Issue 12

BLACK & WHITE the Notts County fanzine

#12 - FEB ‘15 - £2

INTRODUCTION This issue took a bit longer than expected to get off the ground. Thankfully the same can’t be said for the season on the field though where things have probably better than anyone would likely have expected.

Since our last issue plenty has changed I guess. Certainly a big relief was the removal of the rugby club from Meadow Lane for the foreseeable future. Also we still have the same manager! In fact I think Shaun Derry & Greg Abbott passed their one year anniversary in the time since issue 11. On the field things have been mixed of course but let’s not lose sight of things like the 12 game unbeaten run, the emergence (finally) of Curtis Thompson as a first team player and a raft of new signings made in January to strengthen the team.

Yet still, we all miss Jimmy Spencer.

Away from on-field matters and (as speculated in our last issue), I am the club’s new Supporter Liaison Officer. What that means for Black & White is well, absolutely nothing. I made it clear when I applied that I wouldn’t halt production of the fanzine and this was accepted by the club. There may certainly come times where I might ask another of our writers to cover a particular topic - but everyone’s remit is exactly the same as it always has been: you can be as positive or as negative as you want so long as it’s both legible and logical in it’s approach.

Although I may steer clear of some things if I perhaps feel that my take might be seen as blinkered because of my new role. A big concern when I started the fanzine was that it may be seen by some as pro-Notts propaganda but I’m immensley proud that people have take the ‘zine for the independent work that it is. Again, for the fanzine, absolutely nothing changes.

Thanks for picking up our 12th issue, I hope you’ll enjoy it! We’ve got a smaller team working on this issue (and I apologise for how many articles I had to write!) but hopefully you’ll feel it’s still worth your £2. Regardless as ever I’m proud of what we’re putting out or else I wouldn’t have sent it to the printers! Thank you to the following people for their articles in amongst these pages: Alex Matthews, Adam Taylor, Piran Lynn-Smith, Jacob Daniel, Paul Smith, Ian Marsden, Stefan Janko, Chris Cotton and Andrea Porter, Drew Dennis, Matt Rowland. And a quick thank you to everyone who continues to support the fanzine. So long as people keep enjoying it, we’ll keep producing it!

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

RIP ANONYPIE

Alun Millard is fundraising for Cancer Research in memory of Elaine Brooks, also known as Anonypie, taken by Cancer on 16th December 2014.

Elaine was a friend to many, and extremely well liked by those that knew her, Notts County or Forest fan alike. Able to be diplomatic whilst firm in her convictions, Elaine was someone who many deeply respected, and her loss has left a hole in the Notts family.

He will be running the Nottingham half-marathon in September so please dig deep and send pennies to help eradicate Cancer!

justgiving.com/anonypie or text ANON50 £5 to 70700 /blackwhitezine

CONTENTS

When Will The Party Start? ........................ 03 Stuart Brothers That Was The Year That Was ...................... 04 Jacob Daniel Through Sven’s Eyes .................................. 06 Paul Smith No Regrets ................................................ 07 Chris Cotton The Serbian Magpies .................................. 08 Stefan Jenko How Do You Solve A Problem Like Curtis? ... 10 Paul Smith Bartosz vs Roy ........................................... 11 Jacob Daniel Saint Raymond interview ........................... 12 Stuart Brothers The Simeone Effect .................................... 13 Richard Ogando Thinking The Unthinkable .......................... 16 Stuart Brothers We’ll Support You Nevermore .................... 18 Piran Lynn-Smith We Need To Talk About Kyle ....................... 19 Stuart Brothers To Loan, Or Not To Loan ............................. 20 Drew Notts Why Women Shouldn’t Play ....................... 20 Matt Rowland Cautionary Tales For Bajer ......................... 22 Alex Matthews My Day As Mascot ...................................... 23 Ian Marsden We All Dream Of A Team Of Shaun Derrys ... 26 Adam Taylor Notts County Ladies ................................... 27 Stuart Brothers My Meadow Lane Top 3 .............................. 28 Paul Smith Love At First Sight ...................................... 29 Piran Lynn-Smith Rugby’s Going Home .................................. 30 Andrea Porter

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.

@blackwhitezine

/thenottsblog

/thestu

WHEN WILL THE PARTY START?

Whilst I know pretty much everyone is sick of hearing about him by this point and we just want to watch him play football, I just felt there was nowhere else the fanzine could start than the topic of Notts’ new Hungarian enigma, Balint Bajner.

At the time of typing, I’m still trying to brush off yesterday’s 3-0 defeat at Oldham Athletic. It was Bajner’s third appearance for Notts, lasting 67 minutes. But his appearances thus far (including a cameo on his debut and a full 90 minutes later that week) pose far more questions than they do answers. Throw in a few quite surreal twists and it leaves our new striker in an unenviable position.

quite the character. No one reading this would have failed to notice the furore around his signing on the club’s own Facebook page, spammed heavily by a group of fellow countrymen who try to plague his clubs wherever he ends up. It caused the club no end of headaches, drawing the attention of worldwide media, it’s actions even labelled racist

by TalkSport as they banned the entire nation of Hungary in the hope it would stem the semi-hostile takeover. Such Firstly, this lad looks good. Fantastic in fact. A real presence efforts were futile however, and the club continues to up front. A threat in the air, unbelievably quick feet, close attempt to find a solution to a problem it doesn’t particularly control, skillful - but we are yet to see him score. Scoring, need right now. you know, kind of a striker’s key role. Obviously forwards who hit the ground running are quite the rarity at Notts so For Notts supporters however, an admittedly quite small it’s not as if these are uncharted waters for us. But these are number of them grow tired of what is perceived as Bajner the stand out attributes of his game so far in about 180-odd being over-hyped, which for me is a grossly unfair view minutes of play. point. He isn’t over-hyped by the Hungarian people, in fact it’s quite the opposite, he’s much maligned for comments His fleeting first appearance at Doncaster showed a glimpse about football in his homeland which he insists were taken of his promise. Coming off the bench mere hours after his out of context. Regardless, these are the elements in play signing was confirmed, he was dominant in the air, and in and will only be extenuated if the goals don’t follow shortly. one passage of play displayed that great close control on the byline to skip past a number of defenders and make It’s the issue as to whether it’s a lack of match fitness or his in-roads up field. Certainly, his presence alongside Kwame mental capacity that holds most concern for me. For a lad Thomas was able to relieve some pressure off the defence who clearly possesses all the tools to make him a valuable prior to Donny’s late onslaught. asset (particularly at League One level), why hasn’t it happened for him to date? For the talk of him once playing Days later against Peterborough at Meadow Lane, and for Dortmund, let’s not lose sight of the fact he failed to the first half was very much a continuation of said facts. impress even at Tranmere when he was there on trial.

A constant menace alongside a clearly not match fit Billy Daniels, he could quite easily have gone down and had a There’s a talent there, but perhaps it just needs a bit of defender sent off but chose to remain honest and go through coersion. And that’s perhaps why he was brought in on goal. The shot unfortunately was saved of course, and we have just the man to do that. Upon his arrival in this we went on to lose the game 2-1. Bajner wouldn’t have the country, Nakhi Wells had a mentor to help him transition to same impact in the second half, in fact you’d barely have life here. A former Notts striker, Francois Zoko produced his known he was on the field. very best form in England (in League One) under the same tutelage. His name was Greg Abbott. Could Balint Bajner Was this due similarly to a lack of game time, or are there prove to be another pet project for Abbott, one that might bigger questions to be asked? His Oldham performance take just a little bit of patience with? wasn’t too dissimilar at all. Partnered with a third striker Kaiyne Woolery - in as many games (which has to be part For such a murky situation, one thing is certainly abundantly of the problem), he was a key player with Notts very much clear - Balint Bajner could just as easily crash and burn at in the ascendancy until a self-imploding couple of minutes Notts as much as he could tear League One apart. His is a turned the game on it’s head. If he wasn’t doing his thing, position that we could lack back on a year from now with the he would merely be outmuscled by the host’s physical fondest of memories, or we might just not even remember approach. Bajner’s second half would again be muted right how to pronounce his surname. It’s Badge-ner, right? up until his substitution.

The skillset is most certainly there. It might just need the You would of course hope that by this point match fitness sort of patience that we so rarely afford our players. isn’t an issue. But what does that leave? A mentality issue perhaps?

Stuart Brothers

You see we’re all more than aware that he’s apparently

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 3

@blackwhitezine

ISSUE #12

THAT WAS THE YEAR THAT WAS

they were beaten 6-0 at Rotherham United. Notts lost January - Jack Grealish 2014 had been the Chinese year of the horse, so it was further games against Milton Keynes and Tranmere perhaps only right that it began with one scoring a goal Rovers, a defeat at Prenton Park that seemed to have effectively consigned us to League Two, but Irish striker for Notts as alleged central midfielder Ronan Murray would blow the relegation race open Mark Fotheringham secured Shaun Derry's struggling towards the end of the month.

Magpies secured their second win in a row against the surprisingly terrible Sheffield United. There was His previous biggest contribution in a Notts shirt had no doubt that the man of the month was teenage been getting sent off against Peterborough, but a total winger Jack Grealish, however, with the club's attempts of four goals in three straight wins, all gloriously neat to extend his deal becoming the big story of Notts' finishes, brought the Magpies right back into things. transfer window.

Grealish scored a glorious goal in a New Year's Day victory over Bradford City, was hacked off the pitch by a Stevenage side who simply couldn't cope with his dizzying close control as the Magpies secured a crucial third straight win against Graham Westley's fellow strugglers, before he was man of the match at London Road as Notts lost an incredible game 4-3 against Peterborough United after taking a 2-0 lead early on but surrendering it following a red card for striker Ronan Murray. Grealish would stay, along with fellow loanee Callum McGregor, but a 5-1 defeat at home to Walsall ended the month on a very sour note.

February - Jimmy Spencer

With Notts having signed former West Ham United midfielder Hayden Mullins on transfer deadline day, the man who notably kept Javier Mascherano out of the team at Upton Park, the free transfer capture of former Huddersfield Town striker Jimmy Spencer disappeared a long way beneath the radar. It would be a moment that possibly turned Notts' season, however.

The Magpies would lose three of their four games in February, including a 3-2 home defeat to Shrewsbury Town after surrendering another two goal lead once Spencer had been harshly sent off, but the signs were there when Coventry were dispatched 3-0 at Meadow Lane. Spencer would become the pole at the centre of Notts' swingball set, a target man with an inexplicable first touch for the third tier around whom some of the more ethereal, creative players could anchor themselves. It worked. Eventually.

April - Jamal Campbell-Ryce

There were a number of Notts players who turned their Meadow Lane careers around in the final months of last season, but the transformation was most remarkable in winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce.

For eighteen months he had been like the player right in the corner of a game of table football, never involved, only able to trap the ball hopelessly against the edge of the table and wildly rotate, hoping it'd go to someone else. In April, though, he was unplayable.

Notts lost the first game of the month at promotion chasers Brentford, and were also horribly unfortunate to lose at Ashton Gate as they played Bristol City off the park, but three home wins were enough to put our fate in our own hands. A two goal comeback, inspired by the unplayable Campbell-Ryce, secured a 4-2 win over Port Vale, a nervous 1-0 win over Crawley Town and a 2-0 victory over Swindon Town, that ended in a mass brawl, the visitors going down to nine men and Callum McGregor scoring into an open goal after the Robins' keeper had come up for a corner, meant that a point at Oldham on the last day would be enough to pull off what had been unthinkable.

May - Alan Sheehan

So, it all came down to one Saturday afternoon in Oldham at the start of May, Notts having managed to survive more lives than a drowning cat. The away end at Boundary Park was like a greyscale sea, filled with black and white, with Notts knowing that either a point or one of Crewe Alexandra and Tranmere Rovers failing to win would be enough for survival.

The booming noise of kick off was soon dampened March - Ronan Murray Sod, it I can get away with writing one clichĂŠ in this. somewhat by news that the other two were ahead, however, whilst the mood hit rock bottom when Adam March was definitely a month of two halves.

Lockwood headed the Latics in front midway through It would begin in the worst way possible as the world the second half. Then, though, that table football star watched a Youtube video of Notts fans generally Cambell-Ryce pelted a cross against someone's arm, laughing at themselves, their team and the world as Alan Sheehan smashed the penalty into the net and

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 4

ISSUE #12

then, the next thing I remember, I was on the pitch and riot. Thompson scored a fine hat-trick against Crawley covered in Oldham's six yard box.

