My guess would be Notts County vs Mansfield Town at Meadow Lane. It's a strong local derby, would attract a big crowd, and would be an easy fixture for broadcasters to promote. Bring it on, COYP.

We are going to end up with Sheffield Wednesday (A), followed by Stevenage (H), Wycombe (H) and then Reading (A).... If this comes true, don't think I can predict the future because I plucked them out of thin air.

I guess Leicester City .... what's the prize? 🥳

My earliest memory was the 2002 World Cup in South Korea, that England v Brazil was the first time I felt properly gutted after an England match. I remember going to school extra early as they'd set up the assembly hall with two tv's at the front, the old boxy ones 20 something inches but at the time these were considered big, there were about 100 kids sitting on the floor watching!

I was lucky enough to go to one of the matches in 2006 when my uncle worked in Germany. It was for a group stage match, Portugal v Iran, Portugal won 2-0 and I got to see Deco, Luis Figo and Ronaldo in the flesh!

1974 for me...so many memories

running home from school (the usually busy streets empty, I must have sprinted out at the bell) trying to catch Yugoslavia v Zaire. Gutted that I was watching highlights on the small black and white telly. Finally the penny dropped it wasn't highlights, it was just Yugoslavia running up a 9-0 win.

I used to watch international football games without missing a match, that's if I wasn't working. 1990 and 1994, they are too early for me to remember. I remember Euro 96's, rushing home from school because the games kicked off at 3pm. I hear me out, I felt encouraged by how England played and I thought losing to Germany was heartbreaking.

Those Pizza Hut adverts felt quite cruel to Gareth Southgate, and I think if we had kept Terry Venables on we might have done better in 1998.

Glenn Hoddle wasn't a bad choice to takeover, and I do recall feeling confident about us winning it. The Michael Owen debut is etched in my memory, how he made his darting run and gave us hope. How David Beckham got sent off for tripping Diego Simeone, who naturally made a meal of it. Yet, I felt the same frustration as the players and I think the 2002 World Cup, is where I lost faith in what was becoming known as the "Golden Generation".

I do wonder if Terry had stayed on, what he would have gotten out of England. Hoddle seemed stricter, and less focused on game management for me. Venables seemed like someone who could lift a nation, Hoddle just tended to complain from what I remember. I did like Hoddle's time; he did get England to do well enough but he was always too hot headed for me.

Your Weather 4Cast for Saturday 20th June.

Your Weather 4Cast for Sunday 21st June.

Your Weather 4Cast for Tuesday 23rd June.

@Pies79, I'll try to find out if it featured in the clubs official calendar, and if it does, I will try using my Photoshop magic to make sure it's of a quality worth printing. They used to release the image, but it's something that seems to be saved for official merch sales these days.

Personally, I think people would still buy signed stuff especially on the back of the promotion and would like to see the squad photo shared with us fans.

Good post! The growth is even more impressive when you look a bit further back. Attendances in general have boomed since 1990, but this development completely passed us by - in the early 90s we often got crowds of 5000 or 6000 (when those were still normal figures in the Championship). Thirty years later, little had changed for us, despite the rest of football overtaking us. In the Munto season, with nationwide publicity, we averaged a little over 7000. In our promotion season under Sam Allardyce it was about 5500. Even our last season in the top flight and the bounce under Alan Hardy were brief aberrations. We haven't been well supported since Showaddywaddy were cool.

So our sustained growth in the last few seasons is hugely impressive. It's down to us playing good, successful football, but the brothers have put everything in place to make that possible and completely changed the culture and vibe of the club. It never fails to baffle me when some fans would prefer to go back to the old ways when we lose a couple of matches.

On 15/06/2026 at 10:02, Sheffield Pie said:

Aside from the data it's noticeable that fans of other clubs, managers and commentators, new signings etc. quite often describe Notts as a "massive club".

I think that's partly because of the big crowds we've been drawing, but also partly because we've been knocking around L2 and the NL for a decade. Nobody would say that if we were in the Championship. I'd love to see us punch above our weight some time soon!

The Brothers have took Notts from strength to strength, and got things done at a steady pace, yes we'd like them to splash the cash on very good players and pay extortionate wages, they probably could afford to, but not to put the club into astronomical debt. I say keep doing what they're doing and we'll get there.

The 'massive club' description seems to come more from those outsiders @Chris mentions

Like others on this thread, I think 'ok mate, you carry on believing that'. We're too scarred by decades of 5000 to declare that ourselves.

