When the Olympic games come around, there are always many people who ask the Question. Why isn't there an Olympic GB Football team.

The answer to that is very simple. The Home FAs can never come to an agreement regarding a GB team, and the other big reason is this.

Unlike the World Cup & Euros, the Olympics are run by the I.O.C & if GB entered a team, there would be a concern that it would damage the Home FAs image with FIFA & UEFA, & there would be a push to have a UK team rather than allow four UK teams to compete separately.

It is down to football politics. Would I like to see a GB football team in the Olympics? Yes I would. Will it ever happen? No it won't.

Yes, but support is very loosely based on what it is.

I haven't watched our Olympic team for years, but I wish them all the best, and I am delighted when I read about how they have done. That's quite a passive way to support them, but in my younger years I did find it easier to be excited about watching it.

@Robbie

There have been GB Olympic teams in the past they won Gold on three separate occasions in the .early 20th Century, 1900, 1908 and 1912. They have been more attempts at forming a GB Olympic team in recent years which included some Professional Players but the GB team failed to  qualify for the competition. 

Over the years I think it can be said England have had the most success in qualifying and playing in Major Tournaments, but would a Great Britain been a better choice? Players like George Best, Dennis Law, Kenny Dalglish John Toshack would have easily got into the England team of their era. Billy Bremner Pat Jennings Terry Hennessey and Gareth Bale are  players from other UK Countries who would have benefitted playing in a Combined GB or UK Team. There must be a long list of Players (other than Englishmen) who would make it into a Great Britain Side a side capable of Winning a Euro's or World Cup Final.

On 14/06/2024 at 22:41, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

All the talent he has available England should have Won a Major Tournament by Now. But the further England advance in a Tournament Southgate reverts back to his negative tactics instead of letting his players play with flare and use their Natural Abilities.

he brought success to the england u21s, the squad lacked direction and fight prior to gareth southgates appointment. allowing the england manager to work with the young players, building them up and giving experience to those who are future first team stars was the best decision the english fa have done. it allowed southgate to bring in players who would have gone over looked.

the biggest failure team wise is the golden generation.

i disagree somewhat about we should have won, i have always felt we have overachieved team wise. it was not long ago that harry kane had no competition for his place. the midfield only had individual stars and not a team. every manager tends to have negative tactics, but southgate is proving himself to be one of the best.

he did well with middlesborough too.

@liampie

What a Boring Web Site PON would be if we all Agreed about everything, would it Not?  You and I it seems Agree to Disagree about Southgate. His success with the England Under21's I was not fully aware of, however as they say You Can't Keep Living On Past Glories. And while his Results Record is Good his Legacy will reflect the fact like a lot of England Managers before him he failed to Win a Major Tournament.  Yes I know the Euro's are still being played at the moment, but Hand On Heart I Can't See England Winning the Competition. I would be more than happy to be proven Wrong.

And even if Southgate's England Team are Crowned Europe's Best. He's a Million Miles Away From being the G.O.A.T. Which is what this topic was all about and which seems we've wondered off.

@liampie @Wheelbarrow repair man

I agree with you liampie to a certain extent regarding Southgate and his involvement with the under 21s.

However,  Peter Taylor has a good record as England under 21 Manager too. Over two periods & one match as caretaker he only had 3 defeats in 31 games as manager.

He knew lots of young players who went on to play for the senior England side, but Peter Taylor was continually overlooked for the Senior England Manager role.

Stuart Pearce had a great record as England under 21 Manager too, just 5 defeats in 41 matches.

That's why I wouldn't say that Southgate's experience as an under 21 Manager was a factor in him getting the senior role.

To be honest, I think Peter Taylor was a better Manager than Southgate, but again, I think politics was involved again why Taylor wasn't considered for England Manager.

@Wheelbarrow repair man

If the Football associations of the four Countries agreed to reinstate the home internationals of course I would watch them, so would any other home football fan.

For the Scotland game they would fill Wembley, but if they did reinstate the Scottish & England teams would probably be from the B or C squads.

I think doing it that way would be probably the only way the English and Scottish FAs would agree to their reinstatement.

The Football calendar is far too congested nowadays to what it was when the Home internationals reigned supreme.

@Robbie

Yes you're probably right, however I think the  case for their reinstatement  is they would be more meaningful than all these second rate so called Friendlies, that the 3 Lions play. I mean I don't know about you but I would sooner watch an England vs Scotland Match than England vs Iceland or England vs Norway or Luxembourg Match. I think Matches against  a fellow UK country would Generate More Interest than against some Mediocre European Side.

