Joe Jones

Alan Hardy has reiterated the need for Notts County to make the right signings for the team and insists they will continue to be meticulous in assessing potential new recruits. The Magpies have made three additions to the team so far in Terry Hawkridge, Lewis Alessandra and Dan Jones, but some fans have questioned both the calibre of the signings and the relative lack of new arrivals. Hardy insists both he and Kevin Nolan are very particular in ensuring new recruits will fit into the manager's system and have the right character. In his weekly Nottingham Post column, he wrote: "Over the last few days we have been working towards adding to the squad, but it has proven to be an immensely frustrating period. "As the manager, Kevin Nolan, explained in his question and answer session before Saturday's game against Rolls Royce, the spine of the team is very much our priority. "A centre-back, central midfielder and centre forward are the primary targets, but they are arguably the most difficult and most expensive positions to recruit. "There are so many players who are still out of contract, and every day we are inundated with calls from agents wanting us to take their clients. "While it would be very easy to say 'yes, we'll take him, him and him', we don't want to settle for anybody. "Kevin is very particular about who he wants to bring in and the research he and his staff put into potential signings is remarkable. "We check their background with other managers and look at extensive footage to assess whether they fit the system Kevin wants to employ. "In particular, however, we look at a player's character. The team spirit we have fostered over the last six months has been incredible so you have to know the player you are signing will fit in. "There is a strategy and a reasoning for every signing. They all have to bring something different to the table because you don't want four players for one position." To read the rest of Alan Hardy's column, click here. 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!

Michael O'Connor will be shadowing Notts County manager Kevin Nolan and the other coaches to gain knowledge and experience ahead of doing his UEFA A Licence next year. The Magpies captain is currently out of action as he recovers from a serious knee injury suffered earlier this year at the hands of Portsmouth. He has not put a timescale on his recovery, as it still appears to be a lengthy road back, but in the meantime, he will also be gaining valuable information about the coaching side of the game. O'Connor told the official Notts website: "I'm going to shadow the gaffer, Mark Crossley and Richard Thomas for a while. "I'm going to do my A Licence next year, so I'll try and learn as much as possible from them. "The gaffer wants me to go and watch some matches for him when I can drive. He's trying to keep me involved as much as possible, which is good." 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 striker Jon Stead has been trying out his hand at interviews and vox pops as the 2017/18 home kit went on sale on Tuesday evening. The club put up a special event at the Meadow Lane club shop for season ticket holders to get their hands on the new home shirt. Now, most footie journos dream of being footballers, but pro player Stead seems to be curious on the opposite trajectory - here he is showing his microphone skills! Tell you what Steady - we've got intership opportunities at Pride of Nottingham if you fancy working in the media... Share your thoughts about this 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!

Michael O'Connor has provided an update on his recovery from the knee injury suffered in the game between Notts County and Portsmouth in April. The Magpies skipper is recovering from an operation to his right knee in which he damaged his anterior cruciate ligament, medial ligament and meniscus following a challenge by Pompey midfielder Gary Roberts. Asked about his road to recovery, O'Connor told the official Notts website: "Things are going OK. The physio is happy enough. "It's a slow process, this injury, especially at the start. The first 10-12 weeks after your operation are really important - not doing too much but trying to get the leg going again. It could be six months [before a return], it could be nine, it could be 12. "Jimmy Spencer, who was here a couple of years ago, did his ACL and was back in six months, whereas Rob Milsom did his at Aberdeen and was back in 10 or 11 months. Everyone is different - it depends how your knee reacts." The Nottingham Post, meanwhile, quotes O'Connor as saying it is the worst injury he has ever suffered, but he absolves Roberts of blame. "It's the worst injury I've ever had by some distance," he said. "The worst I've had before was a groin operation I had five years ago. That kept me out 12 to 13 weeks so that's been the longest I've ever been out previously. "But the first four or five days after the operation I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy.It was so tough, I couldn't sleep, I couldn't move, my knee was 10 times bigger than what it should be and I had no quad muscle. "It's been mentally tough. The recovery will be long, but I am not going to be stupid and rush it. "But I hold no malice towards Gary at all. It's just one of those things. I don't hold anything against him. I am nearly 30 and I know how things work in football." 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!