Town in an entirely out-of-character 5-3 win for the usually stoic, pragmatic Magpies, whilst he also scored That Sheehan decided to demand a pay rise ten a screamer and was generally superb as Notts came minutes after the full time whistle and then complained from two nil down to win 3-2 at Barnsley, with loanee about not being personally thanked, entirely missing Michael Petrasso also scoring twice. the point of a team sort, couldn't even take the gloss off the achievement. We were safe.

When Zeli Ismail scored from the spot right at the death at Scunthorpe United to end the month with a 1-0 win, Notts were ten unbeaten, had won six in a row June & July - James Rodriguez Wasn't he good? Oh, and Jimmy Spencer was ruled and genuinely looked pretty good. out for the entire season after ten minutes of the first friendly against Arnold Town. Bollocks.

November - Stuart Attwell I know this is meant to be a calendar, but sod it, you can throw darts at this page. It's hard to review November August - Roy Carroll New season, new Notts. Unhappy with their lack of without jumping straight to the home defeat against financial renumeration, most of last year's out-of- Yeovil Town, but before it Notts had lost at home to contract players buggered off to various Yorkshire Walsall, won at Coventry and been dumped out of the teams meaning that, with loans also expired, the team FA Cup by League Two side Accrington Stanley. Yeovil, that took to the field at Preston North End on the though. opening day was almost unrecognisable.

November was all about Yeovil. Bottom of the league That they were moments from securing an unlikely 1-0 and playing like it, the Glovers were handed a once win was a neat foreshadowing of the first few months in a lifetime boost after 25 minutes at Meadow Lane of the season. A home defeat against Fleetwood Town when supposed Premier League referee Stuart Attwell was dreadful and, sadly, equally indicative, but a win at decided to send Gary Jones off for a tackle that had all Port Vale, the first real view of the sheer timewasting of the velocity of coastal erosion and all of the danger abilities of ageing goalkeeper Roy Carroll, was another of a muzzled Koala Bear. Not just any Koala Bear either impressive result. Back at Meadow Lane, Notts - the soft, cuddly one from the Andrex adverts. Notts managed to beat Colchester despite only having nine lost 2-1, Jones' red card was overturned but, sadly, men and lost to Bristol City after a controversial late the FA are yet to provide a mechanism for overturning undeserved victories for jammy teams from Somerset. penalty decision. Referees? More on them later.

November did end on a high, though, with a very useful 1-1 draw at Sheffield United.

September - Louis Laing

September was not exciting. A win in the first round of the Johnstones Paint Trophy was a derby low key enough to suit the competition's status, before four draws in a row. Points at Chesterfield and Peterborough, however, were particularly impressive considering the starts that both clubs had enjoyed, whilst the arrival of centre back Louis Laing on loan from Nottingham Forest proved to be a real capitalist. Forming a fine partnership with Haydn Hollis, Notts would not lose a game that Laing was involved in until his final appearance for the club in December. The month ended at Crewe, where a 3-0 win was about par for the course against a genuinely dreadful side.

October - Garry Thompson

December - Gary Jones

At the time of writing, Notts have just drawn 2-2 with Rochdale after scoring a late equaliser that i'm still expecting to be disallowed, such was the lack of enthusiasm and general confusion of Colin Slater when it went in. It was like listening to a description of a bird defacating on the commentator's mother. Maybe it will be disallowed, i'm still not sure. I hope not.

Otherwise, December has not been great. Notts were torn apart by a particularly impressive Swindon Town team at Meadow Lane, whilst they were also dumped out of the Painty thing after an insipid semi-final display against Preston. It's so Notts to get knocked out of the competition no one cares about just when we start caring about it. Why have I given December to Gary Jones? Because when the year ends and we're all a little bit older, Jones reminds us that, if we really want it, we can all be timeless.

If September was watching the mind-numbing adverts at the start of a film in the cinema, October proved to be an entirely unexpected blockbuster. Out of nowhere.

It was like watching Con Air. A late Carroll penalty save saw Notts beat Gillingham 1-0 at Meadow Lane, but after this they flew. Evergreen winger Garry Thompson See you next year. was turned into a striker due to injuries and he ran

FEB ‘15

Jacob Daniel

@JacobNCM

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 5

THROUGH SVEN’S EYES

It was the most remarkable of times for Notts County and, in an otherwise unremarkable book, it’s the stand out chapter of the autobiography of the man who became the face of the failed dream of Munto Finance. Curious as to whether he’d shed any further life on the dramatic months that were that unforgettable 2009/10 season at Meadow Lane, over the festive period I read Sven: My Story.

Reading the autobiography of Sven Goran Eriksson was, not unlike the character himself, rather a bore.

It’s not controversial, it isn’t particularly revealing and you finish it knowing little more of the man behind that calm Swedish persona.

entire football world and immediately speculated that incumbent manager Ian McParland would be sacked. It seemed to them only a matter of time before Eriksson either became manager himself, or brought in his own man.

Tales of his lust for many women, his broken relationship with Nancy Dell’Olio and his flirtations with top European clubs while England manager, add little to what was played out in the national press. But one chapter stands out, the one that begins ‘Later in the summer of 2009, Athole (Still, Eriksson’s agent) called. He had a new club for me – Notts County’.

But, keen on integrity, Eriksson says, ‘King and Willett wanted to fire him, but I said absolutely not’. However, Eriksson had already formed his own opinion of McParland – ‘he was a grumpy man’. The Scot didn’t help himself by attempting to block the signing of a goalkeeper who would go on to earn cult status among fans, including a record haul of clean sheets in a season that ultimately ended with the League Two title.

It’s not only because I’m a Notts fan that I found it the most interesting part – I’m also fiercely patriotic and considered Sven’s time at the helm of our country one of vast underachievement considering the players at his disposal. Therefore, I was keen for him to delve further into why he was unable to get Ferdinand, Beckham, Scholes, Owen and co beyond the quarter-final stage.

Because even a neutral reader will find the surreal nature of the Notts chapter of Sven’s life the most revealing part of this book. Eriksson begins by describing his first meeting with Russell King and Nathan Willett, two men who sold him the dream of taking the world’s oldest league club from League Two to the Premier League within five years. ‘The presentation was very convincing,’ Eriksson claims.

‘Kasper was too short and too much of a hothead, he claimed,’ says Eriksson of McParland’s ambivalence to the signing of Kasper Schmeichel. When the young Dane then started life in Nottingham on the bench, McParland felt the wrath of the goalkeeper’s famous father Peter – ‘after that there was never any talk about whether Kasper Schmeichel should be first-choice,’ Eriksson says.

McParland’s eventual sacking came following a televised 2-2 draw with Torquay. Peter Trembling was told the former Notts player ‘had to go’ by Willett and King, who clearly were pulling the strings despite the public pleading of chairman Trembling. McParland’s trusted assistant Dave Kevan was informed first as he would be taking over, something that riled McParland who ‘lost his He reveals Notts promised to pay him in shares head’. After he blamed Eriksson for his sacking, worth more than he’d earned in any of his previous the Swede claims to never have seen a manager jobs. Given what was to come, and the mystery behave so badly. surrounding the ownership structure that for weeks left fans gripped with fear that the deal would McParland comes out of the chapter poorly, even collapse, it’s telling that Eriksson claims to have apparently refusing to shake Eriksson’s hand at an spoken to the president of the Football League and event a long while later. Eriksson’s ill-advised trip Sir Dave Richards at the FA who both told him it to North Korea came on the wishes of Willett and was the real deal, persuading Eirksson to sign his King. The former England boss’ ‘name would help contract. The national media were as shocked as the open doors’, he was told. When Eriksson refused,

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 6

ISSUE #12

Willett told him the club’s future depended on his attendance. Visiting Pyongyang with Eriksson, King and Willett, were a member of the Bahraini royal family and two ‘mining specialists’. Their first job was to lay flowers and bow at the statue of the North Korean leader Kim Il-Sung, but that was just the beginning of a surreal few days.

the Sol debacle, he says only ‘I still don’t know why he left’.

Next for Eriksson came a run-in with two men holding machine guns while out jogging, before a trip to a pig farm for seemingly no particular reason. Finally, the Notts contingent promised to forge links with the North Korean FA to provide football boots for their youngsters.

Backing the now ostracised Trembling, Eriksson tells how the then-chairman also had the wool pulled over his eyes and reveals Trembling had used his own money to pay the players, as had exchairman Derek Pavis.

Eriksson was asked, he claims, to earn North Korea a favourable draw for the group stage of the 2010 World Cup. Before returning to England, Eriksson describes what would be the last time he’d see Willett and King.

At the airport, both were ‘acting oddly’ regarding an oil delivery from China to North Korea that hadn’t happened as planned. Finally, King accepted a phone call and hurried the trio’s return to London without saying anything. Back in the capital, Willett and King said their goodbyes to Sven and would never have anything to do with Notts again.

As the Munto dream fell down around him – and the club – Eriksson talks of his final days in Nottingham with a mixture of genuine sadness and bewilderment.

With the Munto deal in tatters, fans will recall Eriksson and Trembling’s globetrotting to find new investors. Apparently, the owner of a Nottingham security company, Sukhi Ghuman, had a ten-digit figure to invest but Trembling put a stop to the deal, preferring instead to hand the reigns to Ray Trew, who inherited a debt of £7 million.

While the season ultimately had the most memorable of endings for the fans and players of course, for Eriksson it was a chapter he clearly could have done without. Ending with ‘had it all worked out, I would have been at the club today’, we can only join him in wondering what if.

Eriksson also reveals that Roberto Mancini agreed to replace McParland, only for Eriksson, in light of events in North Korea, to warn him against it. Of

Paul Smith

NO REGRETS

@psmithyjourno

One Day you won't be an athlete anymore. You won't have those long bus rides with your teammates. You won't have those bruises all over your body. you won't have that routine you do before every game.

Your teammates will become distant and your laughs will become limited.

Eventually, the one thing you looked forward to will come to an end.

The one thing you relied on to relieve your stress and allow you to escape from your problems won't always be there. One day, you won't be an athlete, you will just have the memories of one.

2 or 3 years for the Junior Magpies with the legend that was Reg Killick, I was also luck enough to play in the Players v Fans game at Meadow Lane a couple of years back, getting voted Man of the Match in the process.

As a speedy winger I've had my fair share of occasions whereby I've been kicked off the park and with that comes a career blighted with injuries, 2 broken legs, 2 broken arms and a broken big toe, not to mention ligament and cartilage problems with a hernia to boot.

The above passage sums up exactly how i'm feeling at the moment. At 37 years old, I thought I could easily continue to play football until the ripe old age of 40, barring any serious injuries. Sadly, on Sunday 28th September following what can be If I was to sum up my 27 years of playing best described as 'a coming together', the in one word it would be frustrating. Not inevitable happened. just for me, but also for the Managers I have played for, if not for all of the injuries, When I hit the ground i knew there and for the lack of confidence I occasionally then, that this would be the last competitive struggle with. game I would ever play. Following an x-ray and subsequently a CT Scan, it was Success in any sport comes down to confirmed I had fractured my tibia in such several factors, talent, confidence, hunger a way that required an operation to pin the and hard work, Keep these things in mind bone back together with my knee joint. along with the passage at the beginning of this piece and make sure you have no Since playing a small part in my school regrets in achieving your goals. team in 1987 at the age of 10, finishing as league champions, i've played every season since at various levels, including @ChrisCotton7

Chris Cotton

FEB ‘15

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 7

THE SERBIAN MAGPIES

My name is Stefan. I come from the Republic of Srpska (Serb entity in Bosnia and Herzegovina), where I work as an English teacher. I support Partizan Belgrade (Serbia), who play in black and white striped jerseys. I am also a big Anglophile.

Partizan was founded in 1945 by officers of the Yugoslav People's Army and played in maroon-blue stripes until 1957. The club was on tour in South America and after a friendly game with Juventus FC, a president of the Bianconeri donated them two sets of black and white jerseys, because Juve players had been delighted with Partizan's performance.

At the time, jerseys in ex-Yugoslavia weren't of good quality - most of them hand-sewn. And so, when our players came back to the homeland, they decided to swagger across the Yugoslav stadiums in the black-white combo. And so began our black and white part of history.

