Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Grimsby Town?

Game 22 - The Mariners (H)

Team: Grimsby Town

Date: 16/12/17

Where: Meadow Lane

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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.

Hi

I'm an exiled Everton fan living in Nottingham. Your club have been kind enough to donate two home match tickets for your match against Crawley Town to me, as I'm raising funds for St John's Ambulance. I am hoping to get enough interest to raffle the tickets off via your forum. All 'sales' will essentially be a donation directly to my JustGiving page (linked below). I've used my extremely limited knowledge of your current squad (gathered from a combination of seeing you dispatch a young Everton side in the EFL trophy, sitting through a 1-0 win over Swindon in the pouring rain, and a bunch of Channel 5 highlights), and thrown in a few apparent club legends (based solely on Wikipedia), to gather a list of 20 names. The idea is that you donate £3 to the page, and pick a player from the list. Once all names have gone, I'll add them all to the following website, and generate a winner - http://www.randomresult.com/pick.php

I've got a voucher from the club at the moment. I can contact them and leave the contact details of the winner for collection (I will send the covering letter and voucher in the post as well), or can arrange to collect the tickets myself and post them out. I've attached a picture of the letter received, just to give peace of mind.

Page to donate £3 - www.justgiving.com/simurraymarathon - All help and support is very much appreciated. I'll be sure to check back regularly and mark what names have gone. The closing date for entry is 17th December 2017, and I will draw from whatever names have been sold on this date. When donating, there is a section to leave a comment, so the name of the player can be left there. Alternatively, you can enter via text, by texting 'SIMU89 £3' to 70070. If you DM me the player of choice after donating then I'll sort from there.

1 - Adam Collin

2 - Matt Tootle

3 - Carl Dickinson

4 - Elliot Hewitt

5 - Richard Duffy

6 - Jimmy Sirrell

7 - Tommy Lawton

8 - Michael O'Connor

9 - Shola Ameobi

10 - Jorge Grant

11 - Terry Hawkridge

12 - Kevin Nolan

13 - Jon Stead

14 - Les Bradd

15 - Curtis Thompson

16 -Neil Warnock

17 - Alan Smith

18 - Don Masson

19 - Albert Iremonger

20 - Jackie Sewell

Thanks very much, and I hope you can get involved.

Saturday's Fixtures:
Bolton Wanderers v Burton Albion
Derby County v Aston Villa
Blackburn Rovers v Charlton Athletic
Rochdale v Oxford United
Crewe Alexandra v Crawley Town
Lincoln City v Accrington Stanley

Fitzsimons 7.5 Commanding area well as well as great sweeper work a la Bayern keeper, when defence exposed in 2nd half, 2 great first half saves.

Tootle 5.5 Had his hands full with Dembele but after a difficult opening, had him quieter in the 2nd

Duffy 4.5 A few misdirected headers and wasteful passes.

Brisley 7 Takes no chances, at this level, it's all about eliminating mistakes

Dicko 5 dead ball delivery falling below his standards. Defended well

Yates 5 Subdued game, had difficulty really making a mark

Hewitt 5 improvement in defence this season is as much due to Hewitt's running and covering. In offensive mode, strength of passes lacking

Hawridge 5 Always puts in a shift

Grant 4.5 well marked but drifts out of the game. Nearly won it at the end

Stead 5 a better touch in opening minute should have seen us 1 up. not one of his better days

Shola 6 Free header at the end should have been buried. Always linking play

Alan Hardy is a massive fan of Kevin Nolan (we all are, to be honest) and has once again suggested that he is destined for the very top, such as the England job.

While there's no doubting Nolan has worked wonders so far and is a very skilled manager, I want to know your thoughts on:

- Whether it's a bit premature to make a statement like this so early on in Nolan's managerial career

- Whether Nolan would be suited to international football

- Whether Nolan should even consider taking the job, what with all the baggage that comes with managing England

Last year John Sheridan famously cancelled Notts County's Christmas party as the team was lurching from one defeat to another.

This year, things are much different and as such the players have had their do in Dublin (as Adam Collin's Insta page showed).

However, Sam Allardyce has recently made the news after saying he would cancel Everton's Christmas party.

So over to you - should a struggling team have their Chrimbo do cancelled and focus fully on the games, or could that end up being counter-productive and harm morale and team cohesion further?

(After all, Notts' slump didn't end after their party was cancelled)

I have notice there are a lot of fans moaning about how the club is marketing themselves especially via social media.