Shola Ameobi has revealed that he was considering whether to call time on his career prior to joining Notts County, but says he knew it was "the right time to get back into the game" at Meadow Lane. Between May 2016 and February this year, he was without a club having been released by Fleetwood Town, but was snapped up by former Newcastle United teammate - and Magpies manager - Kevin Nolan to try and help a side then in danger of relegation from the Football League. However, five months down the line he has become a fan favourite at Notts and will be with the club going into the 2017/18 season, with quiet confidence of a prosperous season following an upturn in circumstances both behind the scenes and on the pitch. “When I was back in Newcastle and coaching and doing other bits and bobs, you do start wondering if it the right time to stop,” Ameobi told the Independent. “But I still felt the passion to keep training and I felt motivated, even though I didn’t have a club, so I think from my side I still felt I had something in the tank. "I got up every day and made sure I did the right things. Ultimately, of course, it’s not really your decision but whether a club wants you. “When the opportunity came along to play under Kevin [Nolan], I felt that was the right time to get back into the game. There was some negativity, but I never really felt any of that. "As soon as I came here I felt almost at home. Not just the familiarity with the manager, but with the players, the staff and the fans. I felt the love right from the start. "It helps that I’m wearing black and white stripes, because that is a familiarity I can cope with.” To read the full Independent interview, "Shola Ameobi on football, faith and becoming a black-and-white hero… again", click here. Share your thoughts about this 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 are good enough to launch a League Two playoff challenge next season, according to Shola Ameobi. The Magpies finished last season strongly, losing just once at home since Kevin Nolan took charge of the first team in January. Ameobi played a key role himself in driving the club out of relegation danger by scoring four goals following his arrival at the start of the year, and is now hoping for a top-seven finish. "I am always looking to do the best we can," he told the Nottingham Post. "We had a great end to last season and we want to make progress from that. "We don't want to be in another relegation fight and ideally you want to be in the top half of the league. "You want to be fighting for those promotion and play-off spots and personally I think we are good enough to be in those positions. "We want to be fighting for the play-offs and I know the manager will look to bring more players in that will help us try to achieve 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.

Shola Ameobi has claimed that Notts County are on the "cusp of something great" and says it influenced his decision to remain at Meadow Lane. The former Newcastle United striker signed on a free transfer in January and played a key role in the Magpies' bid to climb away from relegation last season. Now the 35-year-old, who penned a new deal at the club in the summer, believes he is in the correct environment to make further progress in the upcoming campaign as Kevin Nolan's team target League Two glory. "The fans have really been behind the team and myself from the get-go," he told the Nottingham Post. "I felt the love from everyone, not just from the guys who feed us at the club, but right to the fans as well. "I truly believe, that for me certainly, I have to be in the right atmosphere. If you are then it puts you in the best position to win. "I felt that from day one. The manager has helped create that with the team and the lads all being together. "I wanted to come back because I think we are on the cusp of something great." Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Dan Jones has claimed that the high calibre of the Notts County backroom staff is conducive to players' progress. The defender is back for a second spell with the Magpies, this time as a permanent signing after initially spending time on loan at Meadow Lane in 2009. Jones insists that the working with the likes of Kevin Nolan, Alan Smith and Mark Crossley - all of whom players in the Premier League - along with their colleagues, is exciting and educational in equal measure. He told the official site: "You've only got to look at the manager's career - how can you not respect that? We play football to try and get to the top level, and he's done that. "Every day you've got to try and impress these people. If you don't want to do that, you shouldn't be playing sport. They know the game, and all the little tricks, inside out. "It's great for me - I'm 30 years of age but I feel like I'm learning everyday. There's a real seriousness, but also a real enjoyment. Everything's intense." Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Notts County have posted a video on their YouTube channel of new Magpies signings Lewis Alessandra, Terry Hawkridge and Dan Jones in the thick of the action as the team took on the Rolls Royce Leisure Select XI in their first friendly of the 2017/18 pre-season. Here's the video shared here on Pride of Nottingham - see for yourself how the new boys got on in Hucknall. Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Notts County assistant manager Richard Thomas has declared himself satisfied with the team's 6-0 win over the Rolls Royce Leisure Select XI on Saturday. He told the official site: "It's a good start by the boys. They showed a lot of what we've been looking for in the first 10 days of training. "The most important thing is the minutes in their legs. Everyone came through - no injuries - so it was a positive first game. I thought they (the trialists) did well, considering some of them have only been working with us for a few days. "Each and every one of them showed why we've got them in. Some stood out slightly more than others - maybe because of the way we played, or the situation. "But they were productive in what they did and showed they have been listening to what we're trying to work on." Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Kevin Nolan has expressed his joy with things moving forward in the 2017/18 season as the first Notts County pre-season friendly looms ever closer. The Magpies will take on a Rolls Royce Leisure Select XI on Saturday afternoon, the first of more than 50 fixtures to take place until next May. "It will be nice to be involved in competitive games again," Nolan told the official site. "Their players will give it their all and it's up to our lads to make sure they do a professional job. "Everyone will get minutes against Rolls Royce to move them forward to next week's training sessions so we can carry on the work we have started since coming back. "We know what we want and what we need to get out of our pre-season games. "No disrespect to any team we play from now until the end of pre-season, but it is all about making sure we are prepared for the season. "That means we have to be injury-free with the players hitting their targets in terms of minutes under their belt. "Everything [for pre-season] has been planned for a few months now and hopefully at the end of it the players will be champing at the bit because we have a really tough start." Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

