant, whose looping header to break the deadlock was followed up by a spectacular free kick into the bottom corner of the Spireites net. Notts have put up the highlights of the game on YouTube - have another look for yourself how the Magpies got on and relive Grant's moments of magic. Share your thoughts about the Chesterfield game 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.

Every remarkable Notts County team over the years has comprised of quality players in every position of the pitch, and as arguably the most important one in any squad, the goalkeeper slot has also been filled by some great names at Meadow Lane. From Albert Iremonger in the early 20th century to the likes of Kasper Schmeichel and Bartosz Bialkowski in the 2010s, via Jimmy Sirrel's protege Raddy Avramovic in the early 80s, every generation of Notts fans will fondly remember at least one quality name in between the sticks. The man who occupied this role during County's last truly stellar period, in which they last graced the top flight, is Steve Cherry, a player and individual who remains loved by everyone involved with the Black and White Army. Born on 5 August 1960 in Nottingham, Cherry started his career across the A52 at Derby County, signing schoolboy forms as a 15-year-old. Three years later he put pen to paper on a professional contract and made 77 appearances for the Rams between 1978 and 1984, also spending a short time on loan at Port Vale between 1980 and 1981. While at the Baseball Ground, he was voted the club's player of the year in 1983. Cherry then enjoyed a two-year spell at Walsall, where he made 71 appearances, and Plymouth Argyle, where he played 73 times - and picked up the second player of the year award of his career, in 1988 - and while on the Pilgrims' books he also had a short stint on loan at Chesterfield. In January 1989, a little-known manager by the name of Neil Warnock joined Notts County, and one month into his tenure, his new side lost 3-0 at Chesterfield, who had Cherry in goal. Just a week later, the Nottingham-born goalkeeper's registration was sold from Plymouth to Notts, whose goalkeeper at the time, Mick Leonard, went to Saltergate. The fee to sign Cherry was £70,000, but Notts more than got their money's worth as the goalkeeper made the number 1 shirt his own, and his time at the club coincided with a meteoric rise through the leagues. County narrowly missed out on the Third Division playoffs that year, but put it right the following season, finishing third and going all the way to the final, where Cherry kept a clean sheet in a 2-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers at Wembley which took them into the second tier. The following year they repeated the feat, finishing fourth in the Second Division to qualify for the playoffs, and Cherry was once again impervious in goal as they saw off Brighton & Hove Albion 3-1 in their second trip to Wembley in just as many years. 1991 also saw arguably Cherry's greatest ever game, putting in what was deemed a "heroic performance in a 1-0 win over top-flight Manchester City in the fifth round of the FA Cup, a series of outstanding saves keeping the Citizens out as Gary Lund struck a winner for Notts late on. Despite the 1991-92 season not going according to plan for Notts, with relegation back to the second tier after just one year in the First Division, Cherry nonetheless impressed in between the sticks, and was named as the club's player of the year that season for his efforts - the third of his career. All in all, Cherry made 266 appearances for the Magpies - including two more games at Wembley, in the 1994 and 1995 Anglo-Italian Cup finals - by the time of his departure to Glenn Roeder's Watford in July 1995, where he made just four appearances as deputy to Kevin Miller before linking up with former club Plymouth, reuniting him with Warnock once again. That season, Cherry helped the Pilgrims reach the Third Division playoffs, and much like his time at Notts, he would once again find himself on the winning side at Wembley as the Devon club won promotion with a 1-0 win over Darlington, Cherry keeping another clean sheet at England's national stadium. The twilight of Cherry's professional career saw him turn out for Rotherham United and Rushden & Diamonds, before several brief non-contract spells at Mansfield Town, Stalybridge Celtic (on loan), Oldham Athletic, and Lincoln City. He then made several appearances for a number of non-league sides - Kettering, Stalybridge Celtic, Kidsgrove Athletic and Belper Town - before officially hanging up his boots (and gloves). Cherry went on to work for Lincoln and Macclesfield Town in a coaching capacity, but left the latter in May 2010 to undergo heart surgery, from which he thankfully recovered. A man whose contributions for Notts County are worthy of a place in the club's hall of fame, Steve Cherry is a true Magpie legend. Share your thoughts about this Notts Alumni 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.

