@CliftonMagpie COTT ...change the "C" to an "N" and add a "S" on the end????

Having Notts-themed soft drinks at the club facilities would be quite cool. If the club could negotiate a deal to sell rebranded cans from a company like the one mentioned above, it would be really cool. Not just Cola, but Orange and other popular flavours as well. Going it alone or with a more mainstream company would be a no-go. However, this idea could potentially yield better profits.

This piece of history has taken a turn with the potential work to find a partner to rebrand soft drinks. I don’t think it’s a bad idea at all, but it’s likely to take time to reach an agreement. It’s unlikely to be cans, but bottles would be ideal. If Notts managed to bring back County Soft Drinks, it would benefit us fans over the current options, which are always increasing.

While the Non-League hasn't been detrimental, I'm thrilled we've managed to leave it behind. Our time there could have dragged on, shortening the Reedtz era. Now, we can focus on achieving even greater success for Notts County.

The Non League years have seen Notts reshape their identity after losing it in the season we were relegated. A team that could barely defend, took us down with zero pride and little responsibility for failing to do it. As for the owner at the time, I wish not to speak of that fool.

I do look back on Notts County's time in the National League with nostalgia.

The time in the National League began on a big downer, but we could have easily have been promoted at the first attempt, but just came up short in the playoff final against Harrogate. 

As other PON members have mentioned, we never finished lower than fifth whilst we were in the National League and we always played attractive entertaining football, to a very high standard.

Thanks to Neil, Ian and Luke, Notts were always challenging near the top of the league for all the time that Notts were in the fifth tier. That's some achievement in itself.

Being in the fifth tier enabled Notts to get their mojo back and it was great that Notts became a national story once again with their promotion tussle with Wrexham.

So pleased that we are back where we belong, but disappointed that our high standards weren't maintained during our first season back in League 2.

But hopefully that will change for the season 24/25.

@RetroPie

It is True that young players are going to be Sold ,but I I Don't understand why the Club doesn't also want to get some benefit from this Young Talent before they're either Released or Sold On. by being given the opportunity to play in the First team. If they play  a number of Games for the first team, then Notts can ask for a bigger Transfer Fee than a Young Player who is always Loaned out each season.

@Wheelbarrow repair man

You hit the nail on the head there.

Playing their youngsters for a number of matches is going to get them noticed and will put up their value.

There should be a rule of thumb that at least one senior academy player should be one of the seven on the bench.

Reynolds & Sanderson are good enough to be on the bench right now, and if Notts don't get those four players they need to strengthen the squad, those two juniors will be needed for sure.

Either Notts is correct in believing that most of the released players lack the potential to improve or reach a good enough level, or it’s more likely that it would take too long for them to reach the desired level. I don’t foresee much change until we start giving young players more playing time. Two seasons isn’t sufficient to determine if they will reach the required level. Most players are average until they reach 20-21. There are always exceptions of prodigies at any level who somehow make it into the first team, but I think if Notts had such a talent, they would likely be sold before making a debut.

I would have bet on Matt Palmer being named captain. Not all captains need to be loud, and I’m sure he will lead the squad to a high standard, just like his performances.

Matt Palmer isn't as quiet as some fans think: he's always communicating with those around him and suggesting runs to them when he has the ball. He's the obvious choice, there are other influencial players but we need someone who can remain calm, Palmer is ideal for that reason.

I noticed that Notts haven't appointed a vice captain just yet, but noticed that David McGoldrick captained the side against Duisburg.

Would Didzy make a good vice Captain,? Looks like he's in the frame 

I would hope by Now @Robbie  Stuart Maynard is fully aware of that, if Notts do get off to a Poor Start I just hope the Owners Don't keep hold of him Hoping things will get Better, before bringing in a New Coach.

But lets Not be to Negative hopefully 4 more Senior Players will be Recruited to Bring the Squad up to Full Strength and Stuart can Mould them into League 2 Champions. Who knows?

@Wheelbarrow repair man don't get me wrong, I want very much for Stuart to succeed and I do feel with four more players Notts will have a squad strong enough to make a challenge this season.

