The results:

Both @ARLukomski and @magpiejue get off to a great start with 9 points, with @Megan_Elizax, @menzinho and @nottsnutter also earning honourable mentions! But it's a marathon, not a sprint 😉

Thank you all for playing and getting us underway, with or without equine assistance! The next batch of fixtures will be posted on Wednesday and the matches will be played on Saturday.

🫠

Well done everyone, I hope to do better next week. (The story of my life).😂

I can see why a London boy would like to be 2 hours from home and not in the wilds of Wigan, or even West Bromich for that matter. However, does look a bit of a hopeful one. Let's hope MP can polish another diamond 💎 .

Will he be on the bench Saturday 🤔

33 minutes ago, Mapperley Pie said:

Will he be on the bench Saturday 🤔

be shocked if he wasn't - he has the directness, power and pace to terrify teams if he's on song

The level of depth is a good thing, as we do play quite a lot of numbers in midfield and rotation does seem to be of high importance this season. I don't know much about Hindolo Mustapha, but I am sure the recruitment consider how he would fit in and sometimes the playes who fail to feature is down to them or the fact other players are just performing much better.

Let's see how he gets on and try to support him.

I love the 1990s style journalism. Great write up!

I love that yellow kit; I think it was simple but stunning. I really wished we would have a sensible yellow away kit, with black smartly positioned.

Some of the defending, and keeping is a bit comical.

It must have been exciting to watch the game, as 3-4 is quite a close game and 7 goals are quite rare to have seen in live games. I don't think have seen Notts play Burnley yet. I had hoped to make the league cup game, but my friends were not able to book it off from work.

This thread is a right rollercoaster 😁

He seems a very highly regarded young player - an England youth international who Chelsea paid 4 million to get. It looks like his loan to Strasbourg never happened, he went to Swansea instead and made six appearances according to Wikipedia.

Sounds like a talented prospect, but he'll be raw and will make mistakes. That's part of the deal with young loanees.

59 minutes ago, Graham said:

Peter O'Rourke is, in my experience, the most reliable source, although not 100% accurate. The Samuels-Smith transfer to Strasbourg was last summer. Don't know why he came back to Chelsea but he apparently did. It looks to me as though the potential loan to Notts is therefore still on.

🙄 error!

I think this is the club looking to unlock a talented gem, that we might otherwise be unable to sign and that it's on the back of our growing reputation of working with young talented players. Now he's signed, it's only a matter of time before we learn about Jodi and his future, but for now we must focus on the squad.

One for when we make the Championship in the next 3 years, aye, @Piethagoram?

Roberts is quality - have no fears about him at this level. He’ll deliver.

I didn't listen to the game, but I checked the score/stats and noticed at points Burnley had 70%+ percent of possession. Taking Burnley to penalties is also a good result, because it shows defensively we can deal with quality. It's a shame to lose on pens, especially after Cal Roberts put us ahead, but it does allow us to focus on the league.

It should also give fans some hope because they are a good team, regardless of it being early days in the new campaign.

You generally tend have high hopes when you sign a player from a top Premiership side, even more so knowing Chelsea spent £4 million to get him from Everton when he was 17!

I feel like he's been bought in to play at LWB, feels like we've been looking for someone especially as we were in reportedly in for Boyes before... Doesn't exactly add a reason to be positive about JJ staying.

In terms of Ishe, I hope he does well and a bit like with Iorpenda and Abbott we'll be feeling gutted by the time the season ends because we'll know he's not likely to return!

This one sounds promising, and it looks like he'll get plenty of minutes too due to the unexplained disappearance of Jones. Let's be patient with him and hope he's another loanee in the Iorpenda mould.

Jake asked me if I knew who he was, and I do. He's a youngster I have been impressed with before he broke into senior mens football, he stood out in his England u17s days. The only belmish is his lack of actual football. He's got the talent and should be someone fans find exciting to watch but it would make sense as to why he's found himself in League One on loan.

We are establishing ourselves with the role I mentioned the club should be pushing for when we signed Jorge Grant and Ryan Yates.