You make as good point there @Wheelbarrow repair man just a matter of convincing the home FAs. I suspect that the friendlies are more than just friendlies.

I suspect lots of footballing politics between the different Countries FAs are going off like smaller FAs getting a slice of the match revenue and also publicity for their Country.

There is always an angle involved somewhere to be seen in football politics.

I like Aaron too. He is an integral part of our attacking unit, and I am sure he will play a big part next season.

I do like Dan Crowley, He is a very important part of the Notts team. Many good attacking moves that Notts did last season was orchestrated by Dan.

Dan may not have had the number of assists that Jodi had, but he did much of the good groundwork that led to those assists & scored many vital goals himself.

Macca and Jodi, & to a lesser extent Didzy, rightly took the plaudits but Dan was the man that helped those players get the opportunity to do what they did last season.

I'm sure Dan will carry on in the same vein this season too, & with Robertson & with Matt Palmer back for selection, Dan may be able to impress even more.

Neither Aaron Nemane nor Jodi Jones are particularly strong in defence, as they are wingers and excel when moving forward. Both are key contributors to the team. Nemane’s quiet nature can be both a strength and a weakness. If he’s not performing well, does he feel comfortable confiding in his teammates? If he becomes aware of harsh criticism from fans, can he disregard it and concentrate on the team’s needs? He’s an exceptional player. With the right manager, there’s no doubt he could play at a higher level. However, I believe his mental approach might be what’s holding him back.

aaron nemane is a great player, but we need to make sure he is not over played because i think that causes his inconsistencies because he is tired. i dont think hes as quiet as will randall, but nemane does have spells where he is quiet on the pitch but he always offers something special. without him we would not have gained promotion from the national league. his bursts of pace and direct play can win us games because teams cant defend against his skill.

thats a great thing to have.

What happens if the hand contact is accidental? Will VAR be used to determine if there was an unnatural movement that constitutes handball? If the system works efficiently and the referee makes the final call, that seems fair. However, if the game is delayed because a chip detects an accidental handball, it could lead to more problems.

@allardyces tash

That's the point. 

"What happens if the hand contact is accidental"?

The FA and UEFA interpret  handball rules differently.

The Belgian player was running and his arm came up naturally to keep him in balance like we all do when we are running.

The pundits after the match thought it was accidental handball. But they were following FA rules not UEFA rules 

it sounds like a good idea but just like var it needs better handling, the rules on handball needs to be clearer and accidental handball either becomes a thing of the past and every contact is a foul or they work it better in. i think accidental handball is not fair to punish but the rules can make things easier to abide by.

a lot of the modern tactics and playing styles are coming from south america right now. how they set themselves up to be less risky and you can see that with how england are setup for the euros. the movement is great at times but we need to remember the urgency. i prefer faster paced football, i think its more open.

British football, with its physicality and speed, is quite different from the continental style, which focuses more on technique and tactics. Both styles have their own strengths.

British football is exciting to watch because of its fast-paced nature and physical challenges. Players are often praised for their stamina and strength, making the game intense and thrilling. This style can be especially effective in high-pressure situations where quick goals are needed.

On the other hand, continental football is admired for its emphasis on skill and strategic play. Teams focus on maintaining possession and precise passing, creating a more controlled and thoughtful game. This style allows for creative plays and often results in beautiful goals that showcase players' technical abilities.

Both styles have their merits. British football's energy and passion can overwhelm opponents, while continental football's focus on finesse and strategy can outsmart them. Each brings something unique to the sport, making football a diverse and captivating game.

@DangerousSausage 

Nice post.

You've made a great case for Notts to mix it up more next season.

Of course both styles have their merits 

I just wish the powers that be at Notts would recognise that too, and be much more flexible in their footballing philosophy.

Stuart Maynard has to have the  freedom to employ the British style much more to keep Notts opponents guessing.

@DangerousSausage I think you'll find the reason why England have won nothing is the Team have Never Been Good Enough. Even the So Called Golden Generation failed to Win any thing. It seems when the Chips are down England tend to Bottle It. Some if Not a Large slice of that Failure is down to the FA and their choice of Manager. It would seem obvious that in the 1970's to 19180's the man for the England Job was  Old Big 'Ed himself Brain Clough. But the FA had a pure Distain for Cloughie, that instead of offering the job to the right candidate who probably would have Won Trophies, they decided to go with Managers who were out of their depth when it came to leading the National Team.

