My friend managed to secure tickets for the Wimbledon trip, and despite it being in London. Jake is coming! Very early start planned, but I am excited. I have been focusing on reaching out via emails today and yesterday.

Along with sorting out other behind-the-scenes things, so that things are a lot more smoother once the season has finalised.

Yesterday was our 19th wedding anniversary with my amazing soulmate @cheeky~k8. Thursday, Jake turns 19 and Sunday is a day I am hoping to spend at least some of the time at Wilford Hill and @super_ram. May is a busy point for us.

Happy anniversary for yesterday @Chris and @cheeky~k8

@Chris I hope you can bring Notts some luck when you go to Wimbledon to see the match, give them a cheer for me.

@Chris

I see that the tackle looks bad when in normal speed, but in slow motion Jatta clearly touches the ball first.

But my contention is that the shirt pulling should have warranted a foul before Jatta tackled the guy

It's a real shame that his season has ended in this way. He's had such a great one for Notts, but his frustration got  the better of him on this occasion.

I hope it isn't the last time we see him in the black and white.

Aye, I know he made contact with the ball.

I do feel for Jatta, he was clearly distraught and emotional. There's always the chance for things like this to happen, and there really wasn't any need for the Dons' player to pretend he had been caught. It must be frustrating for Jatta, as he will miss the away leg, and that for us as a club could prove crucial. He'll come back stronger, and he'll learn from the experience.

I am sure we'll see him again for us next season, the incident might deter some of the clubs watching him from bidding to see how he reacts. Or, he could be sold, but I don't think it's likely, personally.

Notts had plenty of chances to change the outcome well before Jatta was sent off. Conor Grant should have put more power on his chip, that was a huge miss for us and a sign of how unfortunate we would be. I don’t think Wimbledon looked all that strong in their win. They have a good keeper and height in their defence, but I wouldn’t rule Notts out doing better away from home. Still, the loss was disappointing.

I don’t fault the effort from any player. I just wish some of those close calls had been finished more clinically. Jodi Jones gave me hope when he smashed the post, and Goodman celebrated as if he had saved it.

#waffle1207 3/5

streak: 102
#wafflecenturion
wafflegame.net

#waffle1207 3/5

streak: 69
#wafflegoldteam
wafflegame.net

#waffle1207 1/5

streak: 2
wafflegame.net

I can't argue with that. Jatta struggled to handle Wimbledon's physical play and let it affect him.

The only possible excuse for those images is if he slipped. But he threw himself into the tackle, and even though he won the ball, it was a clear red card.

I still believe if the ref had given a free kick for the shirt pulling on Jatta just before his lunge then everything else wouldn’t have happened, he was clearly frustrated and there’s no excuse but if the ref had done his job we’d still have Jatta for the second leg

Well, I don't think we can consider "what if" scenarios, as we already know what happened, and the outcome was far from good. It was a horrific decision to dive into a challenge with both feet, and it’s clear they were up. I don’t see how anyone can defend that.

Jatta should have left the field immediately. I don’t care if the Wimbledon players provoked him or if he was lashing out. He needed to walk away, act professionally, and accept the decision.

If a Notts fan thinks this was acceptable, I would hope they don’t show double standards when reacting to some of the tackles Jodi Jones has endured.

Connections
Puzzle #701





Disappointing

Connections
Puzzle #701




I wish the yanks would learn  correct English instead of mangling it

Oh dear. This game was leading me down the garden path. I took the wrong path.

Connections
Puzzle #701

Wordle 1,423 3/6

Wordle 1,423 4/6

Wordle 1,423 3/6

Your Saturday weather 4cast 

Your Sunday 11 th May Weather 4cast  

Your Monday Weather 4cast 

Another 3 points should get Barcelona the title. They should achieve that easily in their last three matches.

Real Madrid will still be in the Champions League so missing out on the title won't be so bad for them.

Knowing them, the Manager's position might be under threat. They don't like failure even if they have come second.

The Spanish League, just like the Premier League & Bundesliga are just so predictable. 

The top five or six Clubs that are the richest get richer & the rest have to manage with the scraps on offer.

