- Comment on the Richard Montague interview here
- Who should be recruited in January? Read this excellent recruitment doc from member ARLukomski
- PON member Robbie has highlighted a tough run of fixtures for the Magpies in December, do you have any thoughts on this?⚽
- Former Notts head coach Luke Williams is hoping to reunite with goalscorer Macaulay Langstaff at Peterborough United.
- 👋🏻 Welcome the newest members of Pride of Nottingham! Drop by and say hello, it’s always great to see fresh faces joining the community. 🫱🏼🫲🏼
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Hi everyone, I'm still on the beach but, through the magic of the internet, here's the next round anyway. The rules are the same - the games all kick off at 3pm on Saturday, you get a joker each, standard commercial crystal balls are allowed but necromancy is not. Good luck!
Ipswich Town v Portsmouth
Watford v Hull City
Burton Albion v Plymouth Argyle
Mansfield Town v Rotherham United
Bristol Rovers v Salford City
Crawley Town v Barrow
Halifax Town v Aldershot
Truro City v Morecambe
An interesting Topic was placed on the site, asking if the Current Notts side would hold it's own in League 1. I would like to ask could Notts actually afford to play in League 1? Certainly Promotion to the next level of the Football League would bring in additional cash, but would it be enough to help the Magpies survive and consolidate their position in League 1? Where would the extra cash come from? After all the Owners have said They want the Club to be run on at a level that will require a less Cash input from themselves. If Notts got Promoted then the following season would require practically a Brand New Squad, as many Fans have stated there are only a small number members of the current Squad who could hold their own in the Higher League. Bringing in Experienced E.F.L. players would cost the Club a Large amount of money, have the Owners got that amount of Financial Clout? The wage structure alone would increase several times over, due to the Influx of New Players and any Player who remains at Notts after helping the Magpies gain Promotion, would also be looking for a Pay rise. That along with the Hiring of an Experienced Head Coach is going to cost Money, Loanees and Free Agents aren't going to keep Notts Up. Plus the Owners aren't going to be able to continually waiver huge losses, such as the £10 Million debt which they have done recently.
Some percentage of the Money will come from an Increase in the Price of Season Tickets plus an Increase in Match Day Tickets. But where else is the Cash coming from? Certainly the Board can sell their Star Players, but if those Players are Not replaced by like for like Players, then Notts may struggle and if they were Relegated, they would be bound to lose a certain number of Fans (and their cash). So what would be the answer? The only thing I can see is the Club seeking more Investment, words echoed by other members on this site. However this could bring about it's own problems, if any New Financial Investment were Big Enough, wouldn't those Investors want a Bigger Say In How The Club Was Run, thus cutting down the Brothers Control at the Lane? Does this mean then, for the foreseeable future Notts are just going to Potter along as they are now, content being a League 2 side, and occasionally having a Run at the Playoffs?
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how are bradford city managing when they were cash strapped in league two, and were paying a million a year just to play at the valley parade? they spent 35k on a striker and that was a big deal. their manager moaned about about the cost of players in league one being inflated, but they signed early and considering they are top of league one it seems to be working.
what notts needs to do is continue with the high gates recites, which is why the match day price increase had been disappointing to me. yes it falls inline with other clubs but that increase was not needed to be made. it has taken us from being regularly over 10-12k to below.
i think the first season back in league one would be a test for us when we get there, but there are many things which could help. if we sold a player or two, and made sure to reinvest then that would help. i don't think it would be a big gulf, not like the championship would be.
Seriously? That's a masterclass in negative takes.
"would require practically a Brand New Squad" Why? They'd have just proved they're better than a lot of fans give them credit for by getting promoted.
"The wage structure alone would increase several times over" No-one's getting a 200%+ pay rise.
"Hiring of an Experienced Head Coach is going to cost Money" Why? The one we have would have just got us promoted.
"the Owners aren't going to be able to continually waiver huge losses" How do you know? When they waived some last week, no-one saw that coming.
"if those Players are Not replaced by like for like Players" and "if they were Relegated" Now we're into worrying about things that haven't happened after something (promotion) that hasn't happened yet and that a lot of fans don't think we're capable of!
"more investment ... could bring about it's own problems" The phrase "every silver lining has a cloud" springs to mind. So you want new investment but reserve the right to paint it as a bad thing?
You've missed a few obvious things that we need to worry about. What if Forest win back to back Champions Leagues and no Nottingham child decides to support Notts for a generation? What if the pitch fungus gets out of control and Meadow Lane has to be burned to the ground? What if some fans get their way and MP is sacked and the brothers put Chat GPT in charge?
The discussion can be broken down into clear points. Most teams prepare for promotion in advance and I think it is a fair subject to debate. Notts will benefit from recruitment. It might not have been the strongest this season, but the signings have added to the squad and helped get the best out of the players already here.
Our playing budget may not match many other teams, but it is about how the money is used. We have a strong spine in place. Promotion would not mean a complete rebuild, but smart signings in the right areas to add depth and quality. Off-field assets will also help. The Nest makes money when Forest are in the Premier League, as opposition fans often use it on matchdays.