Notts County boss Kevin Nolan has praised Jorge Grant after the loanee came off the bench to bag a brace in a 2-0 win against Chesterfield on Saturday. The 22-year-old nodded home the opener on the hour in the League Two encounter at Meadow Lane before curling an audacious free kick into the back of the net in injury time. The performance and result are far removed from the opening-day mess in which the Magpies lost 3-0 at Coventry City and builds on the good display at Scunthorpe United in midweek. “Jorge is a talent and we worked so hard with him when he was on loan with us last year,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “It’s a credit to him that he wanted to come back and work under us again this season. “We give him that freedom and confidence to go out and play. When you are given that trust by the manager, the staff and the players, you can produce moments of magic like he did. “I was delighted with his contribution and his reaction to not being in the starting XI. We took the decision not to play him from the off because he didn’t train on Thursday because of a tight hamstring. “It was about wrapping him up in cotton wool a little bit and making sure we had that talent on the bench. “You want those players who don’t start, to show the right type of attitude and I felt that all three of our substitutes contributed to the 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.

A superb two-goal performance from Notts County substitute Jorge Grant has helped Kevin Nolan's side to a 2-0 win over Chesterfield in their first home game of the 2017/18 League Two season. Both the Magpies and Spireites had lost their first game of the league campaign and were also knocked out of the League Cup, but despite the visitors' thuggish gameplay, Notts emerged triumphant thanks to the man of the moment. Many Notts fans were surprised by Nolan's decision to revert to the bulk of the side that started the 3-0 hammering at Coventry City, save for Ryan Yates replacing Liam Walker in midfield. The opening 20 minutes proved pretty uneventful, with Chesterfield registering the first effort of note as Louis Reed flashed a shot wide of the Notts post on 22 minutes. Shortly before the half-hour mark, Gozie Ugwu clashed with Elliott Hewitt in an off-the-ball incident, an incident which should really have warranted a red card, but the referee only showed him a yellow. Notts then stepped it up a gear, Shola Ameobi going through on goal after a Reed slip, but opposition goalkeeper Sam Hird pulled off a smart save to force a corner. On 34 minutes, however, Ugwu had arguably the best chance of the game so far when he was put clean through, but Adam Collin made a save low down. Normal service resumed afterwards as Notts weighed in with several more chances and, shortly before the break, Gary Caldwell's charges went down to 10 men after Terry Hawkridge was brought down by Scott Wiseman, denying him a clear goalscoring opportunity. There was yet more room for controversy as Ugwu fouled Richard Duffy to earn himself a final talking-to by the ref, and his manager saw fit to take him off at the break. Within a minute of the restart, Dion Donohue came close to open the scoring, but he hesitated and Duffy managed to charge his shot down. The game changed entirely when Grant came on 53 minutes, as he broke the deadlock on the hour mark. Matt Tootle's free kick nodded by the loanee past Chesterfield goalkeeper Joe Anyon and into the net. Notts could have had a second shortly afterwards when Stead was put through by Ameobi, but just as he had a go, he was barged into by Ian Evatt, the effort being saved and put out for a corner. Nonetheless, the Magpies would go on to seal the deal late on in the game, Jonathan Forte winning a free kick just outside the box and Grant curling a wonderful effort into the bottom corner. 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.

Notts County have unveiled their new home dressing room at Meadow Lane, with owner Alan Hardy claiming it is "befitting a Premier League club" and manager Kevin Nolan describing it as "probably the best dressing room I've ever seen in my career." On the eve of the Magpies' first home game of the season, against Chesterfield, the club made the announcement and showed off pictures of the changing room, refurbished by Nottingham-based interior design company Paragon. Nolan told the official Notts website: "It's breathtaking. No stone has been left unturned. It's probably the best dressing room I've ever seen in my career. "Hats off to Alan. He's really investing in this club and it's about us now making sure we get positive results on the pitch, because we're certainly seeing them off it." Hardy, meanwhile, added: "We're delighted with the dressing room. It was touch-and-go, but it's what Paragon do. I had no doubt the project would be delivered on time. "It was important we created a special environment and experience for the players. Everything is flush and feels like it's been properly designed. We're delighted with the overall impact." In addition, the owner also spoke to the Nottingham Post and said: "I am absolutely delighted with the outcome as I firmly believe it is a dressing room befitting a Premier League club." Alongside the dressing room refurbishment, Hardy added that the entire stadium has been jet washed this week after they " quite rightly... came in for some criticism after the Forest 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.

