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Noor Husin has claimed that Notts County's playoff heartache last season will prove a superb incentive for the Magpies to get the promotion job done this time round. Notts were in and around the League Two's top three for much of the 2017-18 campaign but stuttered in the final few months to finish in the playoffs, which they subsequently lost to eventual winners Coventry City. “Last season will only make us stronger and the boys know what it takes now,” Husin told the Nottingham Post. “Hopefully we can go a step further and get that promotion everybody is after. “Everyone was bitterly disappointed with how last season ended after doing so well. But it’s only going to spur us on to go up and I am sure that will give us that extra bit of motivation we need.” Husin has also spoken of his international call-up with Afghanistan, expressing pride at being convoked by his nation, but he says he will put club before country this month. “I have been called up by Afghanistan, but they have a friendly in a couple of weeks’ time [against Palestine on August 19] which I am not going to,” he said. “But when there is an international break I think I will be going. “I was called up a couple of years ago, but I put it on hold at the time. I am delighted to be called up and my family are proud. I am really looking forward to it. The games are going to be in Qatar, China and places like that. "They keep track of me and I speak to the manager who has just been appointed. He used to coach in the Dutch league. He’s been watching my games and they keep an eye on me to see how I am getting on." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

1. Milton Keynes (C,P) - This may be an opinion divider but I just feel that MK have a slight edge over us and Lincoln. Paul Tisdale moves from Exeter and has bought Jordan Moore-Taylor, Ryan Harley and Robbie Simpson with him. Kieran Agard should provide goals up front and creativity will come from Alex Gilbey and Chuks Aneke. Jordan Houghton is a good signing in midfield. They have retained most of their squad and with good depth and quality in each position, I think this might be the year Tisdale finally achieves promotion from this league. 2. Notts County (P) - Notts have had their best transfer window for years and look to continue the momentum, that Kevin Nolan and Alan Hardy have bought to the club. We have finally fixed an issue which has been a problem for Notts for six years now and that is the presence of a goalscorer. Now we have two, in Kristian Dennis and Kane Hemmings. David Vaughan should provide creativity from the heart of midfield. Enzio Boldewijn is quick and will be crucial to Notts' creativity and goals. He will also help break teams down, something Notts struggled with last season. The same core of players remain who took the team to 5th last season in Hewitt, Duffy, Brisley, Hall, Fitzsimons, Tootle and Jones. The new style of play may take some time to implement and we may start slow, but as we haven't ripped the heart of the team out from last season, I think we will start to pickup around October and November and push on from there. If not, the January window can rescue us. REMEMBER LUTON STARTED SLOW LAST SEASON! 3. Lincoln City (P) - Lincoln's momentum will continue into 2018-19 after their promotion winning season and finishing 7th last season. Danny Cowley's transfer business has gone well with The Imps bringing in John Akinde from Barnet. A goalscorer is something Lincoln needed. Bruno Andrade and Grant Smith have both arrived from Boreham Wood, Andrade scoring 18 goals from the wing last season, and goalkeeper Smith being named in the team of the season. Shay McCartan is an exciting signing from Bradford whilst Blackburn centre-back Scott Wharton returns to Sincil Bank, after a good spell on loan last season. They have good enough players, quality and depth in the squad to make sure they avoid the play-offs this time around. --------------------------------- 4. Mansfield Town - After just missing out on a play-off spot a few months ago, David Flitcroft will now take charge of his first full season in charge of the Stags. He has bought well in Tyler Walker, Neal Bishop and Matt Preston. The squad have had a year to gel and get used to each other's strengths and weaknesses. The one key thing that will be crucial to Mansfield is, can Flitcroft get the best out of them? This is the big point and will decide whether Mansfield make the top 3 or not. They have looked good in pre-season, playing a 3-5-2 formation but it could be very different once the season starts. Inconsistency at Swindon meant The Robins didn't trouble the top three as much, as they would have liked to. Swindon fans were happy to see him go. A promotion season with Bury, before an inconsistent 15-16 season and a terrible run of 7 losses in a row in 2016-17 saw him sacked in November 2016. Mansfield's season all depends on which David Flitcroft turns up. 5. Northampton Town (P) - Dean Austin took over as caretaker manager for the last few games of last season and almost performed a miracle in keeping Northampton up before they were sucker-punched in the 90th minute in game 45. A key aspect of Northampton's summer, has been keeping the squad to together and they have done just that. The have signed two new strikers who should help them making a challenge on promotion, with Andy Williams and Junior Morias adding at Sixfields. Morias, especially, looks a good signing for this level. The Cobblers have good depth in all areas of the pitch and they look good to mount a promotion challenge and a return to League One. 6. Colchester United - After missing out on the top 7 for two seasons in a row, Colchester will want to finally make them this time. They have added to the squad well, bringing in two new goalkeepers and adding three new strikers in, Newport's Frank Nouble, Swindon's Luke Norris and Wolves' Aaron Collins (on loan). Harry Pell comes in from Cheltenham, after impressing at Whaddon Road. Keeping hold of Sammie Szmodics has been crucial, with his passing and creativity a big part of John McGreal's team. Szmodics scored 13 goals last