Issue 6

BLACK & WHITE #6 - JULY ‘13 - £1

the now MONTHLY Notts County fanzine

DEAN LEACOCK BEN DAVIES SAINT RAYMOND Skipper gears up

Fighting back

Singer songwriter talks notts

ALSO GASH IN THE ATTIC PRE-SEASON SO FAR LINCOLN LADIES AWAY DAYS & MORE

INTRODUCTION

board when we get the opportunity - trust me we haven’t forgotten. Let it be known the board Pre-season kicks off with tonight’s game aren’t dodging an interview, I just haven’t got against Galatasaray at Meadow Lane - and I round to arranging facetime with them yet. It’ll think everyone will agree it’ll be nice just to happen though. be watching football again rather than working ourselves into a state after a Summer in which We’re going monthly this year in case you’ve (up until we’ve gone to press at least) not much forgotten, or didn’t know. This is the first issue of the new season and touch wood, we’ll get of note has happened at all! the next one out for the end of August before What has happened however, we’ve got well and then releasing every four weeks after that. covered in here. Bar the slight issue of racist Our first season was a huge success so there’s abuse in the youth team which we were never no reason to believe we can’t do even better going to go near (sorry!), everything else this campaign. seems to be wrapped up.

Going monthly obviously means we’re going to Thank you to everyone who made our last issue want more people submitting articles for us this such a ridiculous success as well. I knew we season - get in touch via the means below if had a big deal on our hands anyway but I never that interests you! saw us getting all the way through to a third reprint! Obviously a few things came up in that Stuart Brothers @BlackWhiteZine interview which we’ll be bringing up with the Here we go again!

/blackwhitezine

@blackwhitezine

/thenottsblog

CONTENTS

WITH THANKS Thank you firstly of course to this issue’s contributors: Richard Ogando, Paul Smith, Alex Matthews, Dave Fells, Luke Williamson, Graham Farquharson, Ian Cooksey, Dean Fido, Sean Mansfield, Aston Perrin, Sean Redgate, Drew Dennis, Jacob Daniel, Alan Combes, Stephen Moore, Dave Straw, Darren Patterson and Helen Faccio!

A big thank you, and welcome I guess to the Trent Navigation who will be providing our backs some truly beautiful back

/thestu

imagery courtesy of JMSphotography. co.uk this season as our latest advertisers.

So Long, Skipper! ..................................... 03

Thanks to new skipper Dean Leacock for giving up his time in pre-season to chat with Paul for this issue’s interview - same also to Ben Davies who speaks very highly of our club.

The

And cheers to all the people who have believed in what we’re trying to achieve with this fanzine.

A huge team effort goes into creating what you hold in your hands right now and your purchase is greatly appreciated by all of us involved!

To Sack Or Not To Sack? .......................... 22

SUBSCRIBE

Have the next six issues delivered straight to your doorstep before their matchday releases.

blackandwhitezine.bigcartel.com

Unfashionable Notts? .................................. 04 A Look Ahead To 2013/14 ........................ 05 How We Signed An England Captain ......... 06 Billy

Corkhill

Story

..........................

08

A Future For English Football? ................... 10 Dean Leacock interview ............................ 12 No News Is Good News? ............................ 16 No News Is Not Good News! ....................... 17 The Sack Race ........................................... 18 Ben Davies interview ................................. 20 A New Season Beckons

.............................. 23

Pre-Season: It Ain’t All That ........................ 24 Notts Bid To Rock Roker ............................... 25 Gash In The Attic ....................................... 26 Pre-Season Anticipation .............................. 27 Interview: Saint Raymond ............................ 28 A new Season Beckons ................................ 29 Coming Soon ............................................... 30

DISCLAIMER The 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.

SO LONG, SKIPPER!

The news that Neal Bishop’s contract had been mutually terminated came as no surprise to Notts fans last month. In fact, the decision to part with the club’s longest-serving player was largely acquiesced. A disappointing end to what was a fruitful partnership lasting 1491 days, containing 193 appearances and 10 managerial changes.

Bishop’s arrival was a precursor to the (in)famous 2009 summer and as such the signing was slightly overshadowed by higher-profile captures such as Lee Hughes and Ben Davies as well as a certain notorious Swedish itinerant landing amidst a flurry of camera flashes and Peter Trembling sound bites. By now, we’re all well aware of the how and why behind the slow, painful death of the Munto dream. Hughes’ goals, Davies’ dazzling displays, Delroy’s destructive dominance and our sensationalist exaggeration of how effective each part of Steve Cotterill’s well-oiled machine were are all still vivid in the memory.

Perhaps most forgotten as time evolves will be the part played by the strong spine the team possessed; Graeme Lee, Mike Edwards, Ricky Ravenhill and Neal Bishop. A game of ‘spot the odd one out’ ends in a swift answer of ‘Neal Bishop’, the only member of the rustic Northern quartet ever to truly show he belonged in League One. That is not meant to the detriment of the other three but they were ultimately reduced to chasing shadows concerning the trickier customers the step up provided, despite their commitment to the cause being rightfully valued.

The results of the first season in the third tier are probably best forgotten when combining Short’s recruitment blunders and Ince’s collection of nomads sometimes struggling with the simple task of looking remotely interested.

One reassuring constant throughout the season was the guarantee of Bishop and Hughes turning up every week with an unquestionable desire for the club to do well. Tales of a devastated Bishop solitarily supping beer after defeat to Huddersfield and on more than one occasion being described as ‘too angry to give an interview at this time’ were exactly the type of refreshing antidote to such a hapless season.

It feels obligatory at this point to assure that this isn’t meant to be a loving eulogy or an ‘ode to Bishop’ but it’s hard to justify any real criticism of the man or indeed player during those first two years at the club. Even his detractors were often dismissed as the hard to please, easy to ignore type.

Bishop remained integral under Martin Allen and his presence was missed more than any other player when unavailable through suspension. The mind wanders back to the Preston away fixture and following visit of Wycombe to Meadow Lane when the midfield were unable to gain any sort of semblance of control in the middle of the park during his absence. There were however questions raised about his attacking influence, with better performances under Allen the team became a comfortable mid-table side with ambitions of sneaking into the play-offs, the hunger for improvement saw

AUG ‘13

Bishop as an undeserving target due to his lack of goals and influence in the final third.

With Curle’s more ambitious brand of football came the assumption that Bishop’s days may be numbered if more technically-gifted alternatives could be acquired. In reality, he continued to be valued highly, remarkable considering how many managers he saw come and go in his time that he never really fell out of favour with any one of them, retaining the captaincy that was handed to him by Ince. On the surface, Bishop had answered the critics and added goals to his game but he suffered from unusual inconsistency, whether it was due to fatigue or off-the-pitch quarrels is uncertain but the unnecessary ‘shushing’ incident aimed at the iconic Colin Slater, which was fuelled by Slater commenting that Bishop refused to give an interview, was perhaps a foreshadowing of the souring that was about to occur.

One word that induces a shake of the head when Neal Bishop is concerned is ‘twitter’. A social medium, which as of yet, we’re still completely clueless as to the benefits it provides in the player/fan relationship. The ‘never back down’ and honest approach so well appreciated on the field didn’t translate in quite the same way. Every defeat or lacklustre performance (and there were plenty) saw the @04nbisho timeline turn into a destructive scene of bickering and provocation to which Bishop was perhaps too happy to participate. By this time, the opinion on the footballer Neal Bishop had moved closer to a 50/50 split - those that continued to appreciate the work-rate and defensive qualities and those that grew tired of the mis-placed passes and limited technical ability.

Meanwhile the online jibes evolved into one instance of telling a female fan to go back and play with her dolls. A sign, if one was needed, that the damage was irreparable.

Curle’s dismissal introduced another difficult situation.

Whether it is judged as a mass sulking session or players making a well-intended stand is up for debate, what wasn’t was the captain of a club toeing the line of professionalism a little too freely.

Fans see these comments spread to the star player, Alan Judge, and fingers are pointed.

Bishop’s Notts career represents the short-term memory of football in general. What was once a cult hero and integral cog turned sour within the blink of an eye or one too many twitches of the renowned Ray Trew trigger finger. Whatever the opinion of Neal Bishop, his commitment to Notts County was indisputable and with that a fond farewell feels compulsory.

Alex Matthews

@TopOfTheKop10

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 3

UNFASHIONABLE NOTTS?

As I write this article it is the eve of the Football League fixture list release and after what has been nothing less than a truly uneventful and frustratingly quiet closed season so far for all Notts fans, there is a glimmer of excitement as social media’s jungle drums filter news of an opening day trip to Sheffield United.

This coming season represents 125 years since the formation of the Football League and both Sheffield United and Notts County are amongst 12 clubs whose 6 matches, two from each division have been released early by the FL as they represent a historical significance to the world’s original league football competition.

The world’s oldest professional football club will be the visitors to the world’s oldest professional football ground, Brammall Lane. That’s history for you right there, the legacy of the world’s most spectated sport, bestowed upon every fan in an existence spanning over one and a half centuries.

Tradition and history are definitely two words you could use when speaking of Notts County as the terrace faithful berate clubs like MK Dons with chants of “shit club no history!” Unfortunately it appears that history, tradition and legacy quite possibly stand for nothing in the modern game.

The first Football league campaign kicked off on 8th September 1888 and those twelve founding clubs albeit unknowingly had the footballing world and all of its trappings at their feet.

Accrington, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers, Burnley, Derby County, Everton, Notts County, Preston North End, Stoke, West Bromwich Albion and Wolverhampton Wanderers, pioneers each and every one of them, all deemed to be the most prominent football clubs in the country and yet perhaps with the exception of Aston Villa and Everton the rest have failed to sustain any kind of existence at the games top table.

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 4

Now don’t get me wrong, over those 150 years most of these twelve clubs have had their highlights both on the domestic and European scene but let’s be right, we aren’t talking in the same league as Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and to some extent Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City.

league and European success in the late ‘70’s to further twist the jagged knife of contempt into the long suffering innards of the Notts faithful.

Now don’t get me wrong, as a club we have experienced some of our best moments in the years following this but alas, the damage had been done and scrapping around in the lower leagues and defying the unthinkable all compounded to ensure that in the eyes of the city’s young football fans Notts County were an unfashionable club to support.

So what exactly is it that has set these clubs apart from the rest? Well I have a theory, a somewhat tenuous one I’ll admit, that the success of these clubs in the modern era is largely founded on the supposition that these are Then, from the depths of despair ‘fashionable’ clubs to support. a new hope, oil millions and Sven Key moments in the relatively modern were in town and Notts County were history of these clubs have elevated suddenly the talk of the city, we were them to the position of being the most going to be world beaters and finally highly supported clubs in the country. get our revenge on our patronising The rise and tragic fall of Sir Matt neighbours, but alas in true Notts Busby’s ‘Babes’ for Manchester United, fashion it all went tit’s up! The rest as Arsenals infamous hat-trick of titles in they say is history, and that’s exactly the 1930’s, the arrival of Bill Shankley where it should remain. With the 150 at Liverpool closely followed by Cup year celebrations of the world’s oldest success, Beatle-Mania and the ‘swinging professional football club all but over a sixties’ all contrived to spawn what can midnight flit with the ‘Old Lady’ in Turin, only be described as “Super Clubs” a civic reception and a tent on the of the modern era, clubs it became Meadow lane pitch have done nothing fashionable to support, regardless of to improve the clubs standing in the ‘fashion’ stakes. your geographical location.

Closer to home it wasn’t so long ago that Notts County were the best supported club in Nottingham making headlines with the surprise signing of a certain Tommy Lawton and with some success on the pitch to follow with a Division 3 South title, but then suddenly, in 1959 the tables were turned when Forest won the FA Cup and Notts found themselves slipping to the Football League basement with consecutive relegations.

This had a catastrophic impact on the future of football at Meadow Lane as attendances went into decline on the ‘City’ side of the Trent and those over in Rushcliffe began to reap the rewards of their new found fame, making them the ‘fashionable’ team to follow in Nottingham. This was endorsed by

As tenuous as my theory may seem it is not without substance, there is without doubt a correlation between the success of a football club and how fashionable the club is perceived by both the public and media alike.

I believe the current owners at Notts County are doing their level best to improve the perception of our club to the wider audience and who knows, maybe our neighbours star, under the control of their shallow pocketed ‘Arabian Knight’ might just be falling a little, but until it drops like a stone I’m afraid we will unfortunately remain Nottingham’s unfashionable club.

Richard Ogando

@ncfcog

ISSUE #6

A LOOK AHEAD TO 2013/14

Thinking back 12 months to the first article of Black & White, we were basking in the afterglow of the Great British summer encompassing the Queens Jubilee and Olympic Games. Moving to the present, we are basking in a similar glow - Andy Murray won Wimbledon (at last), the Lions beat the hapless Australian rugby team, and the Ashes begin this week. Sports fans across the country have had plenty to keep themselves occupied over the summer, but as July ticks by, thoughts inevitably turn to football, and the Magpies’ latest League One campaign.

I’m going to take a whistle-stop tour of the current squad, which at time of writing is little threadbare. The goalkeeping situation is much the same as last year, with Bartosz Bialkowski and Fabien Spiess in competition for the number 1 jersey. However, rumours are rife that Ipswich are poised to take the Polish superstar off our hands. Should a suitable offer come in, I’m torn on what Notts’ approach should be. On the one hand, if we’ve got no money in the bank, the money would do nicely as long as it’s reinvested into the playing squad.

said.