Do I feel concerned that he doesn't have much playing experience? Not at all, and I hope he comes with the desire to fight for his place in the team because if he settles and enjoys it, I think we'll have another loan gem who can go on to have a bright future in football. I think people will find his skill, and directness of play to be very entertaining.

He bounces around too much to really settle, though I hope he keeps up the form to warrant staying put. He's a good player, just loses his way with performances but that doesn't seem to stop him from making good moves. I wish him well, and it's nice to see this because he did have spells at Notts where he looked real quality.

Sounds like a good signing. Many of his Championship appearances were from the bench, so he'll be hoping for more minutes with us. Is this someone who can play in the number 10 position?

He's an attacking midfielder and he's also pretty good off the ball in terms of pressing effectively too from what I've heard, so he sounds like a good fit. Clearly you don't play that many Championship matches if you've not got something about you. It does sound like he could be perfect for us, and from the Swansea end they said the loan is with an option to buy.

Great that he's had a pre-season and is ready to go he'll probably be in the starting 11 for Saturday, assuming he has managed to avoid stepping on all the cursed relics seemingly buried under our training ground!

Isn't that Jay Brown from Eastenders? 😂

Ollie Cooper is a good player, but we need to see if he puts that serious look into performing well with us. Don't get me wrong, I am delighted that we have signed him. I am sure he will give us strength, but we need to make sure that he settles and does his best to produce the goods needed to squash some of the doom and gloom around the club.

It's a very good addition, but just like some might look down on signing a non-league player time will tell. It should be exciting with the squad we are buidling in mind.

A competitive ball hasn’t been kicked yet so let’s wait and see, we’ll eventually find out if the owners were ready or not. I personally think that they were prepared for every scenario but perhaps things haven’t gone quite as well as planned with regards to their first choice signings.

There’s no doubt it will be a tough league the first few games will be particularly hard the fans need to stick with the team, the manager and the owners.

2 hours ago, 4everapie said:

5th Bottom seems to be a safe bet

I’d take that, no one should expect us to be flying high at the end of the season. Consolidation is the key.

I think that the vast majority of fans will stick with the team, Head Coach and the Owners. I am sure they are all working hard to make the team competitive for the new season.

Head Coach Martin Paterson has already made it known that the squad is "light" at the moment. I believe he gave a strong hint that more quality players are needed to make up the numbers.

Recruitment is a fast paced world, but slow movement doesn't mean that doors are never opened. I don't want the club to rush out and sign players because they feel the fans won't like waiting. We have had this with previous regimes where they put their thoughts and concerns above what is best for business.

Last season there was a porition of complaints about the signings or lack of them, we really should have learned by now that the Reedtz appear to have options in terms of their policy on transfers.

The start of the past campaign had concerns, and there was a spell where I did feel concern but I always felt that once things settled that the players were able to pick up form. We ended up sealing promotion, and winning comfortably with one of the best performances at Wembley from a team in the lower tiers.

No club can truly say they are ready, not Liverpool nor Manchester United.

There's a level of unpredictabity in football, and it's what makes it resonate with us fans. I feel content with the business, and how things have gone even during the quieter spells. I do wonder how we are going to fit all the signings in, but that just leaves me to think that rotation will be a big thing.

I would rather the club have depth at this level, than hold back and assume the squad is strong enough. Notts must establish themselves in League One, our job is to be patient about it and support the team.

I try not to let it get to me but I feel a little bit sad that there are Notts fans who are so critical and pounce on any bad news or even rumours, and can't even receive good news in the right spirit. I agree it's unhelpful and disrespectful. I had a bit of a rant on the other site recently which I'm embarrassed about but couldn't stop myself! I need to just accept that some people are not happy unless they're unhappy. Anyone working in a media role will be well aware of that side of human nature.

There are fans on social media that go too far when they berate the club on social media, but I do believe that constructive criticism is acceptable when it is warranted.

When a Football Club's board sits down to discuss planning & strategy, are we led to believe that everyone agrees about every aspect as one? Of course not but they will air their opinions in a constructive & respectful manner.