Liam makes a fair point about the rise in pay-on-the-day prices. It does seem to have affected attendances and that will have an impact. If a few friends decide to join you and you all go into The Nest for a couple of drinks, that is income for the club. If you buy food from the tea bars, that adds more. By raising prices, fewer people may take it up.
Football should be more affordable. The club can sell 7,000 season tickets when results are good, but more could be done. If prices were lowered for existing season ticket holders and kept the same for new buyers, it would encourage early renewals and help bring in casual fans too.
Promotion would bring in good money. If it came through the play offs, the reward would be even greater than finishing as champions. The Reedtz may need to invest, but that does not mean Notts could not compete in League One.
We will likely need to get used to selling players more often. It is vital that we do, but also that we recruit well to replace them. I would not want to see Notts selling to rivals, as we did with Dan Crowley, but instead to clubs we do not have to worry about until we grow further.
Moneyball or not, players who are unlikely to renew should be sold when possible. It all helps the finances. None of us truly know what life in League One would be like. Only those who understand the finances and the board will have a clear idea. It would be interesting to see how our current budget compares to League One teams.
The first year after promotion is usually about survival and finding your feet. If the squad keeps its momentum and is strengthened in the right way, it can carry us forward.
It's Matchday
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Let's hear from the Manager Adam Dunleavy
Well done Aaliyah Upton on your debut.
well done to the notts womens team and takiah parkes.
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2 hours ago, TheSkipper said: It's not really progress when buildings are replaced with spaceship or Minecraft-like designs.
There's not much inspiring about modern, soulless architecture.
That's why there's a ? after my comment @TheSkipper
Yep, this is sad. Victoria station deserves a place here too but that's been discussed elsewhere.
In mitigation, a couple of those buildings (the Crystal Palace and the wheel thingy in Blackpool) were never intended to last long. And the thinking regarding the future of railways (and hence railway buildings) must have been very different in the 1950s and 60s, when the car looked like the way forward. All the same, it's often cheaper to demolish and rebuild than restore old buildings, and sadly we tend to take the cheap option.
the victorian era was probably one of the most stunning for architecture there was some periods where it was hit and miss, some where it was fugly such as tudor. but modern design a very much a eye sore when it goes wrong and it usually seems to.
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One Quote I read regarding Dickies Passing. An England Legend, without ever scoring a Run for his Country. R.I.P. Harold "Dickie" Bird.
You made it to 92, such a Shame you didn't make it a Century.
Rest in Peace, Dickie Bird.
One of the few names I am aware of from the cricket scene, and I think it speaks for itself that.
rest in peace, my dad used to watch cricket all the time and spoke about dickie bird being right. 🙃
Welcome everybody to another prediction league round! As you read this I'll be sunning myself on a beach hiding in a shadow caked with factor 50+ sun cream. As I've got no intention of taking my pocket calculator with me, the points for this round will be delayed slightly. But good things come to those who wait (possibly)! Anyway, these all kick off at 3pm on Saturday, and remember your joker!
Blackburn Rovers v Ipswich Town
Sheffield United v Charlton Athletic
Cardiff City v Bradford City
Wycombe Wanderers v Northampton Town
Bromley v Chesterfield
Salford City v Swindon Town
Altrincham v Carlisle United
Tamworth v Yeovil Town
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The factor 50+ sun cream has been put away for another year and the results are in!
Blackburn Rovers 1-0 Ipswich Town*
Sheffield United 0-1 Charlton Athletic
Cardiff City 1-3 Bradford City
Wycombe Wanderers 2-0 Northampton Town
Bromley 2-2 Chesterfield
Salford City 3-2 Swindon Town
Altrincham 1-2 Carlisle United
Tamworth 1-0 Yeovil Town
*This match was actually abandoned, but since 80 minutes had already been played I've decided to count it.
@cheeky~k8 and @TheSkipper smashed it in round 9, congrats!

@JustLikeJuve remains a point ahead of @magpiejue overall, with @Ash also joining the top three. But what a lively table we have - about half of us are still just a really good round away from the top spot!

So those are the results for round 9, the ones for round 10 will hopefully follow in the next day or two. Thank you for your patience! The next round will be on Saturday, with the fixtures being posted on Wednesday. Thanks for playing!
A European finish will do me just fine, but the top 3 would be excellent. You know what they say about cream.
I’ll take it, it’s just a bit of fun really.
I didn’t think I’d be near the top, but now I am, I want to try my best and finish as high as I can. Other people have picked up some good points too, so the table looks exciting.
Anyone could move up if they get a good round of predictions.
It’s fair to say Kelle Roos has come in for quiet a bit of criticism because more often than not he punches the crosses rather than catches them. This is seen as a weakness on his part, a lack of confidence. Could there be an alternative reason? Could it be that punching the ball (providing good distance is achieved) is less risky that catching? A spilled catch will most likely lead to a goal, whereas a punch is easier to execute and less risky if it goes wrong. Just a thought, controversial I know....
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He misread the corner and tried to come out to punch it away, but realised that his commitment was too early and questions have to be asked of the defence as to why nobody was at the back post. Why everyone followed the movement of the Crewe players, without reflecting on the height of the ball or where it was heading. The cross itself, it was perfectly placed in front of goal, and re-bounced quite high to an open space where Crewe exploited very well, for me there were too many Notts players just watching on in a position in front of the ball as it came in goal wards.