Andy Haworth and Malcolm Melvin (yes, that is his real name) are the only additions so far. It’s fair to say Haworth has received a mixed reaction. I won’t quote anyone in particular, but he’s been written off by some before he’s even kicked a ball (as it happens, during his debut in the recent friendly against Palloseura Kemi Kings, he scored twice). As for Melvin, a youngster from Villa signing a 6 month contract is never going to set pulses racing.

In contrast to last season, we look weak in midfield going into the new season. Joss Labadie has signed a new deal after coming back from Torquay a new man, and Preston favourite Jamal Campbell-Ryce remain at the club, along with Andre Boucaud. Aside from those three youngsters Curtis Thompson and Greg Tempest complete the squad, with Gavin Mahon still waiting to see if he’s earnt a new contract. Three of our four regular starters in midfield have gone, replaced by a Moving on to the defence, the only player moving out of youngster from Villa and Andy Haworth. Dear me.

Meadow Lane during the summer was Julian Kelly. It’s a shame it hasn’t worked out for him, as he’s a very talented Finally, we move on to my favourite part of the review. lad who has the potential to play higher. Sadly, his good days “Strikers”. The age old question remains uppermost in my became increasingly rare due to the fact his legs are made mind – “Will Notts County sign a striker or two worthy of the of glass and he’s held together with blue-tac and string. His name before the start of the season?” I have my own opinion release came as a bit of a surprise, but I’d rather us pay for on that, but let’s look at the squad. There were no departures a player on the field than one sat with the physio, so I agree this summer, with Francois Zoko and Enoch Showunmi poised with the decision. Krystian “enigma” Pearce has not as yet to “lead the line” once again. Yoann Arquin is on his jollies been offered a contract, but as far as I know is training with playing in the CONCACAF Gold Cup for Martinique, but is the team to try and earn one – hopefully Chris Kiwomya can expected to sign, whilst promising youngsters Romello Nangle, Tyrell Waite and Malachi Lavelle-Moore wait in the get the best out of him (surely some can eventually?) wings. The depth is there, but where exactly are the goals The only defensive addition thus far is Mustapha Dumbuya, going to come from? the Sierra Leone international (no less), who comes highly rated by fans and manager alike. I can’t say I know very much Once again the season is looming, and one again we’re about him other than he used to play for Portsmouth, played lacking a goalscorer. The strikeforce I’ve listed is not going very well against us at Meadow Lane, has a video on YouTube to get you very far in League One, I fear. The likes of Wolves showcasing his best bits, and was the shining light from that and Sheffield United won’t be too concerned at the prospect Portsmouth team (not that is too difficult). Apparently, he’s of facing Enoch. Goals win games, and I can’t see us scoring quick and has some skill, and will be Kelly’s replacement. too many at the moment! Just for once, can we please start New captain Dean Leacock, Manny Smith, Alan Sheehan, the season with a 20 goal man? Surely it’s not too much to Gary Liddle and Haydn “defensive slip-up” Hollis remain. This ask? Mr Trew has promised imminent signings “in the next 24/48 hours” as ever, but that line is wearing pretty thin. certainly appears the strongest area of the squad.

Actions speak louder than words, and to be frank, I’m getting Looking at the midfield, the only played released was sick of broken promises.

Hamza Bencherif. Bless him – he tried his best. His best just wasn’t very good. There were some highs – the freekick at Pre-season is barely under way, and thus far we’ve had an Bournemouth showed that he could certainly strike a football, expected 2-0 defeat to Steaua Bucharest, followed by a tour but his appearances were limited to coming on when Notts of Finland which has yielded comfortable wins against poor were losing and looking for a goal. That didn’t go well. It’s not opposition (nice work if you can get it). We’ve got big games his fault Notts couldn’t sign a striker if their lives depended on against Galatasaray, Rayo Vallecano and Ipswich to look it (more on that later), but we could still be playing now and forward to, and there is still plenty of time for players to come in, but right now Notts are worryingly short of quality both the lad wouldn’t have scored. Taxi! in midfield and up front. A squad lacking both Lee and Jeff Alan Judge, sadly, inevitably, moved on to pastures new in the Hughes, Alan Judge and Neal Bishop does not look particularly summer, heading off to Blackburn (sob) – and undoubtedly promising if you’re a Notts fan. Those four players were we’ll miss him. We’ve not signed anyone to date who can get admittedly high earners, but they were also key members of anywhere near him, and I doubt we will. In a surprise move, the first team, and I’d argue none of these player have been Jeff Hughes rejected a new contract and moved to Fleetwood suitably replaced. I’m all for keeping an eye of finances, but (for the money), which will also be a loss as goalscoring in Mr Trew cannot go too far and jeopardise Notts’ future at this the past couple of years was excellent. We’ve not replaced level. Hopefully, by the time the lads run out in front of the him either. Finally, Neal Bishop, club “captain” and midfield Sky cameras at Bramall Lane, we’ll have replacements for maestro has also thrown in the towel, and left the club. It Hughes, Judge, Bishop and some goalscorers, and everything appears his agent has wrangled him a move to Blackpool to will be ready for a promotion push. link up again with Paul Ince, and he was off like a rat up a drainpipe (someone hand that agent a pay rise – he’s earnt I won’t hold my breath. it!) No replacement forthcoming for him either. Alarm bells @DrewNotts are starting to ring in this part of Nottingham, it has to be However I’m sceptical after Ben Davies, Craig Westcarr and Lee Hughes all left the club without being replace. On the other hand, “Bart” is one of our top performers and we’d miss him, especially with some many other top players leaving this summer. Fabien Spiess would be a more than adequate replacement, but it doesn’t send out the best message to the fans when our best players are sold.

Drew Dennis

AUG ‘13

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 5

HOW WE SIGNED AN ENGLAND CAPTAIN

There have been many expressions of discontent from fans about the lack of signings that Notts have made this summer so far. A cursory glance at Twitter or the message board will confirm that. But, while Chris Kiwomya is still assembling his squad for the forthcoming season, the club has already signed an entire team of players and did so, in fact, just as last season was ending.

The news that the Women’s Super League team Lincoln Ladies was becoming Notts County Ladies next season was met with more than a little surprise when it was announced in May. Notts fans may or may not have realised that Ray Trew was the owner of Lincoln Ladies, but there had been no hint that the Lady Imps, who boast England captain Casey Stoney as their star attraction, were even considering moving to Nottingham before the shock news broke.

The WSL is expanding for its 2014 season and will have two leagues of instead of just one. The new Notts County Ladies are in Super League 1 alongside Arsenal Ladies, Birmingham City Ladies, Bristol Academy Women’s FC, Chelsea Ladies, Everton Ladies, Liverpool Ladies and Manchester City Ladies, who have controversially replaced the Doncaster Rovers Belles in the top flight.

Much more than that we do not yet know, as Notts County and Lincoln are still under an FA embargo before they can say more. The statement released at the time simply said: "Lincoln Ladies can confirm that a bid was submitted to The Football Association for the club to move forwards as Notts County Ladies FC from the start of the 2014 season.

to better facilities and expertise, a better stadium and, importantly, the potential to attract bigger crowds. Gates have not been high at Sincil Bank so by moving to a bigger city and having a ready-made fanbase in the form of Notts County supporters, it will surely be hoped that crowds will grow instantly.

One of the criteria that the new WSL teams also needed to fulfil was to be partnered with a men’s team and with Lincoln City reportedly not wanting to be associated with the women’s team, Lincoln Ladies would have been left with little choice but to look elsewhere or lose everything they had achieved up until now. The move to Nottingham is one that Stoney herself has been quoted as saying is a ‘no-brainer’.

Unsurprisingly, without more information forthcoming at the moment, the move has been criticised. Lincoln Ladies fans have shown anger and disappointment at losing their team to a city down the road and there have been critical words in the press and from local rivals Nottingham Forest Ladies, whose own bid to be part of the WSL was unsuccessful.

A former Lady Imps manager has called the move ‘an own goal’, while there have also been inevitable comparisons to the MK Dons. Forest Ladies have been damning in their assessment of the situation, accusing Ray Trew of ‘trampling’ over the dreams of thousands of young girls and women involved with that club. They say that moving Lincoln to Notts will ‘kill’ its development and they have lodged an "As per The FA’s statement today, the terms and conditions appeal against their exclusion from the league, stating that process is ongoing and the club will be making no further they had been told they were the only Nottingham club comment on today’s announcement until this has been applying and therefore focused their bid on the strengths of the city rather than just the club. completed."

“As part of the application process for a place in The FA Women’s Super League, Lincoln Ladies FC included a proposal to rebrand the club as Notts County Ladies FC and this stage of the process has now been accepted and ratified.

I asked director Aileen Trew what the latest was and she explained that they are still not permitted to answer any questions because the bidding process and appeals process are incomplete. It may be later in July before we know any more about the rebranding and the reasons for it. “This is incredibly frustrating for us, of course, as we were well aware of the possible response to the news without full explanation. This is not ideal for us but we really can say no more,” Mrs Trew added.

The FA have stressed that just because Notts’ bid was successful, Forest’s was not automatically rejected – Liverpool and Everton are both in WSL 1 – but it seems a bitter taste has been left in their mouths anyway.

So there we have it – the story so far. And the bottom line is that Notts have acquired one of the best women’s football teams in the land and will be part of the exciting new future of the sport as it tries to capitalise on the wave of interest in it. I for one am looking forward to seeing the new Notts So, as it stands, all we really know is that the former County Ladies.

Lincoln Ladies team will be playing in Notts’ famous black and white stripes next year. It seems that a key part of I hope that I’m not alone. their successful bid to be part of the new WSL was that a move to Nottingham would give the women’s team access @HelenBeighton

Helen Faccio

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 6

ISSUE #6

THE BILLY CORKHILL STORY In June 1933 Billy returned to Seaforth to marry local girl Agnes Dickinson, before making their home in Nottingham where son Brian and daughter Moya were born. Brian still lives with his family in Scunthorpe and Moya currently lives in Devon.

Billy went on to play regularly and consistently over the next few seasons in teams that included famous centre-forwards Hughie Gallagher and ‘Dixie’ Dean, so much so that in March 1938 Notts applied to the Football League to award Billy a benefit game for his services to the club – which the League duly approved. Rather than a separate game, as we might expect to see today, the league game at Meadow Lane against Torquay United on April 2nd was nominated as his benefit game with 6,470 people attending with Billy leading out the team as skipper for the day.

After watching Greg Tempest play well for the youth team for a couple of seasons it was great to see him break through into the first team at the end of last season with three appearances against Scunthorpe, Swindon and Bournemouth which in turn resulted in his call up to the Northern Ireland Under 21 squad and his debut against Cyprus. It is often said that Greg is following in the footsteps of his grandfather Billy Corkhill who played for Notts County during the 1930s and 1940s - but who was Billy Corkhill?

Billy was born in Belfast on the 23rd of April 1910 but moved to live in Seaforth in Lancashire (now part of Merseyside) early in his life and honed his football skills with Lancashire League sides Northern Nomads and Marine FC before being spotted by scouts and invited to join Notts County FC. By coincidence, while Greg was on loan at Ilkeston Town last season one of the grounds he would have enjoyed visiting was that of Marine FC. Billy joined Notts in 1931 but it was 6th February 1932 before he made his first team debut away at Barnsley playing right-half. Things went well for Billy and he retained his place in the team the following week – at home to Nottingham Forest.

This game didn’t go quite so well and after a 2-6 beating by the reds at Meadow Lane, Billy wasn’t seen in the first team again that season.

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 8

No sooner had Billy pocketed the proceeds from his benefit game than he was surprisingly transferred to Cardiff City in May 1938. City finished the season in mid-table, just behind Notts County, but they did reach the Welsh Cup Final, losing 1-2 at the Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, to another well known Welsh side – South Liverpool! The Who’s Who of Cardiff City describes Billy as ‘one of the finest players in the Third Division.’ This turned out to be the final season before World War Two brought the Football League to a halt.

During the war years, with the official Football League fixtures on hold, Billy took part in friendly and regional league games whenever he could.

Those war time games were littered with guest appearances by many players, so you never knew who you would be lining up alongside. An example of this was when Billy turned out for Western Command against the Scottish Command at Ayr only to find himself in the same team as a young Wolves player Billy Wright who would go on to play 105 times for England and at centre-forward that day was the Chelsea and England centre-forward Tommy Lawton who would later join Billy at Notts County. During the war Billy played for Chester, Lincoln City, Derby County, Mansfield Town, Notts County and Nottingham Forest – 81 appearances in all. When not playing football Billy served with the Royal Artillery as a PE instructor and also served for two years as a War Reserve Constable. As the title suggests the role was as a voluntary Police Constable during the war that had the full powers of a police officer.

After the war Billy rejoined Notts at the end of 1945 in plenty of time to prepare for the re-start of the Football League in 1946/47 season, when, due to his knowledge of the game and the respect he had from the other players, Billy was appointed as captain of the team. Although Billy’s usual position was wing-half, he was a very versatile player who

ISSUE #6

played in nine of the eleven positions in the team with only centre-forward and left wing preventing him from ‘completing the full set’ – there was even one appearance in goal away at Walsall in December 1946 when, because of transport problems due to ice and fog, ‘keeper Harry Brown failed to arrive at Walsall in time for the game.

would make his Notts County debut at Scunthorpe.