I think the perception comes from seeing that Nottingham is a 2-club city and, with the exception of Bristol, that usually means 'big'. The irony though is that they're right. Nottingham is a hell of a big metropolitan area, bigger than Sheffield for example (who cannot count Rotherham, Doncaster, Barnsley & Chesterfield)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_urban_areas_in_the_United_Kingdom

When Nottingham was much smaller, we were getting the 47,000 or so post-war crowds. The dormant fanbase has always kind of been there. I think we have to give credit to all those great-grandparents and grandparents (in my case), who passed on the flame. Maybe it skipped a couple of generations, but I think the great-grandchildren are the ones to pick up their family heritage. It's amazing how young the crowd looked at Wembley. Just 10-15 years ago, It still looked like you needed a cloth cap to be a Notts County fan.

Doesn't really matter now, we have Martin Paterson and he can stay being happy with Derry. Who knows if it was for good enough reasons? They were his, and we aren't exactly missing someone like him.

I can remember being really excited when Will Patching signed, given he’d spent all his time at Man City’s academy and played in the England youth teams, I thought we’d got a real gem.

Just goes to show how competitive it is in the world of professional football, you can be at one of the best academies and be part of the England set-up and still not make it.

Can't stop listening to this New Order masterpiece this week - Vanishing Point

Sad song, but what an ending

''My life ain't no holiday
I've been through the point of no return
I've seen what the man can do
I've seen all the hate of a woman too

And they gave him away
Like in 'Whistle Down The Wind'
By the look on his face
He never gave in''

I have been listening a lot to "They Might be Giants".

I found out a few years ago that they sang some songs from my childhood. I didn't know these songs were by the band famous for the "You're not the boss of me" theme from Malcolm in the Middle.

My most played this week is this one...best song to come out of Nottingham IMHO

good player, decent turn of skill and pace. i prefer him as a striker than midfield but he has done well since leaving us.

I still feel disappointed by how he ended his Notts career, by not celebrating when we scored goals and isolating himself just because he knew he would be released. I still would wish him well, as on his day he can be a very good player.

Very nice pictures again @Fan of Big Tone some beautiful buildings and still pristine after all this time. Time to recharge the batteries now you are setting sail, and I bet you are really looking forward to Corfu. We have been twice and it's a beautiful island with lovely people. Have fun 👍 🚢🤠

A hot 30 degrees in Corfu, we’re one of two ships in port ours is on the left.

Nice weather makes for good times @Fan of Big Tone enjoy every last ray my friend.

I did a match marathon last night, watching Qatar v Switzerland followed by Brazil v Morocco then Scotland v Haiti and Australia v Turkey for breakfast 😀 all in all not a bad night shift eh? ⚽️😴

It could be a good move, but I think Zak Johnson might want to see how his season goes and if he performs well again. Who knows? Players move too quickly these days. They don't get to settle, or gain improvements in consistancy that knowing your role through decent stints with teams offers.

I'm slightly surprised League 1 clubs are after him to be honest. I know he's still young and should improve but his spell with us was the highest level he played at and he wasn't comfortable, at least for us in the wide centre back role. He then had to drop down a level and even then wasn't first choice at York. He was also very slow, so he'd struggle to adapt to any side that plays a high-line.

I’ll take him. Easy run down the A38, he can sit in the back thou with his shitty attitude

In Dennis's defence he made a great start to the season in Jatta's absence then he was dropped from the starting 11 when Jatta returned. It was patently obvious that Dennis was deemed 2nd choice upfront. When a player is playing well with lots of confidence, then he's dropped, it can affect a player's confidence.

As things turned out, at season's end there was only 2 goals between them, Jatta scoring 16 and Dennis 14. Personally, I do think that Jatta is the better all round player & he also fits better into Martin Paterson's system.

Every player wants to play in the starting 11. Maybe it's for the best if Dennis has an opportunity somewhere else. Notts will need to ensure that he is replaced if he does go.

Burton have just sold their No.9, Beesley to Bradford, so they are definitely looking to add to their forward line. I wouldn’t sell him to a team that we are probably going to be battling with next season in terms of staying above that dotted line though.

I rate him and hope he stays to be honest but some fans seem something might be off behind the scenes. He’s still young enough that he’ll get better and I believe he can push Jatta for that starting striker spot. 14 goals, considering his time second half the season was more limited, is a very good return.

The summer and warmer months, especially with the World Cup and other sporting events, give us a great chance to increase the amount of revenue that The Nest takes in. It's a popular spot with my son's Uni, a lot of his friends are not fans but frequently go to the events. I wished the club would try to host some events around e-gaming, and try to convert some of these students into Notts fans.