Defensively, Notts needs to get in front of the attacking players and behind the ball.
This said, I have felt like Roos has been improving, and he does seem adequate for this level, but we need to defend his weaknesses better. Crewe took a corner, where Roos perfectly collected the ball, and he intercepted a cross very calmly where he distributed the ball providing Notts a chance to counter.
Alex Bass would have reacted differently, and there's no doubt we would be better off with him, but it's time to start avoiding Roos's weaknesses and defensively better protecting the goal. We don't win as individuals, but as a team. Conceding goals is just the same.
1 hour ago, TheSkipper said: He misread the corner and tried to come out to punch it away, but realised that his commitment was too early and questions have to be asked of the defence as to why nobody was at the back post. Why everyone followed the movement of the Crewe players, without reflecting on the height of the ball or where it was heading. The cross itself, it was perfectly placed in front of goal, and re-bounced quite high to an open space where Crewe exploited very well, for me there were too many Notts players just watching on in a position in front of the ball as it came in goal wards.
Defensively, Notts needs to get in front of the attacking players and behind the ball.
This said, I have felt like Roos has been improving, and he does seem adequate for this level, but we need to defend his weaknesses better. Crewe took a corner, where Roos perfectly collected the ball, and he intercepted a cross very calmly where he distributed the ball providing Notts a chance to counter.
Alex Bass would have reacted differently, and there's no doubt we would be better off with him, but it's time to start avoiding Roos's weaknesses and defensively better protecting the goal. We don't win as individuals, but as a team. Conceding goals is just the same.
Good comments.
Yes, I thought the defenders defending the 6-yard box were more culpable for the 1st goal. Even Jatta at the near post.
Also that Roos has been improving. I don't have a problem with him but I know it's important for a goalie's presence to spread confidence in front of him. I don't think we have that and that will be a problem even if Roos maintains an OK level.
We have a bigger problem than GK IMO and that's indifferent play from the inside-forward No. 10 positions. Nobody has made one of those shirts their own and we can't build a promotion challenge if that doesn't happen.
the worrying thing is how often roos makes a mistake or a poor decision, his position is very important and these things can cost us. i am not sure he would have been able to save crewes first effort even if he was stood up, he was left unprotected and it would have been a very quick thing for him to react too. he cant be blamed for not saving the penalty, that is just unfair but i dont see him as being all that dependable when it comes to them. i know some did not think sam slocombe could save them but i think he would before roos.
we need to protect him a little better but he does need to reduce the amount of mistakes that happens, it looked like he had and i hope it was just an off game.
Who's your Man of the Match v Crewe? 44 members have voted
A dissapointing ending to the match when Notts conceded the match in injury time after conceding a penalty.
Notts deserved to win the game with the chances they created, & can count themselves unlucky to come away with no points.
So who is your PON Man of the Match for Notts today? I have selected the first eleven & two substitutes for you to pick a winner.
Those players are,
Roos, Bedeau, McDonald, Macari, Tsaroula, Palmer, Robertson, Jones, Hall, Iorpenda, Jatta, Luker, Dennis.
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Had one of the many chances Notts had gone in, I think the performance would have a fairer reflection as I think Notts did play well. I left disappointed we had lost, but more based on the circumstances rather than the way we played. Our midfield played very well, I think defensively Rod McDonald was good but Lewis Macari and Jacob Bedeau do need to step up.
Tyrese Hall gets my vote, as I liked his attacking mentality and how he was intimidated by Crewe's defence.
It's a shame one of the chances he had didn't go in, it might have put the focus on what was one of his best displays for us. He was involved quite a lot, compared to beating Crawley at home where it was mostly Jayden Luker who got him into his scoring chances.
Great to see Jodi playing more like himself, and there was times he looked to be getting hot headed and I feared he would be carded (if not sent off) but he put that frustration into playing. Well done, Jodi. 👏🏻
Game 10 - The Railwaymen (A)
Team - Crewe Alexandra
Date - 27/09/2025 11:30
Where - Gresty Road
What would your starting line-up be? What will be the key areas for the Magpies to get a victory? What do you think the final score will be?
Have your say below, join in with the Pride of Nottingham match discussion.
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Jacob Bedeau has a lot more to offer. By his usual standard, this was a quiet game. He needs to be stronger at the back, choose his space and stick to it. He should have been more alert for Crewe’s first goal. He didn’t play badly, but he wasn’t at his best either. Outstanding is quite a tinted glasses take on his performance.
I hate to say it, but Crewe move a lot more than we do for set pieces and that is just asking for someone to be manhandled. I wished Notts would defend in front of the opposition, and remembered to keep the ball in front of them when defending. Once it goes beyond, it will always favour the opposition and Crewe's first goal was disappointing because nobody had the back post.
None of the players actually watched the ball, or it's path, just the player they felt needed marking and that can always leave one person free.
The penalty was disappointing, but I can overlook it. Notts has to keep moving in a positive direction, ensuring a good level of performance as a team and the same level of effort when creating chances.
Notts had plenty of chances to win the game, so it's not all doom and gloom, but it is 3 points lost when it should have been ours to win.
I suppose I've given myself ten games, so my analysis is as follows.