Notts County have played Chesterfield a total of 66 times over the years, the first meeting coming on the 29th November 1930 in the FA Cup. The game took place at the Spireites' old ground, Saltergate, and finished 2-1 to the Magpies. The head-to-head record favours Notts, with 27 victories, 20 defeats and 19 draws. The last time the two teams met was on 7 February 2015 in League One, the outcome a 1-0 win to Chesterfield at Meadow Lane. Nobody knows the date when the first incarnation of Chesterfield Football Club was formed. A Derbyshire Times newspaper report from 2 January 1864 noted a scheduled game between "Chesterfield and Norton football clubs", suggesting that a club in the town was active from at least 1863. By contrast, club historian Stuart Basson had placed a formally constituted Chesterfield F.C. as being established as an offshoot of Chesterfield Cricket Club in October 1867. The early history of the club is dotted with tumult and instability - the club lost the right to play at Saltergate following worsening relations with Chesterfield Cricket Club, while in 1915 the subsequent incarnation of the club, Chesterfield Town, was put into voluntary liquidation. To fill the footballing gap left in the town, Chesterfield Borough Council reformed the club on 24 April 1919, giving it the name Chesterfield Municipal F.C. After the Football Association and Football League made it clear that they were against a council-run club, the entity became independent, reflected in the name change to Chesterfield F.C. in December 1920. The club have been successful in terms of minor silverware, winning the Fourth Division (and its subsequent reincarnations) a record four times, while also claimin the Anglo-Scottish Cup in 1982 and the Football League Trophy in 2012 (and finishing runners-up in 2014). The 1996–97 season saw Chesterfield beat six clubs including Nottingham Forest to reach the semi-final of the FA Cup for the first time. The semi-final match against Middlesbrough was drawn 3–3 after extra time; Chesterfield lost the replay 3–0. The club's nickname, The Spireites, comes from the Church of St Mary and All Saints in Chesterfield, famous for its crooked spire. Famous Chesterfield players include Ernie Moss, Kevin Davies, Gary Stone, Jason Lee, Walter McMillen, Sam Hardy, Gordon Banks, Herbert Munday, Steve Ogrizovic, Barry Sunday, Freeman Hardy and Willis Edwards. Famous fans include glamour model Jo Guest, presenter Robert Primrose Wilson, and ex-Arsenal goalkeeper John Lukic. Team news Kevin Nolan has no fresh injury worries ahead of Notts County's meeting with Chesterfield, but has spoken of the selection dilemma facing him. Following a disappointing display in the 3-0 defeat at Coventry City, Nolan made eight changes against Scunthorpe United in the League Cup, with the replacement players putting in a much improved display. Jonathan Forte, in particular, impressed and could put pressure on Jon Stead and Shola Ameobi ahead of Nolan picking his strike force for Saturday's League Two game. Chesterfield captain Ian Evatt returns for the Spireites after missing the 4-1 cup defeat at Sheffield Wednesday through suspension. Fellow defender Jordan Sinnott will be monitored after he picked up a thigh injury in last week's league opener against Grimsby Town, which also finished in defeat. Robbie Weir and Charlie Wakefield are options to return to the side after being on the bench at Hillsborough in midweek. Jerome Binnom-Williams (ankle) and Joe Rowley (shoulder) remain unavailable with injuries suffered in pre-season. 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.

Lewis Alessandra admits making the Notts County squad this season will require each player to be at their absolute best because of the competition for places. Following the Magpies' 3-0 defeat at Coventry City on Saturday, Kevin Nolan made eight changes for the League Cup game at Scunthorpe United. The new XI yielded a much improved performance which saw the League One Iron pushed all the way to penalties, though the Magpies sadly succumbed 6-5. Alessandra was one of several players who watched the game from the stands and the winger admits he faces a fight to regain his place in the side. “It would be tough to change the team after Tuesday because the lads did that well,” he told the Nottingham Post. “It’s never nice to lose on penalties, but if you’re looking at it as a whole you can’t be too disheartened by the performance. “We were playing against good opposition and it was a massive improvement from Saturday. Everyone who stepped in was awesome. “We were disappointed collectively not to go through on the night, but you want that competition for places. “If you are not pulling your weight or performing too well, there’s a guy behind you wanting to take the shirt off your 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.