It's been a long two months since the end of the 2016/17 season, hasn't it? But fear not, because Notts County are in action again as of this weekend! The Magpies' pre-season preparations are fully underway and the players will take to the pitch for the first time in 2017/18 when they take on Linby Colliery Welfare at Rolls Royce Leisure tomorrow. Then there will be a pre-season friendly every following Saturday, after which the season gets underway on the first weekend - oh, plus the small matter of a fixture against a local team by the name of Nottingham Forest on Wednesday 19th July. Here is a factfile about each of the teams that Notts will face over the coming weeks. Rolls Royce Select XI (A): Saturday 8 July, 3pm This fixture is usually the first pre-season game of Notts County's season, given the partnership between the Magpies, the Rolls Royce Leisure Centre in Hucknall, and North Nottinghamshire College. The programme, also knows as the Notts County Pathway Academy, sees students study towards a BTEC Level 3 Diploma in Sport and offers the chance to combine professional level football training with academic studies. Basford United (A): Saturday 8 15 July (3pm) Basford United play their football at Greenwich Avenue in Basford, a suburb of Nottingham, and currently ply their trade in the Northern Premier League - Division One South, where they finished 6th in the 22-man league last season to qualify for the promotion playoffs but lost to Coalville Town in the semi-finals. There are quite a few names at Basford that you might recognise - manager Martin Carruthers was born in Nottingham and played up front for the likes of Aston Villa, Stoke City, Peterborogh United, Southend United and Scunthorpe United. Former Notts players Saul Deeney and Kyle Dixon, plus ex-Forest man Eugen Bopp, are also on their books. Nottingham Forest (H): Wednesday 19 July (7:45pm) Never heard of them. Wigan Athletic (H): Saturday 22 July (3pm) One of the success football stories of the 21st century (except for the last couple years, mind), Wigan were only elected to the Football League in 1978. They were little more than a footnote in the English game until 1995, when JJB Sports owner Dave Whelan purchased the club, but within 10 years they were in the Premier League. The Latics enjoyed a total of eight seasons at the top table, but the greatest moment in their history ended up being rather bittersweet, as they won the FA Cup in 2013 but were relegated from the top flight in the same season. The last few years have been tumultous for the club, as they now find themselves in League One just a year after winning promotion back to the second tier from the third. Since 2013, Wigan have either been relegated or finished the season in the promotion places (automatic or playoff). York City (A): Saturday 29 July (3pm) The Minstermen have endured a rollercoaster few years, reaching the League Two playoffs in 2014 and winning two FA Trophies, in 2012 and 2017, but now play in the National League North after two successive relegations in 2016 (from the Football League) and the season just gone. York play at Bootham Crescent, a stadium near the city centre and just over a mile from the city's railway station which they share with rugby league club York City Knights. It was formerly known as KitKat Crescent for sponsorship reasons - why they didn't call it Yorkie Crescent is one of the great mysteries of life. 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.