season. The squad has got stronger and this time, the U's should make an impact on League Two. 7. Exeter City - Exeter have lost their manager of many seasons, in Paul Tisdale and some of the players that helped them get into the play-offs two seasons in a row. Jordan Moore-Taylor, Ryan Harley, Robbie Simpson and Lloyd James. However, they have replaced them adequately with the arrivals of Jonathan Forte, Nicky Law, Aaron Martin and Lee Martin. New manager Matt Taylor knows the club well having previously played at St James Park and he knows the lower leagues well after spending time at Charlton and Newport, as well as The Grecians. -------------------------------- 8. Stevenage - Dino Maamria took over in March and will lead Stevenage into, what they hope, is a better season than last season. Boro have bought well. Scott Cuthbert is one of the best signings in League Two, coming in from promotion winning Luton. Michael Timlin is a good signing, in my opinion and him and Joel Byrom should form a good partnership in midfield. They have lost Matt Godden which will be crucial but Danny Newton should be able to come up with the goals, as should the experienced Alex Revell. Like Aspin, Maamria has also used his non league exploits to bring in players. The four arriving are Luther Wildin (Nuneaton), James Ball (Stockport), Emmanuel Sonupe (Kidderminster) and Donovan Makoma (Barrow). All in all, a good transfer window for Stevenage and they will look to challenge the play-off places. 9. Port Vale - The Valliants have had a lot of changes made to the playing squad this summer with twelve new players coming through the doors at Vale Park. Ricky Miller and Idris Kanu arrive from Peterborough to add competition and goals. Kanu especially, is a very promising young player. Neil Aspin has used his knowledge and experience of non league football to bring in a few players. Manny Oyeleke arrives from Aldershot, Theo Vassell from Gateshead and Brendon Daniels from Alfreton. He has also added Football League experience in the form of Leon Legge, Luke Joyce and Louis Dodds. Luke Hannant is one to look out for after impressing at the back end of last season. Lots of improvements have been made to the squad and Aspin looks like the man to take Vale forward. 10. Swindon Town - Not as strong a squad as last season and in my opinion, the signings of Toumani Diagouraga and Michael Doughty, are the only ones that stand out. Diagouraga ran the show at Plymouth and Fleetwood last season and was crucial to The Piglrims revival from bottom of the league, to near the play-offs. Elijah Adebayo comes in on loan from Fulham and will be expected to score goals after a decent spell on loan at Cheltenham last season. Keshi Anderson is definitely one to look out for next season and Phil Brown has done it before at this level with Southend but for me, they just don't have enough to make the play-offs. 11. Grimsby Town - The Mariners have looked rejuvenated under Michael Jolley. After saving them from relegation last season, he has made some shrewd additions this summer with John Welsh from Preston and Elliott Whitehouse from Lincoln being the standout additions. However, Whitehouse will be out for a while due to injury. Jake Hessenthaler from Gillingham and Alex Whitmore from Chesterfield are young players and are also solid additions. I feel like they may need another year before they can mount a proper promotion challenge but the early signs are good and under Jolley, they seem to be heading in the right direction. 12. Crawley Town - They have lost key players in Enzio Boldewijn, Thomas Verheydt and Josh Yorwerth but they have bought in quality in Filipe Morais and Romain Vincelot. Ollie Palmer and Dominic Poleon look like they will form a decent partnership up front. George Francomb is another good addition having won promotion from this level in 2016 with AFC Wimbledon. Their defence lacks depth though, and they need back ups quickly. 13. Cambridge United - Have a decent squad with some good young players coming through. Joe Dunne did well with the team after taking over from Shaun Derry last season and managed a 12th placed finish. They haven't signed many in the transfer window and for that reason I can't see them pushing on into the play-offs. They may lack strength in depth in some areas too and getting goals out of Barry Corr will be important. 14. Crewe Alexandra - Some youth players at Crewe look like they are developing well, especially Charlie Kirk, Callum Ainley, Harry Pickering and James Jones. Perry Ng has also laid down the starting position at right-back. They have signed Shaun Miller and Paul Green to permanent contracts, after they helped Crewe go on a good run of form at the back end of the 17-18 season. Their defence is somewhere where they need improvement and they lack strength in depth. 15. Cheltenham Town - Losing Mo Eisa is big and they have decided to go down the same route in bringing in his replacement. They have once again looked into the lower divisions of non league to bring in a goalscorer, this time Manny Duku from Hayes & Yeading. They have bought in Johnny Mullins from Luton to add solidness to the defence. Mullins has won promotion from this league with Rotherham, Oxford and Luton. Sean Long arrives after a good season with Lincoln, as does Liam McAlinden with Exeter. However losing Eisa is a big deal and the squad has improved slightly but not enough to challenge the play-offs. 16. Bury - After a truly torrid season in 17-18, Bury will look to see an upturn in fortunes. Ryan Lowe was caretaker at the end of last season and has been given the managers job permanently. They have made some solid League Two additions such as Nicky Adams, Byron Moore and Chris Dagnall, but nothing spectacular. It will be hard to come off such a bad season and turn it around so quickly. 17. Tranmere Rovers - After finally getting out of non-league, Tranmere will be looking to push on and hopefully look to stabilise in League Two. Harvey Gilmour, Mark Ellis and Paul Mullin all look solid additions and keeping Ollie Norburn will be key. However, Rovers look thin up front with only James Norwood and Connor Jennings the two strikers at the club and this could pay dividends to them making any further strides up the league table. 