As always when it comes to naming our Member of the Month and of course the two Silver and Bronze MotM's, I would like to thank all those who have been apart of the community. Those who contribute, read, visit and share or content! Every 'Liddle' Helps and I appreciate all your hard work! Thank you.

This months been quite interesting, thankfully it ended on a positive note.

Here we go...

@hissingdwarf - You've really been in the wars like myself and others, yet this hasn't stopped you from contributing and being an influential part of this community. Keep up the great work buddy! It's really appreciated.
 

@Cobby - You've been a real hit since you joined us, I'm thankful that we have your type of creativity here and you're posts are always interesting. Jake & I enjoy your company on match days and the effort you put into 'Meet the Fans' is what we call 'dedication'.
 

@Canadian - Bronze, Silver AND NOW GOLD! Well Done mate! I told you that this is what was going happen. You canadian's just don't give up on medals do you? Not that a blame you! You're another member who puts 'Pride' into our name and for all your contributions thank you and well done!

Please take the time to spread the community spirit and congratulate all 3 members. YOU PIES!

  'Borrowed' from Youtube

>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJCRTjj6rBI

This Saturday's fixtures:

Ipswich Town v Nottingham Forest

Yeovil Town v Barnsley

Crewe Alexandra v Coventry City

Walsall v Shrewsbury Town

Fleetwood Town v Rochdale

York City v Burton Albion

Who would have thought?

9 in 9, We would have eaten your Hamstrings, Balls & Knees to get that amout last Friday.

I'm going for Hollis, as he's been a menace over the last 3 games.

Now Let's see what we can do to teams above 14th

COYP

[media]http://youtu.be/ov073-YuoDI

Thank you for everyone who participated, everyone seemed very upbeat today!

We had a high hit-rate with people agreeing to be interviewed. Could it have been the sympathy vote for @notts-joe with his crutch??

Happy mothers day to all the mums and Grandmas on here.

Tell us what you've been upto today...

I listened to an interview that Shaun Derry gave on Radio Nottingham this morning and I thought it was spot on.

I can't remember the exact words but he said that the players need to forget all that is going on around the club at the moment with the great escape talk and posters and everything, they need to focus on the game on Saturday and make sure they are at their best and get three points. He said we have had too many false dawns and he didn't want this to be another one.

Well said Shaun, the last thing we want is a big crowd on Saturday all expectant, the loud speakers playing the Great Escape theme tune and then the players not putting in a performance and we lose and end up back to square one. They need to forget all the hype and concentrate on playing the game the same as they have the last two games.

Please vote for March's Member of the Month!

This month nominations have been selected by @GrannyPie, keep in her good books by voting folks. You have 5 days to do so!

One Vote - Please choose who you feel is the most deserving, if you're in the running please vote for someone else and hopefully this will be fun for all involved! Voting ends on the 29th at 7:30pm, not long after the winner will be announced. It's been a struggling month for us, we've been injury hit and with Notts not doing so well - I would suspect quite a few fans are down.
 

Thank you to everyone for your contributions!
 

Please do vote as normal, let's see if we can beat 25 votes!! You Pies!

Just Reading up on the Lifeline thread, i thought it would be a good idea to form a Pub Quiz.

You don't have to sign up or Owt, just for a Bit of Fun. "I WILL NOT BE PARTICIPATING"

I will be giving 1 point for the correct answer and forming tables based on points.

THis is going to be a Very General Knowlage quiz. (Read the Questions Carefully);

Question # 1 :

Which Country are the Nazca Lines in?

Sadly I have to inform you all that Enoch won't be returning to the lane this season. He has signed for Plymouth for the rest of the season, after his Torquay loan period finished. (All pending FA approval)

Oh well.

here was me thinking he could give Ronan or Jimmy a run for their money.

    (please note sarcasm in typed voice!)

My Facebook app on my phones alerted me to this birthday, happy birthday Giorgio! ( @Italian Magpies )

I hope you have a great day mate with all your family and friends (including like me Online one's)

Best wishes!

Just a daft Idea that has come to me, what about a meet up with as many of us as possible. depending on peoples location of course. Could be in town and go for a drink. Or somewhere else. Also the day could be a problem with work/family commitments. And of course any Notts attire for identification would be norm.

is it a good idea, and would you be up for it.

Seeing Giorgios birthday wishes post reminded me that I haven't wished my grand daughter(nottsjoe and cheeky's eldest daughter) a happy birthday.So belated happy 6th birthday Ellie.Why not post a picture of her cake @notts-joe.

I also noticed from the site calendar that we all missed the birthdays of @JC99 and @BradtheMiller who both post regularly  and also@miffy and @Vicarofdibley,

Hope you all enjoyed your day.

