Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Cedric. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! Thank you for trying to help the gaffer out. We sure do appreciate it!

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello, @Marks.

Hello, @Marks. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Marks. Feel free to introduce yourself, but until then welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Please do reach out if you need any help.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham @NG10 Pie, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @NG10 Pie. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @NG10 Pie. It takes a little time to get used to the site, but I hope to see you joining in with the Pride of Nottingham. Until then, welcome to the community.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham @Eastcoastpie, glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @Eastcoastpie. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

Hello, @Eastcoastpie. Welcome to PON! The Pride of Nottingham community will be eager and hopeful to see you join in. Please don't drift into the background but contribute as and when you can.

9 of the first 12 games completed. 3 quarters of the way through the first quarter of the season.

Apart from MK and Gillingham looks like the pundits weren't too far off the mark.

Looking forward to reviewing where we are after Crewe, Oldham and Swindon.

@TheSkipper is very close with his predictions. I’m glad MK Dons are struggling, because their way of building a team seems to be spending money on players they think are the best from nearby clubs. It doesn’t look like they do much research into what those players are like or how they’ll fit in. There doesn’t seem to be a proper plan for bringing them together.

Gillingham are the best team I’ve seen so far. It’s not just because they beat us 1-0, but also how they’ve played against other teams who look more settled than we do. They seem well organised and confident.

On 22/09/2025 at 14:40, OoooooTommy said:

@TheSkipper is very close with his predictions.

Yes. Agreed! Looks like the prize money is heading to TheSkipper at the moment. Wonder how he knew about Gillingham? 🤔

21) Mick Waitt's flick on for David Hunt to score v Spurs ,ref unbelievably gave a foul against Mick. Pre match headline in The Sun ( Waitt-watching) 🙃

22) A "Sliding Door" moment to keep and cherish.... Substitution of Slocombe with Mair at Wembley. (Slocombe had never saved a penalty for #Notts)

Wouldn't it be tempting to give a sports betting book, like what Biff had, to someone like Derek Pavis?

He could have invested years of funding into Notts, making us a more established team at the top level. You never know, he could have done what Jack Walker did for Blackburn Rovers. It would have rewritten much of what I had experienced growing up supporting the club, but no doubt other achievements might have come our way such as a League or FA Cup win.

Maybe even a Premier League title or two.

hello, welcome to pon @Nat. join in with the notts talk when you can.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, glad to be saying hello, @Nat.

Hello, @Nat. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

welcome @SoccerLord!

please do join in when you have the time, pon is a very good community to discuss notts and we would welcome your thoughts too.

Welcome to Pride of Nottingham, @SoccerLord. Glad to be saying hello.

Hello, @SoccerLord. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. We are a friendly group, who love to see what people have to say, and I hope you join in at times.

43 minutes ago, Jimbo78 said:

I’m not no. I’m a Derby fan (sorry about that.. please don’t ban me)

Don’t worry we suffer @super_ram on here, so another one won’t harm. 😂

Hello, @Jimbo78. Welcome to the community, I wish you well with finding your father safe travel to and from games, it would be a shame for him to miss out on them.

Hello, @Jimbo78.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham! I also hope that your father finds a way to make it to Meadow Lane and back, it would be nice to know that he can continue his supporting journey. I am sure someone here will be able to find out for you.

After being out with injury, it's great to see Robbo back in the team. He's shown the head coach that he's ready and still has plenty to offer.

His attitude and recent performances make him undroppable in my view. He adds more to the side than Ollie Norburn has so far.

It might even help Norburn settle and find his form more easily. Well done Robbo, keep it up.

It's great to have Scott Robertson back in the team. He's always looked like someone who could do well next to Matt Palmer. Seeing Robertson score gives me hope. It shows we might have more goal threats beyond the usual names.

Well done to Scott Robertson, he played very well, and it is pleasing to have him back in the starting 11.

Congratulations to him for winning the official and PON Man of the Match awards.

Crawley Town looked decent on the move, but out of it you can see why they struggle so far. Their passing wasn't the best, as we would pick up a fair amount of stray and weak balls. Harry McKirdy showed a lot of spirit, and I believe he was their best player. He had some good chances, which he failed to get on target or to really test Kelle Roos, who for me seems to be getting better by the game.

