Issue 10

BLACK & WHITE the Notts County fanzine

#10 - AUG ‘14 - £1

INTRODUCTION

Well, we made it to double figures eventually!

Here’s issue 10 - the first hopefully of many issues we’ll produce this season!

Thank you sincerely to everyone who has supported us up to this point. This is now our third season in print and I genuinely think we’re only getting better all the time!

If all has gone to plan you’ll be reading this either at or en route to the stands at Preston North End for our opening day fixture. That has certainly been our intention.

Here’s hoping that the performance at Deepdale is one that matches more what we saw against Osasuna at Meadow Lane then any number of dour pre-season friendlies we sat through this Summer.

Sadly though, it’s likely to take quite a while for things to truly click on a regular basis - such is the overhaul seen at Meadow Lane during the Summer.

CONTENTS Introduction ................................................ 2 Black & White Fanzine Here We Go Again! ....................................... 3 Stuart Brothers The Season Ahead: Notts County ................. 8 Drew Dennis Friendly Fire ................................................ 9 Nigel Nattrass Money Matters ........................................... 12 Jacob Daniel The Season Ahead: League One .................. 13 Paul Smith Six Games To Salvation .............................. 14 Piran Lynn-Smith Away Days ................................................. 16 Sean Redgate

Mustapha Dumbuya is likely to be the only player starting today that began last season with us.

Solving The Riddle At No. 9 ........................ 18 Adam Taylor

Anyone thinking things will happen overnight is probably in for a rude awakening. Patience will most certainly be the key for a good while this season, a campaign more than likely to be about stabilising, building foundations for the future. I have every faith that the players brought in are capable of lifting us higher up the table than last year. Are people not happier that we have players like Ronan Murray, Jake Cassidy, Alan Smith and Nicy Wroe rather than Enoch Showunmi, Adam Coombes, Andre Boucaud and Joss Labadie?

Vom Kriege - A Call To Arms ....................... 19 Richard Ogando

Thank you to all of this issue’s contributors as usual: Paul Smith, Jacob Daniel, Drew Dennis, Sean Redgate, Nigel Nattrass, Adam Taylor, Piran Lynn-Smith, Richard Ogando, Dan Hutchinson and Dave Fells.

And a special thank you this issue goes out to Lynn Lawson at the club shop, who has very kindly put our fanzine on sale in the club shop. I still remember buying my first ever copy of The Pie from the shop so to see Black & White follow in those footsteps is a mssive deal to me. In exchange, we’re going to run adverts for Lifeline in the ‘zine for the foreseeable future - only seems fair!

Apologies also for the ridiculous delays that came with issue nine. Why it took so long for some copies to arrive we honestly don’t know. Every single copy from pre-orders to subscriptions were sent out at the same time. If you’re still yet to receive your copy, get in touch!

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

/blackwhitezine

The 2013/14 Season Awards ..................... 20 Stuart Brothers Alan Sheehan interview ............................. 22 Paul Smith Meet The New Lads .................................... 24 Ben Woolhead, Lee Hicklin, John McGee, Tom Furnival-Adams,Olly Dawes, Ian Rands, Mike Harrison, Thomas Baugh, Βαγγέλης Βιτζηλαίος Barcelona 3, Notts County 10 ..................... 28 Dave Fells County Connections ................................... 30 Dan Hutchinson

DISCLAIMER

Black & White is an independent release produced by fans and as such has no official affiliation with Notts County Football Club. The views in each publication reflect those of the individual contributors themselves.

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HERE WE GO AGAIN!

Another pre-season schedule put to bed - it’s time to get down to business in SkyBet League One again for 2014/15. But how did we get here? How have the Summer months been spent? Let’s look back.

The day after Oldham away (see page 14), Notts fans converged together one last time to gather at MLSB for Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott’s appraisal of the season that had been. You’d struggle to find a single attendee who didn’t enjoy the afternoon - a chance to mingle one last time with players who we can guess will never represent the club ever again.

There were sad farewells to the likes of Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor, whilst the mopers such as Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Andre Boucaud scarcely saw fit to leave the comfort of their booth to spend time with the great unwashed.

These were to become uncharted waters in the recent history of Notts given we’re usually late bloomers (or not) in the Summer transfer market.

The additions of Alan Smith, Taylor McKenzie, Liam Noble and Hayden Mullins alongside the re-signings of Ronan Murray and Jimmy Spencer had us in fine shape before I imagine most players have even gone on their holidays.

Jimmy was first to sign back up, the sort of move that hit you right off the bat that things were changing at Meadow Lane this Summer.

You hoped he would stay, you were sure he’d entertain offers from other clubs, but Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott – not for the last time during the close-season – had their man.

You would imagine with Notts having excercised the extension on Ronan Murray’s contract that Notts had

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their front two sorted. IT WAS ONLY MID-MAY! What was this new found He eventually joined Bradford City, a madness?

- wait for it - massive club according to one of his tweets, where Gary Shame it wouldn’t quite work out that Liddle was already waiting in the way by the season’s start though. wings having signed a few days before.

Taylor McKenzie is a signing that didn’t catch the eye so much, but the Replacing Sheehan, leaving Coventry opinion of many Sheffield Wednesday City fans in further disarray, is fans that he would have been making Blair Adams who for all intents a move for their first team this and purposes could well prove to season means he should certainly be be an upgrade in every respect on given a chance. last season’s skipper. A great bit of business if Sky Blue reactions on And who doesn’t know what Alan social media were anything to go by.

Smith is all about? He becomes the latest in admittedly short line of Picking up the captain’s armband is Notts players with Champions League a man who was a key element to experience, following in the illustrious last season’s survival - the now fullfootsteps of Gary McSwegan, Sol time Notts pro Hayden Mullins who Campbell, Njogu Demba-Nyren and… returned to us having had to play a erm…Tony Hackworth. Most recently big part in helping Birmingham City seen at MK Dons, his presence in the stave off the threat of relegation on middle of the park will likely be huge the final day of the Championship given we barely had a midfield for season. much of last season.

The pages of the local press in Alan Sheehan’s contract situation recent years have been plagued with continued to rumble on. It’s was as stories of players who have crossed clear as mud as to whether he’d stay our paths who have said they would at all. Local radio reported he had like to join, or re-join us. Lloyd Sam, rejected Notts’ offer – which he later Johnny Forte and Leon Clarke in denied. A week later and Greg Abbott recent times have all whetted the says he’s missed a deadline to get appetite but seeing Mullins back was back to the club – Sheehan however an outstanding bit of business. His claimed talks were talking place. partnership with Haydn Hollis in the centre of defence was a massive part The talk of rejected deals and missed of securing League One football for deadlines should have been enough another season so hopefully they’re for anyone to want him on his way. allowed to pick up where they left off Over the course of the entire nine this season. month campaign previous, he was the only one who could hold his head It’s of course disappointing to lose high for his efforts.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce, but his “Pay

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me what I deserve” stance didn’t sit well with many given he only showed up for the last few months of his contract. If he considers bench warming at Bramall Lane to be his best option, then we don’t want him anyway. In fact for me the sooner his career goes down the pan the better, such is my resentment to what could end up being a terrible career move.

next two years Notts’ new training base. The players and management can’t speak of the facility highly enough.

Gone are the days of training on the woeful Highfields surfaces before heading back to Meadow Lane to shower - Arnold has it all covered.

In Derry’s own words, not having to be at Meadow Lane every other day of the week should also help ensure that the best stadium in League One (those are my words) becomes a more special place, one that our players don’t take for granted.

Conversely, Liddle was a consummate professional for the entirety of his two years with us and I’m sure he’ll be missed either in midfield or at the centre of defence. He opted to leave Meadow Lane for personal reasons – but moved about 45 minutes up the road. Fair enough. Liam Noble joined having left Carlisle United and will fight it out with Nicky Wroe who signed from Preston North End for a Anyway, onto spot in the centre of the park. the game.

With Notts seemingly prepared for pre-season with the lion’s share of their Summer acquisitions on the books, they began what felt like a real pre-season campaign. Games like Galatasaray and Real Vallecano were a lot of fun last Summer, but where were the games against local, non-league opposition?

These should be a staple of preseason preparations. However, Mark Fotheringham and Enoch Showunmi bossing Galatasaray is a memory no one should ever be allowed to forget.

Maybe that was their problem? They were too good for League One after all?

Notts opened their preseason campaign with the dust barely settled on World Cup action from the night before as Germany had trounced Brazil 7-1 in the semifinals. Goals weren’t hard to come by at Eagle Valley either.

A comfortable 4-0 victory was sadly marred though by a serious looking injury to Jimmy Spencer. The striker was injured in winning a penalty on 20 minutes and knew straight away something was up. Club physios and Shaun Derry were quick to his aid.

Ronan Murray duly dispatched the spot kick after a wait for Spencer to On that thought, probably best to receive attention. move on.

Man Of The Match Tyrell Waite scored Pre-season two goals, sandwiched either side of a c t i o n a free-kick scored by one of several began on a trialists involved, Lucas Dawson.

Wednesday If the news of Spencer’s injury is e v e n i n g , the worst, much will be expected July 9th of Tyrell this season having been away at patient for much of his Meadow Lane A r n o l d career thus far.

T o w n .

E a g l e For a friendly, where attention can Valley of often wane, the game was a decent c o u r s e work out. Some nice forward play is for (at stemming from Curtis Thomspon least) the and Blair Adams down either wing

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whilst Murray and Jeremy Balmy both looked sharp with the ball on the floor.

Bartosz Bialkowski - subject of fierce speculation regarding a move to Ipswich - at the other end was largely untested bar a few crosses into his area in what would prove to be his last Notts appearance.

Things were to take a concerning twist the following Saturday with a visit to Field Mill and a game against Mansfield Town.

The game itself was largely forgettable for most with the usual half time changes that have become commonplace in these games.

Jeremy Balmy continued to impress, particularly with the corner delivery which allowed Brad McGowan to score his first Notts goal.

The hosts had things turned around rather rapidly though.

Firstly, McGowan was at fault as his misjudgement of a high ball allowed in a Stags striker, who was supposedly tripped by Fabian Spiess in goal. The penalty was awarded and put away swiftly by Fisher.

Minutes later and County were 2-1 down thanks to some horrendous set-piece defending. Rhead was on hand at the back post to knock a corner back across goal to the waiting Riley at the other stick, scoring with ease past the relatively tiny defence.

From there it wasn’t much of a contest really. A number of trialists did their utmost to open the game but were perhaps guilty of trying just a touch too hard.

With the clock winding down, and Notts fans already heading for the exit, it was 3-1 on 89 minutes when Palmer was able to send a header

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past a despairing Spiess in goal.

made during his time at Meadow Lane, which inevitably had made it only a matter of time before a club higher in the football ladder coming knocking. When previous number one Stuart Nelson has been released (somehow to some surprise), Kevin Pilkington was charged with the task of finding an adequate replacement.

Sadly, that wasn’t as bad things were to get this day. Shaun Derry confirmed in his post-match interview the full extent of the injury suffered by Jimmy Spencer in the win at Derby - he was out for the season with cruciate ligament damage.

Easily as big an injury blow as we’ve suffered in recent times.

In signing a player derided heavily thanks to a horror show in front of “A major blow for us all” was Derry’s the Sky Sports cameras, Notts were verdict. Quite the understatement. taking a big risk. Two seasons later and with cash in the bank (it wasn’t a With Notts fans still reeling, they free transfer despite Mick McCarthy’s could have maybe done without news protestations) you could argue Notts that the player involved in the tangle had done well. with Spencer had been laughing about it on social media with friends. But that would obviously depend The reaction was as vitriolic as you’d largely on the emergence of imagine, calls for him to be banned understudy, the heavily touted Spiess for life, that Notts should sever ties who was (for now) in pole position for with Arnold Town, even that the club the number one jersey. should press charges for assault.

Not that the game against Nuneaton Yes it was that ridiculous. It almost was to offer much of a test. A trip to seemed forgotten that this was just the desolate, flid-filled dive offered a 17 year old lad running his mouth up absolutely no entertainment to his friends, acting the big man. whatsoever.

We’ve all been there. I’d ask would the reaction have been the same The biggest talking point was the had he taken out a Showunmi or a introduction of Zeli Ismel on loan from Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Fotheringham?

