you have set a very high standard to maintain @magpiejue, as someone who had led previous prediction leagues dont let it go to your head and dont over think results. just keep guessing with your head and heart.

well done everyone.

I’m really happy to be in it. It’s been great joining in.

Thanks for making the prediction league fun. I enjoy taking part and guessing the scores!

On 04/08/2025 at 15:29, liampie said:

you have set a very high standard to maintain @magpiejue, as someone who had led previous prediction leagues dont let it go to your head and dont over think results. just keep guessing with your head and heart.

well done everyone.

She won’t be there long I’ll soon knock her off her perch, don’t get comfortable @magpiejue 😂

Hello, @brad88. Welcome to the community, make sure to drop by regularly and to share your thoughts on Notts.

Great to see a new face @NCRichie! We’re all about keeping things friendly, fair, and full of Notts chat.

Welcome to PON.

Hello, @brad88. It's always great to see another new member, so welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I wish you well with visiting, and getting the most out of the site. If you can, you should grow to love PON.

18 hours ago, Robbie said:

Notts could invite significant investment through a third party investor by using the investor's capital for player acquisitions, stadium improvements, commercial ventures, while also potentially benefiting from the investor's network & expertise.

This is perhaps too simplistic in the scheme of things, especially when applied to football. Either it means diluting the Bros shareholding or if as a 3rd party loan, what security is asked for in case the Club cannot pay it back.

On 29/07/2025 at 21:48, Ash said:

The club really needs money so it can buy good players and pay off the money it owes. If we keep losing money, that’s not something the club can keep doing.

If we spend money wisely and only pay the right amount for players, I’m fine with signing free players too. They can still help the team.

We can't spend loads of money every season, like £300,000 or £500,000. Some years we have to be more careful.

The club has spent £millions over the last few seasons on off the field projects including laying a SIS Hybrid Premier League Pitch.

I was talking about transfer fees, and I think we’re doing okay.

Some fans think not spending money means we’re not trying hard or it’s a bad thing, but that’s not true. Sometimes saving money is smart.

i know the board have dismissed that we are a moneyball club, but that is what it sounded like when they first arrived and there is nothing wrong with it. complaining we are selling players, and denying the club is in better shape or is making any form of progress. it just makes me wonder what those types of fans thought when we were losing players as free agents. players can see its a difficult league and the only way we can get better is through investment.

selling jatta eventually would be a smart move, but a replacement is needed and we need to get him to sign a new deal even if its just two years.

i do worry about him walking away on a free, but i hope his connection to the fans and the opportunity we have given him comes through. his agent might want to make a quick buck, but jatta needs to be the decision maker.

On 03/08/2025 at 22:42, Robbie said:

I agree no player is bigger than the Club.

Don Masson, a Notts County Icon & voted by the fans as our best ever player, was sold to QPR for £100,000 in 1974. Due to inflation that would equate to £1,331,867 now. Every player has his price.

I remember being distraught when “The King” left, I couldn’t elieve they sold him but we survived, I agree no one is bigger than the club.

I was scrolling through a Notts photographer's gallery; he took pictures of the players preparing to go out from under the stands and onto the pitch. Alassana Jatta stood out the most with how friendly he looked; I don't think his agent will turn his head.

If he decides it is his time to move on, I fully believe it will be his decision.

Offering him a new deal, ideally seeing it get signed, should give us some confidence, but at the same time that might just be in the fee we can attract for him. We do have to allow players to leave if it's best for them, and if the money reflects that. All we can hope is that a player can be identified. I was apprehensive about the possibility of losing Kyle Wootton, but we managed to secure the signing of Macaulay Langstaff.

When we signed Wes Thomas, that was a signing that gave me hope that the club could identify goalscorers and bring them to the team. Even prior to Kristian Dennis, Kane Hemmings, and Jon Stead, we hoped that young strikers could be signed. It seems something we are far more capable of doing while avoiding the older legs that are nearing retirement.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham @Stevelatimer! Whether it’s matchday excitement or midweek musings, there’s always room for your thoughts.

Great to see a new face @Stevelatimer! We’re all about keeping things friendly, fair, and full of Notts chat.