18. Forest Green Rovers - FGR survived by a point last season, with Christian Doidge's goals crucial in keeping the Nailsworth club up. Liam Shephard, George Williams and Joseph Mills look good signings. Exeter fans couldn't believe FGR payed a fee for Lloyd James but he looks a solid addition. They look good in areas, but lack quality in others. If Doidge leaves, then I do worry for Rovers. They also lack depth in central midfield. 19. Newport County - The club, who were the surprise package last season along with Accrington, have one of the lowest budgets in the division, with their FA Cup run last season bringing in some much needed income. Although their transfer business has been mixed. Jamille Matt is an average signing in my opinion, as is Fraser Franks and Charlie Cooper. Andrew Crofts is an experienced midfielder and Keanu Marsh-Brown should provide pace out wide. They rely on loans a lot and Padraig Amond will have to have a blinder of a season to get them near the top half. 20. Oldham Athletic - After reports the club are in financial ruin with the club paying the players late and the relation between fans and owner strained, it appears Oldham's first season outside of League One for 21 years, won't be a happy one. Their signings haven't been good enough and they lack strikers. The club looks to be going downwards and may even do a Chesterfield if they are not careful. 21. Carlisle United - John Sheridan takes over from Keith Curle in Cumbria but, whilst he is very good at keeping teams up and saving them mid-way through the season, when he starts the season with a club it can be difficult for him. Notts and Oldham are two clubs, where he has started the season and been sacked. Carlisle's transfer business is also a sign that it might be a hard season. They lack depth up front and goals may be difficult to come by. Add to that a very thin squad and the playing budget being cut, the Cumbrians could see themselves at the wrong end of the table. 22. Morecambe - So many years, The Shrimps have been holding on and this year I expect them to do so again. The main reason I have put them above Macclesfield and Yeovil is because of their transfer business in the striker department. Jason Oswell was second top scorer in the National League North last season for Stockport, scoring 24 goals. Liam Mandeville has also come in on loan from Doncaster Rovers, having won promotion with them from this division in 2016-17. Andrew Tutte has come in from Bury, adding experience to the midfield but the with the same core of players from last season, I still see them struggling. ------------------------------------------ 23. Macclesfield Town (R) - A lot of things have changed at Mac after they won the National League. Manager John Askey has left for Shrewsbury and key players from the promotion winning team have left in; Kieran Kennedy, Mitch Hancox and Danny Whitehead. Mark Yates takes over, after doing a brilliant job at Solihull Moors. The players they have bought in, however, aren't that brilliant and they could look set for a long season. Whether Mark Yates has improved as a manager since he left the Football League will remain to be seen but Macclesfield look to be up against it if they are to continue the trend of teams promoted from the National League, staying up. 24. Yeovil Town (R) - They have continued to survive for the past three seasons but this season could well be the year they fall. Yeovil's transfer business hasn't been the greatest. A few players bought in nearing the end of their careers in Gary Warren and Carl Dickinson. Diallang Jaiyesimi comes in on loan from Norwich but didn't have an all impressive loan spell at Grimsby last season. They've lost Otis Khan, a key player from the past few seasons. They haven't got much depth up front either and the team genuinely lacks quality. Share your thoughts about this 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. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Lewis Alessandra has stated that Notts County want to “go one better” next season in achieving promotion from League Two. The Magpies were in the promotion hunt virtually all season but were defeated by eventual playoff winners Coventry City in the semi-finals. Since then Notts have made several high-profile signings, including Enzio Boldewijn, Kane Hemmings, Kristian Dennis and David Vaughan. “We want to go one better, that’s the way all the lads feel in the dressing room,” Alessandra told the Nottingham Post. “I think the signings have shown real intent and personally I would be very disappointed if we don’t better what we did last season. “I am looking forward to it, we’ve made some good additions which has really increased the competition for places.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Kevin Nolan has revealed that Alan Smith left Notts County because he wanted a break from football. The former Leeds United and Manchester United man spent four years at Meadow Lane as a player, coach and even caretaker manager, before being released at the end of last season. Nolan also stated that Smith is looking to make a return to the game in several months and could hopefully assist on coaching and scouting duties. “We had Smudger who was a fantastic servant to this football club and wanted to walk away,” Nolan told the Nottingham Post. “He will always love the game but sometimes you need to take a break. “And he said when he is back in a couple of months, hopefully he can come in and help us. “He can help the forwards and pass on that experience. He will go out and watch games for us and help in anyway he can.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Kevin Nolan has spoken of how Notts County want to make the playing squad younger and turn the team's youth players into assets. The Magpies signed several highly rated young players this summer, with the likes of Tom Crawford and Will Patching joining from Chester FC and Manchester City respectively. Nolan also says he wants up to six or seven Under-19s training with the first team by this time next year. He admits he is excited about the prospect of working with talented youngsters that could go on to spearhead the club and potentially be worth millions of pounds in the future. The Notts boss was speaking at the club's fixture release breakfast - here is a video of the full interview. Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons has admitted he needs to improve his temperament but says he will not have a moment of madness like he did in the Crawley Town game. The Magpies stopper, who has penned a new two-year contract, lashed out at Mark Connolly near the end of that game in January. Fitzsimons picked up a red card and gave the visitors a match-winning penalty as Kevin Nolan’s side lost 2-1, before being hit with a three-match ban and losing his first-team place to Adam Collin. “I’d say one of the things I need to improve is my temperament, hence the kick up the backside after the Crawley game,” he told the Nottingham Post. “That won’t be happening again I can be sure of that. “At the time I just saw red. It was a case of acting before I thought. “I am not usually like that, but everybody has moments like it. “Unfortunately, that was my moment there. It cost me my place in my team and it was a hard lesson to learn.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have confirmed they will be hosting a breakfast event at Meadow Lane to find out the release of the 2018-19 League Two fixtures. The event (and the draw) will take place on Thursday 21 June, with doors opening at 8am, and costs £10. Notts chairman Alan Hardy, manager Kevin Nolan and director Darren Fletcher will be present as the club finds out their fate in terms of who they'll play in the league and when. To book, email [email protected] or call 0115 955 7222. In addition, the EFL has confirmed that the draw for the first round of the EFL Cup - or Carabao Cup in corporate terms - takes place on Friday 15 June at 10:45am BST, with Notts being allocated ball number 23. Seventy EFL clubs will feature in the new-look draw, which will see teams drawn into Northern and Southern sections, but with no seeding for higher ranked sides as in previous seasons. Matches are scheduled to take place in the week commencing 13 August. Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Alan Hardy has spoken of the signings of Tom Crawford and Will Patching as testament to how far Notts County have come and how promising their future appears. The Magpies paid an undisclosed fee to Chester for midfielder Crawford last week, and followed it up on Monday with a free transfer move for Manchester City’s Patching. “I am very excited with the arrival of Tom and Will,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post. “There were clubs further up in the food chain looking at both of them, but they could see what we are trying to build here at Meadow Lane. They are young, they are technically gifted and we have high hopes for both of them. “I think it’s tremendously important that as well as signing players for the present, that we do not neglect the future. “That is why we have consistently scouted regions looking for young players that we hope will make that next step with us. It's something I am very passionate about and Tom and Will’s arrival is very exciting given their backgrounds. “I spoke to Will about the club and where I envisaged it going in the next few years. The manager also did a brilliant job in talking to him, making him feel welcome, explaining his vision, his worth and how he wants to help him. “It’s incredibly important that if you are to attract this calibre of young player that you give them as much detail as you can. “Seeing Meadow Lane full and the atmosphere that was generated against Coventry also played a key role. “With Will and Tom on board, I am very happy to have two young players at the club that, I am sure, will go on to have fine careers.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Dan Jones has signed a new two-year contract at Notts County. The 31-year-old left-back, who joined on a free transfer a year ago scored four goals in 33 games last season, helping the Magpies reach the playoffs. Jones was one of several players to be offered a new deal by boss Kevin Nolan when the 2018 retained list was announced last month. “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time at Meadow Lane so far and there was only one place I wanted to be next season,” Jones told the official club website. "The manager, his staff, my team-mates and the club as a whole have been amazing. “The disappointment of the play-offs is behind us all now and we’re really looking forward to the new season. “We’re all focused on success and, with the group of players we have, I have every confidence we can achieve 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. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

New Notts County striker Kristian Dennis has expressed his desire to be at the right end of the League Two table this season after back-to-back relegations with Chesterfield. The 28-year-old joined the Magpies last week in a deal thought to have cost the club £150,000. Dennis scored 21 goals last season but could not prevent the Spireites from dropping out of the Football League and is eager to make up for it by winning promotion with Notts. “I came back into the league with Chesterfield and had two relegations so that’s the last thing I want on my mind,” he told the Nottingham Post. “I want to be at the opposite end of the table and right up there vying for promotion. “I know Notts finished fifth last season and hopefully we can go one better, get automatic and get up into League One.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County assistant manager Richard Thomas has described Dan Jones's new contract as "great business for the club". The left-back put pen to paper on a two-year deal on Wednesday, joining goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons and defender Pierce Bird in committing his future to the club. Jones was impressive towards the end of last season and ended the campaign with four goals, and Thomas praised him for his attitude and skills. “We’re delighted DJ will be with us again next year," he told the Nottingham Post. "He's fantastic to work with on a daily basis and is constantly looking to improve, which is all you can ask of any player. "With the attacking threat he poses down our left, aligned with the goals and assists he brings, this is great business for the club." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have confirmed that goalkeeper Branislav Pindroch has signed a new two-year deal at Meadow Lane. The 26-year-old, who became the first Slovakian to play for the Magpies when he joined the club last summer, made four appearances last season and was third choice behind Adam Collin and Ross Fitzsimons. “I have really enjoyed my first season at the club,” he told the official website. “Learning from the likes of Mark Crossley and the manager has been an amazing experience for me and I’m so happy it’s going to continue. “I’m really looking forward to pre-season and challenging for my place in the team.” Notts manager Kevin Nolan added: “Bran impressed us so much in his first season with us. “He showed massive improvement towards the end of the campaign and we definitely see a future for him in English football. “He has worked very hard to conquer the language barrier and now speaks perfectly good English. “He’s the first man in the gym and the last out. He’s a great example of a first-class pro and he thoroughly deserves his contract. “It will be a really good battle between him and Ross next season. There is no number one – it’s up to them both to claim the shirt.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County defender Richard Duffy has signed a new contract with the club. The 32-year-old, who stood in as captain for the previously injured Michael O'Connor, made 50 appearances for the Magpies. Duffy joined Notts in the summer of 2016 and has made 97 appearances in total for the club. "The club has come on leaps and bounds in the last 18 months," the Welshman told the official website. "We've given ourselves a really strong foundation to build from in 2018-19 and I want to be part of that. "It will be my third season at Notts and it feels like home now." Notts boss Kevin Nolan added: "Duffer has been a pillar of consistency ever since I first walked through the doors. "He was a huge part of what was a very positive 2017-18 season and I'm delighted he's going to be with us once again next season." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County have added a fourth player to their ranks this week in the shape of Kane Hemmings, who joins from Oxford United on a three-year deal for a reported fee of around £100,000. The Magpies have already snapped up Tom Crawford, Kristian Dennis and Andy Kellett, and now they have secured the signature of a player who enjoyed a fruitful loan spell at Mansfield Town last term. Hemmings will be familiar to Notts fans, having scored a 99th-minute penalty in a 1-1 draw at Meadow Lane in March. “I’m over the moon,” the Burton-upon-Trent lad told the official Notts site. “This is a club that wants to go places, and I want to go there with them. “Being a local lad and having heard the plans the manager and chairman have for the club, it’s an opportunity I couldn’t really turn down. “As soon as the offer came in I was convinced straightaway. It’s a perfect match and I’m delighted to get it done. “I like to get on the ball and be in and around the box, getting shots away and linking up with team-mates. “Hopefully the fans will see an exciting player who scores a goal or two and is a big influence on the team.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Alan Hardy has given Notts County goalkeeper Ross Fitzsimons a big vote of confidence, saying he will be "worth a large sum of money" in a few years' time. The 23-year-old has been offered a new contract by the Magpies and, should he sign it, is likely to become Adam Collin's successor after the former number one was released by the club. Fitzsimons did well in deputising for Collin last season but lost his place in January after lashing out at Crawley Town player Mark Connolly to earn a red card and give the opposition a penalty which was converted. “Ross was outstanding in the games he played,” Hardy told the Nottingham Post. “If it wasn’t for the sending off against Crawley when we played them at Meadow Lane, then he would have probably retained his place throughout the rest of the season. “Ross is a fantastic prospect for the future, and we believe in three years’ time, he will be worth a large sum of money. “He is a very talented young goalkeeper.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's regular League Two season has ended with a goalless draw against Luton Town at Meadow Lane on Saturday. The Magpies, who had sealed a playoff place but could not go any higher than third following the loss to Grimsby Town, played out a bright game against their promoted opponents. Neither side could break the deadlock, however, in a game that had an end-of-season team and with neither side having anything much to play for, except for where Notts would finish in the playoff positions. As it was, Kevin Nolan's charges finished fifth in the table and would find themselves up against sixth-placed Coventry City - the side that beat them 3-0 in the season opener - in the semi-finals. Here is how the game panned out, with Notts County's official YouTube match highlights. Share your thoughts about the match on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Alan Hardy has paid tribute to the players released by Notts County this week and pledged to build for "another season to remember". The Magpies finished fifth in League Two last season and took on Coventry City in the playoff semi-finals. It didn't go to plan, however, as Notts lost 5-2 on aggregate, and although Hardy was left with resentment over the unjust refereeing decisions, he will look ahead to the 2018-19 campaign. "When you get that close to tasting success, it summons a deep-seated passion to go one better and that will be our aim next season," Hardy wrote in the Nottingham Post. "We have a fantastic manager, we have a squad who have forged a tremendous spirit, and we have you - the supporters. "Your incredible