Whilst I don't particularly like either team, it would still be quite the experience to watch this game at either of the teams home grounds. Nou Camp for me, would be quite breathtaking, especially if the weather was super nice.

I really like that joke about the French Ninja Turtle! It's pretty funny!

I don’t think there’s much that separates a number of our better performers last night, majority would’ve scored 6 or 7/10 from me. If Grant had scored, he would’ve been my MotM but I can’t look past his poor finishing. Platt just edges the rest for me.

I’ve gone for David McGoldrick although I think quite a few players put in a good shift.

The Poll has now closed.

I'm delighted to announce that David McGoldrick is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against AFC Wimbledon.

Well done David.

Tea has been taken.

Hampshire are 33 for 3 in their second innings.

Hampshire need 450 runs to win.

A three day comprehensive win for Notts.

Hampshire 116 all out.

Notts win by 366 runs.

Latest County Championship Division  One table.

Nottinghamshire on top.

Matty Platt has made the most league appearances for Notts this season, 45.

from @ARLukomski

If Notts had won 10 games instead of 20, they could have been relegated with 42 points instead of having a chance to get to a playoff final.

Dissapointing result last night particularly as Notts played very well & deserved to win the match in my opinion. 

Notts created plenty of chances & they certainly played to a high level especially in the 2nd half. 

The way Notts managed to open up the Wimbledon defence on several occasions gives me great hope.

A one goal deficit going into the 2nd leg means that this playoff semi is not over by any means.

Notts have the 2nd best away record in league two this season, so they will be hopeful to be able to turn things around in their favour at plough lane.

I think that a Notts early goal would force Wimbledon to come out & make the running which could give Notts that extra space to exploit upfront.

I'm still going to believe that Notts can make the playoff final, which would be a great achievement.

Hoping that Didzy will be fit for next Saturday. His place in the side will be vital for Notts.

Morning all, I guess we are all a little deflated by yesterdays results, I’ve put my thoughts in the matchday thread.

It’s another fine day here, we’ve got grandchildren until their mum and dad come home later today.

Yesterday young Fred was entertaining us showing us his tricks on the skateboard, then he got his virtual reality goggles out which was hilarious watching him walk around the garden doing things which only he could see.

Another lovely day here. It's going to be warm but it's a bit windy too.

Was out in the garden early mowing the lawn before it got warm. Mrs wanted it done because she wanted the washing out early too.

Nice to get the grass cut & tidied up early. Time to get the dried washing in for the Mrs now. 

My new DVD seems to be working well. It is very small & light too. It's about 10 by 8 inches. My old DVD was twice that size & about 10 times the weight. Three year warranty with it too which is useful.

another american takeover, which i hope for the sake of colchester united that it is done with the clubs best interest and not a vanity project.

I'm not sure where these figures are from, but they seem a bit on the high side. The season we were relegated to the Bananarama Premier, we were League Two's top spenders on 3 million for the year while two or three clubs didn't evenmake seven figures. In League One a few years before, about 2.5 million was enough to place us in mid table in terms of budget.

I find it hard to believe wages have grown that much, unless these are for overall club expenditure and not just playing staff?

I don't find it surprising that we're not near the top though. Most of the teams are about where I expected, with the exception of Colchester. 

It would be interesting to be able to compare clubs finances more equally, as this doesn't really factor in if owners/clubs are overspending or are making smart decisions not to overspend on the payroll. I also assume this only takes into consideration the players wages rather than staff.

What is interesting is seeing how much each team is spending on the player positions. Notts seem to have focused on attack and midfield, with the defence not all that far behind. If I could access the previous seasons, it would probably paint a picture of why we weren't as strong defensively as we are now. As for Notts being placed where they are, I don't think it means much in the grand scheme of things.

It does highlight and reflect well on our recruitment because on paper I believe we do have a squad very capable of winning promotion.