Surprisingly, most do not have a team, and my son tells me most only look out for the Premier League results. He's the only one in his course that supports a team, or attends games.

To the article, it's a great insight and it's nice to see just how much this decision is paying off. It's a credit to the club.

@Chris i have just been writing about my passion for Motorbikes, and i know they have a fantastic fan base, maybe a shot in the dark but watching races on the big screen with other like minded fans and the addition of food and drink could be something the Nest looks into. Racing is usually over a 3 day period with practice on the first day, second day morning practice and race for pole position with races in the afternoon, and third day free practice, then racing all day. With the Nest being easily accessible it wouldn't take much to advertise on social media and catch those who don't want to travel to say Brands Hatch (Kent) getting bums on seats, and keeping the Motorcycle fraternity happy.

1 hour ago, Michael D Pie. said:

@Chris i have just been writing about my passion for Motorbikes, and i know they have a fantastic fan base, maybe a shot in the dark but watching races on the big screen with other like minded fans and the addition of food and drink could be something the Nest looks into. Racing is usually over a 3 day period with practice on the first day, second day morning practice and race for pole position with races in the afternoon, and third day free practice, then racing all day. With the Nest being easily accessible it wouldn't take much to advertise on social media and catch those who don't want to travel to say Brands Hatch (Kent) getting bums on seats, and keeping the Motorcycle fraternity happy.

I will sound like an hypocrite but I would actually be up for watching the Superbikes or something with a crowd of Notts fans and casual people. It could be applied to darts, and other major sporting events. I am generally not interested in motor sports but that is when I am at home, and partly due to how Super would put F1 on during times I was watching something else. Prior to him switching the channel, I am glad I rule my TVs remote now. 😅

Pleased for him...but more pleased we won't be playing them next season. That could have been embarrassing 😳

One of the most remarkable aspects of the season was that Stuart Maynard inherited a team that was only four league games into the campaign and sitting 12th when he arrived. By the end of the season, York were champions.

The title race went right down to the final day against fellow promotion contenders Rochdale AFC. York needed a result and, after Rochdale scored in the 95th minute, it looked as though promotion had slipped away. Then Josh Stones equalised in the 103rd minute to secure promotion and the championship in dramatic fashion.

Stuart Maynard's work was recognised at the National League awards, where he won Manager of the Season.

All the best to Stuart and his team, if he carries on in this manner we could possibly come up against him in the 27/28 season 🤔⚽️

I am glad it turned out all well for Stuart Maynard, had they not won the National League it would have felt similar to us vs. Wrexham. I didn't want Rochdale to come up, I don't like the area or club but can acknowledge that they did well. It seemed all for York, and Rochdale put the pressure on them. It made a great end of the season through the English leagues as to who went up in what place. I wish him all the best moving forward.

It could well@Mapperley Pie after all we're now in the same league as Huddersfield, so coming back to us could actually be the better option!

Allegedly Huddersfied Town are more interested in George Iorpenda, and I heard that they are interested in seeing what clubs are willing to pay. I don't like speculation or spreading rumours, but it was supposed to be around £500.000; which there was also said to be a lot of interest from other League One teams.

If it's true, I would hope Notts is in conversations with trying to secure his services again. Permanently would be a dream come true, but there's no reason why they wouldn't loan him back out to us.

His season with us this past campaign may have changed their views, it might be that they are looking to get him involved but when a club is looking to generate assets, there is always a chance of a deal being formed. I just hope that if any bids do go in, that it doesn't start a bidding war. I firmly believe Tom would re-join us, and love that; but we will have to wait to see what happens.

Just so people can watch here without leaving the site.

Salford seemed to have a bit more focus, but I loved how our young fan was either oblivious to the Salford captain reaching out to sake hands or was snubbing him. It looks more like nerves to me, but was funny. Karl Robinson looks absolutely annoyed, and like he doesn't even want to do the interview.

Throughout our players interactions, I love how they engage with the young fan and that our whole camp looked together. It was wonderful to see Chud participate as well. I wish @Dan had managed to be there, even though I think he mentioned he was covering Juventus.

Absolutely gutted he's gone, he did a grey job of slowing things downand controlling the midfield. He was just what Notts were missing in terms of an agitator/antagonist in midfield. I hope we get another player with those skills as county have been too nice for too long, youneed a few of these type of players.

I am pleased it was his decision to move closer to home, as I would have been annoyed if Notts had moved him on.

Sorry to see him go and I wish him well for the future.

Norburn was an integral part of our promotion campaign, he provided the necessary grit, subtlety and composure - with the odd exception, of course.