After four years without achieving promotion Bill resigned his position only for his successor to build on the foundations laid down by Bill and take the team to promotion.

Bill’s first wife Agnes had sadly passed away during his time at Scunthorpe and when he moved on to take on the manager’s position at Bradford Park Avenue, he met and married local lady Delia Melody in June 1957. Bill found managing at Bradford much tougher than he had at Scunthorpe and he left Bradford in November 1957 and after a spell managing Hastings United FC, where his daughter Margaret was born, the family then returned to Nottingham where son Bill was born and now lives with his family in Arnold.

Towards the end of his Notts career Billy studied and passed his coaching qualifications at Birmingham University and Notts appointed him player-coach in 1948 and he also became a senior coach to the Notts FA and spent time coaching football at the Becket School at West Bridgford, Nottingham.

Billy had played for Notts during a great period in their history, playing while Jackie Sewell and Tommy Lawton were in harness together culminating in Notts becoming champions of Division Three South in 1949/50 with the average crowd that season Daughter Margaret would eventually marry David Tempest and produce a son – Gregory Tempest. Bill being over 35,000. became mine host at the Earl of Chesterfield public Billy finished his time as a player at Notts exactly house on Carlton Road in Nottingham for thirteen as he had begun, almost twenty years earlier, with years until his death in 1978 - sadly fifteen years a game away at Barnsley on 12th September 1951 before his grandson, Greg Tempest, was born. at the age of 41 making him, at the time, the oldest player ever to have turned out for Notts. He played for Notts 288 times in a period where he lost seven @MagpieDave seasons of his career to the war – who knows how many more appearances he might otherwise have achieved.

Dave Fells

In October 1951 Billy, by now generally referred to as ‘Bill’ to reflect his increasing maturity, was appointed as trainer-coach at Scunthorpe and when the manager at the time, Leslie Jones left, Bill was put in temporary charge and after a successful caretaker period, Bill was appointed manager on a full time basis in 1952. The squad Bill inherited had an average age of over 30 so he was charged, much as today at Notts County, with giving youth a chance in order to reduce the average age of the squad, reduce the wage bill, while remaining competitive in the league – a tough assignment.

Money was always very tight at Scunthorpe and their best players were often sold in an effort to try and balance the books. On one occasion, in 1956, the Liverpool manager Don Welsh and two directors took Bill out of a snooker game he was playing in order to offer him £8,000 (a Scunthorpe club record at the time) for his centre-half Dick White, which Bill accepted - before returning to his unfinished game of snooker! Despite the tight financial situation at the club, in his four seasons in charge Bill took Scunthorpe to the 4th round of the FA Cup for the first time in their history and twice achieved 3rd place in the league table but narrowly missed out on promotion on both occasions. The Scunthorpe web site describes Bill as ‘as an honest man, well liked by his playing staff and knowledgeable in the game.’ Ironic then, sixty years later, that his grandson, Greg Tempest,

AUG ‘13

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 9

A FUTURE FOR ENGLISH FOOTBALL?

Twelve months have passed since a stubborn and disciplined England side put up a respectable but unspectacular showing in Ukraine at the Euros. At the time there was minimal expectation however, which in turn led to some fans being pleasantly surprised at our performance.

In truth though, it was not last summer that the true wake-up call was delivered for the English national team and more importantly, the future of our game from top to bottom.

Three years ago England were humiliated in Bloemfontein despite the goal that never was. An ever improving Germany team demonstrated all the characteristics and skills that we should be aspiring to possess and three years on, their infrastructure has continued to produce the goods with a host of German stars reaching the Champions League Final for both Bayern and Dortmund.

Three years ago the biggest autopsy on the English game in my lifetime began with everyone within the game having a say. Some within the heart of the game voiced their concerns. Some spoke of putting things right through coaching. Changing the way we play. The way we approach the game.

Our thinking and mentality.

And all this some ten years after England and Germany had both fallen flat on their face at Euro 2000 with ageing and one dimensional teams, humbled by the Portuguese and Romanians.

Back then Germany realised that the performance at the Euros in which they finished fourth in Group A, sent home packing before the 2nd Round, was far from acceptable for such a rich footballing nation.

In England however, it is perhaps only clear now just how the severity of the whole performance was not taken seriously from within our own shores.

Then and now.

In 2002, a complete overhaul of the way Germany Academies were ran ensured that each club within the two Bundesliga divisions had to give opportunities to at least twelve individuals within each intake that would be eligible to represent their national team. This, a brave step, out-doing Fifa’s 6+5 rule that had loop holes which saw Cesc Fabregas considered as a home grown talent within

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 10

the boundaries of North London despite the fact England could never benefit from his footballing nous.

This summer’s telling story has been the complete failure of the England Under 21’s, both in the results and the way the players applied themselves at the Euros in Israel. As Spain’s youngsters performed like seasoned professionals capable of representing their nation on the highest level, England stumbled, stuttered and became slightly embarrassed as an initial defeat to Italy was followed by less acceptable defeats to Norway and Israel.

However, that statement in itself is perhaps where the problem lies. We all see defeats to the likes of Norway and Israel as unacceptable but the truth is, we are no longer one of the top footballing nations and for too long we have not been doing enough about it. Small countries in an ever expanding Europe are far more competitive now than they were twenty years ago and in turn, the biggest nations have developed, spotted weaknesses and improved dramatically in a period where England have seemingly sat still and stagnated.

We have bred a culture where youngsters appear to feel they are above the Under 21’s. Players who are yet to establish themselves in the full national team have appeared to turn their back on their country in favour of a training session, a friendly with the senior side and a peaceful summer recharging for the new Premier League season.

In Spain, a player who withdraws from an national squad at any age group, in favour of his clubs interests, faces a possible two year ban from all competitive football thus illustrating how serious the Spanish FA take the players participation at all levels. Should the same punishments be dished out over here retrospectively, we’d be needing to call up League One players right now just to fulfil fixtures.

ISSUE #6

More recently, the England Under 20’s continued their trend at that particular level of always falling short at the World Cups. Not since 1997 has an England side stepped out at a competition at that age group and gone on to win a game suggesting that the problem is much more deep rooted than many in the game would have admitted in recent years.

a thought for tomorrow. Kids are flung into the limelight after just half a dozen games at club level with the blessing of many supporters who call for the inclusion of the latest wonder kid and partly due to the desperation of a manager who is searching for that match winner to keep him in a job. That someone different. The new generation’s Robson, Gascoigne or young Michael Owen.

TIME FOR A CHANGE?

In 2010 the FA launched The Future Game, their own guide for developing players for the future generations. Whether or not it is an entire decade too late or not is by-the-by. It is here now and following the small circus that surrounded the FA’s 150th Birthday celebrations, some good work can hopefully gather pace behind the scenes to at least give our kids something to shout about when they have become seasoned supporters like you and I.

Should a change be underway at the very grassroots levels which supplies our stars of future tournaments, it is highly likely that the benefits of such steps will not be visible for some time yet. The saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks unfortunately applies to 20-year-old footballers who, in the present form, are the result of years of coaching and teaching by the old methods that are showing us up to be dated whenever we reach a international competition.

It has been said that St George’s Park is the answer to all our problems. In years to come, it will help produce a better quality of player with a character and temperament that will go on to grace international tournaments at a senior level.

However, without the right teachers, the facilities bare into insignificance surely?

Following the failure at the last World Cup, the Guardian revealed damaging statistics that in England, there were only 2,769 coaches who held what was then one of UEFA’s three main coaching accolades, the B, the A and the Pro license. In comparison, Spain had over 23,000, Italy just shy of 30,000 and Germany an incredible 34,790, again a result of decision made in their game when they spotted problems back in 2000.

Around the same time, the Guardian also revealed that in England, there was just one coach qualified to such a level for every 812 players that were playing football in this country. In comparison, Greece had one for every 135, Germany for every 150, France for every 96, Italy for every 48 and topping the ratio list; you guessed it. Spain had one coach per every 17 players playing the game in their country.

If the German model is anything to go by, we are not quite there yet with how far our FA can take such plans. But the plans are underway none-theless. We should also remember that two years after Germany launched their new academy system, the national team failed again at an International tournament exiting at the Group stage. So just under a year since St George Park laid down the white lines and hung up the nets, we certainly shouldn’t be expecting huge, noticeable strides just yet.

However with a bit of patience from the fans and the unforgiving media who will bring someone down twice as fast as they build them up, who knows what the future holds. If you see a problem and do nothing about it, obviously you deserve to have your critics.

But for those involved now who are acting on it, let us give them a chance else the players of tomorrow will have no one to represent and fight for.

Luke Williamson

@LukeWilliamson

THE FUTURE Unfortunately, the patience that is given to our national team by fans up and down the land is pretty much that of the patience we give to our club sides. We appear to want instant success without much care for the finer details as to why it is not happening. At club level we want signings; ambitious ones at that. Whilst at international level we want success yesterday without

AUG ‘13

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 11

DEANO One of the first things Notts County manager Chris Kiwomya did once the players returned for pre-season training was to make defender Dean Leacock the club’s new captain, following the anticipated departure of Neal Bishop. Paul Smith caught up with Leacock following his appointment to discuss the armband, underachieving last season, and his thoughts on the upcoming campaign.

Dean, first of all congratulations on being named as our new captain. How does it make you feel?

Thanks, I am very, very proud. With Notts County being the longest serving club it is a real honour and I am privileged to do it. I just hope I can do it justice for the gaffer.

Having taken the role for a brief spell at the end of last season, did you come back expecting that it could be yours on a permanent basis?

I knew it was possible. The gaffer had given it to me at the end of last season but said there were a few candidates and he was contemplating who to give it to. Then on the first day we were back in for pre-season he said that he wanted me to do it, and now I just want to do it justice. Iif I do everybody will be happy.

Have you ever been the captain of a side before, at any level?

I have been captain for a couple of games here and there for clubs but never for a long period and never after officially being given it at the start of the season like this. It has been on occasion if the club gets one or two injuries and it gets passed around a bit.

I really enjoyed the experience of being the captain of Notts County at the end of last season and I am looking forward to having it on a permanent basis.

And you have received plenty of messages of support on Twitter from fans who by and large appear happy that you will be our next leader. How does that make you feel?

I have had nothing but love from the fans since I came to the club. They have been brilliant towards me on Twitter and things like that. I will still try to be the same as I was last season being captain won’t change me. It is a bit more responsibility especially with the youngsters coming through because the club has said there will be a few younger players now. But like I said the fans have been brilliant towards me and hopefully that will continue.

And since being given the captaincy have the lads had much to say? Anyone calling you ‘skipper’ yet?

Yes there has been a bit of banter flying around and I have had a few of the lads calling me ‘skip’. I think Jamal (CampbellRyce) thought he was going to be captain this season! But he is cool with it really. There has been some good banter around and a few of the ‘skip’ shouts and things like that but it is all part of it.

What type of captain do you think you will be?

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 12

ISSUE #6

I am not really a ranter and raver, I’m usually quite chilled but if things do need to be said I haven’t got a problem speaking my mind and telling people about themselves. I think last season we were quite a quiet group and didn’t really bollock each other or have a little go at each other.

Nearer the end of the season players started to take a bit more responsibility and we were digging players out more if it was needed. You need to be digging players out if they are not doing their jobs right. I have never been a ranter or raver running around the changing room screaming and shouting but sometimes that needs to be done and I will have no problems doing it if it’s needed.

And of course you inherit the armband from Neal Bishop after his contract was mutually terminated with the club. He has given you a somewhat unique response on Twitter…

or five months and take it from there. Nearer Christmas time we will see what is there.

What about last season as a whole - do you agree that the squad underachieved?

We definitely underachieved. With the players and the squad that we had last season we massively underachieved. The first few months we were going really well. We had a bit of a wobble and then with the sacking of Keith Curle I don’t think it helps things but that is football.

I don’t think a lot of the players got over the sacking of Keith Curle. He was a good friend to everyone and you could see that him leaving hurt a few players, but the chairman has got to do what he thinks is right and we have to move on with him. This season is a big season for quite a few of the players. Some will be out of contract and it is a massive year for certain players. This is a big club that should be playing higher and the Championship would be a good level for the club to be playing at and I don’t see any reason why we can’t get there.

I love the guy! I have got nothing but respect for the guy.

At the end of last season when I was captain (with Bishop out of the team) I have nothing but praise for how he was.

He was a top, top guy. He came on during a game when I was captain but told me to keep hold of the armband which was nice. We had a lot of banter while he was at the club Can you understand though why the fans are feeling and I have got nothing but praise for him and only wish him more pessimistic at this stage of pre-season compared to how we felt going into the last campaign? the best.

Sometimes fans who follow you both on Twitter wonder if there is anything more serious to you ‘banter’…

No, it is just complete banter. I get on really well with Bish!

Going back to when you first signed, who sold the club to you and what made you join Notts?

I went and met Keith Curle in Sheffield - I don’t think he wanted to drive anywhere as he lives in Sheffield so I had to drive all the way up there! Keith told me about the club and what he wanted. He came across as a really genuine guy.

After I signed and then played for him I realised what a top, top man he was. I have a lot of respect for Keith. He gave me an opportunity again.