High all, my names Ian , Notts (Carlton) born and bred. I now live in Winsford Cheshire via 4 years running my own bar in Ibiza in the 90s, that was where I met my now wife (holiday romance went wrong, it carried on after she came home!!) We have 2 lovely kids, Charlotte aged 10 and Adam 7, and I'm glad to say my lad is a Notts fan !
  I went to Frank Wheldon Comp in Carlton leaving in 77.

My first Notts County match was against Brentford in around 1970. 0-0 draw, but that didn't put me off. My next match was a boxing day game against Cambridge Utd which we won 4-1 (IMMSC)
Anyway 'onwards and upwards' as they say

Ian

Makes me ******* sick, it's cheating Period. 

Glad Gerrard Missed it. 

I was/ then wasn't going but I managed to find a team I could join. Did anyone else here attend?

I forgot to write a status on FB, however I noticed a gentlemen sat in his car parked outside Meadow Lane as I went to the quiz. As I glanced past, he was our site on his phone! I felt really proud, it's the first time I've ever noticed someone random browsing. I have been randomly approached before, yet this was different and I don't know, it felt great!

Anyway, my team were sucker punched into the humiliation of being named the team to finish bottom, however the players table mainly consisting of players such as Tempest, Nangle and co actually finished bottom! Yet the whole night was ace!

We won the wooden spoon!



Next year I will be putting a team together and despite @super_ram's recent performance, I'd like him to join me. Most northern - London, Derby or Lincoln... Derby hey? No wonder I finished last. hehe

Welcome to our site uPies. Why not tell us all a bit about yourself. You'll find us a really friendly bunch and you'll soon get to know us.

Although I applaud Shaun's honesty in his after match interviews and he his saying what us fans want to hear, I am a little worried about the affect on the players when he goes on the radio and in the media and slags them off, it's hardly going to help hearing your boss say you aren't good enough and you are making school boy errors etc.

I wonder if these things ought to be kept in house, he talks like a fan he tells it how it is but he is a manager and I wonder if he should consider his man management skills.

When I worked we used to have appraisals of our performance and a good manager would accentuate the positives of my performance and I would come out of the meeting feeling 10 feet talk and feel really valued and good about myself, constant criticism has the opposite affect in my opinion.

I'd like to hear the thoughts of others, Shaun is new to management, do you think he could handle things better?

Joss Labadie has been banned for 10 matches. Looks like Derry did a good thing when he got rid of him.

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew will not be appealing seven-match ban from FA

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew has confirmed he will not be appealing the seven-match ban handed down to him by the FA, and has sought additional help.

Pardew was seen to headbutt Hull midfielder David Meyler as his side beat them 4-1 on 1st March.

He was immediately sent to the stands and handed a £100,000 fine from Newcastle chairman Mike Ashley.

After the FA charged Pardew with improper conduct two days later, he requested a personal hearing and was handed a three-match stadium ban and a further four-match touchline ban.

Speaking on Thursday for the first time since receiving his seven-match ban from the FA, he said: "It was an independent panel and it was a decision that I was going to accept. I had no intention to appeal the decision, whatever it was.

"I should never have walked forward and got involved in that situation when [Meyler] pushed me."

The punishment sees Pardew, 52, become the first Premier League manager to be handed a full stadium ban.

He was also obliged to pay a further £60,000 in fines to the FA, in addition to the ban, which he also accepted.

"Men make mistakes - my mistake was in front of millions of people, and you have to pay a price," he said.

"It was a hefty price to pay. Mike acted swiftly, and I accepted that and we go forward."

Pardew revealed he has since spoken to both the Newcastle board and the League Managers' Association over his behavioural issues.

"I've had something like 678 games and only had one touchline ban before this one, but that doesn't mean to say what I did has any justification.

"I've spoken to the LMA about maybe some management consultant issues that I could look at that might help.

"What I must do coming out of this situation is become a better manager."

Pardew has repeatedly offered his apologies to Hull boss Steve Bruce, who has been nominated for Manager of the Month for February, to Meyler and all others affected by the incident, and continues to do so following the decision.

"I just want to reiterate my apologies, to David and Steve (Bruce) in particular, to fans up and down country, but particularly my own at Newcastle who have been terrific," he said.

"Also the club and Mike (Ashley, Newcastle owner) for supporting me over a situation I should never have got involved in and was stupid.

"I sent a letter to Steve to say there was no animosity on my side towards David, and to say sorry basically for the incident that happened. I deeply regret it."

Pardew has a history of altercations on the sidelines; whilst at West Ham United he clashed with Arsenal manager Arséne Wenger twice in 2006, including an incident in which Wenger claimed he was 'provoked' into shoving Pardew.

On the opening day of the 2012 season, Pardew pushed an official as Newcastle took on Spurs when he disagreed with a decision.

