Morning all, we’ve had a restless night, first of all I forgot to switch off my phone so we were disturbed by notifications, then the smoke alarm started blipping in the loft conversion. In the end we gave up and switched the coffee machine on at 5.20.

Today I’ve got a hospital appointment to have my ears cleaned, it’s taken about five months for the referral to change to an appointment so I got fed up with being deaf a couple of month ago and paid at Specsavers, I’ll still go to the hospital though to see if there’s any more built up.

Later we are picking Chloe up to stay at ours for the weekend, brother Fred is on a scout camp and mum and dad are having a weekend away.

Good morning one and all. @Fan of Big Tone looks like you have a busy day ahead my friend. The thing is you are supposed to get plenty of sleep before taking on a plethora of tasks 😂😴

I hope you can stay awake long enough to fulfill your list of things needed doing.

This little chap was supervising me carrying out my paddock duties this morning. No doubt upon the request of Mrs P 😉 I've called him Roger after my uncle, who i had coffee with yesterday.

My chin is on the ground at the moment as I went (for the second time) yesterday to represent our estate residents at a Council Planning meeting, hoping to postpone the building of 133 new homes as an addition to our 160. The whole plot when permission was granted was for only 190 and now it will be 293 when finished. I now realise that Councillors do not listen and just pay lip service to give each one of us our precious 3 minutes of time to object, then go off at a tangent of their own. 🙁 Sad, sad day when greed comes to the forefront before safety and traffic accumulation consideration.

In Germany, not all matches are on free TV. However, those that aren't get in-depth coverage. Like this analysis of the pitch invaders last night (subtitles at the bottom):

More VAR controversy when Croatia were denied an equaliser in injury time at the end of 90 minutes when VAR intervened, & it was deemed that the ball lightly touched the tip of the Croatian player's hair, which was measured by a Snickometer (sensor in the ball) in order to disallow a goal.

The Ref originally gave the goal to wild Croatian celebrations. Is this the way we really want the beautiful game to go?

I think the controversy is whether that is the right application of the technology.

Many supporters, players and former referees argue that:

If no one can see the contact in real time or on normal replays, it feels harsh for a goal to be overturned.

The delay while technology checks microscopic touches takes away the spontaneity of scoring.

Fans celebrate, only to have the moment erased over something that appears insignificant.

On the other hand, those who support the current system argue:

The laws don't distinguish between a large touch and a tiny one—a touch is a touch.

Technology should apply the rules consistently rather than relying on subjective judgement.

Without these tools, there would be just as much controversy over missed infringements.

The bigger question may not be the technology itself, but the laws. Football has already changed its handball and offside interpretations several times in response to VAR. It's reasonable to ask whether the game should introduce a threshold for certain decisions or accept that some contacts are too trivial to overturn an on-field decision.

For me, football has to strike a balance between accuracy and spectacle. Most fans accept using technology to correct clear mistakes. What many struggle with are decisions based on millimetres or imperceptible touches that no one in the stadium—even the referee—could realistically detect without advanced sensors.

That's why incidents like this provoke such strong reactions: they raise the question of whether the game is becoming technically correct but emotionally unsatisfying.

Let us all retreat back to the days when referees weren't wired up and Linesmen/Women used their eyesight and Flags, with common sense prevailing.

Wordle 1,840 4/6

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Wordle 1,840 4/6

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Wordle 1,840 3/6

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#waffle1624 5/5

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🔥 streak: 802
🦾 #waffletitan
wafflegame.net

#waffle1624 5/5

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🔥 streak: 67
🥇 #wafflegoldteam
wafflegame.net

#waffle1624 2/5

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🔥 streak: 26
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wafflegame.net

Rettel Search #505 🔍
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https://rettelgame.com/rettel-search

Rettel 5x5 #787 21pts

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https://rettelgame.com/rettel-five

I guessed all the words (22 out of 22) in today's Combinations puzzle.
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Can you guess this puzzle?
https://combinations.org/

Strands #850
“Not a red herring”
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Strands #851
“Added flavor”
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Strands #852
“It's like talking to a brick wall”
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Connections
Puzzle #1116
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Connections
Puzzle #1117
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Connections
Puzzle #1118
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More chance of Roos getting picked than Traore, what a waste of money both were

According to the Grauniad, former franchise player Jonathan Leko is on trial at Notts, while Aden Flint is also training with us.

Flint is pretty old, not sure why he's training with us unless he lives nearby? Leko makes more sense, was a great prospect as a teenager but had a long term injury - shades of Jodi? Probably a high earner at his previous clubs.

I have great admiration for Connell Rawlinson. His decision to work with Notts and to mutually agree on his release I believe allowed this to happen. I'm not sure that he would have been Chester bound otherwise. I really hope he can settle down, get himself on the team sheet and help Chester move forward.

It's a great opportunity for him.

This is a positive move for Chester. Rawlo’s addition to the team could make a significant difference. His tall stature could be advantageous. Since his departure, he has quickly managed to get things in order. This swift action leads me to agree more with @Chris’s viewpoint.

Well, I am looking forward to this and I am not that bothered that we have played them not so long ago. I am all for us playing Forest pre-season, as it's good to see how we compare with our neighbours and if we play for the County Cup or whatever it is called these days it would be nice.