Highly rated after a fine spell at The lad, who we won’t name, duly Burton Albion last season, the lad apologised to a baying lynch mob, once hailed as Britain’s first £100m but not before his club promised a footballer (by who?!) had a woeful full investigation into his comments. first 45 minutes in a black and Fair enough. Case closed. white shirt and was one of only two half time substitutiond - Derry this The nature of the defeat at Mansfield time opting to make the bulk of his had left many in dissaray. A changes deep into the second half. perceived lack of effort, from two seperate Notts teams littered with He was replaced by one of the inexperienced former youth teamers stars of pre-season so far - Jeremy and trialists meant few would travel Balmy. His invention down the to Nuneaton Town the following left posed problems for Nuneaton Tuesday evening for the first of two but still County couldn’t make games in successive nights. the breakthrough. Trialist Elliot Whitehouse came closest to breaking Mere hours before the game at the deadlock, but he headed straight Nuneaton kicked off, Notts confirmed at the goalkeeper from eight yards.

- and put an end to - transfer speculation of the departure of The following night’s encounter in Bartosz Bialkowski to Ipswich, for an Hucknall with the local Rolls Royce undisclosed fee. side was hardly the stiffest test of pre-season, which made it the perfect Few could doubt the impact Bart had evening for manager to Shaun Derry

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to lace up his boots for the first time this season.

In all fairness to Shaun perhaps it was best he didn’t bother?

His most memorable moment in the evening was his tangle with a Hucknall player, the pair exchanging sly kicks at eachother until the referee pleaded with Greg Abbott on the touchline to “Calm Shaun down” at half time!

The game itself was lit up by a sensational Jeremy Balmy brace.

Brad McGowan opened the scoring with his second goal of pre-season, before Tyrell Waite converted a penalty. Balmy’s first of the evening came from the edge of the area, swinging a boot at the ball which flew into the top corner.

The hosts scored a consolation before half time, flicking in a header past Harry Andrews making his first appearance of the Summer.

Balmy added another in the second half, rifling in a volley after some of the slickest one touch passing we’d see over the Summer. Irrespective of the opposition, someone will have to go some distance to score a better Notts goal for quite some time!

With the game out of sight, Alex Kenlock and Colby Bishop from the youth team came on up front, both unfortunate not to add to the scoresheet.

As if games so far hadn’t been close enough to home, an actual home game was next up as Steve McLaren’s Derby side came to Meadow Lane.

Beaten by a last minute Bobby Zamora goal for QPR at Wembley in the play-offs, some feral souls from across the river attended the fixture to gloat - more money in

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Notts’ pocket in the annuls of time with other fly I suppose. by night footballers who came along and blew their opportunity at a Notts County took contract. the lead t h r o u g h A 3-1 defeat, but by no means the E l l i o t most terrible workout for Notts Whitehouse, against a very good Derby side. w h o ’ s They had played some good football, s t r e n g t h and won the ball back from their was too superior opposition on countless m u c h occasions. Though Tyrell Waite’s for the Derby stock continued to drop further after defender he dispossessed, the shot another performance of frustration too hot to touch for the goalkeeper chasing down lost causes. as he powered the ball home off the underside of the bar.

It was a similar theme for him a few days later when Notts had a chance Whitehouse was one of the most to get back to winning ways at outstanding trialists of the Summer Carlton Town. Not the most difficult from midfield, and it was surely of tests admittedly, but the 4-0 enough to to edge him closer to a victory was enjoyable enough. Two Meadow Lane deal. goals apiece from Whitehouse (that’s three in two) and Nicky Wroe sent Chris Martin grabbed the equalliser another local crowd happy. shortly before half-time, but it had been a good Notts display. Largely Waite struggled again. Never looking it remained so untiil a raft of anything less than busy, yet still substitutions interupted the flow of toiling. In goal Harry Andrews was the game - as they do. sharp when called upon, whilst trialist Adam Dawson was impressive Martin would complete a hat-trick. in pinging several cross field balls all First slotting in a penalty kick after over the pitch. a trip on Simon Dawkins, and lastly placing a shot high into the net past Halifax Town a few days later a despairing Spiess in goal. however was to be no fun for anyone at the quite beautiful Shay Stadium.

It completed a torrid afternoon for Spiess. Beaten three times, he Now they say you don’t pay attention looked shaky all afternoon in front of to the end results in pre-season. And a crowd wanting to be won over by I agree. But you don’t lose to Halifax the next in line to replace Bialkowski. Town and not show the slightest bit of concern surely?

Elsewhere on the field, trialist Akwasi Asante made the first of several The game was decided by a trialist appearances before likely being left of Halifax’s own - Jamie Jackson.

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The same Jackson who was playing alongside Notts’ Kyle Dixon last year whilst on loan at Grantham Town.

Jake Cassidy made his first appearance from the substitutes bench, showing glimpses of a decent partnership with Ronan Murray.

Having signed just the day before on loan from Wolves, Notts fans are certainly hoping they get the Cassidy so rampany for Tranmere not too long ago!

Starting most notably however was Roy Carroll who had been training with the club the previous week.

Elliot Whitehouse and Adam Dawson appeared to continue their dual as to who would blink first and miss out on a Notts contract - but neither did.

Each was just as impressive as the other in midfield - Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott had a big choice to make on these two. Was there room in the budget to take both onboard?

And so back to Meadow Lane, for two straight home games to end the 2014/15 preparations. There was a hell of a lot of good, but first, a hell of a lot of bad on show.

Birmingham City up first. Eugh. Do we really have to retread this game?

I’ll likely get slaughtered for saying this - but it wasn’t quite that bad. If you’re still reading after that - thank you!

But Notts were doing ok for a part.

Unlucky to be down early having had the better of the play and being on the receiving end of a shonky offside

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that wan’t given. Clayton Donaldson was his usual disruptive self as he so often is against Notts too, so that didn’t help.

contrary - the performance was something special in the end. Enough to justify weeks of pre-season mundanity up until that point? Hard to judge. But it was a great night As the second half drew on though, none the less. things just got a little bit shambolic at the back and the visitors saw the Shaun Derry sprang a surprise in game off with two more goals. his starting lineup - fielding former Bradford City man Gary Jones in Any semblence of positivity to be his starting lineup as a trialist. Of taken from the game by those not course, people scoffed. A 37-yearin attendance eradicated in 20/25 old midfielder, was that what was minutes of sheer awfulness at the needed? back.

By the end of the 90 minutes, Interestingly, the fourth goal was humble pie was being served up all scored by Johnathan Grounds - over the place. Firstly it was Jones’ the former-Oldham player who’s quite wonderful first touch and volley handball led to Notts’ awarding of a to open the scoring, following by his penalty on the last day of the season. inch perfect free-kick into a Hayden Hard to begrudge him really!

Mullins who produced a headed finish that no striker wouldn’t be proud of.

Derry confirmed after the game that Elliot Whitehouse signed a one year Post-match, thoughts of Jones were deal with the club. Yet days later mostly positive, with some trying he was still announced as being to save face saying he didn’t do a trialist. This had now become anything else. That’s right - didn’t do the most drawn out trial since OJ anything else apart from score and Simpson stood accused! provide an assist. That’s all.

And so it came down to the last game of the Summer, and Osasuna. Still at Meadow Lane, the Spanish side had h a m m e r e d Championship side Brentford 4-0 at Griffin Park just days earlier.

This surely wasn’t going to be pretty?

On

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the

Notts fielded an un-named trialist in the second half.

We a r i n g 28, his performance in the second half alongside T a y l o r McKenzie was key. This guy could read the game, pick a pass, and was strong in the air. If he does join up, there’s little question that one of Haydn Hollis or Mullins will certainly have competition for their places!

Now I’m not sure if it’s merely another term for ‘old duffers’, and I imagine our final league placing will provide that answer - but what pedigree we have running through the side. Carroll, Mullins, Alan Smith - can you imagine players of that calibre being overawed with a trip to Deepdale which starts our season?

It’s a mentality that will start with Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott, be passed on through these senior Roy Carroll started and completed players, and be displayed by all of 90 minutes and produced the sort those around them. of comfortable, assured display that reminded me of when Bialkowski In theory anyway. But this is Notts replaced Nelson in the Notts goal. County after all.

I wasn’t scared anymore, I felt at ease with any balls going into the Onwards to Preston. A week removed box. Roy Carroll brought this back. from comprehensively dispatching Having not appeared in the team Osasuna, the wait is already far too against Birmingham City, rumours long! had started to circulate that had been snapped up elsewhere. As it happened, his move to Notts was due @blackwhitezine for completion the following Monday.

Stuart Brothers

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THE SEASON AHEAD FOR NOTTS

Although it doesn’t feel like five minutes since we were all stood together at Boundary Park, another off-season has flown by and we wait on the brink of another new season. Since that sunny day in Oldham, England have crashed and burnt in Brazil whilst the Germans crushed all before them, Andy Murray went back to being Scottish, and the country sizzled in the Summer sun, but enough of that. The real action is about to begin and as I sit here, Notts have just been hammered 4-0 by Birmingham in our penultimate pre-season friendly.

I’m going to take a quick look at the current squad, which at time of writing is sadly, threadbare and short of quality - again. Bartosz Bialkowski, our Polish Superstar has inevitably left the club and moved to the Championship with Ipswich leaving a void, which has yet to be filled. We’ll never know quite how much money we got from the move as it was subject to the dreaded “undisclosed fee”. If that cash is used to strengthen the team, it’s a decent bit of business, as Bart came in on a free and wanted to go.

following his return from injury. Mark Fotheringham, willing as he was, was never going to establish himself in the first team under Derry, and was released in May as was Andre “any way but forwards” Boucaud, Malcom Melvin (who?) and Jamal Campbell-Ryce who turned down a new deal in favour of sitting on the bench next season at title-chasing Sheffield United.

We were always going to lose Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor, but they go with my best wishes and in an odd way, I felt like a proud parent watching them both make their debuts for Villa and Celtic respectively. We’ll However if he’s not replaced, we’ll once again have miss them a lot. been shafted and will have to watch a sub-standard replacement blunder round between the sticks. Roy In terms of additions, by far the most exciting signing Carroll is rumoured to be in talks for a pay as you in the midfield is that of Zeli Ismail who turned down play deal – though he didn’t play against Birmingham the prospect of European football at Aberdeen (who so God knows what’s happening! Kevin Pilkington as wouldn’t?) to sign on loan from Wolverhampton the second keeper is not really a long-term solution, Wanderers. He’s a tricky winger with pace and skill and so hopefully we’re on the hunt for a new number one. one who is certain to excite the Meadow Lane faithful.

Either way Bart leaves the club with my best and If he shines, we could have a good prospect on our anyway, we’ve always got Fabien Speiss. hands and hopefully he’ll be the creative outlet that we desperately crave. Joining Ismail is Alan Smith, a Looking at the defence, the biggest loss to the club is player most Notts fans will be familiar with following definitely skipper Alan Sheehan. The “will he, won’t he” his exploits with Manchester United and Leeds. As a Twitter saga lingered on throughout the summer before player with bags of experience at the highest level, I he jumped ship and followed the pound signs to Bradford expect Sean Derry to rely heavily on him to provide a MASSIVE City. He ran the show for the majority of last steady head in the centre of midfield whilst chipping in season with some storming performances culminating with the odd goal. with that penalty against Oldham, but has chosen to boost his bank balance at pastures new. Following Nicky Wroe has also joined up from Preston North Sheehan out the door is the heralded but ultimately End and will slot into the midfield. Having seen him disappointing Manny Smith, ex-skipper Dean Leacock, in pre-season he looks to have a good shot and Derry and Gareth Roberts. None of those are a real loss, and will surely be looking to him to get some goals from it has freed up some space on the wage bill. Release the midfield this term along with Liam Noble who has from his contract completes a real fall from grace for signed having previously played under Greg Abbott Leacock, who started last season as skipper and ended at Carlisle. He made over 70 appearances in Cumbria it on the scrapheap. Ouch! but was released at the end of last season following their drop into League Two. Finally Garry Thompson In terms of additions, a key signing looks to be that has arrived from Bradford which is frankly, very of Hayden Mullins who was hugely impressive at the underwhelming. These new signings join Greg Tempest end of last season having joined on loan. Given his and the promising Curtis Thompson and in a midfield experience and relationship with Sean Derry, it isn’t which looks adequate rather than spectacular. too surprising that he’s been appointed captain for 2014/15, and he’ll certainly be a lynchpin this year. Finally, we move on to my favourite part of the reviewAlso signing up is Blair Adams, a promising left back. the strike force. Season after season I ask the same old Adams is Sheehan’s natural replacement and surely a question: Will Notts sign a striker worthy of the name certainty for the first game at Preston. Finally Taylor before the season? During the very first game of preMcKenzie has joined from Sheffield Wednesday– I won’t season, our hopes were dealt a horrendous blow with pretend to know very much about him and don’t expect Jimmy Spencer suffering an injury at Arnold which put to see much of him this year so the jury remains out. him out for the season. This is an absolute disaster for all concerned, especially after he shone at the end of Remaining from last season are Haydn Hollis, Kyle last season, chipping in with some crucial goals. He was Dixon and Mustapha Dumbaya. This new defence has undoubtedly a key figure we were building around and looked shaky to say the least during pre-season and to lose him before we’ve even started is a catastrophe. much better will be required once the season starts.

