Well we have finally come to the shortest day and the winter solstice. It also happens to be the first day of winter, but Autumn was bad enough wasn't it 

Had an early start this morning going to the superstore to get  some last minute goodies that the wife needed to get us over Xmas.

It's certainly a different atmosphere compared to last week post match. It's a nice feeling that Notts played so well this afternoon. 

I'm so pleased for Stuart Maynard who has taken a lot of stick on social media this week. Him and the team had the perfect response today.

MK Dons got hammered today & we meet them on boxing day. 

Morning all I trust we are all full of joy after the nice early Christmas present from Notts yesterday.

I was glad to wake up in the middle of a pretty nasty dream this morning, I hate dreams like that I’m so glad it wasn’t real.

Our trip to the observatory yesterday was a bit different, we were shown to a small cinema with seats that lie back and the screen covers the whole ceiling, the film was very weird with coloured lights and shapes wizzing round the screen set to a modern take of Gustav Holst’s Planet Suite. The second part was a wander through space and a talk about the planets and stars. This trip has apparently been recommended to grandson Fred by his teacher. We all thought it was a very different experience but good, it certainly got the kids talking.

Its going to be cold today so wrap up if you are going out to do last minute shopping.

Good morning Notts fans. What a difference a football match can make with such a positive result and the way it was done.

Weather outside doesn't match the mood. It's been raining all night. Flood alert for Mansfield in force too.

But it's nice & warm & cosey inside, so the plan is to take it easy & watch a few Xmas films with the wife today.

David talked about the dissapointing result against Salford, & his determination to put things right on Saturday.

David  agreed that the match against Bradford on Saturday is very important.

According to David, the players are fully behind Stuart Maynard & that all the players are determined to put things right, & get a much needed win for the Club, going into this vital Xmas period.

And he did put it right against Bradford & so did the team, ablely managed by Stuart Maynard.

It's always a good sign when the players are behind a manager, or head coach in our case now! I think the culture we have at Notts means this should be a thing of the past for us, every player knows what they are signing up for in terms of playing style when they sign for us.

We've seen it countless times before when players just give up and are no longer inspired or believe in the managers' tactics.

It sounds very "woke" to me, probably some generation z thought he could rebrand it.

I wished people would stop messing with football, and making changes which solely further ruin the game.

11 hours ago, Chris said:

It sounds very "woke" to me, probably some generation z thought he could rebrand it.

I wished people would stop messing with football, and making changes which solely further ruin the game.

Hear Hear.

I don't feel very woke today, probably because I got five hours' sleep last night.

This seems more a hopeful, hubristic punt by Real Madrid than anything serious. They've already downgraded their ambitions to replacing the Champions League. And they're clearly running out of names too - whatever next? The Utter Division? The Mega League? The Europa Blue Square Conference (actually we almost have that one already)?

The idea that they'll bring in more money through free streaming than with the huge Champions League contracts already in place also seems overly optimistic to me. Not that I've got much love for the CL as it is now.

As new EU legislation makes it difficult for UEFA to stop this in its tracks, they'll likely just call the clubs' bluff instead. I doubt many will want to sacrifice the Champions League riches for the sake of a vanity project.

On 17/12/2024 at 19:29, Robbie said:

There could also be a new competition. The British Cup, where the top four clubs of the English, Scottish, Welsh, & N Irish top leagues play each other in a knock out home & away to find a British Champion.

Slightly OT, but surely the English champion would win every time? But I've always liked the idea of merging the English and Scottish League Cups. Could add some interest to a tired competition. Away day in Edinburgh anyone?

Thank you  @Robbie,and a merry Christmas to you, your family and all my other friends here on Pride of Nottingham.

Merry Christmas from Norway ☃️

It gets earlier every year! But happy Christmas to you all in advance

Every language goes through a linguistic evolution over time. I would have thought the German language is no different.

Lots of languages have influences from other languages. 

The full stop, and semi colon are familiar to the majority of written languages, why not the apostrophe?

If you listen to the Indian languages such as Urdu, there are lots of English words incorporated into that language.

English, has become the World language of choice, so there is no surprise that English influences will spread into different European languages, such as German.

I also think social media will push linguistic evolution around the World at an ever increasing rate. You even hear the occasional English word in Chinese, Japanese & Korean when they speak.

Yeah, we discussed this at work a while back. It doesn't really make a lot of sense as it can be used in the context of shop and business names but not in ordinary speech - so Rosi's Bar is now correct, but Rosi's Familie is still wrong although the apostrophe denotes ownership in both cases. Make it make sense.