All I'm saying is that it is all on Stuart now, the honeymoon period is truly over 

@Robbie

You Ain't Wrong Fella. Stuart hasn't Got any Excuses Now, It's his Team and with them He'll Either Sink Or Swim.

@Blake

I don't think there is any Question regarding the New Players Not Being Supported By The Fans.  As they are Now Magpies.

@Robbie

I think the Euphoria of Notts getting Promoted back into the EFL had more than a little bit to do with the Notts recruitment. Players who were Not up to League 2 standard were kept at the Lane, in the Hope they could take Notts into at least the Play offs.  A Case of the Heart Ruling the Head. Sadly when Luke Williams left and he took his Man Management skills with him it affected the Notts Players. perhaps more than they Realized. I would think that if Notts do get Promoted the same Mistake won't happen again and New Players with higher League Experience would be bought into the Squad. While Players thought not to be League 1 standard would be Realised.

I'm sure they will support the new signings, but setbacks must be balanced by new arrivals. If Crawley gets good replacements, they should become stronger. At least, that's the goal.

If they had managed to retain more of their top players from the team that won the promotion, it might have been beneficial when bringing in new players. Nothing is impossible, and while it’s unlikely, they might have been able to compete at the higher end of League One. It would have been a challenge, but with the unity their squad developed in League Two, it could have been achievable. In our first match against them, they seemed average, but they improved significantly in our subsequent encounter. Adam Campbell was particularly challenging.

This is likely one of the most disappointing signings in recent memory, as he seemed to be a high-quality player when he arrived. Whatever the reason for his lacklustre performances, it didn’t pan out. I personally believe Will Randall probably wanted to play consistently, but joining our squad, he was unlikely to achieve that without putting in the effort. He paid too much attention to the praise given before the signing, rather than seizing the opportunities presented to him. It’s more of a letdown on his part, as we offered him a chance to step up, and he didn’t seize it.

I have just read an article stating that both John Bostock and Will Randall, have recently played in a game for Swindon as trialists, against the U21 Southampton team. 

This could potentially be a beneficial move for both footballers. However, there are some concerns regarding Will Randall’s motivation to excel in a team like Swindon. Swindon has a reputation for cycling through players at a faster rate than we were accustomed to in the past. It’s something to consider.

2 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

We shouldn’t begrudge him a chance of playing in the championship a footballers career is short and career threatening injury could be just around the corner, let’s wish him well and thank him for the memories.

This one contract on its own is also probably going to be enough for Macca to buy himself a nice house and have enough in savings to dip into for the rest of his life. It's easy to forget that the vast majority of footballers have to take a significant pay cut once their playing careers are over and they transition into "ordinary" life. They absolutely should do what they can while they're playing to make that transition as smooth as possible.

I’ve come to terms with Macaulay Langstaff’s departure and there’s no use dwelling on it. I wish him all the best and hope he scores frequently for Millwall. I hope their fans appreciate his contributions. Many players move on when the time is right, and it was his time. He’s accomplished more in his seasons here than some who have been around for many seasons.

Looks like the Council wants to increase the rent for the City ground I'm sure there may well be a compromise agreed, but Forest may decide to move to a different site. Could have repercussions for Notts. We'll have to see what happens.

So the Nottingham CC is offering to sell the Land that the City Ground stands on to Forest for £10 million.

Notts should look into buying the freehold for the land that Meadow stands on from NCC if given the opportunity. Surely the land wouldn't cost so much anyway. 

Notts don't want to have to pay hundreds of thousands of pounds a year in lease charges,  if they can own the land, even if they take out a loan to finance the buy.

On 02/03/2024 at 16:54, Chris said:

Does this make anyone think differently?

I don't see it happening but the council is far from to be trusted with regards to ground rent.

Forest are in a different situation to Notts, in that their lease only has about 40 years left to run, whereas the current arrangement at Meadow Lane still has well over 100 years to go. It's difficult for Forest to justify long-term redevelopment of the City Ground when ultimately it could potentially be short- to medium-term for them.