I liked him and Robbo together but look forward to Sanders replacing Ollie tbh.

Ollie Norburn's departure did feel short, and I do think that he ended his season the right way for us. He became an exceptional part of the team, and the role he played to assist our promotion was vital to how he would defend and get Notts going. Some are comparing him to Johnny Bostock, but I do feel we may have been able to keep Norburn whereas Bostock didn't have a great last season and I felt his departure made perfect sense.

Both players brought something we needed to the middle of our team, and were cult icons during their time, but Norburn for me could have given so experience and still played a role, when Bostock made sense to move on.

Nothing will change, so I wish Norburn well. But I think we need to add some speed there and that seems to be the case with the signing of Max Sanders.

There was also Birch, Pollard, Saxilby, Scott, Newell & Pick who were part of the successful squad of 1987 too.

I like watching darts between two professionals, especially when they are quite evenly matched. I do not like watching cocky players, or those who are simply miles better than their opponent. I think the sport has become worse for unsportsmanship in recent years. I like the character of a true professional but not the silly tantrums.

Shake hands, and walk off... Don't flip tables or try to start fights.

Snooker is okay in small doses. I can find it interesting when players try to go for it and play safe to a degree. It's boring when someone is overprotective and relies on fouls.

Basketball is about the only American sport that I actually enjoy; I don't like Baseball or American Football. I am not into motor sports either. Some sports simply make me sleepy, and both F1 and the C word fall into that category.

Motorbike racing has been a passion of mine from my late teens to now, the likes of Barry Sheen, Kenny Roberts, Randy Mamola, Freddie Spencer, Eddie Lawson and a chap called Derek Chatterton. Not forgetting Rocket Ron Haslam, Steve Parish and of course Carl Foggerty. So much so I took on the mantle of becoming a Race Marshall and was fortunate to meet the riders and travel to most of the circuits in the UK. Today I still follow British Superbikes and the rider from Jacksdale Kyle Ryde, who has won the championship two years running and is leading in the early stages this year on his Ducati. Little does Kyle know that when a child prodigy Mrs P and myself helped raise money to keep him riding, with organised events at Jacksdale Welfare. 🏍 🏆

I hope he can have a big impact for us next season, there's no doubting his talent we've all witnessed it first hand just got hope he can make the step up to League 1.

I think signing him early is a good thing though, he'll have lots of time to prepare properly for the season ahead. I can remember a comment from Lee Ndlovu where he mentioned how the training was a lot more physically draining for him since he joined us. We clearly have an intensity and fitness that is a lot higher than your average National League sides. I think a good pre-season will give him the best chance of succeeding here again.

Cal Roberts is a brilliant signing. It is great to see him back, and I am keen to see how he settles in after his last spell. He is a gifted player who should trouble most League One sides. He adds real strength and quality to Martin Paterson’s team.

With any player you have to think about injuries, and Roberts is very similar to Jodi in that sense.

When the head coach and the club have spent time saying our wingers do not get enough protection and are kicked out of games, it makes the concern even more serious. Old injuries can shorten a career. Roberts should be in his prime now, and I agree with Chris that we need to protect players like him. We have had a lot of injuries this season, some very serious. Lewis Macari is a big one. Matty Platt, Rod McDonald, Lucas Ness and several others have all had problems that we hope do not return.

It is a worry, but players like Roberts and Jones have a real desire to win and that drives them on. Notts just needs to avoid risking them when they have small knocks, and with the right squad we should be able to rotate and avoid bigger issues. Welcome back, Roberts. The one and only Geordie Messi.

I am sure he will do well in his return but is a jump from the National league to league 1 a little too much?

I’m really happy with the addition of Sanders, I think we’ve got 3 really good options in midfield and with one more likely there should be real competition in this area now. I think the main criticism of him when he first played in League 1 was that games could bypass him but going to a more physical side like Crewe has certainly helped develop this area of his game. 

I do think we have finally found someone to push Matt Palmer, it’s felt like for years we’ve tried to find a similar player we’ve had Ed Francis, Curtis Edwards and Jack Hinchy but none of them quite had that desired impact. Max is very comfortable on the ball, gets forward well and has the ability to play accurate longer passes too.

Just on Matt Palmer, I thought he was really good first half of the season, he looked a different player. He was pressing really well, sharp in his tackling and was able to win turn-overs numerous times. Then he got injured and it hampered his second half of the season. I still think a fit and firing Matt Palmer has a lot to offer.

Agree with the consensus above - a good signing on the face of things.