I first heard of Notts County at the beginning of 2000s when I started to bet. Over here, it's very common to bet even on The Football Conference, so most of footy (read: betting) experts know almost every club's name in English football. But I didn't know anything about the County besides the name. Some time after that, I'd read a topic on Partizan fans' message board about NCFC, found out that it's the world's oldest professional football club, that they also play in black and white colours, and also that they had given colours to Juve (so it's like a grandfather-father-son relation). Partizan also slightly helped saving Notts from extinction in 2003 by putting its jersey up for the auction.

The jersey was sold to some Partizan fan from Canada and that money was paid into the account of the Magpies. I even saw a joint PFC-NCFC scarf on that internet forum, which I found very strange back then. In the picture, the scarf was held by Ray Trew and a County supporter who later would become a very good friend of mine.

jersey on eBay (first of many, many Notts stuff). It was the 2009-10 season Nike jersey with Medoc on the front. In 2012, I became friends on Facebook with aforementioned Notts fan, Tony Perkins. We started chatting, and I found out that his affection towards our Partizan goes way back to 1990 when he watched a youth tournament in Rijeka (now in Croatia), where both Partizan and Notts youth squads had played. I also found out that he had attended several Partizan matches in Serbia and England in the late 90s and 2000s.

Despite the age difference, mutual love towards footy, beer and black and white colours connected the two of us, and we were chatting almost every day (which we still do). In November 2012, he came to Belgrade again and stayed there for a week to watch several Partizan games, not only football (Partizan is a sports association comprising of 26 teams in 26 different sports), but also handball and basketball - sports he still doesn't get! So we agreed to meet in person for the first time. We went together to see Partizan handball match.

I was quite pissed so I don't quite remember that evening. After the handball, me and my mates went to see a basketball match but Tony didn't come with us. He said he was severely hungover from the last night, although I still believe he didn't come because he had got sick of basketball. Before we met in person he had invited me and my mate, Igor “Pajdo” Arsenić to visit Nottingham and stay at his house. Unfortunately, Pajdo couldn't accompany me. So I was planning the trip by myself and I was saving the money for it.

I applied for a visa, got it, and on early morning of I started fancying the club, but not even closely to December 31st, 2012, I took off from the Belgrade the extent I do today. After a while, I bought Notts Airport. Tony and his daughter picked me up at the

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 8

ISSUE #12

Heathrow and he drove us to Nottingham in his car. home but it was alright. One thing really bothered me - I had to sit throughout the entire game!!!

I celebrated the New Year in Bread & Bitter pub WTF!? Modern football and commercialisation killed with him, his wife and his two friends. The beer was the heart and soul of the game! f***ing great!

We should've gone to one more match against The next day was the match day. New Year's Day Oldham Athletic on January 5th, but sadly the game against Milton Keynes Dons. I met several game was postponed because Oldham played (and of his mates and we went for the pre-match beer luckily won!) FA Cup 3rd round game against the (pre-match gallon, more precisely). All of his mates f-worders, so Tony, Matt, Gary, Doddy, Daniel, were pleasantly surprised that I came all the way Pidge (Newcastle United supporter) and I went to from Bosnia to watch a "small club" (their words, I York on Jan 5th to watch League Two match York v don't consider it small) who play in 3rd tier in the Exeter. We went pub-crawling, hitting 12 different English football system. After hitting several pubs, pubs and God only knows how many pints. But we headed for the Lane. that's another story.

Tony's got a season card for the Main Stand, but I insisted we watch it from the Kop Stand, since I always watched Partizan from the South Stand of JNA Stadium, where inveterate Partizan fans, called Grobari (the Gravediggers in English) stand, jump, sing and shout for the whole 90 minutes, no matter what the result is. I had learned almost all Notts songs so I was ready for it. And so we watched it from the Kop. MK scored two goals in the beginning of the match, and it was 0-2 by the 13th minute. Back home, when our opponent scores a goal, we start to sing even louder than we were singing before, defying our enemies in our own way (Partizan fans are all a bit masochist; we love our club when it plays well, but we love it even more when it doesn't!) So when Franchise scored the first goal, I started chanting even louder, habitually, but everyone else stopped.

There were some funny looks, but I learned my lesson after the away side scored the second one.

I came back home on January 8th with lots of brilliant memories and new acquaintances. I've forgotten lots of stuff because I was mainly pissed there, but luckily there's my camera to recall my vague memories. It was one of the best weeks of my life - if not the best! Footy, pubs (34 in eight days!), ales, stouts, porters, full English breakfasts, pork pies, Nottingham, London, York - ENGERLAND! I knew the English are crazy about football, but I didn't know to what extent.

Nowadays, I listen to the live coverage of almost every Notts match on the BBC Radio Nottingham, and I watch the highlights on YouTube afterwards.

We've created a Facebook page called Serbian Magpies, where Magpies from Serbia, Bosnia and Montenegro (almost exclusively Partizan supporters) keep track of their latest Notts news and share their Notts-related stories. I hope that the Mighty Magpies will get promoted next season and I could watch them live on TV. And of course, I hope and plan to visit Nottingham someday again.

I stopped chanting too. Campbell-Ryce scored from the penalty spot in 56th minute. After that, Lee And who knows, one day maybe work, live and Hughes had two chances but unluckily he couldn't settle there. Does any school in Nottingham need a score, the woodwork stopped him. The final score Serbian language teacher? was 1-2. Guess I didn't bring much luck to the Pies.

The atmosphere was ok, not as furious as it is at

FEB ‘15

Stefan Jenko

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 9

HOW DO YOU SOLVE A PROBLEM LIKE CURTIS?

Curtis Thompson’s performance in the defeat by Peterborough United has been rightly lauded from numerous quarters – but it was one that came as no surprise to me.

At last Thompson has been afforded another run in the team in his most natural position. From looking every inch a rookie undercover right-back, against Peterborough - and also at Bristol City and Doncaster just before that - the youngster became an absolute force in central midfield.

Thompson in central midfield has been a move I’ve been a big advocate for a long time, indeed I originally penned the idea of this article pre-Bristol City away – the day he was finally restored to central midfield. And I’ve taken great pleasure in being proved right since, culminating in that virtuoso display against Posh. And while club record scorer Les Bradd’s assertion that Premier League clubs will be looking at him might be a stretch too far, Thompson clearly has given himself every chance of a bright future. It’s a chance he’s earned, and Shaun Derry will do well to remember to play his youngsters in their natural positions.

When, in May 2006, the Notts County Centre of Excellence disbanded as the club battled the dark days of administration, there was an outpouring of dissatisfaction. With the future of the club at risk, the system that attempts to develop young local talent between the ages of eight and 18 closed. Often a lifeline for many financially-stricken football clubs, it seemed a counter-productive move.

While removing the expense of running a full-time academy made an immediate saving, in the long-term the chance of a youngster - even one - working their way into the first-team, prospering, and leaving for a big profit could boost the club’s coffers for years.

Especially considering Notts have a relatively impressive roll call of players who’ve gone from youth set up to first team. These include most impressively, Tommy Johnson, Dean Yates and Mark Draper who all played a hugely significant part in helping Notts into the top-flight with successive promotions

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 10

in the early nineties.

Then, shortly before the closure of the Centre of Excellence, with less immediate success we saw Kelvin Wilson, Leon Best and David McGoldrick – all Nottingham boys – developed at Notts before finding greater success elsewhere.Of course, there have been many lean years in between and many other players who have debuted but gone on to flop – the likes of Shane McFaul, Wilis Francis and Richard Holmes spring to mind.

But when the Centre of Excellence returned as an Academy in 2008, you sensed the community was getting its club back. A true football fan will tell you little beats seeing one of your own do well, and hope again sprung that future Johnson’s could force their way into the first-team picture. You need look no further than the adulation given to manager Derry, a Nottinghamlad, a Notts County fan and someone who started his career at Meadow Lane, to see how fans take to the local boy done good. It wasn’t long before a new clutch of players made their way into the first team.Among them were Haydn Hollis – now one of the firstnames on Derry’s team sheet – Greg Tempest, and Thompson. While Hollis is starting to deliver, Tempest has gone backwards. The latter, Nottinghamborn 21-year-old Thompson, had seemed to be at a crossroads before his recent resurgence.

He’s certainly no Draper or Johnson, but since his debut for the Magpies in 2011, and in his 40 appearances spread over four seasons so far fans have spotted potential. However, having played his way into Derry’s plans he had seemed to have played his way out of them with a series of mistake-laden performances.

The trouble was you couldn’t blame him.

A winger for the youth team where he showed such promise, Thompson’s time in the first team has mostly been spent as a makeshift right back. He’s not a full-back.

When he performed as a holding midfielder alongside Josh Vela and Gary Liddle during the fine end-of-season run to complete last season’s Great Escape Thompson performed more consistently that at any other time.

It certainly seemed an inspired pick from Derry, and Thompson displayed the kind of graft, composure and awareness that Derry himself would be proud of. He looked a perfect fit for that position. Instead, he’s since spent so much time acting as understudy for the seemingly ever-injured Mustapha Dumbuya at right-back. Thrown in, asked to do a job in an unfamiliar position. His confidence must have taken a battering.And it was showing.

The Swindon game – his last at rightback probably for quite a while – was the nadir and surely the point Derry realised he can’t ever play him there again. Thompson was culpable for two of the Robins’ three goals as Town wideman Ben Gladwin tormented him.

It’s happened before of course because Thompson has been directly responsible for an alarming amount of goals conceded. Think of Bristol City, Accrington, Barnsley among others. Most have been because of poor tactical awareness at right back, or the resulting lack of confidence that previous errors bring.For that, the manager needs to take some of the blame. Thankfully, Derry seems to have learned and given Thompson another crack at central midfield. He’s displayed that it could be his natural position, and is the only role in which he’s threatened to make the grade as a professional footballer.

In one correct switch of position, Thompson has gone from seemingly being out of the picture for a new contract, to now being one Notts will have to battle to retain.

Paul Smith

@psmithyjourno

ISSUE #12

BARTOSZ v ROY

We've been spoiled during the last two and a half years. Perhaps not in terms of results and performances across most of the pitch, but within that little box at our own end we've been divisional leaders. Trailblazers, even.

To have goalkeepers as good as Bartosz Bialkowski and Roy Carroll in successive seasons is a luxury that clubs at our level don't usually get afforded. I can still remember a time a couple of years ago when Stuart Nelson was seen as some sort of gloved deity because he saved the occasional spot kick - despite chucking the ball in his own goal on an almost fortnightly basis.

Since Nelson was released by Keith Curle, you can count the number of genuine goalkeeping errors leading to goals on one hand. Bialkowski at Brentford when he was taken off at half time sick, definitely, and probably Carroll at Bradford City this season as well. Otherwise there has been the odd unclaimed cross and slice into the Main Stand, but mostly two shining beacons of goalkeeping consistency. But who is better?

to play in the game at Coventry City less than 24 hours after facing Romania for Northern Ireland, a demonstration of commitment that is unsurpassed in recent memory from a Notts player. The ovation that he got at the Ricoh Arena that afternoon was well deserved and catching that plane perhaps excuses one or two headloss moments. Throwing the ball at the linesman at Accrington, maybe.

Quietly, though, Bialkowski is growing into a goalkeeper who could well become one of few ex-Notts players to feature on Match of the Day every weekend next season. He has seen off solid competition in Dean Gerken to earn the number one shirt at Ipswich Town and is seen as an important part of perhaps the most overperforming team in the Championship this season.

It's a tough question to answer and I suspect that for much of this season every Notts fan would've said Carroll, but Bialkowski's ability to quietly establish himself as number one at a leading Championship club, with a fine defensive record, has to be taken into account. The Pole's distribution and kicking, whilst a long way from being his finest asset, is also much better than Carroll's.

That the reaction when Bialkowski left the club this summer was muted came as a real surprise to me and I think that his situation could prove to be a real life example of that song and we didn't know what we got (til it's gone). Carroll coming in certainly softened the blow, but Bialkowski is much younger and Notts may have allowed him to go a little bit too easily and cheaply considering he still had a year left on his contract.

The current incument is probably more dominant, however, and is the best Notts goalkeeper at coming to claim crosses for quite some time. Whilst some of his saves have been impressive, Carroll does not pull off as many logic defying feats of elasticity as Bialkowski, but generally his command of the area is top drawer.

Bialkowski was underrated in this regard, however, as he would consistently come for crosses into his six yard box and leave everything else. The defence knew where it stood, which is the most important thing.

