I agree, Will Randall never looked to be in it.

Sometimes the balls to him were over hit, but more than a few times he remained static, failing to read the pass and the few crosses he did manage to get were either low or smashed into a Forest player.

Adam Chicksen for me was a bit indifferent, when he joined in the attacks he was good but seemed to be more defensive for the most part. He never really did the two like we know he can, though defensively he mopped up a fair amount in the first half and remained very calm. It impressed me, I just wished he linked up better with Sam Austin when in attack.

Aidan Stone appeared to be in good condition, well defended, but unfortunately he was deceived by the Forest's goal. His communication was extremely beneficial, as was the presence of Connell Rawlinson. Rawlinson looked to be enjoying himself and mugged off the Forest players several times. Including heading the ball to himself three times, before giving it to Stone.

Lucien Mahovo displayed remarkable progress on the pitch, consistently delivering impressive crosses every time he partnered with Luther Munakandafa. However, the latter seemed to lack confidence in putting in his own crosses or taking on the Forest players.

Matt Palmer, John Bostock, Jim O'Brien, David McGoldrick, Jodi Jones, Aaron Nemane, Cedwyn Scott, and Macaulay Langstaff all performed well and were satisfied with their performance.

I was impressed by how well Notts handled Forest. All the players played a significant role in keeping them quiet, and it showed that we can compete with teams at our level.

I fully agree with @ARLukomski. The friendly match was a useful exercise, and I liked the centre-back we had on trial. He seemed reliable.

6 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Williams praised the Forest manager for chatting with him before the game and said it wasn’t often you could swap ideas with a Premiership manager and he hoped to get the two management teams together at some stage for a meeting.

It’s clear that full focus during key stages is crucial. Williams owning up to his mistake and apologising shows good leadership. I initially thought Cameron had switched off, but this explains what happened.

It was a good game of football tbf.

I thought we deserved at least a goal. We had the better opportunities and I think it's fair to say the loss was possibly against the run of the game. It was only a mistake that let them in to get the only goal which Williams owned up to after the match rather than it being down to Cameron which I have to give him credit for doing so it shows great leadership deflecting it onto himself rather than the player. 

There were times where it was a bit frustrating that nothing was materialising in the final 3rd despite getting in to good areas on multiple occasions only for the ball to end up back or Forest being able to regroup quickly. 

I did notice that when Claxton played the wrong ball, Langstaff was quick to blast him for it as there were better options available for him to pass to that could have lead to a great attacking opportunity. 

There will always be those that say Forest didn't play their full squad that would regularly feature in the Premier League but there were many of them that will feature quite often next season. Also, we played a very mixed bag in both halves especially the second half where the likes of Claxton, Munakandafa and Mahovo came on. 

Jones and Nemane, I thought, did well down the wings and looked threatening going forward. I'd also like to note that Chicksen had Mighten right in his pocket which led to Forest needing to move him on the other side. 

Overall I thought it was a great pre season game that showed where the players are at and also gives Williams an idea of where the teams at, what needs to worked on and how to progress with this team for the upcoming season to get the most out of it. 

Nottingham itself had a festival-like feeling in the bars and pubs. It was a nice change to see fans of both teams having a laugh and realising how good it is for our city that we support a local club. The pace of the game was set quite early, and although there were times when it lifted, it would naturally reset back to the original amount. This made the friendly a lot more enjoyable. The brief spells of rain never bothered me, and I thought the game itself was brilliant. Both teams tested each other, and the defeat doesn't bother me, nor did the manner in which it happened.

Donating proceeds to the Jason Turner fund shows an admirable sense of unity in the football community. It's gestures like this that put forth the true essence of sports, competing but caring at the same time. Congratulations, Stoke City. You're an inspiration!

Stoke City has evidently reminded us of the beauty of football - it's not merely a competition, it is indeed a fraternity bound by love for the sport and respect for one another. Every act of kindness, no matter how small, has the potential to make a huge difference. It's really a testament to their sportsmanship spirit.

Does anyone know if Notts did donate themselves?

16 hours ago, NCRichie said:

Does anyone know if Notts did donate themselves?

