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?

Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Oxford City?

FA Cup - The City (H)

Team: Oxford City

Date: 02/12/17

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.

i know this is kinda obvious most would want a balanced squad but what if we could only have one of the three above options?

the reason behind the question is that we have had a fairly strong squad, we have also had a skillful team in recent years but we really suffered due to having a lack of hardworking players. this season we seem to have that and it gets my vote over the other options.

This has nothing to do with football but it's really cool so I'm sharing.

A waterproof camera lost by a boy on an East Yorkshire beach has washed up in full working order on the German island of Süderoog just south of Denmark two months later. Even more remarkable, the camera was recording a video at the time it was swept away, which can still be viewed (it goes under at 1.24 on the video).

https://www.bridlingtonfreepress.co.uk/news/camera-found-on-remote-german-island-after-it-was-washed-away-from-a-flamborough-beach-1-8879590

As far as I know the owner hasn't been identified or come forward yet. Wouldn't it be cool if PON could help reunite the camera with its owner?

Kevin Nolan was on Sky Sports last night having a go at match punditry. Did anyone tune in and if you did, what did you think of how he did?

Found a couple of clips on Twitter of him if you fancy having a look.

I have only been to a handful of away games this season, but already its beaten the amount I made during last season. It just seems much more optimistic under the new era and the majority of fans seem up for it.

Does winning impact the amount of away games you do?

Over Sunday and Monday Alan Hardy ran a poll to determine whether Notts County should put clappers (inflatable tubes which make noise when bashed together, or something) on seats for fans to make noise when they host Oxford City in the FA Cup this weekend.

As with everything Notts-related on Twitter, emotions ran high - you would have thought the very future of the country's political-economic stability was at stake, the way fans discussed it!

So in the end, the Black and White Twarmy opted for a NO vote - 56% to 44%.

Let's get your post-poll thoughts - would they have been a nice, harmless idea or would they have just looked stupid, a waste of money and potentially used as projectiles (refer to the recent Birmingham derby)?

From an interview with the Daily Mail:

FIRST FOOTBALL MEMORY

I was going on trial for Huddersfield Schools and I didn't have any kit. My stepdad brought me an old England shirt when he turned up to take me to the trials. It was the old sky blue, Umbro shirt.

BEST PLAYER I'VE PLAYED WITH

Tugay at Blackburn. He was fantastic, a real character but an amazing player as well. That was towards the end of his career - he was probably even better in his prime. Walking into a training session with Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Tugay and all these sorts of players was a bit of an eye-opener!

TOUGHEST OPPONENT

Jamie Carragher. He wasn't the biggest but he commanded the players around him. Whenever you think you've managed to find some space he would always turn up.

FAVOURITE FOOTBALLING MOMENT

Scoring the winner for Blackburn against Manchester United is still the highlight. The Chelsea Cup game (with Bradford) was special but if I had to pick one it would be this. I had just jumped from the old Division Three into the Premier League. It was at Ewood, 80-odd minutes and Paul Gallagher just slipped me in and I scored. It was a massive three points to keep us in the Premier League.

SPORTING HERO

Growing up it was always Ian Wright. He was the striker I watched as a boy. He has got to be up there but David Beckham is the ultimate sporting icon.

TOUGHEST AWAY GROUND

The most difficult away game I've had was at Highbury in 2004. We never touched the ball. Arsenal were incredible that day. It was a tight pitch but they made it seem massive.

THE FIRST ALBUM I BOUGHT

It was probably something like NSYNC, before the youth-team days!

KARAOKE SONG

On the karaoke it's a bit of Dirty Diana by Michael Jackson, but it gets tiring. There's a lot of shouting in it. It takes it out of you towards the end.

BEST-DRESSED TEAM-MATE

Jorge Grant seems to have a new bit of gear on every day and he's always tweeting about hats he's getting. But it's a standard trackie or jeans and a T-shirt for me.

DREAM DINNER-PARTY GUESTS

Michael Jackson, David Beckham and Marilyn Monroe.

IF I WASN'T A FOOTBALLER

I would be an architect. I loved graphics at school and that is definitely something I'd have gone into.

In Germany, the Chinese under-20 team has applied to "join" a domestic league, the fourth-level Regionalliga Südwest, with which I sadly very well acquainted. It's turned into a bit of a hot topic.