Kevin Nolan has urged his players to ensure Notts County's game against Chesterfield on Saturday does not turn out to be a "basketball match". The Magpies have played two games so far this season, against Coventry City in League Two and Scunthorpe United in the League Cup, and both of those saw his charges concede three goals. With the Spireites coming to Meadow Lane at the weekend, Nolan is clear about what he wants from his players. Though acknowledging Chesterfield have not had a good start to the season either, Nolan is aware they'll be dangerous. “They (Chesterfield) lost to Grimsby on the opening day and then had a heavy defeat to Sheffield Wednesday,” he told the Nottingham Post. “But they are a good side and they will come to try to cause us problems. “Having played against Gary (Caldwell) a few times, he likes to play the game in the right way. “I am expecting it to be a good spectacle, but I don’t want a basketball match. I want a clean sheet and a win.” 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.

Kevin Nolan has admitted that each Notts County player will have others in their position "breathing down their neck" when it comes to squad selection this season. The Magpies began their season with a 3-0 hammering at Coventry City, but an impressive display at Scunthorpe United in the League Cup in midweek, following eight changes, has given the gaffer food for thought. Nolan admits he does not know who he will be selecting for Saturday's game against Chesterfield at Meadow Lane, but is happy to know that every player will have to be at the top of their game. "All the lads are going home not knowing whether or not they will be in the team on Saturday," he told the official club site. "I don't know my team yet. I'm going to have a meeting with my coaching staff and will have to make tough decisions, but that's what I want. "There will be 11 lads who will have earned the shirt on Saturday but they have to keep it because they have others breathing down their neck for their position." 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has praised midfielder Ryan Yates's contributions in Notts County's League Cup game at Scunthorpe United, suggesting he will go on to do more for the Magpies as the season goes on. The 19-year-old, who joined last week from Nottingham Forest on loan, impressed at Glanford Park on Tuesday night and weighed in with a goal to make it 3-3 in extra time to take the game to penalties, which Notts sadly lost 6-5. “His performance showed why we chased him from day one,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “We knew what he had and the quality he possesses. “He is going to make a massive contribution to us and I am delighted that he has scored his first goal. “He’s not as fit as he said he was! ...I’m only messing. The two Forest boys Ryan and Jorge Grant did themselves really proud. But it wasn’t just those two, it was everybody.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has admitted that he will have "some hard decisions to make for Saturday" in terms of team selection for Notts County's home game against Chesterfield in League Two. The Magpies made eight changes to their starting XI in Tuesday's League Cup game at Scunthorpe United following a poor 3-0 defeat at Coventry City last Saturday. The much-changed Notts side put in a great display at Glanford Park, taking the lead and then twice pegging the Iron back after falling behind, only succumbing at the death on penalties. “I’ve got some hard decisions to make for Saturday, but that’s what I want,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “We made eight changes on Tuesday, and I suspect many were thinking ‘oh this is a second team’. It wasn’t. It was a first team who had a lot of games between them. “That’s why they were able to play the way they did on Tuesday and take on the information so quickly. “To a man they were absolutely brilliant. Everybody contributed, even the lads who were sat in the stands. “They got right behind the lads. Everyone did the club proud and I am delighted with that.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has declared himself proud of Notts County's performance against Scunthorpe United in Tuesday's League Cup first-round clash at Glanford Park. The Magpies took the lead in the match but went on to fall behind twice, only to peg their opponents back both times for a final score of 3-3 and taking them all the way to penalties. Only one spot kick was missed - unfortunately it was one from Matt Tootle, which at sudden death, gave the Iron passage to the next round of the competition. Nolan told the official Notts website: "I never get too high when we win or too low when we lose - but I do get proud when I see a performance like that. "The lads were really upset with their performance on Saturday but I think we showed, as a squad, what we're about. "I'm absolutely gutted we didn't make it into the next round. We took a very good League One side all the way to the wire and on another night we could have nicked it. "It's going to be tough because a lot of the lads have run themselves into the ground. We'll be assessing them. Some will need wrapping up in cotton wool more than others. "We'll have as many fit and raring to go as we can going into the weekend." 