If Carroll does represent a downgrade, however, it isn't a significant one and his wages are also likely to be much lower, a situation borne out of his exile in Denmark and Greece. It has also fostered a good relationship with Ipswich that may have helped facilitate the move for Hungarian social media agitator and giant battle axe Balint Bajner, a contribution that really shouldn't be undersold.

Carroll's demeanour on the pitch also must be taken into account. Whilst he clearly cares, the incessant complaining about every single decision, as though he's at a party and has lost every single round of pass the parcel, is beginning to grate on both me and the League One refereeing fraternity. To get more than one yellow card in a season for simply launching the ball out of the ground after the opposition score is incredibly unprofessional.

But, of course, Carroll did fly back from Bucharest

FEB ‘15

I haven't really answered my own question here and this piece would definitely fail a GCSE English exam, but that's kind of the point. There's no point in arguing over which out of the two goalkeepers is better, we should simply savour the fact that we've had the opportunity to watch them in action at a level that was below both of their capabilities. At some point in a few years' time this will seem like a golden age as we watch another Nelson juggling the ball around his goalmouth like he's wearing a morph suit, so enjoy it whilst you can.

Jacob Daniel

@JacobNCM

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 11

SAINT RAYMOND INTERVIEW

If you keep your ear to the ground for that sort of thing, you won’t have failed to notice that Nottingham’s Callum Burrows is one of the most hotly tipped solo artists in the country right. Better known as Saint Raymond, Callum plays a sold out show at Rock City on Feb 11th (the night after Orient away) and so I thought we caught up with him a second time to talk about his career, his influences, and a fair bit about Notts!

Obviously a lot has happened for you since Black & these days?

White last caught up with you. Have you been able to even take a moment to take in all that’s happened It really depends it tends to be in batches. On the Ed yet?

Sheeran tour I saw very little but since that I’ve managed to get home for weekends and stuff so I’ve got to see quite It’s been a bit surreal to be quite honest. Christmas time a few recently. was good to reflect on what has happened but I’m still kind of just taking it all in really.

And what are your thoughts on the season so far?

What’s been the highlight of your career so far then? It’s a strange one. We definitely over-achieved earlier on in I imagine it’s something that changes every so often? the season. To finish top half would be a good season in my eyes and build for next year.

I’m so indecisive about this one. I think the Rescue Rooms gig in Nottingham is something that will live with me forever What about Shaun Derry. You’ve met him recently, that’s for sure. what impression did he leave with you?

We know you’re not the only Notts fan making waves He just left me with the impression that he gives when you right now. Have you and Jake Bugg discussed see him in interviews - a guy who’s honest and there’s no doing anything together as yet? rubbish taken, yet someone who respects the players and vice versa, which is something we’ve not had for a long No, he’s so busy touring all over the time. world, but maybe one day...

The same for the players really. This club for a few years has On the subject of Notts - is it been squads of players with egos and their heads not in the difficult keeping up to date with right place. We joke about us having a bunch of “good lads” how things are going on at but they are just down to earth and a good group.

Meadow Lane?

And what’s next for Saint Raymond?

It is, however it makes me appreciate games a lot more, even The plan is to get the album out in the next few months and the dire ones - which us Notts fans then just really kick on and tour and do all the festivals! see a lot!

How often do you even get a chance to see Notts play

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 12

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

ISSUE #12

THE SIMEONE EFFECT Those of you that know me will be aware of my Spanish heritage and the affection I have for Atletico Madrid, having experienced my first game in the “Estadio Vicente Calderón” in the early 1970’s, something I’ve written about in a previous issue.

My becoming a fan of both Notts and Atleti is unusual to say the least. The first football match I ever attended was a County Cup match circa 1973 between Notts and Forest at Meadow Lane.

At that time I had no real affiliation with any club and I was dragged to this game with a Forest supporting uncle and made to watch from the Kop amongst the Forest fans.

Forest ran out 4-2 winners but somehow I left the game less than impressed with the men in red, eventually revisiting Meadow Lane with friends a few years later as a young teenager, and the rest as they say is history.

Around 1975 we had a family holiday to Madrid, Spain to visit relatives on my Dad’s side. Whilst we were there one of my Spanish uncles (uncles were a bit of a theme in the 70’s) had managed to blag us tickets for the upcoming Copa Del Rey match between Atleti and Barca.

My Dad is a big Real Madrid fan and before the match he took me to the Bernabau where a friendly security guard allowed us to go inside and view the stadium, which in all fairness was quite amazing.

However, later that evening, after witnessing a pulsating 1-1 draw amongst a hugely partisan and passionate home crowd I was quite firmly in the Atleti camp.

So, somehow I had managed to defy both my Forest loving uncle and my Real Madrid loving Dad by pledging an allegiance to their rivals, the unfashionable poor relations in both family cities. And I have to say I don’t regret a thing.

It may just be a blinkered personal bias but for several years I have taken comfort in drawing somewhat tenuous comparisons between the two clubs, very much like the ‘unfashionable’ comment above, both clubs in the last 50 years or so have had to accept their place beside their local rivals. With less success, fewer fans and less column inches ultimately resulting

FEB ‘15

in much smaller bank balances and and a born leader. a fall from grace.

Since Derry took over at Notts I But forget all that, the comparisons don’t think there is anyone who I want to draw today are that of would doubt his commitment and leadership. desire to succeed. His impact on the players is not too dissimilar A former player, Diego Simeonere- to that of Simeone’s, insisting on joinedAtleti as Head Coach in 2011 nothing less than 100% in their with the club slowly finding its effort, passion and work rate. And way back into the upper echelons to be fair these qualities have been of Spanish football. What he has evident throughout this season so achieved since is nothing short of far. amazing.

However, I have to concede that With nothing like the financial for the time being this is where the clout of their rivals Simeone has similarities end.It is apparent that managed to take Atleti from being Simeone has another card up his perennial La Liga also ran’s to being sleeve, tactical nous. recognised as one of Europe’s elite.

As a player the Argentine won over Derry managed to forge out a 100 caps for his country, more in credible career as a footballer, fact than Maradona, playing in three always pushing himself to achieve world cup’s and famously being the the best he could and was rewarded player that got David Beckham sent with having the privilege of playing off for his retaliatory ‘kick’ in 1998. at the highest level in English football.

He was renowned for being a never say die combative box to box His work ethic and desire to succeed midfielder who wasn’t scared of is never in question. However, hard a challenge, showed strength, an work alone can only get you so far. eye for a pass and great leadership As a player Simeone achieved skills. success at the highest level, experiencing life as a player across As a manager he has displayed he two continents as well as playing in has the ability to get every last three world cups. ounce of sweat and blood out of his teams. I’m convinced that his His exposure to the best the game players would lay their lives on the has to offer cannot be compared line for him in the name of their and this has without doubt club in the same way a soldier contributed to his understanding of would fight for the honour of their the game on a global scale. country. This is the respect they have for him.

Unfortunately the same cannot be said of Derry. I fear his path to His impact on the club in general managerial success will not be a has also been an eye opener. He smooth one. That success will be once described his playing style as borne from the lessons learned “holding a knife between my teeth” of his failures, but not least his and it is this fight to the death fighting spirit? attitude as a coach that has not just taken Atleti to within a few seconds I do believe he will make the of an historic league and European grade and in time become a double but one that has won the great manager, he has something hearts and minds of the clubs fans ingrained within him that I am and its community. sure will see him through. That something I believe is the Simeone In some respects it is very easy to Effect. draw comparisons with our very own Shaun Derry. Former player who loves the club, tenacious @ncfcog midfielder, never say die attitude

Richard Ogando

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 13

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

THINKING THE UNTHINKABLE

The words of Piran Lynn-Smith in this very issue have me deep in thought. I’m not comfortable with it personally, but it’s a question I just can’t shake: DO I ACTUALLY I MISS LAST YEAR'S SPINELESS, SULKING, MORALLY BANKRUPT, REPUGNANT SHITBAGS?!

I mean, don't get me wrong. None of us ever want to (though being Notts, we likely will) come that close to yet another relegation - but I just can't help but think there's something missing from this season so far. There's barely a soul in this year's squad who's spirit, who's endeavour I could even question - but it's hard not to miss at least a few things.

We were shit. Really shit. But it was our shit. And I'm fairly sure if you ask anyone who has followed the club on the road this year will tell you that spark in the away end just isn't there. There's been some great away days, some terrific performances - yet the travelling numbers, nor the decibel level appears to match the heights we reached last year when we were as good as relegated months before the season's finish.

But this year we're good. Not often great, but rarely terrible - just lacking that bit of bite. It's a side far more deserving of 90 minutes of rabid support than the likes of Dean Leacock, Manny Smith and Fotheringham ever were together.

to be honest. Very rarely have we been as vocal as previous years. We don't sing our player's names anymore prior to kick-off, but that's hardly surprising when so few of our new lads (who have represented us admirably) don't even have songs. Think back to last year, and even Mark Fotheringham had f***ing songs!

Yet for all the wasted mileage on the clocks, for all the weekends soured by another limp Notts display , there are still so many moments - even under Chris Kiwomya - that I would love to relive which I'm not sure this season could top. Even when we were getting hammered (Leyton Orient and Rotherham in particular) the cameraderie between those who had given up their Saturday afternoon was unrivalled. For all the lows - the highs more than made up for them.

I missed one game all season long, and I'd happily go through the misery even to just experience the moment Callum MacGregor stroked the ball into the empty net in front of the Kop against Swindon. What followed a week later as over 3,000 of us crammed into Boundary Park was just as memorable too of course. There was also the long poke to Colchester in the freezing cold, and I kid you not when I tell you I'll be regailing my Grandkids' Grandkids of the sheer nerve of Gary Liddle's fourth that afternoon.

And can you picture the likes of Gary Jones or Liam Noble abandoning the team sport ethic to whine on the radio mere minutes after safety has been achieved, a la Alan Sheehan? Would Garry Thompson piss and moan to the local papers about not being paid what he's deserved in the manner Notts as I type this clearly lack the sort of spark than Campbell-Ryce did? to get people out of their seats. We have a squad of warriors who will run through walls for the club Not that the vocal support is any different at home which is great - but we lack a Jack Grealish, a

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 16

ISSUE #12

McGregor or *shudder* even a Campbell-Ryce to get us off our arses. We had Zeli Ishmael and Michael Petrasso for a short while, but even they would flatter to deceive far too often. Regardless, their losses have certainly been felt.

But of course it's a chicken and the egg scenario - do we cheer the players first, or do they give us something to earn our backing? What we'd give for a Callum McGregor or a Jack Grealish at this moment in time. If you threw them into the mix how different might things be? On the surface it's a ridiculous question - would you prefer a season long relegation dogfight or the mid-season obscurity it would appear we're drifting towards?

No one wants the security of their club threatened, but it made for a scintilating season's end last year. That I even pose the question is perhaps the clearest indication of how unused to this sort of situation we are. We don't do quiet seasons. We do sackings, player fallouts, off-field conspiracies, the occasional play-off scrap, but more frequently fights for survival.

Drissa Traore should follow suit.

After this past Saturday's defeat at home to Peterborough, perhaps we edged that little bit closer to such progress. Curtis Thompson was outstanding in the centre of midfield, producing for the home fans what those of us present at Bristol City and Doncaster Rovers saw he could do. With Liam Noble missing through suspension, the hope is that Shaun Derry wants to see us progressive soon enough to lead with both men in the centre of midfield. Whether he'd be so keen to see off Alan Smith and/or Gary Jones so soon of course remains to be seen.

All in all, it's surprising to see some of the comments thrown at this squad. The relevance of the form table seemingly only matters when we're bottom of it - the weeks on end where we topped it are largely ignored! Yes a short run of games might have been relegation form, but that's the thing about form it's only temporary.

I loved the spirit of one supporter on the way back to the coaches after the 4-0 reversal at Bristol City, And that's nothing to be ashamed of I guess. A "Only 19 more points to go" he told his friends. If season of relative calm shouldn't be a bad thing you think we're going to get relegated then you're after the stress of last season - just so long as it not of sound mind in my humble opinion. appears we're building towards something. We don't want to be any of a number of lower league Last year may have been exciting eventually, but sides who's existence barely ammounts to anything let's appreciate what's essentially (hopefully) a more than making up the numbers. brief lull in our existence. There'll be more wins than losses along the way, but let's for once look I'm content to watch us stabilise - the pedigree at the bigger picture. We've cried out for direction of Hayden Mullins, Alan Smith, Gary Jones, Garry for so long - let's for once ride it out and see where Thompson and Roy Carroll is an incredible asset for it takes us. a club like ours. You can see with your own eyes the improvements seen from our own academy prospects Curtis Thompson and Hayden Hollis - and @blackwhitezine soon the likes of Kyle Dixon, Elliot Whitehouse and

Stuart Brothers

FEB ‘15

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 17

WE’LL SUPPORT YOU NEVERMORE

It was definitely Dean Thomas - of that I am certain. What I can't remember was which other Notts player - in the process of leaving the pitch - was asked none too delicately to drown the mustachioed midfielder in the bath. That assumes there is (or was) a players' bath at Meadow Lane of course - I always fancied we had showers, but let's not go there.

