Notts have been showing improvement during the last half a dozen matches or so & that was great to see, but stats don't include attitude & the attitude of the team wasn't right tonight & that gives me concern.

That performance tonight was one of the worse, if not the worse we've seen since Notts were relegated to the National League.

Martin in his post match presser gave no excuses, but the team simply didn't play for him tonight in my opinion. There were players tonight that demonstrated that they are simply not good enough in skill & attitude.

The January window needs to be busy with a new goalkeeper, a central midfielder, an attacking midfielder & a striker. All four being of good quality & of strong character.

1 hour ago, Piethagoram said:

@Fan of Big Tone Shouldn't it be Cruise along with Fan of Big Tone expert🙃

Good thinking @Piethagoram 😂

Good afternoon, I had a shock when I stood on the scales this morning I’ve gained 9lbs. Eeek! Better get working out.

@Fan of Big Tone Proof of a good holiday :)

Sad news today about Colin Addison. Who can ever forget his non league Hereford side beating Newcastle United 2:1 in front of the TV cameras at Edgar Street with John Motson the commentator. Arguably the most famous giant killing act in football history.

His death is particularly sad for Notts fans like myself as he had a seven month spell as Assistant Manager at Notts from Dec 1975 to June 1976 & he managed Derby County between July 1979 & Jan 1982.

I'm sad to read this news.RIP Colin.

Yes, very sorry to hear this sad news.

Addison was a very calm, courteous and genuine bloke. Decent player and very competent manager. His exploits with Hereford were magnificent and he did a fair job with us tbh.

RIP Addo, you were a gentleman and a great professional.

I'm with @McPie I feel a great amount of satisfaction when a team comes to Meadow Lane, sits back has very little attacking intention and goes away with nothing. Cambridge can set-up however they like, they are entirely within their right to do it but it never makes for a great match.

It’s always hard when you come against a side that sits really deep, we had little space to play through the middle or even wide. And when we tried to pick up the pace with our passing it tended to go astray. Still, we were very comfortable without really creating much but the longer it stayed 0-0 the more you’d have thought it would’ve turned in Cambridge's favour. But we kept at it, the subs came on and freshened/livened us up a bit and Jatta was the difference maker in the end (get ready to knock those bids back come January).

It’s hard to explain but we feel more like a team this season, we undoubtedly lost some talent in the summer but you can’t fault any of the players attitude and endeavour. 2 points off top spot, does that mean we are good now?

I have not yet seen any clips of the game, but I was told that Jatta’s second goal was taken well and came from him putting pressure on a defender.

Beating a team that had no clear plan and seemed to just want to bully their way to a result is very pleasing. It shows how much Jatta gives to the side and how important he is for Notts if they are to get out of this league.

At the start of the season, did anyone really think we would be sitting in fifth place at this stage? It is good to see that belief and calmness back within the fan base.

Clearly hasn’t been through lack of interest that Shrewsbury hasn’t sold, especially as he says 18 different parties have met him.

I think he’s trying to get the sympathy vote a bit here, because it’s not going well at Shrewsbury now. Of course, the abuse he gets isn’t right and it’s not on, but at the same time he clearly isn’t that desperate to sell the club.

A number of years have passed since he put Shrewsbury up for sale so he could’ve done a deal if he really wanted to. I wonder if the club hasn’t sold because he has an unrealistic valuation, is he just holding out for as much money as he can get?

Blackburn 0-1 Southampton

Millwall 1-2 Leicester City

Barnsley 1-1 Rotherham United

Reading 2-0 Doncaster Rovers

Barrow 1-2 Barnet

Harrogate Town 2-0 Newport Joker

FGR 1-2 Boreham Wood

Hartlepool 2-0 Solihull

The results:

Blackburn Rovers 2-1 Southampton
Millwall 1-0 Leicester City
Barnsley 0-1 Rotherham United
Reading 1-1 Doncaster Rovers
Barrow 2-2 Barnet
Harrogate Town 0-3 Newport County
Forest Green Rovers 2-1 Boreham Wood
Hartlepool United 2-0 Solihull Moors

Congrats to @william1984, who wins this round! And I must confess I'm a little mardy - I pored over all the form tables for this week's predictions, and then @Hi Humans ツ comes along, just makes up some numbers and scores higher than me!

In our leaderboard, @magpiejue moves back to the top with @4everapie and @Robbie just a few points behind.