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County have certainly enjoyed some memorable nights in the League Cup over the last couple of years. The epic showdown with Nottingham Forest in 2011. Taking the mighty Liverpool to extra time in 2013. The eight-goal thriller with Aston Villa. And right on cue, on yet another odd-numbered year, comes another League Cup classic featuring the Magpies - the opponents, Scunthorpe United, may not be quite so glamorous as the above, but it was nonetheless a titanic tussle which went all the way to penalties, though sadly, the outcome was a defeat, albeit a heroic one. In a game played under heavy rain that seemed at risk of potentially being postponed as it went on, Jorge Grant hit a speculative effort from 20 yards out which hit the bar and was turned behind for a corner. From the resulting corner, the Nottingham Forest loanee opened the scoring after Rob Milsom’s cross into the box was not dealt with by the Iron defence and Grant steered into the far corner. Scunthorpe switched formation from 3-5-2 to 4-4-2 at the break which made them more threatening, and 61 minutes in, Paddy Madden had the ball in the back of the net, though he was deemed to be offside. However, the hosts were given a route back into the game when Conor Townsend was brought down by Terry Hawkridge, prompting the referee to award a penalty which Madden slotted into the bottom left-hand corner. With just four minutes left of normal time, Duane Holmes put the Iron ahead after racing through onto a Sam Mantom pass, and it looked like County's resistance was over. However, injury time brought about a Notts equaliser when Milsom’s corner was met by the head of Shaun Brisley, hitting the post with his first chance, before pouncing on the rebound and levelling the game, which meant extra time. Seconds before half-time in the extra period, Hakeeb Adelakun played Madden through on goal, who bore down on goal and slotted past Ross Fitzsimons, although the Magpies were a man down in defence after Shaun Brisley went down injured at the other end. Nonetheless, Kevin Nolan's side would draw level once again when another Forest loanee, Ryan Yates turned inside the box and drove his shot past Matt Gilks, who had little time to react to the strike. And so it went down to penalties, whose new format - and its resulting name - has singlehandledly served as free advertising for one of the most "iconic" pop bands of the 20th century. One player on team A would take a spot kick, then two players on team B would take their penalties, then two from team A, and so on, rather than the simple one on each team alternating. So rather than ABAB, it's ABBA. Alan Smith, Curtis Thompson, Rob Milsom, Shaun Brisley and Jonathan Forte all succeeded with their penalties, but Scunthorpe's efforts were all converted too, and sadly the man to fluff his kick was a Notts man, Matt Tootle. Nonetheless, it was a gutsy, doughty performance which Nolan and his boys can take much from going into Saturday's encounter with Chesterfield, the first Meadow Lane league game of the season. And judging by how things have panned out over the last decade, expect a complete non-event in the League Cup in 2018 before another corker in 2019. 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has reassured Notts County fans by saying they will learn from the Coventry City defeat and believes there will not be many more days like Saturday throughout the course of the season. A Jodi Jones hat-trick saw the Sky Blues run out 3-0 winners over the beleaguered Magpies, who were acknowledged by their manager to have "got it all wrong" on the day. “Saturday has just brought things back into perspective,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “Coventry have spent a lot of money on players that we couldn’t afford and with the experience they had, they handled the situation a lot better than us. Sometimes you have got to take your hat off and say ‘fair play’. “One thing that I am trying to teach is that they can get there and they can compete on a weekly basis. I believe that they can compete with any in the league. “On Saturday we didn’t, but I don’t feel there are going to be too many of those days from now until the end of the season. “But we will get one and it’s how we react. It’s about learning from the experience we endured on Saturday, making sure we know when to say ‘oh this is another Coventry’ and do the basics. “There’s a lot to learn and in four or five games we will start to judge. "You can bring as many players as you want in during pre-season and say how great they’ve done, but you never know the true extent when they cross the line on a Saturday or Tuesday night. “I do feel I have a great group of lads and a good squad which we can do good things with this year.