Happy Birthday, @Dan. Have a wonderful day, and I hope you get to do something special with Helen and Henry. 🙌

@Robbie I created an application that embeds Facebook content without the requirement of using Meta's API. I will incorporate support for embedding meta cards commonly used by most sites for social media.

We haven't had this feature since 4.7, the dev who created that seems to have left the scene. 😥

I made great progress during my family break with many of the apps, including the graphic studio. The PSD import is very, very close to being perfect. The advanced mode uses an open source editor called "miniPaint", and I have specially designed that to support opening PSD files, saving them and exporting to the studio, which is more click and place. It already supports gif creation, so my aim is to tie in assets and allow those who help access to what they need. 😁

Another thing I noticed @Chris is that the site looks sharper and clearer. It may be only how I see it but it does appear better to the eye. In addition, when deleting text it is faster than before 👍

@Robbie on the community index page (forums index), I have implemented a way to make the "Who's Online" widget show higher for mobiles. I will be making changes to other widgets to include these settings, so that the right parts show where best. The next game is the one I wrote about for review before next season.

I've made some theme tweaks to improve the UI/UX but I doubt those will have been noticed as it's cosmetic more than anything. I am glad you are seeing the benefits of the move. 😁

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.

I felt an immense sense of pride seeing that, and to say I had to watch the play-off final on TV instead of live. I feel all the more happier knowing I made the majority of away games and all but a few home. It instills pride and hope in the future. Great video!

Very impressive stuff.

Massive chance for him to leave a legacy as an accomplished EFL footballer. He will be highly motivated.

(It's interesting how records look. If you see Notts County on profiles post-retirement you see a L1 club not NL)

Cal's talents deserve to be showcased at this higher level. I'm sure we all wish him luck. If he stays injury-free his talents will shine through and he'll be a great success for us.

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.

Well, if they don't get it, maybe a relegation would help them understand

"Didn't benefit from it'' didn't they beat Middlesboro - what other benefit is there?

'How they benefitted' - irrelevant. By breaking the rules, any small marginal gain will change the course of the tie (butterfly effect and all that)

The head coach put the cherry on the cake by claiming it's normal in Germany. No it isn't. Germany has strict laws against unauthorised filming and he'd be facing a prison sentence of up to two years there. German clubs do hold public training sessions, but he knows very well that this wasn't public.

And are we really supposed to believe they only spied on three teams? And got caught every time? Pull the other one.

By standing by the head coach despite a clear case of gross misconduct, the club hierarchy are in on it as well. Throw the book at the lot of them.

@StarkMallard He's done it throughout his career, with almost every club. It's well documented and even at the international stage but the complaints about drones watching training have been ignored. Personally, I think the manager needs to be investigated, then banned from working in football.

Stability and good owners are things Notts has always needed. Success is earned, not handed out, but football is often focused on short term goals. The five year plans that never happened and the fans who moan about not going up are really the same issue.

It is silly that some people cannot see how good things are right now. If Notts does not go up, we have been in that place before, but the signs are strong that the club can keep moving forward.

@Chris has hit the nail on the head when he talked about "core values"

Possession based football philosophy✅

Shifting responsibilities away from Head Coach , so that if the head coach leaves, the footballing personnel structure is not adversely affected✅

Need for better training facilities✅

Increasing income off the pitch , The Nest ✅

The connection built between the fans and the team has been building for years #COYP

What a finish to the season. We just looked so strong and full of belief, full of 'failure not an option' mentality. The club needed this, momentum restored after a few frustrating seasons. Absolutely loved it at Wembley, I've said it before but our fan base is transformed.

Yes an almost unbelievable result, I too was in "I'm not sure we'll do it camp" but having watched us play so well I can't believe I ever doubted us! What a time to finally break our Salford streak. The players were incredible, to perform like they did in such a pressurised match in extraordinary hot weather, words can not explain the feeling of joy at that final whistle!

Guys, I think we've just got accept the Reedtz Brothers (and their super-computer) just have the knack when it comes to appointing head coaches. But yes a massive congrats to Martin Paterson and all his coaching staff because that play-off campaign was simply faultless.

It was an incredible day for everyone, one that will live long in the memory.

You have to give credit to the brothers. We were in the national league with Stockport and Wrexham. They have spent big, while keeping the same manager in Phil Parkinson and until just now Dave Challinor. In the meantime we have had two of our head coaches poached and several of our best players into the bargain. Yet we are now in the same league as Stockport and only one behind Wrexham. The brothers has used our limited resources wisely and as a result we have made steady progress. It has been said how would we manage without Macca, Ruben, McGoldrick, Crowley and Bass? Very nicely thank you and promotion to League 1. We have to trust the process. We can have success, but it needs to sustainable. The next step might take a while to come to fruition, but let’s enjoy the ride! COYP!

