The tour sounds like it was worthwhile. Martin Paterson will have seen who’s solid at the back and how the team coped against decent opposition. The results don’t mean much, sure, wins help with morale, but it’s the start of the season that really matters. Paterson should now have a clearer idea of who his top players are, and how to get more out of the rest. A 1-1 draw’s not a bad way to round off the German tour, now onto the Cardiff friendly.

9 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

This one contains an interview with Florian Kohfeldt, Darmstadt's manager. He said it was the first proper match they'd had in terms of intensity and tackling, which is a good thing (except Hinchey's tackle early on, which he felt was OTT). And he said Notts are about the level of a third division team in Germany, so a good test.

I hope Martin Paterson isn’t just saying things to please the impatient or unrealistic fans, it might backfire and give them something to hold against him. I’m sure he wants us to compete, and of course winning is great, no one plays to lose. But you’ve got to stay grounded. I believe Notts gave it a proper go, but the quality at this level is a bit too strong right now.

Still, I’m confident that once our fitness picks up and we’re facing teams closer to our level, we’ll be alright. All this talk on the club’s socials about not having good players is really frustrating, it doesn’t reflect reality at all.

I didn’t get to watch the match on YouTube as I’d planned for reasons I won’t go into but I’m probably glad I didn’t now.

Of course the real test will begin at the start of the season when we take on teams at our level so I certainly do think there’s any need to worry at the moment.

I guessed all the words (23 out of 23) in today's Combinations puzzle.#480
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅

Can you guess this puzzle?
https://combinations.org/

I guessed all the words (23 out of 23) in today's Combinations puzzle.#481
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅

Can you guess this puzzle?
https://combinations.org/

I guessed all the words (23 out of 23) in today's Combinations puzzle.#482
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅
✅✅✅

Can you guess this puzzle?
https://combinations.org/

A solid Serie B team that had spells in the Italian top league and featured some excellent players. Gheorghe Hagi, for example.

I hope a Phoenix club is formed.

What if Andrew Lloyd Webber played a joke on David Baddiel, just because David believed a rumour that Andrew thought he was Ben Elton? It would be quite a clever way to poke fun at the mix-up.

It’s a funny story, though.

and Andrew Lloyd Webber's brother supports Orient, though not mentioned here

His car insurance will cost a lot more when he resumes driving by at least double the amount or even more depending on the individual circumstances.The message has to get out. Don't drink and drive!!!

It’s hard to believe someone could be smiling near a court, especially when facing a driving ban. Even if the photo was taken earlier, it comes across as careless and a bit smug. I’ve never liked Paul Ince, so I’m pleased he’s been made to answer for his actions. Speeding isn’t something that can be brushed off, it puts lives at risk.

There’s no excuse for it. If anything, the length of the ban should’ve been longer to properly reflect the seriousness.

Speeding is against the law no matter who you are, so he got what was coming to him. Fame shouldn’t mean special treatment.

As for his football career, it seems like his name has done more work than his skills. He’s known more for getting jobs because of who he is, not how well he manages. That’s never a good look.

It's rained all day here. That's the first time this spring and summer.

2 hours ago, theAnticlough said:

@Fan of Big Tone, glad you enjoyed it, great idea for a getaway.

I was in the Peak District myself yesterday - did Curbar & Froggatt Edges onto The Grouse Pub. Everything excellent, despite the bad weather

The weather was certainly a bit damp yesterday @The Anti-Clough to say the least. Glad you had a nice day out though, I’ve done many a walk in that area.

I always choose vanilla it’s my favourite flavoured ice cream. I prefer the ice cream scooped out of tubs rather than the Mr. Whippy style.

My childhood memories on the Clifton estate was eating Midland Counties ice cream

https://www.kzwp.com/lyons1/midland.htm

We had a small vanilla ice cream block in wafers which were sold separately

Certainly the quality of vanilla ice creams seems to have declined over the years. The real Cornish clotted cream flavour seems to have been lost along the way in the last 10/ 15 years

Vanilla ice cream can be a bit hit and miss. A lot of it ends up tasting like cold milk, which isn’t how proper vanilla should taste when the pods are used the right way. Good vanilla has a lovely smell, and when it’s used in baking, it can taste amazing. It lifts the flavour and makes things feel richer.

