Everything posted by Chris
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Notts County 1-1 Crewe Alexandra
JRC is a joy to watch and it disappoints me reading people being overly negative towards him. We rely too much on our strong creative players and the comments which was directed to him at half time was unacceptable. Judge is a battler and he seen the brunt of some dubious challenges. (one of Crewes players went into a challenge with a raised foot and then pretend Judge had caught him) They played nice stuff at times but we allowed them to come at us and the penalty was an incident that had me shouting even before it happened. Hard one, as the challenge had to be made but risky considering it could of been given a red card. Young fab made a series of great saves and looked to be playing with an amazing amount of confidence. Great write up Joe! Thanks
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John Cofie signs on loan
Notts County today have confirmed the signing of John Cofie on loan from Manchester United. John spent time earlier in the season with Sheffield United where he scored 2 goals in 16 appearances. He's a young striker at the age of 20, hopefully adding some hunger to our squad. Notts agreed terms on Thursday with United and he travelled to Meadow Lane on Friday morning to complete his move. He is the first signing under caretaker manager Chris Kiwomya, who has signed in a fairly decent prospect and will have a pacey player at his disposal. Many fans might have hoped for a more experienced player, one whom may already have more playing experience but none the less we welcome John Cofie as a magpie! He started his career off at Burnley where he was highly rated for being strong, determined but also very fast. He quickly earned a move to Manchester United where he stayed in their youth system until late 2010. After which he moved onto their reserves team, since being loaned out. His first experience was found at Royal Antwerp of the Belgian Second Division which saw him play 13 times scoring 3 times. Speaking to our own resident from Manchester SteveMUP regarding this loan signing, Steve told me that John is a very raw product but gives nothing less than 100%. “He's still regarded fairly highly amongst the United fans who follow our development system” Steve added. “I had hoped he would establish himself further at Sheffield United, he's a very fast player. I see him being a very useful signing for Notts County. Obviously this isn't a signing that your fans will be over the moon about, give the lad a chance first”. John has been given the number 19 shirt, which makes him eligible for the game tomorrow. We encourage all fans to try to turn the recent events into positives, lets get behind the club and sing until we can't. http://youtu.be/M349xIgSHPg
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Crewe Alexandra - View
Crewe Alexandra come to Notts having won their last two games, one in which was against Coventry City in the JPT. Notts County will be focusing on changing the recent form which has seen them lose two away matches to the hands of struggling Hartlepool and then last tuesday against Stevenage. Crewe haven't beaten Notts in the league for awhile, so Chris Kiwomya could very well be the man to continue this record against them. Pride of Nottingham has taken the time to ask Mike and Andy a series of questions. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Mike: Hello, Thank you for this opportunity to Interact with some fellow football fans. My name is Mike Sheridan, I have been a Crewe fan for 30 years and a season ticket holder for 25, ups and downs have been witnessed by my eyes at this club. Many of those at the hands of great clubs such as yours. I cannot wait for this game. Andy: I have been a Crewe Alexandra fan for many years this is my 45th season and am the current Stadium Announcer We share the same amount of points, however you have a game in hand, if you beat us on Saturday your team will be making steady ground towards the play-offs. How important is it for you and for the club to be pushing on for a place in the play-offs? Mike: Our manager has said that the playoffs are his aim, but in my eyes finishing that high up is a bonus to surviving in a league we had no intentions of being in half way through last season. We are doing a bit better than what I expected though, so who knows! Andy: P.O place isnt that important most fans would be happy with a mid table finish anything else is clearly a bonus, but we want that JPT now we've got such a great chance. You haven't beaten Notts County in the league since 96/97 which since you've only managed to draw once, the rest resulting in defeats. Do you think this Saturday will be different considering our recent events? Mike: Is that how long its been? Wow, what a real thorn in our side! to be honest anything can happen on the day, I have always been a passionate believer in that when 22 men get on a football field. No records or off field situations have anything to do with their performances and overall result. Andy: Yes our record against County is very poor at best, on the back of a 0-3 win away at Coventry confidence has to be high. At the start of the season who did you think would win the league but also get promoted and finish in the play-offs? Mike: I genuinely thought Coventry and Preston would be the big two pushing around the auto promotion places. Swindon, Stevanage, Sheffield and yourselves were also top runners in my predictions. Andy: The obvious as in Sheff Utd and I always fancied Swindon to do well, P.O places I predicted could be County, MK, Doncaster and PNE. Crewe Alexandra have produce some of the best youths at our level, some of which have gone onto bigger clubs, such as David Vaughan. How many of your own youths feature in your current squad and do you rate any coming through the ranks? Mike: If you think back to our Wembley win, I think all but 3 of our starting XI were youth graduates. At the moment however with new signings from last summer and a couple of loanees I think That number is more like 5/6 depending on what side Davis goes with. I could name a few young lads who are coming the youth system, but I don’t think Mr. Gradi would be best pleased with me publicizing their names
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Notts Alumni - Glynn Hurst
Fascinating article! I really enjoy these and can tell you put a lot effort into doing them too. I find your writing inspiring, as I do with UniPie too and I hope to write up more myself. If I could do half as well as you do I would be very happy. Thanks for sharing this write up Joe, as always it's appreciated.