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County against Scunthorpe United is a relatively new fixture in English football - the first time these two faced off was on the 4th January 1969 in the old Division Four. On that day, goals by George Kerr and Nigel Cassidy gave the Iron a 2-1 victory - Richie Barker netted the consolation for the Magpies. Since then, the two sides have played 27 further games, and the record is firmly in the Magpies' favour, winning 18, drawing 4 and losing just 6. The last fixture took place on 9 August 2016, also in the first round of the League Cup, also at Glanford Park, and it finished 2-0 to the Iron. Scunthorpe United were formed in 1899 - in 1910 they merged with local rivals Lindsey United to become Scunthorpe & Lindsey United, and joined the Midland Football League in 1912. In 1950 the club was accepted into the Football League, ahead of Workington and Wigan Athletic, when the league structure was expanded, with the "Lindsey" part of the name being dropped shortly after. Ever since the club entered the league their nickname has been ‘The Iron’, a metal which has long played a role in the team’s nomenclature. Before 1950s Scunthorpe United were known as the Knuts. The origin is uncertain but it is generally accepted as being when they won one of the local charity cups. The vicar of Frodingham, the Rev Cryspant Rust, said “that indeed Scunthorpe and Lindsey United were a tough (k)nut to beat”. For a small club, the Iron have an impressive roll call of former players and managers. The most notable is Kevin Keegan, one of England's greatest ever footballers, who played for Scunny between 1966 and 1971. Other alumni, either in a playing or managing capacity, include Ray Clemence, cricketer Ian Botham, Ian Storey-Moore, Neil Warnock, Jermaine Beckford, Billy Sharp, Andy Keogh, and former Leicester City manager Nigel Adkins, who used to be the club's physiotherapist. Team news Scunthorpe United manager Graham Alexander has confirmed that former Notts County man Neal Bishop will not play as he is suffering from a dead leg. Defender Lewis Butroid and striker Luke Williams have also just got back into training so they are likely to miss out, but aside from those three, the Iron have everyone else fit and available. Notts County manager Kevin Nolan has no new injury worries ahead of the trip to Glanford Park, but is likely to ring the changes following the 3-0 defeat at Coventry City at the weekend. Forward Jonathan Forte looks likely to feature following the Magpie attack's poor showing at the Ricoh Arena, as well as Nolan revealing he held a "frank discussion" with the ex-Scunthorpe man. Share your thoughts about this Stat Attack 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has revealed that he engaged in a "frank discussion" with Jonathan Forte over the weekend in a bid to get a reaction out of him on the pitch. The 31-year-old forward was left out of the Notts County squad which lost 3-0 at Coventry City at the weekend, but may be given a spot in the team for the League Cup visit to his former club Scunthorpe United on Tuesday. Nolan did not elaborate on the content of the discussion between himself and Forte, but he suggested that there was an element of clearing the air, and both of them now "feel better". “It was a frank discussion and it was needed,” the Magpies boss told the Nottingham Post. “I have a lot of respect for Forte as a player and as a person. “I will always be honest, and I will never shy away from anything if something needs to be said. “It was great to be able to sit down and have a chat. He feels better about it, I know I certainly do. “I am hoping I can see a reaction from him and that he stakes his claim for a place in the team on Saturday. The ball is in his court as it is with all the lads.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has stressed he will not be panicking, or panic buying, after Notts County's heavy loss at Coventry City at the weekend. A Jodi Jones hat-trick inflicted a 3-0 defeat on the Magpies at the Ricoh Arena, with two of his goals coming in the last 10 minutes. Notts were blunt in attack, while the defence could have done much better for Jones's goals - implying a potential need for yet more new recruits. Nolan says he was disappointed with the performance, but maintains he won’t react by spending more money on players just yet. Asked whether he would be more inclined to make more signings following the loss, he told the Nottingham Post: “I am not getting carried away. “Okay, it’s not what we wanted but we are not going to start panicking. “People should know me by now that I don’t get carried away when we are winning and I don’t get carried away when we have lost. “I will be going away to watch the videos to make sure we are ready for Scunthorpe on Tuesday and then Chesterfield at Meadow Lane next weekend.