My career was going a little bit out of the window with me leaving Derby and then going to Leyton Orient. I had some good times at Orient but it was difficult for me as my head wasn’t really in football as much as it probably should have been. Russell Slade gave me a chance down there and was a real nice guy. Then Keith gave me a chance here and I haven’t looked back and I think I have started to play with a smile on my face again.

So no regrets with joining Notts, then?

I suppose so with how we finished towards the end of last season, we weren’t brilliant. But I think Chris Kiwomya came in and did really well with it being his first management job and the fans have got to give him time. He wants to bring his own players in and you have got to give him time to do what he has got to do. With bringing younger players through and new signings the fans have to be patient. It is going to be different this year.

It might be that the fans have to wait a bit longer for nearer the start of the season for some of the new signings to come in so everyone has to be patient. This year seems like it could be one of those seasons with the new clubs coming into the division where anything can happen. I had it with Derby with a situation where people thought we might be in a relegation battle but we got promoted that year so I am optimistic about what can happen.

In this league we know what is out there and there is nothing to be frightened of. With some of the players we have got in this team I don’t see why we can’t be pushing for the top eight and if we are up there come the end of the season we are in with a fighting chance.

From what you have seen of Chris Kiwomya, does he have the credentials to take us up?

I think Chris is a very enthusiastic manager who loves football and that bodes well for a young manager coming into his first job. If he can do well at Notts County that is a breakthrough for him. Whether it is at Notts or in a higher league he has the credentials to do well. He loves the game.

He is the first at the training ground and the last to leave at You are now though entering the final year of your about 6pm every night. I get on well with him and hopefully contract. Given what you have seen with the likes of will work with him for a few more seasons.

Alan Judge and Jeff Hughes leaving at the end of their deals, and people like Alan Sheehan coming back to How about your own form for Notts? Despite how well training without a contract, when do you as a player Gary Liddle played last season you could maybe be forgiven for being a bit disappointed not to get one of start thinking about wanting a new deal? the end-of-season awards from him?

It is something in the back of your mind. I have a year left with the club and I think if the club want to do something I was very happy with my last season. Usually I pick up with you they start thinking about it from about now (pre- injuries so on a personal level I was happy to play 44 games season) up to Christmas, once they know what players they and I haven’t been able to do that for four or five years. I think my performances were very steady and there weren’t are bringing in. any big dips and that is one thing I have tried to work on If I want to stay I will speak to my agent over the next four massively. I am looking forward to this season now and None at all. There is a cracking bunch of lads down here - I couldn’t have met a bunch of nicer guys to make you feel welcome. I only live around the corner in Derby so it is just a 30-minute drive in everyday so it is perfect for me.

AUG ‘13

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 13

hopefully I will kick on and be even better.

You scored just once last season, so is that an area you are looking to improve?

That would be nice. I scored one in training (on the day of this interview) and that may be training but they all count in my eyes! The gaffer said to me he’d like me to get a few more goals and I definitely want to do that. It was a great feeling when I got one last season. I think four or five goals for the season is the aim and if I can do that it is another tick for me.

Of course getting into the team, at centre-back in particular, looks a difficult task at Notts with the likes of Gary Liddle, Manny Smith, Haydn Hollis and maybe Kristian Pearce for company…

That’s right. Lidds (Liddle) has come out and said that he prefers playing centre-half but I am not sure what the gaffer’s take on that is yet. He had a great season last year and deserved all of his (Player Of The Year) awards.

He is my room-mate and to play like he did having been a midfielder he deserved every award he got. Hopefully the gaffer will go down that route with me and Lidds again. We get on well and understand each other. But there is a lot of competition with Haydn, Pearce and Manny so we can keep improving each other’s games and help each other out.

And you will be helped no doubt with the new coaching staff that Chris has brought in with Mick Jones and Andy Watson. What have you made of them so far?

All have come with different perspectives and with their own different views about the game and the way it is played and that helps everyone. They have all been around the game for a few years and with that experience it will help

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 14

everyone, especially with the younger players. The older players are still learning as well, and I am no different.

What of the younger players then. Which of them do you see having the ability to make an impact on the first team this season?

I think Greg (Tempest) has got a really good chance. I like him, he works hard in training and has a good attitude so I think he has a really good chance. It is really down to them - most of them have got a lot of ability but it is about doing it week in, week out. No disrespect, but they have been training with boys and now they are playing against big men so it is different for them. But they have a lot of potential, lads like Haydn, Tyrell (Waite) and Curtis (Thompson).

Malcolm (Melvin) looks good as well. There is talent there, but it is about doing it week in, week out with bigger, better players. That will be the test for them after getting a preseason under their belt with the first team for the first time.

If I can help them in anyway then I would like to. There is a lot of talent there so it is about stepping up now.

And the last word, any hope of getting #letsdothisshit trending this season!?

I don’t know if I can keep on using the ‘s’ word! My wife told me about using that! I like doing it, and when the fans ‘retweet’ it. I might throw one or two newer ones in but I like that one so I will try to keep it going! something a little different with the design of the interview pages - let’s see how this one looks! The first interview we have this season will be with Dean Leacock, already confirmed with Ralph, we just need to chase it up when the players return for preseason training.

Paul Smith

@psmithyjourno

ISSUE #6

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

electricaloptions.co.uk

LuSam

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

NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS?

At the time of writing this article the Notts County faithful have been left in a position relatively new to them. The closed season is usually a time for speculation, misplaced football rumours, and over-analysis of the latest signing, often leading to bold statements of how poor they will be having only scored four goals as an under 21. But so far this year we have heard very little. So little in fact that we all find ourselves following Ralph’s Facebook links to weekly updates on how the grass is growing at Meadow Lane.

A quick glance at social networking sites allows us to easily see the growing agitation amongst Notts fans as a result of a lack of news regarding signings, friendlies, and plans for August, many already condemning next season as a failure. Perhaps this negativity wouldn’t be so strong would it have been for other teams in our league beginning to strengthen their sides such as Colchester signing FA Youth Cup winner Craig Eastmond from Arsenal and Crewe recruiting young, ambitious players such as Vadaine Oliver from non-league Lincoln City. Even our League 2 rivals Mansfield Town are putting a strong squad together in their search for back-to-back promotions.

Sadly, in addition to this, we are also left in a state of confusion about our current squad. Now we all know that the majority of the youth team have jumped at the chance for to sign their professional contracts, yet our older players seem to be playing the waiting game by biding their time and waiting for better deals.

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 16

Fair enough, why shouldn’t they? The ball, after all, is at their feet. Two players in this position are of key interest. The first, Joss Labadie. He showed great promise pre-season and some moments of class in the early part of it. After dropping out of favour and being loaned out to Torquay to find his feet, he came back and became a role model in midfield, needed now more than ever following the departure of our two Irish midfielders.

Secondly, and making up our Irish trio is Alan Sheehan. A recent hint by owner Ray Trew has given doubt as to him remaining at the club after the Summer period, yet although he prompts mixed feelings within the fans, for me, he’s a keeper. No fullback from last season impressed me so much that I would trade him for ours.

Now as a football fan, I understand the irritation of not being able to plan my week around an upcoming trip to a non-league ground somewhere out in the sticks and not being able to join in the conversations down the pub about who we’ve signed and how effective they will be next season. But this year, I don’t care. Yeah I enjoy standing behind the goal and swapping sides at half time, but I really don’t care. I am however struggling to see why other people are so surprised at the fact that we haven’t heard news about signing a brand new 11-man starting line-up.

squad before we know what the initial squad is and we can’t send an 8-man team out to play in a friendly. Friendlies at this stage would be a wasted opportunity by Chris Kiwomya who will, with no doubt, be sending his squad out to work on set aspects of the game that he feels they need to work on.

From a financial point of view however, this lack of news has potential to be counter productive. Hands up – who hasn’t renewed their season tickets yet? Would you have done so if we had signed a new striker or a ‘hero’ as Helen stated in Issue 5? Probably. In times of financial insecurity, these types of incentives are needed, even for a team’s most hardened fans. Some speculate this is the reason for our owner’s latest voyage into social media stating his expectation of immanent new strikers, but, as always, time will tell. I for one hope this speculation is founded and emerges. For Notts to be a success in this upcoming season we need to be a solid unit of trust, without over expectation.

We need to know our potential in order to back the boys when they are down, and carry on the momentum when we are up.

So for now we must play the waiting game, we must have faith that plans are being made and teams are being constructed. We must trust and support the youth coming up in our ranks and we should take time to remember Lee Hughes, We know that whilst we’re not a man signed a very short time in a situation of financial worry, before the start of the season we’re also not in a position of to remember. affluence. We’ve been told that we re-sign Karl our player budget is being cut …Unless by around 30% and we know Hawley, then forget you read that we will have to rely a lot this article. more on our younger talent Dean Fido than ever before. I’m also @dfido1 aware that we can’t modify our

ISSUE #6

NO NEWS IS NOT GOOD NEWS!

Scouring Twitter, Mad, TFF and even football-rumours.co.uk has become somewhat of a ritual amongst us Notts fans each summer, almost as soon as the final whistle goes on the final day. But tidbits from jonnyt and the inevitable bragging from the newly promoted “massive” clubs are usually punctuated with the signings to bring new hope for the upcoming campaign.

before we consider how good our options are elsewhere.

Logically, the best players get snapped up first.

Unless we’re on some Moneyball-type plan, many of the players we will have targeted will be gone by now, or at the very least will have plenty of offers on the table. I have no problem with budget cuts – I don’t want our future being mortgaged on Chris Iwelumo – but it’s undeniable that we won’t be able to compete financially with certain teams, as Jeff Hughes has shown us.

On top of that, its two weeks until the pre-season tour of Finland. The tour itself is a great idea, to promote squad togetherness and face off against good teams. But all that is down the drain if we’re introducing players during or afterwards, and I somehow doubt Chris Kiwomya is going to conclude his dealings in the next 14 days. After that, he’s in Finland for 10 days – I know we pay Rodwell for a reason, but I’m sure everyone agrees that the best way to identify and bring targets in would be a joint effort.

I’d estimate on top of one striker and those three wide players, we need full back cover and cover for the wide players – six or seven players at the very least. I have more than enough faith what we have is very good in goal and in defence, it just needs strengthening. I don’t know the average length of time it takes to tie up a deal, So why are we finding out the fixtures before but I imagine it’s a little longer than a couple of we’re finding out which players Notts have days and as I write, we’re down to just 6 weeks until the first game. retained?

If we haven’t got offers in, that’s entirely unacceptable, but knowing there’s teams willing to throw money at Steven Schumacher, we could have a battle on our hands for anyone. That’s not to say no news means we’re doing nothing, but there’s been no players reported to have snubbed the club for other teams.

Of course, this does nothing to quash rumours Notts have no money. Whilst I’ll happily defend the Trews against anyone questioning their loyalty or their contribution to the club, getting halfway through June without even knowing whether Joss Labadie will be at the Lane come August is hardly going to appease the naysayers. I’m all for the new direction the club are going in, and it’s probably wisest given the new financial rules introduced into the Football League; budget cuts are all well and good, but losing three assumed top earners in Judge, Sheehan and Bishop must have left plenty to spend. Nothing yet though.

At least in the past we were getting names filtering through and we could discuss them; this year, Marcus Haber and Ben Gordon has pretty much been the limit, and one of those is coming off the bench behind Gerald Henderson for Michael Jordan. People love throwing rumours around and judging players off their Football Manager stats (don’t tell Stan Collymore), and The news we have had so far has been, by and this year we’re deprived. How can that be good? large, good anyway. No one wants players who don’t want to be at the club, and Judge, Bishop Clearly, the main issue with the squad is the and Sheehan clearly fall in that category. Enoch, lack of any kind of goalscoring pedigree. Zoko, bless him, I don’t know if anyone will really miss Arquin and Showumni (assuming he’s not off him and Campbell-Ryce is about as polarising gallivanting around Bangkok with Campbell- as any player we’ve had. Though I like him, I Ryce) can’t be relied upon for goals, effort or don’t think anyone really knows what’s going on quality on a weekly basis. Waite, Lavelle-Moore with him or Enoch. Jeff Hughes went chasing the and Nangle show promise, to be sure, but to money (or his wife, if you read into his Fleetwood expect any of them to burst out with a 15 goal interviews) and there’s nothing we can do about season is ludicrous. Despite those 6 options, that. you’d struggle to pick a partnership that would work well together and none of them are useful There just isn’t enough of it… yet. as a lone striker. We’ve got no wide players, either, and assuming Thompson will play right Sean Mansfield back we’ve got 3 starting positions to fill even @_smansfield

AUG ‘13

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 17

THE SACK RACE

I started this piece a while back, weeks before the full time appointment of Chris Kiwomya, fully expecting the club to wait until this very Summer to make their decision on who would be leaving the club forward.

position at Premier League QPR was he? Some persist with this claim that anyone could’ve got the expensively assembled squad promoted. This in spite of not one manager (Charlie McParland, Hans Backe, Dave Kevan) not being able to produce anything like the form that had seen Notts only lose one of 17 games under Cotterill. To My intention was to make a point that employing the right downplay his impact is to court absurdity. manager was the most vital area that the club needed to focus on during the off-season. Then Kiwomya was The appointment of Craig Short in his place took everyone installed full-time. What I felt to be the biggest decision by surprise. Whilst RT took to the Mad boards like he used to be made was made (in my opinion) prematurely. We’d to with decent regularity talking up the names that had seen little to suggest CK up until that point had what it applied (Ruud Gullit!), Trew wanted to instil a “Shankley took to bring Notts forward. Admittedly, eventually given bootroom ethos” in installing a club legend who had been the courage of his convictions, there were at least some part of the club’s dual Play-Off winning squad. Things weren’t all that good under Shorty – yet his Sunday positives to be reaped by the season’s end. afternoon sacking still came completely out of the blue.