Also, some teams have purchased players and thrown wages on them in a bid to succeed. It really goes to show just how important the right balance is, having a squad that's together and a club focus on moving forward. We are making good progress; we need to remember this.

you might say that we have overachieved the past two seasons, not being in a relegation battle but tipped for promotion is so much better. i think we spend our resources wisely and that shows when we have spells at the very top. i find it very hard to be dishearten by everything, especially those who want stuart maynard out. i just dont see the point of being so anti maynard when he has done a lot better than luke williams.

i dont think williams would have wanted defenders this past summer, i think he would have wanted to focus on being top heavy in the attacking department.

having the 12th highest budget, and finishing 6th looks a lot healthier.

Last time I looked at the League table Notts finished in sixth place in League 2, despite the injuries to key players for much of the season.

For Notts to finish in the playoffs is a big improvement from last season's effort & that should be applauded.

If Notts can get to another Wembley final in front of a 50 K + crowd, it would be a great achievement & another great day out for the Notts fans.

If we get promoted it would be a fantastic achievement, but if we do or we don't, I'm sure the owners, together with the management, will look to improve the squad for next season.

We went into that with about a 5% chance of promotion tops. Bradford and Walsall both winning (in doing so rendering our result irrelevant) takes the edge off the disappointment, but it was still a really poor performance and doesn't bode well for the play-offs.

Mark Stallard frequently commented that Donny were under more pressure, and for us it was a free hit. I'm not sure I quite agree with him - the visitors had already achieved promotion, so for them yesterday was a bit of fun with the aim of winning the title as the cherry on the cake. We hadn't achieved anything yet and our season depended on not conceding early. To me, the team looked more scared of losing than hungry to win. We never truly threw the shackles off even at 2-0 down.

Once again we were harmless going forwards. Grant and Whitaker were anonymous and should have been replaced sooner than they were. Our only attacking outlet were the wing backs, who were too far away from Jatta. As a result, most of our attacking moves petered out with aimless crosses. The fact that we missed a 37-year-old this badly goes to show how much quality we've lost in this area since last season. We finished the match with three players who have suffered long-term injuries this season, which also tells a story. But why was Palmer taking set pieces even with Jones on the pitch? And if McGoldrick was so unfit he couldn't even play the last 20 minutes, what was he doing on the bench in the first place?

SM has managed his juggling act well enough to secure a play-off place, but I doub't we have the quality to make the step up this season.

Doncaster Rovers wanted Notts to look for passes which they could intercept, and it forced Notts to either play long balls or passes which wasn't direct. Whilst they looked dangerous, and perhaps the most organised I have seen by a visiting team at Meadow Lane. I thought even though the start was prone to more mistakes, the pressure came from Doncaster. All this talk of Notts looking uninterested, it's that element of not understanding how football is played to some degree.

Creatively, it could have been a totally different game, and I personally think defensively lead to the issues which favoured Doncaster.

Alex Bass had limitations on where to put the ball, due to how much we were being pressed by them. Defensively, we didn't want the ball for very long, and that led to poor decisions. Even George Abbott lost the ball countless times, even after winning it back, and I still can't see how he's being rated insanely high compared to other players.

Kellan Gordon has the ability to put in fantastic crosses, balls which Notts must learn to be able to attack, but at the same time he's one of the most frustrating players in the squad. I don't doubt that Gordon has the ability to be more consistent and a very important player, but when he limits his runs. Walks the ball out for a throw-in, and doesn't really take on players as he clearly can. It just becomes apparent that he's not pushing himself enough.

It's the opposite with Jodi Jones, he wasn't very good in the first half, but you have to be constructive and fair. Otherwise, when he plays brilliantly and you jump on the Jodi bandwagon, you seem only interested in when things are going well. He's not ready to be starting games, he's clearly worried and intimidated about suffering another injury. Could he be braver? I don't think many in his exact situation would do any better. He clearly has a love for the game, and football is his livelihood. The fact he has come back from so many setbacks, that has to be taken into consideration. I felt he did much better in the second half, but it's a mistake to be starting him.

Stuart Maynard and Jodi probably had a discussion, where both are wanting the best outcome, but if Jodi can't play like the final 20 minutes of the Doncaster game against AFC Wimbledon, we should leave him to be an impact sub. I wouldn't be surprised if he took his performance personally, and how does a player come back from that? It's hard, unless people are understanding, and the manager gives the player a bit more time.