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Kevin Nolan has offered a scathing assessment of Notts County following their opening-day defeat at Coventry City. The Magpies succumbed to a Jodi Jones hat-trick as the newly-relegated Sky Blues cruised to a 3-0 win at the Ricoh Arena. For all of County's woes, Nolan admitted that Coventry were simply the better team on the day, doing "the right things at the right times". “It went wrong from start to finish,” the gaffer told the Nottingham Post. “We were a bit like rabbits caught in the headlights. They looked more composed and did the right things at the right times. “They didn’t really do anything spectacular, they just put in behind us and put us under pressure and picked up on the seconds. “They have a lot of experienced pros in their team and they really showed. “It’s one for us to sit down, look at them and think ‘these are the benchmark’ in the fact they’ve done all the basics right. That’s why they had the success they did.” 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County were humbled at the Ricoh Arena as Coventry City cruised to a 3-0 win over the visitors in Saturday's League Two opener. Following a five-minute postponement due to adverse weather, the Sky Blues began brightly, with Michael Doyle forcing a save from Adam Collin at his near post six minutes in. The Magpies then enjoyed a bright spell, Peter Vincenti's sloppiness in the middle of the park setting off a move that culminated in Terry Hawkridge drilling an effort against the foot of the post. Shaun Brisley then flicked a header narrowly wide on 28 minutes, which proved a costly miss as Coventry took the lead just a minute later. Jodi Jones received a diagonal ball in the box on the right from Vincenti, cut inside onto his left foot, and was given all the time and space in the world to then fire the ball into the net, Dan Jones holding back and being nutmegged in the process. Coventry ended the half strongly, Dominic Hyam heading just over on the stroke of half-time, and they continued to impress following the restart, Marc McNulty hitting a ferocious angled shot that required a good save from Collin. Notts, however, stepped up a gear, with strike pair Shola Ameobi and Jon Stead causing the opposition defenders problems, though the latter could only drill an effort over the bar. For all of the visitors' increasing efforts, however, they were caught out 11 minutes from time when 19-year-old Jones burst through into the box, composed himself and sent an angled shot past Collin. The cherry on top for Coventry and Jones came in injury time when Duckens Nazon slipped the youngster through, and he then drilled past the Notts keeper to leave the visitors reeling come the final whistle. 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

In case you've been out of the loop for a while, the new EFL season starts this weekend, with Notts County given a baptism of fire this League Two campaign with a trip to Coventry City, a side expected to be in the hunt for automatic promotion, on Saturday. Former Magpies striker Lee Hughes, one of the finest marksmen Meadow Lane has seen in recent years, has kindly given Pride of Nottingham a message of support to pass on to Notts fans as Kevin Nolan's boys face his former club at the Ricoh Arena. Hughes was at Meadow Lane this week as he promoted his new business - we were very honoured to speak to a true Notts legend. COME ON YOU PIES!! LADTH!! Share your thoughts about this Lee Hughes video 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

There haven’t been many fixtures between Notts County and Coventry City, in all fairness: just 38 in the last 97 years. The first encounter took place on the 6th November 1920, the match at Meadow Lane ending in a 1-1 draw. The last one, meanwhile, was on 6th April 2015, a goalless draw. There have plenty of high-scoring games between the two, with several 5-1s, 3-0s and 4-2s over the years. Notts County have the upper hand in the head-to-heads – 19 victories over the Sky Blues, 11 defeats and 8 draws. In 2001, Coventry were relegated from the Premier League after 34 years in the first tier. At the time, only Liverpool, Everton and Arsenal could boast longer tenures in the top flight. A year later, they were relegated to the third tier in English Football for the first time in 48 years, and now, they have slipped down into the bottom tier, compounding a Portsmouth-like fall from grace. Coventry’s new stadium, the 32,609-capacity Ricoh Arena, was opened in August 2005, but following a rent dispute with the ground's owners the club opted to play their home games at Northampton Town's Sixfields Stadium starting in the 2013–14 season, a move which didn’t prove popular with Sky Blues fans. On 21 August 2014, it was announced an agreement had been reached allowing the club to return to the Ricoh Arena for the next two years with the option of another two years. It has been reported that there will be a relocation to another site within the city, as the tenancy with the Ricoh Arena expires in August 2018. The club’s proudest moment was undoubtedly the 1987 FA Cup final at Wembley, which was won by the Sky Blues