Strawberry’s my favourite when it comes to ice cream. I do enjoy vanilla too, but it’s probably my third or fourth pick overall.

Shame there's been no footage released from this besides a short match report it's hard to gauge how well we played. Clearly given we won there'll have been a lot more positives than negatives. And I'd be happy to see Jodi given a chance to play as one of the attacking midfielders, he's got the quality to do it.

I still don't get why it was behind closed doors though. I wonder if clubs actually lose money by putting on friendlies, given the cheaper tickets and lower attendance?

12 minutes ago, menzinho said:

I still don't get why it was behind closed doors though. I wonder if clubs actually lose money by putting on friendlies, given the cheaper tickets and lower attendance?

Perhaps they thought Notts weren’t a big enough draw? As you say it might cost them money to pay stewards, staff etc.

It was a good result against a side that showed their quality last season. They may not have gone all out, but as a friendly, it’s a positive sign for Notts. Still, we’ll need to see how things go once the season kicks off before getting carried away. There’s always that bit of unknown until the real tests begin. I’m glad Jodi and Jatta played. They’re both key to how well we do, and having them involved early is a big plus.

Although it is not universal, a lot of clubs always count the number of season tickets sold when they publish an attendance figure for a League match. This may mean that there is a discrepancy between the actual total & the stated total.

1 hour ago, Robbie said:

Although it is not universal, a lot of clubs always count the number of season tickets sold when they publish an attendance figure for a League match. This may mean that there is a discrepancy between the actual total & the stated total.

Yeah, it’s pretty clear we moved to that system under the bros. Bradford were an even more obvious case last season. I support it, it’s good for morale. If there’s no standard way of counting and declaring crowds in the EFL that’s a surprise. You’d have thought the FA would have guidelines to follow

The draw of the San Sirrel can be a bit misleading when it comes to how busy it looks. The Family Stand sometimes seems empty, but when more people sit there, it looks different, probably because fans space themselves out rather than sitting close together.

I’ve always liked traditional football grounds. You don’t see many of them now with all these new stadiums being built. A lot of the modern ones feel lifeless or have strange shapes, some even look like soup bowls. The charm of old-style grounds is getting lost.

hello. @Andy81. welcome to the pride of nottingham. 😊

Hello, @Andy81. Welcome to the community here and PON.

Hello, @Andy81. Welcome to Pride of Nottingham. I hope to see you contribute to the site.

Hello and welcome to PoN from me too @CryingShame

Come on in and feel the warmth, welcome @CryingShame to this wonderful collection of Pies fans.

Hello, it would be @CryingShame if you didn't introduce yourself. Welcome to PON. If you don't support Notts, you will still be treated respectfully.

Hello, @NCFC QLD. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Have fun and join in the conversations.

Welcome to PoN @NCFC QLD

Welcome @NCFC QLD enjoy your time on this rollercoaster of a site.

I'm in the same boat as @TheSkipper, but it's only right to pay respect to the dead. I am sure plenty of people are saddened by her loss, and enjoyed her music. May she Rest in Peace.

Rest in Peace, Connie Francis. 💮

Connie Francis was a huge star in the late fifties and early sixties.Rest in peace Connie Francis

Guessing MP is a bit speechless after that performance...the difference in class was enormous....itseemed like we were playing the Fword 1st 11 !!!!!!

i think its good when people can use humour to lighten the mood, its quite funny some of the things martin paterson said whilst micd up. i do really like how he comes across and i just hope he can prove to be the factor we need to compete at the top end. i think if he can get 10 to 15% more from players it would be a good start.

I don't think he would act the way he does if he wasn't just being himself. I like how he talks to the players and the way he goes about things.

If he gets angry, I don't know what he's like, so I can't really say. But if he's always calm and easy to talk to, and deals with stress well, he could be really good at motivating people. Then again, it didn’t do Sir Alex Ferguson any harm when he gave his players the hair dryer treatment.

I think Conor Grant is a very gifted player. Still, we need to start getting more out of him, and that might happen if he’s given a regular spot in the starting line-up, as long as his performances back it up. He’s got a sharp eye for passes, which is impressive for someone still learning the game. If Martin Paterson can help him reach his full potential, I believe more fans will start to see what he brings.

6 hours ago, YoopEyes said:

In the right, balanced, team I believe he would highly useful.