I’m not sure if Notts made a donation themselves. I haven’t seen anything mentioned on social media or in articles, but perhaps someone else can clarify. I think it would have been a wise decision to donate alongside Stoke City, who made a very nice gesture by donating their part.

Junior Morias may not be at the top of the pecking order, but with such a long season ahead, it'll be crucial to have him ready and waiting for his opportunity. Don't forget the FA Cup and EFL Cup games – that's where he may be able to make his mark.

I'm willing to give Morias some time to settle in and prove his worth. It's difficult when you come into a team with established players, but I hope he can still make an impact.

i thought he only picked up a "slight" concern before the start of the pre season, he has been involved in training but has he made any appearances so far? i dont remember him playing in the nuneaton game. hes becoming this eras stanley aborah.

if not him, then danny haynes or someone injury prone.

On 13/07/2023 at 22:08, Fan of Big Tone said:

It’s funny how people see things differently I thought the background was really good, when they said you could have your picture taken with the trophy I thought it would be just that with the shop goods in the background but they’ve gone to the trouble of making a nice backdrop so good for them.

Mind you I’m no photographic expert. 

I don't think its the background thats the issue, its the placement and the fact that whoever takes the photo needs to take it within the background, not getting whats surrounding it too.

I didn’t go down; it’s not my thing, and I’m sure I’ll get a chance to see the trophy at some stage. I don’t need to meet Macaulay Langstaff or Connell Rawlinson and have my photo taken with them. It’s great for fans who do! I’m not knocking this; it’s just not my thing. It would be nice to see more fan photos from the past weeks’ photo opportunities.

@CliftonMagpie its the same for me, i dont like the situations but its great for families and fans who are good to the club.

17 hours ago, BromPie said:

I prefer the away shirt. It’s nice, but I wouldn’t spend over £100 on two football shirts. If they were still priced at around £40 each, I would buy them without hesitation.

Pete did say that the club stuck to the same amount despite believing they would sell more, they just didn't order more because of the extra stock that they felt wouldn't move as quickly. If the club gets in additional stock, it will probably be far less than when first ordered.

They actually announced that they had purchased more shirts this year due to the demand past seasons but either it was not many more or it was the same because every year they run out quite quickly, this is very early to run out though.

Was going to get the away shirt, but I left it a week and it was already gone!  This was probably because the home shirts aren't on sale yet so there's more demand for the away shirt, but it's still disappointing. Hopefully they'll be in stock in November, otherwise I'll go without. 

the home shirt looks better in person, it looks a lot the ladbrookes shirt as mentioned by @Piethagoram when we played liverpool in the league cup and adam coombes scored.

1 hour ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

@cheeky~k8 I hope you get used to the hearing aid, I’m sure with time you’ll forget you’re wearing it.

Today I did my 5k park run at Sewrby Hall and Gardens, it was really hard going we had to run along the cliff top which was uphill and it was blowing a gale, just before we got to Bridlington we turned round and came back along the same route but downhill and the wind at my back which was a relief, then we entered the garden and ran around the hall. It was painful at times very different to West Park at Long Eaton which is as flat as a pancake.

This afternoon we had a stroll around Bridlington which was nice but it’s becoming a bit chavvy (or am I turning into a snob?)

Back at our lodge now and relaxing with a beer as the rain pours down. We’ve got a lovely view over fields from our patio and saw some deer this morning.

I don't wish to put a dampener(Literally) on your holiday , @Fan of Big Tone,but today is St Swithin's day. 

@Fan of Big Tone west park is probably one of the flatter parks ive been to, much easier to do a run on. Glad your relaxing now after that.

On Friday, I spent most of the day working, and by the time I finished, I just got ready for sleep. Today, I went to see the friendly against Forest. I didn’t opt to stay at home and watch it via the stream. I enjoyed the match; I thought it was very lively and end-to-end. It was good to see a stronger squad start as this made it easier for the youngsters. Tomorrow, I have no plans, so I’ll update this when I decide. It’s likely that I might end up doing stuff at home if the weather predictions are true.

