This Saturday's Fixtures:

Norwich City v Derby County

Rotherham United v Wigan Athletic

Colchester United v Crawley Town

Leyton Orient v Yeovil Town

Wycombe Wanderers v Shrewsbury Town

York City v Carlisle United

i thought it would get this up nice and early since it seems to be awfully quiet around here.

bradford city have quite a few ex magpies from the great escape, the likes of alan sheehan, gary liddle, francois zoko and also stephen darby back from the days of munto?

who can you name?

Another tough game for us magpies, it's one where I'd like us to get something out of just to build confidence and a lot of this depends on how we play, what Bradford's setup is and if we can actually get going quite steadily. I don't think they will play a weaker side myself, I fully expect them to come at us in a stubborn manner.

I hope we can start brightly, if we can then there's everything chance we can get something out of the game.

My guts telling me that we won't play well, it will be depressing to watch but you know what? I plan to be positive on the day regardless, I win sing and try to silence any negativity no matter how the people around me think.

We need to get something from the game, we really do. My score prediction is 1-1.

What do you think? Score predictions?

No not me, but after watching this I don't even think they would have got as far as the vows!

http://news.sky.com/story/1438279/video-islamic-state-themed-wedding-party

Here's a brief (roughly 3-5 mins) doodle, drawn by my finger using my tablet. I used to draw fairly regular once but I love doing quick art, mainly due to time and I'm happy with this because it's not as easy as some may think.

Let me know your thoughts.

If this gets a decent reception I may draw things for folks to guess who and what it is. [emoji1][emoji13]

Our Club, Our Passion
>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSrV2JqhLeE

Re-released and remastered, this includes pictures I have taken throughout the 2014/2015 season. Please also have a read of my article based on the future of Shaun Derry and how I see things. - Here

Thoughts?

We took our grandchildren out today, a train ride to Sheffield to a Emergency Services Museum, lots of fire engines, ambulances, police cars etc., and a free ride on a fire engine for the kids. We all really enjoyed it.

On the way back the train couldn't stop at our station because of a broken down goods train and we had to carry on to Nottingham where the train stops, then stop on the train to come back to our station on a different platform which was fine by me as we were in no hurry. However it happened to coincide with the end of the football games and unfortunately as we waited for the train to head back lots of Florist fans boarded after their match, the train was packed with them, they were no trouble but I had to sit and listen to their excited jabbering about the win they had just witnessed. Already feeling low because of our loss I wanted to shout "SHUT UP YOU MORONS" at the top of my voice but didn't fancy going home with a fat lip so sat and suffered until we got to our station and we could escape.

I hate it when them lot win and we lose.

Should the club allow for the fixture against Bradford City, this Saturday to be rearranged to this Friday instead?
 

Notts County will reject any further requests by Bradford City to move their league fixture because of their looming FA Cup quarter-final replay.

The Bantams face Reading next Monday just 48 hours after they will have faced the Magpies at Meadow Lane.

Bradford had asked the Magpies to consider bringing the game forward to this Friday night, but Notts were not interested.

Joint Bantams chairman Mark Lawn has said he will ask the Magpies again in a bid to give Phil Parkinson's team more preparation for the clash against the Royals. But the Post understands the Magpies are not interested in moving the League One clash at such short notice.

Article Link - Here

Okay, simple game.

Name players, staff, coaches who have moved from one East Midlands club to another? So, that's Leicester City, Derby County, Nottingham Forest, Notts County, Chesterfield, Mansfield Town and Burton Albion.

The individual doesn't require to have featured for all, though it must be at least two.

One response per player, until another member has posted (so no double posting folks).

If someone said Fred Bloggs
And he had played for Nottingham Forest and then Notts County, the following connection must be a player have featured for Notts County first.

Like this... Nottingham Forest > Notts County - Notts County > Derby County > Burton Albion - Burton Albion > Leicester City.

Do you follow? Makes sense? Let's see how long and how quickly we can keep this going until we start to struggle to name people.

I will start....

Craig Westcarr

Notts County > Chesterfield

A warm PoN welcome to @krisgarratt ,.Please join in with the banter and posting.Why not tell us a little about yourself.

Noble has apologised to the players, management, owners and fans after being sent off, the story is on the clubs website I can't post a link at the moment but what do you think?

Too little too late?

What do you expect from the next 12 games? Do you think we will push on or flirt with the relegation zone?