Another problem is how it is used. Many Germans who love to drop in Anglicisms often do so incorrectly. Most also have no idea where the apostrophe key is on keyboards - on German keyboards it's on the hashtag key, but the key to the left of the backspace has something that looks very much like an apostrophe. However, it's actually used for French accents. So many people here would write Rosi´s Bar instead of Rosi's Bar (trust me, it looks pig ugly when you're not writing on a forum).

All languages evolve @Robbie, but many of the "evolutions" in Germany are decided by a committee in a pretty arbitrary and wrong-headed way. One example is gender-neutral nouns, which are normally used in the plural. The problem is that the female form is slightly different - the male form of "the student" is "der Student", while for women it is "die Studentin". The plural - "die Studenten" - is therefore assumed to be male because of the lack of an "in" suffix. So over the past few years we have had various attempts at constructing plural forms that are gender-neutral, each stranger than the last - StudentInnen (yes that's a capital I), Student*innen and the current flavour of the month, Studierenden ("those who study"). They could just abolish the female form like we did in English (does anyone still say manageress or directress?) and use the same word for everyone, but that would be far too simple...

21 minutes ago, Robbie said:

@Chris

Luke Williams had League experience & although he got us promoted from the National League, he did leave Notts in a mess when he went to Swansea, & Luke didn't have a load of injuries to contend with like Stuart has had.

That's true, but our defence was weaker.

Alex Bass, Matty Platt and Jacob Bedau are all massive signings which are starting to suffer from our current tactics. This season, we have improved the squad overall, but failed to make sure the depth is there in the scenario of injuries. That let Stuart Maynard down, but it just shows how complex football is.

4 minutes ago, Chris said:

That's true, but our defence was weaker.

Alex Bass, Matty Platt and Jacob Bedau are all massive signings which are starting to suffer from our current tactics. This season, we have improved the squad overall, but failed to make sure the depth is there in the scenario of injuries. That let Stuart Maynard down, but it just shows how complex football is.

And Stuart was behind getting those better players in and removing players that weren't good enough .

Whereas Luke kept those players that proved to be not good enough for league 2.

The next half a dozen matches will be important for Stuart I think. If he comes through it with a reasonable record & think the owners will stick with him.

Agree. The Brothers will support SM unless the next 6 games are a disaster. They know chopping and changing does not work and I believe the stats support this too. Changing manager mid season only works less than half the time.

A manager needs at least 3, preferably 4 windows to make it his team. This allows contracts to run out and free up funds as well as time for tactics to evolve and improve with experience.  Sadly, most owners and so many supporters fail to see this. Fortunately The Brothers are not so short sighted. We  need to remember how fortunate we are to have them as owners.

????

On a serious note, another English Club taken over by an American Billionaire is another nail in the coffin for the English game.

There needs to be a cap on spending to stop certain clubs buying success. 

I need to try these later I’ll blame you @Piethagoram if I end up in traction. 

I think I'll just keep to the walking, but I'm sure younger people will find those 11 suggestions useful.

Perhaps a more apt description are "armchair fans". Economics can play a part, as "fair weather" fans may only attend a number of games a season  and maybe have family commitments too.

Northern Ireland fans tend to be either Liverpool or Man U. These are armchair fans, geographically distanced.

The strength of the Premier League, one can get school kids following the big clubs as they want to be associated with success, when perhaps their local teams miss out ( maybe the parents too are not interested in football).

I don't like creating segregation between supporters.

But the fickle fair-weather fans who don't really support the club, just the moaning and attention it gives does drive me crazy. Every club has an element of this, but I am more inclined to give my full support despite how I feel, yet I am more than happy to share and discuss my feelings. I don't think wanting a manager/head coach out, makes anyone a fair-weather fan by default. There are many other aspects which go into it.

I am aware of fans who stopped watching Notts regularly during the years we were in the National League, who refused to attend away games, and rarely went home games but made it to the playoff final. They have seldomly started reappearing at away games, and are at most home games now. That is fair-weather by my definition, but it's their choice. I just don't like how they act like 'super fans' upon their return.

I think that introducing playoffs had a big influence in the game. Many more Clubs now have a chance of success in making the playoffs.

Take this season in League two. Sixteen teams have a realistic chance of either  getting an automatic promotion place or making the playoffs.

