I just wanted to pop on to wish everyone a happy and healthy new year. 

I thought I would do a yearly round up. I thought it would be a good place for everyone to share their thoughts and the experiences this year. 

This year has been a very tough year for me, as it has been for everyone. If you don't follow me on twitter, unfortunately, this year I got diagnosed with some mental health illnesses. I first noticed this in the first lockdown, but didn't do anything about it until October. Everything that made me happy got taken away from me one by one, also before lockdown, I was in a job that was making me miserable. 

This year, should have been filled of loads of away days, theatre trips, a trip to Italy and I would have been able to drive. 

But, there has been highlights of this year, I found a new job (even though I've only worked there 4 months overall), I got 2 qualifications in mental health, I still got a holiday even if it was to Skegness (I do love it there), I built up my baking skills and gained new skills. My relationship with @ARLukomski survived and got stronger. 

I will be forever grateful that my family and friends are coming out of this year healthy. I just want to give my condolences to anyone who has lost family members, friends or anyone that they know this year. 

How has your year been? 

Happy Birthday to @GrannyPie

Whilst we are all enjoying christmas, its also one of our members birthday.

Can we all wish her a Happy Birthday!

Game 17 - Pools (H)

Team: Hartlepool United

Date: 28/12/2020

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? 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.

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/sport/football/1287562/ex-dundee-united-mark-fotheringham-blazing-trail-germany/

And so we're onto the last prediction league of this "unusual" year. These matches kick off at 7.45pm on Tuesday, 29 December (with the exception of the Bradford match, which kicks off at 7), and you get one joker each. Good luck (but not more than me)!

Huddersfield Town v Blackburn Rovers

Luton Town v Bristol City

Plymouth Argyle v Oxford United

Shrewsbury Town v Blackpool

Northampton Town v Gillingham

Barrow v Tranmere Rovers

Colchester United v Cheltenham Town

Bradford City v Port Vale

Game 18 - The Linnets (H)

Team: King's Lynn Town

Date: 02/01/2021

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? 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.

Slocombe 5 - Too many kicks went astray and could have commanded better

Brindley 5 - Should have got to the ball for the goal. Better second half at getting forward

Rawlo 7 - Won headers, kept recycling the ball and bought it out of defence

Turner 4 - Gave away too many cheap fouls and throwings. Turned into Kane at the end

DKE 7 - Always got forward and supported the attack 

Reeves 5 - Well too deep for pretty much all the game. Didn't go forward enough

Doyle 5 - Same as Reeves. Too pedestrian 

Walker 6 - Some neat touches and some good link up play. End product lacking

Rodri 6 - Not a great first half but became a vocal point of our creativity in the 2nd. 

Enzio 6 - Struggled first half but upped his work rate and creativity in the second and should've just hit late on, instead of cutting in

Wootton 6 - Put himself in good positions to score but didn't finish. Much better link up play second half 

Sam 6 - Was very lively when he came on and linked up the play well

Knowles 6 - As with Sam, very lively. How his goal is ruled out I will not have a clue in a million Mondays. So clearly onside it's criminal

Hello and welcome to the MASSIVE BOXING DAY prediction league. You don't want to miss out on this one - instead of getting a measly three points for a correct score, this time you will get THREE! So all completely different to how we normally do it. As usual, you get one joker each (albeit this time with a little Santa hat) and all entries have to be received by kick-off (3pm) on Boxing Day.

All the fixtures are going ahead as I write this, but lots of matches have been postponed already and more will undoubtedly follow. If you're unlucky enough to nominate a match as your joker that is then postponed, you can pick a new one by making another post in the thread - but please no later than kick-off. Good luck!

Reading v Luton Town

Cardiff City v Brentford

Doncaster Rovers v Accrington Stanley

Oxford United v AFC Wimbledon

Oldham Athletic v Harrogate Town

Salford City v Walsall

Altrincham v Stockport County

Hartlepool United v Halifax Town

Game 16 - The Linnets (A)

Team: King's Lynn Town

Date: 26/12/2020

Where: The Walks

What line-up should Neal Ardley opt for? 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.

To all who read this,

Merry Christmas and, a happy new year to you!

2020 has been a defining year filled with obstacles and, unknowns - with COVID-19 largely effecting life as we know it. I think reaching this point of the year means we are entitled to appreciate the little things a little more than what we normally would.