Kabongo Tshimanga, who I recall Notts fans wanting us to sign when we were in the National League and who has always seemed to play poorly against us, was incredibly poor again.

Notts has to be praised for the way the team started the game; I thought there were spells when Crawley, at least at the beginning, looked to be building momentum. Yet, defensively we looked very comfortable, and I felt nervous a couple of times when Rod McDonald and Jacob Bedeau were high up for corners, and Lewis Macari had to get into position. Likewise, later on, when Nick Tsaroulla had to deal with cutting out breaks after Crawley tried to counter.

I had Matt Palmer down as my Man of the Match early on, at least up to the 30th minute and perhaps some time after, but it was around this point that I started to see Scott Robertson winning more challenges, getting the ball forward, and passing it into creative areas.

I would like to praise Nick Tsaroulla for some of his very clever passes, which came from him taking players on and drifting in more centrally.

Robertson had a few times when I thought he was going to strike the ball, though I honestly didn't think he was going to place his scoring effort into the top corner so well.

The first half felt very routine; I didn't feel much of a threat from Crawley, and I was pleased that in the second half we started pushing for a second. Thankfully, Tyreese Hall put the game to bed, with excellent play from Jayden Luker. Games can sometimes change quickly, which is why it felt encouraging that we didn't become complacent.

I do feel sorry for Crawley, as it did become a bit of an exhibition game and we have all been there. I didn't rate their on-loan keeper from Liverpool. Harvey Davies made some good saves, but a lot, especially before we scored, were a bit godsmacking in that he would punch instead of catching efforts, which looked like he wasn't paying attention or had caught him by surprise.

Chest height, easy to cup and smoother with both arms, but he just reacted weirdly.

Look at Alassana Jatta's goal; it goes straight through, and it really did look like Jatta had lost confidence when it came to shooting until he found the net.

Very pleasing win, excellent team performance, and whilst I hope they enjoyed the win. If I were Martin Paterson, I would be telling the squad to stay focused, keep working hard, and remember that we have come a short way from some of the disconnected performances.

I watched the game through the club's service and thought Notts gave a good account of themselves. Crawley didn’t seem that strong, though. I don’t mean that to take away from how well Notts played, but I do think a better side might have closed the space more and tracked the runs better. Even so, Notts didn’t need to force anything. They found space, used it well, and made chances that led to goals. It makes me wonder if Martin Paterson has been working on attacking drills in training.

Jayden Luker made a real difference when he came on. You have to wonder how the score might have looked without him. He played with real team spirit, setting up Tyreese Hall twice with perfect passes. Hall finished both chances well, but Luker deserves credit for making them happen. He used his time on the pitch brilliantly.

It was also great to see Alassana Jatta get a goal. The 4-0 win was a fair result for a game we controlled from start to finish. Crawley didn’t offer much threat and we looked confident throughout.

I agree that Kelle Roos had his best game for us. His passing from the back helped us push forward quickly and gave us a strong base to build attacks. It was good to see that kind of movement and intent.

The problem that Paterson has is that half the squad are trying to play the Maynard way & the new players are trying to play the Paterson way.

Paterson needs to be getting all of the squad to play his way. That could prove a little difficult & may need several further games more before we see it happening.

As far as the team makeup is concerned, Ness needs to come into the defence for Aljofree, with Aljofree on the bench

I would revert back to one striker, Jatta with Dennis playing just behind him in a similar role that Didzy played. I would put Jones back on the left wing instead of the number 10 role, Tsaroula on the bench & put Iorpenda alongside Dennis.

Any long balls could be aimed at Jatta to try to retain possession, but I wouldn't want to see as many long balls as we have seen lately. Notts should largely persist in building from the back, in the Williams/ Maynard style.

They are never going to give away the secrets to how their prediction model works but I’d be so fascinated to see it. I would guess it's very complex but surprisingly accurate. I’ve heard snippets of the Luke Williams interview (on the Not The Top 20 Podcast) and he mentioned it was predicting with 99% certainty that Wrexham would win the National League and that was in the run in stage – It didn’t feel like it because it was so neck and neck, but their model proved to be correct.