I personally think provided we can collect some points in the tough games coming up, it will make it easier in the games we should get something and provided we stall MK Dons from running wild - I think we will be just fine. If we can keep ourselves at least 4 points clear from the bottom, I will find it less stressful.

Last season I said I didn't have it in me for another relegation fight, however it does mean the season isn't boring at least!

We will be fine in my opinion.

What do you expect? Can we do it? How many points do you think we can get? Let's discuss what we think.

Read Madrid limped into the last 8 last night. They lead 2-0 after the first leg away to Schalke. Schalke looked dead and buried but played fantastic in the second leg. They won 4-3 on the night, another goal and they would have gone through on away goals.

Porto cruised into the last 8 after a 5-1 agg. win over Basel. They won 4-0 at home last night. Porto are a decent side and shouldn't be underestimated. They may play in a weak league but they are more than capable of mixing it with the elite in the CL.

This will interest @hissingdwarf, a childminder friend of my wife's has just had her Ofsted inspection and has been downgraded for being too caring, apparently her crime was holding a child's hand while they were climbing a garden slide and helping another child to tie it's shoelaces!

I know children have to learn to be independent but she was probably trying to impress the inspector by caring. The worlds gone mad!

After taking grandson to school I stopped at an island waiting to turn right when I felt and heard a bang, looking back I saw a car had shunted into the back of me so I got out to inspect the damage, there was a really old couple in the car who didn't look the least perturbed and didn't get out of their car. I asked him to reverse away from my bumper so I could inspect the damage and he had difficulty in engaging the gear and moving backwards, luckily there was no damage so I went to tell him it was ok and no damage done, I felt sorry for him he looked about 90 and was clearly unfit to drive properly because he didn't quite look "with it" and in my opinion a danger to himself and others.

I asked him if he was ok and he said he was so I carried on home but it got me thinking is there an upper limit for drivers before they are deemed to be unfit? If not perhaps there should be or at least a compulsory test every year after a certain age, I'm no spring chicken myself but I hope I know and recognise when the time has come to hang up my driving gloves.

What do others think?

I've just been watching the FA Cup draw for the semi finals, I swear blind that Dermot O'Leary who is an Arsenal fan deliberately drew out Arsenal to play either Bradford or Reading, he seemed to be looking at the monitors, there were only four balls in the see through bowl it would be quite easy for him to cheat and pick out Arsenal's number when he saw that Bradford or Reading had been drawn out. It's the perfect draw for Arsenal.

Anyone else see it? I think the people they choose to draw the balls should be neutral especially when there are very few balls left.

Just thought I'd celebrate the fact that I woke up this morning.

Have a good one everyone.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

A joke to cheer us up.

As a butcher is shooing away a dog from his shop he sees it is holding a £10 note with a message attached
to it saying " 10 lamb chops please"
Amazed, he takes the money, and puts a bag of chops in the dog's mouth and quickly shuts the shop.
He follows the dog and watches him go to a crossing wait for the green light, then after looking both ways, the dog trots
across the road to the bus stop.There it checks the time table and sits on the bench.
When the bus arrives it walks around to the front, checks the number and then boards the bus.
The butcher follows dumbstruck.
As the bus travels out into the suburbs the dog takes in the scenery.
Eventually he stands on his hind legs, rings the bell and gets off at the next stop. The butcher follows.
The dog runs up to a house and drops the chops at the front door. He then goes back down the front path,
takes a big run and throws himself -whap - against the door. He does this again and again but there is no response.
So he jumps on a wall and walks around the garden, beats his head against a window , jumps off, then waits at the
front door.
A big guy eventually opens the door and starts shouting and cursing at the dog.
The butcher runs up and shouts at the man saying " what are you doing - the dog is a genius" ?

The owner replies " Genius my foot - This is the second time this week that he's forgotten his key "

@erindoors Happy Birthday Mrs T, hope you have a good day, surely breakfast in bed made by the youngsters, followed by some mahoosive present from Mr T.

Either pressed form or online? I read them on my mobile these days, I subscribe via Apples magazine app. Rarely do I buy a paper to read from a shop or stand these days.

What about you?

I don't expect him to be sacked but we all know what some of our fans are like. Will he ride the storm? I feel he will this season but a lot depends on the budget if he does next year.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/Nottingham-Forest-reveal-loss-22-9m-latest/story-26125123-detail/story.html

Crikey!