It's not been an easy one for anyone, I have seen a lot of fans struggling with isolation and, depression.

We can take these things for granted at times, especially as supporters of a football club but it makes you grounded. You realize there's more to life and, the scores, matches etc - they just provide a distraction at the end of the day.

I hope that everyone manages to have some form of normality on Christmas and, as we approach the New Year.

A win for Notts County [or your respective team if you're a resident opposition fan - provided you don't support King's Lynn ????] would be an added bonus. Yet until Boxing Day, please do enjoy yourself!

May you all have a fantastic Christmas and, a happy new year! You Pies!!

Chris

I was checking on Torquay's forum to see their thoughts on dropping points to Kings Lynn and found an interesting thread:

https://torquayfans.com/viewtopic.php?f=21&t=13008&start=30

"Any top team that plays on a pitch that has a resemblance to a ploughed field will affect the quality, skills and technique of the players. Maybe that is why Kings Lynn are charging astronomical prices for match viewing so as to try and divert a little more funding towards laying a proper playing surface."

Ouch. Looks like our game there on boxing day won't exactly be a spectacle and more of a struggle on a rubbish pitch. Non-league, innit. 

Welcome to (almost) the last prediction league before Christmas! Kick off is Saturday at 3, and remember your jokers!

Brentford v Reading

Rotherham United v Derby County

Peterborough United v Ipswich Town

Accrington Stanley v Blackpool

AFC Wimbledon v Crewe Alexandra

Bolton Wanderers v Tranmere Rovers

Colchester United v Morecambe

Leyton Orient v Crawley Town

Tomorrow we (well, the team) travel to Morpeth Town for which I assume will be the first time ever. Morpeth currently sit 16th in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, the same division as Basford United and Grantham Town, with nine points from seven games. One interesting aspect of this one is the reunion with one Liam Noble...

Morpeth are actually allowed to have fans in, but as the FA deems us an "elite" club (which we are in many respects, of course), this one will be behind closed doors. However, for those of you in the UK the club will be showing it on the live stream - check the official site if you fancy it.

Personally I can't say I'm too bothered about the FA Trophy this season. I was totally up for it last time round, but with empty stadia and a massive fixture pile-up this season it all feels a bit redundant. But it's a competitive match and a chance to give a few players on the fringes some proper match practice so they can get in the groove - perhaps full matches for Knowles, Wolfe and Pilling.

Will any of you be tuning in?

Pilling 4 For a debut, doesnt inspire confidence with his distribution but to his credit, wasnt phased by the Morpeth tactics of crowding him out in the 6 yd box

Brindley 6 Cool head, gave momentum down the right

Graham 4.5 Too many misplaced passes, should be standing out against teams like this. Took his goal well, losing his marker

Lacey 6 Goal saving header towards the end

Chicksen 4 Just not sure about him, got caught out defensively too

JOB 6 Experienced head

Rodrigues 5 Pitch a nightmare for a cultured footballer

Wolfe 5 One good run but midfield was bogged down today

Walker 4 Feeling disappointed, I expect far more class

Sam 6 Should have had a hat trick. Early goal, but missed header and shot towards the end. Positives, he has got a shot on him, negatives touch let him down 

Knowles 5 Goal but didnt really get into the game

Sub

DKE 6.5 MoTM from the subs bench

Enzio 4 Needed to influence more with his talent

A lot of praise for Brindley on social media for not giving up a seemingly lost cause, but that slide rule pass from Ruben 

slocombe 6.5 - kept largely not busy but reliable when needed
brindley 8 - good going forward and solid at the back
dke 7.5 - he put another good shift in and worked well with job and rodders
turner 7 - one of his better performances in notts colours 
rawlinson 8 - absolutely solid the best defender on the pitch for me
rodders 7 - did some neat touches and passes but was not a threat enough for me
reeves 8.5 - my man of the match because he ran the show and allowed doyle to have more time on the ball
doyle 7 - several great long passes and just focused on getting notts forward
job 5 - not much to say, he did not play great but he did not play poorly either just very average
enzio 6 - at times he looked useful and it was good to see him defend at times but not much else
wootton 6 - moved well and tried, not much he could do by himself but his pass to reeves was unselfish of him

subs:

walker 5 - he did okay, nothing much for him to impact the game as notts controlled it

Christmas is coming, Father Christmas is trimming his beard, his elves are hard at work and the reindeer are eating all the carrots they can in preparation for the big day. Erm... I've forgotten what that was supposed to have to do with football, so here are the latest fixtures. One joker each, kick-off is at 7.45pm on Tuesday, 15 December!