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Stevenage 2-0 Notts County
Half of our problems would and can be resolved by the training ground, it's funny how little things impact our game but we really need to start facing up to our mistakes. We need to get tight and mark, if not at least force the opposition to waste their energy so that they're the one's who are wasteful. I wouldn't put any blame on Chris, he's dealing with what he's been given and can only hope to make changes. I enjoy your write up as always Joe, It's on personal joy buddy. I love reading about Notts Thank you
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Stevenage Boro - View
After the dismissal of Keith Curle, Notts will be facing Stevenage with Chris Kiwomya acting as caretaker manager. Notts are five points away from the play off spots so it will be vital for our lads to keep their heads down and just get stuck in if we're to gain a play off spot. Stevenage sit 15th with two games in-hand of Notts and if they were to win they'd be on the same amount of points as us. Pride of Nottingham once again asks two opposition fans a series of questions as we gain their view ahead of our league one clash. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Chris: Been a fan since 2003, when I went to my first game as a seven year old. Been going along regularly since then, and have now been a season ticket holder for four years. Josh: I'm 17 on Thursday, so Tuesday is a big game for me. I'm a passionate supporter who loves the club and have been a fan for 10 years this august. My first game was a 0-0 draw against Chester City in 2003, and have been a Stevenage fan ever since. I'd never watched a game of football before, not even on TV, so I have Stevenage to thank for my love of football. After a pretty good start Stevenage found themselves near the top of the table however things started to drop since your 4-0 defeat to Swindon Town. Can tell us how things are going for you now? Chris: Home performances recently have often been dire - no win in 15 weeks at Broadhall Way, and don't appear to be picking up any time soon. Our away form has been patchy too, but we look to be on track for a lower mid table finish, thanks to our excellent start to the season. Josh: I think we need stability. Results have been getting to the fans and players and to shut off teams, get a few 0-0 draws and then push on from there would do us no harm. We showed signs of improvement against Doncaster, however lacked anything good against Orient. I think we'll pick up form and have a good mid table finish, however I couldn't tell you when I think that'll start. On 3/2/2013 Notts County announced that they had parted ways with Keith Curle, as an opposition fan what are your thoughts on this and do you see it as being something Stevenage can capitalize on? Chris: I can see it going one of two ways. Either the County players will kick into life and secure the three points, or it will give our players the thought that they can get something from the game. I was surprised to see him sacked, although I'm not sure why given the way modern football is! At the end of the day despite County's recent poor form, you're still only five points off the play-offs. Josh: Notts are in a reasonably good position, table wise. 5 points outside play offs, and they can easily be made up as we've seen from other teams such as Coventry and Bournemouth. However if the club don't feel the manager is able to do this, then I can understand the sacking. As for the second question, I think we could capitalise on it, although we lost our manager last season and pulled out 3 fantastic results before getting a new manager in. So although I think we could gain an advantage from it, teams react differently to losing a manager and you could well rally behind the captain or leader figure of the team and play well. How busy has your club been during the transfer/loan window? Chris: We've released a couple of players who haven't featured at all this season, and brought in three new players. We've been light up top all season, so brought in two young strikers on loan - Sam Hoskins from Southampton who is a small but pacey striker who looks like he could do well for us. The other loan signing was Steve Beleck - intriguing because he is technically a Udinese player, on loan at Watford, who then loaned him out to us. He's the complete opposite of Hoskins - big, strong, and suitably good in the air. He also seems to be a decent signing, although time will tell. Finally we signed Leyton Orient's captain and centre half Ben Chorley who made his debut against the club he had just joined us from on Saturday. Too early to tell how well he'll do here, but he put in a decent shift. Josh: 2 loan players in Steve Beleck and Sam Hoskins, both of whom look like good players. Belecks a strong and tricky character, while Hoskins looks nimble and a very tough character to handle. Chorley is the permanent signing, the orient captain joining us on deadline day. He seems like a strong, reliable defender and has definitely given us a more resilient defence. Currently Stevenage are sitting in 15th place but with games in hand, where do you see your club going from here on? Chris: I see us slipping further away from the play-offs, our away form should be enough to see us easily clear of relegation, but the awful home performances will stop us