One bit of good news is that Ronan Murray signed a Moving on to the midfield, Gary Liddle sadly decided two year deal which will keep him at the club until to move back ‘oop north to rejoin Sheehan and his old the end of 2015-2016. He like Spencer, scored some manager Danny Wilson at Bradford This leaves a hole important goals at the end of last season and it was as he did a great job of stabilising a rudderless midfield vitally important not to lose him as he is the only

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goalscoring outlet we have. Joining Murray up front will surely be Jake Cassidy, who signed from Wolves last week. The Welsh u21 international stalled somewhat at Tranmere last term, but Notts fans will be hoping that he rediscovers his form from 2012-13 when he scored 11 goals in 19 games for Rovers. His burgeoning partnership with Murray will be crucial to our prospects.

been massively disappointing and performances have left a lot to be desired. Last night Notts got a drubbing from Birmingham, and the editor of this fanzine has just posted a video showing defending that would not be out of place in an under 8s match.

As it stands, the only teams we have beaten are Carlton Town, Arnold and Rolls Royce Leisure. I appreciate that “friendly results don’t matter” and “building match fitness is the key”, but the results are pretty dire. Over the past couple of seasons, the squad has been asset stripped, the replacements haven’t been up to scratch, and I feel the results are a testament to that.

He joins a forward line of Tyrell Waite, Jeremy Balmy and the enigma that is Danny Haynes. Haynes joined last season in a blaze of publicity yet spectacularly failed to deliver and was shipped off to Scotland forthwith. I’m all for giving someone a second chance, and I hope that he’ll be raring to go this season. But, having been absent the whole of pre-season and with I won’t dare predict where we’ll finish the season rumours of a dodgy attitude and injury worries, hopes because I really want Sean and Greg to succeed and I fear a lynch mob, but let’s put it this way - I won’t be aren’t high for a goal glut. booking my time off for Wembley just yet.

Being objective, once again it doesn’t look like our forward line will get us too many. The likes of Bristol Oh well. At least the kit’s nice.

City and Sheffield United won’t be too concerned at the prospect of facing a group that can’t score past Nuneaton and barely threaten Mansfield Town. I’ve @DrewNotts long since given up asking for a 20 goal man – I don’t think we’ve got the money or - dare I say it, the If you have been affected by any of the issues ambition - to go after another Lee Hughes, so we’re raised in Drew’s article, The Samaritans stuck with what we’ve got. It doesn’t exactly get the may be able to provide help and advice on pulse racing. In short, pre-season has been a bit of 08457 90 90 90. a mess. Along with Spencer’s injury, the results have

Drew Dennis

FRIENDLY FIRE

Many football supporters just can’t muster up any interest in pre-season friendlies, and will only turn up to watch their team when the competitive season begins. But for those of us who start to get excited and refer to diaries and calendars as soon as the pre-season fixtures are announced, it’s a special time. Unfortunately, it sometimes turns out to be the most enjoyable part of the whole season !

With the majority of Notts’ friendlies usually being away from home and against opponents from a lower division, the travelling fan gets the pleasure of visiting grounds they often haven’t been to before, in a relaxed atmosphere, and normally in nice warm weather. You don’t often get spectacular facilities, but you do get a friendly welcome from the locals and you don’t pay through the nose for the privilege.

Sometimes, you can even build a little holiday around the pre-season schedule. The sizeable group of fans who enjoyed a few days in Scotland during July of 2001, as Notts took on Stirling Albion, Partick Thistle, and East Fife will always remember it fondly, likewise the few days down in Cornwall in 2002 which culminated with Notts helping me celebrate my 40th birthday by slamming fifteen goals past AFC Newquay.

Then of course there was the trip to Singapore and Brunei, and more recently Austria, and Finland, for the lucky few who could find both the time off work and the air fare.

You renew acquaintances with friends you’ve lost touch with during the close season, but whom you’ll see at just about every Notts match for the next

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ten months or so.

You take on the annual detective job as you attempt to uncover the name of the lad simply listed as “triallist” on the team sheet. Older fans might recall a game away at Hednesford Town back in 1987, a match in which new playercoach Paul Hart made his Notts debut.

Also making his debut, as a half-time substitute that day was a skinny little winger. He looked about 13 and can’t have weighed more than 8 stone with his boots on, but he immediately showed us that he had excellent first touch and a turn of pace to worry any defender. He wasn’t listed on the team sheet at all, and it seemed none of the Notts fans present at the game knew who he was, but from the audible calls of his teammates we quickly gathered that his name was “Tommy”.

If memory serves, I think he went on to do quite well for himself.

Then, of course, we have the game itself. Circumstances at the club each summer will dictate the state of the squad….. how many have been released, how many new signings have arrived, how many triallists, etc, and you’re looking to see who’s playing where and wether there’s a new tactical approach. The principle reason for playing friendlies is to build

match fitness, but whenever there are a significant number of changes to the squad you also have to establish a pattern of play and gradually decide what the best option is. Some might say friendlies have no bearing on the season to come, but if you don’t have things organised on the field during the friendlies, it’s not likely to sort itself overnight just because you’re suddenly playing for League points.

This summer, Notts’ preparations haven’t gone entirely to plan, not least because of the blow of losing Jimmy Spencer for most, if not all of the coming season, and at the time of writing I think we all agree that the squad needs another 3 or 4 players adding to it in key areas, but no doubt Shaun and Greg are working hard to fill those places.

With so many new faces it will take time to come together, so let’s not read too much into our pre-season results.

It’s not really fair to start passing judgement on anybody until at least a few weeks into the League season, when everybody is settled, match fit, and reading from the same page.

Nigel Nattrass

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Wishing both Notts County FC and Black & White all the best and hoping both the fanzine and Shaun Derry’s Notts take us all the way to extra time and penalties this year!

electricaloptions.co.uk

LuSam

Photography -Wedding-Portraiture-Nature-Architecture07446 118177 facebook.com/lusamphotography I also sell framed photos of the Meadow Lane Stadium, with 10% discount for Notts Co. fans (just quote Black&White when ordering)

MONEY MATTERS

Football clubs claim that they’re aiming for many things, but perhaps second only to ‘promotion’ is that most elusive, mysterious of concepts and seemingly the long term aim of every football club owner – ‘self-sustainability’.

It’s thrown about so often by chairmen that it tends squad. to lose its meaning and its importance becomes diluted, when really every single football club’s Notts are a big enough club to justify a reasonable central aim should be to become self-sufficient, budget in League One, but the fact that there are giving them a platform to grow and achieve success always clubs spending way beyond their means without requiring some sort of benevolent evil genius clouds this somewhat. Many Notts fans will react showering them in blood money. to the summer’s squad, which has clearly been put together on a considerably smaller budget than the The first thing to realise when considering the ones in recent years, with some disappointment attainability of financial sure-footedness is the fact at the lack of 25-29 year old League One ‘stars’ in that the vast majority of Football League clubs make there. For me, however, it is promising – Derry has a loss. Some bigger than others – the recent figures addressed the problems with mentality and discipline posted by Leicester City and Bolton Wanderers in the that occurred last season by bringing in a handful Championship being particularly eye-watering – but of extremely experienced players, whilst filling the even in Leagues One and Two most teams are reliant majority of the squad with younger ones who are on on their owner plugging the financial black hole that the way up. This is the correct strategy – it would is created each season. This is certainly the case at be extremely unfortunate if none of Fabian Spiess, Notts County - whilst the exact figures are not clear, Curtis Thompson, Jeremy Balmy, Elliott Whitehouse it is unquestionable that Ray Trew ‘invests’ (we don’t or any of the other youngsters at the club developed release detailed enough accounts to know how much into a saleable asset in the future. If one of these can is a loan) a significant amount each month to keep be nurtured each season then it goes a long way to the club afloat. securing the club’s sustainability.

There are two ways to view this, with ‘investment’ generally being seen by fans as an indicator of their owner’s commitment to the club and ambition, particularly if it brings in a new left back. In business terms, however, it is perfectly reasonable to see a direct correlation between a high level of ‘investment’ (essentially loss) and a club being run badly. This had become a particularly exacerbated situation at Notts, where the club were struggling without their own training facility and without any young players making the grade in the first team, but these are both issues that have been remedied to varying extents this summer. If money is going to be invested, accepted as a sunk cost by the chairman, then longterm projects are the best places for it to go.

How do you move from this unsatisfactory status quo to the pot of self-sufficient gold at the end of the rainbow, then? The most important thing, I would suggest, is to ensure that you have a long term strategy and, crucially, stick to it. When Ray Trew hinted twelve months ago that he had reversed the decision to cut the team’s first team budget by 30%, it was a decision largely greeted joyously by supporters, but in rejoicing at such news there is a danger that the indecisiveness and instability that such a decision suggests.

The summer of 2014, however, has been much more positive than the last one in these terms, with Notts’ squad, for the first time under Trew’s ownership and since promotion to League One, looking like one that could reasonably have been assembled with a sustainable budget. There are no marquees signings, like Danny Haynes last season, no absurd collection of central midfielders, as under Keith Curle, but what looks like a relatively well-balanced, if short on genuine quality players in their prime, League One

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Colchester United chairman Robbie Cowling, who dramatically changed his club’s course three years ago, rather succinctly summed up the issue that faces clubs like Notts. Even with the investment of a benevolent owner such as Trew, he is still not wealthy enough to genuinely compete with the bigger, higher division clubs going through a period of rehab, such as Sheffield United and Wolves, or the smaller clubs being bankrolled completely unsustainably, such as Leyton Orient’s current dalliance with three year contracts for ageing target men and Andy Pilley’s bizarre decision to buy a small town from just outside Blackpool a League One club. Even those where the money is invested more sensibly and in long-term infrastructure, such as at Brentford, can blow the rest out of the water. This leaves clubs spending beyond their means, but at nowhere near the level that guarantees success (as Notts did when they won League Two), meaning that they are likely to overspend to no eventual end.

This has to stop, and Notts must, as they appear to be doing, follow the lead of clubs like Colchester and Walsall in building squads intelligently and over a period of time, rather than recklessly and repetitively each summer, which will allow the club to build towards sustainability whilst also giving them the best chance of succeeding on the pitch. This requires sucking up the annoyance of fans at a lack of exciting transfer activity, and also being willing to stick with a manager through some development periods in midtable, but is the only real way forward for a club like ours. No one wants their chairman to be Karl Oyston, but the happy medium is the place to shoot for. Notts seem to have made great strides this summer – hopefully they can stick with.

Jacob Daniel

@JacobNCM

ISSUE #10

THE SEASON AHEAD IN LEAGUE ONE

Pre-season is a time of new perspectives, of fresh starts, a rush of transfer activity and a chance to recharge ahead of another rollercoaster nine months.

In the lower leagues of English football in particular, where there tends to be less of a gap between those that finished the previous season going for promotion and those who fought against relegation, how a squad is shaped during the months of June and July is hugely significant. And at no other time does opinion among fans differ so starkly, as to how their new XI will fare come August.

Individual signings are written off before they’ve even tried on their new kit, while a club’s dealings in the transfer market can earn them the early tag as one of the favourites to go up, simply because they are appearing almost daily in the transfers section of the BBC Sport website, or relegation candidates, because incomings are in short supply.

In the absence of their Saturday afternoon football fix, fans become idle, reliant on the latest rumours around who their club might sign for their sport-related fix.

For Notts, and several other League One clubs, the huge turnaround of players every summer leaves fans in the unknown as to how things might turn out. Had the majority of the team that finished the season stayed together, and been shrewdly added to with one or two more bodies, they say, the form showed over the last nine games would indicate a bright season is in the offing.

But, first, as expected, star loanees Jack Grealish and Callum McGregor went back to their parent clubs, then Jamal Campbell-Ryce jumped ship for Sheffield United, and Gary Liddle and Alan Sheehan both preferred a switch to Bradford City.

Next, Bartosz Bialkowski was off to the Championship and Ipswich Town and the unfortunate Jimmy Spencer picked up a season-long injury. The core of the side that rallied to stay up was no longer, and manager Shaun Derry had to start all over again.

Derry’s signings have largely been uninspiring - plenty of good, honest professionals, and others with potential, but perhaps a lack

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of real star quality to excite fans.