When it comes to giving credit, I'd like to add our Director of Football

I think I saw a podcast recently where the players, HC, coaching staff, owners were thanked and praised but there was no mention of DoF Richard Montague.

Of the 16 match day players at Wembley, Montague recruited...

Belshaw, Ness, McDonald, Bedeau, Robertson, Palmer, Tsaroulla, Jones, Jatta, Ndlovu, Grant - 11

Maybe some don't like the role or our structure but credit where it's due.

Wing-back system & possession-based approach (5th in L2 this year) are 2 other aspects that contributed to 2 promotions in 3 years.

We have a great set of staff, from the groundsmen, coaches, kit manager, stewards, office staff/managers that are entrusted to carry out their duties and perform them in a way that does make the club feel hole again. There's going to be people who do a lot of good, who might go unnoitced such as the grounds staff, not only on the Meadow Lane playing surface but all that goes into the training ground etc.

These bonds are only growing stronger, even though some do leave for pastures new. We are still holding a lot of talented people that remain to continue making a difference.

At our level our coaching team looks huge, but for me it's money well spent. I know it's becoming common in League Two, but we had a full setup long before this and when we were in the National League. The club is pushing forward, and when the 'lack of ambition' is thrown around, I honestly think our progress shows we aren't just settling on one or two good seasons, but actively building to push on.

Very good message. Good luck to him - the new team are going to benefit from having him

Another player leaving with a good impression of the club, & a new supporter. I'm sure he will give us a visit from time to time too. He was a major part of the team that got Notts promoted. That will never be forgotten.

When it came to discussing my thoughts on keeping him, I swayed more to offering him a one-year-deal. I wasn't that bothered at first, because I felt we needed someone younger for League One, but he really impressed me. I do also wonder if I was somewhat swayed by his sendings off, as I found some of his yellow cards to be silly and I don't like that in players.

However, I think he became a much vital part in the squad and for me he was the 2nd best player when it came to the playoff final. His form towards the end, and in the playoffs formed the experience the midfield needed to overcome them.

I wish Ollie Norburn all the best with his career, and the next step in that. If he somehow came across this message, I would add that his passion, honestly and focus on being the best that he can be came across strong. There's no question why he caught on as a fan favourite. As players come who spend a single season, I would class him as an icon and believe he's earned it.

There could be a resource issue and other practical reasons why it's not extended to all 4 leagues.

Maybe they do this already, but I'm not aware, but massive improvements could be made with points of emphasis for refereeing - focussed on the so-called 'dark arts', persistent fouling, time-wasting etc.

I hope L1 next season gives us fewer referees that side with spoiling teams and enable them to cheat their way to points.

VAR is a double edged sword. It’s great when it gives your team a handball in the box that the referee missed or the offside that rules out an opponent’s goal. When it works the other way it’s not so great. Well in recent times we have had two promotions without it, so not having it can’t be all bad. We’ll just have to wait till we’re in the premier league to find out.

VAR in the EFL. It would be too expensive for the lower league clubs to implement it. VAR also needs multi cameras from different angles so that would cause issues for spectators & would could also reduce the capacity of ML

When VAR was implemented I was very hopeful that it would cut out mistakes and make the game better, but it has made things worse. The spontinaity has gone.

Fans cannot celebrate a goal like they used to. You have to wait up to five minutes for a decision. VAR appears to favour the big clubs to the detriment of everyone else.

Like I said previously, VAR for goal line decisions only. Scrap VAR for everything else.

What a phenomenal turnout @Fan of Big Tone we have just watched on Mrs P's Facebook, apparently over 8000 on a work day at that. Just think if it had been at the weekend, I suppose Martin is working to a deadline for holidays etc, must remember the whole team hasn't had a break since before the season start in August. 😇🤔⚽️

Looking at the size of the crowd in the Old Market Square and the large number of Notts fans that attended the Playoff Final, the interest in the Club is only going to grow, & I'm sure that season ticket sales will grow too. It's a fantastic time to be a Notts supporter.

It shows in one picture just how much support and potential Notts has, provided we keep working on establishing a secure future proof club then things like this should only become the norm. I don't mean every season, but there's no reason why we can't enjoy a promotion more often, even if it comes with the setback of finding life harder in the Championship, or League One in our current case.

Even though I wasn't present, I felt proud and encouraged especially for the level headed fans who didn't get on the players backs or Paterson's during challenging spells last season.

It shows unit as one, good things can come and even if promotion wasn't gained this past campaign, most will see the progress that it would be nearer the corner next time than it would be to fall short or drift off. Most who are hesitant may simply be concerned about football's unpredictability. However, well-run clubs often thrive, especially with the solid support we have.