What do the members of PON think?

I think the club handles itself well these days, the self promotion is something that seems very important. If a club can't effectively market its own offers, how can anyone expect them to draw interest? I think its brilliant to see the increase of upcoming matches promotion, along with the hospitality and the partners in which the club works with.

Why is it such a negative thing? I really would like to see someone's view point from that camp as I can't understand it.

There's no doubt that we need other options upfront, I share the concern about the two main strikers - yet I do feel Jonathan Forte can play a part (all things we have discussed before).

However, appearing on BBC Radio Nottingham's Match Talk - the question of 'does Notts need a poacher?' cropped up.

So I'm wondering what the PON community thinks, do we need a poacher? Do we need a natural finisher? Someone with strength or pace?

A 20+ striker is a rare thing in this division, as is a player with all the above qualities and a-side from the ones mentioned. There's plenty of other types.

So, what are the main qualities we need to bring in?

Name: Meet the Fans 17-18 - Colchester United (25/11/2017)
Category: Meet the Fans
Date Added: 2017-12-10
Submitter: Chris

Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for Notts County's 2-1 win over Colchester United and interviewed several Magpies fans ahead of kickoff.

Questions asked include whether Jonathan Forte is surplus to requirements, whether Richard Duffy is a liability at the back, and what Notts should do in case Jorge Grant and Ryan Yates return to their parent club in January.

If you would like to feature in future Meet the Fans videos, get in touch! Feel free to submit potential questions below and we will look into asking them.

Be sure to subscribe, share, like and comment - Your support is greatly appreciated.

Visit us on:

Website: https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/

Community: https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/community/

Don't forget to register on our site, look out for us on social media and at live games. COYP!

Meet the Fans 17-18 - Colchester United (25/11/2017)

Why not subscribe to PrideofNottinghamTV?

As I mentioned in my feature yesterday, Notts County are making a name for themselves as an exciting, innovate and simply "cool" team with all the various work they've done on and off the pitch.

Here's Alan Hardy getting another spot in the national press, discussing the changing rooms on Sky Sports.

Makes me very proud to keep seeing the club given airtime/column inches on TV/newspapers/online... and for the right reasons, instead of "another winding-up order"...

Who was your man of the match for Notts County at Luton Town?

Name: Meet the Fans 17/18 - Cheltenham Town (18/11/2017)
Category: Meet the Fans
Date Added: 2017-12-10
Submitter: Chris

Pride of Nottingham was at Meadow Lane for Notts County's 3-1 win over Cheltenham Town and interviewed several Magpies fans ahead of kickoff.

Questions asked include what the fans thought of the club having had the most managers over the last 20 years and Alan Shearer's comments regarding Kevin Nolan's future at the club.

If you would like to feature in future Meet the Fans videos, get in touch! Feel free to submit potential questions below and we will look into asking them.

Be sure to subscribe, share, like and comment - Your support is greatly appreciated.

Visit us on:

Website: https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/

Community: https://prideofnottingham.co.uk/community/

Don't forget to register on our site, look out for us on social media and at live games. COYP!

Meet the Fans 17/18 - Cheltenham Town (18/11/2017)

Why not subscribe to PrideofNottinghamTV?

Game 21 - The Hatters (A)

Team: Luton Town

Date: 09/12/17

Where: Kenilworth Road

What line-up should Kevin Nolan 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.

Saturday's Fixtures:
Fulham v Birmingham City
Middlesbrough v Ipswich Town
Peterborough United v Blackburn Rovers
Plymouth Argyle v Gillingham
Chesterfield v Barnet
Stevenage v Wycombe Wanderers

On Saturday, I watched Colchester player, Mandron, punch Shola Ameobi full on in the face as he lay on the ground, after a tackle. 

I have no doubt that Mandron INTENDED to punch Shola - because he'd 'dared' to tackle the ball from him - or that Mandron, had one of his team not moved him away. wouldn't have carried-on the 'fight'!

That punch was an 'assault'!

I, and many other watching the Match that day, witnessed it.

The Ref/linesman missed it as, clearly, Mandron should have been immediately sent off.

My question is: how seriously would the Police take a Report (or reports - if any other witnesses would like to come forward) of this assault?

And, might this be a way forward - if it continues to happen - to force the EFL into getting a grip on the useless/less than poor 'officials' they continually roll-out, each week?