Welcome to PON.

Step right in @Stevelatimer! From Meadow Lane memories to today’s team talk, this is your space to share and enjoy. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham.

I don’t think you can knock the commitment to the cause but I feel like we’ve over-recruited in a way, possibly bringing in unnecessary players (although that is too early to say at the moment). Even though a good number of players departed over the summer some of them formed zero part of the squad. Players like Cameron, Chicksen, Cundy & Morias, they didn’t need replacing they just to needed to be let go.

We have a number of players who can cover more than the one position so I never thought we needed a massive squad either, but right now we’ve got a large squad, 25 outfield players and that’s excluding any academy players... In the midfield positions, which covers the wingbacks, central midfielders and attacking midfielders that’s 6 spots that get filled each match we’ve got 16 players that can play in these positions!

Sometimes you are better off investing the wages of 2 decent players to get 1 very good player, you take the hit of a smaller squad but get quality over quantity. My slight worry is that we have tipped the balance towards quantity.

7 hours ago, Robbie said:

The Notts match squad looks very different to last season, with Martin Paterson ringing the changes big time.

I don’t think MP had much to do with the recruitment of players that’s the recruitment teams job, MP just works with what he’s given, he may have some input on the type of player but not the individuals.

We may need to be patient while the team gels, you can’t just throw lots of new players into a squad and expect them to work together efficiently quickly, that takes time to learn how each others minds work and anticipate what they will do, I just hope that if things get off to a slow start the fans don’t start to get on their backs.

Quality loans do tend to cost money and good wage contributions, so just because we opted for this doesn't mean we aren't willing to pay. It might be more of a statement that the club believes there are better players to be brought in temporarily while we try to push for a League One return.

The way I think of this season is that the club might be trying to ensure only quality is signed permanently, and those who have arrived on free transfers look to have potential to step up or be allowed to move on without much fuss. League One football isn't going to be easy; a lot of good teams are failing, and the landscape of the division has improved a lot since last year. League Two is more competitive than when we were last here; the issue with football at this level is that some clubs are willing to gamble for promotion.

Accrington's chairman, for example, loved to comment about how his "punching above its weight" team earned promotion. It's been downhill since, and for a club to have such a wonderful season that earned them promotion, I think intent and questioning Notts should not be made so lightly. I know Accrington have a small budget, but their chairman's complaints about fair play, whilst ruining the progress made over one magic season, sort of baffle me as to why he is liked so much.

A striker was on our wish list even after Matthew Dennis; all it takes is one injury, and Mai Traore isn't going to fill me with confidence up top. I think, from what I have seen of him, he's best behind the ball and allowed to run with it.

We only have Alassana Jatta who is a true striker; Dennis still makes me believe he should be playing in a similar role to Jodi Jones and Conor Grant.

Jarvis & Whittaker are no better than Martin & Brown who we let go. Cisse has lots of potential & he's worth a place on the bench. 

Junior has shown that he can score goals. Traore hasn't really showed much since his arrival. 

I would prefer Junior over Traore at this time. He deserves another opportunity. 

Junior Morias Signs One-Year Deal with Yeovil Town.

a lot of ex notts players do tend to end up at yeovil when they are not doing so well, i wish junior morias well, i thought he was unlucky and threated quite badly in terms of him not being given a proper chance. i know some have suggested he might not have trained well, but the club released two videos during his time, where he was chasing everything with a scary amount of pace and we failed to fit him in.

I didn’t go to the match, but I watched it on TV. I thought Jacob Bedeau was brilliant for us. He stood out and made a real difference in the team. He was a big asset and looked confident throughout. I think he had a very good game.

It’s a pity we didn’t get all three points, but the squad gave it everything. I agree there are a few strong choices for Man of the Match.

The Poll has now closed. Thanks to all the 53 PON members that voted.This week we had four popular choices vying for the number one position, Matt Palmer, Jodi Jones, Jacob Bedeau & Tom Iorpenda.

I'm pleased to announce that Matt Palmer came out on top with 21 votes , so he is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Newport. Well done Matt!

Fair play to everyone who voted. It’s always interesting to see how the poll shapes up and to read the different opinions people share. I’m really pleased for Matt Palmer. In my view, he deserves this, and clearly most voters agree.