And when pre-season results and performances fail to show much of a sparkle, fans become a little fearful.

Across League One, supporters of the other 23 clubs will be asking the same questions of their board, their manager and their transfer activity.

The majority will optimistically believe they are capable of a playoff push at the very least, and will expect the summer to see a team shaped that is capable of just that.

But who has done the business in the transfer market, and who is leading the race for League One glory?

Facing an uncertain year are Peterborough. Highly-fancied last term, Darren Ferguson found it difficult to attract new players over the summer, as many departed London Road. And you get the impression that Leyton Orient will struggle to match their feats of last season, with behind-the-scenes changes potentially destabilising for Russell Slade.

Preston will be as strong as last season, having made minimal changes to their squad. And demanding MK Dons boss Karl Robinson once again expects a promotion push from a side brimming with young talent and The impression is a more even now with the addition of proven field in the division this term, scorer Will Grigg from Brentford. in the absence of a Wolves side clearly playing far below their level The off-field drama at homeless last season, and with recent big- Coventry City will hinder their spenders Brentford also now in cause, though fans will be the Championship. Coming down, encouraged by the arrivals of Shaun Doncaster’s aborted takeover left Miller, Danny Pugh and new captain them with a struggle to finalise their Reda Johnson. squad, while Barnsley had flirted with relegation for many a season Liddle and Sheehan are good and Yeovil played above their level arrivals for Bradford City, as is by reaching the second tier at all. experienced striker Billy Clarke from Crawley, and they may well push Of those, you’d feel Barnsley are into the play-off picture. best equipped for an immediate return, given they’ve been able to Following promotion, Chesterfield pay a sum for League Two’s top and Scunthorpe have decided scorer last term in Sam Winnall against too many changes – a from Scunthorpe, and entice Ross mistake Notts made after the Turnbull, very recently of Chelsea, title-winning campaign in 09/10 to be their new number one.

– and that should result in a solid if unspectacular season, while If there’s a club who’ll be as close Keith Hill is capable of seeing his to Wolves as anyone, Sheffield Rochdale side to safety.

United, given the quality of their manager in Nigel Clough and the Crawley will have almost an impressive way they finished last entirely new squad, including exseason. The permanent addition of Notts skipper Dean Leacock who former Magpie Ben Davies and deals is a typical example of the type of for proven League One personnel in player they’ve recruited, pointing Campbell-Ryce, James Wallace and to a season of struggle. Battling Andy Butler only adds to a squad relegation alongside them, expect who lost just two of their final 19 the likes of Fleetwood, Oldham, games.

Colchester, Crewe, Port Vale and Gillingham.

Bristol City will go close with Steve Cotterill having had ample time to As for Notts? It’s a step into the make his mark, while being backed unknown given the activities of the in the transfer market to bring in summer, but with Derry at the helm Luke Freeman, Luke Ayling, Wade and what he achieved last term, Elliott and Mark Little, all players there has to be belief. any League One side would love to have.

Paul Smith

@psmithyjourno

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SIX GAMES TO SALVATION PART TWO So it all comes down to this. Nine months of blood, sweat and tears condensed into ninety minutes on top of a hill in Lancashire.

Birmingham have recalled Hayden Mullins for their own relegation scrap which is worrying. I have gone through every single permutation of the final round of matches at least nine million times looking for any scrap of comfort - but can find none. Our away form is woeful and we have only drawn four all season.

Crewe and Tranmere are up against teams with little to play for. No Mullins. We never do well at Oldham.

I could go on…

Oldham (A) April 5th Boundary Park Breakdown

the truth is we are now worried about making kick off ourselves.

Birmingham’s impossible comeback to stay in the Championship plays out on the car radio. I shake my head as Paul Dickov tells his still playing Doncaster team that Brum are 2-0 down.

There’ll be no Saturday visit to Wickes today - I surface at Finsbury Park an hour early for the drive to Oldham having got up at 5am – my restless imagination refusing to let me sleep. There will be well over 3,000 of us but I suspect few will be Maybe he thinks it will lift them but I figure it’s a huge risk as they are travelling as far. just as likely to get complacent.

And Adam is seething because I’ve They do, gifting Leicester a penalty brought my Notts scarf which has and two late Birmingham goals not made an appearance for years. see them relegated. Who knows I thought it would be extra support whether they would have seen out for the boys, but he’s convinced it’s the draw had they not thought they a jinx - and now he’s mentioned were safe? I hope Derry will ban all it I can’t help but agree. Googly talk of other results – if we do our watch – check, Harp shirt – check, job they will not matter.

Adidas camo top – check, unlucky scarf – check. What could possibly We go the wrong way round the M60 and all seems lost, but just as go wrong?

Adam runs out of profanities we spy Quite a lot as it happens – traffic floodlights and realise we’ve fluked is bad and we find ourselves well it. We pull into a tiny car park next to behind schedule. It could be worse – some council pitches and take a risk the tailback on the M6 is caused by – blocking a gate in the only spot a broken down carful of Notts fans left. We hare off towards the ground and it’s hard to see how they’ll be with kick off imminent wondering if we’ll have a car to come back to. able to make the game.

back as the enormity of the next ninety minutes sinks in. We don’t start well and just as I dreaded the first half finishes goalless. Both Tranmere and Crewe are winning so the nightmare scenario is on – lose and we’re down.

I curse my mate at work – he was convinced we’d stay up, and when I quoted Hereford’s recent last minute survival at the expense of Chester (who went down on goal difference after conceding a last minute winner) he laughed and said lightning wouldn’t strike twice.

We are Notts County though and snatching defeat from the jaws of victory is our forte. So when a Lockwood header loops over Bart in the 68th minute I wince and start preparing myself for the heartbreaking end we all feared.

Visions of the Hollis/Bart howler at Bristol appear in my mind – we’d be safe now if not for that.

I banish such thoughts. Despite the collective anxiety we continue to cheer ourselves hoarse, trying desperately to encourage the lads.

We could have offered them a lift We’re in with seconds to spare and Time starts to accelerate in the way if not for the back seat ban – but suddenly the sickening nerves are it only does when you’re losing and

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ISSUE #10

I bury my head in my (now proven to be definitely unlucky) scarf and imagine the worst. I lift my head up just as Campbell-Ryce (again) sends a cross into the box and it hits a blue shirted body. Holy shit – he’s given us a penalty. I grab Adam in a mess of nerves as Sheehan steps up and we both say what every Notts fan is thinking – he’s got to score it yet.

I can’t begin to imagine what it feels like to have the fate of a whole football club resting on what you do with your left foot in the next ten seconds, but I do know that Alan Sheehan is the player I’d ask to do it. We hold our breath and he shows balls of steel to smash an unstoppable shot into the top corner. Fortune favours the brave and all that.

Things get a bit hazy at this point as even I realise we are probably safe – we miss a couple of chances to win it and as we enter the keep ball pantomime that is injury time I start to walk down to the edge of the pitch. At some point Bradford score again.

The usual meatheads are squaring up to Police and Stewards in their desire to invade the pitch and as the final whistle goes I hold my (lucky after all – told you) scarf over my head in triumph.

I feel spent and we wander onto the pitch to take a couple of rubbish selfies and ruffle Jack Grealish’s hair.

The desire to wait for Shaun and Greg is trumped by the need to see if we’ve been clamped, so we dash off leaving Boundary Park rocking The away stand explodes as we to the sounds of The Wheelbarrow regain our life saving point and Song. even I start to think we might just be able to see this out. I use my I know for sure our luck has turned lucky googly watch to work out when we find the rust bucket just our suffering lasted barely seven as we left it. A quick three point minutes. Then again August to turn and we’re off. And then, fifteen minutes down the M60 our first bit March was no picnic. of bad luck in what seems like an Twelve minutes to hang on – and eternity. A puncture sends us on to almost before I can start to worry the hard shoulder and after dangling about how we might yet throw our heads in front of 70mph it away Jimmy Spencer gets juggernauts trying to insert the jack clotheslined and the Latics are a we give up and phone the AA. man down. The drama’s coming thick and fast now as a commotion It’s then, waiting in the pollution in the crowd suggests a goal for and deafening noise on the edge of the opposition at either Crewe or a motorway, miles from home and with no guarantee of getting there Tranmere. that the enormity of it hits me. We Thousands of digits tap polished are safe, we only went and bloody glass and time stands still until did it. The Great Escape – mission some pixels rearrange themselves accomplished. I smile and look at to tell us Bradford have equalised. Adam and he’s smiling too even

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though he has a migraine by now.

It’s all been worth it and it’s all over at last. Until next August at least.

We were rescued in the end, and I ended up getting home at 1.30am after catching the final pisshead express out of Waterloo. That was 48 hours ago and I’ve had a chance to look at the YouTube videos and Facebook photos now – you can even see me on the Football League Show highlights if you’ve got a magnifying glass.

I have never before been to six consecutive Notts County games and perhaps I never will again, so how to sign off on this particular personal odyssey? Well, if you go online there is a video of Shaun Derry and Greg Abbott celebrating with the fans on the pitch at Oldham. Shaun points to Greg and walks off towards the stand.

As he does so a fan breaks free and runs after him, unwilling to let him go until he has personally thanked him – Shaun turns and they embrace like old friends. Satisfied, the fan runs back to rejoin his mates. I don’t know who that fan was or what he said, but I wish it had been me.

Because I would have said thank you Shaun, thank you for never giving up, thank you for six of the most painful yet joyful weeks of my life, thank you for making me care again and thank you most of all for giving me my club back.

Piran Lynn-Smith

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THE AWAY DAYS 14/15 PREVIEW

For those that take an interest in my awaydays feature for this instalment I thought id give you my opinion of this seasons trips. This campaign brings back some old friends in Chesterfield, Rochdale, Doncaster, Barnsley, Scuthorpe and Yeovil. We also welcome first timers to Fleetwood Town to League One. Barnsley extortionate parking prices.

Our first visit to the Tykes for a Nothing else to add. few seasons is a decent trip up the M1 for a midweek game with Coventry City pubs and parking in abundance.

Currently playing at Northampton's Sixfields Stadium, The home of Arthur Scargill, so there’s easy access from the get ready for 90 mins of scab M1 and decent parking at food chants. outlets to fill the belly. For those not wanting to pay to get in, Bradford City there are vantage points on the grass bank behind the home end!

this game and travelling to the game via the tram. Future away days article? Watch this space.

Crawley Town Nightmare journey last season on the M25 so allow extra time to navigate this. Decent parking at the stadium with beer at their clubhouse. Shocking non league ground but one of the few to offer terracing for those that wish to stand. Still ranks as my worst awayday last season.

Leyton Orient Another decent trip, one of the few I do on train so plenty of time for train beers. Short hike down the Leyton High Road from the tube station to the ground.

Unless you get there early parking is at a premium so you'll have to find street parking away from the ground. One of the better stadia in the league and a decent view from the top tier behind the goal.

Good vantage point for hurling abuse at Gary Liddle and Alan Sheehan then!

Bristol City With the old away end gone away fans will be house behind the opposite goal - the old kop for those old enough to remember.

Watch out for £10 car parking near the ground - plenty of other options for £3-5 though.

Chesterfield Our previous visit in the league saw us take the win and Martin Allen effectively end Karl Hawley's Notts career by hauling him off at half time after missing a sitter.

Gillingham For those travelling by car, dont forget the QE bridge toll. Car parking about a ten minute walk from the ground and an awful away stand with no cover from the weather make this one of the poorer experiences.

Few decent pubs to consolidate the drinking in pre-match. God damn horrible stadium and terrible ticket prices, second Crewe Alexandra only to Peterborough in value for I love this awayday. Once you've money. Bloody wooden seats the got through Stoke On Trent the last few visits. journey becomes quite palatable.

MK Dons Big car park behind the main stand and a decent chippy near Bit like Marmite, you either love the away turnstiles. Decent the stadium or hate it - wingman results there the last two visits and esteemed (steaming?) editor Stuart is most certainly the latter! have certainly added to the day I personally think it is a thing of Doncaster Rovers beauty, with the best seats I've Another of my favourite away ever had the pleasure of parking days. Tidy stadium that Notts are my arse on. Over priced food in unbeaten in having won there the ground and a nightmare to in the FA Cup and League One - grab a fag though. pissing on their promotion party Oldham Athletic in 2012/13.

Plenty of parking and decent pub on the roundabout for those wishing to partake in a pre match session.

Strategically positioned burger vans to sate the appetites of the needy on the walk back to your Tidy new build stadium with vehicle. plenty of parking and pubs -bit of a trek from the train station Fleetwood Town though.