backing throughout the course of the campaign both home and away was outstanding. "It is a real source of motivation, and I am determined to ensure it is rewarded with a magical season which I hope will make up for the anguish of last week. "We have already started our battle plan for next season and this week we unveiled our retained list. "It is always an exceptionally difficult time because you have to say goodbye to players who you have got to know, respect and admire. "You see them on a daily basis, you see how hard they work, and you appreciate everything they have given to the cause. "To then say goodbye is extremely difficult, and I would suspect that any manager will tell you, it’s probably one of the hardest jobs they have to do. "I would like to place on record my thanks to those players who have departed us this week. "They all played their part and I would have dearly loved for them all to have gone out on the high of securing promotion under the Wembley arch. "Now, though, it is a time to look ahead to the new season knowing we have a core group already at the football club that I am sure will be determined to march us to glory. "It is going to be another busy summer when we look to supplement the squad with quality over quantity in our bid to reach our destination. "I am looking forward to the challenge of giving you another season to remember. "Hopefully this time it will end in perfect fashion knowing the events of last week was just a brief pit-stop of disappointment in our continued journey towards success." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's season has finally come to an end, two weeks after the regular campaign was wrapped up. The fact we managed to extend the season by making the playoffs is obviously a sign that we have been heading in the right direction, and on the positive side it is nice to have been anxious about things in the top half of the table instead of the bottom like we had been for the previous four seasons. And of course, just the fact that we lost to Coventry City over two legs is no disgrace. After all, they are a big team with good players and a big fanbase, so had it just been a case of "Notts were just not as good", that isn't a big deal in itself. Let's face it, Notts have been punching above their weight for much of the season. An incredible first half of the season eventually petered out due to players running out of steam (namely up front), inconsistency (players putting in displays better than their general quality would muster, only to revert to type the following week), the odd failed tactical tinker (4-5-1) and making a pig's ear of the winter transfer window (Mason Bennett's signing was made in good faith and the player is quality but there is always going to be that risk in recruiting injury prone players). All that considered, being able to finish in the playoffs was a pretty fair assessment of our season, a team largely in transition and seeking consolidation after several traumatic years doing superbly well through a mere change in circumstances off the pitch (a good owner) and in the dugout (let's not forget that Kevin Nolan is a rookie in managing terms so he's only going to get better with experience, a prospect which is pretty exciting). However, let's look at what happened over the two legs against Coventry. The first leg should have ended 1-0 to us. Their penalty late on should not have been given, pure and simple. Had the refereeing been adequate, Coventry would have gone into the second leg a goal down and there could have been a different game altogether. But okay, let's say we led and we still got an awful first half in which we conceded early on and again midway through, as per what happened yesterday. Jorge Grant's goal would have levelled the tie and Jonathan Forte's goal - which was onside - would have put us back in front. The momentum in both the game and the tie would have been with Notts, while Coventry would have been panicking, and who knows what could have happened. Would Maxime Biamou have scored his second? Even if he did, would Notts heads have dropped as they did, knowing they were still in the tie? Football is a very emotional and psychological game. One goal, or sending off, will completely change the heads of both sets of players as well as those of the fans, with a ripple effect. And likewise, having a goal chalked off, or an illegitimate goal being awarded, has a similar effect - witness England's capitulation in 2010 against Germany when Frank Lampard's goal so flagrantly crossed the line and wasn't given - subconsciously, the England players could have been thinking "we've been screwed out of a perfectly good goal - what's the point of carrying on?". The truth is, the football fandom has become desensitised to awful refereeing decisions, so when a team gets screwed over in the big moments, it's usually self-justified as "oh well, these will even out over the course of a season" or "yeah but we weren't good enough overall". Sorry, that's not good enough. The bottom line of the game is to outscore your opponent, and goals are hard to come by in football (compared to, say a rugby or basketball game) so each one needs the utmost scrutiny in accordance with the laws of the game. If we're operating on whatever laws the referee conjures up at any given moment, you're not getting a proper game of football. And sure, you can justify it to yourself with excuses as a coping mechanism, but the cold hard truth is, we've been cheated. Not necessarily deliberately, but even through incompetence, we have been cheated out of what could have been a completely different outcome had the rules of the game been adhered to as, you know, they are supposed to be. That's fine though, whatever. We'll justify it as "the will of the footballing gods", we'll channel our anger towards the players for being bad on the day / during the season, we'll wonder what could have been, and we'll go again next season slumming it at the likes of Morecambe and Forest Green. It's entertainment at the end of the day, isn't it? Shame football is more pantomime than Hollywood movie these days. 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.