thanks to an enthralling 3-2 win after two hours of football. Following Tottenham Hotspur player Gary Mabbutt’s own goal in extra time, which set Coventry on the way to their win, a fanzine was created called GMK – Gary Mabbutt’s Knee! Team News Coventry will be without Ryan Haynes - the defender suffered a knee injury early on in the Sky Blues' pre-season preparations and still has around another month to go in his recovery. Goalkeeper Lee Burge is struggling with a shoulder injury and a late decision will be made about his involvement. New signings Michael Doyle, Liam O'Brien, Marc McNulty, Rod McDonald, Liam Kelly, Dominic Hyam, Maxime Biamou, Jack Grimmer and Peter Vincenti are all available to make their debuts Michael O'Connor is expected to be the only player missing through injury for Notts County. The midfielder is recovering from a knee operation after suffering cruciate ligament damage towards the end of last season and he will not play again until 2018. Defender Richard Duffy will captain the team in his absence. New signings Terry Hawkridge, Lewis Alessandra, Shaun Brisley, Jorge Grant, Dan Jones, Liam Walker, Branislav Pindroch, Pierce Bird and Callum Saunders will all be hoping to make their debuts. Share your thoughts about this Stat Attack feature 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County have completed the signing of Nottingham Forest midfielder Ryan Yates on a season-long loan. Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play. Full name: Ryan Yates Date of birth: November 21, 1997 Place of birth: Nottingham Age: 19 Height: 1,90m Nationality: English Position: Midfielder, defender Preferred foot: Right Last club: Shrewsbury Town (loan) Came through the ranks at: Forest Other clubs he has played for: Barrow Credentials: " I'm full of energy, passion and desire. I like breaking up play and getting box-to-box." - the player himself. "He can do everything - he's got fight and determination, he can pass the ball, he can tackle, he's got a good engine and he's good in the air. He's also got a lot of positive energy and you can see he's led teams before." - Kevin Nolan Share your thoughts about this factfile 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County have confirmed the signing of midfielder Ryan Yates on a season-long loan from Nottingham Forest. The 19-year-old signs in time to be included in the Magpies squad for the first game of the new League Two season, away at Coventry City. Yates, who was rumoured to be on the radar of Lincoln City, joins fellow Reds teammate Jorge Grant in penning a loan deal over the river. He told the official Notts site: "I'm so happy to be here. The manager has been after me for quite a while and I'm delighted it's now over the line. "I'm full of energy, passion and desire. I like breaking up play and getting box-to-box. "I've had a good five weeks with the Under 23s at Forest, working really hard with Jack Lester and Gary Brazil. I'm feeling really fit ahead of the new season." Speaking about his fellow Forest loanee, he said: "I'm good friends with Jorge. We've played quite a few games together so I know how he works. "Jorge is a top professional and someone I looked up to when I was a scholar at Forest when he was in the 23s and breaking into the first team. He conducts himself as a model pro and that's where I want to get to." 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!

Notts County manager Kevin Nolan cannot wait for the 2017/18 season to get underway. The Magpies start the new campaign away to Coventry City on Saturday, one of the most difficult opening-day propositions they could have asked for. Nolan acknowledges that a lot of players will be disappointed when it comes to the Notts matchday squad at the Ricoh Arena, but says everyone will get their opportunity in a busy opening month. "I'm absolutely buzzing for it now," he told the official Notts website. "The boys have been ready for a number of days so we're really looking forward to it. "I have played at the Ricoh Arena a few times and it's a lovely stadium to start the season off at. But it shows where Coventry have come from - it's not just us who have had a few turbulent years. "We can't feel sorry for ourselves because we are a club that's now going in the right direction and we can't feel sorry for Coventry either. "We have our own hurdles to overcome and hopefully we can come away with a positive result and performance. "There will be a lot of people disappointed on Saturday but they will get their opportunity in the next few weeks. It's up to them to keep the shirt when they get it. "Everyone will be available on Saturday which is fantastic news for us and it shows the condition the lads have all come back in - they look a lot stronger, more powerful and are ready to go." 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. We at Pride of Nottingham want you to enjoy all our content for free. If you fancy helping us provide even better content, however, please consider contributing to PON by clicking here!