climbing the table. Given the size of our club, and the fact we bought almost an entirely new squad in the summer, I think most of us would have taken safety at the end of this season. Josh: We'll strengthen, learn from mistakes and push on. Our games in hand are tough, Notts, Brentford home and away and Bury away will prove difficult challenges and will require serious planning. On our current form, I would expect 4/5 points at best. What are your thoughts on Gary Smith currently and how did you feel about his appointment at the time? Chris: I was impressed with his appointment at the start. It was obviously very disappointing when Graham Westley left us given the amount of success he had given us, but bringing in a coach who had won the MLS with the lowest budget in the league gave me hope for the future. Currently, I can't make my mind up about him. On one hand, I've been happy with most of his signings and a mid-table finish is fine by me with the new squad. However, it does worry me at times that the fans can spot mistakes straight away, which he then won't attempt to fix for several games - and the fact he spends the vast majority of his time on the touchline leaning on the dugout with his hands in his pockets. I do think by sticking with him we'll achieve some more success though, in time. Josh: I feel he can do well with the team if the fans give him a chance. He's bound to make mistakes in the transfer window and we'll develop as I said. Hearing of his success in America I was excited on hearing of his appointment. Westley had been a massive part of the clubs history and although it's cliqued, it felt like a new era for the club. Can you tell me which Stevenage players poise a threat to our team and who has been your overall best player of the season so far? Chris: Frankly, right now none of our players pose a threat to anyone! On his day Freeman can be an absolutely class act but he has found himself frozen out of the team recently. Lucas Akins, our right winger and top scorer, has his good games too. Player of the season so far for me personally would be our central midfielder James Dunne, who we picked up from Exeter City in the summer. He's got it all - tackling, interceptions, vision, passing and a decent shot too. Josh: I'm not a Preston player I can't give away team information. But on a serious note, Tansey can hit a good strike, and Akins and Morais can prove very troublesome down the wings. In defence, Roberts is a commanding figure and a great captain at CB, and Gray get's forward well from RB. Hoskins looks very tricky up front and could be a handful. Which Notts County players do you feel Stevenage will have to be wary of and who do you consider to be our best player? Chris: Thinking back to the away game earlier this season, I thought Zoko and Showunmi looked like a threat - I certainly wouldn't want to be the centre back given the job of marking them. Hard to say who I feel your best player is overall though, I'll been impressed with some of the saves I've seen Bialkowski make on the Football League Show though so I'll go for him! Josh: Campbell-Ryce scored against us last time, and Jeff Hughes has caused us problems in the past. Alan Judge is a good player and could be a real threat to us. Please tell Pride of Nottingham about Stevenage, the ground and anything which may be important to away fans? Chris: Stevenage isn't as bad as some people make it out to me, and the ground is in a reasonably pleasant location. My only advice would be to avoid the burger bar! Josh: Macdonalds, Asda, Burger King, all en route from the train station to the ground. You'll get no problems from Stevenage fans, we're a nice bunch and are more interested in the game. Do you ever visit opposition fans forums? If so will you be visiting any of Notts County's prior to our game to look up the general on-goings of the club? Chris: I normally visit opposition forums a few days before games - I'll definitely be keeping an eye on Notts County's especially given the sacking of Curle. Josh: I rarely do, however if something big has happened like the signing of the player from another club, I'll look to see what their thoughts are on him. What has the weather been like at Stevenage recently? Chris: The same as most of the country - wet. Thankfully the pitch looked fine on Saturday, but you'll need to wrap up warm on Tuesday night if you're making the trip! Josh: It's brightened up recently, and has felt a bit less like winter and more like spring. That's jinxed it however and it'll probably hammer down on Tuesday now I've said that. How do you see your season finishing and where do you feel Notts County will finish by the end of the season? Chris: As I've said I'm predicting a lower mid-table finish for us. I do feel however that the winner of our match on Tuesday will have earned a massive victory - it could be the platform that both of us need to push on for the play-offs - who knows. I reckon County will finish just outside the play-off spots though, around about where they are now. Josh: I think we'll finish in similar positions, both seem to be having similar form and problems. And I expect both teams to pick up. 8th to 12th for both of us I think. Additional Note: I hope we'll see a good game on Tuesday, and all the best for the rest of the season. We would like to Thank both Chris and Josh for taking the time to answer our questions.