A new one this sason, so nothing to add regarding the experience. Last season apart, this is one Colchester United However, worth noting we’ll be offers very little as an awayday Souless out of town stadium, doing a Blackpool weekender for experience. Car parking is close

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ISSUE #10

but that is about the only positive.

No restrictions on half time Rochdale smoking last season - but that Nice stand down the side that might be different with the houses the away fans, great liklihood of only 300 travelling selection of pies and HT snacks. this season.

Scunthorpe United The daddy of away days! Dont Peterborough United ÂŁ28 for a wooden seat in a run ask why but this is my favourite down stand. Crap view and poor trip in League One. Easy access catering and toilet facilities? to the motorway, parking next to #nuffsaid the away end, plenty of fast food outlets and a pub all on the site.

Port Vale Easy enough to get to within an Only slight downer is the hour with plenty of parking and horrendous queues exiting the pubs. Decent away end which can car park after the match. generate some noise.

Sheffield Utd This away day was spoilt last season by the Lee Hughes Fan Club. Move on people.

Preston North End For those wanting to make a weekend of the occasion get yourself off to Blackpool. Without doubt the best stadium in the league. Decent food and facilities and a cracking view from the awayday after stand. Plenty of parking around Closest Chesterfield, this day should offer the ground.

plenty, but somehow i always feel underwhelmed. Parking isn't easy nowadays due to road closures on matchdays so you need to find a spot away from the ground.

Swindon Town Horrible journey, horrible ground, horrible View. Only plus is the bar pre-match next to the away turnstiles. If there is one away day to miss - this is it.

Walsall Plenty of positives for this one.

Nice little stadium with good facilities and close parking.

Cracking bar next to the ground for a pre match beer and freshly cooked hot food.

Yeovil Town Welcome back you little devil.

Where do I start? Crappy little ground, sun in your eyes and a nightmare to exit the ground via the only road out. Be ready to wait an hour to get away. Only positive? Smoking available at half time!

Sean Redgate

@seanystaxi

NOTTS COUNTY GOLF SOCIETY We play eight qualifying games a season – one per month - beginning in March and playing through until October.

Playing at eight courses throughout the Notts area, games alternate from a Sunday in the first month, to a Wednesday the next and so on. We start with tee times in the morning moving over to after lunch in the Summer then back to mornings.

Games are played In the Stableford format with only the best five scores to count from the eight games. All scoring and handicapping is done online via HandicapMaster which you can log in and view anytime. By the end of the season, the member with the most points is the 1862 Champion for the season, also a singles competition is also held throughout the season.

Anyone wishing to join irrespective of your handicap is most welcome, all details on our web site.

www.nottscountygolfsociety.co.uk

SOLVING THE RIDDLE AT NUMBER 9

Tempting fate is a dangerous business; whether it’s leaving the house without an umbrella, describing a ship as ‘unsinkable’ or agreeing to brand your team’s shirts with the phase ‘Comedy Club’.Sure enough, no sooner was this article originally penned; extolling the virtues of Jimmy Spencer and his importance in the upcoming campaign, did Notts travel to Eagle Valley for what was essentially a hearts and minds exercise in the local community. We all know what happened next.

Wholesale reconstruction of the squad has become something of a regular feature at Meadow Lane in recent summers and Shaun Derry was able to express himself this off-season by herding many of the indulged donkeys assembled by Curle and Kiwomya into the back of the glue factory van.

the dark arts of centre forward play, frequently turning his relatively small stature to his advantage by subtly backing into the defender and drawing the foul. Indeed few forward players to have worn the shirt in the modern era have been more skilled at bringing balls down and offering a platform for the team to play.

During the ill fated 1994/95 campaign, a number of strikers were drafted in to provide the firepower missing as a result of a perennially injured Gary McSweegan, with managers becoming increasingly desperate (or drunk) as the club slid towards the third tier. Whilst Devon White may have lacked the subtlety of Mark Stallard he was an excellent battering ram, capable of terrorising opposition defenders and goalkeepers alike, particularly at the lower level the team inevitably found themselves playing in the following season.

Prior to professional crackpot Colin Murphy’s inexplicable decision to remodel the side around the dubious qualities of Vinny Arkins, ‘Bruno’ was enjoying the form of his life and vying with Tony Yeboah to head the league top scorer chart. The League Cup brought this shoot-out to Meadow Lane in autumn 1995 and White demonstrated that he was unplayable on his day with a brace against a quality Leeds defence, albeit in a losing cause.

There has clearly been some collateral damage as part of this purge; however it seems most fans could take losing the likes of Alan Sheehan and Gary Liddle if it meant retaining Jimmy Spencer. Blessed with a first touch and awareness that is ahead of the curve for this level, the signing of Spencer evoked fond memories of some worthy target men to have occupied what has become known in football parlance as ‘The Number 9’ spot.

Our final example concerns a player who has assumed an almost mythical status amongst fans due the ‘what might Historically, whilst Notts fans in the immediate post-war have been’ nature of his spell at the club. Brought in by Neil era may have been left wanting when it came to bananas, Warnock to add quality to a forward line tasked with firing they could more than indulge themselves on Hall of Fame the goals needed to keep the club in the top flight, Paul England centre forwards. Unfortunately the Lawton era is Rideout barely had time to collect his sponsored Ford Sierra increasingly outside the scope of living memory; beyond before being sold on to Rangers for a quick profit. Although perhaps the photograph of his remarkable headed goal Derek Pavis was able to double his money in the short against Forest (from outside the box), which used to hang term, the loss of Rideout was a hammer blow to the team’s proudly in the now sadly demolished Magpies pub. Likewise chances of staying up at a key stage in the evolution of from a personal point of view, Jeff Astle and Tony Hately, the domestic game; as survival would have ensured Notts’ only contextualised as legends of the club by flicking place in the inaugural Premier League and the whole new through old programmes. ball game it ushered in. It is huge simplification to say the Rideout sale relegated Notts, yet his loss at a key time of Yet before we examine a selection of notable successes, it the season deflated supporters who had seen enough in the is worth humming the Benny Hill theme and pausing for a handful of games he had played to continue to talk wistfully moment to recall some of the sorry excuses for footballers about him for years to come. tasked with leading the line in recent years. Andy White treading on the ball in the 6 yard box is forever etched onto More so than any other position, it is easy to mock those many a memory with a rusty blade. However White was that have sought to fulfil the target man role at Meadow far from unique during the Trust era; one which witnessed Lane in recent times. However if the Trust years can be the likes of Gavin Gordon, Eugene Dadi, and Hector Sam ignored it is clear that Notts have a rich heritage in this haplessly bounce footballs into touch from increasingly area, with several splendid exponents of traditional English inventive parts of their anatomy. It is alarming to think centre forward play. It is perhaps for this reason that that the club’s striking resources at the business end of the performances are harshly judged by fans who have become dreadful 2005/06 season included a nightmarish partnership accustomed to the high standards set by Stallard, White, of Dan Chillingworth and Steve Scoffham, in all probability Rideout et al (to name but a few) in a skilled and specialist less effective up top than a traffic cone and a swarm of role. Until very recently it was thought we had finally filled angry bees. this void with a worthy successor.

Prior to this nadir, arguably the last player of genuine quality before Munto waved the rubber chequebook was Mark Stallard. Despite scoring against Notts during the 1996 Play Off Final, he quickly became a fan favourite due to his excellent first touch and all round game, a cut above anything witnessed during the following decade or so. Stallard scored some eye-catching goals for Notts, including a fantastic long range effort at Yeovil during his loan return; yet his key strength, of which little footage exists, was playing with his back to goal. Beyond his clear football ability, it was a joy to observe Stallard’s mastery of

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 18

Unfortunately fate intervened. In the short term Notts now require a quality replacement to give the team a foothold in the opposition half and get the most out of Ronan Murray.

Long term it is hoped that Jimmy Spencer can make a full recovery, most importantly for himself but also to give supporters the spearhead we all crave and follow in the footsteps of those to have previously worn the Number 9 with such distinction.

Get well soon Jimmy.

Adam Taylor

@adam3663

ISSUE #10

VOM KRIEGE - A CALL TO ARMS

Last seasons ‘Great Escape’ campaign did much to create a good old British wartime do or die spirit from both the club and fans alike, and although definitely contributing in some way to securing League One survival it was very much a “hearts & minds” crusade.

Those of you familiar with your military history may have heard of Carl von Clausewitz, the Prussian war strategist who served, and died some 30 years prior to the founding of Notts County Football Club.

Famous for his unfinished book Vom Kriege (On War) published in 1832, the year after his death, Clauswitz studied the individual soldier, their leadership and how their actions illuminate different aspects of war and the impact they have on the course of a campaign or battle.

At this point you might be forgiven for thinking what on earth I’m doing waxing lyrical about a 19th century war strategist in a 21st century football fanzine. Well let me try and explain if I may by sharing with you a quote from the great man himself.

“The soldier is levied, clothed, armed, exercised, he sleeps, eats, drinks, and marches - all merely to fight at the right place and at the right time.”

Now at this point I feel it only fair before I go any further to make something abundantly clear. In no way is it my intention to draw parallels between those brave and selfless enough to put themselves in harm’s way for the protection of their homeland and its people, with that of the often overpaid, highly privileged and unwittingly revered professional footballer.

encounter with Spanish side CA Osasuna, recently 4-0 winners themselves over Championship new boys Brentford.

It’s fair to say Notts County’s preseason has not been the best. A couple of wins at lowly non-league competition aside we have had to come to terms with the untimely loss of Jimmy Spencer (the less said about that the better) as well as unconvincing displays in defeat to Mansfield Town, Derby County, Halifax Town and the aforementioned Birmingham City.

Preventing defeat at Deepdale on August 9th has to be a priority.

I would like to think that tactics derived from intelligence reports exposing our opponent’s weaknesses and identifying actions that will succeed in nullifying their strengths have been drilled into all concern, but none more so than the players themselves. Tactics, formations, set pieces and orders relayed, not just prior to the foray at Deepdale, but to every single conflict during what will no doubt be a long, hard fought campaign.

The players are paid well, they have their uniforms and are armed with the best available equipment. They exercise, sleep, eat and drink under the close guidance of health, fitness and medical experts. Finally they are trained, drilled if you like, so when the time is right they are prepared, ready to march and take the fight to the enemy, again and again and In Shaun Derry’s own words when again. interviewed after the Birmingham defeat he claimed he was It is likely that by the time most of “Embarrassed” and “Unimpressed you read this article results against with the work rate” and regarding Osasuna, Preston and Sheffield the goals conceded “They were Wednesday will be in. It is my hope horrendous goals to give away. I that our officer in command has think when that happens you’ve followed Clauswitz’s lead and got his got absolutely no chance of winning strategy right, that his orders are relayed coherently through the chain games.” of command and acknowledged For me, as a supporter, I have to by those in the field of battle. Who have faith in the manager and knows, avoid defeat at Deepdale, what he is trying to achieve at a fight to the death at Hillsborough our club. After all, he is the officer and a day on the offensive on home in command on the front line, he soil against Fleetwood and maybe, has his second in command Gregg just maybe the coming campaign, Abbott at his side and has picked two albeit with its expected up’s and capable lieutenants in Alan Smith down’s might just conclude with a hero’s homecoming come next May? and Hayden Mullins.

Now I’m no betting man but with just eleven days to go until the start of the 2014/15 campaign opener away to Preston North End I’m pretty sure there are many amongst the Notts faithful who are feeling at least a little bit apprehensive - or in some cases fearing the worst.

The parallel I am trying to draw is purely with the methodology implied in Clauswitz’s words, especially when applied to the preparing of a football club, Its Generals, Majors, But now it is up to Derry and Lieutenants and foot soldiers prior to his officers to prepare for battle. a match, cup competition or league campaign.

Richard Ogando

@NCFCOg

Another war strategist once wrote: “Preventing defeat can be as important as creating a victory, and gathering intelligence as crucial as fighting in combat.”

In order to bring this back to football, and Notts in particular it might be prudent of me to mention that I am writing this piece following a preseason 4-0 reverse to Birmingham City, 3 days prior to a final friendly

AUG ‘14

Major Derry plots his next offensive with Lieutenant Smith

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 19

THE 2013/14 AWARDS

What better way to begin a brand new start than to remind us how routinely dire the last campaign was?

Over the Summer all of our contributors to the fanzine were polled anonymously to get their thoughts on the year. We skipped the Manager Of The Year award and decided to progress with the usual categories instead!