The current set up on Meadow Lane saved the club in 2019, when Haydn Green's family effectively forced Hardy out. I trust the Reedtz brothers, but not as much as I trust the Green family. I hope they have a stake in the ground for many years to come.

Perhaps once we are back in the UK, we might start seeing other arrivals, but Alex Kirk seems like a good option.

I was assuming that because he didn’t feature against Wealdstone, we may have dropped our interest, will wait to see if he plays this weekend. 

The only trialist I can find that did play the other night was Robbie Cundy, who I know has been training with Notts.

It’s possible that Notts have seen enough and are now trying to shield him from the gaze of other clubs while initiating discussions with his agent. Notts may have lost interest, or alternatively, Alex Kirk might not see a regular football opportunity for himself. We probably won’t know until he signs with a team, but he does seem to meet the criteria.

4 minutes ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

@Chris

@Fan of Big Tone Chee I Wonder Who He'll Pick ? It Will Be One Hell Of A Tough Decision For Him????

Well of course Big Tony Hateley is my all time favourite player but of course there are many other great players who have graced the black and white stripes.

I guess Tommy Lawton has got to be among the greatest if not THE greatest player for us.

Others I would mention would be Jackie Sewell, Don Masson, Les Bradd and latterly Macauley Langstaff of course.

My earliest memories of Notts revolve around us being in League 2 and struggling so it's slim pickings for me and others from the younger generation. The munto season bought in some fantastic players albeit under false pretences, but had it not been we probably wouldn't have seen the likes of Ben Davies and Kasper Schmeichel. Agree Macca is the most recent best player, his goal record was incredible.

lee hughes @menzinho!!

neal bishop was a great captain and whilst not the best player, he made up for it by being reliable. mike edwards, michael johnson, mark stallard, danny allsop, ian richardson, so many greats.

7 hours ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

@allardyces tash

I think most Notts Fans knew that last Season would be Jim's Swan Song as a Player at the Lane. But Like Many others I Did hope a Position on the Coaching side could have been found for Jim at Notts. The Guys Experience and Fighting Attitude would have given Notts a Massive Boost, both to the Senior Squad and the Academy.

For Me it was the Speed in which Macca's move came about, that made me wonder if some sort of Deal had been Agreed a lot Earlier than the Off Season. Thus resulting in the Paltry sum of £750,000 Macca went for. Hopefully any add on's will Result in a Big Chunk of Cash Coming into the Clubs Coffers.

I believe Notts would have permitted Macaulay Langstaff to receive such applause if they had faith or had agreed on a deal for his services at that point. The rumoured sum could be entirely incorrect, and there could be addons in place that increase it. It’s unlikely that we will know either this or when the deal began.

1 minute ago, Chris said:

You make a valid point about Junior Morias. He had some time and performed decently, but he was frequently reported as injured or carrying a knock. When we were linked with Jatta, it appeared to be a move to potentially provide cover for Macaulay Langstaff and also to give him additional support up front. Morias seems to be a very fast player, so we now have players with different qualities.

I think the club felt the need to sign Jatta. We were desperate for better defenders, and we invested a significant amount in bringing Jatta into the team. His height is something we’ve been missing since Kyle Wootton moved to Stockport. I can envision the club seeking to recruit a striker again come January. As for Junior Morias, we do need to see more of him.

Junior does seem to have had a Raw Deal at Notts so far, he's never been given much of a chance to show his capabilities and so far I think he's scored a single goal in the Matches he's played in. Now Macca's gone he could get the Chance he's been waiting for.

i dont think the deal was ever in the pipeline until they came forward, i am not sure notts had even rejected a bid. i think that was scaremongers trying to wave the negative storm of clicks to get them some ad revenue and site visits. i think if macca was going to leave, we would not have seen him training with us.

the fact he was here for a brief time before leaving leaves me to think it was a very quick move, where millwall managed to attract maccas interest and i can understand the lure of championship football.

The majority of individuals who engage in this behaviour are fans who take their team’s rivalry to an extreme level, even going as far as to sew Stone Island labels onto their garments. They represent the most undesirable kind of supporters any club could have.