A quick scan of the record books reveals it was probably Bristol Rovers at home in September 1990 and perhaps Tommy Johnson - subbed on 84 minutes – was the player asked to undertake the heinous deed. I will also not dwell on the fact that a certain Ian Holloway bagged a penalty for Rovers, because the point is none of that, but rather that at home, in a match that was won, in a season that ended with promotion to the top flight of English football, a so called fan wished one of his own team dead in public. Now I was a lot younger back then, and my love affair with Notts was only just underway, but even then I remember being startled at such a perverse response.

Fast forward 20 odd years to a damp night in East London as the worst Notts start to a league campaign in living memory is being woefully extended with a sound thrashing at the hands of table topping Orient.

I am among 154 hardy souls supporting the Magpies and my night is lifted by the chanting of a small group of County supporting youngsters who refuse to give in to the soul destroying negativity of it all.

Starting 30 seconds after kick off (and every five minutes thereafter) with a self-deprecating taunting of the opposition - "you still haven't scored yet, how shit are you", then variations of the same as the Orient goals rain in and continuing right through to the final whistle. This was gallows humour writ large - hardly comedy gold, but good natured and interspersed with the traditional rallying cries and a few rounds of the wheelbarrow song. Add to that the gentle banter with the nearby balcony dwelling Orient fans and you have as close to a dignified and PG rated display as could be expected under the rather trying circumstances.

Devon White in his Bristol Rovers days. Quite why I was stood in the old main stand (now the Pavis) I can’t recall but I’ve never gone back thanks to that.

Sickening stuff.

So where am I going with all this? Well I can honestly say that in over a quarter of a century I have never publicly booed, criticised or insulted a County player or manager. Let's face it I've had cause more than once given some of the criminal wastes of skin that have pulled on the black and white stripes over the years - but if they wear the shirt, suit or tracksuit, however crap they are, they have my support on the day. I don't buy into this "I've paid my money so I'll say what I like" nonsense. It's the spectating equivalent of spiting the nose on your own face.

Doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t share your frustration or your opinion, but berating my team when I should be supporting them is a line I won’t cross. This goes for certain types of referee abuse as well, and if that leaves you baffled let me explain.

Last season again and I’m at Griffin Park. The ref is warming up pre-match . I won’t name him (look it up) but in an earlier match he failed to punish Greg Cunningham for his x-rated tackle on Gary Liddle that put the midfielder out for months. He’s getting dog’s abuse by name from a group of Notts fans next to me (which may or may not have included our esteemed editor) and he’s even going so far as to acknowledge the stick with a smile and a wave.

Let’s be clear I don’t like the bloke, but with our season on a knife edge I couldn’t help wondering if that little bit of early doors ‘banter’ would prove counterproductive. Maybe it did - we’ll never know if he’d have sent off Hollis regardless, but there’s a Imagine my surprise then on arriving home and part of me that thinks it was his way of getting his finding a fellow supporter berating said lads for a own back, and I was at least glad I didn’t have that brief sarcastic rendition of “you’re getting sacked on my conscience. in the morning” aimed at Chris Kiwomya. Having been there I can vouch this was far from malicious Don’t get me wrong, I’m not a prude or on a crusade and more of a bid to steal the home fans thunder to stop fans having a go, but I still believe what I do than anything else. This got me thinking on genuine can affect the team’s performance. So given we are poisonous abuse I have seen hurled at Notts from not exactly blessed with shedloads of cash, support their own fans and the Dean Thomas incident sticks or talent there’s really no point in me making it any in the mind. That and a request for the team to harder than it already is. They’re only human after get back on the bus at one of our less successful all. So next time you go to slag off our latest shot visits to Stevenage. But actually that’s about it – as shy striker or manager under duress, just think County self-abuse goes I’ve obviously got off lightly. twice about how it would feel if you were on the receiving end.

That’s not to say I haven’t nearly been on the receiving end myself. League Cup 4th round at Then again, maybe copping an earful is a small Norwich in 94 and an apoplectic pissed pensioner price to pay if you’re lucky enough to manage or having a go at Robert Fleck was trampling all over play football for a living. Altogether now, “you don’t me in his ire. He did not respond well to being asked know what you’re doing….” to calm down, so we moved somewhere else rather than be on the receiving end of his geriatric grief.

Worse than that was the racist nutter having a go at

Piran Lynn-Smith

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 18

ISSUE #12

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KYLE What to do on a Notts-less weekend, particularly so close to Christmas? The logical response would be to get the shopping out of the way for the two boys – but when one has broken both our HDTV and my X-Box One in the space of a few days, I wasn’t feeling all that festive towards them!

So I’d made the decision to take a day trip to Boston to see United taking on Brackley Town. Or more specifically, to see Kyle Dixon and Greg Tempest of Notts, taking on Brackley Town. Both lads have been out there for a few weeks at this point and the reviews have been glowing of each.

sitting in the main stand just in time to see the sides warming up, without notice Tempest had disappeared from view. Shortly after Boston confirmed that he had been injured doing drills and so would be replaced in the starting XI. Thoroughly disappointing.

But Dixon was still in at least.

I’ve a lot of time for Kyle personally.

He’s the type of young, emerging talent that you want to see succeed at your club. A Notts fan himself, seeing Kyle grow from the combative ginger marauder in the middle of the park to a more mature (yet no less aggressive) ball player has been great to watch.

As a player I would watch when possible in the County youth team, the improvement Dixon shows in every appearance is there for all to see. This as it would transpire would be his third Man Of The Match performance in successive games! Upon his first receipt of the ball, he drilled a 40 yard diagonal into the feet of one of his wingers. His second, an audaciously lofted ball off the outside of his boot again into his own player. Labelled Scholesy because of his short ginger hair and tenacity on the field, he’s quickly adding more tools to his repertoire.

By rights he would likely be in the first time were it not for the ankle injury suffered in pre-season just a few weeks away from the start of the season. It certainly appeared as manager Shaun Derry shadowed Kyle through a preseason game at Hucknall that he was earmarked for the first XI. The game itself wasn’t anything special.

16 fans from Brackley had made the Injury in the opening frames at journey and were certainly the most Meadow Lane against Derby curtailed vocal, particularly when their side took that however, and so Kyle has been left the lead against the run of play - not to force his way back into Derry and that they actually realised it had gone Greg Abbott’s reckoning through loans in until the ball was on the centre circle at non-league sides Boston United and for the game to restart. Dixon was key right now, Telford United. to mostly everything that Boston put together - tracking back, winning the Tempest is certainly revelling at ball, spreading play - it was all there Boston. A player doing well to come to see. Even the odd cheeky set-piece back from almost career-assassination play catching the defence napping on a

by Chris Kiwomya last year, a left-back few occasions.

Greg sure as hell isn’t and should never be made as such – but he is however Now, as Notts County fans, referees are a fine left sided midfielder given the a constant point of consternation for us chance and so is confirmed by those at in the Football League. The official in his current loan club. charge of this game however loved a bit of the spotlight! The Boston manager And that’s how he has quickly made his was unhappy with the speed at which name at Boston – racking up a number the ball was being returned to play at of assists in his first two games alone. Brackley throw-ins and attempted to Oh, and there was also a brief stint in bring this to the referee’s attention a goal where he reacted well to tip over number of times - calling out to him no a free-kick that was whistling into the louder than you or I would attempt to top corner! hail a taxi in the street.

For the game against Brackley, I dragged my eldest son Connor along for the ride. At nine years old, every game he takes in he appears to take more of an interest in football and how the game is played so he’s proving to be great company. Sure his imagination wanders and so he sometimes end up on his phone playing Minecraft, but so be it.

Upon arrival, it had been confirmed that both Notts lads would be in the starting XI. It was freezing cold and if the journey had been a wasted one I wouldn’t have been best pleased! But

FEB ‘15

come however, the match petered out into a 1-1 draw despite the home side’s best efforts.

Disappointing as it might have been that Greg Tempest hadn’t been able to play, I still walked away delighted for Dixon. I had harboured hope that he might be able to come back to Notts and finish out the season, instead he has moved up a division on loan with Telford whilst Greg will remain with Boston. I can’t imagine for a second that Dixon will leave in the Summer - from the cusp of Derry’s first team to released at the end of the season purely because of one injury and in spite of great form out on loan would be ever so cruel. But who knows?

This idea that came to prominence at the end of last season however that Kyle would be given a role at right back even now seems even stranger than it did at the time however. Were that the intention going forward, would Boston not have been advised of this? Instead he’s playing his preferred central midfield role and quite clearly excelling.

With missing games a regular activity for regular right-back Mustapha Dumbuya though who knows?

Kyle’s Telford transfer has seen him become the subject of a minor storm.

Unhappy with the way he was being used (on the bench) as we all should be given that he’s our prospect, his current manager took it upon himself to make their private talk public, portraying Kyle as having a strop, even calling him a kid.

Anyone who has ever crossed paths with Dixon knows this isn’t the truth.

As much of an animal as he might be on the field, off it he’s a quiet, well-mannered, softly spoken young footballer who just want to play.

His effort on the field can never be questioned, nor can his attitude behind the scenes. The situation isn’t serious enough to do any lasting damage, but Several cries went ignored on a good it certainly shows him in a negative few occasions - until the referee light which hopefully won’t play heavily stopped play to address the manager. on his mind.

Not that he was going to listen, merely bellowing “Let me do my job and you Coming from the same youth team do yours” - which as many a fan around that gave us established first XI me suggested, he was barely doing his professionals such as Haydn Hollis job as it was! We’re told that we should and Curtis Thompson, Kyle Dixon all respect referees - but surely that’s a is certainly one to keep an eye on. I two way street? reiterate that I can’t imagine he’ll be released in the Summer, but who can Back to the game, and eventually be sure with Notts County?

Boston’s overall dominance paid off with the equalising goal - Kyle not the scorer but certainly in the mix to help @blackwhitezine force it home. A deserved win wasn’t to

Stuart Brothers

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 19

TO LOAN, OR NOT TO LOAN

As a fan of a lower League club, you come to accept that loan players are an essential part of the season. There have been many occasions when I've trawled Twitter or Notts County-Mad to see that Joe Bloggs has signed for a month from West Ham United, before quickly switching to Wikipedia to see he is 12 years old and hasn't as much as visited as Upton Park, let alone made an appearance in the first team. We've all been there. This season alone we have had a total of eleven loan players so far, some good, some not so good. In this article, I'd like to look at Notts' best and worst loanees, whilst also considering whether the current loan system needs to change.

When it comes to our most popular and ultimately most successful loanees, it is hard to look past Callum McGregor and Jack Grealish. Not just because they were at Meadow Lane last year and played such a massive part in the 'Great Escape', but because they arrived, gave their all, and the fans took both to their hearts. Those scenes on the last day in Oldham will live long in the memory, but the joy on the faces of both McGregor and Grealish in particular was wonderful to see.

Wikipedia at the ready, ladies and gentlemen. As a starting point, I can't look past Ian Ross, who came in to much fanfare from Sheffield United and contributed precisely nothing during his loan spell. My personal highlight was an incident during a match at Meadow Lane when he was loitering on the touch line, received the ball and promptly fell over, allowing the ball to drift harmlessly out of play. His career since leaving Notts has taken him to Gainsborough Trinity, Harrogate Town and Boston He has, as of last week, featured United. Say no more? in the media stating that he wants to be happy playing Another one who failed to reach football again, including a picture the mark was Eugene Dadi, the of himself in a Notts shirt in 'striker' turned fashion designer. the process. We now have a His highlights at Notts were few burgeoning reputation as a club and far between, but on one who looks after and nurtures memorable occasion fell over in young talent, and both Jack and the Peterborough half and refused Callum are now regular features to get up whilst play carried on in their respective clubs' match around him. Eventually, a fellow day line-ups, which is great to Notts player passed to him whilst see. still on the floor and he was called offside.