And that’s probably why Stuart was let go, because the data probably told them we were lucky to finish in the play-offs. They probably ran a programme to predict the play-offs and I’m pretty sure our chances of winning it would’ve been a very low percentage.

If the brothers want to go in a slightly different direction, they’d be mad to abandon it 8 matches in. And 8 matches is a small sample to take data from, I could be completely wrong here but I’m always under the impression to get more accurate data you need a bigger sample. For example, I guess their model’s current prediction for winner of League 2 be is hard to predict right now, but 36 matches it’ll probably have a pretty good idea.

In terms of the new coaching staff it's the first time Martin Paterson, Andy Edwards and Sam Slocombe have all worked together and we had a high turn-over of players this season. We are in an ok position in the league with lots of matches left to play, it's about seeing steady progress for me and becoming that team that Martin is trying to make us... Ok it might not work out but you've got to give him a chance.

i think we need to give martin paterson the season, much like we said to give stuart maynard his full campaign, but its a reminder that you have to give people a chance to show that they have improved. i wonder how maynard would be doing had he stayed, but i do think paterson would edge him in ability and most of the vital managerial stats. every departure leaves a transitional period, notts are one of those teams that struggles unless they are one of the best teams. it was easier for managers to come in when we were in the national league, as notts felt very much on the front foot in terms of seeking promotion even though we struggled a bit under ian burchnall.

league two has so many teams capable of doing well, and even now some of the teams who started much better than us have slipped up at times. its a also a lot harder to predict because the teams and quality is much higher. i do hope we can get the most out of andy edwards, and i wonder if it was him who recommend some of the young loan players, rather than just roberto gaglardi.

It’s a dull update, really. No surprises, and we could all guess Jack Hinchy was going out on loan. It doesn’t make sense to include him in the squad if he’s not involved on match days.

The club already seems to be planning ahead for January. They're freeing up registration spots and sending players out on loan, which suggests movement is expected. With Gagliardi leaving, it all lines up. I wonder if Paterson had a hand in this, especially after asking for reinforcements and not seeing much happen. Maybe Gagliardi was slow in parts of his role, and things boiled over, leading to his exit.

With Scott Robertson making such a strong return, I do wonder if the club might rethink how packed we are in midfield. It could be a chance to free up space for another striker or maybe a centre back to give us more cover. The squad looks much stronger now, and it’s great to see the loanees stepping up and showing what they can do.

Thanks for the info @Wheelbarrow repair man I wasn't aware of those stories but it does show that there was aot of mental illness around on both sides due to the carnage & the noise from the incessant shelling which brought on shell shock & also led to soldiers either deserting or going AWOL from their units.

306 British & Commonwealth soldiers were shot for disciplinary offenses for cowardice and desertion during WW1. Those soldiers were all given a postumous pardon in 2007 when it was recognised that the psychological affects of War did affect a lot of young soldiers at the front.

It was a War that saw old-fashioned tactics such as the mass charging of men & horse mounted cavalry facing the machine gun & mass artillery. It resulted in mass casualties of an epic level that saw casualty figures for the British of over 57,470 on the first day of the Battle of the Somme including over 19000 fatalities.

It's understandable that hundreds of Soldiers broke down as a result of the carnage & just decided they couldn't take any more. There is a British Film that was from 1964 called KING AND COUNTRY that starred Dirk Bogarde & Tom Courtney about the trial & execution of a British Soldier that went AWOL in WW1.

it gives me shudders when i think of the conditions of war built trenches but to combined that with people going out and seeking dead bodies to eat. it just takes it to that extra level or eeriness.

@liampie, considering there are accounts of rats being cooked and eaten, nothing would surprise me, but that is war for us. Much worse could have happened had it not been won, maybe less so with the first World War, but certainly with the second.

the graphics the women's media team puts out are much nicer this season. a narrow defeat is nothing to worry about, so i hope the team dont dwell on the result.

@liampie It was brilliant performance by the Notts team against one of the top teams in the Division.

On another day they might have even won the match with the chances they created. Unfortunately the Boldmere defence stood firm, however the ladies can take heart from this match.