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Another One Bites The Dust
I was shocked, people seemed surprised by this but I genuinely feel it. I expected him to have at least a few more games before he was given the push and even then i would feel he should of been given the rest of the season. (unless things became a whole lot worse) Curle had the momentum of wanting to achieve and prove us wrong, I'm not really sure what gave way but I'd say some of it came down to bad luck. Performances which was pretty poor, I still wouldn't say it was anything that experience couldn't overcome. He was still learning in many respects and I feel when he tried changing things there was often a valid idea behind it. I didn't feel this at Hartlepool when Hamza and Nangle but I was more than willing to keep positive. Chris is walking into a difficult situation as it's one he could find he'll regret. We need to treat this now as a new season, back him and try to turn things into positives. What happens if we lose our next 3-4 games? This situation will swallow even the black hole which was around with Curle. It's hard to say where it all went wrong but I think it's unfair to blame just Curle for this.
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Hartlepool 2-1 Notts County
Excellent write up Joe! It was a fun day regardless of the result but odd moments made you wonder things. The changes made when we was chasing the game didn't go down well, I fully understand this but was more than happy to have faith in Nangle. He seemed very nervous Time for us to move on.
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Keith Curle Sacked!
I can honestly say I am surprised, this is a difficult decision made by our board. People will wonder why but I feel we would of given him more time, so there's probably more to this than we know. I think the timing is a little awkward as a new manager could of tried to make changes last month and this leaves the loan market as our only option which I don't see much happening in. Full support for the club and whoever is named our new manager.
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Hartlepool vs Notts County
Taken at our away game against them played on the 02/02/2013
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Hartlepool United - View
During my visits I couldn't stop chuckling at the comments I read and they have some very interesting characters. Mr Ripper being one who puts his sense of humour across nicely within his answers! Poolie too, I loved his comment regarding our keeper! It's nice when you can poke fun at your own side without being overly negative or come across in a bad way which these don't to me.
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Hartlepool United - View
It's a special double featured opposition view from Pride of Nottingham, as we speak with two Hartlepool United fans Mr Ripper and Poole In Nottingham. Notts will be looking to continue our new away record by making it 2 wins from 2 away games, whilst Hartlepool will be eager to cause us trouble. Hartlepool sit at the bottom of the table and their fans will be hoping for some light ahead of the difficult situation Hartlepool United find themselves in. It has been interesting for myself to read two fans views so I hope you enjoy the feature as much as I have. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? Mr R: I'm 39 and have been a fan for as long as I can remember. My dad took me to my first game when I was about 4 or 5. Poolie: I've been a Poolie since I was taken to my first game in 1983. We beat Halifax 3-0 and I was hooked. I moved to Nottingham in 1995 and have lived here ever since (in Beeston for the last 10 years or so). My job is selling and installing EPOS till systems. Me and oldest son Ewan are season ticket holders. For 5 years I was the editor of 'Monkey Business', the Pools fanzine, which is sadly no longer in print but is online now. Things haven't been going too well for Hartlepool United so far this season, could you tell me your views of the season up to this point? Mr R: We've been crap. Not just results wise but generally performance wise too. Performances have picked up slightly in the last month or two but at least half of the players we've got just aren't good enough. Poolie: It's been the worst I can remember. Many years ago we were bad, but that's because we had no money. Now we have money, but a collection of pea-hearted money grabbers masquerading as footballers. Unfit, uninterested and unlikely to find another league club when we release them. Before we played Sheffield United at the end of December, Own Goal was joint top scorer with 2, which I think is indicative of our plight. Your recent form is slightly better than the teams above you, do you feel the club can pull off a great escape? Mr R: A great escape? It would be monumental and would probably require four or five signings or half a dozen of the current bottom 10 teams going into admin and being docked at least 10 points! Poolie: Not a chance. If they do I will run round Market Square on a Saturday afternoon wearing nothing but a red indian headdress. At the start of the season Notts signed Gary Liddle who has been putting in impressive performances for us. How much of a loss is his presence form Hartlepool United? Mr R: Liddle was good when we first got him but to be honest he was gash for the last two seasons. The Liddle of the last two seasons he was here is no miss whatsoever. Poolie: Even if he was still here I don't think he'd have made too much difference. He'd been stale for the last couple of years anyway, so I wasn't really sorry to see him leave. Can you tell me your highlights from past and present memories of following your club away from home? Mr R: Highlights away from home? Before IOR (the current owners) bought the club the highlight of away days was the beer and the craic and getting a draw was a rare feat to savour. Since then we've had cracking away days including sealing play off places on the last day of the season and that can't really be bettered by anything other than a 3-0 win on our only ever visit to former local rivals Darlow's big daft ground. Poolie: Best away game is probably Peterborough away. First game back in the third tier for a long time. Blazing hot day, and we came back from 2 goals down twice to win 4-3. I've seen us play at about 70 grounds, including Meadow Lane about 6 times. There's lots of away days I miss - Sincil Bank, Field Mill, Millmoor - I even had a soft spot for Saltergate. I love a London trip, Charlton away where several hundred drunken Poolies dressed as Smurfs was brilliant. Often previous players come back to haunt their clubs, with Neal Bishop our captain suspended many