As our FA Cup run will be taking place this weekend, we'll now have a little break - the next round is on the following Saturday, 8 November, with the fixtures posted a few days before as usual. Thanks for playing!

Bugger I missed this round as I was busy sunning myself, I’ll have to do extra well next round.

Let us put it in perspective.

Top of the Table Walsall have beaten: 

MK Dons          3 points

Salford              3 points

Swindon            3 points

Chesterfield      3 points

We have played:

Salford 0 points

Crewe 0 points

swindon 1 point

Gillingham 0 points

In league 2 things can change for clubs so quickly. We saw last season how Walsall lost their mojo after a blistering start. Hopefully lightening won't strike twice for them this season but you never know.

I think that’s exactly the point@Scotty Crewe and Gillingham are not in the top seven. The table is fluid. If any of the teams we have beaten or will yet beat end up in the top seven then will be saying we have beaten some in the top seven. If Chesterfield or Swindon drop in the next few weeks Walsall results might not look so impressive. I understand that we need to get results from teams higher up the league, maybe we will have a better idea who they are in the new year.

i always liked mark fotheringham, with better players who had pace around him he would have been apricated a lot more at notts i think. his skill and technique was very good for a player and although surprised he later joined fulham i can see why they would opt for a player like him.

Chance for Mark to work for a top side in Scotland, who may get some silverware this season. It's an opportunity not to turn down.

I wish him lots of luck in his new position. Of course it's only an interim position but the experience will serve him well.

At least it’s a fairly swift response and an acknowledgement that there has been a major foul up here.

Let’s see what happens.

Not a good move by the club - the original announcement was tin-eared. At least they've responded to the criticism, though it's unclear what will ultimately come of it. We could possibly get around it by calling it the "Haydn Green Stand sponsored by Green Shift Energy" if the sponsors agree to that.

I hate the trend of naming everything in football after sponsors. Some years ago I knew what every ground was called, now it's just an ever-changing roll call of sponsors. It's even worse for those grounds that have only ever been named after a sponsor as they don't even have a traditional name to fall back on.

But money talks. A while back I saw a list of stadium sponsorship agreements for German third division clubs, and every single one of them was in seven figures (bar a couple of clubs without sponsorship deals, and one in particular that gave away permanent naming rights in the early 90s in return for a scoreboard, which then broke). Sponsors in the UK aren't as generous, but there's lot of money to be made. And the fuss about the Haydn Green Stand shows that it might even be less controversial to sponsor the whole ground as it isn't named after someone.

It will always be know as the Haydn Green Stand, whatever the official name is

Jatta for me.

Poll closes 9 pm tonight.

The Poll has now closed. Thanks to all who voted.

I'm delighted to announce that the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Cambridge is Alassana Jatta, who played an absolute blinder. Congratulations Alassana.

A big welcome from me @JWTBee & welcome to our community.

A super warm welcome @JWTBee to the sunny side of the Trent, hope you find it fun and fulfilling 😀

And a big warm PoN welcome from me too, @JWTBee.I hope you enjoy your time with us .

Rettel #704 24pts

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Rettel 5x5 #536 27pts

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Rettel Search #256 🔍
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We should judge progress by steady signs and better structure, not one good result. If the plan stays clear, promotion stays possible.

On 09/10/2025 at 17:21, liampie said:

i think there is a lot of reasons why we should be patient and not start demanding things to be changed, as if it can suddenly just happen but through hard work and further improvements. i do wonder if roberto gagliardi will be vindicated come the end of the season. dont get me wrong, i am happy knowing richard montague is back and i do think it will work itself out but gagliardi took the brunt of a lot of criticism.

"I do wonder if Roberto Gagliardi will be vindicated...."

Well, 14 games in, perhaps last summer's recruitment wasn't that bad overall?

Yes, we still need a decent GK come the January transfer window... will Cotter and Aljofree be returned to their parent clubs? We might have to take a financial hit on Traore to move him on, so Richard Montague has some work to do.

On 10/10/2025 at 22:35, Chris said:

I have said it before a few times; the biggest mistake was saying we are aiming for promotion and sacking the head coach not long after exiting the playoffs.

The continual losses at home at the end of the season proved Maynard had no plan B. MP does seem to have some Premier /Championship know how as to what is needed to succeed.

The football against Cambridge was still possession based but that second goal from Jatta, was from Bedeau launching a long ball to "mix things up".