At the current trajectory, we're looking mid-table. That's not a criticism of what we look like in a footballing sense, merely statistical. At present we’re averaging 1.375 points per game. If we continue in that vein, we’re seeing us finish 11th at best (this is based on the last 4/5 seasons.
Let’s look at the scores:
1-1 draw against Newport (who are now 22nd)
2-1 loss against Salford (who are 3rd)
1-0 loss against Wigan - played a strong squad and garnered 65% possession
2-1 loss against Barrow (who are 21st)
4-1 win against Shrewsbury (who are 23rd)
2-2 draw against Bromley (who are 7th)
2-1 win against Tranmere (who are 16th)
3-0 loss against Lincoln (second squad put out)
1-0 win against Fleetwood (who are 11th)
1-0 loss against Gillingham (who sit in 2nd)
MP sits on a 30% win rate - we also have scored 8 goals excluding the 4 we scored at Shrewsbury which feels like a bit of an outlier in scores.
Now that’s the data side done, what have we been told about what’s expected.
First and foremost, he’s been told by the club that they want promotion, “as simple as that” - 1st August, Martin Paterson (bbc).
We’ve also been told that this is one of the highest budgets that we’ve had to date with the Reedz brothers, one which MP, up until recently deemed unsatisfactory as he wanted a new GK and a new striker.
Lastly, we’ve been told physical elements and directives on changing the club to be more involved in the “dark arts”.
1 - We will not achieve that on the current trajectory.
2 - Whether or not we ever were able to compete or make inroads about getting in more players, it’s not his job, publicly, to say that.
3 - Although more physical players in terms of size have come in, we’re much more susceptible to crosses and set pieces than we ever were under Williams and Maynard.
Onto MP himself.
Forever the socialist, “it is not I, only we!” MP is driving the “we, the team” in terms of narrative. Whether that’s a collective call for unity or that of concealment of his real thoughts which come out in training or the dressing room, we’ll never know.
We get versions of himself via interviews, which haven’t won me over. I think personally, that his career is something he links to hard graft and perseverance, and that he’s trying to change the club’s playing philosophy, not adapting or moulding it.
There are occasions whereby I’ve enjoyed bits, because I’ve seen technical flair and exciting play happen, but then I question myself, is that because of him or in spite of him?
There are players we’ve seen that have improved/deteriorated from his managerial/coaching style with Matt Palmer being the standout. If MP were to go, I’d worry about how it might affect his game for the remainder of the season. Bedeau and Jones have dropped in terms of a really high bar we’ve had here for a while, so suggests his methods are much more jarring than what we’ve seen before.
I think MP is on a short contract here, given that it wasn’t mentioned in the press when he was appointed, so suggests he wasn’t highly regarded or was a backup to a backup - if this is indeed the case. If the owners have the foresight that it only takes one bad transfer window to throw out a DOF, then time is ticking very quickly for Martin. Lastly, Martin had 20 games at Burton before he was sacked, which I can see become a real big possibility if we don’t see improvements all over.
(I think I deserve praise for not mentioning Roos or Grant once!) - also I have posted this on Footymad also, but thought it's an engaging conversation peice at least!
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Funny how after I posted we had the Crawley match and I feel like that is exactly what Martin Paterson wanted us to be. Aggressive, on the front foot, full of energy but keeping that ability to play good football. Even at Crewe we competed well, looked dangerous and we were unlucky to come away with nothing.
I feel like the expectation level of Martin Paterson is quite low from most fans and in a way, assuming we keep picking up points and putting in good performances, this could help him. Even after 3 matches if felt like some fans were thinking he's going to get us relegated, so even if we only finish mid-table he'll have surpassed a lot of initial scepticism and negativity.
We are now 10 league matches in and I feel more confident about the season than I did at the start. It's funny how just a few changes can make a big difference in football though, all that's really happened is Robertson is back in and Jodi is on the wing, yet we look a far more balanced and better side for it.
I know some fans are still disappointed by the way we were defeated to Crewe, but at least we played well and they didn't outclass us. That says something, because they are a well-organised team that can score freely if they are allowed to control the narrative of the game. Notts looked the far liveliest with plenty of good chances, which came from the hard work. We looked like a team capable of winning, whilst Crewe hung onto countering for the majority of the second half, this performance and some of the more recent ones makes me believe that Martin Paterson is starting to get a standard level from the players.
The way we have played since Crawley, seems to have given the players the self belief that creativity doesn't need to be overthought or limited. That playing, making movement and taking on the opposition will reward them with good chances.
If we focused on the results, Paterson would be under more pressure I feel but when you take into account the pre-season, opening games and how we have returning players from injury it does all seem to lean towards more optimistic point of view. The only thing I will say, I do believe an experienced manager would be able to get the best out of this squad, even with the earlier setbacks and poor performances. However, I do think Paterson is learning.
I just think we need to take a step back after 10 games have been played & just see who Martin is now picking for the starting 11.
Roos, Bedeau, McDonald, Macari, Tsaroula, Palmer, Robertson, Jones, Hall, Iorpenda, Jatta
Out of the 10 outfield players, we have 8 original players from previous seasons playing along with just two new players recruited during the summer transfer window. Both of those players are loan players.