It's a good thing for the city, despite not liking Forest. I can respect what they have done, and appreciate their genuine fans.

The fixture should attract a big crowd & a good atmosphere. Notts will make a good amount of money from it. Hopefully Forest will field a strong side.

Happy Birthday, @Dan. Have a wonderful day, and I hope you get to do something special with Helen and Henry. 🙌

Thanks guys. I’ve only just managed to get on here. It kept saying I didn’t have permission!

Always a good read @ARLukomski

Matty Young Sunderland keeper I would try for

Colchester Utd's Jack Payne

Micah Mbick, from Charlton on loan?

Excellent as always. Mason Melia has bags of potential. It makes sense to send him out on loan to a League 1 side.

Mark O Mahony would be a brilliant signing. Given our style, he could easily end up with 15 to 20 goals.

Disappointed he didn't come to Notts

Echoed...

The commitment is amazing, but its the skill that amazes me most. I can only dream

the new homepage looks brilliant, its to the point and showcases what we are about. pon is a great site and deserve more interactions from fans, i hope people start to see just how great it is and what goes into it by a single person. good job, gaffer.

The service status page now sends alert emails when something is going on, and I will be sure to maintain the page when things do happen.

Some new features will be in testing mode on the live site shortly, and others will become the norm like my ehancement to the desktop's navigation and the history section. =)

Stay tuned for more updates.

Probably the standout. County beat the Blades 1-0 at Meadow Lane in August 2010 thanks to Lee Hughes. It was one of the defining results of the Sven-Göran Eriksson-backed promotion season carrying into League One.

I think as me, fans will remember the superb 3-0 away win against Charlton at The Valley in 2011 under Martin Allen. One of the best away performances of that era.

Despite the accidents and losses to our fan base, I am looking forward to Stevenage. I was present when some of our fans were hit by cars, trying to go over the busy road and it was awful. It's a shame because I did enjoy going to watch them, and will do again but that will be in the back of my mind.

The reason I like Stevenage is it isn't difficult to get to, the parking is convenient and most of the games have always been a nice sunny afternoon.

There're not many fix releases that bring back memories; the only other is Alan Hardy banging on about how a certain person was going to go far but has caused multiple relegations. I thought about going to The Nest the other day, but I didn't due to the heat. I do look forward to the fixtures release but not many hold memories for me.

5 hours ago, StarkMallard said:

Also, since he's under 21 I think he doesn't count towards the squad limit.

Correct, I guess that's one of the reasons as to why we've signed him. 8 goals from midfield in 33 matches is very promising for someone so young, there's definitely potential there, lets hope he fulfils with us!

He looks physically stronger than Conor Grant and if he has similar technical skills, we could be onto a really good signing.

I think he's a no risk signing for Notts. He has potential & there is plenty of room for improvement. If he can't get into the first team squad, he will be loaned out possibly to a League 2 club.

Had a lovely weekend down the smoke as I took Mrs P to see her favourite group. We stayed in Canning Town and travelled to the venue by tube train 🚆 The weather was hot and humid on Saturday but cooled down favourably for the evening performance, we were so grateful. Mrs P informed me that we had clocked 15000 steps on our return, phew 😵‍💫 no wonder my legs felt like jelly 😅

Where did we go?

And who did we see??

Answers on a postcard please 🤠

@Michael D Pie. Take that with a pinch of salt...though I prefer Belinda Carlisle😉, in need of summer rain🙃

100% correct @Piethagoram a revisit to the original 17 years ago with the same lineup, or close to it. Belinda Carlisle opening proceedings, followed by The Script and then Take That. What a fantastic show enjoyed by all.

On 26/06/2026 at 20:50, theAnticlough said:

We won that 0-4 to go top.

It's an early kick-off so if we get at least a point we'll be in an automatic promotion spot!

What a fantastic start. It's a big name, plus it's better to play them before they've picked up momentum. But Leicester, Luton and Burnley in a week is a tough start!

1 hour ago, StarkMallard said:

It's an early kick-off so if we get at least a point we'll be in an automatic promotion spot!

Alphabetic order is their only hope

18 hours ago, Chris said:

For me, it's a good time to be playing Leicester City because they will still have a lot of the negativity about their relegation and some of their fans are still having wobbles about it now. I honestly think they'll start off slow, and potentially may struggle. They still have some good players, and should be able to adapt in time, but I think for us going in confident, organised and showing no fear may give us a boost.

I agree, I actually think it’s better to play the stronger sides at the very start of the season when it might take them a few matches to get into the swing of things. Leicester have a new manager and are likely to have a whole new starting 11, I can seem them having up and down results for the first lot of matches.

Luton away for the first match is another biggie too but October looks the toughest set of fixtures on paper; a run of Oxford, Wycombe, Sheffield Wed, Stockport and Mansfield. Let's hope it's not a winless one!

good draw, i think it could be a good chance to showcase that we can play against teams a level up. we just need to prepare and be organised.

It would be nice to grab an early upset in the League Cup, but the focus more so has to be remaining in League One. Still, it will be a chance to start a few players who could be in contention for the starting XI, whilst allowing more favourable players a chance to get minutes in without things being pressured.

I am quite happy with the draw, because it's a different team and will be somewhere some of our fans haven't seen Notts play in awhile if at all.