I hope he can keep playing at this level. It’ll only help show how important he is to the team.

Maybe not a crisis, but a major imbalance that is unhealthy for the game in the long term. The financial gap between the haves and the have-nots has become a chasm. Champions League money is distorting the Premier League and PL parachute payments are distorting the Championship and even League One. The PL is already starting to look like a closed shop. Meanwhile, the amount of money sloshing around the top level is now attracting owners and would-be owners who are looking to cash in. If they fail, things go south quickly.

By contrast, the non-league scene is in rude health with crowds surging. I don't know much about Widnes, but it doesn't all add up - the board were seemingly wrangling with the council about a new ground, and ultimately decided to take their ball home. Hmm - I find it hard to believe they scrapped the first team over a dispute about a car park. Non-league football is full of badly run clubs that have achieved successive promotions on a completely unsustainable basis, only to vanish when they sail too close to the sun.

There is too much money involved in football now, but there's no going back, not in the short to mid term anyway... I wish I had the answers but running a club and being profitable is basically an anomaly these days, clubs are totally at the mercy of their owners and if you get a bad one (or ones) you are stuffed. It's not right that you need to be a multi-millionaire to run a club either and the lower down the leagues you go the harder it is to be financed solely by attending fans. I'm amazed clubs like Accrington, Harrogate and Fleetwood with average attendances of less than 3,000 can even afford to put a competitive team out.

I saw this on social media today, a pretty good way to sum-up how the media view English football too.

i dont know what it is or how to explain it.

i have noticed that it does make a difference, i cant say i know a lot about the mental side of football. its a strange one because most teams are able and there are times when notts has the confidence to perform well for 90 minutes but attacking does tend to be better when its towards the support the team have. maybe we need to try to be louder and more encouraging throughout the games even when its tough or boring? i am not saying newport was boring.

It's a well known fact that football teams tend to play much better at home in front of their own supporters, although I think Notts have bucked that trend over the last few seasons.

I won't go into the advantages here because it's readily available on Google, but they do say that generally there is a psychological boost when playing at home due to the noise of the home supporters & if a team gets good away support.

A big factor unconected to the club support, is the way Notts play as a possession based team & you get teams playing defensively against Notts at ML but they have to come out & attack Notts at their place, thus giving Notts more room to exploit.

I think all of that is a big factor with how successful Notts are from match to match, but I do agree that support is equally important to Notts too, & we have the best supporters in the EFL so that does make a hell of a difference home & away.

i know he signed for alfreton but i agree with the comment in the post, he never seems to settle or play long for a club. in the friendly against us, he was a very good player and was their biggest spark i felt. it does just seem a bit strange that hes off out on loan so soon.

the leading actor is the nutter from happy valley? i will give this a watch when i have the time to commit. if anyone thinks about googling the film title, don't just go here https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001k3tw/mr-jones

there are so many other similar named films.

from the description it sounds very interesting.

BBC news article on the Mr Jones:

Nice write up, I love it.

It's a very good write up, however I would go further to say we don't have to compare the Club against any other because our Club is simply unique & our Club's uniqueness is beyond compare.

This was mine

1. Bristol Rovers

2. Milton Keynes Dons

3. Chesterfield

4. Crewe Alexandra

5. Walsall

6. Grimsby Town

7. Salford City

8. Colchester United

9. Notts County

10. Crawley Town

11. Gillingham

12. Cambridge United

13. Fleetwood Town

14. Bromley

15. Barnet

16. Swindon Town

17. Barrow

18. Tranmere Rovers

19. Oldham Athletic

20. Shrewsbury Town

21. Harrogate Town

22. Cheltenham Town

23. Newport County

24. Accrington Stanley

I'd go with those @ARLukomski apart maybe Crewe being 4th.

I'd also still like to feel that when we fill that No.9 shirt it will give us a boost and we will push for automatics. (Please )

Neil Warnock, a Notts County Icon who masterminded 2 successive promotions & had Notts competing with the best.

It's inconceivable in today's age that his leadership, tactics and style of play wouldn't be welcome at so many clubs up & down the land in this day & age..