Derry & Abbott’s first point, away at Bradford. Sheffield MATCH OF THE SEASON Each will live long in the memory, but two games United at home comes up once more. The Ronan Murray went toe to toe in this category. No one should be Show away at Crewe. The 4-0 demolition of Colchester away from home. Even in defeat I thought the performance surprised at which they were! at Bristol City was hands down our best since earning The winner was Oldham away. Much has been written promotion in 2010. already in this issue about our torturous final day (page 10). The other was obviously Liverpool at Anfield in the But it’s Swindon, the last game of the season at Meadow Lane which comes out on top. Alan Sheehan settled the League Cup. nerves early on of course before two red cards for the visitors suggested that just maybe, just in time, our luck had turned after a horrendous nine months of refereeing decisions.

Putting the ball into an empty net when the goalkeeper has gone up the other end should be the easiest task in football – but how nervy was it as JCR raced up the field, squaring the ball for Callum Mac to put it in for 2-0?

GOAL OF THE SEASON

For a season as depressingly poor as ours, quality goals aren’t at all hard to come by. If you’ve seen the video on our YouTube channel then you already know Callum McGregor chipped in with more than his fair share.

The numbers we travelled in were great, the spirit on the field ill-fitting of a side struggling to get a footing in a poor SkyBet League One. Already two goals down, Yoann Arquin gave us hope as he headed in Manny Smith’s ball into the box – but the scenes when Adam Coombes slotted in the equaliser in front of us were quite sensational. Watch the goal again on YouTube, tell me you don’t get chills watching it back.

It was his solo goal at Gillingham that took the most votes – flicking the ball over a defender on half way, running deep into the Gills half and unleashing past former ‘Pie Stuart Nelson from 25 yards. A genuine high in poor start to the season, on a night which saw players at odds with management as they left the field.

Mark Fotheringham is unlikely to be remembered too fondly by many County fans, but his winning goal at home to Sheffield United earns that game a nomination. How refreshing it was to see the Jimmy Sirrel Stand packed out, and for Notts not to buckle in front of it! The sheer guts and determination in victory over Crawley at Meadow Lane late in the season earned it so vote also.

And then Port Vale at home – when Jamal Campbell-Ryce led a comeback from two goals down to run out 4-2 winners.

As clear an indication at the time that things were changing the better! Swindon at home gets a mention too. Callum McGregor’s last goal in Notts colours, digging the ball out Honourable mentions go out to the audacity at Colchester from under his feet to slot into the unguarded net. Meadow of Gary Liddle in leaving the ball to run past the goalkeeper Lane won’t hear a noise like it for years! without touching before sliding into an empty net, following a run of half the length of the field from Jack Grealish. Aston PERFORMANCE OF THE SEASON Villa-loanee Grealish’s first goal in senior football gets a Unsurprisingly, only one Chris Kiwomya-helmed shout too - in front of the Kop where he skipped past five display gets a mention – that at Anfield. There’s defenders before smashing through (again) Stuart Nelson nothing however separating several other into the roof of the net. nominations.

Liddle picks up votes also for his spectacular overhead kick against Carlisle in front of the Kop as well. Plus there’s debutant Jimmy Spencer’s 25-yarder at home to Coventry en route to a comprehensive 3-0 victory.

Also a player who made his only contribution really count – Adam Coombes for his equaliser at Anfield in the League Cup. One of the best? Perhaps not. One of the most memorable? Quite easily.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE SEASON

Where to start? It’s not as if we’re short of options

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 20

ISSUE #10

when it comes to last season.

under Derry & Abbott.

Forgotten man Joss Labadie gets a solitary mention given the promise shown at the end of the previous season. Last seen getting banned in League Two for chomping an opponent, who knows where he’ll end up next? Of considerable more skill, yet similar in attitude was Yoann Arquin, for whom no tears were shed upon his departure departure. Few doubt his natural ability, but the poor attitude and lack of application earned himself into some people’s nominations.

How we came back to still be a League One club after any of those is nothing short of miraculous.

Jamal Campbell-Ryce’s swift departure at the season’s end will likely hurt Notts given his form going into the final months of the season – but no one was buying into his “pay me what I deserve” diatribe in the local press given he’d only showed up for the closing stages of his two year contract.

Danny Haynes pushes it close, but “settles” for second place. The Summer’s marquee signing massively failed to deliver – dividing fans down the middle in the process. Many considered him lazy, others saw a player running himself into the ground chasing lost balls as a wasted lone frontman.

Honours – for want of a better word – in this though are shared. Two games against eventually demoted teams where you were sure the whistle on 90 minutes was the final of many nails in our coffin.

The first is from Meadow Lane on February 22nd, 2014.

Shrewsbury are the visitors as fellow occupiers of relegation berths. Notts – you would think – have the game out of sight early doors. Firstly Jack Grealish opens the scoring, before five minutes later an Alan Sheehan penalty doubles the lead. The visitors get a goal back before half time only for Jimmy Spencer to see red moments later.

Two goals in three minutes for Shrewsbury swing the game in their favour. In truth they were scarcely in trouble of letting their lead slip from there. 13 games remain, the gap to safety is only four points. But how on earth does a side as spineless as Nott were that day come back such adversity?

And then there’s the events of March 15th, 2014, and Tranmere Rovers away. Somehow still clinging to the what felt like futile hope of staying up, we were running out of Last Chance Saloons. This was it, one last throw of the dice.

We went with three attackers – Murray, Spencer and Nathan Tyson – and went all out in a game of plenty of chances, It’s hard to deny that he with little in terms of defensive class. failed to deliver either at Meadow Lane, or on loan at relegated Hibernian up in Scotland. With a year left on his Again we led. Murray scrambled in a goal on the 15 minute Notts contract, are Shaun Derry & Greg Abbott able to work mark before Koumas & Lowe swung the game to Rovers’ their magic on him a la JCR? advantage. A sweet Alan Sheehan free-kick restored parity, but Steve Jennings’ 30-yard piledriver in front of Which brings us to the the travelling Notts fans with five minutes to go should ultimate loser of a disastrous have been it as far as Notts County and League One were nine months. His “rabbit in concerned. the headlights impression” (as one voter put it) saw Seven points adrift from safety with nine games remaining? him go from club captain last We’ll be asking ourselves for years to come how we Summer, to out the club the managed to stop up last season. In spite of what the players next - but Leacock certainly might tell you via the media – they knew they’d had it. The doesn’t leave with his fall sight of them dropping to the floor at the full time whistle from grace going unnoticed! was a haunting one.

It was as sad to watch unfold in front of your eyes as it We’re already well aware of the work of Derry & Abbott had was sudden. Deano’s ice cool to do in keeping Notts County in League One for another persona is all well and good when the results are there to season – but it doesn’t hurt (well, maybe it does!) to cast match – but in a relegation slog it’s only ever going to rub minds back to the feelings of desolation after both of those people up the wrong way, as it evidently has here! games.

Leacock unsurprisingly didn’t have his contract renewed at the end of the campaign. Given we hadn’t seen him in a Notts shirt since the 5-1 drubbing by Walsall it’s no shock.

As yet he has failed to find a new club.

LOW POINT

Again, ask any supporter and they could likely list you any of a dozen moments in the campaign where they’d had a gutsful. This section could quite easily have taken up half of this issue by itself.

Be warned - what’s about to follow makes for quite brutal reading.

6-0 away at Rotherham - aka the last known sighting of Andre Boucaud in a Notts shirt. The image of a neartearful Chris Kiwomya after losing 5-1 at Leyton Orient.

Coventry away and the kung fu expertise of Danny Haynes right before we brought in Derry and Abbott. The dismal home defeat against Stevenage at Meadow Lane which saw Graham Westley invading our pitch as if he’d won the Premier League. And the limp 3-1 surrender to MK Dons

AUG ‘14

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

And the player of the season is...

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 21

ALAN SHEEHAN INTERVIEW

Throughout the course of last season’s nine months, it’s fair to say that most Notts fans - particularly those which voted for this - would agree that only one player can honestly say they gave their all from start to finish.

Alan Sheehan ran away with the votes in this one. As capable for Notts at left back as he was in his few occasions in the centre of defence, Sheehan captained the side through last season’s Great Escape, Paul Smith caught up with Alan in preseason, after he’d left obviously for Bradford City.

Alan, to add to several other individual honours from last season the fans have voted you as the zine’s Player of the Year. It was a good season for you wasn’t it?

On a personal note I was happy with my performances and I hope Notts County fans will remember me as someone who gave 100 per cent.

It’s what I always did, but more importantly we had a goal to achieve as a team last season and that was to stay up and in the end we did it.

For so long we looked relegation certainties last season. What changed to prompt the Great Escape?

The manager came in with Greg Abbott and they tried to put their stamp on the team but sometimes it takes longer than it usually should, which it did. But they got everyone working together and the place changed and wins started to come with everybody working hard for each other.

The dressing room was a good place to be and in the end we were successful.

You seemed to respond in particular when Shaun Derry made you his captain. Did you relish that?

where we beat Carlisle, Crewe and Saturday that’s all that matters.

Colchester picking up nine points and it turned around.

You get fans who say we didn’t love the club and we left for money but it And then came the last day at wasn’t about that – we weren’t the Oldham, and your penalty kept us highest earners at the club or anything up in front of all those away fans. like that but we felt it would be nice to be appreciated.

You dream about scoring a goal that keeps your club up. I felt a lot of I have to say about the owner and pressure as captain stepping up and his wife, after I scored the penalty to seeing 4,000 fans behind the goal. keep them up and saved them a lot of I was nervous but delighted it went money, I didn’t even get a thanks from in and the celebrations were well any of them. deserved.

There was an alleged incident on Out of contract, it then took a a night out in Nottingham over while for you to say you would the summer with a Notts fan in stay or go. Was there ever a point which you are said to have been where you were going to sign a derogatory about the club. What new deal? happened from your point of view?

Myself and Shaun Derry had numerous chats and I made it clear to him I wanted to stay and he made it clear to me he wanted me to stay. It was never down to money.

I heard him say something about Sheffield United and I knew there had been some interest from them. He said to me ‘why don’t you stay, don’t you love Notts?’ I said that I do, but that I wasn’t sure they love me, and There was a statement I had come it got twisted. I wouldn’t have stayed out with saying the board have got for three years if I didn’t love the club. to start looking after people that are doing it on the pitch – and I stand by How would you sum up an eventful what I said to this day, I really do. You three seasons with Notts? had people like Gary Liddle, Jamal Campbell-Ryce, Bart Bialkowski and I think that’s very fair to say, it was myself and we were working so hard very, very eventful. I’ve made some and giving everything for the club and really good friends and there are it was really disappointing that wasn’t some great people working behind the noticed. scenes like the physio John Wilson.

The manager gave me his backing to be the captain and I had to prove he had made the right decision.

Some people will say I am too outspoken and should stick to playing Being captain was a proud accolade to football but the fans deserve to have and it went well, so I was happy know the truth and I thank them for and very grateful to Shaun for giving everything and how good they were me that chance. to me but there was more I wanted to say - Lidds and I loved playing for There were several times the Notts County but we’ve gone now. fans thought we had no chance of staying up. Did you as players ever Does the Notts County board do lose belief? enough to keep its best players, both financially and in terms of It’s fair to say that until it was ambition? mathematically certain we’d be relegated we didn’t want to get too I don’t think so and as a result of that down about it but I’m not going to lie, the likes of Alan Judge, Neal Bishop, maybe after the Tranmere away game Lee Hughes and numerous others and also when we lost at home to have left even though they wanted to Shrewsbury after being 2-0 up. stay and if all of those had stayed we could have had a great team.

That’s where the manager and his staff deserve a lot of credit, and the It’s a business to these people. We players, because everybody pulled are just numbers to them. As long together and we had that great week as there’s a team to put out on the

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 22

From the bottom of my heart I hope Notts are successful in the future and that Shaun Derry is given time to succeed, because he’s got all it takes to be a great manager.

And now you are at Bradford, how’s it been so far?

Bradford is a good, big club with a big stadium and a good manager. I won’t say what we expect to do, but I’m looking forward to the season.

And a return to Meadow Lane in March?

It’s been a home from home for three years and I played a lot of games so I’ll be looking forward to going back there in March.

Paul Smith

@psmithyjourno

ISSUE #10

MEET THE NEW LADS

As we like to do at the beginning of the season, we’ve been in touch with fans (in most cases) of the most recent clubs of our new signings. Here are their thoughts on each new recruit!

TAYLOR McKENZIE

previously Sheffield Wednesday Taylor joined Wednesday aged 18 in August 2012 after being released by Norwich City.

He soon became a regular for our U21s – missing just three games in the whole of the 2012/13 s e a s o n .