The background is that, due to the DFB's inability to set up a proper pyramid structure, the league will have 19 teams next season, meaning that one team will not play on any given matchday. Enter China, whose under-20 team is spending the entire year at a training camp in Heidelberg. They want to "enter" the league as the 20th team. They won't be in the table and no points will be awarded for matches involving them. They're offering €15,000 per club to take part and the league has accepted. Only Waldhof Mannheim has publicly refused to play the Chinese, although clubs from other regions have dismissed the plans as a "circus".

Aside from the implicit insult to the fourth division, it's also questionable that the German FA has signalled its willingness to help out a propaganda instrument for a totalitarian regime if the price is right. It's depressing and I'm glad my team wants no part in this. And I can't help wondering if the Football League Trophy will be getting an exotic new entrant in the next yerar or two...

After today's shoddy Refereeing/linesman's decisions, together with the debacle I witnessed at Yeovil on Tuesday: I return home see that AH has called for 12 full-time Referees in League Two.

I'm guess I'm 'for' the idea, in principle. However, what if the 'chosen' one's turn out to be just like today's...or Tuesday's?

I tire - week-in, week-out - of witnessing things that continually go unpunished.

Shola was actually punched full in the face today...and although when he retaliated and was punished with a card; the player who punched him, wasn't sent off - as he should have been...simply because the ref...and linesman... both 'missed' Shola being violently assaulted! 

Even when opponents 'climb' our players backs; 'dig/nudge' them in the ribs; claim penalties that aren't or when opposing player's blatantly hit out, Referees and linesman appear to 'miss' it all.

I know KN's been ribbed for his continual 'moan' about Officials and it was even suggested today that he's (likely) bringing his grievances to the Dressing Room/Team. However, I don't know that he can 'pretend' these decisions aren't having a knock-on effect to the players in what are, mostly, extremely emotive matches and particularly when, so much depends on these Officials, 'getting it right'!

I don't think it's helpful, either, when people just say, "League Two officials are notoriously bad!

I'm not sure that 'full time Referees' are the answer or if it should simply be a case of the EFL ensuring their officials are 'good enough' to carry-out the job in the first place.

What does everyone else think?

Who was your man of the match for Notts County against Colchester United?

Game 19 - The Glovers (A)

Team: Yeovil Town

Date: 21/11/17

Where: Huish Park

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.

Game 20 - The U's (H)

Team: Colchester United

Date: 25/11/17

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.

Not to steal @Piethagoram or @Elite_pie (please do continue this).

Fitzsimons 7.5 - Outstanding performance, from his decisions to come for the ball to his distribution. He seemed very confident and I think this helped with his penalty save as it wasn't a bad penalty but an exceptional save.

Duffy 4 - Looked very awkward, in the first half he made several bad decisions. The first was elbowing and barging a Colchester United player onto the ground (blatant penalty for me) and Fitzsimons called the ball. He just looked very much out of it.
Brisley 6.5 - He looked very comfortable and defended well.
Dickinson 5 - Usually he looks the weak link but he did alright, he offered us a fair bit going forward.

Hawkridge 6 - He ran around and contributed, he seemed very unpopular amongst the fan opinions I heard but he did a lot of the ugly stuff well.
Yates 7 - He was strong in midfield, creative on the ball and linked the defence and attack nicely. He worked his socks off and for me he was my Man of the Match.
Hewitt 5 - He did alright, seemed a passenger at times. Worked hard, just wasn't involved as much as I think he could have been.
Grant 6 - Jorge struggled due to them being physical and heavily marking him, yet he did well and was a driving force at getting Notts forward.

Ameobi 6.5 - Decent performance but was very limited, he tried holding the ball up and did what he could when he had chance.
Alessandra 5 - Very average, he did some neat touches and ran but he doesn't look like a striker and he didn't work well with Ameobi at all. He found himself dropping deep and roaming which limited our attacking capability.

Subs...

Milsom 6 - Steady play by Robert, he got forward and covered. Very happy with his contribution/
Jones N/A
Smith N/A

Saturday's Fixtures:
Burton Albion v Sunderland
Fulham v Millwall
Fleetwood Town v Blackpool
Northampton Town v Bury
Exeter City v Accrington Stanley
Swindon Town v Newport County