Jorge Grant says he has "improved so much as a player and as a person" following his loan spell at Notts County. The Nottingham Forest attacker has enjoyed two bright loan spells at Meadow Lane, in the second half of the 2016-17 campaign and the entirery of last season. With County's 2017-18 campaign now over, Grant has returned over the Trent but posted some kind comments about the club and the fans. “Big thanks to everyone at Notts County for the last 18 months,” the 23-year-old wrote on Twitter. “Improved so much as a player and as a person! Sad to say goodbye to everyone today. “Thanks to everyone behind the scenes and the fans for all the love and hate. It honestly has been a pleasure.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Michael O’Connor has called for more ex-players to go into refereeing after Notts County were knocked out of the League Two playoffs against Coventry City. In the first leg at the Ricoh Arena, Matt Tootle was wrongly penalised for a foul on Tom Bayliss which saw Marc McNulty score a late penalty to earn Coventry a 1-1 draw. And in the return leg at Meadow Lane, Jonathan Forte saw an equaliser wrongly chalked off for offside when the score was 2-1, while Maxime Biamou's third Sky Blues goal was offside. “Forte was two yards onside, and there were two offsides for their third goal,” Notts captain O'Connor told the Nottingham Post. “If the goal stands and it’s 2-2, they were gone. They were shot and I think we would have won the game. “It’s easy looking back now saying this and that, but look at the penalty decision in the first game. “It’s never a penalty. That’s three big decisions over two legs in a play-off semi-final. “That’s not good enough. These are meant to be the best referees in the league. “It’s hard being a referee, I get that. But people’s livelihoods are at stake. “Do I think the scrutiny on the decision will make a difference next season? No. “A lot of referees haven’t played the game before and that’s why more players at the end of their careers should officiate. They know the game better.” Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Alan Hardy has paid tribute to the Notts County fanbase in an end-of-season message following the playoff defeat to Coventry City. A total of 17,615 people were in attendance at Meadow Lane on Friday night to watch the Magpies fight for a place in the final at Wembley. It wasn't to be unfortunately, with the Sky Blues instead winning the chance to go up in the showpiece event on Bank Holiday Monday, with Exeter City in their way. Nonetheless, Hardy was delighted with the Black & White Army and their support at the game and throughout the season, and has pledged to work hard behind the scenes to keep the club prospering. "I would like to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to everyone who supported us throughout the campaign," Hardy wrote on the official website. "Unfortunately there was to be no fairytale ending and, given some of the refereeing decisions we were subjected to over the course of our play-off semi-final tie, perhaps it simply wasn’t meant to be. "When the dust settles, we will be able to look back on an amazing season of progression on and off the field, culminating in a breathtaking occasion which attracted a record crowd this century. "It’s difficult to put into words the level of pride I felt looking around the stadium ahead of kick-off (Friday) night. Nearly every seat was filled and there was a terrific atmosphere swirling around Meadow Lane. "We are all united in our desire to have more nights like that and with your continued backing, I’m sure we will. "While the players will now have some well-deserved time off with their friends and family, behind the scenes the hard work begins straightaway to ensure we continue on our upward curve. "As always, I will keep you informed of the latest developments in our exciting journey. "Thank you once again. Alan." Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Shola Ameobi, Rob Milsom, Adam Collin, Carl Dickinson and Jonathan Forte are among the players who will not be at Notts County next season as the club published their end-of-season retained list. All the players met with manager Kevin Nolan on Tuesday and a total of 11 senior players have been axed ahead of the new campaign. Meanwhile, Fans' Player of the Season Matt Tootle has penned a new deal at the club which will take him to 2020, while another six who were due to be out of contract have been offered extensions. "I can't thank the lads enough for their committed efforts in my first full season here at Notts County" Nolan told the official website. "These decisions are some of the hardest, if not the hardest, we make as a management team and it's never an easy time for everyone involved. "I would like to put on record my thanks to all of the players who are moving on and wish them all the best for their future." Chairman and owner Alan Hardy added: "On behalf of the club we would like to thank all the players for their efforts this season, and for those players leaving us we wish them the very best in their future endeavours. "I'm very confident in the decisions we have made and that we will have the start of a squad which is capable of continuing with the progress this club has made in the past 16 months." Here