Standing over 6ft tall he became a tower of strength at the back, winning everything in the air and proving adept on the ground too. By the start of the 2013/14 campaign McKenzie had been handed the captain’s armband for the U21s and stepped up his development looking for a first team spot. He’d more than proven himself at U21 level and needed first team football to further aid his development unfortunately however, two loan spells at Conference North side Gainsborough Trinity were cut short by injury.

He first made it into the first team squad for the FA Cup tie with Macclesfield Town in January 2014, making his first (and ultimately sole) unused substitute apearance in the process. Towards the end of the season Wednesday were short on centre-backs but surprisingly McKenzie still couldn’t get a look in, and so it wasn’t too surprising when he was let go in May. Although he never quite made the grade at Hillsborough, I still think he has a future as a professional somewhere, and joining a League 1 side like Notts could prove a good move for him.

He’s big, strong, good in the air and makes the right decisions. He lacks pace but can read a game well. Don’t expect him to be in the first team straight away, but when called upon I think he could

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 24

prove himself to be a decent It’s no surprise, though, to see prospect. him wash up on the banks of the Lee Hicklin @KivoLee Trent. Effort, determination, guts and grit define Liam Noble almost as readily as they do the last man LIAM NOBLE to take that road – Greg Abbott. previously Carlilsle United Those expecting Noble plays as Abbott did - more silken passing, endearingly than effectively.

John McGee @epouvantail refinement and poise from Liam Noble – a like for BLAIR ADAMS like Gary Liddle previously Coventry City replacement in Pre-season has other words – seen significant would be wise changes to to think again. the Sky Blues’ He’ll bring a squad, with a great many number of last qualities to season’s firstNotts, but these teamers either aren’t amongst moving on at them. At Carlisle he was lauded the end of their as a battler, a perennial windcontracts; or in up merchant who took a little Callum Wilson’s too much pleasure in biffing the case, gaining bag of air into the top bin before a lucrative wheeling exuberantly into the move to the Championship with face of opposing gaffers. That Bournemouth. was Noble at his best, busting his lungs to arrive on cue to slam While most of these exits were Roy Race-lite laces into vaguely expected, Blair Adams’ departure animate objects; footballs, probably came as the biggest opponents, he didn’t care much shock to supporters. Having been which. He shares a certain quality the club’s first choice left back with that favoured son on the since his initial arrival on loan from other side of the Trent. Like Sunderland in November 2012, it Stuart Pearce, Liam Noble is the seemed puzzling to facilitate a move by terminating his contract fan incarnate on the pitch. by mutual consent. The official It’s at the heart of both his charm line was that tactical adjustments and his failings. For every long for next season rendered him range blaster or studs up tackle surplus to requirements, but it there was a sense of foreboding. has been suggested elsewhere Noble always felt like a walking, that we can no longer afford his crowing red card and there was wages. an air of the playground about his time with us, his approach – he’s an errant During ball follower, desperate to stay Blair grew to become a very involved, often to the detriment popular player, and seems like of himself and the team. Towards a genuinely decent, likeable the end of his spell in Cumbria bloke. Announcing his departure, this ill-discipline had taken him Steven Pressley came out with in its tendrils. The Liam Noble the usual line about him having we’ll remember is the absent- been “a pleasure to work with”, minded scuttler with a ready foul- and in Adams’ case, he probably mouth for opponents, fans and really means it. As a player, I former managers. ‘Tis a pity – he genuinely saw him as one of the strongest left backs in the promised so much more. division last season. Defensively,

ISSUE #10

he’s well-disciplined and tactically aware, and he also offers a threat going forward. His crossing isn’t always the most effective, but his hard work was often at the root of our attacking play last season, especially when complementing the pace of players like Wilson and Franck Moussa.

to be the first £100 million player.

Lofty praise indeed for a lad who at that point was still plying his trade in the youth team. Still, fan expectations were set sky high from that moment and a hattrick for the under 18s against Manchester United did little to dampen our hopes.

He’s as good as you’re likely to get for his position in League One, and to have picked him up on a free is great business. Such is his popularity, I’m sure everyone associated with Coventry wishes him luck with you next year.

Injuries and competition for places hampered his progress though and it was only last season that Zeli finally managed to get a sniff of Wolves starting XI. It initially looked like he would be a regular on the opposite flank to Bakary Sako but the arrivals of James Henry and Michael Jacobs forced him down the pecking order. He’s only got a year left on his contract, so it doesn’t seem likely he’ll play for Wolves again, unless he starts pulling up trees for County. Hopefully for both of us, he starts fulfilling that potential.

Tom Furnival-Adams @Tom_FA

ZELI ISMAEL

on loan from Wolves The positives are he has great footwork and a sharp turn of pace, which means he can go past his man frequently over 90 minutes. His delivery is also pretty decent so he’s certainly got the tools to be a superb wide player. His physical strength and awareness of what’s around him need to improve, as does his decision making. Too often last season he would occupy a great position but fail with his final pass or get robbed off possession by a recovering defender.

That said, he was always a player the fans (including myself) were keen to see in the side, purely because you could see what a talent he’d be if he could put everything together. I know the majority of supporters at MK Dons and Burton were also impressed with what they saw in his loan stints and I have no doubt he’ll be a great success for Notts County. Shaun Derry is the type of character who can probably get the best out of him by injecting some belief and toughness.

It’s probably old news that our former academy head coach Chris Evans once said he thought Zeli Ismail had the raw attributes

AUG ‘14

Thomas Baugh WolvesBlog.com

JAKE CASSIDY

on loan from Wolves Cassidy was another player that came through the ranks with lofty expectations, scoring regularly for both the s e m i - p r o Welsh team we recruited him from and then Wolves academy sides. He was then shipped out to Tranmere on loan where he banged in goals for fun as they looked like running away with League One. We then got him back at Christmas to see if he could save our bacon in the Championship, but he didn’t do much and we were relegated.

Like Ismail, last season was his chance to shine but he never really produced. Kenny Jackett often said he did a great job for the team, playing up front as the lone forward and bringing others into the game, but a catalogue of missed chances, many of them glaring, saw the fans lose patience. He’s yet to score a

competitive goal for Wolves, which is ridiculous, particularly last season when we created chances for fun.

To me, he looks like his confidence is totally shot. If he can get a few goals early on for County though, he could be a real gem as he showed in that first stint at Tranmere he knows where the goal is when everything clicks.

Physical strength and aerial ability are his main assets, so he should be a useful player if things get scrappy. But he can play a bit on the deck too, so maybe this will be his year? He’s also at the last chance saloon as his contract expires next summer.

Thomas Baugh WolvesBlog.com

ROY CARROLL

on loan from Wolves Roy Carroll’s j o u r n e y continued in Greece. After a difficult period in which his career was in danger, his club ΟFI Crete pushed the restart button.

A few months, 16 successful appearances in greek Super League and a new big step follow with a transfer to greek giants Olympiacos. He played in Europa League and returned to Champions League matches 2012-2013 season. Αfter a few mistakes though he lost his position and next year he didn’t play a match. Now Roberto Jimenez is number one whilst Balazs Megyeri is younger than Roy so the difficult times came.

Roy Carroll left Greece and its champions as a good friend, professional, a teacher for younger players and as a man who was always smiling. An inspiration for defenders, his positioning in the box and in the air are his advantages. His weakness is long low shots as due to his age he is not so “explosive” as he was a few years ago. Generally he could be characterized as stable.

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His experience could be useful for helped by niggling injuries and a any team and Greeks wish good managerial want for experienced luck to Roy. heads in the middle of the park. Βαγγέλης Βιτζηλαίος This was seemingly a requirement of Nigel Clough as well as Wilson, ELLIOT WHITEHOUSE and Clough sent him on loan to previously Sheffield United York and Alfreton last season.

E l l i o t W h i t e h o u s e Personally, I think he might have first rose to been able to give us the drive prominence as that Connor Coady gave us last Captain of the season, but a new start may young Blades be better for the player. With a side which clear run without injuries and reached the a manager who believes in him FA Youth Cup and gives him a fair run in the final of 2011. team I think Elliot could do good A busy and things for County and properly effective box to launching his pro career in box midfielder, League 2 might just be the best there was less platform. I can’t think any Blades fuss made about his potential fans wouldn’t wish him well and than other players in that team. want to succeed.

United, heading to relegation to Ian Rands @Unitedite League One were in desperate need of a great striker hope ALAN SMITH and the performances of Jordan previously MK Dons Slew had already seen him given No doubt the first team opportunities. Harry prospect of a Maguire and George Long were former England also set to be blooded. international pitching up Whitehouse remained part of the at Meadow academy and reserve team squad Lane has the following season, displaying Notts County a knack of arriving in the box at supporters the right time. He also showed a salivating in firebrand attitude that saw him anticipation, walk a disciplinary tightrope, but I’d urge thanks to his will to get stuck into you not to get a tackle. This was not necessarily too excited. what you would expect from After all, you’ve been here a captain of his peers. Yet his before – apologies for invoking continued development seeing the memory of Sol Campbell him being given pro terms in the (on whom we also burned our Summer of 2012. fingers).

In the early days of the following pre season he continued to impress and a storming performance in the rain at Ilkeston, albeit against poor opposition, gave United fans hope of a breakthrough and significant role in the new season. However a foot injury curtailed pre season and we were not to see him until New Year’s Day 2013 when injuries and suspensions saw him make a surprise return at Doncaster.

Alan Smith scored within an hour of making his first appearance for Newcastle – what proved to be the winner in a friendly against Sampdoria. Talk about false dawns. He never found the net again in black and white. At least he’s now got the opportunity to put that right.

In fairness, by the time Smudge arrived on Tyneside, he was no longer the striker who once scored four in a UEFA Cup tie, Fergie having sought to convert Despite a good performance his him to a combative Keane-esque chances remained limited, not midfield enforcer before growing

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frustrated with his injury record.

The problem for us was that he all too often looked like he was trudging through quicksand, the opponents he was supposed to be nullifying gleefully running rings around him.

All that changed for the first six months of our sojourn in the Championship, though – Smith suddenly seemed to have found his level. After two seasons at MK Dons enjoying the slightly slower pace of life in League One, he should be able to make an immediate impression – though I do fear slightly for a thirtysomething potential central pairing of Smith and Hayden Mullins. However, Smith may prove to be most valuable behind the scenes. Together with fellow senior pros Kevin Nolan, Steve Harper and Joey Barton, he was instrumental in galvanising a fractured, demoralised and decimated dressing room in the wake of our relegation and helping to propel us back into the Premier League at the first time of asking.

Mike Ashley may have been vexed by player power, successfully shipping the quartet out after sacking the manager who was supposedly in their pockets, but we’ll be eternally grateful to Smith for what he did off the pitch, even if we aren’t for what he did (or didn’t do) on it.

Ben Woolhead @BlackWhiteRAO

NICKY WROE

previously

Preston North End Wroe was a bit of a streaky player for us.

He finished the season with 11 goals, which is great for a midfielder, but he went a long time without scoring and three came in one game.

As a player, he’s not particularly physical or robust; he would work well alongside one or two gritty players, as he did for us with John

ISSUE #10

Welsh or John Mousinho. In fact, Wroe was sometimes used out on the left hand side of midfield where he’d cut in and join the attack.

All in all, he’s got a knack for scoring goals and breaking into the box from midfield, and if you have midfielders who can do the dirty work for him, then he’ll be a good signing for a mid-table League One side.

Olly Dawes @OllyDawes

GARRY THOMPSON

previously Bradford City Having scored the winning goal in the final home game of the season, Garry Thompson was reported to have said that he wanted to know sooner rather than later if he would be offered another contract extension. But such is the cuts to Phil Parkinson’s playing squad budget for 2014/15 ( reportedly £500K less than in 2013/14) that players such as Thompson have been reluctantly discarded. As a member of the “We Made History” team of 2012/13 Thompson leaves Valley Parade with all the best wishes of his former team mates as well as the Bradford City fans, who will be keeping a keen eye on how he does at Meadow Lane, in very much the same way that county fans will be seeing how Alan Sheehan and Gary Liddle get on at Bradford.

Thompson who had been coveted by the then manager Stuart McCall back in 2008, left Morecambe and had a successful spell at Scunthorpe. But it seemed he was destined to play for the Bantams at some stage in his career and whilst his arrival in the summer of 2012 didn’t see him start the season too well due to a few niggling injuries, it seemed his form and confidence was boosted when Bradford embarked on their amazing run to the Captial One Cup Final. Thompson scored

AUG ‘14

the 90th minute winner away at Watford in the 2nd round and worked like a Trojan in the 3rd round at Wigan and as the world probably saw, he was famously on hand to volley the ball past Szczesny in the Arsenal goal in the quarter final. Thompson was injured for the semi-final 1st leg against Aston Villa, but he made a substitute appearance in the vital 2nd leg and almost scored with his first touch as a 30 yard screamer cannoned off the Villa bar.