Barnsley v Preston North End

Nottingham Florist v Sheffield Wednesday

Oxford United v Northampton Town

Portsmouth v Fleetwood Town

Southend United v Grimsby Town

Tranmere Rovers v Stevenage

Solihull Moors v Halifax Town

Weymouth v Wrexham

This will be a tough game and for me could define the season, it is a real litmus test for the quality of our squad.

Stockport are 9th with 19 points having played only 9 games, a 2.1 ppg average. Notts on the other hand are 7th with 20 points, but have played 12 games with a 1.67 ppg average. With that points per game average so far, Stockport's projected finish would be 1st, with only Torquay having a better ppg thus far (2.46). Notts are really play-off contenders with our showing so far this season, and given the results and performances, nobody would really argue that. There are limitations on this though, a poor run of only 3 games (for example 2 losses and a draw), and Stockport's ppg would plummet to the same as ours.

Recently Stockport have beaten a 10-man Barnet 2-1, but it is hard to tell how much can be read from this, with Barnet blowing hot and cold, they've been smashed recently by Chesterfield, who, and while no offence is meant, are not exactly Barcelona. Prior to that they'd beaten Bromley 2-0 away from home, which is more impressive as Bromley have roughly the same ppg as us and are 3rd. 

If we win with a good performance, it stands us in good stead that we have the quality to challenge for automatic promotion. Even a draw with a good performance would be OK. However, a poor performance where we are clearly second best and a draw or a loss, then for me we can kiss goodbye any hopes for automatic and settle for play-offs as the best case scenario. A negative line-up (JOB, Reeves, Doyle starting, Rodrigues benched) and 'respecting the point' would be a massive negative for me. If we do that, it indicates to  me that the manager doesn't think the squad are good enough to beat Stockport on our own turf, which would be a startling admission given that top spot should have been the goal for this season.



 

http://m.gulfnews.com/xpress/news/trillion-dollar-conman-strikes-dubai-1.2173677

King "Fraudster" extraordinaire

Could this be the worst managerial record in history?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/49277193

It's a bit morbid, however, I have always enjoyed true crime.

When I first heard of the legend of "Jack the Ripper", I became obsessed with learning more and trying to figure out who I felt was the most likeliest to be the Victorian serial killer.

I am aware of all the current theories from Jack dying in prison, absconding to the US [with two strong candidates believe to have continued murdering whilst there], to Jack actually being a female midwife. I have never really had much belief in the latter myself, I don't think it's likely that one of the first known serial killers would be a female. It's highly uncommon now, most would poison their husbands and re-marry.

Not commit gruesome murders which the police believed must have been committed by someone insane.

It's always been believed that Jack committed the murders because he had a desire to do it, with speculation of him being a butcher, doctor or hairdresser.

What I never believed was that the killer could be someone like Prince Albert Victor, yes it's possible but I think him keeping it a secret would've been incredibly difficult even in those days. I do not believe he had people assist him either, as this seems unlikely that someone wouldn't point the finger later on in life.

Something which has always made me curious is to potential motives which seem quite few if we believe what the police thought back then.

Was Jack the Ripper hell bent on grotesque simply for the thrill and, desire of killing an incident women? That has always seemed very bizarre to me, as a lot of suspects were considered gentleman - with a string of usual thugs/lowlifes.

Likewise, it has always seemed quite far fetched that the killer was Walter Sickert which has become more of a popular theory within the last 10-20 years. A London painter who became obsessed himself with Jack, going as far to painting pictures inspired by the crime spree.

This doesn't seem likely to me, yet has proven to be an interesting rabbit-hole to explore as it's always interesting to read into other potential suspects. There's supposed clues within his artwork, such as letters and, unknown details that only the killer would've know supposedly within Sickert's work. People have even suggested he used his victims blood as paint if you're inclined to believe he was the killer, which has never been actually proven as fact.