I think some people think it's banter, but in fact it's sickening. I think these days, a lot of stuff which isn't "banter" gets given that title as an attempt to make it acceptable or to normalise it.

I have been at games where I have heard these types of chants and comments.

Ideally more banning orders would be given.

you have to be a sick person and not a real football fan to chant sickening stuff like the article mentions, thankfully a lot of fans come together over the passing and its just small pockets of people i would suspect looking to be controversial. they are not football fans but people looking to get a reaction out of opposition fans.

this behaviour is not the sign of someone wanting to support their club.

@Chris

That's Strange but when you mentioned the Fact about Sheep/Lambs being used to keep the Grass down at Meadow Lane. I got a vague recollection of someone telling me that many years ago. Reading Facts from other members it's Funny how long forgotten memories Suddenly Resurface.

@Wheelbarrow repair man Colin Slater told me that he didn't believe Notts had any connections to The Lamb gang. I have spoken to a lot of club historians and knowledgable people and I do believe it was more down to footballing reasons. With Notts having played in what I was told was a plain white shirt before 1891.

It's a good job we didn't re-think our nickname in 1936; we could be called 'The Free Birds' or the "Burgulars". Obviously a joke, but I have always thought it was interesting how we went from a white shirt, to a bumblebee orange and black horizontal stripe kit, to what looks like the Netherlands to the infamous chocolate kit.

I think it's an obvious sign that we were experimenting and trying to find our real identity.

@Chris

The Connections between the Club and the Lambs was told to me and it was like somebody had said this and somebody else said That and by the time I heard about the Story it had probably been Told and Retold Quite a Few Times with things added to it along the way. That's why I said before I didn't think the Club would associate with a Gang of Thugs.

White shirts before 1891 could that have something To Do with the Lambs nickname? After all Lambs wool is White, in a Majority of Cases.

@liampie

I have indeed watched Notts live with my Sons. The First time I brought my Eldest to Meadow Lane was with Tickets given to his School by the Club. In my Younger Days I did go and watch Derby at the Old Baseball Ground and even on one (just one mind) occasion I went to the City Ground and watched Forest get thumped 3-0 by Arsenal the year the Gunners did the Double, 70/71? I think it was.

It’s disappointing that they didn’t honour your win, even with your parents’ permission. I don’t see why your age should have been an issue, especially with your dad’s support. It’s simply wrong that they let you enter, announced you as a winner, and then let it amount to nothing.

@CliftonMagpie

I Guess that's what it was like back then. As a Kid I soon got over the Disappointment and  forgot about it. If I hadn't have found the Letter stuck in the rollers of the Draw, it never would have crossed my mind again. When I found the Letter I thought I'd share it with the Rest of the PON Membership and compared to what @Robbie and his Daughter went through my disappointment  pales into insignificance compared to the Horror they saw.

@gtownjohnno

This 20/20 season has been the worse for Notts, 2 wins only,  since it's inception. They need a serious rebuild. Hales is past his peak. Last year's team was broken up to quickly.

Speechless..... Another all time low for Notts CC.... Loosing to the part timers from Lincolnshire.... Admittedly a very close game but nevertheless a defeat... Let's hope Trent Rockets put on a better show next week... 

@gtownjohnno

It's been a season to forget for the Outlaws. They need a complete rebuild for next season.

Hello @Pies79! Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham. It's fantastic to have you with us. We're a friendly bunch here, always ready to chat about our beloved Notts County. Don't hesitate to join in the discussions. Looking forward to getting to know you better. Cheers!

Hello, welcome to the community here at the Pride of Nottingham @Pies79.

Enjoy, discuss and come back when you can.  

Have you settled in well, @Pies79? It's good to have you on board PON. Welcome to the Pride of Nottingham.

I hope you like the community and site.

Welcome to PON, @Morten Johansen. Good to have you on board.

Hello, welcome to the community here at the Pride of Nottingham @Morten Johansen.

Enjoy, discuss and come back when you can.  

I’m not sure how this escaped my notice, but you’ve been a member since September 2023. I’d like to extend a warm welcome to you, @Morten Johansen. It’s wonderful to see you on PON.