Looks like they went all out for promotion and it didn't pay off!

Care to share a picture of your Notts County memorabilia or your most prized possession? What is yours?

I'm rather proud of quite a few things which I will show once this takes off, at my parents I have flags from our Wembley days and I have a large collection of programmes, signed shirts (even @super_pie does).

What about you?

Just read the news headlines and the biggie is Cameron pledging to complete 500 more free schools if re-elected. 

Strange one this as so far the free school program has turned into what everyone predicted, a farce. Failure after failure. Ego's thinking they can run their own school without any prior knowledge.

Don't get me wrong some have worked. 

Local Education Authorities are, in general, poor. Surely the money should have been better spent clearing house at the LEA's so they offered the service they were designed for which was to manage and produce good schooling for all, regardless of background...

David Cameron says he wants to create 500 more free schools in the next parliament.

The Prime Minister will suggest at a speech in London later today that the controversial programme has been a great success, amid criticism from teachers' unions and the Labour Party.

"If you vote Conservative, you will see the continuation of the free schools programme at the rate you’ve seen in the last three years," he will say.

More than 400 free schools have been approved since 2010

"That means, over the next parliament, we hope to open at least 500 new free schools resulting in 270,000 new school places."

Under the free schools scheme parents and teachers can set up and design their own schools.

Play video "Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video: Nick Clegg Takes On Free Schools

One institution expecting approval will be based at a "boxing boot camp" in Hackney which will use daily training sessions in the ring to help children deal with their anger.

Mr Cameron will also announce the approval of 49 new free schools, as a report by the right-wing think tank Policy Exchange concludes the innovation is driving up standards at primary and secondary level.

Free schools have been the big education experiment of this government so it is no surprise that, with an election coming, the Conservatives conclude it has been a huge success.

More than 400 have been approved since 2010 creating more than 230,000 places. According to Policy Exchange nearly three quarters (72%) of all open or approved mainstream free schools are in areas with a projected lack of places in the future.

But critics say the schools are unaccountable and the initial findings do not warrant expanding the programme.

Henry Stewart from the Local Schools Network said: "It you look at the data for both primaries and secondary schools free schools don’t have any effect on the other schools in the area, but what they have done is they’ve used up a huge amount of resource.

"Some £1.7bn is the capital spend on free schools to date and the National Audit Office found that 52% of free school places are in areas that don’t need new places."

Play video "2012: Govt Defends Free Schools"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Video: 2012: Govt Defends Free Schools

The Policy Exchange report also finds that free schools are not dominated by the middle class and are eight times more likely to be located in the most deprived areas of England than the most affluent.

Jonathan Simons, head of education at Policy Exchange, said: "Policymakers should make decisions based on evidence and the evidence clearly shows that free schools drive up standards of nearby schools in the local community, particularly the ones which are lower performing.

"Restricting new free schools solely to areas of basic need will deprive pupils - especially in some of the poorest performing schools - from achieving better results."

But Tristram Hunt MP, Labour’s shadow education secretary, said: "The Tory plan is failing young people and their parents, with a third of all free schools found to be under-performing.

"Instead of focusing on the desperate need for more primary school places across the country and on spreading innovation right across the school system, David Cameron's government has spent at least Â£241m on free schools in areas that already have enough school places.

"The result is many more children forced into crowded classrooms - a 200% increase in the number of infants taught in classes of more than 30."

Seriously good film which I can highly recommend if you like your movies to have a touch of realism and gripping drama in them.

Shows all sides of the conflict in their true light reflecting the way Belfast was in 71.

I majored in the Irish Conflict and the Falls Road and the Shankill Road were definitely represented correctly in the film in so much as the feel of the place etc...but it does stretch the boundaries where he goes from one area to the next without meeting an RUC or army patrol.

From friends who lived there at the time of the troubles they've said to me this is so far the best representation of life back then. It's a film that would have been too difficult for both the UK and Ireland to accept even 20 years ago, but they do use creative license with the lack of patrols. As one older gent told me when I started getting interested in the Falls/Shankill Road divide "you couldn't even fart without a patrol looking in your direction. When things happened they were planned to happen as a lot was required to draw the patrols into decoys so what ever needed doing could be done."

I really enjoyed the film and would highly recommend it.

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-BaKfl1Ms4