This first 11 is arguably weaker than the first eleven we had just before the playoffs, missing Abbott, Didzy & Bass.
I am still not sure that Paterson knows what his strongest side is even after 10 games. He had our leading scorer on the bench, & Luker could easily have been picked after his 3 assists against Crawley.
Good morning it’s a lovely bright sunny morning to start the week but a tad chilly.
We had a lovely afternoon at our sons house he cooked a lovely Sunday lunch of roast beef and Yorkshire pud, it was a two mile walk there but we were that podged from our dinner we caught the bus back. 😂
Today will be a day of rest it’s been a busy weekend.
What’s everyone else up to?
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@theAnticlough he started losing weight in the middle of May and in 5 weeks lost two and a half stone and because he’d demonstrated he could lose weight by himself the doctor put him on the NHS diet plan in July and by just having four of the special milk shakes a day he’s lost another 3 stone so five and a half in total since May, so your right it’s actually been four months.
Good morning, it’s a bit damp here after overnight rain.
We had a lovely afternoon yesterday watching the play Dear England, it was very good all about Gareth Southgate’s reign as England football manager but goodness me there was a lot of swearing, I guess it was true to life within football but we felt a bit uncomfortable. Our grandchildren are teenagers now and have heard all those words but I felt sorry for anyone taking young children. However it was a good play.
Afterwards we went to an Indian Restaurant Tamatanga which was very busy but the food was good. We haven’t been to Nottingham City centre for ages and certainly not at night, I wouldn’t necessarily want to go again it was so busy with mainly youngsters having a night out, not really our scene these days, we were glad to get home to the sanctuary of our quiet bungalow.
Having been out all day I missed all the football news, shame Notts couldn’t hold on to a point at least.

BBC Sport

Sam Allardyce: Is modern football adopting Big Sam's play...
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Another point is that Big Sam gets misrepresented. I watched a lot of his Bolton side, they were skilful and entertaining.
A midfield of Campo, Okocha and Nolan, Diouf ahead, Matty Taylor? They had more of a no nonsense approach at the back though, including the RB Hunt who played for us for a few games. But that midfield was absolute class, they were a joy to watch
Jay-jay Okocha was a joy to watch during his spell at Bolton.
Sam Allardyce was a good manager, and I think there is an element of underestimating what he did. He did wonders for Blackburn Rovers and tended to make teams that were "average" play much better. Both his Blackburn and Bolton teams were made up of hard-working players and supplemented by exceptional talent. I know there's a lot of hot air about Big Sam's dealing with Bolton and how he secured some of the players, but Bolton was the underdog team in the Premier League that made it exciting to watch.
It's inaccurate to claim he had a single style; he constantly blended various influences, keeping things fresh and dynamic. He was one of those old-school managers who would make changes reflecting his strengths and how to counter the opposition.
The drinking and laddish culture is true; he wasn't strict with the players, and that's partly how he tended to get the best out of them.
https://www.theboltonnews.co.uk/sport/24654604.sam-allardyces-top-bolton-wanderers-moments-25-years/
Regardless of what people say about Big Sam, his Management Record speaks for it's self. He'd have probably made a Decent England Manager if the Press and certain F.A Officials hadn't set up the Sting to get Rid of Him. His attitude in training his teams also paid Dividends. Nowadays it's Don't do this, Don't eat that, be in Bed by such and such a Time etc etc. Interestingly during his playing Career former Forest and Leeds Player Duncan McKenzie, is reported to have smoked 40 cigarettes a Day.
Neil Warnock also took a more casual attitude to his Training Routine. The night before a Wembley Playoff Final, instead of packing the Notts Players off to Bed early, he played them a Tape of Roy "Chubby" Brown, it must have done some good because the Magpies won 3-1. This even got back to Chubby who in his version of Glen Campbells hit Wichita Lines Man, he sings I am a Linesman for Notts County.
The final County Championship game of the season sees Notts wanting a minimum of 11 bonus points to be sure of becoming Champions if Surrey win their last game against Hampshire & take maximum points.
The four day Match begins at 10:30 am. Here is the Notts squad for the game.
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Warwickshire are 79 for 4 and trail Notts by 37 runs.
Durham 133 a/o. Notts need 18 runs to win. Tea has been taken.
Notts have won the match by 10 wickets finishing 20 for 0.
Off the top of my head, there are quite a few that I would classify as silly.
Dolph Lundgren starred in a film which is one of my favourite 'cult classics', but there are a lot of silly parts to the story and aspects which make little sense if you are a He-Man fan.
IMDb

Masters of the Universe (1987) ⭐ 5.4 | Action, Adventure,...
It's a good film to watch on a quiet Sunday, when you find time to sit down and watch something you shouldn't take too seriously. What makes it silly to me is largely the story and how it becomes almost Star Wars inspired. It does well to tell a story about the Cosmic Key; the start builds tension and brings in a character that I don't believe was in the original animated cartoon.
Once on Earth, it becomes a bit wacky with a "random cow" roaming near a Southern fried chicken joint?
I mean, it works, but it does feel like parts were thrown together and elements of popular movies were thrown in to make it seem cool. Such as the police officer being the principal from "Back to the Future." The silliness continues at the end, when you learn how he sees out the film.