The Continental Style is what you see down the Lane  trying to be copied, that is build up from the back and play Tippy Tappy Football. Continental sides can play that way, England can't but instead of trying to  counter that type of Football with their own ideas, they try and copy it and fail Miserably at it.

And before anyone says most Premier Teams play that way, most Premier League Teams have a Continental Manager and are full of Continental Players, who are already familiar with that Style of Play.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2012/oct/11/forgotten-story-joe-mercer-england-manager

A comment on football at the end of Alf Ramsey's reign.

England has seen many capable managers, yet for various reasons, few have consistently brought out the best in their teams, with the exception of Sir Alf Ramsey. Gareth Southgate demonstrates a solid grasp of his team, although some outsiders might have their doubts. Watching Terry Venables lead England was delightful, as was observing Sir Bobby Robson at the helm. It's challenging and perhaps unfair to name the greatest, but as mentioned, we've had a host of commendable managers.

We had a lovely Sunday lunch at the nearest pub to the cottage we are staying in, unfortunately the country lanes are very narrow round here and no pavements we didn’t feel safe walking so we had to drive the 1.5 miles, which meant one pint of weak beer for me.

I have to admit it has been a lazy weekend somewhat, Still managing to do my daily two mile walks, have cut it down from three..

I've watched the Euros and some Nottingham Tennis online. Nice that England have won their first match, and Notts have sold out places at the Nest.

Time for a nice night cap I think.

to fall ill and die at the age of 26, its horrible news. i hope his family find peace.  

Such tragic news, he still had plenty of years ahead of him.

Rest in Peace...

It's very sad news about Matija Sarkic. Rest in Peace.

1993, is the point where I remember watching Arsenal on TV and liking their kit (well their socks). I will never forget the electrifying moments when I witnessed cup matches, where the unstoppable duo of Ian Wright and Kevin Campbell, occasionally joined by the immensely talented Alan Smith, left an indelible mark on my memory. I know a year earlier, Arsenal had allowed David Rocastle to leave, who also died young (33).

Kevin Campbell was a very hard-working striker, who scored some wonderful goals in the Premier League.

I am surprised that the national news seems to be overlooking the time at Nottingham Forest, as he helped them regain their Premier League status. At Everton, he did well but I felt he was more threatening whilst with our nearest neighbours.

Rest in Peace, Kevin Campbell.

He was quite vocal in support of Forest and remained loyal during their drop to the old First Division. A very capable striker with a quick turn of speed. Despite being a Premier League player, he often went unnoticed when compared to the likes of Robbie Fowler, Dion Dublin, Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, and others.

Rest in Peace, Kevin Campbell.

Rest in Peace, Kevin Campbell.

if the scottish players had marked and actually watched the ball, they may have defended better. they just did not keep up with the german movement and ended up making them look far superior by looking like a team who were happy to invite chances towards their own half. the germans felt so sorry for them that they gave the goal. it was quite embarrassing but disappointing because had scotland tried to keep the ball and marked better they may have made a game of it. very one sided the way it ended.

Things just didn't work out for Brinds last season, but we know he's a decent player.

He proved to be a valuable player for us in the National League promotion season, so I think he could do well for a new club.

A new club will bring new challenges and that might help him excel with a fresh start.

Good luck to him

A new club and a fresh start could be just what Brinds needs to resurrect his career, I wish him well.

at 31, he needs to make sure this next club lasts as long as his time here because its unlikely he will get to where he hoped without gaining promotion. hes a good player, very good going forward and decent as a right back. he could make do as a cb but i never really preferred that role. his natural position was the best. i hope he finds the right club to restart his career after making 130+ appearances for us.

Worcs close on 141/6. Notts will need 142 to win their first match of the competition.

CMON Notts.

Update.

Outlaws 70/1 after 10 overs requiring 72 more.

Notts have their first win, winning by one run on DLS method due to being in front on run rate when the rain came.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @Spindley Pie. I hope you enjoy being a part of our Notts County community.

hello, welcome to pon @Spindley Pie.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @Spindley Pie. Get involved and let us know your thoughts, you'll find we like to talk about Notts.

Welcome to PoN @Peter DowningDon't be frightened to comment.

hello, welcome to pon @Peter Downing.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @Peter Downing. It's good to have you here, don't be a stranger.

Notts do lots of research and check lots of stats before they sign a player so Dan must have impressed Notts on paper.