Hoping the good run of results continues

3 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

"I do wonder if Roberto Gagliardi will be vindicated...."

Well, 14 games in, perhaps last summer's recruitment wasn't that bad overall?

Yeah, I'd be really interested to know how his departure played out because as it turns out the summer recruitment seemingly hasn't been the massive issue we all thought it would be. It's funny that Cotter previously played under Paterson when he was at Barnsley and he signed after Paterson arrived (Iorpenda did too, but he signed before MP got the head-coach job). It's highly likely this move was instigated by our head coach and it's arguably one the poorer signings this season...

I think we can improve when it comes to defending set-pieces and I’m sure a lot of work goes into it. I've spoken about how I think Roos can do more but it's just as important that the players know their man and they stick to them. At times against the physical teams, we do look more susceptible to conceding from set-pieces, but that is a massive part of what makes those teams successful and they’ll score the majority of their goals from this.

I think our average of goals conceded from set-pieces will be always be slightly higher and that is down to how a lot of teams set-up against us. The majority of the teams in the league are going to sit deep, try and counter and make the most of their set-pieces. It was exactly what Cambridge (tried to do) and what Oldham and Crewe did with varying success. And to be fair, against Barnet they had 12 corners and number of decent free-kick positions and they got nothing out of us.

I’m not overly hung-up about set-pieces right now because overall, we are in a good place when it comes to our defence this season. We are the joint 4^th best in the league in terms of goals conceded with 15. Oldham are top with 12 but it’s coming at cost for them as they’ve only scored 12 goals too (that’s the joint 2^nd worse). We’ve scored 25 goals, that puts us 2^nd best. If this trend continues, we’ll be in strong place come the end of the season.

He should never have left Notts when he did. I can understand why he did leave. He probably wanted to further his career.

For me, the fact that Stuart Maynard had less support from the start of 2025, was a factor in Notts possibly missing promotion by just six points.

I feel a bit sorry for him because he’s not had a lot of time to change much, but equally from what I can gather from some of his post-match interviews it didn't sound like the squad had taken to him. Surprised he even ended up there to be honest, to go from League 2 to the Southern Prem is a bit of drop, even to be head-coach.

As the article says they’ve had 4 managers in 17 matches and the results haven’t improved. That tells me the real problem lies with the quality of the squad.

It was a beautiful morning here but a little chilly. It's started to cloudy over a little now but still getting periods of sunshine.

Looking forward to the Notts match later. Hopefully we can secure another three points at Meadow Lane today

Don't forget that the clocks go back at 2am Sunday Morning. It's the end of Summer time.

It's this time of year and a good chance to re-air this topic

The argument for not putting the clocks back from British summer time has merits on both sides.

Many point out that putting the clocks back in Autumn gives lighter mornings for children going to school which they say is a big safety issue. But others point out that the darker evenings puts commuters at risk too..

Personally I think that when the clocks go back in Autumn, it should stay as it is all year round, with darker evenings in summer along with lighter mornings in summer as well as Winter.

On 05/09/2025 at 07:34, Piethagoram said:

@Piethagoram Good luck in putting foreign owners in prison such as those from the middle East & United States. I doubt that they would be extradited due to geopolitical reasons. A massive fine or debarment would probably be the only punishment for many international owners.

I agree with @Robbie. The real focus should be on forcing the sale of owners who are clearly harming football, no matter where they’re from. But it shouldn’t stop there, there needs to be proper checks in place to stop these types from getting involved in the first place. Prevention is key.

Trying to jail foreign owners, especially those from places like the Middle East or the US, is unlikely to happen. There are too many political and legal barriers. A heavy fine or banning them from owning clubs might be the only realistic option. It’s not perfect, but it’s better than letting them carry on unchecked.

Latest Football Regulator news.

The Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is making significant progress, with recent news including the appointment of David Kogan OBE as its Chair & Richard Monks as its first CEO. The IFR has also published plans for a new licensing regime that will require all 116 clubs in the top five men's leagues to hold a license starting in the 2027-28 season, based on their financial stability, corporate governance, & fan consultation. This new system will give the IFR powers to enforce financial sustainability, cap spending, & ensure clubs maintain enough cash to cover operational costs. 

The EFL have confirmed that Wednesday will have a 12 point automatic deduction due to going into administration. That leaves them 15 points from safety now at the bottom of the Championship.