The position of manager is one which has brought the club Starting the season with two resounding 3-0 defeats was a mixed bag of results so far under the Trew regime – the start no one saw coming after a positive pre-season with the exception Steve Cotterill and Craig Short (who in terms of results and what appeared (AT THE TIME!!) to simply wasn’t given the time) each appointment that has be some quality acquisitions. The highlight (and in some been made has brought a degree of success and failure on ways the low) was a 3-2 away win at the undefeated, free-scoring Peterborough United. The end of the game differing levels. was marred by a post-match scuffle in front of the two The Trew’s appointments haven’t been all too disastrous, dugouts. Short stood defiant amongst a melee of playing but let’s be honest here – too many have ended under a and coaching staff. The picture you see on this page would cloud. The bar was raised pretty high the moment Cotterill sum up the lack of discipline which had already seen too dragged our team all the way to League Two glory. His many players sent off already in the campaign. appointment on the day RT told the world that he wouldn’t be putting the club into administration was decent on Upon his sacking, the official line was that this was a some levels. Firmly mid-table, the club’s eyes at the stage results-based decision. Off the record (in other words, on were pointed firmly on the play-offs and nothing more - Mad) the Chairman said there was more to it than that. We kicking things off with a 5-0 home win was the clichéd would never find out what though – as would be the case a bit further down the line with a future dismissal. Previously dream start. And it rarely slowed down from that point. a front-runner for the job back in the Summer, it would He walked away from Meadow Lane once the season only be a matter of days before Paul Ince would come in. ended having never even once given any indication he’d His legacy before the inevitable sacking would be one of be sticking around. He cited both wanting to be closer to the club’s greatest FA Cup runs in living memory. Truth be home (from a future F*rest manager) and budget-related told (yet often ignored) Ince’s League One challenge would disagreements (a budget that would cripple us with the be derailed because of the club’s transfer dealings in the financial demands of Burgess, Chilvers, Harley, Spicer et January window – or lack thereof. al for two years). Cotterill’s named popped up amongst supporters at the end of last season in spite of such a Up until the departure of Ben Davies to Derby, and the questionable departure. If there’s one thing Steve brought returns to their parent clubs of Lee Miller and his ‘ickle to the Munto Allstars it was discipline, something which boy Thomas, Ince Snr wasn’t doing all that badly. Their last year’s team was quite clearly crying out for. Back in departures were the catalyst for the club’s record batting the real world, he was never going to jump ship from his collapse – nine straight league defeats from mid-March I started this piece a good while back, a couple of weeks before the full time appointment of Chris Kiwomya in fact.

I’d fully expected the club to wait until this Summer to make their decision on who would be leading the club forward.

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 18

ISSUE #6

onwards. He only helmed five of those, thankfully. But it’s sadly enough to overshadow some truly great FA Cup memories that season. Home wins against Gateshead (his first in charge of the club) and Bournemouth set up an away day up North at Premier League Sunderland – sixth in the top flight when the fixture came about. Notts won 2-1 thanks to goals from Craig Westcarr and Lee Hughes.

A Darren Bent penalty ensured in typical County fashion that it wasn’t the easiest last few minutes but this was a great day out.

hotel room in Bournemouth, changing room fisticuffs in Hartlepool, and of sending club stalwart Mike Edwards to train with the youth team – such was his supposed paranoia about those perceived to pose a threat to him.

Just ask axed youth team coach of the time, Michael Johnson. But the Dog’s popularity meant him receiving his P45 hit supporters hard. It wasn’t helped by the swift appointment of Keith Curle, a manager’s who record until this point screamed failure.

His impact was felt immediately though winning five of his first six games. With only a handful of games lost, he masterminded (amongst other fine results) a 4-2 victory away at the eventual League One winners Charlton Athletic, and ensured that the club went down swinging before ultimately falling short in the play-off chase on the final day. He would also be the manager responsible for the club’s record run of 22 unbeaten games away from home in the league. In all reality it was that run which ensured he remained in the managers seat for as long as he did. Defeat at Leyton Orient saw the run surrendered with a whimper. A loss at Hartlepool a week later and he was gone – déjà vu to a year previous, this was where A 2-0 home defeat to Oldham back in the league was the Martin Allen met his Notts end. final straw who acted quickly to get rid. With another home game on the horizon at home to Rochdale the decision was Chris Kiwomya, the development coach was given the made to draft in the club’s chief scout of the time, Carl reigns for the rest of the season whilst play-off qualification Heggs. Heggseh spoke of a need to bring back the belief was still a vague possibility - things only got a worse in the players, to talk them up and feel confident again. though and despite a brief unbeaten run of seven games, It was all a bit Ian Holloway but it did make sense. Two an unforgettably limp home to defeat to Preston saw any defeats later, it felt as if Heggs couldn’t rid his hands quick promotion dreams put to an end. Curle’s sacking felt like enough of the mess he’d lumped with. In his own words something that had to happen. Performances were on the – someone wanted shooting for some of the signings down for too long, yet rather than inspire the players, that had been made. The second of those losses was a some of the star performers regressed and sulked their miserable Saturday afternoon at Dagenham & Redbridge. way towards the end of the season after Curle’s exit. A By the next day, Martin Allen – Mad Dog – was brought in total backfire in every sense. having only been made Barnet manager just seven games And so here we are, with Chris Kiwomya. Upon his previously! appointment, the club made it’s statement of intent He would run the show for another two defeats (if you’re declaring the club would be relying more on it’s youth keeping score, that’s nine) before finding his first win, ranks going forward. It suggested that the club would a 1-0 victory away at Tranmere Rovers. He would steer be tightening the purse strings having spent recklessly the club away from relegation thanks to a final day draw (though within it’s means) for far too long. But it took at home to League One winners Brighton. A season that some time for him to get going - I can’t forget rolling up many had predicted big things for had needed to be at Stevenage for the first game of his tenure excited to salvaged by a lunatic of a manager on the very last day. see a fresh approach, only to see the same Curle tactics Any momentum that Short, Ince, Heggs or Allen himself employed and failing ever miserably. could’ve possibly inherited from the previous years title This was an all too familiar tail until some weeks out from winners was well and truly lost. the end of the season where we started to see the younger Allen set about building a squad for the new season with faces come into the side. Very little changed. Same tactics, a string of signings – many of which didn’t quite set the same players, same end result. Up until the Colchester larger public’s world alight. The likes of Julian Kelly, Alan game mid-April, three games from the end of the season Sheehan and Jeff Hughes were written off upon arrival – at least. Romello Nangle came from the bench to score his yet all three proved to be key acquisitions for the next first goal in senior football and suddenly that vision for the two campaigns. His boy Charlie, and Jude Stirling, less so. future became comprehendible. Slightly.

Notts’ reward? Only the richest club in the world Manchester City, at Meadow Lane. JACKPOT. The FA Cup Fourth Round was exciting enough – but we were only 10 minutes away from getting to the fifth round, and who really would we have feared beyond then? Neal Bishop’s flick header across Joe Hart is already etched into Meadow Lane folklore – the ball sliding through John Harley for Micah Richards to cross for the Edin Dzeko equaliser, less so. We’d lose the replay at the Etihad 5-0 and our season would spiral out of control, Manchester City would win the Cup, and next year the Premier League.

Mad Dog’s Notts started the season on fire and were pushing for a chance at automatic promotion over the first few months. But his reign at Notts is remembered for the off-field changes just as much as what happened on the field. It was he who insisted on the players making more visits out and about in the community (a league table was put together – Lee Hughes was the man with the most appearances). He also brought many supporters closer to the club with his unique approach – small touches such as the players applauding the fans after the end of their warmups did much particularly on away days. Sadly, the moment he was gone, so was this show of appreciation.

Behind the scenes things were far from rosy. Similarly to Short, the reasons for the dismissal were kept under wraps – but the rumour mill was alive with talk of a destroyed

AUG ‘13

CK, more so than even Keith Curle before him has a lot of work to do if he’s to win the Meadow Lane crowds over.

Certainly in the Col U game there were hints of impatience in the home crowd despite the injection of fragile youth.

Much as I don’t wish to blurt out a cliché like “Rome wasn’t build in a day”, things won’t radically improve overnight – this pre-season, patience will be key. This will at times be such an uphill slog, one I can’t be sure the supporters are prepared to accept. But what choice do we have?

The fans can get behind the side all they want, however it’s the board who’s patience will prove most key this year.

Stuart Brothers

@BlackWhiteZine

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 19

BEN DAVIES

photo used with permission of Notts County FC, courtesy of jmsphotography.co.uk Neal Bishop’s summer exit from Notts County not only brought to an end a stellar four-year Magpies career for the aforementioned midfielder, but it also signalled the closing chapter on that memorable 2009/10 season when the Meadow Lane men - eventually - romped to the League Two title.

Bishop, for two seasons the club's permanent captain, was the last remaining player from the side who under first Ian McParland, and subsequently Hans Backe, Dave Kevan and Steve Cotterill - with a bit of Sven Goran Eriksson thrown in - claimed the championship against a remarkable back story.

All Magpies fans know how that bit goes, with the shock takeover by mystery 'billionaires' under the guise of Munto Finance, leading to several stellar signings with the likes of Lee Hughes, Kasper Schmeichel and Sol Campbell joining the club, and a quest to reach the Champions League with Sven at the helm.

of his former team-mate Bishop. Speaking exclusively to Black and White about his time at Notts, Davies admitted his sadness at the break up of that side.

"It was a very special side that year," said the 32-yearold. "If everything that had been promised did go on to happen you never know where we might have ended up.

"It was a special group and it has been dismantled with 'Bish' the last one to go - it's a shame.

"But they are memories we will have for the rest of our lives and hopefully the fans will have those same memories that myself and the team gave them. It was Of course it all unravelled. The money was never there, a brilliant season." the club faced administration before being saved by Ray and Aileen Trew and finally, under Cotterill, stormed to And it was midfielder Davies who started it all, scoring the opening goal of the season with a header the top of the league to earn first place. in the memorable 5-0 first-day victory over supposed It is a campaign that will never be forgotten, and for that promotion rivals Bradford City at a packed and bouncing reason it is somewhat upsetting that the last remaining Meadow Lane. link to it on the playing side, in the form of Bishop, has now gone. An era has ended, and that is something that "It was nice to score in the first game, and we played really well," he recalls. "We went on to win 5-0 and had isn't lost on ex-Magpies midfielder Ben Davies. a good start to the season. We knew deep down with the Now at Derby County, Davies was actually one of the players that had been signed that if we did everything first of that side to leave the club, departing in January right we had a really good chance of getting promotion. of the very next season after which he had played under "When I signed I think the lads had been back into pretwo more managers in Craig Short and Paul Ince. season for three or four days. I'd had a couple of offers But he maintains that the title-winning squad was broken from other clubs in higher leagues but I came to Notts up too quickly, and realises the significance of the exit with my agent and sat down with (then chairman) Peter

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 20

ISSUE #6

Trembling and he told me about the plans for the club was he who claimed the Supporters' Player of the Season and I just thought 'this club is going places' and I signed. award.

"At the time the deal (with Munto) wasn't confirmed but "Playing for Notts County was absolutely brilliant and one of the highlights of my career," he said. he said that the club would be going places.

"I think we played a pre-season friendly at Arnold Town "There was a brilliant set of lads and I loved going into and we were told by Ian McParland after the game that training every day and then putting that out onto the Sven was being appointed and it all took off from there. pitch on a Saturday.

"We had players like Sol Campbell and Kasper Schmeichel "We ended up walking the league and it was a bit of a unique thing in that we had a good team but a brilliant - it all seemed to be going so well. team spirit as well.

"We didn't hear a great deal about off-the-pitch stuff until around December when we heard rumours about "Getting the trophy from the supporters was absolutely administration and there was talk of not getting paid - brilliant - it is the biggest accolade you can get at a club and that was the highlight of my time at Notts." though we always did get paid.

Davies' goals often proved crucial, with winners in 1-0 wins under Cotterill against the likes of Northampton, Shrewsbury and Chesterfield, to go with trademark freekicks such as the one in the FA Cup against Premier League Wigan, and in front of the Sky Sports cameras Ah Sol Campbell! Former England international pilloried against Torquay United (both 2-2 Meadow Lane draws). for departing so soon into his 'great challenge' of taking Notts to the Premier League. Ridiculed for walking out, But it is one less well remembered that he reveals may have been more crucial than any. but in the end proved quite right.

"Slowly things started to happen, stuff like at the start we were flying to games, getting the best treatment, and that suddenly stopped, and Sol had left saying things were not quite right."

"Sol was a really good lad," continues Davies. "He fitted in straight away with all the lads and got fit and played against Morecambe which we lost 2-1, (Davies grabbing Notts' consolation) and after that game he picked up an injury in training then he just left.

"I scored a free-kick in the last minute at Aldershot and we had heard before that how important it was that we started getting some points because we had been on a bit of a slump and we were told if we didn't pick up the club might go into administration," he said.