He most probably didn't adapt to the way Notts played. He never looked convincing and he never shone on the pitch for me.

It just happens that way sometimes with a player at one club, then moves & looks a different  player at another club.

I do wish him luck at his new club and I will be keeping an eye on him next season to see how he's getting on.

he seemed more of a gamble and the timing was just right with the injuries we had. i think the club sometimes looks for a player like this, we did with john bostock and if it had worked it would have been very useful.

good luck to him.

I understand the club’s perspective. They probably saw him as the perfect replacement for Matt Palmer, who was injured. If he had been given more playing time, we might have seen more of his potential. However, we held back and only let him make brief appearances. When we finally put him in the game, it seemed poorly managed. Yes, he wasn’t at his peak, but there was a talented player there. If he had been able to improve his match fitness, he could have been a great addition to the team. I’m grateful that the club didn’t hastily offer him a contract. That’s the most intelligent part of the deal. Regardless, I wish Dan Gosling all the best.

Willie Carlin was a name often mentioned in our household. Tales of his incredible performances and how he would dominate games despite his shorter height. He seemed to possess a special kind of magic on the field, a quality that made him stand out. His passing is a significant loss for fans of that golden era of football. It's heartening to see so many people come together to honour his memory. May he rest in peace and his legacy endure forever.

rest in peace willie carlin.  

Rest in Peace, Willie Carlin. It appears he had an outstanding career, providing fans with unforgettable memories to treasure forever. It’s truly unfortunate and deeply saddening to hear of his passing.

It would be great to have more fun activities in Nottingham that are easily accessible. However, everyone seems to want a city park and open space. It’s not as if community open spaces are vanishing, but that’s not something to grumble about. Interesting story though, I quite like it.

I miss the model village at Skegness. A certain member of my family believes nobody is interested in this kind of things because they're 'dated'. However, I would love to explore this wonderland. It's a great build for sure!

PS. Being driven by a friend on match days, I believe the recent changes to the Broad Marsh and Maid Marions Way has a racing course inbuilt now.

this is really cool, i like seeing things like this and their efforts must take a lot of time to perfect. great video!

@CliftonMagpie

I think they have a guy on board who used to voice Wallace in a Stage Show. Anh his impression of Peter Sallis was Spot On apparently.

Peter Sallis is a legend, I still enjoy watching 'The Last of the Summer Wine' - though it feels quite saddening to realise most are no longer with us.

I am glad that they haven't retired Wallace. I recall reading talks that Gromit might end up going it alone, or various famous people being mentioned as someone who could step in. I think it has to be done right. Sallis will always be a national treasure and I bet he's glad that it will continue.

this is great news, i am not the biggest fan of shaun the sheep but i love wallace and gromit. the curse of the warerabbit was brilliant. its good to know wallace will be voiced by someone who deserves to take the roll and not just a famous name.

Good way to finish pre-season, I'm guessing it'll be similar to Cambridge a few seasons ago where I believe we did the same thing and fielded two separate teams for each game. It makes sense to give the whole squad 90 mins the weekend before the season kicks off, that way everyone (injuries aside) will be ready, fit and in contention to play the first league game.

There's room for one more match between the Wealdstone and York game (currently 11 days between the two). I guess that'll be the last game to be announced, maybe Forest or Derby?

They'll give us a good test, provided they field a strong team. It's a good fixture. I wasn't aware that we weren't hosting any home games - this must have been mentioned at the fans' forum. I read the article about the opening announced fixtures and that stated home games would be announced in due time, I'm not overly bothered that we won't return to Meadow Lane before the season actually starts.

I hope to at least make the Saturday friendlies and the Alfreton game.

i am not so bothered, i will attend what i can but some of the tuesday night games might be tight due to work. im more excited about getting the season underway. peterborough will be a nice fixture tho.

They tend to put the phone down when I tell them I am handy with a computer, not that tracing them would be all that difficult with the right equipment and a little knowledge. You should also listen to how @super_ram deals with them.

My youngest daughter, Ava @CutiePie - she likes watching scam baiters on YouTube.

i find it funny when you put two scammers on the phone to each other. you would have thought there would be more effort to closing these scam centres and not left to normal people to be making the only difference. they are scummy.