Alan Hardy has hit back at Forest Green Rovers's claim that Notts County have breached FA rules in their pursuit of Liam Noble. Rovers chairman Dale Vince had claimed that County had made "behind-the-scenes contact" with Noble, having had offers for the midfielder rejected. However, Magpies owner Alan Hardy insisted his club had acted "in a professional and diligent manner". "I feel compelled to set the record straight regarding a number of comments made by Dale Vince, chairman of Forest Green Rovers," he is quoted by the Nottingham Post as saying. "Firstly, in respect of his claim that we have released a number of press statements about their player, we put them to proof on this matter. "The only statements made by the club have been those attributed to me or Kevin Nolan over the past 48 hours. "I can confirm that a number of bids have been made by the club, and that the final bid was for a transfer fee of £100,000 payable immediately. "Why Dale Vince would deny this when it is fact baffles me. "Furthermore, our Football Operations Director Jason Turner, who has been handling this matter in the strictest of confidence, was told by James Mooney of Forest Green Rovers when the final bid was rejected that they would not sell him to us for double the price. "Dale Vince also claims they have been very clear from the outset that they did not want to sell Liam. "While this may be the case, they have also been very clear from the outset that an offer of £100,000 guaranteed would be acceptable. "It was only when this bid was lodged that they changed their minds. "I am more than comfortable that we have negotiated with Forest Green Rovers in a professional and diligent manner but we now move on and look forward to welcoming them to Meadow Lane in October." Let Pride of Nottingham know your thoughts by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining the conversation.

Forest Green Rovers have responded to Notts County's criticism of the Liam Noble transfer saga by describing their conduct as "megaphone diplomacy" and suggesting that they have issued false stories in the press and broken FA rules. For weeks, the Magpies have been trying to sign their former player, but this week it was confirmed that he would not be leaving the newly promoted League Two club. This led to Alan Hardy describing the whole saga as a "huge waste of time and effort by everybody at the club" and claimed that he and his club were messed around by FGR. In response, chairman Dale Vince released a statement which read: "We've watched with an increasing sense of bewilderment as Notts County have released a series of press statements about their interest in our player. It's one thing to engage in such megaphone diplomacy, and quite another to put false stories in the press. We have received a series of bids for Liam, the first we considered to be a joke. Their latest 'final' bid we received was not for £100k as their owner claimed in the press yesterday. Equally, the claim made yesterday about us suggesting they could double that amount and still not get him is completely false. We've been very clear from the outset that we did not want to sell Liam and the antics of Notts County since then have only firmed up that position. Liam Noble - Captain of our play-off winning side - is not for sale. We want Notts County to stop what they are doing, including the behind-the-scenes contact with the player, which we consider to be a breach of FA rules. Forest Green Rovers may be the newest and smallest member of the Football League family, but we know how to conduct ourselves and how to undertake a transfer negotiation the right way - quietly and respectfully club to club." Share your thoughts about this story on the Pride of Nottingham forum.

Kevin Nolan has asked Notts County fans to show "trust and patience" in him, his staff and Alan Hardy with regards to bringing players through the door. So far, the Magpies have recruited Lewis Alessandra, Terry Hawkridge and Dan Jones, with a number of other player signings in the pipeline and several other rumours. The relatively slow pace of progress in the transfer window has left some Notts fans disgruntled, especially with regards to nearby clubs like Mansfield Town who have been signing players willy-nilly. However, Nolan is confident with what's going on behind the scenes, and is urging the Black and White faithful to keep the faith. "We have had targets for a while now and we will stick to them," he told the official Notts site. "There have been conversations between us and other clubs but we don't want to be in negotiations for too long and not getting the players in until the final weeks of pre-season. "We want them to be able to withstand what our players have already been going through since they came back. "Hopefully we will bring a few more in but I don't want to put a number on it. A lot of fans will be frustrated seeing other clubs sign a number of players but we are a club in transition. "Looking back to where we were when Alan and I first came in, we are in a fantastic position and can hopefully build this club step-by-step. "All I can do is ask for trust and patience in myself, my staff and Alan because we are working as hard as we can to get players through the door. "We have to do our due diligence and make sure they are the right character and that they want to come here. They have to be able to contribute to the club and hit the ground running. We want to get them in as quickly as possible but it's not always the way in football. You have to be patient. "You never know what will pop up later in the window so we don't want to do all of our work very early on. People can suddenly become available and you think 'We would have had him', so we are not blowing our budget. We have to be shrewd so that if those one or two players pop up - as they did in January - we can go and get them." 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 given a positive update of pre-season at Notts County so far, with everyone reporting back in "fantastic shape". The Magpies gaffer also spoke of how everyone in the squad is on the same wavelength, which bodes well for a potentially fruitful season in League Two. Notts' pre-season began late last week and things will get up and running sharpish, with a fixture against a Rolls Royce Leisure Select XI the first of the friendlies. After that, it's full steam ahead with at least a game a week going into the 2017/18 campaign. Nolan told the official club site: "The players have reported back in fantastic shape and everyone is ahead of where we wanted them to be. "Now we have to hold them back a little. We don't want to do too much too soon because that's when injuries can pile up. "The good thing is that the players have bought into what we want to do. It speaks volumes that everyone we offered a new contract to decided to stay. It means everyone in the squad is on board." 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 confirmed that Notts County have made another offer for Forest Green Rovers captain Liam Noble and is hoping for "positive news". The Magpies have been chasing their former player for a number of months but the newly-promoted Football League club is playing hardball. Nolan says the matter is now out of his hands, but is hoping the club can seal the midfielder's return to Meadow Lane. "An offer has gone in and we are waiting to hear back from Forest Green," said Nolan. "Hopefully it will be positive news but if it's not, we will then see where we go. "The negotiations have gone quite far, but I've given the club my target and hopefully the chief executive can get it over the line. That's all we are asking now. "But I don't want to speak too much about him, because he's not our player and I want to respect Mark Cooper (Forest Green manager) and Forest Green." 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.