Moving on, Josh Vela is now first choice full back at Bolton We didn't see much of him following his return at the end of after that. I could continue, last season, Matt Ritchie is now but the names alone should be tearing up the Championship enough - Ali Gibb, Lee Crooks, with Bournemouth (though a Daryl McMahon, keeper turned certain contributor to this fanzine porn star (yes, really) Pegguy may feel differently), and whilst Arphexad, Marvin Robinson, Colin he might not quite have hit the Calderwood... I have to stop. expected heights following his time at Meadow Lane, Tom Ince The problem with the loan system is still playing for Premier League as I see it is that the players, Hull City. whilst turning out for your team, are not actually your players, and Yes, he made a stupid decision you worry whether they actually and ended up across the river give a damn. At the end of the for a short period, but he had the day, whether you succeed or good grace to realise his mistake not, it isn't really the player's and returned to his parent club problem. They know that come pretty damn quick! the end of their spell, they'll be back with their parent club and At the other end of the spectrum, the troubles of your team will where do you start? Have be left far behind. Further, the

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 20

fans have little or no emotional connection with the majority of loan players - maybe clubs could put a little more of their time into developing their own players and not those who will whisked back to their parent clubs at the first whiff of form.

The current system is effectively a free for all - you can have 'standard loans', up to 8 per season, 'emergency loans', i.e. up to three months, and 'youth loans', which is effectively work experience. Both emergency and youth loans are limitless, and current regulations say you can have up to 5 loanees in a match day squad. Looking around the Football League, it's fair to say that loans make or break many clubs' seasons.

There are positives to be found - I've already mentioned Grealish and McGregor, but you can't overestimate their importance to Notts' season. Looking further afield in our division, Matt Smith at Bristol City is firing in the goals after arriving on loan from Fulham and Jermaine Beckford is currently scoring goals for Preston after being loaned from Bolton. The problems occur when struggling clubs become overly reliant on loans, utilising the emergency loan system to excess.

Given the amount of games being played a year, the temptation to make use of the loan system to bring an extra spark to the team during difficult periods must be almost overwhelming, but in Notts' case, eleven players already loaned by the end of January appears excessive. Most worryingly, the amount of clubs being forced to turned to the loan market simply to make it to

ISSUE #12

the end of the season must give result, the world of 'feeder' clubs Premier League. pause for thought. looms on the horizon.

I'm not naive enough to think I suppose the question is, where In an ideal world, the vast that these changes will happen does the Football League go from sums of money generated from any time soon, because root and here? It's a difficult question, television, marketing et al would branch change would need to because the way football is run is be filtered down from the Premier occur at the very top. Frankly, so top heavy and geared towards League, but as we live in the real Premier League and its clubs have the Premier League. Clubs like world, I would firstly suggest that got it very nicely thank you - why Arsenal, Manchester City et al stricter limits be placed on the would turkeys vote for Christmas have stockpiled talent from an amount of loans per year, maybe anyway? However, questions early age in their academies, restricting moves to Transfer need to be raised surrounding the however the youth structure Windows only; limiting the size of longevity of a system whereby is so uncompetitive, they are a squad in line with the 25 man clubs across the country are forced to loan out their young structure of the Premier League, starting matches with almost half talent to smaller clubs to such an and also limiting the amount of the team belonging to somebody extent that the Football League loanees in a matchday squad. else - it simply isn't sustainable, (especially in the lower echelons) and i would hope that one day, has become a finishing school for This change in particular would changes can be made. kids and potential shop window, not only encourage clubs to which undermines the whole nurture their own talent, but footballing pyramid, and as a also stick two fingers up to the @DrewNotts

Drew Dennis

WHY WOMEN SHOULDN’T PLAY

On Sunday, March 29th, Notts County’s female counterparts will host Chelsea at Meadow Lane. Continuining a tradition starting last year, Black & White fanzine will be sponsoring both the matchday programme and the matchball on the day. With that in mind, I asked Matt Rowland, the side’s Marketing Manager to take the opportunity to try and explain why people should give NCLFC a chance this year if they haven’t already.

Women shouldn’t play football. It’s absurd. A tackle isn’t followed by five rolls and a pirouette. A gust of wind in the penalty box doesn’t result in the player sprawled across the six yard box, and when a decision is given against a striker, that team’s goalkeeper doesn’t run the length of the pitch to remonstrate with the referee. They simply don’t know the rules.

Okay, so fan that England it raises women’s

this is a concept I’ve borrowed from an wrote into a national newspaper after Women’s recent game at Wembley. a key question; how much should we football and men’s football?

intrigued watching However, compare

The main difference is obvious; Notts County Ladies’ average attendance in the country’s top division last season was 931. Compare that to the Barclays Premier League, which saw an average just short of 37,000 last year and, well, there is no comparison. Equally, there’s no comparison on the price, a ticket to a Women’s Super League game will set you back a mere £6, compared to a Premier League game where you could easily shell out £40 to watch an equal 90 minutes of football.

Can you compare the 90 minutes that you are watching for £6 to the 90 minutes you are paying £40 to watch? It depends how you look at it. They are both very different branches of the same sport, both at very different stages of development.

There’s many differences in the physiological make up of the athletes and if you’re going to compare the sports like for like in that aspect, you will find obvious differences.

However, compare the excitement, the jubilation and the emotional rollercoaster of a ride and you will find many similarities. The end of the 2011/12 Premier League season has gone down as one of the most epic finishes in history.

Well, compare that with the end of the 2014 FA WSL season, where any team of three could have won the title, and all

FEB ‘15

three were winning it at some point in the 90 minutes, only for Liverpool to come from third place to take the glory on goal difference.

Such is the early development of the league, the FA WSL top division features just eight teams, with Notts fighting it out against the likes of Chelsea, Man City and Liverpool.

However, with just 14 games in a league season there’s so much on the line in each game, which only heightens the pressure and intensity. Just think, a win in the Women’s Super League can compare to three wins in League one, with the number of games played.

There’s also a strong relationship between club, player and fan, something that can be easily lost at the top level of men’s football, thankfully not something suffered at Notts County. You see some of the country’s, and the world’s, best players spend upwards of half an hour after a match at Meadow Lane signing autographs and chatting with the fans, whatever the result. It can be a real breath of fresh air.

I’m never going to suggest leaving the tribal nature of men’s football and become a ‘convert’, now that really is absurd. There’s a reason we all love men’s football, and although we probably couldn’t tell you why that is, the pain we all go through, it’s something that is engraved into us.

All I’m suggesting is that there may be an answer to the anguish we all suffer in the men’s off-season, where we find ourselves shopping at 3pm on a Saturday, no one wants to be in that place, there is still some great entertainment to be had at Meadow Lane and you never know, maybe even some silverware to be had.

So, can you compare the two? Come along on 29th March as Notts County host Chelsea (who they beat last year) in the first game of the season, and for just £6 you can do just that!

Matt Rowland

@Matt_Rolo

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 21

CAUTIONARY TALES FOR BAJNER

It’s just over an hour before kick-off in Doncaster. I’m sat in the car cocooned in every item of warm clothing I possess and, honestly, starting to question if I’d made the correct life choice this evening as the outside temperature reads exactly 0c. This internal battle lasts all of 5 minutes though when 4G, something about as rare as a bearable accent once you enter the North of England, kicks in and displays a beardless Jim Rodwell proudly stood over an unassuming young Hungarian striker by the name of Balint Bajner.

As a Notts County fan, you’re used to the worst by now. There’s no expectation placed on signings and no entitlement that we should be accruing fine talent. The summer transfer window was one of a club looking for reliable lower league players such as Gary Jones and Garry Thompson (who have both been very good of course), yet not much in the way of genuine excitement or uncapped potential. That all said, it’s easy to see why a 24 year old who was on the books of Borussia Dortmund less than a year ago would bring about a certain amount of interest.

Sissoko and Fabrice Moreau, that you wonder if they actually even existed in An Inspector Calls like paradox.

Bajner though, arrives with the thankless task of trying to finally replace the presence of Jimmy Spencer, something that the harshly maligned Jake Cassidy failed at during the first half of the season.

At 6’ 5 and the owner of an impressive touch, the start of his Notts career has been promising yet unproductive, a flick-on for Garry Thompson’s thumping volley against Peterborough remains his only real notable contribution in the final third of the pitch. For all his physicality and surprising grace this will need to improve, as an already irritable Notts home crowd are less than patient and understanding when it comes to strikers, regardless of the quality of service they receive.

Apart from a delicate chip in a friendly against Albacete, a tap-in for Honved and a 20 minute cameo 2 years ago against Borussia Monchengladbach, not much can be found out about our new striker at the click of a mouse. Yet, Bajner arrives at Meadow Lane with the social media footprint of a Hungarian Justin Bieber and, Theoretically though, Bajner has displayed the on the surface, a huge following of admirers from aerial presence and technical ability to be ideally his homeland. suited to a team that so far has suffered from an identity crisis and a lack of consistency in However, the reality is rather grim with the their attacking gameplan. Bajner is also joined humorous and albeit light-hearted jokes being that by a somewhat weak supporting cast who of ridicule after Bajner made some controversial outside of Garry Thompson and Will Hayhurst’s remarks in the past about the quality and relative success recently at this level appear to importance of Hungarian football. be a haphazard collection of hopeful gambles on developmental players from higher up the The jibes continued after he was hauled off on footballing pyramid. debut for Ipswich Town after 44 minutes and the club’s Facebook page was inundated with Notts’ history with foreign imports is less than the phrase ‘No Bajner, no party’. The origin of successful with Danny Allsopp, Raddy Avramovic, this ‘movement’ is the group ‘TrollFoci’ which Tristan Benjamin, John Chiedozie and Shaun translates to ‘Troll Football’ and their aims are Murphy (and technically Chris Short too) being the fairly self-explanatory. They soon flooded our own only players born abroad to make 100 appearances official Facebook page, much to the bemusement for the club. In addition, only 7 players fitting the and vexation of the fans that use the page as a same criteria have topped 10 goals in a Notts shirt. platform to debate and discuss the club.

Given his lack of game-time at Ipswich, it only heightens the difficulty in Bajner’s assignment to This resulted in the club dishing out more blocks hit the ground running and thrive in the role of than Dikembe Mutombo on the Hungarian Notts’ attacking focal point but, seemingly, that cyber invaders as Notts made national news by is what is rather ambitiously being asked of him. preventing an entire nation of around 10 million from accessing the page. They’ve since been Early impressions and his fairly impressive unblocked, bought a few scarves and sent Jim pedigree give a glimmer of hope that he’s capable Rodwell some postcards. of this, cynicism though, suggests that the odds are stacked too firmly against him and memories The intrigue surrounding Bajner comes about of Balint Bajner should be cherished before he because of the mystique attached to the foreign goes the way of the Tcham N’Toya, paving the way import. For every Adriano Basso there is a George for the long-awaited and hopefully triumphant Bankole and there is very often no middle-ground return of Jimmy Spencer. between becoming an established player like Marcel Cas or disappearing so quickly, like Noe

Alex Matthews

FEB ‘15

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 22

MY DAY AS A MASCOT

I love being a Notts fan, there is something special about our club, and Boxing Day 2002 was one of those very special days. For those of you now trying to recall that day, Notts were at home to Barnsley in the old division Two, the league we are in now.

Nothing special to many, although over 7,000 were in attendance that day which would be considered great today let alone back then. Billy Dearden battling against constant administration was doing his best with what he had, but this day was extra special to me, as I was the matchday mascot for the day!

I attended Barnsley College between 1995 and 1997 so I had a fair few friends in that town and I had gone and watched the football team play a fair few times, including the day they won promotion to the Premier League. So the town and indeed the football club hold a place in my heart, so the first time that Notts were to play Barnsley since I’d left was this day, Boxing Day in 2002, and so it turned out, my main Christmas present that year was for me to be the Notts mascot that day! I was 26! But that didn't bother me and it turned out to be one of the greatest days of my Notts supporting life!

I had been building it up since the season had started, and Christmas Day was just a blur as I was all excited and nervous all together for the big day. I got to the ground around 1pm and went to the main reception where I was met with the lady who looked after the mascots, as well as the young lad who was mascot alongside me!