I think he’d do well when drifting into attacking spaces, especially with quicker players around him. He’s clearly tidy on the ball and shows good awareness, but he does tend to vanish in spells.

There are games where he looks one of the best players out there, and it’s often when he’s finding pockets of space and linking up well. He’s clever in setting others through, but his finishing could improve, confidence would make a big difference.

I think Conor Grant goes quiet when other players like David McGoldrick stand out. He seems to do better when he gets more of the ball and starts the game well.

If he’s having an average game or finding it hard, he can go a bit unnoticed on the pitch. But even then, he can still do something that changes the game. His role this season should be more important, and I hope it is because I like what he brings to the team when he’s playing well.

I know you can't judge too much from just one photo, but Lewis Macari does look like he’s keeping his head down. I really hope the outcome doesn’t spoil his career. It’s good to see that Notts have made a statement that suggests they’re standing by him. If Macari’s honest, maybe that will help him. Honesty should count for something, it’s better than trying to hide things or lie. Even if he’s only banned for a short while, he’ll still be a loss for us.

The photo speaks volumes to me. I’m sure it’s weighing on his mind. Young players can make daft choices. If he hasn’t repeated the mistake, I hope the FA takes that into account and doesn’t go overboard. A fine and a short ban would be fair, but it shouldn’t end his career or rule him out of the season ahead.

It’s a real shame and quite disappointing too. Everyone makes mistakes at some point, and I’m glad to see people showing kindness towards Lewis Macari. Betting can be a strong temptation, especially if someone thinks they won’t get caught. I’m not sure bans always help, depending on the situation. If it’s a habit and the bets don’t affect the game itself, I can understand and feel for the person. But if someone’s using inside knowledge or trying to fix a result, then punishment is absolutely right.

From what I can tell, Macari made a poor choice when he was younger, but seems to have stopped once his career began to move forward. I hope the FA takes a fair view and shows some understanding if the details support it.

I like Lewis Macari, but I think he needs to be honest and take whatever happens. He shouldn’t have gambled, even if he didn’t really know what he was doing at the time. It’s good he hasn’t done it since coming to our club, but he still took a big risk with his career. It won’t help us if he gets banned, even if it’s only for a short time.

I really hope he doesn’t have a gambling problem and was just being a bit silly.

Paterson can certainly talk sense and he gives the impression that he’s fully aware of where the problems are and what solutions are required.

If this translates to improved performances and good results - happy days. I’m prepared to give him, and the new players, time to develop a style & identity.

If we are not settled and showing promise by Oct then I suspect that discontent will surface. We need a good start for many reasons. We’ll see what happens.

I’m usually more optimistic at this stage but there are some genuine concerns with the set up, all the new faces on & off the pitch and the uncertainty following the loss of Abbott, McGoldrick & Bass.

Martin Paterson seems to be off to a promising start. He speaks clearly and his training sessions look decent. It’s still early days, and he’ll learn with each match, but I don’t believe we’re far off having a team that can hold its own against the top sides in League Two.

The bond and teamwork already built in the squad should help, with just the new lads needing to settle in. If the signings are the right ones, we should have better squad depth than we had last season. That said, we still need a solid keeper and someone who can push forward through the middle, just behind the strikers.

I don’t see Notts trying to replace Alassana Jatta up front. It looks like Matthew Dennis might be taking on the role of second striker. We don’t usually go for three up top, unless Dennis is being seen as a straight swap for Junior Morias.

I think Martin Paterson is just as cool as Luke Williams, but he’s different. He talks in a way that makes you listen and pay attention. Ian Burchnall used to make me feel sleepy when he spoke. Stuart Maynard was okay, but sometimes he said the same sort of stuff and it got a bit boring.

Paterson is doing a good job, and I hope the club spends some money now. It would help the team and make things better for him.

Archie Mair on his way to Plymouth it looks like @lambleypie

Sonny Aljofree on his way to Notts soon

@Ash, i think jak alnwick would be a good signing but the concern is he got injured with cardiff and has missed a lot of football due to that. david button has signed for ipswich since. i looked into @TheSkipper calls and sam tickle seems very good, but it looks like hes not played for a complete season?

if notts do want three keepers, tickle could be worth the gamble and could have more potential than aidan stone. still leaving room for an experienced option.