New Notts County recruit Dan Jones says he is glad to be with the club from the start of pre-season, saying he already feels like he's been with the Magpies a long time. The former Chesterfield full-back penned a deal at Meadow Lane just two days ago, but was training with the squad from Friday, when pre-season began. Jones told the official Notts site: "It gives me a long time to bed in before the start of the season and it means I can get to know everyone. "I have been made to feel welcome since I came in - I feel part of it and it's like I've been here for a long time already." Jones also spoke of working under strength & conditioning coach Mike Edwards and head of sports medicine John Wilson. He added: "I played with Mike during my loan here from Wolves and I could see back then that he was into his fitness. The lads all respect him and we do as we are told. There are no shortcuts. "The work we are doing is very relevant to football and we will feel the benefits. The days of distance running where you just plod along are long gone. "We may be doing shorter runs but they are more intense, which actually makes it harder but it will stand us in good stead. We will be a very fit side this season. "You can tell in the running and the things we have been doing in training that it is a good group here. You have lads pulling each other through and helping each other out. You can rely on your teammates, which is a massive thing." 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.

Alan Hardy has made it known that he wants Notts County to keep "pushing the boundaries" of everything they do from a marketing and PR perspective. The Magpies owner said the club's home shirt unveiling video, in which manager Kevin Nolan visits the home of a young fan and gives him a first viewing of the kit, has received great feedback. "I gave a presentation to the staff a week-and-a-half ago about how everything we do and everything we touch, we need to do with the best of our ability," Hardy told the Nottingham Post. "While we can't match Bayern Munich, Barcelona and so on because of the resources, for League One and League Two it needs to be the absolute best. "I've seen what other clubs have done with their kit unveiling and it's usually been a picture on the website. "Compared to what they have done our release with Kevin visiting the young fan was world class. "That now needs to be the standard whether it be a brochure for corporate hospitality or a promotional video. "My message to the staff is always to push the boundaries and do it better than what everybody else is doing. "I was delighted with the video and I was even more delighted by the response. I had hundreds of messages saying they love the kit, but also the journey we are on. That's more important to me than anything." 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.

Dan Jones has become Notts County's third signing of the summer after he put pen to paper on a deal at Meadow Lane. Here is some information about the player's identity, career, achievements and style of play. Full name: Daniel Jeffrey Jones Date of birth: December 23, 1986 Place of birth: Wordsley, England Age: 30 Height: 1,88 m Nationality: English Position: Defence - Left-Back Preferred foot: Left Last club: Chesterfield FC Came through the ranks at: Wolverhampton Wanderers Other clubs he has played for: Sheffield Wednesday, Port Vale Career achievements: Promotiotion to the Championship with Wednesday in 2011/12; promotion to League One with Port Vale in 2012/13 Style of play: Former Sheffield Wednesday teammate Anthony Gardner has described Jones as a "strong, tall, very athletic" player possessing "a great left foot" and a "great engine" who is "quick" and "good both defensively and in attack". Share your thoughts about this Dan Jones factfile 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.