is Notts County's retained list following the conclusion of the 2017/18 League Two campaign. Under contract Lewis Alessandra Shaun Brisley Terry Hawkridge Elliott Hewitt Noor Husin Liam Noble Jon Stead Matt Tootle Out of contract, offered new contract Pierce Bird Richard Duffy Ross Fitzsimons Dan Jones Michael O'Connor Branislav Pindroch Out of contract, released Shola Ameobi Adam Collin Carl Dickinson Mike Edwards Jonathan Forte Elliot Hodge Nicky Hunt Rob Milsom Callum Saunders Alan Smith Curtis Thompson Loans expired Mason Bennett Jorge Grant Ben Hall Matty Virtue Apprentices offered development contracts Harry Bugg Remaye Campbell Declan Dunn Alex Howes Sam Osborne Apprentices released Dominic Brown-Hill Peter Dearle Ryan Ebanks Curtis Hall Jordon Richards Joe Searson-Smithard Edwin Towers Share your thoughts about this news story on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's Wembley dream came to an end on Friday night as a referee-assisted Coventry City side ran out 4-1 winners in their League Two playoff semi-final second leg at Meadow Lane. Level at 1-1 on aggregate following the first leg, the hosts admittedly put in a dire first-half performance as Maxime Biamou and Marc McNulty struck in the first half to put the Sky Blues in control. Jorge Grant pulled one back for the Magpies before the break while Jonathan Forte had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside. Biamou then scored again in a move which saw two separate offsides in the build-up and Tom Bayliss added another late on to end County's dreams of promotion to League One. Despite the result, it was great to see the Black & White Army out in force - Pride of Nottingham was present to take pictures of fans, so see if you've made it into the final Faces of PON of the season! Share your thoughts about this week's Faces of PON on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's Wembley dream came to an end on Friday night as Coventry City ran out 4-1 winners in their League Two playoff semi-final second leg at Meadow Lane. Level at 1-1 on aggregate following the first leg, the hosts admittedly put in a dire first-half performance as Maxime Biamou and Marc McNulty struck in the first half to put the Sky Blues in control. Jorge Grant pulled one back for the Magpies before the break while Jonathan Forte had a perfectly good goal disallowed for offside. Biamou then scored again in a move which saw two separate offsides in the build-up and Tom Bayliss added another late on to end County's dreams of promotion to League One. Pride of Nottingham vlogger ARLukomski was at Meadow Lane to document the occasion, giving his thoughts throughout the game and in the aftermath. Want to watch one of the finest up and coming Notts bloggers around? Here's the video! Follow ARLukomski on his YouTube channel by clicking here. Share your thoughts about this vlog on Pride of Nottingham by signing up to the website, visiting the forum and joining in the chat with hundreds of fellow Notts County fans. Fancy showcasing your brand or business on Pride of Nottingham? Click here to find out more about sponsorship and advertising opportunities with us.

Notts County's 2017-18 season ended on a sour note as Coventry City put in an assured display, helped in no small part by several dubious refereeing decisions, to run out 4-1 winners at Meadow Lane. The first leg of their League Two playoff semi-final ended 1-1 as a contentious penalty saw the Sky Blues edge level on the night and in the tie, but the hope was that home advantage in the return leg could prove beneficial for the Magpies. However, the first half at the San Sirrel was little short of atrocious for Notts, who fell behind after just six minutes when a corner was not properly dealt with and Maxime Biamou was able to unleash an overhead kick and find the back of the net. The hosts were truly pedestrian in the opening 45 minutes, mostly playing hoofball and proving unable to stop Coventry from playing through them, indeed going on to concede a second goal on 37 minutes when Marc McNulty combined with Liam Kelly to lash home from eight yards out. Out of nowhere, however, Notts claimed a lifeline in the game when, shortly before half time, a long throw was flicked into the box by Richard Duffy and Jorge Grant thundered home at the back post, halving the deficit and setting up a high-stakes second half. Shaun Brisley and McNulty were involved in some handbags just before the whistle just to make things a little tastier and, much to the home fans' delight, Notts were right out of the starting blocks in the second half. On 65 minutes, Jon Stead forced Lee Burge into a superb save from just inside the area, and moments later they had the ball in the back of the net, but Jonathan Forte's effort was unjustly - here we are using this word again - ruled out for offside. To make matters worse, Coventry's killer third goal, which caused County's heads to drop, actually was offside, Biamou finding time in the area to turn and fire a low shot into the bottom corner. The Sky Blues eventually added a fourth, Tom Bayliss running into space and rifling home a long-range effort five minutes from time, to trigger an exodus in the stands, the dreams of Wembley torn asunder. 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.