Sam Tickle won't come to Notts. He's outside of our price range and he's Wigan main keeper. He's more likely to go Championship than League 2

Martin Paterson seemed very open, which I liked. He didn’t make excuses and gave clear answers to every question. It’s still early days, but I think we should all support the club and hope he can lead the squad in the right way.

I liked listening to Luke Williams because the way he spoke was really interesting and made you think. Martin Paterson is different, he talks more straight to the point and sounds like someone who really knows football and wants to learn every day.

I thought his answers were good. It would be better if the people asking the questions sometimes pushed him a bit more, not in a mean way, just so we could understand better why he was upset with Lewis Macari, and what he thought about the other players too. It would help to know if he plans to work on those mistakes in training.

i thought it was promising what i saw, i stood near the far side as you enter the ground where there was a portion of notts fans trying to make noise. we did not play it back as much, we looked to play it forward and we did not show any fear with putting the ball into areas for our players to run into something we have been afraid of doing because of the strict policy of retaining the ball. yet you can make things happen by being less routine and not as predictable. it was after the alfreton match where paterson made me feel he could win fans over. there is a long way to go and i am sure we will have a few bumps but i think if we can keep the faith it will pay off in time.

I don’t overthink it too much, but I do like that the Reedtz brothers are happy to invest in transfers. You can’t build a proper team using only free agents, you need a few established players in the mix. I agree that spending money on a keeper shows serious intent. Some fans aren’t keen on all the loan signings, but I think that’s more about filling gaps. I expect we’ll still bring in another two or three. If there’s a fee involved, I trust it’ll be for players who add real strength to the squad.

If I had more free time, I’d look back at the previous owners to see how things have changed. It would be good to understand the progress we’ve made and show just how fortunate we are with life at Notts these days.

It’s a positive sign that we’re selling players now, rather than letting them leave for next to nothing. Some fans might still feel we’ve let players go too easily, like Macaulay Langstaff, but in my time supporting Notts, proper transfer fees have been few and far between.

With all the improvements and the effort going into match days, it’s clear that it’s not just the football bringing us together. There’s a sense of community that’s grown around the whole experience.

Ideally, I’d like to see some of the money from the Alex Bass deal used to bring in a solid goalkeeper, someone who’ll get better with time. I also think we could use a bit more threat going forward. Whether that’s a new striker or an attacking midfielder, there’s space for more quality to help push us even further.

i think it was last season when fans were concerned by the clubs losses and what debt they believe the reedtz would want. so, selling players in league two for roughly £3m does seem to be better for moving the club forward. i wonder how much the nest helps, as i think that will be a big money maker. provided we invest and keep moving forward i am happy. i think we are, and even if its slower than some might not like, i do think its important to do it the right way.

hopefully we leave some money open for january as it was mentioned in another discussion as being a time when better players are being snapped up for fees.

still i would like a keeper, attacking midfielder and a striker. two of them would be more important than the other, but if the am could play up top or the striker out wide then i would think it gives us plenty of options.

Hello, @YoopEyes. Welcome to the site! I have found PON to be brilliant, I hope you continue to join in and find it to be fun yourself.

Hello, @YoopEyes. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Keep adding your thoughts to topics and discussions.

Enjoy sharing your comments.

On 16/07/2025 at 12:50, YoopEyes said:

I’ve been supporting Notts for over 60 years, many of those as a season ticket holder, former Patrons Club member, Vice President and I now enjoy home games from the “prawn sandwich” section - in the Directors Suite.

It’s nice to see you back, @YoopEyes. I used to go for hospitality quite a lot, but after AH, I chose to return to sitting in the stands. I’m still in the Pavis, but I do miss the friendly staff you’d come to know over time.

Glad you’ve found your way back to PON. It’s a good place, and worth settling back into.

Hello, @TheBlackHorse. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I echo the sentiments about it being great to have you here amongst us. The community is always growing, and even if your time is limited please be assured that we value your input. I hope to see you online and engaging when possible.

Hi @TheBlackHorse and welcome from me too.

Hello, @TheBlackHorse. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Enjoy sharing your thoughts.

Hello, @Tommy B. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. I hope you enjoy being part of the community and discussing Notts, amongst other things with us all.

Welcome from me too @Tommy B i hope you enjoy being a member of our friendly community,

Hello, @Tommy B. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. Enjoy sharing your thoughts.