Can't help but feel that these points deductions are just punishing the club further down when they are already down. Their matchday squad at the moment involve players that have stayed on & haven't left due to the ongoing financial issues, & young academy players.

The club already looks destined for League 1, but unless the Club is bought by someone willing to put lots of money into the club, there is a distinct possibility that more sanctions could be imposed, such as expulsion from the EFL, & that would be a massive moment for English Football. I hope it doesn't happen.

Of course with all of these stories of financial problems in the football pyramid the elephant in the room continues to be Man City that is yet to face a judgement for their alleged 115 breaches of the rules.

Sad. Yes, that club is too big to fail. But it seems like administration is an unavoidable and necessary stage in any survival. You'd think that the EFL would give them every chance to right the ship

@Robbie good observations. Yeah, Pato's established a good level of performance in all departments and we were a very good match for them.

The healthy level of competition is there for sure. It's great though that Pato's picks seem to tally with what you see with your own eyes on the pitch. We didn't always get that with Burchnall or Maynard

Talking of competition for places, as we didn't win maybe one more change could be in the offing for Saturday. Bennetts has done well whenever he's come on and did well starting in the cup game. I love Tsaroulla but he was our worst player at Swindon. Perhaps Bennetts has earned a shot, and maybe Jodi can surprise Cambridge from the other side.

I can see it being unchanged, but I'd get it if he gave Bennetts a run out.

One big takeaway is that everyone loves Paterson now! He was an unpopular pick, some fans said he was out of his depth, gone by Xmas, etc. He's got us fitter, is getting the best out of Rodders, Matty Palmer and Grant, has integrated Robbo into the team well, got Jatta smiling and scoring again, and been a good judge of the loan signings.

Notts' good form stretches quite a long way now. We've taken 20 points from the last 10 games, which is automatic promotion form. By taking 1 point from the first 3 games, we gave everyone else a head start, which we've partially clawed back.

Hoping that attendances start to pick up again as the coach and team deserve it.

One of the takeaways for me is that we’re beginning to see there is a very capable player in Conor Grant. If he can be more consistent and clinical in front of goal, he could be a big player for us. Credit to MP and his coaching team for helping him improve.

                                     GK
                         Kasper Schmicheal 

Steve Finnan Mike Edwards Gary Liddle Alan Sheehan

                           Ian Baraclough

    Phil Turner                                    Paul Devlin

Danny Allsopp    Lee Hughes    Gary McSwegan

Formation: 4-3-3

I really wanted to have three strikers, these are all players I have seen play for Notts.

On 23/07/2024 at 09:42, Piethagoram said:

I will offer a non English slant on the best Notts 11

GK:

Raddy (Yugoslavia)

Def:

Benji (St Kitts)

Anders Jacobsen (Norway)

Pedro ( qualified to play for Spain)

Worthington (Northern Ireland)

Midfield

Masson (Scotland)

Nicol (Scotland)

Garcia (France)

Fwd:

McSwegan (Scotland)

Harkouk (Algeria)

Chiedozie (Nigeria)

In honour of Raddy being back in Nottingham this weekend #COYP

Like many of us oldish ones, I suppose mine would have to concentrate on the team that finished mid-table in the top flight a couple of times (before the relegation season). Level matters. Ruben is my favourite player, but I cannot allow him in. But Kaspar I can, he was just a cut above

Schmeichel

Benjamin Richards Short O'Brien

Draper Masson Harkouk

Mair McCulloch Johnson

conor grant gets my vote, thought he played very well and his goal will hopefully allow him to crack on with this season. a few more goals and more will see hes worth.

The Poll has now closed. Thanks to all who voted.

I'm pleased to announce that Conor Grant is the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match against Swindon.

That was a tight deadline!

Never mind, my vote goes to Conor Grant anyway. I really hope he uses this to push on and hit a higher level with more consistency. The injury to Luker and Iorpenda falling off has opened up a spot for the taking, so it's down to Conor. At Swindon, it wasn't only his key goal and assist contributions, he maintained a positive involvement for the whole 90. Before, we've seen him fade away for long periods, but there was none of that on Tuesday.

I'd say 2 players pushed him close - Jatta, also involved in both goals and solid throughout, including in his own box. And then Macari...the pick of the defenders for me, especially in the 2nd half. Both goals came from his side, but none his fault. Their equaliser was a fluke. They couldn't have played the ball down the line, if it wasn't for a poor ball hitting their player's back and ending up in the perfect place for them.