Good morning one and all on this changeable Sunday morning, 3 days back in the UK and all is well 😀

No lazy Sunday morning for us I'm afraid @Fan of Big Tone as we have had our two youngest grandchildren for the weekend (parents going to a music festival) Horses to feed and poo picked, plus filling of haynets and boxes whilst seeing to the wants and demands of our little cherubs. Yesterday was a visit to Markeaton Park in Derby, what a beautiful place, countryside, massive play area and water, so it wasn't long before they were dragging Mrs P for a little paddle. 😂 The sun was unbelievably hot and soon drained Grandad and Mammar. The look forward aspect to this little adventure, mum and dad are back today 🥳

A week and month ends with mixed emotions. The joy of Wembley but the week, ends with news of the death of a good friend's sister who died in intensive care following an operation.

Really sorry to hear that @piethagoram

Football shape

A football is actually a prolate spheroid, which means it's pointy, not spherical.

(Source Google) 

BVI one of the most secretive tax havens..why?

Abbott is still 20 as well and won't count to the registration numbers. If they're willing to give him another shot at League 1, we'll be front of the queue.

Spurs have a couple who we could continue our great lineage of loans. Akhamrich who bagged 6 in 19 for Brizzle Rovers is a similar player to Luker, Olusesi looks to be a very good creative midfielder, Matthew Craig who got some decent Notts lineage (grandad is Ron Still) and is a Scotland under 21 and lastly Melia who's got a ROI cap and experience at St Patricks.

Max Saunders is a player I really like, he's also out of contract at Crewe, super tidy in possession type player. Tom O’Reilly, was also on loan at Crewe from Villa last season, reminded me of Crowley but with a touch more aggression when he played against us at Meadow Lane.

Odin Bailey been released by Stockport, to the surprise of many of their fans, he'd be quite the upgrade on Norburn...

2 hours ago, menzinho said:

Max Saunders is a player I really like, he's also out of contract at Crewe, super tidy in possession type player. Tom O’Reilly, was also on loan at Crewe from Villa last season, reminded me of Crowley but with a touch more aggression when he played against us at Meadow Lane.

Odin Bailey been released by Stockport, to the surprise of many of their fans, he'd be quite the upgrade on Norburn...

Seconded on O'Reilly. But with Jones, Cal and Tsaroulla already in the room, I think the 4th player should have Iorpenda-style physical attributes to give L1 teams different things to think about.

Always good to hear @StarkMallard penne for his thoughts!

Cambs were poor at our place but this bloke was their stand out player that day. Then he popped up and scored 2 at their gaff.

He is predominantly a full back (right sided mainly), not sure about this “…..anywhere across the back…” . He moved into midfield briefly in both games. He is gritty & robust. Perfect replacement/cover for the injured Macari & able to “do a Norburn” too.

Excellent acquisition, look forward to seeing him in a Notts shirt. Welcome aboard.

From what I've read from Cambridge fans he's a very solid defender, hard working and never shirks a challenge. Was Cambridge's highest rated player on Fotmob & Sofascore so he should be a really decent addition to our defence.

Clearly had a great season last season, hope he can push on with us now and that he can make me change my mind about the effectiveness of long-throws!

I thought this was about the Shane Meadows film for a minute!

The criticism Southgate got was way over the top. In the future, people will be perplexed that the first ever coach to take England to two major finals got abuse, like when Notts fans were calling for Warnock to be sacked. He inherited a group of players that looked disjointed and frankly terrified whenever they played in a major tournament, took off the pressure and moulded them into a team. He could have handled the final better, but without him we wouldn't have been there in the first place.

12 hours ago, StarkMallard said:

I thought this was about the Shane Meadows film for a minute!

Apologies, I got the title wrong it’s Dear England NOT This England, I’ve changed the title of the topic.

I caught about 20 minutes of it the other night, and I was amazed how much the actor looked like Gareth Southgate. I found it interesting that England stats suggested we took penalties the quickiest and Germany the slowest. All those years felt like a curse when a little more time might have helped.

It was also interesting to see the team bonding drils that they would do, which must have helped prepare them to perform more as a team on the pitch.

Jones and the back 3 collectively a close second

Hard to single anybody out - outstanding team performance. It is the case that Jones stood out, great display, 2 assists and a goal. It is stating the blooming obvious to say, he doesn’t do that if the defence are wobbly and hacking it anywhere, Robbo & Norburn aren’t dictating the tempo and spreading the ball around and Grant isn’t aware, sharp and putting the ball into his path, intentionally or otherwise.

They couldn’t cope with Jones, but they couldn’t cope with the others either. I’m not his biggest fan but that was a truly remarkable performance from him - so, if I had to pick someone, I’d go for him, marginally above McDonald, Robertson & Ness - the rest are less than a 1/4 of a point behind!

The final Pride of Nottingham Man of the Match poll has closed.

I'm delighted to announce that Jodi Jones has unanimously won the Pride of Nottingham's Man of the Match award against Salford in the playoff final.

Thanks to all who have voted throughout the season.