Stuart Maynard has been coaching (albeit not full-time) since 2012, so he’s hardly a novice and more experienced than a lot of people think. He’ll have experienced the bad times and good ones as he’s been involved in very successful times at Hemel and Wealdstone. I know this is the highest level he’s coached at but keeping Wealdstone a part-time team in a full-time league with probably one of the lowest budgets for two seasons is very impressive. He’s now also had half a season to experience this league and he's said a lot of encouraging things in his interviews about what’s been missing from this squad and what we need to improve.

I think we have to trust the owners and board too, I don’t think they would’ve appointed him if they had any doubts. And so far they've had a very good record when it comes to head-coaches. When was the last time we had our last two head-coaches poached? I think a lot of fans are still used to the long and old regime of sacking a manager every 3/6/9 months because you lose a few games. That won’t happen now. SM will be given time and help to achieve the clubs goal of continued progression.

15 hours ago, menzinho said:

I think a lot of fans are still used to the long and old regime of sacking a manager every 3/6/9 months because you lose a few games. That won’t happen now. SM will be given time and help to achieve the clubs goal of continued progression.

I agree with this, thank goodness we now have owners who can provide stability and give the coach time to get things right, it depresses me when I see that after Notts lose a game immediately the knives come out and people start baying for blood. Our owners will not be swayed by fan opinion and they will do things their way, I trust them to hire and fire when they see fit.

Its a clean sheet this season and fans should get behind the team, the management staff and the owners and let’s see where it takes us.

@Fan of Big Tone

I'm afraid that's how Football is nowadays. Results are the only thing that matter and Coaches who don't deliver straight away will soon find themselves out of a job. You only have to look at Stuart Maynard's successor at Wealdstone.  I'm not sure about the Owners Not Being Swayed by Fans. If results don't go the Magpies way and there is suddenly a Drop from 11,000 to 5or 6,000 fans at Home Games I don't see Stuart Maynard lasting very long. As long as Coach is winning all well and Good but otherwise....

I'm sure a Vast Majority of Notts Fans will be behind SM and the team. So here's to a Good Season, a top half finish and a Run at the Playoffs.

Kasper would be a Dream Come True @Robbie and realistically I think it would take some sort of Miracle  Getting Back Him Back Down The Lane. As you have stated a Keeper of plenty of Experience is needed to pass on Tips and help develop young Keepers such as Tiernan Brookes. That's No Disrespect to the Notts Goalkeeping Coach Steve Collis but an Experienced Keeper playing matches on a regular basis will know all about Pressures and how to cope with them while being  involved in playing a League 2 Match.

I'm not disagreeing with either of you here @Robbie & @Wheelbarrow repair man but isn't the experienced and older goalkeeper Slocombe though? He's 36 and has played nearly 400 games! Surely we don't need another keeper coming in at the end of his career. I'd hope we'd be looking for a keeper in his prime that can potentially be our keeper for a good number of years.

@menzinho I get what you are saying and Slocombe does have the experienced but you can never say that he looks solid between the sticks & he's not comfortable on the ball.

Someone in their late 20s or early 30s who is a GOOD all round goalkeeper, who is comfortable playing as a  goalkeeper sweeper and can distribute the ball. That's what Notts need.

The Club has high hopes for Brooks and he may be ready to take the reins in another 12 months.

I think it's worth the cost to pay for a  type of goalkeeper how I've described, because it is such an important position nowadays.

@Piethagoram

No according to records Dean Yates suffered a serious knee injury in February 1992 which ruled him out for two years however he did manage one appearance in 1993/94 season. He was fully fit for 1994/95 season and  playing in the Notts Team in their fight against Relegation he was Sold to Derby for £350,000 before Notts were Relegated.

@Wheelbarrow repair man I agree with you. At the end of the day Notts supported him and helped him through his long term injury, so Notts did all they could. 

He could have stayed with Notts and fought for a place, especially considering what Notts did for him, but if he wants to move on so good look to him.

Notts will find a good replacement, I'm sure of that, who will be new and full of commitment to Notts.

@menzinho

Michael O'Connor  ruptured an ACL in 2016, During his recovery from his injury he was given a Scouting position by Kevin Nolan. He played for Notts in their last six games of 2017/18, helping Notts gain a Play Off Place.

So both Yates and O'Connor played for the Magpies after their injuries unlike Bajrami.

Welcome, @ShannockPie. We're a friendly bunch of fans and if you do put in any time by commenting, I am certain you will get a lot more out of PON.

Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham, @ShannockPie. We're all glad to see that you have joined us.

Hello, @ShannockPie. Don't be put off from sharing your thoughts, it might seem daunting but we are a friendly lot. Welcome to PON!