Davies left following a 0-0 draw at Southampton, now of the Premier League, in Notts' first season back in League One. There were rumours that he may have returned on loan last term following a spell out of the Derby County side. And having thoroughly enjoyed his time in Notts It was the season of many managerial changes, with colours, it is something he hasn't ruled out in the future.

Davies insisting he enjoyed working with each of his bosses, praising the coaching abilities of McParland in "I came back from the summer and Craig Short was manager and the first thing he said was that he didn't particular, and Cotterill's motivational skills. want to let anyone go," concludes Davies.

And Sven left his mark too.

"I think Derby had been in touch with the club and Notts "Sven was absolutely brilliant with the lads," said the turned them away but they came back in for me in former Shrewsbury ace. "You won't hear anyone from January and made a bit that was accepted. that team have anything bad to say about him. Even when things were starting to go wrong and he wasn't "I knew Derby were after me for a while and I had getting paid, or if it was freezing cold or snowing, he always wanted to play in the Championship. I felt at the would still be there on the training ground and for all the age I was that it was a good time to have a crack at the Championship. team meetings.

"We were sad to see him go. Then when Ian McParland left the lads just started thinking 'here we go'. The lads loved playing for him but once Sven was appointed it was quite clear that he wanted his own man in charge."

“To have someone who has done what he has in the "About October or November last season at Derby I was out of the team and a couple of clubs made offers for me game doing that was unbelievable really. on loan, but I didn't want to go. I didn't hear anything "After winning the league I wish we could have kept the about Notts County though, as far as I knew it was two team together but we knew that wasn't going to be the Championship clubs. case. You have to take your hat off to Ray Trew, and even Peter Trembling who I know came out of it as a "But you never say never. We still live in the area and the bit of a villain but when it was going wrong he put in a family are settled in the East Midlands now. lot of his own money to keep the club afloat, and so did "Notts was one of the best times of my career and I really Derek Pavis." enjoyed it so we will see what happens in the future."

Davies had a stellar individual campaign, scoring 16 times and creating goal after goal for the likes of Lee Hughes, Luke Rodgers and Craig Westcarr.

Paul Smith

Despite the brilliance of so many players that term, it

AUG ‘13

@psmithyjourno

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 21

TO SACK OR NOT TO SACK?

In the past the status of Football Club Manager could have meant long term employment. For example Fred Everiss managed West Bromich Albion from 1902 to 1948. Sam Allen began managing in the same year as Everiss, at Swindon Town, lasting 31 years and Syd King began a 30 year tenure of West Ham. More recently only a few have had that stability afforded to them. Dario Gradi was in charge of Crewe for 24 seasons, Sir Alex Ferguson went a further 3 years at Manchester United. Even Arsene Wenger has chalked up 17 years or so at Arsenal, even though he likened it to living on a volcano – every day could be your last.

However these have been the exceptions to the rule and club management is now more likely seen as a poisoned chalice with most managers only having what could be described as short term stays compared to those aforementioned. An incredible 59 clubs changed their management during the 2012-2013 season, if you include the end of year Premier League merry-go-round.

Back home, at County, we are on our 16th fulltime chief since the turn of the century, and that doesn't include temporary caretaker roles. Out of those, only 3 changes have taken place during the summer break, so around 81% of sackings and appointments have taken place during a campaign.

What do we and other clubs have to gain form these timed changes? Is it proven to turn a club around?

In society, in general, we want everything now and if supporters are braying for blood it takes a strong chairman to resist change. Therefore it must enter an owner's mind regularly. The dilemma – to sack or not to sack.

There are contrasting views on whether taking on a new manager leads to an improved team performance. Of nine clubs reported to be studied from six countries, five – all from England and Spain – stated replacing the manger does improve on field performances. On the contrary for clubs, from Belgium, Netherlands, Italy and Germany found hiring a new boss did not improve team results.

(Markham 2012) Much other research has been done. Chris Hope came up with a points rate,which if fallen below over a six game period, becomes a managerial “trapdoor”. Following that Danish journalists writing for Tipsbladet in 2009 reported a “shock effect” where a new manager gains a swift uplift of the players work rate and performances, leading to an upturn of results.

This quick shock effect is then heralded by the “honeymoon period” (Hope 2003). Players not knowing if they are in the new gaffer's plans and play to impress. The credit crunch also gives players extra impetus to get a new contract from the new man in charge. Maybe they even feel slightly responsible for the results that got the ex-manager fired. All

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 22

these are contributing factors to this period.

Sue Bridgwater (2009) looked at the impact of these phases at a Premier League club. She found that the height of the honeymoon period is reached between 7-12 games after the new appointment.

However by the 18th game the points rate had levelled and in some cases fell behind that of the previous managers average.

So with this in mind if a chairman wanted to wield the axe in an attempt to stave of relegation or take that final risk to push on to a play-off place then the time intervals would suggest that between the last 10 days of February to the first 10 days of March would be the optimum time for a new appointment to get the most out of the “honeymoon period”. Out of the 59 changes discussed earlier only 3 fell in this advantageous window. A missed opportunity?

If we relate this to Notts sackings an interesting correlation takes place. Of the changes, since the year 2000, made in manager, nearest to this prime time phase, an eye-opening list is revealed: Steve Cotterill, Martin Allen, Keith Curle and Chris Kiwomya. All were employed between February and early April (Allen being the latest change in a season).

Cotterill went on to win the League; Keith Curle missed out on a play-of place by goal difference after an incredible run and Martin Allen saved us from relegation.

Chris Kiwomya, however, took a little longer to get into his stride, only by the end of the season had the run of results really improved, but it could be argued that there were maybe more underlying issues with playing staff that took him longer to sort or turn around.

Has Ray Trew done his research on the “honeymoon period”? Was it luck? Do we just never want to lose to Hartlepool away again? Whatever the answer is, these changes, at that time of the year, made a massive impact on the season and if he wanted to, who could blame him for doing it again, at the same time, in another season?

I'm sure it's not on his mind and personally I hope we can get through a full season with the same man in charge.

But whatever happens – be it this season or the next two or three – the time will come, as it does to most football club chairman, when that fateful question will arise again. To sack or not to sack?

Stephen Moore

@9_Moore

ISSUE #6

A NEW SEASON BECKONS

The final, final whistle on the 2012/13 season was blown ten minutes ago and I’m sat in the Vat & Fiddle with my old man. Desperate not to pick over the bones of another nothing performance in a complete nothing of a season, I take great interest in the latest trials and tribulations of Wolves. A 2-1 defeat for them at the hands of Burnley has left them staring relegation in the face. This can only be a good thing as it gives me a cracking away game right on my doorstop.

And I guess this is one of the best things about football. It’s repetitive nature and structure can get you through the bad times - “there’s always next Saturday isn’t there?” - and nearly always leaves you wanting more.

Anyway, the lull between the last game of the season and the publication of the next season’s fixture list always gives you a good seven or so weeks to forget about the dross of the previous season and to dream of next season’s triumphs.

The Dreaming Phase Now this is possibly my favourite part of the football calendar. The hope, the expectation, the imaginings, who are we going to sign and best of all who we are going to play and when.

One quiet afternoon at work, I write up a list of who our opponents are going to be and split them into some categories: 1) Grounds that are local (easy to get sign off from the Mrs) 2) Grounds I’ve been to but don’t want to go to again 3) Grounds I’ve not been to but don’t want to go to (for logistical reasons as much as anything) 4) Grounds I’ve not been but want to go to Now, Category 4 is my favourite group and one to really get my juices flowing as it is the prospect of away games that I look forward to most.

The away match experience is the best

AUG ‘13

ground.

Funnily enough though, I don’t remember the Football League celebrating our 150th anniversary so enthusiastically. Within a couple of days, the game itself was moved to accommodate Sky Sports much to the chagrin of many Notts fans (a story for One of my favourite away games in another time). recent times was Accrington away.

Aside from watching Luke Rodgers get Anyway, the big day came around and caught offside numerous times, the with smartphone in hand, I pulled highlight of the trip was finding a down up the fixtures. By and large it is a at heel boozer called The Old Grey decent looking list although it is a bit Horse which was knocking out pints of disappointing to see that we are away Thwaites Wainwright for £1.99. The on the opening day, closing day and 3-0 win that day was just the icing on Boxing Day. The list also highlighted the number of bigger and more local the cake. clubs in League One this year which Anyway, the games I am most looking should be good for our gate receipts out for are those at grounds I haven’t and lead to a better atmosphere at been to yet but want to go to. This games too. target list stands at Peterborough, Bristol City, Gillingham, Rotherham, Anyway, back to my “target list”. How Swindon, Tranmere, Preston and many of those games will I actually get to? Peterborough - Yep, although Bradford. it is the father in laws 70th that day All I need to do now is count the days so in reality thats 50/50; Bristol City Yep; Gillingham - no as it is a Tuesday; until the fixtures are published!

Rotherham - Yep; Swindon - No, as it has already been moved to a Friday Fixture Day night; Tranmere - Yes; Preston - Yes; This year’s eagerly awaited fixture Bradford - No, as it also a midweek release day was the 19th June with game. the fixtures to be released at 9am on So, out of my target list of 8 games, that day.

4/5 are goers which isn’t too bad.

However, the Football League sprung Certainly, if CK scores that sort of a surprise on Notts this year by percentage when it comes to signing announcing the previous afternoon players, I’ll be happy! that we would kick the season off away at Sheffield United. The game was See you on our travels! announced early as it forms part of the Football League’s 125th anniversary celebration with the oldest Football @gfarquharson League club playing at the oldest part of following football for me and funnily enough, the match itself is the least important of it. I enjoy traveling to different places, finding a decent pub, tucking into some local ales before going along to watch the match.

Graham Farquharson

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 23

PRE-SEASON: IT AIN’T ALL THAT!

We need to talk about pre-season friendlies. I like standing in a small field, pint-in-hand, drunkenly pawing at Twitter to try and find out what our Argentinian trialist's record is like in the Romanian second division as much as the next man but, seriously now, they are about as accurate a barometer of anything as licking your finger and sticking it up in the air to measure the wind.

Of course, Notts have somewhat ruined the traditional pre-season festivities this year, choosing to hide themselves away somewhere in the Arctic circle, haunted by omnipresent daylight and matchballs arriving by parachute. Once upon a time this would've offered a form of reclusion, away from the prying eyes and messageboard hysteria, with those of us back home having to decide how happy we are with nothing but the results from matches against teams with silly names from divisions we didn't even know existed. The internet moves everything on, however, and we can now keep up by logging on, finding a pixelated stream from an Icelandic website and watching the game in a giddy whirlwind of Scandinavian commentary and dubious legality.

After one of the most pointless, at least from a viewers' perspective, football matches of all time against Steaua Bucharest at St George's Park – which was essentially a preseason fitness exercise for Notts as they chased the ball around as it was effortlessly stroked about by a Champions League standard side, one of my fellow fanzine contributors, whose identity I must protect (although it is an anagram of denser wind), had the following to say. “No cutting edge up front, eh? Surprise surprise”. Whilst I will concede that he did have his tongue somewhat in his cheek, there are plenty of Notts fans who seem to actually believe that the poor showing of a raw Romello Nangle and non-league trialist Matthew Barnes-Homer against the champions of Romania is enough evidence to suggest that Notts will once again struggle with the elusive art of kicking the ball at the goal.

Having watched the Steaua game myself, I closed my barely legal feed with a feeling of emptiness – I knew that i'd just watched a football match that had less overall significance than the Johnstone's Paint Trophy match i'd just played on Football Manager. We had a little bit more fitness, had learned the basic rules of football again and that was it.

a game against the optimstically named Kemi Kings, a team notable for having a club badge featuring Finland's most confused looking fish. A solid 3-1 win, followed by a 4-1 triumph over Tervarit Oulo, brought out the pre-season Nostradamuses on the other end of the scale, predicting a year of triumph after victories over two sides who deemed playing little old Notts a big enough honour to have the matchball arrive from the sky.

Whilst the latter match was worth a watch purely for an outrageous goal from Romello Nangle, they still tell us very little – half-paced outings against sides who are likely to be of a similar standard to those in the higher elechons of the English non-league system. Even the short videos on Magpie Player, comprising a mixture of bland interviews and bizarre shots of Haydn Hollis solemnly walking along a Finnish beach as if he was Hugh Grant, were taken as a sign that everything is just great on NCM. Defeats, however, would likely have been deemed some sort of cataclysmic disaster – as they were when Martin Allen's Notts were soundly beaten by Corby Town and Hinckley United before starting the season in inspired form. In fact, Notts' preseasons almost seem to be in direct contrast to the manner in which they start the season – Craig Short's side looked particularly impressive in pre-season, particularly against Cardiff at Meadow Lane when the performance of Ben Burgess had some fans literally drooling over the big man's powers. As we all know, he turned out to be about as useful as a target man as a solid bronze statute of Napoleon.

It isn't just friendlies that seem to get people worked up when there is no real football on the horizon, however – the soundtrack to the summer, alongside that mind-numbingly irritating song

by The Lumineers, has been the atmosphere of malcontentedness simmering around the club as they failed to sign anyone within minutes of the final whistle against Coventry back in April. Blankly ignoring Next up in our pre-season tour was the fact that many of Notts' more

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 24

impressive recent signings – the likes of Lee Hughes and Francois Zoko – had joined with pre-season well underway, people began to suggest that Notts' failure to land their 'marquee striker' (a phrase that is becoming so overused on NCM that it may well one day transcend its utter meaninglessness) was a precursor to impending doom. Far be it from me to suggest that these predictions have the logical basis of the end of the Mayan calendar being the end of the world, but they do at least seem a little bit premature.

