What scores would you predict for the two remaining play off finals

Shrewsbury Town vs Rotherham United

Exeter City vs Coventry City

Contract terminated.

Bye!

http://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/news/article/nicky-wroe-leaves-notts-county-2903707.aspx

So what is your favourite football film of all time.??? 

So the big day is upon us - the Champions League final between JUVENTUS and Real Madrid!

As fixtures go, I really don't think you can go any higher than this - the biggest, most famous, best-known and most successful team in world football against... Real Madrid.

Now, I've just found out that BT Sport will be showing the game for FREE online (if you're based in the UK) so... it'll be a good un!

This is BT Sport's YouTube channel so just visit https://www.youtube.com/btsport and it'll take you to their landing page, where you can then select a number of options - 4k or VR (I'll just click whichever and see what works lol).

So yeah, cancel all other plans for tonight, because our Italian brothers will be winning the Champions League (hopefully)!

FORZA JUVE!!

I am hopeful that Michael O'Connor will sign a new deal, I would give him at least another two-year-deal because he's a fantastic leader on the pitch.

Last season Kevin Nolan spoke about wanting these types of qualities in the signings he made, where I feel the majority had a good "chemistry" on the field. I don't think we had many true leaders, I wasnt a fan of Richard Duffy having the armband. His nagging complaints to the officials seemed something which always would result in him being given cards, not the way a true captain would behave in my opinion.

Hopefully Michael O'Connor will remain at Notts and continue to be the team captain.

It would be great if we had a few more leaders on the pitch, people capable of picking up other players and focusing on getting results. Do you hope for the same thing? 

Well, having had a few years off PoN, I’ve been in discussion with Chris as to organise some sort of return. I see @Fan of Big Tone beat me to it by a few weeks.

I won’t be posting tonnes as life, as it I see for us all, is busy, but hopefully I can add something to the growing community.

Nice to be back. Time to check on some of the posts tim see what’s been happening in my absence.

anyone for a political debate? Joking btw.

26 May is the anniversary of when Notts went to Wembley to take on Bradford in the playoff final and sadly were denied promotion in a 2-0 defeat.

Dan Hamilton opened the scoring for the Bantams just eight minutes in and, despite a Magpies fightback, Mark Stallard struck after the break to send the Yorkshire side up.

What memories do you have of the day? Let PON know!

On match day where do you sit and are you a season ticket holder or pay as you go.

We took our grandsons to Frankie and Benny's for a treat because they've been very good this week while we've had them. So I thought I'd write a review.

The welcome
We walked in and after a wait of no more than 30 seconds we were greeted by a female member of staff who was very friendly and tried to engaged the boys in conversation asking them if they'd had a good day at school etc., however they were a little shy but she cheerfully took us to our table and made sure we had menus and left us to settle in saying she'd be back in a minute. Score 9/10

The Service
On the whole the service was pretty good, the waitress returned and took our drinks order and left us to peruse the menu, when she brought the drinks she asked if we were ready to order, which we did, the wait for food was around 20 minutes which was acceptable. The boys had kids menus with puzzles and pictures to colour with supplied crayons. Score 9/10

The Food
The was pretty varied, being an Italian restaurant of course there was the usual, pasta dishes, pizzas etc., but also salads, vegetarian options etc. The kids menu again gave a fair amount of choice, the kids could choose a main, two sides, a dessert, a sweet and a drink for a set price. There was a choice of big appetite and small appetite, which was good because the youngest doesn't eat a lot. There were healthy options on the menu too which for kids is good. Our eldest grandson had sticky BBQ spare ribs with peas and sweet potato fries, followed by chocolate fudge sundae with a drink of fizzy. Youngest had the small appetite dish and chose chicken skewers with fries and peas, followed by Ice cream slider and a drink of apple juice. Feeling we ought to be healthy I had Fillet steak on a bed of salad (even though I really fancied a pizza) Mrs. BigTone had Salmon fillet and salad, neither of us had puddings.

Overall the food was good with decent portions but not too big and the selection varied. Score 8/10

Value for money
The kids food was £7.49 for large appetite and £4.99 for small appetite, our main meals were £12.69 for my Steakhouse Salad and £13.99 for Mrs. BigTones Salmon Salad. I had found a voucher online which gave us 40% off the two main meals saving us £10.68 which the waitress cheerfully scanned from my phone without any quibble. The whole meal including drinks came to £34.06, I left a tip of £4 so £38.06 in total. Pretty good value for a meal for four. Score 9/10

Ambience
This is where it gets slightly negative, there was piped music which I thought was much too loud and made it difficult to talk, although I did like the music choice most of which was my era. There were two people celebrating birthday's on different tables and twice during our meal the music was ramped up really loud which actually made me jump and a happy birthday record came on, nice touch but did they have to scare us half to death? Score 5/10

Overall Verdict
A fun place for a family meal, good, fast service, friendly staff, value for money but if you want a romantic meal out with your loved one I would give this one a miss and try somewhere a bit more intimate because you won't hear your loved on whispering sweet nothings  . Overall Score: 8/10

So the first game of the season may be a while away but who dose people think County will get on the opening day and will it be a home or away tie.