The Notts team have certainly improved from last season, & will hope to finish in the top five when th season ends.

National League Div One Table after today's matches.

Oh dear. Not a good start for their new Head Coach. The Forest faithful won't be happy.

16 minutes ago, Robbie said:

The Forest faithful won't be happy.

Some are already saying his appointment was a huge mistake.

One called him Postenoclue

forest fans complaining about things this quick is quite funny, with the their chairman one minute something to be proud of to the next them wanting him out. to sacking the best manager they have had in decades. its all unravelling and its quite funny to watch those who only follow because of the success. i do feel sorry for the loyal and more rational minded fans.

That will cost the Spanish Giants a Pretty Penny, I suppose they'll get Compensated for Loss of Earnings or whatever it's called, while their away from the Nou Camp?

I'm sure Barcelona got heavily compensated by the TV money that came their way from the game.

it sounds worse for barcelona when you think the likes of gillingham can get more than 6k. 🤣

even if the ground barca are playing in, at least its going to factor in the away fans true attendance.

Worked perfectly for me @Chris but I did listen on iPhone.

I really don’t know why we didn’t approach Luke when we sacked Maynard, or perhaps they did? I’m sure he’d have come back given his comments on the podcast. However it is what it is and we’ve got Patterson who I’ll support as always.

On 19/09/2025 at 17:08, Fan of Big Tone said:

I really don’t know why we didn’t approach Luke when we sacked Maynard, or perhaps they did?

we have moved forward, i guess the club has different ideas and visions now at least at this stage. its like how we sign players, some might come back but most probably wont.

if luke williams can gain more experience, i think that would make him stand out.

perhaps they are having a surge in talent, rather than focusing on the small pool of players which is interesting. its great to see a nation like faroa island doing well against nations such as france and switzerland who have more established youngsters.

I did a bit of gardening this afternoon and afterwards I sat in the pleasant sunshine with a bottle of beer and this little fellow honoured our pond with a visit.

Sweet moment BT, to be savoured (I mean the moment, not just the beer :) )

Just got back from the park run so it’s a bit of a rest before I go to the match with Chloe, I like Saturdays.

20 minutes ago, Piethagoram said:

Being devil's advocate, would Martin think that this squad is so unbalanced and lacking quality in certain areas, that being a #2 is preferable?

If he did think that being a number 2 was preferable, & incidentally, I don't think he would, he would prove to me that he was never the right man for the Notts job anyway, but I don't think he's a quilter, he's a can doer.

The only real benefit of being a number two is having less pressure on your shoulders. I think it would be a poor move if he left his role as head coach here just to become someone’s assistant at a club that’s struggling for the first time in a while. It’s an important appointment for Michael Duff and it needs to go well for him. But I don’t think they’ll want to pay compensation to bring in Martin Paterson.

It would feel like a step back for Paterson’s career. It might also give the impression that he doesn’t have the fight to stand on his own and lead a team properly.

Many people - players, coaches, recruitment honchos have left over the last few years...

but if our current Head Coach left to be a Wycombe Wanderers assistant that would be the cherry on the cake. Even Jimmy and Jack on Meadow Lane could stand up and walk away.

48 minutes ago, Jimbo78 said:

Thanks for the reply. I’m trying to avoid public transport as my Dad is getting on a bit and can’t walk too far, so multiple buses is probably a bit much for him. I was hoping for a supporters bus from Derby or to catch a lift with some other Derby based Notts fans (and chip in for petrol obviously!)

i will ask around for you. 👍

Thank you appreciate it

I really hope you can find a good way for your dad to keep going to matches. Watching from home just isn’t the same, and there’s nothing quite like being at Meadow Lane in person.

Up to date County Championship Table with one match to go. Notts lead by 14 points.

A great game and a brilliant win for NottsCC

You are right about the competition for places @Robbie I can't see Reynolds or Sanderson getting into the first 11 unless we have a big injury crisis! If it's possible a loan at a National League club for Reynolds would be great experience and challenge for him. And I think as Sanderson is still only 18 a move to a National League North/South club would suit him as he's yet to really experience proper first-team football.

Result of today's Academy under 18s match: Notts 1 Rotherham 2

Great win for the under 17s tonight.