Could he really appeal anyway? What do you all make of the incident? Is the punishment enough?

I've always followed Notts, but I'd never been to a game till this season, when I bought a half season ticket. (My family is traditionally Forest.)

And... it's all a bit of a mess, isn't it. But it's not quite that simple.

First and foremost, Derry and Abbot, for me, have to stay. Notts practically wrote the book on the unfortunate culture of modern day football whereby the manager is replaced after an absurdly short period of time. Sure, he's (Derry) finding his feet as a manager, and there's been one or two curious selection/substitution choices. But for once we have someone who has not only professional but also personal investment in the club, given his background as a player and, before that, supporter.

He needs time to build his own team, and this brings me to the second observation: we don't really have a team. We have a loose band of loan players and a handful of our own players. Notts is very much an organisation treading water; it's just trying to get to the next season, but without a team with its own identity.

Loan players brings two obvious risks: young stars that know they'll return to their parent club and who, therefore, no matter what their professionalism, lack the sort of responsibility that a predicament like ours requires. McGregor and Greillish, for all their talent (the latter particularly), do not look overly concerned at how matches are unfolding, but perhaps they just have a laid-back manner. The other risk is it's someone trying to rescue their career. Tyson is a great addition, and has pace in spades, but I'd struggle to believe he relished the thought of coming to Notts, given his background. That said, I thought he played well and with passion last night. Roberts, too, has pace in spades for a man of his age.

How about on the pitch? Well, last night was awful, and yet I find myself recalling some positive displays. Shocking defensive lapses, for sure, but interspersed with some quality, healthy challenges that broke up a fair few MK attacks. Going forward, they seem to have the same problem the Panthers used to: passing it about a lot and waiting - hoping - for the perfect opening. Geez, guys, just shoot it once in a while.

The loan player situation means the team next season will look totally different from this one. You can't build team identity with such a situation. Look at Leicester; running away with the championship with a team most of whom have been playing together for three seasons now. But then they have money, of course. Of our players, I would count only three as being high quality: Liddle, Campbell-Ryce and Bialkowski. CR is surely destined for better levels (if Neil Bishop can make it to Blackpool...)

Then there's the fans. We do tend to be a quiet bunch, don't we, except for a few in the Spion Kop. I sit in the family stand surrounded by rather sullen-faced gents, who almost appear to come for the disappointment. Others nearby, more vocal, are of the "everything the ref does, even though he's 100 times closer to the incidents, is wrong" ilk, and again just seem to come for the opportunity to shout. Perhaps we need more singing, more drums etc.

So there you have it. I'm no expert, and I could well be proven wrong on some or all of the above points by fans more knowledgable than I.

Whether we go down or not, I just hope Derry and Abbot stick around and get some funds to build their own team next season, one we can watch grow and gel into a decent outfit that actually has a sense of identity, pride and responsibility.

Keep the faith!

Sven, me and Notts County’s con artists

Call from ex-England manager promised the world but all I saw was a broken window

HE WAS 34 years old, without a club and worrying that his playing days were over. His mobile phone rang. He didn’t immediately recognise the voice at the other end.
“Hello?†The caller was his former England manager Sven-Göran Eriksson, who had become director of football at lowly Notts County. There were reports a “shedload†of money would be poured into “The Project†at the fourth-tier club.
Eriksson told Campbell he was needed. The patter was perfectly pitched. “Sol, I want you to join us. There is money to help build the oldest club in the Football League to be the best. You would lead the line in helping to achieve our dreams. This is a fantastic opportunity.†Words to that effect.

Campbell liked and trusted Eriksson, having enjoyed playing under the Swede for England. Yes, this could be good, he thought. “I’ll call you in a week,†Eriksson said, “and see how you feel.†He called again, repeating what he had said; nothing too pushy, just carefully chosen words. Before Campbell could even ask a question Eriksson ended the call, saying he would call the following week.

He does, again on the same day, the same hour. This time Campbell is told the two men behind the club who sorted Eriksson’s deal will drive to London for a meeting. “They are very good and will be very helpful in explaining what is planned,†Eriksson says. “It will be our greatest achievement and we will do it together, Sol.†His pitch is near-perfect.

CAMPBELL arranges to meet the two men from Notts County at his local Italian, La Delizia, in Chelsea. First Nathan Willett and then Russell King shook his hand. King had a walking stick and something of a squint; the type that makes you wonder which of the two eyes is the one looking at you. He leads the conversation and quickly shows he can multitask; ordering some drink while telling Campbell their dream of making the oldest club in the league the new powerhouse of football. How they bought the club from the supporters’ trust and intended to invest a fortune.
Willett and King talked of seeing Campbell not just as a player; they saw him as someone who could one day run Notts County, be the manager, do whatever he liked. “Play for two years and in this time we can apply for your coaching badges. Then it will be for you to build the team. Don’t forget, we have the money. Not just millions but billions!â€

Within 10 days Campbell had driven to Nottingham to meet Eriksson face to face. When he walked into the stadium he was struck by the quality of the pitch and stands. The dressing rooms, though, needed work, and a lot of it. No matter, with all the money it would be done, probably within weeks of signing.