With the goal he scored against Arsenal and his performances made Thompson a regular starter in the Bradford City line up in the 2nd half of that season and he made vital contributions both in creating goals and scoring important ones himself. This was very evident as the Bantams shrugged off the disappointing League cup final result and took on the task of attempting to return to Wembley again for the League two play-off final.

Thompson scored some crucial goals that earned the Bantams a play-off semi-final against Burton Albion. Following a dreadful first half in the home leg, trailing 1-3 at the break, it was Thompson who later in the 2nd half picked up the ball on the right, cut inside and unleashed an unstoppable shot which cut the deficit down to one goal and set the Bantams up with a chance in the 2nd leg which they duly took.

invariably he would probably play the first 60 minutes before being subbed. There is no doubt that he will give his all when pulling on the black and white shirt of the Magpies. He’ll no doubt create some goals and he’ll score some too, and when County visit Valley Parade on December 28th, he’ll be given a good reception for the contribution he made in the past two seasons.

Mike Harrison @TheCityGent

AND WHAT OF THOSE WE’VE INFLICTED ON OTHERS? Here’s a run down of the players who left Notts County this Summer, and where they’ve ended up. Some will surprise, some certainly won’t!

Manny Smith has found his way to Wrexham in the newly-dubbed Vanarama Conference. A sad waste of talent if there ever was one - must be an attitude issue.

Spotted out on trial at Hemel Hempstead was Enoch Showunmi, whilst Andre Boucaud wound up trying his luck at Northampton Town in SkyBet League Two. Mark Fotheringham was spotted on trial at Fulham. Somehow. But rumours were of a coaching role at the club which is certainly more understandable given his most notable asset was his passion.

Of last year’s released development squad talents, Malcolm Melvin was last seen moping around Meadow Lane prior to the Birmingham City game but doesn’t appear to have a club.

Malachi Lavelle-Moore was scoring for Macclesfield Town the last weekend before the season began, and Adam In the Final at Wembley it was Coombes appears to still be on the Thompson again who intelligently injured list.

got himself into the right place twice to lay on two of the three goals that the Bantams scored in a devastating 13 minute spell which totally blew away Northampton Town and saw Bradford City gain promotion in their 64th and final game of the season.

During 2013/14 Thompson played a similar amount of games, but his goals dried up, scoring just two all season and his influence on the team seemed lessened compared to the previous campaign. But he would always give 100% in every game! even if

And of course, Bartosz Bialkowski is at Ipswich, Alan Sheehan and Gary Liddle joined Bradford City with Jamal Campbell-Ryce opting to bench warm at Sheffield United. Dean Leacock ridiculous new barnet not far behind has joined Crawley Town.

Missing in action remain Gareth Robers and Romello Nangle.

I imagine we’ll come back to this in our next issue should their be enough movement to warrant it.

Don’t count on it though!

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

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BARCELONA 3, NOTTS COUNTY 10

Ok, it was a long time ago, one hundred years on 7th June to be precise and Barcelona were not then the force they are today – but I do still enjoy reading that score line.

Notts’ first overseas tour took place in 1910 when a guarantee of £200 was successful in enticing them on a three game tour to Denmark at the invitation of Akademisk Boldklub FC who are situated just north of Copenhagen. Fours years later and another financial incentive had the club agreeing to a three game tour as the guests of FC Barcelona with The Nottingham Daily Express describing the trip as ‘The journey to the Land of Tomorrow’ and from a football sense - how right they were!

A detailed itinerary of the trip was put together for the club by a Mr. J. H. Baker of the Clumber Street branch of Thomas Cook and Sons. The route from Nottingham was to be via train to London and on to Dover where they would catch the midnight boat from Dover to Calais, train to Paris, coaches to the Gare d’Orsay railway station, then the long trek down to the south of France, a change at Toulouse, on to Portbou (on the French/Spanish border) where the luggage was examined by the Spanish customs and finally on to Barcelona.

and Arthur Clamp was recovering from injury.

The three games were scheduled to be played on Sunday May 31st, the second the following day on Monday June 1st and the final game a week later on Sunday June 7th. The Notts players were in good form and good spirits as they set out on the journey having just won the Division Two title and having enjoyed the celebrations that went with it.

In 1914 Barcelona were not playing at the Camp Nou, where they would later move to in 1957, but at Camp de la Indústria which had a capacity of 6,000 spectators. The playing surface in the stadium was described by a member of the Notts party as being as ''hard as flagstones, with not a blade of grass.”

The first two games of the tour passed off with comfortable victories for Notts of 3-0 and 4-0.

While staying in Barcelona a number of the party went to see a bullfight but it wasn’t popular with the group with director Alderman John Houston writing later; Instead of the two hour flight we know today it was ''The view of all was that it was a disgusting and cruel expected this trip would take about 39 hours! performance, and the sooner Spanish people exchange it for football, the better for the Spanish people.''

The twenty man touring party was made up of five directors, Alderman Harry Heath (chairman), Mr W.T. In the final game, Notts surprisingly went two goals Bramley (treasurer), Alderman J. Houston, Mr R.P. behind with the local supporters really getting behind Goddard and Mr W.S. Marshall together with Albert their team who in turn became very eager and according Fisher the secretary-manager, Tom Prescott the to the Notts players, “were not erring on the side of trainer and thirteen players: Murray Steele (‘keeper), gentleness.” Before half time Notts did manage to pull Herbert Morley (right-back), Alf West (left-back), Teddy a goal back to reduce the arrears and the interval gave Emberton (right-half), Bill Jennings (centre-half), the team the chance to re-organise.

Richard Allsebrook (left-half), Teddy Bassett (outsideright), Jack Lamb (inside forward), Jack Peart (centre- The second half saw a more determined and organized forward), Sam Richards (inside-left), Ike Waterall Notts team who only conceded a single goal while (winger), Walter Bird (inside-forward) and a chap called running riot and scoring nine at the opposite end. Peart Green described as ‘one of the new forwards’. had an outstanding game, scoring four, while Green, the newcomer, scored two and Jennings, Waterall, Albert Iremonger, Billy Flint and Horace Henshall were Lamb and Bassett all grabbed one each. all unable to travel due to their cricket commitments

Emberton, Clamp, Morley, Iremonger, Steele, Jennings, Craythorne, Henshall Front: Waterall, Flint, Williams, Bird, Peart, Richards, Allsebrook, West

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ISSUE #10

With all their obligations duly carried out, Notts left Barcelona at 2.16 pm on Monday June 8th to commence the homeward journey.

That journey, of continuous travel lasted until 10.38 pm the following evening when they disembarked at Nottingham.

Although the return journey was a few hours shorter than the outward one it was still a very tired group of footballers who emerged from the Midland Station.

It was not an auspicious home coming.

The heavens opened and the party were greeted with an incredible deluge of rain which also meant that only a very tiny band of loyal supporters braved the elements to welcome home the wanderers.

comments and a few handshakes they were gone as they hastened into taxis to get back to their homes.

P.S. The player known only as Green never did sign for Notts County – so his trial consisted of a two week trip to Spain, played two games against Barcelona, The group all looked fit and sun tanned as they scored three times – but, apart from a few reserve emerged from the train and walked up the platform. appearances, never played for Notts again.

Sam Richards was asked if he had enjoyed the trip; "Yes - But the heat was cruel and the football, well it I suppose if you are going to have a failed trial with Notts – surely that is the best way to do it! wasn't our football," came the reply.

All of the men were consistent that they had enjoyed the trip but were glad to be back to their home comforts and to ‘real good football’. And with the briefest of

Dave Fells

@MagpieDave

Behind EVERY great team!

0115 8456 490 www.oncallrecruitment.co.uk

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COUNTY CONNECTIONS #1

Time for a confession. Well, I feel like I’m confessing but it’s never been a secret. Despite only missing one or two home games (for holidays and work commitments) since 2008, before that I’d seen us play less than 10 times.

Don’t reach for your calendars, Munto happened immediately after the 08/09 season so I’m no bandwagon chaser. A little background: My Dad was always a County fan. Growing up all over Nottingham he followed us home and away and can reach into the memory banks at any time to regale us with tales of Luton away or Man United at home.

When I was born we moved to Lincoln and he found dedicating his life to his family and losing touch with his fellow ‘Pies meant that getting to games was a rare occurrence and eventually he just stopped going altogether.

When I was old enough we did go to one or two games. We were there at Sincil Bank when we won 5-3 (our ninth successive win that season under Big Sam) and we went to Meadow Lane a couple of times when we played Lincoln. At the time, I wasn’t yet under the heady spell of lady football so for me it was just a day out with my Dad. This all changed though on the September 27th, 2008.

The start of the 2008/2009 season must have been miserable for a County fan. We lost the first game away at Bradford City and then drew an incredible six in a row to leave us winless in seven games. On September 25th Jimmy Sirrel passed away aged 86. I watched the announcement on the 6.30pm local news. I knew who he was and what he had done for our club - this my Dad had made sure of considering that his teenage years were spent watching Sirrel’s sides tear up the divisions.

I didn’t talk to anyone about his passing. It stayed with me though. On the morning of the Saturday match that week (at home to Aldershot) I woke up with nothing to do. I worked a 9-5 job so weekends were my own.

I don’t know what stirred me but as I got up and dressed I knew I had to be at that game. I walked into town, I remember the brilliant sun that day which baked everything in a warm glow. I phoned my brother six years

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my junior who’d maybe been to one or two games when me and Dad had gone before. He wasn’t known as a football nut, but he needed little persuasion to join me on the train to Nottingham.

I explained about Jimmy, how he’d died and that we should go to the match even if just to pay our respects. He agreed immediately and jumped on the bus to join me before we set off for Meadow Lane and the scene of my favourite match. The mood around the ground wasn’t quiet. The great thing about football fans is that they prefer to celebrate a life lived in the hallowed arena of professional football than mourn their loss. Don’t get me wrong we’re a sentimental, soppy bunch and I’ll own up to crying at results more often than a grown man should (Boundary Park I’m looking at you).

A lot of people can be overheard sometimes lamenting the loss of a good old fashioned minutes silence before a match in tribute to a fallen former player. They say a minutes applause is simply a cop-out, a necessary way of masking any disrespectful idiots that might want to ruin the peace with inanity. Not me though, I love it. Clapping, singing, chanting their name. For me, that’s how I’d want to be saluted. Raucous and full of passion.

That day we had the minutes applause before kick-off. That time it was certainly right.

it be today. The chants didn’t stop.

Heads didn’t drop on the pitch or in the stands. Attendance that day was 6,033 - our second highest home gate that season and it showed. Time, however, was running out.

90+4. Richard Butcher scored at the Family Stand end. The fans knew the final whistle was coming and had accepted the draw. One last chant of Sirrel’s name rang up. Halfway through we had to stop when the goal came. I remember seeing it in slow motion like all the best goals are.

The ball in the air, Butch flying to meet it. A goal. A winner no less. The kop erupted. Emotions that had been firmly held back flew out of everybody. There was a moment then that will stay with me forever. A man to the left of me stood shell-shocked, barely able to speak. He looked at me, I looked at him. What were we doing? Two grown lads going barmy along with more than 5,000 others. We jumped at each other, embracing and hollering. We’d done it, we’d given Jimmy one last win.

That season we finished 19th. The following summer we welcomed in Munto and all the madness that came with it. By then though, it didn’t matter.

Not to me and my brother, and then my Dad. Notts County had two more fans for life. Two people who before that day may never have gone to Meadow Lane again. We were hooked and we felt like we had come home. Since then, the love affair has progressed into a full blown marriage. I’m sitting here writing this in last season’s away shirt. Earlier tonight me and my Dad were discussing if we could afford to go to both upcoming friendlies, Sheffield Wednesday away in the cup and Preston for the first game of the season.

The noise was a wall, both sets of fans singing. I believe that’s what Jimmy would have wanted. The whistle blew, and immediately it began. “Sirrel, Sirrel, Sirrel, Sirrel, Sirrel, Sirrel, Sirrel”. The singing was loud, the clapping louder. For me and my brother stood in the kop, we’d never seen anything like it let alone been a part of it. The match started poorly. No goals in the first half, then the visiting team scored on 51 minutes to spoil the I’m not a spiritual person by design. mood.

I don’t believe in ghosts. That warm, golden day back in 2008 though Michael Johnson equalised on 56 and something, or someone, was definitely once again we were drawing a match. at work.

You could feel the whole crowd willing a win. Today of all days, please let @NottsCountyDan

Dan Hutchinson

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