Everyone as an opinion including the fan base & as long as opinions are kept civil, & respectful, I don't see a problem. After all, this is a discussion forum. It thrives on opinion & all opinions should be welcomed even when we disagree with that opinion

I doubt the comments are being read by the media team, though that doesn't make it right. It's a tough job, I can only compare to what I do for PON, as I have never done it for any football clubs but even in an indiependant role you can come across aggressive people who seem to find fault with you or blame you for what happens. There's always been an element of being knit picky and complaining, it happens with every club.

There are things which I felt were better handled, such as clearer communication but this doesn't always stem from the media team. People higher up may make decisions which force their hands.

Also, they can't always squash rumours but where damaging this is where I feel press conferences can be used to put out the fires spready in rumours. It doesn't help when people claim to be in the know; we had this with Alassana Jatta last season. Claiming he wouldn't be returning and that he was unhappy, how did they know? Though this malious type of communication doesn't seem to hold people off from trusting or buying into the next round of scienece fiction.

Even if the information was valid, without acting in honour and reporting factual accounts, a dying art in journalisim you still need to handle the situation respectfully.

A strong signing in my opinion. 5 assists last season in a team who only won 9 games. A player, once valued at £5M, who has been a professional for 10 years but who is still only 26. Our midfield is starting to look competitive.

For me it's not the best nor the worst we've ever had. Trying to come up with a different design every year and pleasing everyone is just about impossible. So on balance I think it's ok.

I like the new kit. I think that it will be very popular with the fan base.

On 17/07/2026 at 10:07, Graham said:

Next season, let's go back to good old fashioned black and white stripes.

Agree
I would like to see more classic

I didn’t think he was anything special, but my memory of him is unclear. He might have done better if we’d had a more determined squad at the time.

I felt sorry for Noor Husin during his time here, he was thrown into the team but I did think he improved. It's just that the squad wasn't good enough, and his career seems to have stagnated in the National League.

Good luck to him though.

I think he might also be the same son that did a wonderful documentary/interview with his father on YouTube. It explained how he lost his favourite drumkit, and his son managed to track it down. If I recall correctly, it got lost in shipment and it was customised to how Phil Collins prefers his setup. I believe this was when he was part of genesis.

It's nice to learn that his son plays football, I do seem to think it was mentioned in the video.

0-0 at full-time, not exactly a classic. I've seen the full-match replay on the site but I think I'll give it a miss. I did watch the post-match interview with Martin Paterson after, and it hasn't filled me with the reassuring comments I was hoping for!

Obviously the injury situation is not good, 1 fit proper wingback and 1 fit central midfielder is worrying. But I totally agree we are light on players and to be in this scenario 1 week before the first competitive match starts is not good. He made it pretty clear the goal-scorers in the team aren’t there and the way he was speaking about the players who have come in from the NL was a kind way of saying they aren’t ready.

He made it pretty clear he he doesn't control who comes in and out, felt like he was making it known to the fans that the lack of players isn't down to him.

I thought Jack Evans was the standout player for us today. Also Lipsiuc and Kouhyar did ok when they came on. But we don't look anywhere near league one ready. Lets hope we can get some quality players in and soon.

Totally agree with @McPie Jack Evans stood out as well for me, and i thought Belshaw was once again gave a solid performance. Martin Patterson made it clear in his post match interview that we are light in areas that matter and coupled with the injury list doesn't bode well for the beginning of the season never mind Burnley in the Carabou Cup. Looks to me like something needs to be done asap or suffer the consequences.

A lot of the Notts XI seem to be new academy players making their rans through our youth system, as I can only recall a handful of the names and I think the game will be important for them to re-start their focus on pushing for more development time. Certainly they shouldn't feel down about losing a pre-season friendly; it's all a part of learning.

It was a little disappointing not to see Emmanuel having more first team time pre season, he's been a stand out for a year in the B team for me.

West Brom played a half-decent team from looking at that, quite a few first teamers, probably a bit weak in an attacking sense although they did just pay £1.3M for Barney Stewart and he scored.

I don’t know why we haven’t released our team, the cynic in me is saying it’s because Jatta (and maybe Jones) weren’t involved so then everything gets totally overshadowed by that.