I believe Steve Hodge had a brief stint as the head of the youth system during the ill-fated Trew era, if I remember correctly?

This won’t count, but Harry and James Iremonger played for Forest. James was much like Albert, but made fewer appearances in football.

Those that would count include Adam Nowland, Jason Lee, Gary Mills, Elliot Ward, Brendan Moloney, and Wes Morgan. I can’t think of any others off the top of my head that haven’t already been mentioned.

A oldie my father used to mention, Bob Chapman.

Obviously, I can’t do this, but I hope those who can take the chance because it’s something to remember such an amazing season. If you can’t, it’s a shame for that exact reason, but otherwise don’t regret not going.

I’ve seen some pictures on social media of people with the cup, they do look good with the backdrop, I wonder if there is a charge for this?

I've heard that its free, I haven't been but thats what was annouced on the official site.

@AmericanPie absolutely, he can switch it on and off whenever he wants. He knows how to deal with situations in his own way and it works for him. 

I was really sad that his night at the Playhouse was postponed. It would have been a great post-promotion party.  Looking forward to the rearranged gig.

@KB1862 I wouldn’t want to be on the end of his rant; I think I would prefer one from Alex Ferguson because I don’t think it would be as intimidating. Plus, I would find it hard to understand and not laugh at him.

What time did Chesterfield leave? I can’t see many Notts fans leaving to miss the celebrations and go taunt them. I also think that after the celebrations had finished and the fans had started to exit Wembley, Chesterfield should have long been gone. What would have kept them there?

Ah, the sweet taste of victory! It’s hard to forget the sight of our rivals driving away from Wembley with their tails between their legs. But hey, all’s fair in love and football, right?

Notts should send him a personal card, wishing him better. With the insert inside playing White Stripes’ Seven Nation Army.

I think Andy Dallas will join a League Two team. Oldham fans are probably smoking something because there’s little reason for him to spend another season in the National League when Grimsby and Gillingham, etc., are looking to sign him. It’s hardly the situation we found ourselves in with Macaulay Langstaff. Dallas needs to avoid taking a step back, so I think joining a higher-up club would pay off for him.

Dallas has consistently scored pretty much 1 in 2 at national League level, including at teams that will not create as many chances/ dominate games... Such as Weymouth and Solihull.

That's a good record for anybody. Any national League team would be looking at him and going, yeah, he's gonna get 20+ goals in a season. I'm sure every NL club wants him, realistically Chessie and Oldham can afford/entice him.

Would a league 2 club look at him? Of course they would. 23 year old striker, 20 a season in the league below, plenty of potential. It's not a surprise that Grimsby and money bags Wrexham-lite Gillingham are taking a look. 

Rumoured that Barnsley want him now

I haven’t purchased a programme in years. They are still quite popular in American sports, but I think digital copies do outright sell physical copies. It’s a lot more profitable. Notts should look into this, as there are platforms where you can do it.

I don’t buy them anymore; I borrow a friend’s and read the first few pages. The rest I skim, as it’s not often anything to do with Notts as such, just community bulletins which are of no general interest. This isn’t always the case, but I find the front to be excellent, the back to be useful, but the middle is just filler to my eyes. 30 pages of quality text, that is the way forward.

Programmes quickly become redundant and outdated, and the biggest issue is their cost. Fans don’t mind paying £3 for a big game, but the quality of the paper is often very thin. It doesn’t compare to that of many other clubs. I hope that with the programme expanding to 30 pages, the paper grade will improve.

8 hours ago, DangerousSausage said:

I also bring you Sheffield Wednesday's recovery from 4-0 down to reach the playoff final last season! 

That’s got to be up amongst the best, if not the best, absolutely incredible.

Yeah that Liverpool game is a very good shout, I’m sure it was a school night and my parents made me go to bed so I didn’t see the whole game! Agree with some others mentioned too, the Liverpool 4-0 comeback against Barcelona was impressive as was the Sheffield Wednesday play-off comeback from this season.