I would be in the camp of wishing nothing like this would happen, because it would mess with the way scores have been handled for decades.

Yet, by drawing, earning no points - theoretically would mean managers and players would push themselves more to win. It could have an impact that makes games more exciting because teams will want those points. ???? 

Good point @Chris regarding nil points for a draw.

No more shutting up shop to play for a draw. Would certainly make a difference to the World Cup and Euro finals, & Champions league. 

The organisers may as well go for just pure knockout once again. 

i think 0-0 could equal no points, where as anything higher could be rewarded with a point because it shows that the teams did not settle for a goalless draw.

then again giving no points for draws would mean teams had to attack.

i dont think any of these would help the underdog teams that might have a great one off season due to winning and drawing games though.

@Wheelbarrow repair man

Makes me wonder why Notts  haven't thought about rolling out a big screen at Meadow lane and open up the Cop or Jimmy Sirrel stand so that supporters can watch an away match and the club make some more money that way.

On the other hand, I bet they probably have.

They could certainly do it with the Nest and make a packet doing that.

Although I suppose they will look to attract away supporters going to the Forest matches, so that idea might not be feasible.

But I'm sure they are looking at all the options 

@Robbie

You know that's Not a Bad Idea. Open the Nest Up when the Magpies are away, so Fans can Watch their Favourites in Action. Yeah I can See the Appeal. As long as they made it affordable to watch so a Family can also watch. Maybe a Quid A kid . A Fiver for the over 60's and a Tenner for everybody else. I'm sure the Club would Get Plenty of Takers. Food and Drink also available you'd be on a Winner There.

The only issue is this would lose a lot of revenue in the Champions League group stages. It would have a further impact on the broadcasting side, as they won't want to lose the potential coverage that the games offer. It would be good for the players, in principle.

However, I think teams just need to be more aware of how frequent players are playing.

Squads are usually large enough to make changes, which would reduce the fatigue caused by playing often. Yet, clubs and managers are more inclined to field their strongest squad, but from a development point of few making the odd change in games which aren't as crucial or where other fringe players could keep up, then the obvious answer would be not to over play first team players.

The UEFA Nations League should have been introduced with the mindset that nations must only choose x senior players and enforce them to bring in newer talent. This has added more games but the answer to reduce fatigue is to make use of your full squad. For example, if Liverpool are playing a club considered smaller, would playing 3-4 of their fringe/younger players make much difference?

???? Ha! Almost a military drill.

Losing team gets to do twenty press ups... ???? It's a good insight, some of which may be for the camera (not a negative) but it shows the strictness of the training process. All smiles and joking, it's good to see that the group of players are amongst each other.

Though someone in the background looks to be struggling with heavy panting.

We do need to try not to overdo things in the heat though, yet I am sure this is fully something the coaching team are aware off.

I think Southgate looked upon Ollie Watkins as a man who could come on and change a game, nothing more than that. 

Football has become a squad game nowadays where it is no longer looked upon as 11 players and their substitutes.

Now we have a starting 11 & a finishing 11 with every player in that 18, or 20 in the PL, or even 25 in international matches, having a specific purpose to perform depending on the circumstances 

I Don't See the point of calling him a Super Sub, just because he scored a 90th minute winner ( even if he's the youngest to do so). If he'd had done it 3-4 more times in different England Matches Fair Enough.

Is that All England have to Celebrate then? Ollie Watkins being the Youngster Sub ever to score the Winning Goal as a Substitute in the Euro's and Kyle Walker got into the Team of the Tournament Side.  We're just Clutching At Straws Now.

Jude Bellingham and Phil Foden are good players but in my opinion are over rated. They are not world beaters.

Apart from Bellingham scoring a wonder goal he had a very average tournament. He looked tired and jaded and he was quick to go down as though he was fouled a lot of the time.. He did lots of complaining too.

Foden had an average tournament too, looked tired & jaded & got frustrated very easily. Both players looked like they had left their best performances for their club sides.

Both of them lacked fire and motivation. Those two players impress in their club side, but they are surrounded by great players at their clubs, which can make a big difference. For England they both looked ordinary.