Looking at the rest of the division, only Rotherham United seem to have done significant business by the start of July and Steve Evans' approach to signings seems to have taken its inspiration from the Westley-at-Preston-throw-your-shitat-mediocrity-and-see-what-sticks approach.

It may well be that Notts fail to secure the targets that they desire and end up with a striker that is more Junior Mendes than Jonathan Forte, but let's at least wait until we've travelled to Bramall Lane with Enoch leading the line before we start throwing ourselves off skyscrapers. We may be terrible or we may compete, but we won't find out by trying to second-guess the meaning of games against teams from Romania, Finland, Turkey and Spain. So, enjoy Galatasaray, ogle at Drogba, laugh at Eboue, marvel at Sneijder, but if Joss Labadie fails to win the midfield battle against Brazilian international Felipe Melo then it really isn't anything to worry about. Only the visit of Ipswich Town, in Notts' final pre-season friendly, could be remotely consider a relevant test against opposition of a similar standard and similar culture to the Magpies. Maybe if we don't even compete there then the alarm bells might just start to sound, but we need to stop reacting to pre-season results, performances and days without signings with all of the subtlety of a Top Gear presenter.

It really isn't that long until we can start talking about things that actually matter.

Jacob Daniel

@NottsCountyMad

ISSUE #6

NOTTS BID TO ROCK ROKER THE RETURN OF THE ORIGINAL ‘AWAY DAYS’ That title, was the Red Rag’s week long back page theme in the build up to the top of the table clash v Sunderland on March 19th, 1988. A week earlier we had packed out the Quarry Lane end at Mansfield and earned a credible draw. During the aftermatch warm down back in the pub, thoughts turned to the clash with the Mackems. How were we going to get a dozen lads to the game?

One of the lads, Rich Crane, said he might be in front of a packed Fulwell End full of Mackems. able to get his local newsagents delivery van. I’m Now I’m not sure if it’s some North East tradition now going to digress and pay my own respects to give away fans gifts when they score, but on to Rich who is no longer with us. Rich was a my trips up there I'd seen our fans furnished troubled soul all his life, he had lived with many with darts in Middlesbrough and at this game social demons for years and they ultimately cost meat pies and cups of hot tea and coffee. Such a him his life. What ever his faults though you generous lot these Northerners! couldn't question his passion for the ‘Pies. Those of you old enough to remember the old County The game ended 1-1 and a valuable point Road stand will no doubt have heard him shout earned against the division’s best team. The "C'mon Geoffrey Pike!" even after the player had next problem was how to get back to the van in left Notts, at every home game. one piece and get the hell out of here. The first part was accomplished and we set off through So with the transport sorted and 14 lads the back streets of Sunderland. As we crawled representing NG5, 6 & 11 off we set on the in the stop start traffic we were clocked by four Saturday morning for the trip up north. The Sunderland fans who ran over to the van giving obligatory pre-match drink saw us hit the it plenty. Unknown to them there were 11 lads village of Penshaw, just south of Sunderland. in the back ready for a tear up. Once the lads Penshaw's only notable feature is the weird started piling out the back the Mackems beat a looking monument on the hill behind the village. hasty retreat. Victory was ours.

After a skinfull of local brew we headed off to Sunderland to find a decent parking spot. Roker Once back in Nottingham we spent the rest Park was situated amongst row after row of of the night re-living the day’s events and put terraced houses and the only focal point for the to bed another away day experience watching local residents.

Notts.

Having managed to slip in an extra pint on the seafront pub, we got into a packed Roker Park.

Even back in 1988, 24000 for a Division 3 game was quite impressive. Now I'd not like to put a figure on the Notts following, but I’d estimate a good 2000 ‘Pies had made the journey and were in good voice.

From memory the game was a largely uneventful affair, only interrupted by Paul Barnes equaliser

AUG ‘13

Unknown to us at the time, we would lose five of the last eight league games and blow any chance of automatic promotion. History will show that we made the play-offs, but lost out in a two-legged semi final to Walsall 2-4 on aggregate. The only real lasting memory was David Kelly's audacious flicked back heeled goal at the Meadow Lane end in the first leg.

Sean Redgate

@66seany66

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 25

GASH IN THE ATTIC

It’s said that Notts County have always been the old man’s team in Nottingham. There may or may not be some truth in that, but there was a time when those old men were young boys, and for me the pleasure of attending game’s with my dad was childhood at its best.

In those days, I lived in Newark and we would assemble at the London Road car park to be picked up by the W Gash football special at around 12.30 for the nervous journey via the Fosse Way and the A52 to Meadow Lane. Nervous, because since the Second World War County fans have never known which team would turn up, so lacking in consistency have they been.

But September 20th 1958 was ‘nervous’ for a completely different reason. It was an incredible journey that day and its main event is stored in my memory like film on a video recorder. The match itself that day was exceedingly ordinary: a stodgy 1-1 draw with Bury, a town whose name baffled me in those childhood days as we lived next to a graveyard.

It was not the match that is stored in my memory. It was the journey. As the Gash double decker neared RAF Syerston, it was open day and some Vulcan jets were flying in formation when one of them literally fell out of the sky. Dad and I were looking out of the bus windows at the time, (he being an old RAF man), and we could not believe our eyes. I swear that as the jet ploughed into the landing strip (not that faraway) we felt the earth move under the bus. All of the plane’s crew were killed and three perished at a nearby support caravan, crushed by flying debris.

All the excited talk on the bus for the rest of the journey was of the disaster we had witnessed. We were still in shock when the ref blew for the kick-off and at least the 90 minute tedium that followed restored our sense of normality.

I know that W Gash stopped sending their buses from Newark to Meadow Lane many moons ago, but in the mid-fifties up to three double deckers would make that trip. As Notts sunk down the league, that number diminished from three to two and by the time we were resident in Division Four we were travelling in single deckers. Dark blue, pale green and cream, I believe, were Gash’s theme colours in those days, and my heart always skipped a beat whenever I saw one. These were the days of ‘the bus’; upgrading to ‘coaches’ only

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 26

came after Gash’s was swallowed up by some corporate entity and the football fans’ world became bigger and infinitely poorer.

The greatest day out to Meadow Lane with Gash’s was on January 12th 1957. I have watched Notts through many of their greatest celebrations, but that was the best Saturday afternoon ever. The 195657 season had been a travesty. If you think times have been tough recently for our beloved club, you know nothing! That was a season when we were whupped 1-5 by Sheffield United, Rotherham and Fulham, all before Christmas. Throw in a 0-6 hammering at Stoke City, a 3-6 ‘bloodbath’ at Filbert Street and you can see why, come Christmas, we were adrift at the bottom of the old Division Two without a prayer and more than 60 goals in the ‘against’ column.

“Who are we playing, dad?” I asked him as we boarded the Gash bus that bleak January afternoon.

“It’s Stoke City today, son.”

“Aren’t they top of the division?”

“They are, but nemmind.” He said ‘nemmind’ a lot did my father.

But there was change in the air.

George Poyser had been shown the manager’s exit door, (well-oiled even in those days) and ex-player Frank Broome was installed as caretaker manager. The Potters and the Foxes were runaway leaders of the Second Division and we were ballast at the foot of the table so prospects were poor.

I still have the programme. We had won just three out of 25 games until then and the previous week nonleague Rhyl had dumped us out of the FA Cup. You could tell when the players trotted out that day that they were of a different mind-set. I’m sure I can actually recall Frank Broome wearing a smile, replacing the dour exterior of George Poyser, but that could be fanciful thinking. It was my first experience of the astonishing transformation that can be effected

by just changing the man at the top.

What a game! That was the point in the season that we turned the corner, humbling Stoke with a 5-0 thrashing. What a joyful ride was had on the Gash return bus. It was the scene of a mobile celebration, such as can never be experienced in the spatial limits of a motor car; fifty-odd stiff-lipped Englishmen (as we were in those days) behaving like silly little boys at a party-on-wheels.

Going home on the Gash bus was when Dad taught me how to work out a league table, with the programme spread out before us. All a key part of the on-bus experience.

With just 17 games to save their Second Division bacon when he took over, Frank Broome’s men lost only three more games that season. Six battling victories and eight draws was enough to get us above Bury and Port Vale, (only two teams went down in those days).

By a quirk of fate, the fixture computer (!) had pitted us against Florist at the City Ground for the season’s final game. We needed to win that one in order to survive.

Because Gash buses carried both sets of fans to matches from Newark, a flotilla of double deckers left the London Road car park that day with raspberries being blown through open windows at each other all the way to Nottingham.

Notts won 4-2 that day, a salient reminder that many of our greatest moments have occurred when the chips have been stacked against us. By the way, in those days, you could carry a packet of chips on the Gash buses without fear of redress and we often did. It wasn’t even a question of the driver turning a blind eye. Passengers could be trusted to behave in a civilised fashion in 1957.

All the mementoes of those halcyon Gash-guzzling days – programmes, pictures, statistics and faded copies of the Football Post – are locked away in an upstairs room now… which is more than can be said about the Gash buses that once ferried us to Meadow Lane.

Alan Combes ISSUE #6

PRE-SEASON ANTICIPATION

With the recent announcement of our glamour friendlies it’s time to look back at pre-season games down the years - here I’ll concentrate on 1975 onwards.

Up to the 81/82 season Notts would feature in pre-season tournaments - in 1975 it was the Shipp Cup ,from 19761981 it was the Anglo Scottish Cup with limited success, until the 80/81 season where we reached the twolegged final against Chesterfield. But a promotion-bound Notts side lost 2-1 in what proved to be the competition’s last ever final.

The following season due to building work, Notts played all three games away in the newly formed Group League Cup - losing all three against Lincoln City, Peterborough and Norwich a week before beating the newly crowned League Champions Aston Villa on the first day of the new league season.

With the scrapping of these preseason tournaments Notts reverted back to friendlies, mainly consisting of games against local non-league sides although they did play the County Cup as pre-season games with a 4-4 draw

AUG ‘13

against the noisy neighbours and a win In the administration years friendlies on penalties being the highlight one were hard to come by although Royal Antwerp paid us a visit in 2003.

Summer.

Since then the likes of Stoke, Cardiff, Derby, Leicester and The arrival of Neil Warnock saw Liverpool, an increase in the amount of the Coventry have paid us pre-season. friendlies being played - plus a regular Away games have been played at places appearance in the Bass Charity Vase like Newquay, Northwich, Maidenhead a tournament normally held in Burton and Hereford. with Notts actually winning it on a couple of occasions. The pre-season All these games pale into insignificance under Warnock took Notts from places when on the July 25th, 2009 the Notts like Scarborough to Waterlooville and faithful had their first glimpse of the even a game against Trade Select Munto millionaires and the Sven Goran Ericcson roadshow. We entertained our Windows - wherever that is?! nearest and dearest from across the After Neils’ departure the friendlies river and the boys didn’t disappoint continued with trips to non–league Hughesy and Luke Rodgers scored the clubs plus the occasional top flight goals in a 2-1 win. club visiting Meadow Lane although in 1996 they did play 2 games in Pre-season games are not always Northern Ireland against Glentoran everybody’s thing but these days they and Glenavon. This was about as far seem to be given the same level of as we got to continental opposition in anticipation on announcing them as those days although in 2001, County the league fixtures are whether this embarked on a tour of Scotland playing is due to the supporter wanting their matches against the European super fix of football I don’t know - but how powers that are East Fife, Stirling Albion anybody can fail to be excited by a and Partick Thistle. Having spoken to game against Gibraltar UEFA’s newest people who made this trip, a good time representatives I don’t know. was had by all!

Ian Cooksey

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 27

INTERVIEW: SAINT RAYMOND

There’s a chance you haven’t heard of Callum Burrows, or, as he is better known in musical circles, Saint Raymond, however let’s not forget that a year ago when we interviewed a certain Jake Bugg in this very publication many were unaware of him either - and, well, he hasn’t done too bad for himself.

Like Jake, Callum is a truly talented young singer-songwriter from Nottingham who is making his mark on the national music scene having gig hard across his hometown over the last few years. His recent single Fall At Your Feet has received extensive national airplay and he’s been thrilling festivals across the UK this summer.

He was also somewhat surprised by the clubs decision to remove manager Keith Curle during the season.

“I liked Curle. Okay we’d slipped a bit but it was his first real blip, seemed very strange”

He also happens to be a Notts County fan, and so we wasted So what are his thoughts on the new man in charge: Chris no time in grabbing a chat with him about his love of the Kiwomya?

Magpies.

“At first i wasn't too pleased, but I'm willing to give the guy Callum is, like most of us, a lifelong fan of the Magpies and a chance. Dumbuya seems a good signing. Ultimately I can the story of how he came to follow the Pies is one many of only judge Chris on results” us will be familiar with. “It was just a family thing for me!” he tells us when we ask him why he chose County over their So going into the new season how does he see The Pies doing this year? more illustrious neighbours across the river.