But unfortunately that is the sad truth. The continental style of play, the perverbial 3-5-2-1 is the preferred shape of most of the PL clubs & across the EFL. It's the preferred shape at the Lane too.

Neal always talks a lot of sense. He lives football, & knows it like the back of his hand. He has personality & wisdom mixed in with a sense of humour. And he's very good at telling interesting stories.

Neal is the type of football manager that is quickly becoming a thing of the past & that fact really saddens me.

Thanks @DangerousSausage for highlighting this article.

What the article doesn't say, Warnock's success was built around ex #Notts player Mick Jones ( he is the one who identified Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor, when he came back to Notts to help Chris Kiwomya). Mick was Warnock's "database" , he put in the hard miles like Sirrel used to do, to look at players.

3 signings for me, that Warnock should have made at #Notts

Warren Barton ..14/3/90 Maidstone v Notts County Leyland DAF 2,114 in attendance, including me!

Ian Taylor 1992 playing for Notts Reserves (managed by Don O'Riordan) v Port Vale

Brian Deane instead of Tony Agana

Good morning and happy Sunday, it’s a cloudy start and rain showers are forecast for most of the day.

Yesterdays medical emergency at the match against Newport got me thinking about air ambulances and what a great job they do, it’s fantastic they are available for situations like yesterdays. I do hope the fan is ok and they make a full recovery.

On 29/07/2025 at 14:59, Michael D Pie. said:

Gardening completed yesterday so as to free up time (where does it all go?). @The Anti-Clough good luck with your big project, I hope you achieve before the weather changes.

I did thanks Michael - a 3 hour slog at my age is no walk in the park, weeding while standing up is a deceptively tough exercise! I got some help though, my teenage daughter surpassed herself by doing a big chunk of it too.

Holidays over, it's back to the daily grind for me. At least we have Notts games to look forward to again 😊

On 02/08/2025 at 12:23, Dripsey3 said:

Hurling is my passion so I'm looking forward to this. I won't bore ye about the history of GAA at a local level, we'd be here all day 🤣

I once attended a hurling fixture and was taken aback by how fast and violent it is - a great spectator sport for sure

He might become a competent manager one day, but he’s always rushing and hasn’t dedicated enough time to learning. He’ll either be a natural or he’ll fail. I wish him the best, though succeeding at Woking is tough.

Ah yes Schmeichel Doyle, is he goalkeeping coach?

11 minutes ago, Robbie said:

Julian Lennon sounds a lot like his Dad John here.

Too Late For Goodbyes.

Got to agree there, I thought the same the first time I heard it.

@Robbie, I thought it was John Lennon. 😂 Why didn't his son have more success?

@Chris Julian has issued many recordings since 1984. Some of his singles, such as "Too Late for Goodbyes", have reached the top position in various charts. As of January 2025, Lennon has released thirty-five singles and seven studio albums. His first Album was by far the most successful which included the successful single Too Late For Goodbyes.

I really hope Jodi stays fit for most, if not all, of the season. We do miss him when he’s not playing. Trying him in an attacking midfield role is a smart move. It gives him some freedom, like others have said, but also offers a bit of protection. The main thing is that he enjoys his football. Helping the team by scoring, assisting and playing well will make a big difference.

There’s nothing stopping Jodi from drifting wide to put a cross in or making a run into space for a shot. He’ll be different to David McGoldrick, but I think the role suits him. It’s more about him getting his confidence back and letting go of the fear of another injury. I’m sure he still hesitates at times when he’s on the ball. There were a few moments against Cardiff where he looked unsure, so moving him into a new role could help both him and the team.

I’m happy to give JJ time in the attacking midfield role. I think he can still put in good crosses and do the same things he did as a wing back, just from a different area of the pitch. Someone else will need to carry the ball forward, but JJ can still be effective. I’d love to see Jodi score more goals!

At some point in his career, I am confident that Jodi Jones has taken on this role. He has predominantly played in attacking positions for Malta, where he stands out as their sole attacking player. I believe adapting to a new role shouldn't be particularly challenging for him. If he can deliver a few strong performances, with an assist here and a goal there, it will significantly boost his morale. Ultimately, contributing to Notts' victories will be the key to his success.