I’m never really one who thinks pre-season is that important in terms of performances, but it is good to see Acquah scoring goals, after the back of his last season I think it’ll help his confidence and relax some fans (me included) a little.

I hate the entitlement and negativity of some of our fans, especially those who demanded to see the team sheets or starting XI of both teams. It's a pre-season friendly, take the praise that our players got and turn it into excitement for the start of our League One campaign.

West Brom Albion started a decent squad from what I have read, and even if they fielded youngsters some of them will be about our level or near.

It's a good run out for the lads.

Pre-season results are always worth taking with a pinch of salt, but it's encouraging to hear we played well. For me, the biggest positives are fitness, building partnerships, and seeing how the manager wants us to play. If we're becoming flexible enough to change formations depending on the opposition, that's a good sign—it shows we're not going to be one-dimensional this season. I'm not a huge fan of behind-closed-doors friendlies either, as they're a missed opportunity for supporters to see the team, but if they help the club assess trialists and prepare properly, I understand why they're used. A 2–1 away win at West Brom is still a confidence boost, even if the real test starts when the league season kicks off.

Hey @Michael D Pie. take care of yourself my friend, urine infections are nasty as my dear wife will testify. I hope you are better soon.

I agree with @Chris thanks for your supportive messages, it means a lot.

My blood tests came back today, no diabetes, no high cholesterol and my blood pressure is fine. So the bleed on the eye isn’t caused by any of those, I’ve got an appointment in September to see an eye specialist.

Good morning to one and all, what a lovely day so far.

Thank you @Fan of Big Tone i think the antibiotics are starting to kick in and things are improving slightly. From experience i know success is not immediate, so I'm being a patient patient. Good results on the blood front, just the eyes to sort now eh?

21 hours ago, Chris said:

I hope you are okay, and that it clears up soon.

Thank you also @Chris it makes it such a pleasure to hear positive talk, weather it is banter, football or just a chat, it seems everything is always from the heart.

A few words for Mr Infantino and Mr Trump :-

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended. 🤑

Just now, Michael D Pie. said:

Good morning to one and all, what a lovely day so far.

Thank you @Fan of Big Tone i think the antibiotics are starting to kick in and things are improving slightly. From experience i know success is not immediate, so I'm being a patient patient. Good results on the blood front, just the eyes to sort now eh?

Thank you also @Chris it makes it such a pleasure to hear positive talk, weather it is banter, football or just a chat, it seems everything is always from the heart.

A few words for Mr Infantino and Mr Trump :-

We live in a time where intelligent people are being silenced so that stupid people won't be offended. 🤑

Anyone seen these two Magpie rascals, last spotted running down Meadow Lane. 🤣🤫

Very good fans, I would love to see Notts fans in the KOP do more but I don't think we are organised enough. At the Forest Friendly, there were multiple chants at times, and we really should be on the same page so the atmosphere is spot on. I mean, I did feel impressed but hearing 2 to 3 chants at the same time, with them equally dying off, just made me wish we could be more vocal in the right direction.

They may be in the third division, but Hansa make a fantastic atmosphere even by German standards and this was their big day out. They'd never been to England before, and London is pretty simple to get to - next season, their closest away trip will be over 200 miles away!

A few years back they brought 3000 to Mannheim, a 1000-mile, 24-hour round trip. Of course there are some idiots among them, but they're far from being the worst offenders.

The t shirts look a bit familiar too!

It’s bad for the fans, but it’s good that they are being looked into for breaking the rules.

But when some clubs can get away with charges or put them off, you can’t help but wonder how fair the rules are. They are supposed to keep football on a level playing field and stop clubs bending them to suit themselves.

These are serious charges, and I hope the punishment is fair.

You can't just do what they have, and I find it shameful it didn't come to light sooner. There was a lot of talk amongst fans about what was going on, and I don't mean their own supporters. I think they should be transfer santioned personally, however, they will still sign players now and avoid being in a difficult place which barely makes it right after breaking the rules.

I wonder how Derby County fans feel, since they had issues and faced strict punishment for how they signed players. Burton Albion for me is far more extreame, Deby's was a grey area and very heavy punished.