But in terms of one-off games, the Man City v QPR final day of the season sticks out for me. They had to win in order to win the league but were up 2-1 down with 30 mins to go. It took until added time to score both goals (one being the Aguuuuerrrrroooooooooooo one!) to win the game.

In terms of a Notts game the Boreham Wood one was the ultimate comeback for me. Another Notts comeback in recent(ish) memory was against Exeter, we scored 2 goals in added time to snatch a draw. Anyone remember it? I looked back to see when the goals were scored and it was Ryan Harley of all people who scored Exeter’s 2nd in the 88th minute!

@Fan of Big Tone it's tremendous from Wednesday. Everyone wrote them off from the first leg and no other team has ever comeback from the deficit in the play offs so to pull it off was incredible. 

1 hour ago, Piethagoram said:

It was officially described as Notts County "B" team

Will this be because of the financial implications that a reserve team has and the commitments? This is my guess, but either way it's good to see. The team that was defeated appears to consist mostly of young players. I hope it proves to be a good run out for them. Losing will tell them more, so they can work on it and improve in time.

Many years ago when Notts had a proper reserve team that played in a league it was great to go and watch some of the fringe players, players coming back from injury, youth players, players out of favour etc., if I remember right the games were free to watch or very cheap. Happy days.

Sorry for the digression.

I used to sponsor the reserve and youth teams many years ago and was disappointed when they were scrapped by the Trews. Competitively, there is no substitute for being in an actual competitive league. The reserve team, being mixed with fringe players, can help younger upcoming prospects. However, with the state of the game, many lower clubs are opting not to field a team in a league and instead are choosing to play friendlies and behind-closed-doors games. I used to watch the youth team quite frequently as well.

I didn’t get chance to take any pictures because the rain started pelting down and I had to grab the food and run back into the house. I am an expert at the BBQ though even though I say it myself, I always wince when I see folks eating black sausages and burgers, there’s so much more you can do on BBQ’s but you have to be careful to regulate the heat so it cooks properly but doesn’t burn the food, it’s an art.

It sounds very nice, @Fan of Big Tone. There’s nothing like a bit of TLC and a BBQ. I bet Mrs. Tone will have to get you providing the service more often.

17 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

I didn’t get chance to take any pictures because the rain started pelting down and I had to grab the food and run back into the house. I am an expert at the BBQ though even though I say it myself, I always wince when I see folks eating black sausages and burgers, there’s so much more you can do on BBQ’s but you have to be careful to regulate the heat so it cooks properly but doesn’t burn the food, it’s an art.

It's just playful teasing, @Fan of Big Tone. We are just getting more out of you, its good you enjoy having a BBQ. We know you wouldn't burn the food or under done, we know you know when it's Notts done.  

That’s a very smart dog. It was great to see its reaction to the goal. Having a dog like this would make watching games from home a bit more special and fun.  

Our cat never reacts like that when I’ve got football on. She does like snooker though. 

What an awesome dog! I wish I could have a buddy like this, so well-trained to keep me company when watching Notts!

It’s food for thought, nothing more. It’s not going to lead to relegation; we are better than most of the teams in League Two. Defensively, mistakes will happen if you throw inexperienced youngsters into the mix against a team like Stoke City. I hope Williams doesn’t refrain from giving the youngsters time against Forest, but he may want to start the strongest defence we can. This will highlight if we do need another CB or if we can make do with a youth player filling in.

No way would Notts have beaten Stoke, but it’s possible that we could have given them more of a game. I don’t blame the players for the mistakes. Stoke pressed and hassled the players, making it hard. Even if it was a cup game, I wouldn’t be mad. You have to admit we were beaten by a team that wanted to put on a dominating performance in a friendly. Beating us has no bearing on our season or theirs; it just looks good for them.

Luke Williams’ comments reflect his will. He’s detailed in his thoughts and must have wondered what exactly went wrong from the touchline without dwelling on it. I feel sorry for him and the youth players. To include them in such a big game, you can forgive their nerves for getting the better of them.