He stayed at Hart’s Hotel in the city. Eriksson, Willett and King, with for the first time Peter Trembling, the club’s chairman, were waiting for him next door in the restaurant.

They all spoke the same language of optimism: Trembling, the quietest of the quartet; Eriksson popping up with the occasional thought, mainly about football and the players the club were interested in, such as Benjani and Roberto Carlos, who had been mentioned earlier that day in all the papers.

“Promotion and the Premiership!†one of them toasted optimistically and they clinked glasses.

Campbell noticed Eriksson was a believer and part of the team. He raised his glass the highest.
The centre-half was going to sign. He had been seduced. The financial deal was agreed; a very good deal, a five-year contract. A bigger payday than Arsenal, more money than he had ever been paid before. Sign here! Mr Campbell, the future is bright. He signed.

“SO I got there and thought, OK, right. Where’s the money? It didn’t seem anything was going on. All was quiet, nothing moving forward.†Within days, while still excited, he started to feel uneasy. The big-name signings were not spoken of again. His suggestions had been ignored.

On his first visit to the ground Campbell had noticed a broken window. A small matter, you would think, but something that could become more irritating the longer it went unrepaired. When he first saw it he looked round from left to right, from right to left, as if he were the guilty party. It was on the stairway, so it was difficult to miss. At the end of his first week it was still cracked. The rain was coming down on this particular day and he could see the splashes falling through the crack on to the stairwell.

Strange, Campbell thought. They’ll spend money on a hospitality room to entertain their guests but they won’t fix a broken window . . .

This feeling of unease was not helped by a visit to London, where he ran into two friends who advised him to be careful. “I’ve looked into them, they aren’t honest,†one said. Campbell was slowly waking up from his dream. “It was dawning on me that I was being a mug,†he says.

His first game for Notts County is at Morecambe in September 2009. They lose 2-1. As Sol is having a shower after the game he goes into full panic mode. What am I doing here? I still haven’t been paid and I’m not sure I ever will be.

He was convinced he had been conned. He called Eriksson early that evening. “What’s going on? Nothing is happening!â€

The director of football was still toeing the company line. “Give it time. Everything will be OK. I’m making headway with a few players . . .â€

Campbell decided to give the owners one more opportunity to prove their intentions. At the training ground a few days later he went straight to King and Willett’s office.

It was small and messy. Half-opened files and books were piled in no particular order. Each man was on the phone, leaning back in his chair. One was moaning with more spirit than usual while the other voice was cursing. They finished their calls simultaneously.

Campbell wanted to hear from King and Willett that everything was about to change and that new players were joining at the end of the week. But, after a mere five minutes, he realised the truth: there was nothing. He warned them before he signed that if money wasn’t forthcoming he wanted to be allowed to walk.

“Tell me . . .†he pleaded, “tell me everything is going to be all right.†Again, there was nothing. The time of having that reverential look on their faces was in the past. “I always remember their empty eyes,†Campbell says. The relationship was over. They all knew. What was the point of prolonging the pain? They hadn’t fulfilled their promises and Campbell now knew they couldn’t.

Strange, once you recognise a con, everything seems so obvious. The hesitation in the voice, the softer tone, the way they want to make you feel special, the way they communicated. The ever-so-slight touch of the elbow in greeting, giving you that sense of reassurance. The wide-awake smiles and further hand movements, aimed at befriending you.

He left the office without a farewell handshake. What was the point? He was still in his tracksuit. His immediate thought was: “Shall I have a shower or shall I go straight back to the hotel and do it there?†He chose the hotel.

He needed to be out of Notts County, out of Nottingham.

When he walks down the stairwell he feels a breath of wind touch his face.
He stops and looks up. He sees flecks of light squeezing through a dull autumn sky. It’s the cracked window. It had still not been fixed. As he leaves the ground he passes what appears to be an odd-job man. “Fix the f****** window, will you?†The man looks startled.

“It’s on the landing of the first stairway.â€

Eriksson never picked up the phone or wrote to apologise to Campbell, to say that he just may have made a mistake.
 

http://www.breakingnews.ie/sport/soccer/notts-county-fans-sing-hilarious-songs-as-they-get-thrashed-624692.html

Have to laugh....

i couldn't make the game today but I've heard good things about his debut. Hopefully he will score and that will upset the red half of the trent.