samwatto2008

Exeter City otherwise known as The Grecians were founded in 1901 as St Sidwell’s United and then renamed to Exeter City in 1904. The club is owned by the fans who take part in the Exeter City Supporters Trust and play their home games St James Park which holds 8,451. They currently occupy 9th position in Sky Bet League Two with the Grecians keen to kick on from last season securing a play-off final place for 2 years in a row under their old manager Paul Tisdale. Exeter’s first meeting with Notts County ended in a 3-3 draw in 1930. Since then The Grecians and The Magpies have met a total of 46 times in their club’s history. Notts have managed 18 wins while only losing 9 against Exeter with 19 of these games being all square at the full-time whistle. Exeter managed a 4th place finish last year in League Two losing out to Coventry City in the play off final. Jayden Stockley was their top goal scorer with 25 goals in all competitions. Exeter have had recent transfer success in the recent years being known to sell their own home-grown talent to big teams such as Chelsea and Brentford. Ethan Ampadu and Ollie Watkins left last year in the summer to better their careers while Exeter profited massively from this. Watkins reported fee was in the region of 1.75 million pounds while Ampadu’s fee was to be agreed via a tribunal. Exeter return to St James Park to face The Magpies after losing 0-3 to Lincoln City. Their recent league form consists of 2 wins, 1 draw and 2 losses in the last 5 games in the league campaign. Matt Taylor's men will be looking to capitalize on Notts County’s poor form and secure another 3 points against the troubled Magpies. Odds for the game: Exeter 13/10 Draw 9/4 Notts County 2/1 Promotion: Exeter 4/1 Notts County 9/2 Share your thoughts about the 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. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Here is Paul Hart's first interview about his new role at Notts County after leaving his position at Luton Town as Assistant Manager.

Fan Introduction Name: Rodney Boulton Age: 45 How long have you supported Exeter? I have supported Exeter for 27 years. Are you a season ticket holder? Yes, I am a season ticket holder. Favorite Player: Jayden Stockley How do you think Exeter have done so far this season in terms of form and expectations for the season? Considering the managerial change, from Tisdale to Taylor we’ve made a good start despite recent results. Which player left in the summer who you think could have been needed this season? Jordan Storey but the money was too good to turn down. Who has been your star player this season so far? Jonathan Forte but he’s been a big miss for the last couple of games due to him being injured. Who is the biggest threat when going forward and why? I would say Forte again. He’s got great pace and is good support for Stockley. Does the style of football championed by Matt Taylor bode well with the fans? Matt Taylor wants to promote a more attacking style of play and we do have the players to execute this new philosophy here at Exeter. As an opposition fan, which player are you most worried about facing from Notts County? Jon Stead will be the biggest threat in my opinion due to his height, strength and experience. Finally, what will be your score prediction for this game along with the goal scorers? It’ll be a close game but I'll go for a 2-1 home win for Exeter with Stockley and Forte providing he is fit to be the goal scorers. Final comments from Sam I am proud to announce that the Opposition View will be a returning feature that me and Chris will be taking on the responsibility. Me and Chris would also like to thank Rodney for his time to answer a few of our questions for the members of Pride of Nottingham to read and interact with. Finally, Sam’s score prediction is 2-2 with Stead and Hemmings being the scorers for Notts and Chris’s score prediction is 1-1 with Kristian Dennis to score for the Magpies. 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.

First Interview with new signing Elliott Ward, a centre back who has had experience in all of England 4 football league divisions.

Harry Kewell's first interview at Meadow Lane, along side Alan Hardy for his managerial introduction.

So as I write this on the 26/08/18 Kevin Nolan has been sacked following a termination of his contract by the NCFC board following a 3-1 loss to Lincoln City. After around 18 months in charge it was with Mr. Hardy’s best interests to part ways with the ex- West Ham, Bolton and Newcastle midfielder. I am writing this article to understand the thought process behind his sacking, will we miss him? And is promotion still achievable? During Nolan’s time with the Magpies he managed 85 games with 35 being victories, 23 draws and 26 lost. With recent form the Scouse came under constant fire from media and fans. Notts County managed only 8 wins in 28 games in the football league which could be compared to relegation form at parts. However, it was not all doom and gloom for Kevin which as Notts fans we should remember. The reason I have called it an era in the title is because in my opinion it was. Kevin Nolan restored one thing with his time at Notts which we had not had for a while and that was HOPE. Nolan grabbed the team by the scruff on the neck on their knees in January 2017 and turned a 10-game losing streak into promotion form to keep the magpies up. He also brought some amazing talent in Jorge Grant, Ryan Yates and Josh Clackstone. Since then Ryan has now exceeded a 500,000 price tag and Jorge Grant has now moved up in leagues. Clackstone now plays regularly in the Championship with Hull City and Kevin Nolan has contributed to their careers and made them better players. Nolan also reached his first play off as a manager last year in the 2018/19 season which as fans we were extremely happy with but also disappointed as his decline in form as a manager cost us automatic promotion. It definitely was a era in my opinion because he was the first manager under Hardy that actually achieved something and provided the fans with some memories we will never forget and for that we can’t thank Kev enough. Will we miss him? My answer is 50/50. I think Yes because he was a very strict manager with high standards which reflected on the pitch. Last year we played with heart and desire and he made every player work to wear the Notts County shirt. I also think No because his off-pitch attitude has been rumored to be unprofessional and lazy. I also think he has lost passion for the game which reflected on the touchline in recent games. Kevin Nolan could’ve done so much more to turn around his bad patch but decided not to. He became arrogant and in denial about problems within the team. So overall I think it was best for him and Notts County to move on. Is promotion still achievable? My honest opinion, No. It is not the fact we have lost 4 game sin a row but we now have to go through a transition period with an new manager and set of backroom staff. I think it will take another few months for the team to gel and settle down unfortunately, and in this league, you have to hit the ground running otherwise It will eat you up and spit you out and then next thing you know you’re bottom of the league. It depends how well we do under Chettle but before you know it we could be in serious trouble and then we will once again be in a fight to get into the play offs. It is paramount we turn this form around soon to restore the faith in Hardy and the signings. I am sure everyone from PON sends Kevin Nolan their best wishes for the future and really hopes to see him succeed. On a personal note, Kevin Nolan is the manager who brought me back to Meadow Lane after 2 years away from the sport and in turn got me involved with PON so for that I can’t thank him enough and the work he has done at the club has not gone unnoticed and in my opinion should be remembered forever for what he has done for Notts County. My first game I attended in 2 years was against Mansfield to watch this man’s managerial debut and I am now proud to say I am once again a season ticket holder to this amazing club. It’s because of the faith, hope and determination that was restored into Notts County by Kevin Nolan. Thanks for everything Kev. Whether you were Nolan IN or OUT, I would like to hear your thought on the sacking and where you think the club goes from here. Also, one memory that stands out over the past 18 months under Kevin Nolan. Mine would be the Jonathan Forte equalizer against Cambridge. Thank you for reading PON. 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.