Notts County have confirmed the signing of former Chesterfield left-back and ex-Magpies loanee Dan Jones. The 30-year-old had been at the Proact Stadium since 2014 but was released at the end of the season following the Spireites' relegation to League Two. Jones, who was on loan at Meadow Lane in 2009 for a brief period, won promotion with Sheffield Wednesday and Port Vale previously in his career. He told the official Notts site: "As soon as I found out about the interest I got excited about coming back. "I have been training with the lads for a few days and I've got a good feel of the place. There is a good energy here. "When you see people like the gaffer, Alan Smith and Shola Ameobi around the place you want to impress them because of the level they have played at. "With the plans the manager and the chairman have, the facilities we have and the stadium we play at it seems like a club built for success. "The pitch is big and wide and I cannot wait to be out there playing on it and showing what I can do. It feels right to come here and I am absolutely delighted to be 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.

Pride of Nottingham goes over the biggest Notts County news stories of June 2017. June 2 Alan Hardy has "completely transformed" Notts County since taking over the previously beleaguered club at the start of 2017, according to Paul Mace of Macesport, one of the new shirt sponsors. June 6 Notts County chairman Alan Hardy confirmed the names that will make up the club's new board of directors, with BT Sport commentator Darren Fletcher the most high-profile name to take up the role. June 7 Alan Hardy provided more details on his plans to set up a girls' football academy at Notts County, with a few to setting up a sustainable senior women's team that can play in the WSL. June 9 Derek Pavis, who had died the previous month, was laid to rest in Nottingham, with hundreds paying their respects to him. June 13 Defender Richard Duffy penned a new contract at Notts County. June 15 Notts County revealed the names of each of the team shirt sponsors for next season, with Nottingham musician Jake Bugg - who will sponsor November - the standout name. June 16 Jon Stead rejected interest from clubs all over the world to sign a new deal at Notts County. June 19 Curtis Thompson became the latest player to pen a new contract at Notts County. June 20 Shola Ameobi joined his Notts County strike partner Jon Stead in extending his contract at Meadow Lane. June 21 The EFL fixtures for 2017/18 were revealed, with Notts County set to take on Coventry City and Chesterfield in their first two games. June 27 Former Notts County forward Peter Bircumshaw passed away aged 78. Notts County revealed the kits that they will be wearing for the 2017/18 season. Share your thoughts about this news recap 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.

Alan Hardy has spoken of the new indoor training facilities at Notts County, describing them as Championship quality and hoping that they will play a part in attracting top talent to Meadow Lane. The Magpies chairman has funded the construction of a 4G pitch, changing rooms, a gym and a medical department which sits in the Family Stand. "I showed Kevin the facilities and he was absolutely blown away by what we have created," Hardy told the Nottingham Post. "He said it is Championship standard and that was great to hear. "Not only does it have a high performance gym and medical area, it's got one of the best 4G pitches in the country. "In terms of size and quality, it's exactly the same as Arsenal's. The pitch is getting laid on Monday and it's nice to be able to say this is what Arsenal have and we also have it too. "I think when you have these kind of facilities it can only help to attract players who will not only be blown away by our history, but the facilities we can offer them. "We have goals that are on runners and can be positioned anywhere in the hall. Our first-team coach Mark Crossley said that, from a goalkeeping perspective, it was right up there with the Premier League. "We are going to have four new goalkeepers coming in over the next two weeks for trials and they are England schools and youth internationals. "Mark firmly believes that this could be a real centre of excellence in terms of goalkeeping. "We want to be the best we can possibly be in every department both on and off the field. If you want to progress on the pitch, then you to need everything in place off it." 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.