Leicester youngster Sam Hughes linked. Signed from Chester before 17-18 season. Would be a quality signing at this level. Solid centre back at a young age but Foxes want to send him to a League One club.

Cuthbert released by Luton at the end of the season. Would be another solid signing. 

Apparently the club want to bring him back on loan. For me he would have to start as we need a centre-back who is more composed on the ball. 

This week we’ve been looking after our two grandsons while mum and dad go on a cruise (alright for some innit?) Anyway we’ve been taking them to school and various activities, tonight the youngest went to swimming club and the eldest to Taekwondo we dropped him off and left him there.

When I went to pick him up I was a bit early and had to wait so I was watching the proceedings with interest, the class is taken by a gent who I estimate to be in his fifties and I couldn’t believe the moves he was doing, some of the sideways kicks above his head I winced at, I swear if I tried it I’d put my hip out! Of course the youngsters were great they are supple at that age but I was seriously impressed with Master Bradshaw which my grandson informs me is the proper way to address him. It’s a good job his surname wasn’t Bates. Master Bates, no? Oh please yourself. 

As I’ve said on here previously I was gutted that I had a pre booked camping event this weekend that just happened to fall the same weekend as Notts were in the playoffs (something I didn’t envisage when I booked the event).

I skipped the evenings entertainment on site and walked one and a half miles in the pouring rain to the pub with a couple of friends (one of whom was a Coventry fan) to watch the match.

We got some good seats in view of a large screen and was pleased to see the match build up being shown, got our drinks in (Doombar before you ask @super_ram ) and settled down to watch the match.

The pub was more like a youth club and was very rowdy being in the centre of town but we had no problems until the 65th minute when the disco started which was just to the side of the huge screen, this made the already noisy pub absolutely deafening with loud music booming out, on top of that the DJ started pumping out smoke and scantily clad teenage girls started dancing in front of the screen which made it rather difficult to concentrate on the match which we could hardly see through the smoke.

Not to be beaten we found another screen in the huge pub and carried on watching the match, on the 80th minute I went to the toilet, when I came back the TV had been turned over to the boxing match and my Coventry supporting mate was frantically trying to ract the Batman’s attention at a crowded bar to get it switched back to football.

Eventually the match came back and we got to watch the end, we managed to fight our way through the dancing girls at the booming disco and got outside to encounter a brawl between youth trying to get in the pub and bouncers on the door. We trudged our way back in the now torrential rain to the campsite along an unlit main road with huge lorries thundering past us walking on the narrow pavement. As if we weren’t wet enough the traffic was splashing through the by now huge puddles and wetting us through even more.

The things you do to watch a match.

Updated version from the start of the season

I've included Grant because he's basically been our player since January 2017

I'm hoping to continue to build bridges for PON during 2018, there's many people I know that could make such a huge or significant impact with this community and I'm personally hoping I can welcome them back.

Some might not, that's just the way things are but I have to try.

I must add that I am delighted to see @Fan of Big Tone and @hissingdwarf back here and, with newer members such as @UnitedPie and @ARLukomski - I know the community has people who can help me drive it forward. I've messaged a few people recently, some I have been putting off but today after Notts released the retained list - I felt inspired to go for it.

I ask all PON members who read this, write why you enjoy the site and let's see if we coax some people back or welcome other new people to our community.

Just when we were all bracing ourselves for yet another trophy for Bayern, something delightful and unexpected happens. Recommended viewing (hope the video works in the UK).

This was Eintracht's first trophy in 30 years, so understandably there were absolute scenes!

What the video doesn't show is that fact that the referee consulted VAR twice. Once for Eintracht's second goal, as Bayern claimed a handball in the build-up. That was given as Kevin Prince Boateng attempted to move his hand away from the ball. Then the second time when Bayern claimed a penalty with the score at 2-1, which again wasn't given although Boateng (again) clearly took out Bayern's Martinez instead of the ball. No that I'm complaining  Eintracht then broke from the subsequent corner and scored the third with the last kick of the match - great stuff 

After the match the Bayern players and management through a massive mardy and disappeared without acknowledging the fans and before the trophy was presented. Only Manuel Neuer (to his credit) stayed to acknowledge the winners.