expect Liddle to return back to midfield, how would it feel if he scored on Saturday? Mr R: I'd only be as bothered as if any of your players scored to be honest. Poolie: I hope no County players score on Saturday, but as we haven't kept a clean sheet since what seems like the Boer War, its highly likely they will. It doesn't matter to me which players score against us, they are all bastards to me. What formation do you see John Hughes playing and if you was to make the calls what would you do differently in terms of tactics? Mr R: We have a formation? Somebody should tell the players. If it was up to me I'd give them slightly different instructions to the current "go out there and run about a bit" that they appear to be being told. Poolie: Don't change a winning team, so keep the same starting line up that despatched Pompey last week. As for tactics, I don't know if our players are capable of understanding any. Who poses Notts County a risk and which players would you say we need to mark? Mr R: Not telling you. (none really) Poolie: You're just as likely to score an own goal than we are to score, but I would keep an eye on James Poole, as he has a point to prove after being left out for so long. Which players of Notts County do you feel could influence the game and would therefore require being marked by which of your players? Mr R: No idea, but if you've got any players with a bit of pace they should enjoy themselves. Poolie: Probably all of them - your keeper could have ten minutes up front at some point and you'll still come away with a clean sheet. This game will be my first away game for awhile, can you tell me about Hartlepool in general and about your stadium? Mr R: Hartlepool is great, on the coast, lovely beaches, good pubs, cracking beer. The ground is small but tidy although you get the short straw in your end if you're behind a pillar but it is the best stand in the ground for acoustics. Poolie: The ground has loads of character, with different sized stands built at different times. It's compact, and there's a low roof on the away end which amplifies any singing. Hartlepool is one of many former industrial towns around the country which have been neglected over the years. Not all of it is pretty, but we have a superb beach, Poolies are very friendly with a good sense of humour, virtually everything important (beer, food, taxis) is cheaper than in most places, and the fish and chips are great. Where do you see Notts County finishing at the end of the year? Mr R: Mid table. Poolie: 10th. How many fans do you think will be in attendance on Saturday? Mr. R: Seeing as though we've sold a fair few season tickets and had a few Saturday games postponed recently we might edge towards 4k if we're lucky and the weather isn't awful. Poolie: Under 3000. We have around 4000 season ticket holders, but given our awful performances, large numbers have decided to do something better on Saturday afternoons, such as unblocking drains or watching paint that has dried actually crack and fall off. I have to work this weekend, so I don't have to think of excuse. We would like to Thank both Mr Ripper and Poolie In Nottingham for taking the time to answer our questions.
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Making Pride Of Nottingham A Success
Tonight's one of those days that make me wish I hadn't held back launching Pride of Nottingham, although to be honest the earlier site was stuck together using pva glue and built around paper mache. The earlier domain was actually 'notts-county.co.uk' which I still have active and if you type it in, you will be redirected back to here as it's now used as a forwarding domain. Certainly I owe many thanks to the earlier days to many kind people as I used to be part of a tight knit community which always made me feel very much at home but things weren't to be as the integration between the community and site were very much lacking. I had many good times working on the old site, so despite it's progress now I wouldn't say I fully regretted not taking it more seriously but I do wish I hadn't hidden away like I have over the years. My earlier times doing things like this were mainly around my poetry or the odd drawing. There was a point in time where I actually wanted to learn to code but that's not an easy task and those who can do it really have the power of the world wide web at their finger tips. It wasn't until my poetry and art site was fairly successful before I started contemplating trying my hands at doing a different type of site. The first idea being around helping people which didn't really work out to plan and almost knocked me back as the site was hacked by people who wanted money to return it to way it used to be. Due to earlier work commitments I worked every game and I never really got chance to go to Meadow Lane. Working in the hospitality trade can be very busy especially when you would work every hour possible. Feb-2008 Is when I purchased the old domain and I set about slowly trying to build a site around Notts as a way to get involved. It was pretty naive as I didn't have the time and for many years it became a side project which was one I tended to neglect but to be fair I was also pretty young at the time. To the modern day there's not an hour that goes by I don't do something to promote the site which at times I question 'Is it good enough?' certainly with everything in life there is room for improvement but I know that being a perfectionist the site has a good start. Within time it will improve and things will slowly come together, so anyone reading this who has a suggestion please do let me know. Tonight was very good in terms of the community coming together and I'm rather proud right now. The image above shows our stats and you can see that we are pulling in an audience. I will be focusing some time to completing areas which I have been saying for awhile I am working on but it's fairly awkward to build the way I'd like. This is the most we have had active at one time and 10 guests isn't that bad either This is another achievement I am really proud of and it's many thanks to those who helped today. I had decided to try to encourage activity as this will help the site no end with the promotion push of our own but I didn't want to seem ungrateful. I doubt we will hit a target like this again for some time which will be why I'd like to focus on making sure there's a reason for members to want to spend some of their free time with us. At least I would like to think this place can offer something to the Notts community, I will stride to improve on the things which lack and I am sure people understand as to why certain things aren't in-place now. We've come along way! Special Thanks to EVERYONE!