With Norburn 33 Palmer 31, it's good to have a holding CM at 27 and I thought he interviewed very well

@menzinho agree on Palmer. The season was a strong bounceback from a poor season playing backwards and sideways in Maynard's scheme. I seem to say this most years, but I hope he passes on the armband now. The masterstroke at the end of the season was going Norburn-Robbo. There's something about Palmer leading us in clutch end-of-season games that seems to set the wrong tone for the team.

I don't really know that much about him but from what has been said sounds like a good signing.

Is he anything like a Dan Crowley type of player? As I still think we need a player like that, would anyone say Sanders or Roberts would fill a role similar to that of Crowley or is this something they still needs to be looked for? A creative midfielder?

I remember the first time I sat in the Derek Pavis stand with my Grandfather Ray, I was so excited to see a live game and he briefed me before the game not to expect too much and that it wouldn't be like I had seen on TV. However, I was glued the moment the first touch was made and I liked that back then the players uninvolved sat behind the dugout.

At half-time, my grandfather and a few other fans would talk to some of them such as Michael Johnson. That impression of being a family club is part of what won me over.

I don't recall the cost of the tickets, but I do remember the feel of the paper. How much better quality they looked and felt. I loved the holographic image and the overlay of the old Notts logo. I would keep all of my tickets, and I stored them in a large mint tin my mum gave me. One day, I hope to find it.

Well done, Jodi!!!

These types of momens not only are proud as a community, but as fans we can admire how inspiring Jodi is to others and by going back to his former school.

I thought this part of Joe Palmer's message was very significant.

I quote

"Chris, Alex and everyone connected with the club wants to deliver success as much as anyone – but we’re not prepared to risk the club’s long-term security by limiting our strategy to simply matching the top spenders in our division. Instead, our competitive advantage comes from our dedication to our model, which is succeeding in driving more value from our spending through smarter recruitment and rational decision-making. It’s a model based on ‘when’, not ‘if’ – as demonstrated by the fact that the club has been steadily improving its league position year-on-year".

The sustainability approach will continue. It has proved to be a successful strategy so far. I think it will be tested to the full in League One. It will be fascinating to see how it pans out.

We know just how much the club has put effort into being sustainable, and understanding that the growth must be natural and organic. I think the statement by Joe Palmer is encouraging, and I hope those who were questioning the Reedtz ambition see that things fall into place via hard work.

I look at Notts like a jigsaw puzzle, that needs all the right pieces to be completed.

I think previous regimes only had parts, and never really had a clear vision on what worked best for us. I have praised the Reedtz for how they have a clinical and calm thought process, and it does seem to extend down to the staff. Our promotion has been incredibly successful, especially since Alan Hardy sold the business.

Whilst they make things look easy, I don't hold any ill feelings over Hardy or the Trews. I just don't think they were ever the right fit, and it's saddening the amount of damage suffered which thankfully has been erased by our current owners.

Some might say that 'promotion' does that, but it's not so easy. As a community-based club, that is steeped in family tradition, we need to look out for each other. If we can do that, the club will naturally benefit and only a stronger sense of togetherness will emerge which is great in terms of our fan zone. With the World Cup coming up, The Nest could play a huge role in making the playing budget go further or additional ground improvements.

Thanks everyone, we’re on our second day at sea, it’s been rough through the channel and Bay of Biscay with 6 metre waves but nothing the ship couldn’t cope with. It’s calmed down now and the sun is out we’ve just left the BoB and now off the coast of Portugal. Just sending this with a one hour free internet. Lots of good food and entertainment to keep us busy. First stop Cartegena on Tuesday.

5 hours ago, Fan of Big Tone said:

Bay of Biscay with 6 metre waves but nothing the ship couldn’t cope with. It’s calmed down now and the sun is out we’ve just left the BoB and now off the coast of Portugal. Just sending this with a one hour free internet. Lots of good food and entertainment to keep us busy. First stop Cartegena on Tuesday.

Good day to you @Fan of Big Tone and a welcome aboard me hearties. The 6 meter waves don't sound very encouraging my friend, I hope that's the last you see of them 🌊 or it could get a little uncomfortable. Glad to hear the food is up to standard and you can't beat a little entertainment with your tipple 🍻

Hope you both have a great time 🚢.

I made a bit of a ball up today, I have been offering help to one of the first communities I joined as a 14-year-old and I have brought the site down. I am awaiting contact from the owner, I hope they will understand the situation but I do feel frustrated by my own actions. I tested it locally, it was fine, but as it seems it's not always enough. I am very keen to help them, and ensure the site prospers, but it's not a good start. 😥

7 hours ago, Piethagoram said:

A great read. 👏