We got changed and were then taken in to the dressing r o o m , where our heroes w e r e

FEB ‘15

getting themselves ready for the battle ahead! It was eye opening how certain players prepared so differently for games. Richard Liburd sat there silently in contemplation, where as Darren Caskey was having banter with me about the state of my boots, to which I had told him I’d scored two goals in them last h e a d e d Sunday so kept them as they to the centre circle to were! watch the coin toss which we won and kicked towards the Was all a bit surreal really but kop first half. Then along with after getting all the players Mr & Mrs Magpie, we had our autographs, us two mascots picture taken with the captains went on to the pitch and played and referee and linesmen - a some football with a couple of memento of the day.then us two youth teamers. For the life of me mascots ran off, and headed I cant remember who but I think down the tunnel, with a friendly one of them was Leon Best but I pat on the back from Billy can't be sure!

Dearden to send us on our way.

I do remember John Gaunt coming on the pitch and asking both of us who our favourite player was, and I replied in an instant with Darren Caskey, to which John Gaunt smiled and carried on walking!

I was 26 going on 12 I think but I didn't care one iota!

So, after the kick around we went off and waited outside the changing rooms while the managers gave their final words of wisdom, and then out came both teams. Captain of the day, Ian Richardson made sure I was ok and told me to 'lead on' we had to wait for the referee and linesmen to do what they do when teams are waiting to come out and then off we went, into the cauldron that is Meadow Lane.

I was in my element, and I knew where I was heading. I used to sit at the front of Z Block in the Sirrel Stand and all my friends were there, so I ran over there and actually clapped them as if I was a Notts player ready to play! They all fell about, but then Richo was calling me over and we

The game was a rollercoaster of emotion. We went 1-0 down while I was still getting changed and getting to our seats, but we equalised and then Richard Liburd was very harshly and controversially sent off. See, we always get shit refs! Barnsley went 2-1 up in the second half through Bruce Dyer, who was one of my favourite Barnsley players. But then even with 10 men, we never stopped and roared on by an absolutely fantastic atmosphere, we equalised through Ian Richardson and then in the very last minute, Ian Barraclough scored the winning goal.

An amazing end to an amazing match. After the game, I went to the after game reception and both of us mascots were presented with a signed football by the man who had just scored the winning goal! And that was that, such a great day, such a memorable day, the day I was Notts mascot at the age of 26!

Ian Marsden

@IanMarsden76

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 23

Behind EVERY great team!

0115 8456 490 www.oncallrecruitment.co.uk

PROVIDING PEOPLE TO INDUSTRY

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

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)

WE ALL DREAM OF A TEAM OF SHAUN DERRYS

Way back when football was football, Arsenal fans yearned for a team comprised in it’s entirety of former Colchester United forward Perry Groves. The merits of this approach to team selection remain dubious several years later, however watching Notts this season it seems our own team are embodying a mentality which, in a metaphorical sense at least, sees our Shaun filling shirt numbers 1-11 (or 1-37).

It is fair to say that our early season success dipped in the run up to and during the festive period, leading to predictable hysteria from the usual quarters; yet it is worth rewinding a year for some perspective. The team that Keith built spent Christmas 2013 cut adrift in the depths of League 1, drifting rudderless without a paddle under the dubious stewardship of Chris Kiwomya.

The crew were revolting, literally revolting. Two players turned up late for Derry’s first training session and would later no-show for a pre-arranged community event at a local school, much to the club’s embarrassment.

The problem was that the players had been indulged, first by Curle and then by Kiwomya, a quite bizarre appointment seemingly made only to appease the players still sulking at the loss of their favourite manager.

this case the football nether regions players would be prepared to fight one of Scotland and Zone 5 of the London another for the privilege of jumping on Underground. it.

Shaun Derry, the player, was the antithesis to these types of show ponies and, as a manager, he would grasp the paddle that the team he inherited lacked and thrash them with it, finally herding them over the line through sheer will and his own force of character.

Moving forward, Derry preached the importance of ‘character’ over the summer to the point of ridicule, but with each and every solid (if unspectacular) signing the dressing room became stocked with good eggs. It is nigh on impossible to find anyone from their former clubs who have a bad word to say about players such as Hayden Mullins, Alan Smith, Gary Jones and Garry Thompson; a sharp contrast to some of the forthright appraisals we as Marvin Haggler once famously fans are prepared to offer on the likes confessed his difficulty in getting out of Leacock and Showunmi. of bed to train while he was wearing silk pyjamas. ‘Marvellous’ had earned Mostly when modern day footballers the right to wear whatever he liked in talk of a ‘great spirit at the club’ and bed (at the time he was undisputed ‘a good bunch of lads’ you see through middleweight champion of the world), it for what it is; verbatim quotes from yet some 20 years later a collection of The Big Beige Book of Media Relations third rate footballers had not only been by Michael Owen. However when Louis clothed in silk by CK and KC, but also Laing suggested to Radio Nottingham given a warm mug of Horlicks and read a few months ago that the current a nice story (presumably about how dressing room is the best he has good at football they were). experienced, you tend to believe him.

It is this attitude cultivated by Derry Undoubtedly some of the players did and Abbot which sees a team with no have ability; Yoann Arquin and Andre stars (well one but he’s injured) still Boucard were as skilful a pair of positioned within spitting distance of players seen down San Sirrel for many the Play-Offs and has players jetting a year. Unfortunately talent without across Europe on Wizz Air because they application will only get you so far, in simply can’t stay away.

This is not to suggest that the team lacks ability. With the ball Notts can be neat in possession, capable of shifting the ball around at pace with one and two touches, something they should back themselves to do more often. Liam Noble seems to improve with every game and looks the real deal at this level, making Carlisle United’s decision to release him all the more baffling. Gary Jones and Garry Thompson were initially crucified by online experts, yet have excelled in the first half of the season and justified Derry taking something of a risk with them.

Both former Bradford men are excellent pros and support Derry’s assertion that the modern game is institutionally ageist, one of the less fashionable causes for the anti-discrimination lobby who seem so willing to vilify a 78 year old Dave Whelan. The traditional theory that players peak in their late 20s / early 30s does not account for significant advances in sports science, nutrition etc in recent years, to say nothing about larger squads resulting in players having less miles on the clock.

Going back to boxing, the modern view is that the top level fighters do not peak physically until their mid-30s, by which time 20 years or so of regular structured training have begun to bear fruit. Watching Gary Jones strain every aging sinew in the midfield engine room suggests that you don’t have to be Ryan Giggs to achieve similar results in football if you have looked What is clear from after yourself. watching Notts’ work without the No one really knows whether or not ball this season, Derry came to Notts as a playerpressing the manager. Yet the irony with the current opposition from outfit is that the team on the pitch is the front and almost more ‘Shaun Derry’ than the chasing down man himself, with him yet to venture every lost cause over the white line. Cast against the is that the players backdrop of the modern day footballer, walk onto the pitch with his £500 haircut and chrome feeling ten foot plated Range Rover, it is enjoyable to tall, with complete appreciate the current side for what commitment to it is; as honest and committed bunch their teammates. of players you are likely to see in the Indeed, you get black and white. Make the most of it the impression while it lasts. that were a live grenade to find its way into the @adam3663 dressing room, the

Adam Taylor

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 26

ISSUE #12

NOTTS COUNTY LADIES

If you took a look at last season’s table for the FA Women’s Super League (I say, knowing full well I’ve lost some readers already!) you’d be well within your rights to consider Notts County Ladies’ first season an unmitigated failure.

But what appears on the surface to have been a horrid our fans agree, to see Ellen scoring for County! The high opening few months for the club just hasn’t been all that had to be the fans at the first game against Arsenal the bad at all. crowd blew me away, not to mention it was the single largest attendance in the league last season. Over 1,500 Ignoring the league placing for just a moment, in their fans singing and chanting for the ladies was hair raising. new surroundings the Lady Pies still reached the semi-final In my years involved in Ladies football I have never heard stages of both the FAW Cup and FA Cup, only narrowly noise like it and can only say thank you to everyone for that, losing in each.

I just hope we see them all again!

All this was achieved without the services of star signing Ellen White. Her injury in pre-season cruelly saw that she wouldn’t take any part in County’s innaugural season. And hers wasn’t the only serious injury to curtail the grand plans. Skipper - and Nottingham girl - Sophie Bradley also saw her season brought to a premature end, whilst Fiona O’Sullivan tragically lost her partner of many years on the eve of her first appearance for the club. The off-field turmoil would have been enough to bring many clubs to it’s knees.

Which players really stepped up for the club when you needed them the most do you think?

Somehow ignored by the sports awards panels, somehow largely ignored by the England first team, it left Jess Clarke to shoulder the expectations of the club - and she managed it with some aplomb it has to be said. Signed initially as a winger, in the absence of White she was on fire all season long and ended it as the top scorer in the league.

Attendances at Meadow Lane were very up and down in spite of the entertainment which suggests there are still plenty of people out there unconvinced by ladies football. Are you planning any offers again this season to entice season tickets holders from the men’s team?

Notts County Ladies begin the 2015 season at home to Chelsea on Sunday, March 29th and we’ll have a full preview of the new season in issue 13 of Black & White. Season tickets meanwhile are on sale starting at just £30. With a host of new internationals brought into the club, we caught up with Chief Executive Luke Negus-Hill for his thoughts on the first year or so of Notts Ladies.

You might be surprised to hear that we actually had the second highest attendance in the league with an average of 931 per game. I think like any football, results are key and making Meadow Lane our fortress will see the crowds come in! As for offers, you would have seen our VIP offer, and season tickets for just £30.00. I am in discussions with Notts County regarding the bench ticket holders, so watch this space!

I think the team stepped up, but if I had to pick individuals both Jess and Carly (Telford) for me were outstanding. Jess was tasked to score more goals than in previous year, and boy did she deliver! Off the pitch both Bradders and Ells have been amazing, their dedication to get back to fitness and play for this club is unprecedented.

Firstly thanks for taking the time out to answer a few questions for us. With a new season approaching, What’s the backing been like from Ray Trew? what’s the spirit like in the camp?

Ray is fantastic and very passionate about Ladies Football, The players and staff are really looking forward to a great without his backing or that of Notts County we would not be season. We have made some fantastic signings, not only where we are now! great characters but quality players. We have had a very clear recruitment policy here at Meadow Lane and that is Were there any players that have been released that not just about quality players but quality people, having a you maybe wish you could have retained? team that wants to win and a team that plays for the badge goes a long way both on and off the pitch.

We would have liked to keep Rachel Corsie at the club, and did everything we could to do that. In the end if a player In retrospect, how do you personally look back on does not want to stay sometimes you have no choice but to last season? bite the bullet. As mentioned we want a team of people that want to play for the badge We had some terrible luck with not just injuries last year, but I stand by the season being a success. The best defence Looking ahead to the new season - how well do you in the league, the league’s top goalscorer and two semi think Rick Passmoor and his can do? finals. It is always to easy to say with two more wins we would have won this and that, but for those that saw the I honestly think we are in with a great shout, there are some fight we put up against the ‘big guns’ with five to seven first strong sides out there, but we have added the right players team player out injured was phenomenal. to the team and I think silverware is not a long way away from the Meadow Lane trophy cabinet!

What were your highs and lows of the campaign?

The low had to be the injuries. I can’t wait, and I’m sure

FEB ‘15

Stuart Brothers

@blackwhitezine

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 27

MY MEADOW LANE TOP THREE

I’d love to know exactly how many hours I’ve spent at Meadow Lane in my life, and just how many home games I’ve attended. It’s a regret of mine that my Dad can’t remember my first Notts County game, only to say that I was there when we drew 1-1 with Manchester United, and also that I was present on February 12, 1994. Fortunately, I’ve managed to retain the memories of many, many more great moments. In reverse order, here are my favourite Notts home games…

May 2002 – Division Two Notts County 2-1 Huddersfield Town The original Great Escape, complete with theme tune, miraculous recovery and several heroes in black and white.

Goals from Danny Allsopp and Kevin Nicholson earned the three points we needed that guaranteed safety at the level we again find ourselves, English football’s third tier.

It was the culmination of a stunning run of form under Billy Dearden - following a poor start to the season with Jocky Scott - which developed into an atrocious middle period overseen by Gary Brazil and left Notts relying on a miracle being ‘directed’ by Dearden. at Oldham, which we thankfully got on another great day.