The next film I will share, is one I only learned about a few years ago whilst on holiday at Skegness.
IMDb

Freaked (1993) ⭐ 6.4 | Comedy, Sci-Fi
Freaked is very goofy; the silliness is aimed at making you laugh, and it does a good job. The whole story is wacky, and it seems very underrated.
Randy Quaid always made me laugh in the films he starred in; a very good actor, and I didn't know he was a serious actor before he took on many of the slapstick titles he did. If you saw a film during the 90s with him in it, it would be worth watching. Can anyone name the film where he plays the neighbour from hell? It stars James Wood; I know what it is, but I am doing this for conversation. 😉
In the film Freaked, former child actor played by, Alex Winter takes on the role of the public representative for a corporation named EES.
Everything Except Shoes... 🤣
Quaid performs as a captivating freak show entertainer who turns visitors into his Freaks.
I thought it would just be audio, since that's what a podcast usually is. These days, though, the word seems to be used for videos too. The interview itself is very good. I found the video a bit distracting, so I ended up just listening to the audio.
Chris Gill moves around a lot, which feels a bit much, especially with how shiny his forehead is.
George Lawtey came across really well. He seems suited to his role and spoke nicely about Luke Williams.
Don't need it for Skeggy
Things will feel normal after a while, though it's not something I would worry about. I can understand those who travel being concerned about the data that is wanted and the challenges some of that data could face.
7 minutes ago, super_ram said: Don't need it for Skeggy
I don't know, haven't you heard of JKEStar? There might be tax implications for you, particularly in Skegness. 😅
Perhaps in a few years, coastal erosion and climate change, Skeggy may become an offshore tax haven. All water under the bridge🤣
It might be a challenge to win once you sign over the ownership by EFL rules: you take on the historical debts, and it's up to you to do your due diligence. 7 million is a lot of money to be concerned about; it does make me wonder if the court challenge is due to the new owner not having the funding to take things on. Alan Hardy claimed that he was subjected to historical debts which weren't covered during the sale, but I always felt that was him lashing out at the childish games between him and the Trews.
At least in my opinion, and he did tweet stuff about considering pursueing action but nothing ever came of it.
It will be interesting to see how this plays out and whether the new owner is successful. If he is, and it does not distract from how the club performs in the league, then it could be worth the effort. It is not a small amount of money involved.
Apparently its possible to take out an insurance policy to cover the possibility of finding hidden unforeseen debts....its happened at Meadow Lane a couple of times in the past !!!!!
Hi @leenjalal it’s great to have you here on our friendly community. I hope you enjoy being a member of PoN.
Martin Paterson has experimented in.playing two Notts strikers alongside each other, however the results have been mixed.
Throughout the last several years the preferred formation has included one striker up front with another recognised striker playing just behind as an attacking midfielder.
Didzy was very successful in playing that role when he was in the side with Jatta up front. Stuart Maynard played Cedwyn Scott in that role on a few occasions but not with a lot of success.
The Notts formation has been set around just having one striker upfront & having two attacking midfielders behind them. Having two strikers can upset that balance somewhat.
I am sure that Paterson will persist in the two striker experiment & it could be a good move. Dennis has done so well playing upfront before Jatta returned & now he's back we need Jatta's presence upfront too.
But with Traore not even being on the substitutes bench can Notts afford not having a recognised striker on the bench in case Jatta or Dennis get injured or just get tired?
Should Notts play one of those two strikers as a number 10, or play up front together, or have one of them on the substitutes bench? It's a conundrum that Martin will have to decide.
What would PON members do in Martin's position?
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I agree it depends on who we’re playing and where that extra attacking player fits best. I don’t always think sticking with three defenders suits us, and the debate about one or two strikers feels similar. I don’t get why no head coach is willing to pick a formation that gives us the best chance to win. I know we’re built around this system, but it really depends on the opposition and how we use our strengths.
I'm worried about what might happen if one of the strikers gets suspended, or worse, if one is suspended and the other gets injured. That could really affect the good run we're on and knock the confidence that's come from winning games.
Alassana Jatta coming back into the starting eleven has made a big difference. It's given the team a lift. Matthew Dennis has shown he can lead the line against certain sides, but in other matches, it might be better to stick with Jatta.
There will be times when playing both makes sense, but unless there's a backup plan in case something goes wrong, I don't think Martin Paterson should rely on it every week. I'd rather see it used as a well-thought-out tactic, something planned to give us more variety up front.
I'm not against using two strikers. The match away at Tranmere Rovers showed it can work, and that was encouraging. But the game against Gillingham reminded us that strikers need service. If both end up dropping into midfield too often, it doesn't help the attack and isn't always the best choice.
I'm worried too @True Magpie if one or both of our two main strikers sustained an injury or got suspended. It would leave Notts very short of striking power.
The positive thing on Saturday were Luker & Hall's performance in the 2nd half when they came on as substitutes, Luker creating three goals & Hall scoring two.
But I do believe that Martin Paterson needs to be able to field an alternative recognised striker to replace Jatta or Dennis off the bench when required.
I still believe that Traoré & Jarvis shouldn't be ruled out completely from coming good in the games ahead. I think that putting one of them on the bench, could still be a good move.