Rod McDonald did very well defensively, I think Matty Platt and Jacob Bedeau both struggled but they tried. It wasn't the best performance by them, but it stems from Doncaster's approach.

We can call the performance rubbish, but Notts were beaten by the better team who were more organised and had the momentum of winning the title. Had the game been played under different circumstances, and earlier in the season, I think it would have played out differently. I was at their home leg, and I didn't see the same team. I thought they were poor, and not much improved from last season. A season where their fans wanted the manager out, and they looked to have financial issues. How much rosier do we have it now under the Reedtz?

Alassana Jatta was unlike himself, probably the most underperforming player on the pitch, and it wasn't due to a lack of creativity. He just seemed very off, and considering it's the end of the season, performances can dip. This is why Stuart Maynard, and the players themselves, need to call for more focus.

Conor Grant and Charlie Whitaker found it challenging to cope with Doncaster's aggressive tactics, particularly their tendency to pull shirts. They were both fouled several times, but no excuses, they could have done better. I personally thought Whitaker looked to be the more productive of the two.

I am surprised by some of the reactions to Matt Palmer, he seemed the most consistent player on the pitch and very forward-thinking. His performance still stands out as one of the more consistent in my memory.

For context, Palmer had a 76% pass rate and Abbott only had 40%. The second highest in our team, with Platt being the highest at 78%. Whilst passing isn't the main thing, it does usually give an indication on who performed more consistently throughout a game, and considering Bedeau was the third highest with 43%, it does say something. The issue with Platt, we play the ball out from the back and he could have defended better in key moments. Also, it's worth noting that although Doncaster were very good. Their own passing accuracy wasn't remotely good.

It would suggest they had the better approach to tactics, and created chances which they were able to finish.

Notts have the 2nd best away record in League 2, so if Notts can get a narrow win at home, or even get a draw, I'm sure Wimbledon will be aware of that Notts good away record.

Previous fixtures stand for nothing when it comes to playoff matches. The pressure will be all on Wimbledon if we can get a positive result in our home leg.

Two years ago Notts made the National League playoffs with a record points total for a team finishing 2nd. It was a great achievement.

In 2025 Notts made the League 2 playoffs which is an even better achievement, even if many Notts fans don't think that is the case.

On 04/05/2025 at 23:01, Sue Garfield said:

Agree that playing at home first leg seems a total disadvantage. Ever since  SM referred to Meadow Lane being a fortress, it seems to have had a disastrously opposite effect.

This is actually a very fair comment, although sad, it is very true.

Fans told me that they were happy we started at home, and it could be a good thing, but we do play with a higher level of freedom away from home. Both home and away we can be very hit and miss, I think I would feel more confident to have started away from Meadow Lane. I think a positive start to the playoffs could have brought momentum. Whereas the pressure is on us with being at home. AFC Wimbledon are also a very decent team, that have enjoyed success even after needing to come back into games at the Lane.

Despite all this, and the fact that the club remained in the automatic places for so long. We have made a significant achievement this season, and it does still feel like we are moving forward under the Reedtz.

At no point in my lifetime did it previously feel genuine that the club has a true potential to push for a higher level of football.

I think it's great that we have a Notts club in the National League North, the sixth tier of the English league system for next season.

Good luck to Worksop Town for next season. 

14 hours ago, Robbie said:

I think it's great that we have a Notts club in the National League North, the sixth tier of the English league system for next season.

Good luck to Worksop Town for next season. 

Indeed nice to see local clubs doing well, congratulations Worksop.

Another trophy for Worksop Town.

I was only 100 points behind @super_ram

Massive thanks for doing this Sausage. Much appreciated. 

Congrats @super_ram and @DangerousSausage thank you for all your hard work on here. COYP

Jack Draper into another Masters 1000 Final, this time on clay.

20 hours ago, Chris said:

I still don't believe Abbott was at his best or performed well enough. That's just my opinion.