Just looked in the app for the shopping list and this popped up...

I assume Ben has done this. Need to sit down with him and have serious words about his choices !!!

So you have been asked to manage a Notts County Dream Team  past and present Notts County players against a Nottingham forest Dream team. You are allowed to pick 11 player to start and 6 players for the beach and the bench must contain i goalkeeper who would you pick.? 

Ok...so (for my sins, maybe!) I'm a 48-year Supporter of this club. I go 'way back' to a time when you could stand on the Kop terraces and have a convo with your mates in the Lane, end, during play!

We attended 'pea soup' night matches and (understandably) if you were close enough to see/recognise a lino/Ref's 'mistake'; then you excused them/it, simply because of the 'conditions' at the time.

This past Season, however, we've all watched what I consider to be some VERY UNFAIR and proper DOOZIES - from both linesmen and Ref's - that I'd go as far as to say, have a) cost us a Top Three/automatic place/promotion; in addition to (guesstimate) an additional 10 - 15 points that wrongful, abysmal, dire and not-fit-for-purpose calls, have robbed us of! (Not least (as beautifully explained in another article here, by Joe) the recently televised play-off's against CCFC, have demonstrated just how (many) wrong decisions, over two matches, turn EVERYTHING around!

I've heard the 'moans' - mostly from opponents and those who wish us ill-will - that KN, AH, all of us, who witness it and complain, weekly, should "just get over it, that's football"; but my questions now, in 2018 (not the 70's) are:-

1.   Should we expect less-than totally professional and CORRECT decisions from officials - part-time or otherwise?

2.   Should the FA and EFL be doing 'more' to ensure 'fairness' in football?

3.   With NO/NOT ONE/NONE of the Officials at the World Cup from the UK, is this downturn something we should be accepting of?

4.   Is the 'answer' for each Club to offer to pay for training/continuous 'education'/wages of officials (obvs not to officiates at their 'home clubs' games)?

5.   Are you happy to pay to watch 'more of the same' in the coming Season?

6.   What do you think should be done to change the situation?

Which retained players would make your team?

We can assume that the players offered contract will extend their stay, so it will be out of the following players.

Lewis Alessandra
Shaun Brisley
Terry Hawkridge
Elliott Hewitt
Noor Husin
Liam Noble
Jon Stead
Matt Tootle
--
Pierce Bird
Richard Duffy
Ross Fitzsimons
Dan Jones
Michael O'Connor
Branislav Pindroch

Well here it is folks...

https://www.nottscountyfc.co.uk/retainedlist

Under contract

Lewis Alessandra
Shaun Brisley
Terry Hawkridge
Elliott Hewitt
Noor Husin
Liam Noble
Jon Stead
Matt Tootle

Out of contract, offered new contract

Pierce Bird
Richard Duffy
Ross Fitzsimons
Dan Jones
Michael O'Connor
Branislav Pindroch

Out of contract, released

Shola Ameobi
Adam Collin
Carl Dickinson
Mike Edwards
Jonathan Forte
Elliot Hodge
Nicky Hunt
Rob Milsom
Callum Saunders
Alan Smith
Curtis Thompson

Loans expired

Mason Bennett
Jorge Grant
Ben Hall
Matty Virtue

Apprentices offered development contracts

Harry Bugg
Remaye Campbell
Declan Dunn
Alex Howes
Sam Osborne

Apprentices released

Dominic Brown-Hill
Peter Dearle
Ryan Ebanks
Curtis Hall
Jordon Richards
Joe Searson-Smithard
Edwin Towers

If you like the above songs feel free to discuss and click 'like'.

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De5d1kiXnNY

My old Canadian friends

So on Saturday 26 May the Champions League final takes place, with an English team taking part for the first time since 2012 (when Chelsea won it).

The previous four years, Spanish teams have dominated proceedings - Barcelona and Real Madrid claiming all four trophies, with Atletico Madrid making it an all-Spanish final on two occasions.

Only Juventus have broken the Spanish stranglehold but both times they were heavily beaten by the El Clasico duo.

Atletico Madrid have won the Europa League this year - will the Spanish capital lay claim to both European trophies this year?

Or will Liverpool do what they did in Istanbul in 2005 and upset the odds?

Let's get your thoughts!

who do you fancy to win the world cup?

i think brazil are looking quite strong, i think they will make the final. argentina and germany also look pretty good for their money, so i think it will be between these three nations.