Over the years, Notts County have had some fantastic forwards on their books. From Tom Keetley in the early 30s to Mark Stallard in the 2000s via the likes of Jackie Sewell, Tommy Lawton, Tony Hateley and Les Bradd, every Notts fan you speak to will always have that one standout striker they remember bagging the goals for the Magpies. Without a doubt, the last of the great Notts strikers - as of 2017 - is Lee Hughes. In his four years at Meadow Lane, he elevated himself to cult status with an impressive goal return and also a trophy, a rarity in recent years for the club. Born on 22 May 1976 in Smethwick, West Midlands, Hughes was snapped up by West Bromwich Albion as a schoolboy from ages 11 to 15, although he was not offered a youth contract by the club. Despite suffering the disappointment of not being taken on, he did not give up on his dream - he was taken on by semi-professional outfit Kidderminster Harriers, who were playing in the Conference at the time. Nowadays, many clubs in the non-league are professional, but 20 years ago it was a rarity, so Hughes also held down a part-time job as a roofer as he juggled his ultimate goal with the need to pay the bills. As it turned out, Hughes was a sensation in the non-league, scoring 34 goals in the 1996/97 season and bagging 70 in 139 games overall for the Harriers. This led to West Brom, the club that had released him, eagerly taking him on board again, paying the Aggborough outfit an initial £200,000 - which rose to £380,000 after incentives - for his services. Hughes, a lifelong Albion fan, set about repaying the Baggies for taking another chance on him, and between 1997 and 2001, he scored 79 goals in 156 appearances, with the 1998/99 season yielding 32 goals which made him the country's top scorer and the 2000/01 season seeing his strike partnership with Jason Roberts fore the club to the Championship playoffs. In August 2001 Hughes was sold to Coventry City for a then club record transfer fee of £5,000,001 and he carried on his rich vein of form with 14 goals in 40 games, including a hat-trick in a 6-1 win over Crewe Alexandra. However, in the season that he was away, West Brom won promotion to the Premier League, and the lure of his beloved club saw him return to the Hawthorns once again for £2.5m, giving him the chance to prove himself in the top flight. Hughes's third stint at West Brom proved mixed as he failed to score a single Premier League goal that season, the club tumbling back into the First Division, and he was also criticised by teammates who claimed he was not pulling his weight - he responded by scoring 12 goals in 36 games the following season to send the Baggies up again into the top flight. During the 2003/04 season, Hughes fell afoul of the law after he lost control of his car on 23 November and collided with another vehicle, leading to one death and two injured. Hughes and his passenger left the scene and turned themselves in to the police 36 hours later. On 9 August the following year, Hughes was found guilty of causing death by dangerous driving, and was sentenced to six years' imprisonment. His West Brom contract was immediately terminated, and Hughes would go on to serve three years of his sentence before being released. Upon leaving prison on 20 August 2007, Hughes issued a public apology, in which he said he made "dreadful mistakes and decisions that will live with me for the rest of my life." Hughes signed for League One club Oldham Athletic as he set about rebuilding his career, and during that time he scored 25 goals in 55 games, while he spent time on loan at Blackpool in 2009. At the end of the 2008/09 season he was released by the Latics, and his status as a free agent coincided with a remarkable turn of events at Notts, who snapped him up on a two-year contract on the same day that Sven-Goran Eriksson arrived at the club as director of football. Hughes's career at Meadow Lane got off to a flying start as he scored a hat-trick on his debut in a 5-0 win over Bradford City on the opening day of the season, and claimed two more three-goal hauls against Northampton Town in September and against Burton Albion in December. As the season went on, the initial euphoria at the club then turned to turmoil as the Munto takeover turned out not to be the incredible benefaction it purported to be. Hughes, however, kept his head down and ultimately saw Notts over the finishing line as League Two champions, his 30 league goals making him the first Magpies player to achieve that amount since Tommy Lawton 60 years prior. By the time the 2010/11 season began, Notts had a new owner and, with things seemingly more stable, Hughes signed a one-year extension to his contract that would see him at Meadow Lane until the summer of 2012. The Magpies successfully staved off relegation in 10/11, with Hughes contributing 16 goals in 37 appearances. Notts being Notts, there was to be another sterling moment coming up, as Juventus invited them to take part in a friendly to inaugurate their new stadium in September 2011, and became the first opposition player to score there as he grabbed County's goal in a 1-1 draw watched by the whole world. Sadly Hughes's time at Notts would come to an acrimonious end as then-manager Keith Curle opted not to keep him as first-choice, with Yoann Arquin preferred in the role instead. This meant that Hughes decided to up sticks in search of first-team football, and on 7 January 2013, his contract was terminated by mutual consent. Port Vale was his next port of call, signing a contract until the end of the season, and his goals helped the Valiants to promotion into League One, ensuring his deal would be extended until 2014. Hughes's later years as a professional footballer saw him also turn out for Forest Green Rovers, Ilkeston, Worcester City, AFC Telford United and former club Kidderminster. In 2017, he rocked up at Worcester as both player and joint-manager alongside John Snape, but at present he is back to just playing and the lucky club to have his services is Halesowen Town, having joined in March 2018. Notts County fans have not had much to smile about this century, it has to be said, but for one season, the Magpies were utterly sensational, and for that campaign, Lee Hughes was at the centre of it, which is why he is so highly revered by the Black and White Army. Share your thoughts about this Notts Alumni 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.