I’m really surprised to read your thought @Chris I genuinely thought Abbott had an excellent game, to me he seemed to be performing far better than any other player. It just goes to show how different people view the same match.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who was man of the match because we lost the game sadly.

22 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

I’m really surprised to read your thought @Chris I genuinely thought Abbott had an excellent game, to me he seemed to be performing far better than any other player. It just goes to show how different people view the same match.

At the end of the day it doesn’t matter who was man of the match because we lost the game sadly.

I'm pleased for whoever won, and you are right, we all see things differently at times.

I thought if Will Jarvis had longer on the pitch, he would have warranted more praise in this, and in the short time he was on, I thought he did much better than most of the squad. Unfortunately, Notts fell into Doncaster's game plan in the first half, which was aimed at making us stray passes and lose the ball. I thought George Abbott did okay, but he did lose the ball a lot. I mean, I can remember him winning the ball well, and from nothing, but then passing upfield straight to a Doncaster player. It was just an off day in terms of the players shining with their quality, as a team they did okay and were much better in the second half.

Notts greatly felt the absence of David McGoldrick, as his presence and leadership elevate the entire team's performance and motivation.

I thought Austin did well when he came on. I think Notts missed him during his injury & he was playing very well beforehand too.

I hope Austin will be fit enough to start against Wimbledon. He could make a lot of difference for us.

Even though it didn't turn out as he would've hoped it does sound sound like everything at Swansea wasn't as rosy as it was made out to be. He still got to be the head coach of a Championship club and test himself against other better coaches and work with some top players so he'll have a learnt a lot from his time there.

I don’t think the door is totally closed to him returning to us in the future, this is a head coach that left us in 5th and we got a lot of money for. I wonder if the fact he is doing nothing might be giving the brothers a few pressing thoughts…

I would say Bristol Rovers would seem like a possible next job as he lives in South Wales but they are seemingly a bit of basket-case club too. I think he was spoilt with how well run we are!

As I said, I think Luke could do a job for a Club in the lower leagues below Championship level, but I don't want him back at Notts.

The way he left Notts was unsatisfactory, leaving us in fifth place yes, but leaking goals like a sieve & dropping down the league.

Having him back alongside Stuart would be a complete non starter. They are two different personalities & it just wouldn't work.

I like Stuart's management style, & I think his style is what the Reedtz brothers like too.

I wouldn’t be against him returning in some capacity, he says he hasn’t got an ego and would be willing to take anything just to get back in football, I’m sure the brothers are aware of his current position and if they thought he could help the club they’d approach him, I don’t think he left on bad terms, he was ambitious and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Well now that Bass is back this must go down as one of the most pointless signings ever. I can't believe we signed him just in-case Slocombe got injured, the chances of that happening were so slim but even if did happen we could’ve then loaned in an emergency keeper... I feel like we’ve just wasted money and Tyler’s time here…

I don't understand how Slocombe was picked before Miller but as soon as Bass returns Slocombe becomes number three behind Miller. Some of the decisions do seem a bit bizarre.

He didn't make the bench against Doncaster.  Maybe we are saving him for the playoffs  

Yesterday (before the match) I got back from a couple of days in Nuremberg. It's a wonderful city with a gorgeous old town and a copious supply of beer and sausages, I can definitely recommend it.

On a side note, yesterday is all my fault. At the market square, I noticed that people were climbing onto a fountain and rubbing a metal ring as this apparently brings good luck. I didn't do it. Worse, it started raining, so I went in the nearby church and accidentally blasphemed when my phone went off. So I'm sorry for single-handedly ruining our season. It was a nice trip though.

@Piethagoram, I might have a go with Interrail myself soon. Lufthansa's prices to the UK have grown to the extent that an Interrail ticket including Eurostar reservation costs about the same. 

It was an overcast & much colder day as late here. Thankfully the rain kept off & I managed to get a couple of hours gardening work done.

Spent the late afternoon watching three westerns from the forties & fifties. Two starring Henry Fonda, with Dana Andrews & Anthony Quinn in supporting roles in one & a young Anthony Perkins in the other

The third film starred Richard Widmark from 1956. They were three good stories that I'd not seen before. All three had good endings too.