I thought this might be interesting if we named one player who retired early that you would have loved to see play for Notts County. It doesn't have to be realistic, but I would prefer you to name players who are either British or have played in English football. Otherwise, we could name any silly player from overseas that doesn't quite land with others in the community.
My pick would be David Bentley.
Long-standing PON members will know that I grew up supporting both Notts and Arsenal.
I used to pay a lot of attention to the academy players, as I would write to Arsenal amongst other clubs (Notts never once wrote back), but I would be sent signatures and updates on Arsenal. When Bentley was breaking into first-team football, I was delighted when he signed for Blackburn Rovers, who at that point kept pushing for regular European football.
For me, it meant being able to see him play more through live games and Match of the Day. His ability was brilliant to watch; he read the game very well, and his style was very much like David Beckham's not an imitation of him, but almost exactly like him. I do think Bentley had his own game mind.
He retired at the age of 29 due to injuries, and if Notts could ever have gotten the most out of someone. As they have with Jodi Jones, for example, it would have been a dream come true to have seen David Bentley wear a Notts shirt.
What a dream this was to see!
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Billy Kee was a player I always hoped we would sign, your classic lower league dependable forward. Given the East Midlands is where he is based it feels like we missed out on a really easy signing here!
I’m not that surprised though it felt like a few seasons ago our scouting and recruitment consisted of putting some names in a hat and drawing them out, let’s not forget we went for Tyrell Waite but not Che Adams 🤦♂️
It was real shame that he chose to stop playing professional football, but if it wasn’t making him happy and he was struggling in the end it was the right choice for him. Maybe had he played for us, and therefore would've been much closer to home, his career would've panned out slightly differently.
darren huckerby was one of my early football heroes, born in nottingham and had a stint with forest but one hell of a striker that could have stayed playing in england instead of going off to the us. he was not that injury prone to my knowledge, but did retire early. he would have been fantastic at notts.
imagine him signing the munto season and teaming up with lee hughest, luke rodgers, karl hawley etc
Now it has been confirmed that Roberto Gagliardi has left Notts by mutual consent leaving a vacancy in the Football Management side at the Club.
Do PON members think that the Director of Football should be replaced by an experienced League 2 Manager/ Head Coach type or just amalgamate the two roles of Head Coach and Director of Football into one?
Is it important that the Club has a Director of Football or not. Can a First Team Manager do both roles successfully at Notts?
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There is a significantly higher number of Football Managers in the EFL than there are Head Coaches with a Director of Football above them. Head Coaches are much more prevelent in the Premier League.
Notts are in the minority when it comes to having a Manager as opposed to a Head Coach/ Director of Football.
Personally, I prefer the traditional Manager role where the Manager has a broader scope of influence & responsibility, overseeing not just the team's performance but also the wider running of the club.
I think that giving the Manager more responsibility gives the manager the ability to implement a unified club strategy, which is so important, the power to influence player acquisition & development through direct involvement in contracts & transfers,
As far as recruitment is concerned, the Manager can delegate that responsibility to an Assistant Manager who would oversee the scouting personnel at the club.
Managers can also delegate training, development & team tactics to a First Team Coach, however, the manager would be overseeing those operations & have overall responsibility.
Some argue that a Manager has too much responsibility which takes his focus away from team operations, however the Manager can still delegate if he recruits competent staff that report to him.
I don’t always think it’s best for managers to make the signings themselves. Even when the Trews owned Notts, I felt a good director of football could have helped bring more stability and given better advice on recruitment. With the Reedtz brothers, we’re lucky to have access to proper football data, and it’s helped us bring in players from outside the UK. I don’t think a director of football should make every decision, but when it comes to finding players and giving the head coach more time to focus on the team, it’s a smart move.
Getting the Director of Football role sorted before climbing higher in the league feels quite important. Some might see it as a role we don’t really need or as a bit of a luxury, but having stability in key positions can make a big difference in football.
When it comes to networking, I like knowing the Director of Football is the one making contact, looking at players and having those early talks. It means the manager can focus on coaching. Football has changed a lot since the days when managers did everything themselves. While some might still prefer that, it does come with problems, like being less open to feedback.
It depends on the manager’s style. If he enjoys scouting and has a good eye for talent, it can work well. But it’s easy to fall into bad habits, like signing mates or missing what makes a player truly good. Martin Paterson has said he watches the opposition, which makes me think he’s fairly confident when it comes to judging players.
Still, having someone who understands the data side of things and can handle the time-consuming jobs is a real help. I like knowing the head coach has choices and people around him suggesting players. I’d be interested to know how much say Paterson actually has, especially since he asked for reinforcements and nothing came of it.
Was it someone above him who decided not to bring anyone in? The interview with Chris Reedtz made it sound like they were happy enough and maybe thought Paterson was just being cautious because of the injuries. I do think the head coach should have a voice in these matters, and I wonder if Paterson shares the fans’ view about needing another striker.
I’m fine with the head coach not being too involved in the early stages of signings and scouting. But once things move forward, his input should count. It’s about finding the right balance.
Under the Reedtz brothers Notts have been known for their clearly defined footballing principles that have served them so well over several seasons. They have only failed to achieve at least a playoff place once since their demotion to the National League.