He expressed that coming here reignited his passion for football, and now it's all he desires to pursue.

Shifting him from the wing not only enhances our pace in the attack but also positions him closer to the heart of the action. His ability to maneuver past defenders is remarkable, regardless of where he plays, and he excels at holding the ball under pressure. I have no doubt that he can effectively set up teammates in an attacking midfield role.

Talented players often thrive when switching roles, as this adaptation can rejuvenate their careers. If it doesn't yield the desired results, we can always explore other options. However, I see no reason to doubt the potential for success in this approach.

We need a good quality striker to replace Didzy & the owners are possibly going to have to fork out some money to acquire one. Possibly in the region of £250K to £350 K should get a decent goal scorer for this level.

I don't understand why the club hasn't gave Traore a run in the B team for him to get some confidence. Scoring becomes a habit & scoring brings confidence.

Other Clubs use the B team for that purpose so why not Notts. I think it could pay dividends for Traore and Notts.

Martin Paterson gave a very good interview. I would have liked the media to push back a little when he refused to answer certain questions. I respect that he doesn’t want to talk about promotion and would rather let the football do the talking, but sometimes it’s okay to press a bit. There are polite ways to phrase things from his point of view, like saying he’s confident but will take it game by game, and after a few matches he’d hope to be in the top four and pushing higher.

Excellent interview from the perspective of what sounds like a solid plan.

I like that he went to watch Newport County and that he isn't going to talk about how we are the better team on paper. He doesn't give much away, which is good. I am more curious about the injuries, as it sounds like we have the majority back. I thought Scott Robertson and Lucas Ness were still out injured?

9 hours ago, piedestrian said:

I think the discourse of Traore being not good enough is quite unfair.

I don't think it is unfair; he had the opportunity to fit in and played when others could have done more for us at that stage. He got the place because he needed to 'adjust', but lacked signs of control, fell over, and looked a little unnatural as a footballer.

We have had good players who never had the time of day; even Junior Morias did more in his final game away to AFC Wimbledon than Mai Traore did for the majority of the games. We utilized him as both a striker and an attacking midfielder, yet he failed to perform effectively in either role. There were glimpses, and I would hope that he can come good, but it wasn't Stuart Maynard's fault Traore couldn't pass the ball, control it, or stay on his feet.

Pairing him with Jatta is also a benefit to helping him settle; he needs to step up this season and find confidence.

If you put it all in to context the Insect is a very powerful & important force in the World. The vast majority of plant life depend on them.

They are the pollinators. Without them, it would be very hard for life on earth.

We would have to pollinate plants manually which would be very difficult.

@Robbie .

Hey I remember her, Polly Nater nice girl, last I heard she joined the Circus and married a Fire Eater Bernie Tong.

I'll get my coat.

I don't think that I can think of any other life form accept for humans that has a negative impact on the planet.

If I had to pick two life forms that are absolutely essential in maintaining life on the Earth is Plant life & Insects .

It's the end of the 3rd day's play & Notts are 511 for 6. Hameed made 208. They lead by 73 runs with one day left.

Final day of the match between Notts & Somerset. Notts resume on 511 for 6. Notts have been bowled out in the 1st hour for 544, a lead of 106 runs.

The match is drawn with Somerset on 200 for 5 in their 2nd innings, leading by 94 when the Captains shook hands. Notts take 13 points for the draw & are 9 points behind Surrey & stay in 2nd place in the league.

Hello, @MrWillowTiger.

I like the creativity in your username, I take it you like Willow Trees and Tigers? I do hope you enjoy being a member and get stuck in with our conversations. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham.

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. It's good to be welcoming more new members @MrWillowTiger.

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I really like your username, @MrWillowTiger. I take it these are two things you like aside from the famous Notts County? It reminds me of the children's book "The Tiger Who Came to Tea".

hello, welcome to the pride of nottingham @Terry Lyons. ☺️

Hello, welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I hope you join in and become a regular poster, @Terry Lyons.

Hello, @Terry Lyons. Welcome to PON. It's great to give you a warm reception. Enjoy being a member of the Pride of Nottingham.