I don't recall any home game this season that I have witnessed Notts being outclassed or not deserving something from the game. I think my biggest concern is how Stuart Maynard doesn't push for a second goal to wrap games up or at least make them easier. This past Monday, it was obvious that we were in control and just needed something a bit different to convert one of the many chances we created.

Yes, we could have won 1-0 on Easter Monday, but there's always the element that a team might sting us.

I spoke to Jake (@super_pie) about this, and I told him I would have taken Kellan Gordon off for Jodi Jones instead of Conor Grant. He mentioned that he would rather have brought on Will Jarvis and not play Jodi at all due to fears of injury. I get the point, but we are heading into a crucial stage where he really needs match minutes, and his confidence with a return to form would be massive. Gordon has a decent cross, but he runs himself into danger and becomes a bit frustrating to watch because you know he has the ability to do more.

I think all season Maynard hasn't particularly used his subs well, but away from home I do think more often it's about positive changes. Except for Carlisle United, where we went defensive beyond a point, it was long balls for Jevani Brown to chase.

There's a lot of talk by the club on how good a coach Maynard is, but I wish we could see it more during games, and especially at home. We either go defensive, or overload ourselves with attacking options.

We rescued a point against Fleetwood Town earlier in the season, but I think we started with the wrong XI and I don't believe the changes in the game influenced our comeback. If anything, I felt at the time a change was needed to handle Fleetwood, who wasn't great but deserved their lead. The 0-1 loss to Gillingham, for me, is a prime example of how we could have got more from the game. Their only goal still annoys me, but Notts could have done much better.

Despite all this, I do think Maynard has done well at times, but I wished I could see more improvements with the changes. I swear he listens to fans, as when he would make 3 to five changes at once, he's now reverted to the 70th minute mark. We would have beaten Cheltenham if we had brought Jodi on earlier and injected a bit more quality.

There have been factors such as injuries, fitness, and other concerns which haven't helped, and I do believe at this level, most managers have negatives which become irritating, but Notts have played some good football this season at Meadow Lane. The club looks much better defensively, and finally our recruitment strengthened the areas we wished for. I do think it's a juggling act for Maynard though, and I hope we can secure a playoff place because I do think it would be a good achievement. I know we could have kept nearer the top, but with all the injuries and so on, it would have taken more than what this squad has. If we don't get promoted, I firmly believe we will be able to build and strengthen the squad to a point where we will be in the running again in the next campaign.

I imagine there’s a lot more pressure on Stuart Maynard and the lads at home. I don’t think the KOP has been the same this year compared to our first season back in the EFL. I feel that togetherness left when Luke Williams departed and Maynard came in. I don’t think Maynard is doing much wrong and believe he’ll improve given time.

It can be frustrating when managers make baffling decisions, but we’re not a million miles away from where we want to be. Our home form is likely due to the pressure of expecting promotion, the dip in form from losing key players, and the constant challenge of avoiding further injuries. I haven’t attended away games, so I can’t comment on the atmosphere this season. However, it felt special when we first came back up, and I feel some areas give half-hearted support.

Maybe it’s just football and the sensationalism fading after promotion, but some clubs make match days exciting. It feels as though we’ve settled for a normal experience without much effort. From what I’ve seen, Notts have always looked like a promotion-chasing side. At times they’ve seemed lacking or indecisive, but all teams go through these phases.

I hope that if we make the playoffs, fans will make Meadow Lane vibrant and loud with various chants. The quality of chants and player songs seems to have declined, becoming repetitive. As fans, our role is to give full-hearted support. Tactically, Maynard could sometimes make changes to influence games differently. Still, we need to accept that he’s learning. At this level, unless we spend heavily on a manager which affects the playing budget, we won’t find someone perfect in every aspect of their game.

Notts have been relatively consistent all season. 

After 23 games Notts had gained 37 points & stood in seventh place in League 2, & they had won 10 matches up to that point.

From the next 23 games Notts have gained 35 points & finished in sixth place,& won a further 10 matches.