From November until mid-March Notts had been in the How we even got in that position having been rock bottom, relegation zone. But seven wins and a draw from the last seven points from safety having played a game more with ten games saw us to safety. just nine games left, not many fans could believe. Nobody associated with the club will forget how Derry eventually I’d attended games throughout the season side by side with turned it around. my Dad, but with Notts looking certainties for relegation months before, he had booked to take my mum away on Alan Sheehan and Callum McGregor decided this one, and the very weekend which ended the season. So for the first my best men were the most relieved in the stadium, having time at Notts, my Nanna set foot in Meadow Lane along with for weeks feared my stag could be tarred with the day Notts Granddad, me, my brother Phil and 16,000 others. were relegated.

I remember it being one of the first times I’d seen close to a full house at a home game, when we’d had to queue for tickets the week proceeding which was unheard of.

And then I remember the move for Allsopp’s goal, and Nicholson moving through the gears from left-back to crash the decisive winner home. I remember most that feeling of relief, one that I’ve since had many, many more times.

More than the result, performance and atmosphere, I was also given a stadium tour, a signed shirt, a pre-match audience with Derry and Greg Abbott and a quite brilliant night out.

May 2010 – League Two Notts County 5-0 Cheltenham Town

April 2014 – League One Notts County 2-0 Swindon Town

A day I’d longed for since I started supporting Notts, as I saw the Magpies lift a trophy, the League Two title, after a brilliant season full of more ups and downs than any before The second Great Escape, another miraculous recovery, and it – and that’s saying something. the stage set for a truly memorable final day of the season.

On a personal level, this was a day that had everything.

The backstory is well told, with the Munto Finance ‘takeover’, the pledge of Premier League football, untold riches, Sven The night previously, I was under the impression that I’d Goran Eriksson and Sol Campbell… and then it all proving to be spending the day visiting art galleries with my wife to be quite the opposite. be, only to find she’d actually colluded with my best men to make sure my stag do was a surprise – and the penultimate But somehow the players pulled it off, and, eventually, game of a very long season was the focus. under Steve Cotterill claimed the title by a distance with a stunning sequence of results over the final few months.

Thirty-odd of my close pals were on hand to witness There were goals aplenty, a club record for clean sheets, and a fantastic game full of drama, nerves, and a cracking stellar performers from Kasper Schmeichel to Neal Bishop, atmosphere which left many of the stag party stunned by Ben Davies and Lee Hughes. All became Notts heroes. its intensity. This win proved pivotal in staying up and left Shaun Derry’s men needing just a point on the final day This wasn’t the best game or performance of the season.

But as the day that saw the title presented, it’s the one to look back on. The superb Hughes added another brace to take his season’s tally to 33 and 11,000 witnessed the trophy being lifted. Ben Davies, an own goal and Luke Rodgers also figured on the scoresheet as each of the squad members received a memorable personal ovation.

This day had made so many years of hurt including relegation battles, administration and dwindling attendances making for poor atmospheres, all seem worth it.

I didn’t have a bad night after this one either!

Paul Smith

@psmithyjourno

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 28

ISSUE #12

LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

I remember it like it was yesterday. I was young, stupid and hopelessly unfashionable even then, but when I saw you I was done for. You were much older of course, and I never thought it would last, but something about your old fashioned individuality drew me to you like a moth to a flame.

Of course it helped that your bottom end was uncovered in those days, but even though I knew I wasn’t the first to enjoy that, I still fell head over heels.

you but it was never the same after that. You couldn’t afford the new house and started to gamble. You even sold the drapes to fund your habit but it didn’t work. You started sacking all I’d heard from mates you’d been a real the staff and replaced them with an stunner in the early Eighties and gone alcoholic. off the boil since, but you still looked in good shape to me.

You well and truly let yourself go and before long you were back where you You played it cool at first, teasing me started – penniless and making passes with your growing confidence and at any bloke you could get. We tried to entertaining a succession of strange patch it up with another trip to London men , but I knew we were meant to but as usual you let me down. I hung be together. Then you had that big win around for a couple of years but you’d in London and suddenly everything changed – I still loved you but you just changed. weren’t fun anymore.

You’d become glamorous and successful almost overnight and wanted me along for the ride. So what if I’d been flirting with that slag in red from over the river or that bird from Norfolk? Once you’d got your claws into me they were history.

THE HONEYMOON And what a ride it was those first few years. You moved in with your crazy shirts (remember that tartan one!) and your fondness for Home Bitter and we had some great times. Suddenly everything you did came up trumps, and as for scoring - let’s just say I went to sleep satisfied pretty much every weekend and most Tuesday nights as well.

God were you hot back then – I couldn’t leave you alone! Then you got promoted again and started mixing with the really big boys. As excited as I was with your success, I knew you couldn’t keep rising up the ladder, and sure enough you couldn’t hack it at the top for long. But it didn’t matter – you’d always had a lot of experience of going down so I was happy.

Soon we were all over the papers too (which was weird), but I was so besotted I didn’t care. We were together and heading for the very top – and this time I was going to stay there.

Or so I thought. Then this innocuous trembling she had started to get worse.

She put on a brave face but behind the scenes things started to fall apart.

Cheques not cashed, milkman not paid, her so called friends borrowing cash then disappearing – that sort of thing.

In the end she broke down and told me the truth. She was from Long Eaton not Dubai and didn’t have two brass So I left, and it would be a very long farthings to her name. Worse was that time until I saw you again. her impressive assets had been bought on credit and had to go back, leaving THE KNIGHT IN SHINING ARMOUR her up to her neck in debt and facing prison. I was at my wits end.

We’d been living apart for years when I got the call. You were on the verge THE RECONCILIATION of being evicted after years of bumping along the bottom, and you got in touch Just when I’d given up hope, who out of sheer desperation. I’d stayed should walk back through the door but faithful to you all those years, and I you. Somehow you’d met this couple couldn’t help but keep tabs on you from from Lincolnshire, got yourself clean a distance. and back on your feet and decided it was time to do me a good turn for once.

It wasn’t pretty - you’d been going with You covered her bail and wouldn’t listen anything you could get your hands on. when I offered to repay you. I was Icelandic fisherman, Reds and even a stunned, but in that moment I realised bloke from Mansfield for God’s sake! I had never really stopped loving you.

You were a mess and I didn’t want to know at first, but in the end I came and You still had real pedigree and had thank goodness I did. brightened up your old hairdo with a snazzy new brooch – and I liked it. You You were all set to get chucked out and chased her own of town with a flea in disappear, but in the end me and a few her ear and last I heard she was on the old mates were able to cobble together run from the police - so it was a close enough support to get you back on shave all things considered. your feet.

So here we are, another few years I left again and it turned out to be just down the line and we’re happy enough. a temporary reprieve for you. Soon you Sure we’ve had our ups and downs started trying to score in godforsaken since we got back together and it’s holes likes Boston and Macclesfield and not a patch on first time round but you I knew I was well shot of you. It was can’t have everything. You’re not the a terrible time. best looking girl in town but you’re still beautiful to me.

The good times carried right on coming, and when those lads from Derby and Leicester turned up you gave them a right hammering! You blew a fortune THE BIT ON THE SIDE on a new pad with Italian silverware and loads of hired help and we couldn’t Then she arrived. Wow. Scoring came believe what was happening. easy to her so I couldn’t believe it when she wanted me! Well, who wouldn’t Then to top it all off there was that have had their head turned? She was unforgettable incident with the Charlie young, middle eastern (or so she said) when we destroyed those trees – what and loaded, with that mysterious H mad and brilliant times they were. tattoo and those twin domes up top.

Suddenly I forgot all about you and she whisked me away into a world of THE BREAK UP glamorous signings, cash and Swedish It couldn’t last though, and sure businessmen. enough it didn’t. It all started to go downhill after you broke my heart with What a performer – a weekend didn’t that Dutch bloke in Derby. I forgave pass without me pinching myself at my

FEB ‘15

new found good fortune.

Things are still a bit spicy too, although your bottom end stays covered these days and despite threatening to go down you never seem to. You piss me off something chronic at times but I wouldn’t have it any other way. You’re you and I love you and I figure we’re together for life now, whether I like it or not.

Just leave the gambling and Dutchmen alone this time and we’ll be fine.

Piran Lynn-Smith

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 29

RUGBY’S GOING HOME!

The news that Nottingham Rugby were leaving Meadow Lane came as somewhat of an unexpected birthday surprise to me! At 9.30a.m on Saturday, October 11th 2014, I turned on my phone expecting to be greeted by the usual birthday messages but instead was greeted by an email stating that Nottingham Rugby were moving from Meadow Lane to Lady Bay Sports Ground. At first my reaction was disbelief - I frantically went online to make sure this wasn’t some sort of elaborate joke but sure enough, that most venerable of British institutions, the BBC, confirmed my fears - this was no joke. We were moving.

I changed my plans the next day and travelled back to Nottingham to attend the Worcester Warriors game and the following question and answer as part of me still couldn’t believe that this was happening. There was much discussion about a move after the friendly against Leicester Tigers in pre-season and Alistair Bow had acknowledged this in the season launch but there was certainly no indication that a move would happen so imminently.

A packed Meadow Lane Sports Bar heard Alistair Bow, Simon Beatham and Chris Simon talk about the grand plans for Lady Bay and what would be done to accommodate fans who had bought their season tickets, myself included, and expected to be accommodated in the seat they paid for at the start of the season.

I had never known anywhere other than Meadow Lane. I came to the club at the beginning of the 2010-11 season when the team were well settled at Meadow Lane, I wasn’t there in the ‘glory days’ of Ireland Avenue that many of the diehard fans speak about so fondly.

However I have memories of seeing some amazing players grace the turf at Meadow Lane - just three names that spring to mind are Tom Youngs, Sione Kalamafoni and Juan Pablo Socino, who have gone onto great things with Leicester Tigers, England and the British and Irish Lions, and Gloucester Rugby and Newcastle Falcons respectively - along with countless others who the ‘Green Army’ cheered on from the Derek Pavis stand. That’s

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 30

added to the truly memorable moments - such as the 63-7 demolition of Bristol in November 2012, and seeing us beat Moseley with a penalty in the dying minutes to save us from relegation in the 2013-14 season just two of the memorable matches that spring to mind. I personally will remember these amazing times fondly as well as some good times spent in the Meadow Lane Sports Bar such as Craig Hammond’s leaving bash which is still spoken about fondly two years after it happened!

Lady Bay will ever do.

As for whether leaving is a good or bad thing, that’s caused some debate.

Personally I feel uncertain about it - it’s a massive change and there are lots of grand plans but whether these are actually feasible is another matter. One school of thought is that it will make it more like an ‘old fashioned rugby club’ again but some think its too much too soon. There’s been lots of questions raised which have been answered to an extent but the only way to see if things will work out is to practice watchful waiting. One of the major issues raised was that there were some who were happy that there would be standing facilities as they wanted to stand rather than sit; while others were unhappy at potentially being robbed of the seat they paid for. The seating arrangements for me were the biggest issue as I’m disabled; I couldn’t stand for 80 minutes much as I would love to!

I’m firmly in the camp of preferring the familiar facilities of Meadow Lane - it has been a fantastic ground for us and opened the door to many things such as satisfying the Premiership ground requirements - something which despite the grand plans I’m not sure

As I type we’re sixth in the table, with teams such as Cornish Pirates and Yorkshire Carnegie below us - which given their form last season you would reasonably expect to be higher in the table - so it doesn’t look such a hefty task on paper. While I’m unsure we’ll get past Bristol with their owner’s riches and Worcester with their Premiership experience - the fact we managed to top the table earlier this season surely shows we have the ability.

It’s a relief to hear that Meadow Lane will still be an option should we get promoted in the next eight years.

Doom-mongers would suggest that given our form last season and so far this season that might be a bit optimistic but personally I’m all for taking it one game at a time. We’ve proved we can do it - in the famous 2012-2013 season when we finished second so we just have to do it again!

While the Lady Bay question is one that will continue to vex and divide the Nottingham Rugby faithful - there’s one thing that we do need to unite on and that’s getting behind the boys and supporting and cheering them on whether home or away, at Meadow Lane or Lady Bay - and as a proud season ticket holder I will continue getting behind the boys and giving them my support for the rest of this season.

As the infamous Nottingham Rugby tagline goes… #IAmGreenAndWhite!! J

Andrea Porter

@blackwhitezine

ISSUE #12

Keep your eye on the ball and sell your kit * * * * *

Sales Service Spares Brokerage Factory Refurbishment

Proud Sponsors Of

& BLACK WHITE the Notts County fanzine

Call Us: 0845 474 0256 Digital Colour Printers

www.tecnicosolutions.com