Unfortunately, the young centre back doesn't seem to have what it takes to succeed. He performed poorly against Nuneaton. In comparison to Owen Betts when he was here, he falls short. While he may improve, he currently appears to be a liability. We have other, better young players who could have made better use of the game time. If he's playing due to the risk of injury, it suggests we need to bring in another centre back. The rest of the squad did well, and I don't think Aidan Stone can be blamed for any of the goals. It is what it is, and we move on.

From our point of view, Notts made it very easy for Stoke City, and the number of mistakes, even in a friendly, was alarming. However, it’s not the end of the world. I don’t see those errors happening as frequently against players closer to our own level. Just imagine how other teams felt when we played them last season; it’s virtually the same effect.

There’s no need to resort to the stupidity of losing, regardless of the manner. I think those vocal fans have let down the whole club and community. That said, there are some interesting and very decent comments. Frustration should never lead to anger, though.

Jon Stead should do wonders for Barnsley. I hope he takes to being a league coach because I can imagine it’s better pay than doing your own coaching.

Good luck to Jon Stead. I am surprised he’s taken a coaching role for a club, but I do believe he will be good at it.

Good luck to Jon Stead. He gave his all for Notts and unfortunately never managed to see Notts regain promotion during his time with us.

I wouldn’t have returned either, but football is a different kind of job. When it comes to being pushed, I am much more stubborn.

Good luck to Shaun Derry with Crystal Palace. I hope he stays there longer this time around and doesn’t get fired for something silly.

Shaun Derry is one of our own, a person who has a passion for Notts. Unfortunately, it didn’t work out here. Good luck to him at Palace.

I agree with @KingWilliams that both managers should be able to find new opportunities easily, considering their track records. They definitely deserve better than the treatment they received from their clubs.

Clubs that frequently dismiss their managers should face fines and sanctions as a deterrent. This would encourage teams to commit to their managers and avoid wasting money. It is unfortunate for Darren Moore, who performed well but was ultimately released from his position.

On 19/06/2023 at 20:20, DonnyNotts said:

Some of my friends seem to think it is over disagreement on budget. But personally I have no idea

Our owner has claimed that he let Darren Moore go because Moore wanted four times the salary he was previously earning..

https://www.itv.com/news/calendar/2023-06-29/wednesday-owner-claims-moore-demanded-four-times-his-salary

At first, all of us were shocked by the owner’s decision. Some still don’t believe this is the real reason, but Darren Moore has had little to say on the subject. There are rumours that Moore intentionally asked for more money or to be released from his contract in the hope that a bigger club would show interest in him. It may have been due to wages and budget, but I think Sheffield Wednesday as a club needs to come before anything else. Now that he has left, we move on. I hope for Moore’s sake that he finds a club where he can take them further.

https://www.skysports.com/watch/video/sports/football/12915569/sheffield-wednesday-owner-rants-over-darren-moore-sacking-and-criticizes-club-legend-carlton-palmer

i joined, liampie02 is my username. i probably wont post much but i will keep a look out for friends.

No, I won’t be joining. I tend to steer clear of all social media networks.

@liampie followed you back mate

It's early days yet but threads hasn't really impressed me too much. It's lacking something but as I say it's only early days. 

You couldn’t make this up. Something has happened, and it reflects poorly on the club. They will struggle if they don’t replace Ferguson.

The decision made by the FGR chairman is strange and one that he will be paying for. The club has become somewhat of a joke. Hiring Ian Burchnall, with Michael Doyle in League One, they needed someone with more experience and stronger leadership skills. I hate to say it, but they will be relegated if they don’t appoint a proper manager. I’m not being sexist, but if you’ve never managed before, you need to have something special about you. I don’t think this quality is found within but rather appointed.

I am surprised that they haven’t already appointed a new manager at this stage; it makes you wonder what’s going on. If they struggle, it will be one less team to worry about this season.

I’ve sent you a friend request @liampie and I unfriended your old account as requested.

I also deleted and notified people for you, mate. I’m sorry you lost your account, but at least nothing else happened other than losing the account. Nobody has been targeted, etc.

Don't worry about it, mate. Sometimes hackers find a way and really what is the point in doing it? Facebook are quite pathetic when it comes to protecting accounts.