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Transfer Window - Is It Just Me?
It's not the end of the world if we don't sign someone (I say this as we can still loan in). In an ideal world we would address the areas in which was needed although I accept this isn't the case. It's quite exciting in one sense especially when they're a fair amount of rumours but on the other hand it can be disappointing when you lose out on targets/don't make signings. The transfer window is one we've struggled in for a few years now but the club is a very attractive outlet in my opinion. It's only a matter of time before things change for us and we've certainly been unlucky that none of deals have been sealed sooner but this is football. Once again you've posted a very insightful entry James and I didn't see you sneak this one in mate! Hopefully we can focus on football for a little while
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Neal Bishop Interview!
Pride of Nottingham had kindly been allowed permission by Neal Bishop to ask him a series of questions. As one of our only surviving League Two winning players at the time, we were hopeful of being able to ask Neal some questions about his time at the club which he kindly accepted. During a busy December period the questions were sent across to Neal but unfortunately I waited to publish his answers. We're very grateful for the time and kindness shown by Neal who was expecting his first child with his partner Fran, which shows his dedication towards fans. Having spent time in the lower leagues, how did you feel when you made the step up to the football league with Barnet? Yeah i was delighted, i think i was 25 when the chance came to go into the football league with Barnet, there was a bit of interest from other clubs but Barnet made me feel like they really wanted me so it made my choice easy. How does this reflect now, having played with Notts in League one and being promotion challenges for the Championship? Looking back i honestly can say i wouldn't change the way my career has progressed, obviously i would have liked to go into the football league earlier but i loved my time in non league and met some great people so i wouldn't change that for the world Do you have any match day rituals? I've got no rituals are superstitions on a match day, as long as your preparation is spot on I don't believe putting 1 boot on before another makes that much difference! What's it like at Christmas being a professional footballer? Christmas is actually a time of year i really enjoy as its non stop games, and as a footballer, there's nothing better than playing competitive games, it can be hard on lads who are away from there family's but we get our time off come May so we cant really complain What do you consider to be your greatest achievement so far and what are your ambitions for the future? I think there's been so many personal highlights in the last few years it impossible to single out 1, the Man City games were brilliant, beating Sunderland, winning league 2, going to Juve, been made captain, all have been fantastic, for the future, the aim of myself and the football club has got to be the championship What's your favourite music, any particular bands/singers? I'm not someone who follows a particular singer or band, my music collection is fairly eclectic, there's stuff in there from 60s soul to 90s dance! What's been your favourite Notts shirt and football shirt in general? My personal favourite was the home shirt of our 1st season in league 1, as for the away shirts i like the pink 1 we currently play in You and Lee Hughes feature in our flyer, what are your thoughts on being featured on it for a Fan Site? Aha! very good! any picture I'm in with Hughsey as great as he makes me look like I've got hair! Apart from Lee Hughes, you are the only Notts player remaining from the 2009/10 season. What's it like for players who come in on loan or on a transfer that don't know any other players? I've never done it myself but i imagine its really hard to come into a new dressing room, full of strangers, knowing you could be gone again in a week or so, however since I've been here our dressing room has been full of great lads and anyone who has come in has been welcomed in to the group from day 1 Lastly, what would you say would be your most defining moment of this season so far? I'm hoping this seasons defining moment is yet to come! Please note that the questions were asked before Lee Hughes's departure. We would also like to Thank Neal for answering our questions and congratulate Neal and Fran! On their first child little baby Oscar! (Future Notts captain no doubt)
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Notts Alumni: Ricky Ravenhill
Very gripping read Joe! I have to say I only knew of his name prior to us signing him and this provides us with a further insight to Ricky and his time at our club. I always admired him for being a battler and someone who wasn't afraid to try. I'm glad to see he's doing well at the club he's with and hope he continues his career with them. Thanks Joe
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We Got There In The End