Having been born into a County supporting family Callum “I really don't know, this season is a strange one, I wouldn’t was soon making visits to Meadow Lane “I used to be taken be surprised if we managed to finish top half but then if we down as a baby!” while some of his early Notts memories end up lower down I don’t think it would really be a shock” include: While Callum will be closely following Notts on the pitch, “A fond memory was visiting Cambridge! I don't know why. I outside of football things are looking very exciting for the also used to go and take penalties at Mildenhall and Garden youngster with a real momentum behind his debut EP, released last month, has the feedback surprised the singer? as a youth!”

Like many County fans Callum has seen plenty of ups and downs following the World’s Oldest League Club, from promotions and title wins to relegations and humiliating cup defeats, however there are a few moments that stick out in the young singers mind when we ask him about his favourite matches.

“It’s been really crazy. Deep down I hoped it would do well, but to have had seven Radio 1 plays and have had it sell so well at gigs is unreal, it also seems to be gaining me a lot of new fans as well”

The national radio airplay seems to have really surprised Callum too. “It’s really surreal, I honestly didn't expect that “There have been a few; the late fightback at Mansfield this early, the support they've given is amazing, they've when Baudet and Hurst scored, the League Cup match away really helped push on and carry on the momentum” at Chelsea and, of course, THAT game at Wycombe” This month he’ll be taking to the stage in front of 20,000 He has also seen many a player don the famous Black and at Wollaton Park for this year’s Nottingham-tastic Splendour White striped shirt over his years following the club, from Festival, having played the smaller Courtyard stage this the best “Lee Hughes, an obvious choice but man that year he’ll be on the festivals second stage, something he is guy's ability!” to the very worst, “Guy Branston’s 45 minute definitely looking forward to: cameo, surely?” - and who’d argue with that choice?

“Yeah I played it last year and that was one of my favourite Talking of the famous black and white shirt, it seems that the gigs ever, so to be going on to a bigger stage and to be kit choices of the club over the years have not exactly caught playing with a band behind me is an exciting one!”

Callum’s imagination, when we ask him about his favourite Beyond that things look like being just as busy for the singer County shirt his response is hardly enthusiastic: as he looks towards a very exciting future: “We've not had that many nice ones really, maybe just the “I have a few festivals coming up and then a headline tour Sapa one!” in September followed by a few other bits. Currently i'd say With the new shirt set to be unveiled soon let’s hope that all my writing at the minute is for an album, I’m not too sure one is more to the singers liking - that’s if he has time to when that will be out but I imagine it won’t be too far away.” get down to Meadow Lane to pick one up, with festival shows piling up - including this months Splendour Festival at Notts can already count one chart topping singing sensation Wollaton Park - as well as tours, not to mention the demands above it’s ranks, if Saint Raymond’s star continues to rise at of recording and writing, does he find time to get down to the speed it has been then it could well be that we’ll soon have a second. see his favourite team?

“I usually try and get down every weekend but obviously it’s Now if only the team could top the charts (well ok table) getting harder now as I am so busy but I’ll still get down as we’d all be happy. often as I can”.

You can find out more about Saint Raymond by visiting his With a new season fast approaching we spoke to Callum Facebook page, or by grabbing him on Twitter @Callum_SR. about last season and, like many a fan, he was left somewhat perplexed by how a strong start went so off the boil.

“It was a strange season, we were firing early doors.”

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 28

Darren Patterson

@NottinghamLive

ISSUE #6

A NEW SEASON BECKONS II

2013/14 FIXTURES

As soon as the final whistle of the football season is blown, and the initial ecstasy/relief/disappointment dies down, there’s one thing to perk up interest once more. Fixture release day. Yes, I know we play everyone twice, and it doesn’t really matter, but it does, oh it really does. Here’s a run through of Notts’ upcoming programme.

Kicking off August, Bramall Lane oh yes. This is a club who once had February can be described in one as the opening fixture of the English SIMEON JACKSON playing for them. word, whether talking about weather football season is an excellent one. I know. After that, the visit of or football, ‘meh’. Coventry and Sure to attract a 20,000 plus crowd, Preston to ML is sure to be a cheery Shrewsbury come to Meadow Lane, in front of the Sky cameras, it’s an one. I wonder if Jamal’s back from while a romantic trip to Wolves the excellent advert for the Football Thailand by then? day after Valentine’s will see literally League. The first fixture at Meadow one couple have an argument over Lane, however, is a different prospect As it begins to get colder, where one partner’s priorities really entirely.

November will surely bring the lie. Oh and there’s Preston away. first postponement of the season When Fleetwood Town come to... at Meadow Lane, and it’s a tossup March, however, is an absolute town for the first round of the between Wolves or Brentford for stonker. A trip to (the) New York Capital One Cup, they bring with that dubious honour. Away trips to (Stadium... in Rotherham) kicks them one of the most loved players Coventry (may not be in Coventry... us off in style, before back to back in Meadow Lane’s history. When Jeff oooh the excitement), Shrewsbury home games against Orient and MK Hughes inevitably strides on to the and the invincible Bradford City will in three days, AND Shrove Tuesday?! pitch, hs reception will be a rare once again have the drivers rubbing Unbelievable. Admittedly Carlisle one, hundreds in the Kop with Child- their hands together with glee. and Colchester at Meadow Lane will catchet-esque intentions to snaffle keep memories of pancakes fresh, him and bring him back to where he Into December and all eyes from but two tidy away trips to Tranmere belongs. Our enviable record in the then on in fall on the Christmas (it’ll be decided by one goal) and competition means we’re likely to period, and it appears in the true Crewe (yes Francois... we’re looking lose in a disappointing fashion, and festive spirit, we’re off witnessing at you for that) round the month out the fixtures against Peterborough, those who have it worse off than well.

Walsall, Stevenage RFC and ourselves. Port Vale on Boxing Rotherham are likely to offer a little Day followed by Crawley Town. And so to the April make or break more optimism.

Personally, I’m praying for a White fixtures, those that if we still have something to play for could make Christmas.

September passes in a heartbeat, for interesting prospects. Brentford unless, of course, you’re designated New Year’s Day brings us to away will be tough no matter what driver. Three away matches and January, on the other hand, and position we’re in, and when Lee a solitary home tie to Tranmere we have Bradford City again. At Hughes returns with Vale... there providing some respite. Orient first, least that means we’ll shift a decent could be a full scale riot should the shrug. MK Dons, nice seats but that’s amount of tickets in advance. We result (and the rest of the season) about it and Carlisle, where dreams might even win! That Christmas not quite have gone to plan. The last go to die. spirit certainly counts for something. chance for those reliable drivers to We also get to host Walsall, Martin really earn their keep comes in the October is much the same, the Allen and Sheffield United in the form of Bristol City away over Easter standout fixture of course being same month, making January a Weekend. An enviable prospect, I’m Gillingham away. Two years ago, dead cert for the fans with a fear of sure you’ll agree, a feeling shared by that prospect would have been about leaving the NG postcode. Oh... and a Swindon Town fans on seeing their on par with a trip to Greggs in the replay of The Battle of London Road. destination is Nottingham for the entertainment stakes, but this is a I can’t wait. Anyone still got Craig penultimate game of their season club with Martin Allen at the helm, Short’s number handy? proper.

AUG ‘13

AUGUST Fri 2 Sheff Utd (a) Sat 10 Peterborough (h) Sat 17 Walsall (a) Sat 24 Stevenage (h) Sat 31 Rotherham (h) SEPTEMBER Sat 7 Leyton Orient (a) Sat 14 MK Dons (a) Sat 21 Tranmere (h) Sat 28 Carlisle (a) OCTOBER Sat 5 Crewe (h) Sat 12 Oldham (h) Fri 18 Swindon (a) Tue 22 Gillingham (a) Sat 26 PNE(h) NOVEMBER Sat 2 Coventry (a)

Sat 16 Wolves (h) Sat 23 Shrewsbury (a) Tue 26 Bradford (a) Sat 30 Brentford (h) DECEMBER Sat 14 Colchester (a) Sat 21 Bristol City (h) Thu 26 Port Vale (a) Sun 29 Crawley (a) JANUARY Wed 1 Bradford (h) Sat 4 Peterborough (a) Sat 11 Sheff Utd (h) Sat 18 Stevenage (a) Sat 25 Walsall (h) Tue 28 Gillingham (h) FEBRUARY Sat 1 PNE (a) Sat 8 Coventry (h)

Sat 15 Wolves (a) Sat 22 Shrewsbury (h) MARCH Sat 1 Rotherham (a) Sat 8 Leyton Orient (h) Tue 11 MK Dons (h) Sat 15 Tranmere (a) Sat 22 Carlisle (h) Tue 25 Crewe (a) Sat 29 Colchester (h) APRIL Sat 5 Brentford (a) Sat 12 Port Vale (h) Sat 19 Bristol City (a) Mon 21 Crawley (h) Sat 26 Swindon (h) MAY Sat 3 Oldham (a)

Entering May and it’s the final day of the season. The second one anyone looks for when the fixtures are released, and in this case the most deflating. Oldham away. If ever a fixture echoed the sentiment of a season fizzling out, that’s it. Unless we’re in contention/need of survival, it could echo Wycombe away.

Who will be our Judgey? Tempest?

Thompson? Nangle?

I bloody hope it’s Romello Nangle.

Dave Straw

@DaveStraw

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 29

COMING SOON...

Well, the new season is upon us with a great season of away trips lying in wait! With Bournemouth, Yeovil, Hartlepool and Portsmouth disappearing and replaced by the likes of Rotherham, Peterborough, Wolves and Port Vale, we’ve got almost 500 less miles to travel this season, which should mean some bigger attendances and with that, better atmospheres, both home and away.

The fixture computer has also been kind to us, with the the 17th of August, a very easy ground to get to by car majority of the big games falling on Saturdays, or in the along the A42 & M6, with plenty of parking available, Port Vale case, Boxing Day. The only disappointments although there are can be traffic jams around the as far as I can see, is the Bradford and Gillingham trips Bescot on Saturdays. The Bescot also has its own train pencilled in for Tuesday nights, but on the whole it station, with regular services to and from Birmingham makes for very promising viewing.

New Street, making for a nice game to do on the trains, but with Nottingham station closed a bus replacement Saying the above, East Midlands Trains have thrown to Derby is needed first again before changing at a spanner in the works, as Nottingham Station will be Birmingham New Street and this will set you back £17. largely closed for re-development, between 20th July and 25th August, which will make the first few weeks of the season a lot more difficult for those who use the trains. If you do usually rely on trains to get to away matches, or even to Meadow Lane, bus replacements have been put on from/to Mansfield, Beeston, Langley Mill, Alfreton, East Mids Parkway, Grantham and Derby, for more information on specific routes and how regularly they are running, checkeastmidlandstrains. co.uk/nottingham and allow yourself plenty of time.

Sky have also done their best to sour things, moving the Sheffield United clash to the Friday night and whilst this gives us an early chance to top the table, it also makes getting there and having a good time that little bit more difficult. Getting there on the train costs a tenner & means taking a bus replacement to Derby, before heading on to Sheffield and the same for coming back, with the latest train back leaving at half 11. The best places to park for those driving, who don’t fancy the extortionate ground prices, are the Casino on Queens Road (S2 4DF) or the Arundel Street car par (S1 4RN). If you can still get there early and fancy a pint, play it safe and settle for the city centre pubs near the station, as the majority of pubs by the ground are home fans only.

Referee Trevor Kettle is still recovering from our trip to Walsall last season!

Pubswise, there is a supporters club at the ground which admits away fans or there’s the option of a 10 minute walk, exiting right from the car park, to the King George V pub on Wallowes Lane. If you’ve got the kids, the Adventure Island centre (B7 5SB) is just a couple of junctions before the Bescot, has mini golf, laser quest, ten pin bowling and isn’t expensive.

Only words of advice needed here are to not throw smokey items onto the pitch, the Notts fan who did that last year got a banning order. The toilets and food kiosks leave a lot to be desired, with lengthy queues to be expected, but apart from that, this is usually a friendly place with very laid back and accommodating stewards.

Tickets are… with concessions… and Under…. Supporters club buses are leaving Meadow Lane at… and cost…

ADVANCE TRAIN TICKET DATES Jul 12 Carlisle advance tickets should be on sale (save up to £40)

Last year’s away following at Bramall Lane

Aug 1 Swindon advance tickets should be on sale (save £30, enough to pay for the overnight stay which would be needed)

Couple of words of warning about Bramall Lane, last season a lot of Notts fans wanted to pay on the day and this meant large queue’s, resulting in a fair number Aug 5 Gillingham advance tickets should be on sale missing kick-off and some missing a portion of the first (save £40, last train leaves St Pancras half. We also saw a few Notts fans ejected by over at 23:15, doable if quick) zealous stewards after Hughesy’s equaliser, so if you go onto the unguarded, innocent looking concrete in front *Savings are against standard, bought on the day of the away seats, apparently that’s not allowed. return fares and taken from advance fares for similar match days when first put online. Prices may be higher, Tickets are… with concessions… and Under…. Supporters or even lower, but some big savings to be had. club buses are leaving Meadow Lane at… and cost…

The next away trip for us, is to the Bescot Stadium on

BLACK & WHITE PAGE 30

Aston Perrin

@AstonP

ISSUE #6

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

Sales Proud Sponsors Of Service BLACK & WHITE Spares Brokerage Factory Refurbishment

Call Us: 0845 474 0256 Digital Colour Printers

www.tecnicosolutions.com