I believe we'd only have to 'report' these incidents a few times, before the ensuing 'publicity' would make someone take note!

P.S. "It's 'expected' at this level, is NOT a good enough reason, imho, NOT to do it!

The draw for the group stages of the 2018 World Cup in Russia has just been made.

Here it is:

Happy with England's group? What other games are you looking forward to the most?

Notts County have today announced that the shirts to be worn in Saturday's FA Cup second-round game with Oxford City will sport a William Hill Plus logo on the chest and a William Hill logo on the sleeve, plus there will be other branding around the stadium.

Notts have previously done one-off shirt sponsor deals in cup games (Man City, Liverpool) but is doing it with a non-league side just a bit too far?

That said, having Paragon (Hardy's company) as the default sponsor for cup games was a genius move... his own business gets promoted, but it's also a blank slate for the highest bidder.

Thoughts on this deal?

Following on from @AmericanPie's thread – which actors/acresses annoy you the most? Who is the most cloying, irritating or just downright bad?

I simply cannot stand Colin Firth. He's basically just an expressionless cardboard cut-out who keeps getting work because women like looking at him and he corresponds to the American stereotype of what an Englishman is like. Hugh Grant also gets work for the latter reason (a German friend recently told me she imagines ALL Englishmen are like Hugh Grant!) but at least he makes me chuckle sometimes.

Jim Carrey, who has spent a good chunk of his career playing the same annoying character. Bruce Almighty was funny mind.

Anyone who "acts" in a Turkish soap. If you're a man, you need to be able to do a poker face and hold a gun (and have lots of facial hair if you're a baddie). If you're a woman, you will basically spend 80% of the time in hospital or crying. Turkish soaps are basically Neighbours with more kidnappings.

I might sound like a perfectionist after asking this question, although I openly acknowledge that we have improved throughout the field - perhaps declining a little up front (in the goal scoring department) but overall things are much better.

However, I spent the weekend blinded due to having a bad migraine and I have only just watched the highlights against Oxford City.

I feel quite annoyed by the lack of marking and responsibility, these are the fundamental things which are costing us this season. I mean Oxford's first goal, you'd have thought there wasn't much difference between us and them. Yes form goes out the window, but we stepped off them and Duffy marks like how I walked home after being struck down by my migraine.

Honestly, I'm not saying this to moan - I just feel we need to learn to press and mark more wisely. Oxford appeared to be playing well, yet it doesn't seem like a complete performance and really I think we can consider ourselves lucky.

Thoughts? How much has the Notts defence improved in your opinion?

This video has been making the rounds on social media - a non-league goalkeeper given a chance up front and only going on to score a hat-trick!

Cover for Stead/Ameobi up front = Check

Cover for Collin and Fitzy in goal = Check

Quality nickname = Check

Sign him up Notts!

So Kevin Nolan's fine work has been recognised with a second Manager of the Month nomination of the season.

He was first nominated in September and went on to win it.

Now Nolan's up against Mansfield's Steve Evans, Chesterfield's Jack Lester and Luton's Nathan Jones for the November gong.

Would you like to see Nolan win it or best not to in case of the MOTM "curse"? Has he done enough to warrant it this month?

Share your thoughts!

So after the anticipation of the hallowed third round of the FA Cup, with the prospect of Notts County getting a plum tie against a Premier League giant, we've found out who our opponents will be.

Brentford away.

What do you think about the draw? Let PON know.

based on a mean of 5

Fitzsimons 6 Couldnt do much with the goals conceded

Tootle 5.5 less influential when getting forward

Duffy 4.5 was it "his" goal???  Some weak headers, position still suspect

Brisley 5.5 Does the simple things well

Dicko 4 Poor dead balls, and was identified  for his  short of pace at the back

Yates 5.5  Not one of his better games

Hewitt 5 All running but passing as same standard as Oxford City's level

Hawridge 7.5 MoTM delighful ball across the 6 yd line second half but that cross for winning goal 

Grant 6.5 drifts in and out but has that goal scoring instinct

Stead 6 Nice short with back to goal, neatly taken penalty

Alessandra 4.5 Ordinary

Well, it's not exactly been the smoothest road, but we've made it into the third round of the FA Cup!

As we all know, non-league sides are much harder to beat than people give them credit for - the cup for them is a dream and can often make or break a club, so they'll be playing like demons.

Anyway... who would you like to draw in the third round and where (home/away) and why?