So what are those footballing principals that has served Notts so well? It's is by playing entertaining & attractive possession based progressive football with a focus on forward movement & creating goal scoring opportunities primarily from open play.
To assist in achieving these goals the club include a strong focus on video analysis & data to understand & improve performance, The Club also encourages discussion.between the players & club officials to achieve these core aims.
This season we have seen a subtle shift in how Notts are playing with the direct route being applied more than we have seen in previous seasons resulting in a reduction of the share of possession that Notts have always enjoyed. This may be due to the type of players that Notts have recruited recently, the influence of the Head Coach, or coming from the Owners themselves.
There has been a need for Notts to toughen up, become more physical, & show more resilience when playing the physical sides in League 2, but I don't think this should affect the way Notts play. I wouldn't want Notts to completely abandon their core footballing principles that have proved to be successful over the last six seasons. Thoughts?
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On 17/09/2025 at 13:44, McPie said: I’m with you @Robbie, we need toughen up, but at the same time keep our footballing principles. I don’t accept we have to revert to ‘kick and rush’ football to get promoted from league 2. Teams who play that way often come back down very quickly. We need to embed our playing style in to club and recruit accordingly. It will pay in the long run.
this is how i see it, and i think @McPie sums it up well.
the players coming in need to offer us something different if we need it, but more importantly they have to fit in with the style and identity of the club. some players wont make it, but the majority should and i dont think there is much needed to be changed. i think its more a case of slowly implementing the things we learn, as a way to iron out what does not work.
The Reedtz brothers have done far more than any owner before them. The squad is more consistent, and now it’s just about working hard to get the results we need for promotion.
The club keeps looking at the data and learning from it, and I trust that process. I don’t want Notts to change how we play or how we recruit just for the sake of it. Things have been better in this era, and we should only make changes that help us improve.
It’s a process, isn’t it. You have to make changes that help improve the parts that aren’t quite working. The old saying about not fixing what isn’t broken fits well here. A shift in direction can be a big deal, and maybe we’ve seen signs of that already with how the season has started.
Even though new people have come in and things seem to line up, there might be differences that aren’t easy to spot. For example, the club has changed its coaching setup. A new head coach and assistant have come in, and there’s also a new Director of Football. He might have suggested a different approach to recruitment compared to past seasons.
There were a lot of signings, spread out across the window, and not much time to get the full squad together before pre-season. Martin Paterson will have his own way of doing things, and the players are now adjusting to what they think he wants. The coaching style has changed too.
The whole team no longer trains together before kick-off. It’s just the match day squad, and some players aren’t even part of the warm-up if they’re not on the bench. A new head coach can be hard for players to get used to, and with so much going on this season, some of these changes should have been sorted sooner.
I think Notts should stick to their core values and make small changes where needed. We should avoid too much disruption, because having a settled environment makes a big difference. Players need to come in and know what’s expected of them, beyond what fans might think.
Paterson probably has higher standards than he shows in interviews. Even when things aren’t going to plan, the players will still be trying their best.
It makes you wonder if he did any due diligence and why he didn't think about forming his own group of investors. I would never invest any amount of money in something so risky with a group of people I don't know.
I am surprised Louis Tomlinson didn't have anyone advise him differently on the deal.
There goes my plan to get Jake Bugg to help invest in "buying" Notts from the Reedtz; he will never trust me now. ![]()
It's a shame that people who can't afford to lose money were caught out. Even though Louis Tomlinson is in a different position, it's still worrying when someone gets involved in something that doesn't seem safe.
Older people are sadly seen as easy targets. It's not fair, and it happens too often. But when a well-known figure like a popstar is fooled, it makes you wonder how convincing the pitch must have been.
Louis must have really wanted to be part of the ownership. That kind of hope or excitement can make someone overlook warning signs. It's not right that it came to that.
Ipswich Town 2-1 Portsmouth
Watford 1-0 Hull City
Burton Albion 1-1 Plymouth Argyle
Mansfield Town 2-0 Rotherham United
Bristol Rovers 1-1 Salford City
Crawley Town 2-1 Barrow Joker
Halifax Town 1-0 Aldershot
Truro City 1-2 Morecambe
Ipswich Town 1-0 Portsmouth
Watford 0-0 Hull City
Burton Albion 2-2 Plymouth Argyle
Mansfield Town 0-0 Rotherham United
Bristol Rovers 0-0 Salford City
Crawley Town 1-2 Barrow
Halifax Town 1-2 Aldershot
Truro City 2-1 Morecambe Joker
In a show of multi-tasking, here are the results:
Ipswich Town 2-1 Portsmouth
Watford 2-1 Hull City
Burton Albion 0-4 Plymouth Argyle
Mansfield Town 2-1 Rotherham United
Bristol Rovers 2-1 Salford City
Crawley Town 1-2 Barrow
Halifax Town 4-2 Aldershot
Truro City 5-0 Morecambe
Those of you who like the scoreline 2-1 will be smiling already!
Congrats to @theAnticlough for winning the round and @Chris for picking up the points he missed out on last week! I was pretty great too ;)
@JustLikeJuve remains top of the table by a single point, with @allardyces tash moving up to second!
So that's us up to date! We've got another round coming up on Saturday, so expect to see the fixtures for that tomorrow evening. Thanks for playing!