That fact on its own gives the fans of those clubs a much higher expectation that their club could get success, & with it possible promotion.

Even those committed fans who go to all of the home & away matches may demonstrate their frustration & be critical of the Manager/Players much more than in the past, when expectations weren't so high.

And of course another factor is social media where fans can vent their frustrations online too, which wasn't available for them in the past.

People are just less tolerant & more inclined  to criticise others nowadays than the people of the past. That phenomenon is not just reserved for football, it can be about anything.

My favourite sandwich as a child was cheese and jam, usually cheddar cheese & home made strawberry jam. 

If cheese is naturally 'wet' forget it, if there's mould or holes - just give it to the cheese connoisseur, who believes every imperfection is a sign of true fromage artistry.

Provide me with cheddar by the bucketful or Edam in delightful rolls.

If it comes from 'France' send it back, as if you don't know how to eat 'Brie', well there's no point - it won't become your bestie.

@Chris Always drive Caerphilly....

Gary won a Championship trophy for Dundee then almost immediately found himself dismissed by the owners. It's a potty football world sometimes.

Please to see him appointed Head Coach at Burton. I wish him good luck. Hope he is supported by the owners with some cash in the January window.

The inside story of Gary Bowyer's Dundee exit as tensions laid bare before the hand-delivered note which sealed his fate | The Scottish Sun

WWW.THESCOTTISHSUN.CO.UK

---

THE email crowning Gary Bowyer as the Championship Manager of the Year...

I don't like Gary Bowyer. I find him to be one of those managers who appear to have something stuck, in an area I won't mention. However, it does seem to be a good appointment on paper for Burton.

He's the type of manager who gives youngsters a try; his experience in management is mostly positive. He should be able to help sort out the dressing room, and get them back to focusing on results on the pitch. It's just his personality, and the tendency of short term tenures that makes me feel unsure. A few years back, when he was linked with us and constantly being 'framed' as the next manager by a former Nottingham Post writer, I really felt like it would have ruined my love for Notts if it had been true.

I wonder if Burton fans will be able to overlook how Bowyer can act?

This is the first time I have heard of Jonathan Klinsmann. It's possible that I am forgetting, but I am really surprised to learn that Jürgen Klinsmann has a 27-year-old son playing for Cesena.

His career doesn't really stand out for much; his father's was impressive. Jonathan's looks like he's had limited opportunities.

Either, he's not a very good goalkeeper and has a career in football based on his father/families name, or he's been unlucky. I don't think he can follow Jürgen's footsteps: it looks like he's living in his shadows.

@Piethagoram that is a really long read but I found every word fascinating, I remember going in a Sam Smiths pub in Harrogate it was one of the best pints I’ve ever had. It’s fascinating to read how Humphrey runs his empire.

When I lived in Hull, Sam Smith's was the go to beer!

It comes across like a medieval fiefdom! Perhaps, he should care for his landlords more! All the closed pubs, surely the land value has increased somewhat! From a business perspective, perhaps the land is worth more than running the pubs as a stand alone business?

It is good to preserve a specific pub culture that avoids modern distractions. This creates a more authentic drinking experience. Traditional pubs have a unique charm. They offer a cosy atmosphere where people can enjoy a quiet drink and good conversation.

Avoiding distractions like loud music or multiple screens allows for a more relaxed and genuine experience. It preserves the pub's authentic charm.

2 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

@Piethagoram that is a really long read but I found every word fascinating, I remember going in a Sam Smiths pub in Harrogate it was one of the best pints I’ve ever had. It’s fascinating to read how Humphrey runs his empire.

It was like listening to one of @super_ram's tales. ????

I am not really a pub person, so it doesn't really jump out of my head or make me feel encouraged to continue reading. I admit I don't know much about the subject, but I appreciate how it shows that pubs have unique charms and quirky styles rather than all looking the same. I also love the pub sign; the artwork is awesome! That does make me want to visit The New Inn.

If he gets the job it’ll be interesting to see how he gets on.

Did anyone else find it odd how Notts was mentioned as if we were a footnote in his career? Despite managing Notts for the 2017-18 season and being sacked shortly into the 2018-19 season, the article barely acknowledged his time with us.

His time at Leyton Orient is similar to what he achieved in his first year with us, perhaps a bit unfair that he got sacked and replaced for finishing just outside the playoffs.