Our passing really is something which is good (at least at times) but it's a concern in my opinion when we come in distance of a good chance only to pass. We need to go to the training ground and practice efforts from distance and around the box, we know that there's players capable for scoring but it begs to ask why are they not taking the gamble. Very proud of the fans who attended the game and by the sounds of it the stand wasn't much cover for you all with the wind/rain. My heart was in my mouth during the game and the first goal didn't help my nerves despite believing we could over come the defeat. I didn't class Pompey as an easy 'win' though despite the fact it is a fair opinion because Leyton Orient punished us. Pompey have the spirit on their side and I hope they can overcome their difficulties surrounding the take over. I don't know what happened with Bish will check the highlights soon. Thanks for sharing this James! Really is a feature for the site and such a great blog. (my dads a fan of yours btw)
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Portsmouth 0-2 Notts County
I was nervous throughout the game as it sounded very lively from both sides. Zoko's goal really helped me to settle and Jeff Hughes's goal was much to our turning point. It was a shame about the sending off, I really can't comment as I didn't hear what happened. The chat room on here was lively tonight! 6 Likes already! Many thanks to Paul for contributing this piece! It's very much appreciated. (Broken Record) We have another write up from Joe tomorrow with regards to an ex player!
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Weekend's Football
Good read mate. It sounded like a fairly decent game the reserves match, although the match officials sounded the typical useless bunch we find in the game. I'd also be interested in hearing that story you mentioned You look at him and he doesn't look like a professional keeper, this isn't meant to be a negative but he looks very slim and slender. It probably helped him to reach the ball and he did very well, makes me proud to see our youngsters get a try. Colin Slater made a comment about him being thrown in but I couldn't help it wasn't the same as say Liam Mitchell when he featured against the Millers. It's certainly looking good for us having Bart, Fabian and Liam. I wouldn't sack Keith Curle yet, I think he's gotten us a fair amount of decent play and the best squad we've had in years. Sometimes things just don't click but I do think things can be turned around. I would wait, makes no sense as who would replace him? I don't like this speak of ex forest managers. (Why are some of our fans obsessed with them?) The FA cup was amazing, it's certainly had more spice than it has in recent years. Some great results! I'm fearing what will happen if we lose, I don't want to think about it but it's got to change soon. I think some of it is down to bad luck, the rest is the players who need to gamble! I've made it all the way through but no thanks to Ava who's getting mad that I appear to be ignoring her! =)
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Striker poised to sign?
With most rumours there's often very little truth, yet I wouldn't personally like to raise any hopes but also I wouldn't want to miss out on a story. He's signed for Barnsley FC which will put to bed these tweets about him joining us. PoN doesn't have the luxury to dismiss possible news. (hence the rumour and question mark)
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Striker poised to sign?
Various rumours often circulate around the footballing world, at Meadow Lane it's no different for Notts County especially in recent years (I dare not say why). Recent reports have seen us linked with an ex premiership striker who was originally assumed to be Craig Beattie, who failed to impress Keith Curle. It was stated in local media that he wanted to bring in players who could make an impact straight away and concerns regarding Craig’s fitness were raised therefore the experienced striker wasn't offered terms at the football club. In recent weeks various names have been mentioned but the club, especially the media team who suggest no signings will be made. Many fans also don't expect any additional squad players since Mr Trew openly spoke about clawing back a 70k loss. This doesn't seem to have made any impact on the rumours which have seen us in recent years linked with a fair few players. It depends where you read but you will come across at least one rumour surrounding a striker. Ian Henderson has been mentioned across various social streams including the official facebook page for Notts County. The most popular however surrounds a more experienced player, who is close to the end of his career. The player in question is at the age seemed to be preferred by Keith Curle being mature at the age of 33. Jason Scotland, who was released by Ipswich Town on the 21 January 2013 after agreeing terms to mutually terminate his contract, is being linked with Notts County in online media. This story is also gaining momentum on Twitter, which has seen tweets suggest that the player is set to sign with the club shortly. Jason, unlike previous targets, does show signs that he can be a prime goal scorer, as he had enjoyed a successful period with Swansea City netting 45 goals – in 90 games in 2007 to 2009 seasons. He also has had success at various clubs including St. Johnstone and most recently Ipswich Town where he scored 19 goals – in 87 games having been with the club since 2010 until his release. Typically a strong forward who plays very well off advanced midfielders, he's known for being in the right place at the right time and has scored a few goals from being a poacher due to good reading of the game. It is unclear if he has left the club due to his fitness levels although a different class from the earlier names being Beattie and Henderson. He could very well be worth the gamble, as calm composure could be what's missing at Meadow Lane at this point in time.