What makes "Jack the Ripper" something which fascinates people is largely down to it being unsolved.

People have always enjoyed a good mystery and, there's no larger unknown story out there [well not if you don't buy into America's claim to everything going].

Here's some little known facts of the case.

• Five murders are believed to have been committed by the serial killer [9/11 murders are suspected/considered however but remain unlinked]
• His victims were known for being 'Lady's of the Night'
• The crime was believed to have been committed by a Jew
• All murders happened in London’s East End district of Whitechapel
• It's believed the killer was familiar with the area and knew it well [including having known the polices plans/foot steps]
• Jack took the streets only during the early hours of the morning
• He left quite a few clues and witnesses [something which in this day and age would have lead to him being caught most likely]
• It's believed he had some form of medical training, with a butcher being his likeliest profession
• Killed twice within an hour of each victim
• The Murders abruptly ended after the night that Mary Jane Kelly was grossly mutilated 

What I have always believe is that Jack the Ripper wasn't of a low IQ as the police believed in the beginning, he had some form of understanding of the human anatomy and, that it wasn't done just for the thrill of killing [or a deprived fetish of sorts].

Commonly serial killers kill for multiple reasons and it's far more complexed that saying it was sexual or that he had a hatred of prostitutes. 

The simple fact is nobody will ever know for sure, as much as it's a 'real crime' it's now becoming a myth too.

Some people have taken to the search and, have ruined it - it's vastly polluted in opinion.

Evidence which still remains has become tainted because of poor handling, name throwing in the hope that DNA testing could reveal answers. This is a crime within itself, as how damage to cloth, throws, clothing can occur by professionals in this day and age is beyond me. I do accept, that in the 1880's evidence was most likely to have been a second thought, but it still doesn't take away from the damage occurred by ruining potential leads that could be found with DNA.

The handwriting of the known 'true' letter from Jack the Ripper, sent with a piece of human of organ is the only evidence which is unlikely to disappear.

However, getting good samples for comparison from the suspects in this day and, age has always proven to be difficult.

And yet, I believe this theory has a lot going for it. A lot more than any of the ones I have mentioned in this post, which has taken me quite some time to write - which I am hoping some others of our community will discuss. Otherwise, can I get the last two hours of my life back? ???? 

Why? It's believable that an educated person could hide from being a potential suspect.

Willy Clarkson fits the criteria of knowing about the human body due to his grandfather as explained within the video.

The wig does tie a connection which for some reason has always been overlooked, I mean, until I watched this video last night I wasn't aware of who Willy Clarkson was but it does all make sense.

As for the possibility of him killing due to him being Jewish and, gay - a mere act to cover up this does make more sense than someone getting a thrill from gutting a person. Ties with blackmailing does also aid as to why someone would need shutting up.

Reliable witnesses always described Jack and, potential sightings of being someone smartly dressed.

The appearances given to police also vastly changed which each persons sightings, which does make me curious as to if a known person with the ability to mask his own appearance could go under the radar.

It's like like Jack was hellbent on killing just anyone, the victims seem to have been chosen - otherwise I do believe there would've been more.

In addition, when witnesses saw some of the victims talking to potential suspects it was often alluded that the women looked familiar with the person - as if she knew them. It's unknown if some were the last person to see some of them, but it's highly likely this was the case especially after the first murder as the other 4 victims probably thought it was being carried out by a psycho.

Who knows, but to me it seems unlikely Jack died in prison or took to continuing in American.

Killers who usually get away with their crimes usually continue and, then eventually get caught. Most don't just randomly stop in cases where the police aren't making any actual progress. Could it be that Jack teased the police solely to hide? I don't think so, if strong suspects existed I believe it would've been solved.

Most likely it was someone able to get away with it due to having finished their business/motivations.

Thoughts? What do you make of this theory? Lastly, who has always been your number 1 suspect?

How do you feel this season is going? Would you say promotion is required or would you be okay to see the club finish as high as possible?

Under the ownership of Notts, the club has adapted well to life in the Non League. I get the frustration from time to time, but when I ask myself if I expect promotion I would say that I don't. If we ignore the performances which will be impacted for various reasons, I feel we are making good enough progress under Neal Ardley right now.

Some supporters clearly want promotion at any cost.

There's no guarantee of this. What are your thoughts?