Yet his experience seems to be solely within League Two, and to be honest, his appointment to me would say that Bristol Rovers are preparing for relegation rather than hoping to stay up. Kevin Nolan leads a party-type dressing room, reminiscent of the drinking culture of the 90s within the English game. I think that's the wrong type of attitude to bring in when you need to act as professional on the pitch, and focus on getting positive results.

It's one thing to let your hair down, but there's another establishing a rowdy carefree drink fuelled by boozing when you are on the verge of relegation.

Whilst I have never seen, and I am not sure the rumours of Nolan being a p**s head here at Notts. I am aware that he was around a drinking culture, and often went out with his "favourites" who did tend to drink too much (the players).

I don't think it would be a sensible appointment, mostly because I can see all this repeating.

I think he has the ability to get the best out of a team, but only when things are set up right or appear to be the case. The moment things start to go wrong, he becomes more red in the face than someone stuck upside down on a roller-coast loop, he starts panicking, making poorer decisions and visible signs of stress (such as sweating all the time). This will be on the off for him, if appointed at Bristol Rovers. He is a good coach, but I'm unsure if he can be a successful manager for an extended time. He's hardly Joey Barton, but I suppose they see a similar character in Nolan. Surely, they could have given Matt Taylor longer?

Anglo Italian Cup should have a factor of x120 

Nice to see a shock like this. Barcelona's 2nd defeat on the trot at home. The Barca manager will be under pressure.

Click the link to watch the highlights.

A click and bait story by the BBC pushing their global warming agenda by making it initially appear as a story about Polar Bears. I was even sucked into it.

Good advice but would pensioners, the vunerable and less well off know how to set up their central heating correctly?

And if they don't, would they be able to afford an engineer to set up their system properly and show them what to do?

Hmm, interesting article but to be honest I’ve given up worrying about energy bills I just want to be comfortably warm so if I’m cold I turn the heating up, simple. I know I’m lucky enough to be able to afford it, I feel sorry for those that struggle to pay their bills and have to be cold.

6 hours ago, Robbie said:

Good advice but would pensioners, the vunerable and less well off know how to set up their central heating correctly?

Well I’m a pensioner and I would know how to set it up if necessary, I don’t think we should bracket all pensioners as being technophobes or dim and need help.

I do however agree that some will need help and hopefully they have younger relatives or friends who can help.

We have three gas wall heaters. We have them serviced every year to ensure they are fully efficient.

When we had a gas boiler at previous properties we had them serviced yearly too, and the engineer would check out the radiators and bleed them if necessary to remove air.

It is important that the heating system is as efficient as possible. But because of the cost of living, some may skip on the servicing to save money, 

With Harris's contract up next summer, I wonder if the club told him they wouldn't be renewing it, and he offered to go earlier?

Having Macca back on loan would be great, but I doubt it will happen. The new manager might be keen to work with him, and if he does go out on loan, I think it's more likely to be in League One.

11 minutes ago, DangerousSausage said:

and if he does go out on loan, I think it's more likely to be in League One.

Knowing our luck he’ll go to Mansfield. 

35 minutes ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Knowing our luck he’ll go to Mansfield. 

Or Wrexham!

Why the ahah....it's not funny 

13 minutes ago, gtownjohnno said:

Perhaps their Manager!!!!!!

I see Burchnall is available!!!Whatever happens nobody please suggest him to replace the BT engineer!!!!

I thought Haji Mnoga played well and he was on trial with us for a period during pre-season. And Tyrese Fornah, on loan from Derby, in midfield was very good for them too.

Eighteen goals in 52 appearances for two different clubs since he left Notts is a reasonable haul.

Looks like Eli Sam is enjoying his football post Notts. Good for him.

It's a decent haul, but is it even a professional club? They're currently sitting second bottom of the Cypriot first division. It's a shame really, with the right breaks he could have played on a bigger stage.

Yeah I thought he was a talented player, he had the physicality to compete in the lower level English leagues but he was a lot more skilful than the average player. I think he was just not very confident when he first arrived and when he did depart it sounded like he never really settled here which was a shame.

That scorpion kick goal is arguably one of the the best Notts' goals, he was robbed by not evening getting nominated for the puskas awards! ????⚽

Still disillusioned as to why Abbott hasn't made the list. 

Just a polite reminder.

Poll closes at 9 pm Tuesday guys.

The poll has now closed.

Thanks to all of you that voted.

I am absolutely delighted that by a narrow margin, on his return to the Notts team, Dan Crowley has been voted as the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Salford.

Well Done to Dan and welcome back to the Notts team.