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Leyton O 2-1 Notts County
I heard on the radio we had one cleared of the line too, so we could of got back into the game and whilst I'm at it. It sounded very much like a sending off due to the challenge on Bart which I am eager to see. The picture on the BBC Sports page for us and Orient doesn't look good, obviously you can't judge before seeing it but even Colin and Dean had strong words for it. Fabian Speiss sounded like he did very well indeed. Thanks Joe
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Leyton Orient - View
On the back of the first home win since November, Notts County fans will be planning their 134 mile journey to the home of Leyton Orient as our away record could roll on for a full year if we make the next couple of away games without defeat. This would be great achievement, adding to the fantastic year of celebrating 150 years. It's now more than ever we hope to see a return to consistency as Pride of Nottingham ask Orient fan Lee a series of questions in which we hope to gain further insight to the football club he supports. Firstly, could you tell prideofnottingham.co.uk a little about yourself, such as how long you've been a fan for? I've been a supporter for over 25 years now and have a season ticket in the office block (West Stand). Tend to go to about 75% of the away games as well. How optimistic ahead of the season were you and the majority of the Orient fans? After last season when we just avoided relegation then I thought things couldn't get much worse, but we started in the same vein before picking up a bit. In your opening matches your side appeared to struggle with consistency bar the impressive win over Yeovil, how important were the 3 games you won in succession? The win at Swindon was hard fought and certainly changed the mood amongst the fans. In all honestly we were lucky to beat Brentford and the Yeovil game was the first time we had looked like a football team. Has the recent weather had any effect on your latest fixtures? Due to the weather and the cup fixtures we have had we have been playing Sat/Tues every week in January and will do near enough every week in February too. Some of our players look exhausted and could do with a rest. Are there any games which stand out for you personally this season and could you tell us about the match? Well I missed some of our better results (4-1 at Carlisle etc) due to being on holiday, but I would say the win at Swindon was very important as it looked like we didn't know how to win at the time. Russell Slade was caretaker manager of Notts County in 94/95 season but unfortunately for him it didn't work out, what are your thoughts on him as a manager? Some of our fans go overboard calling him "Super Russ", some go the opposite way saying he is awful. I think "Above Average" would be the term I would use for him. We can range from looking excellent to looking non-league under him. Has a Leyton Orient supporter could you tell us about your favourite players past and present? Past - Alan Comfort, Carl Griffiths, Steve Castle. Present - Moses Odubajo, Kevin Lisbie and Lee Cook. Can you tell our fans a little about your ground, facilities and any nearby pubs etc? The ground is hemmed in by flats and away fans get to sit in the oldest stand which is also the only one with pillars. You can get in the Supporters Club by paying on the door, or you have the Coach & Horses on Leyton High Road. If you want to venture further afield the Birkbeck Tavern is a fantastic pub. Please tell Pride of Nottingam who your main threats to Notts County are? Lee Cook if he is on his game. Do you have any thoughts on our players on who Orient should be wary of? Well it will be interesting to see if Leacock will show more interest in playing for you than he did for us, and Campbell-Ryce could cause us problems. I also dislike Colin West with a passion Are there any local derbies or grudge matches that you look forward to? We have just had one derby against Brentford, but have the prospect of Southend in the JPT Area final coming up. As the January transfer window is still open are you hopeful of any further signings? I think we are pretty much up to the 65% on wages, so if Cook and Rowlands stay I can't see us adding any more players after the signings of Macdonald and Azeez. We would like to Thank Southgate O (Lee) for taking the time to answer our questions.
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Notts County 1-0 Oldham AFC
Was one of those nights I wouldn't of missed for the world! Our play was very creative and direct, it just lacked when it came to taking our chances but the goal was very well worked. I have received 3 E-Mails about these being missed and asking if we planned to do them still, it's very difficult for me to get my head around all the focus but I have to say a huge thank for writing this match report. Very much enjoyed it Joe!
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Chairman's Notes - Oldham AFC
It's the rain which seems to be a concern as the covers seem to manage against the snow, otherwise the game(s) recently wouldn't of gone ahead and I personally would rather see us focus on other matters for now at least. Fair comments as Super Ram said. I hope we can turn Meadow Lane into a stadium which we see many fans having a good time, getting behind the players and really being apart of the team.