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Life as a Notts County supporter is rarely easy. At times you can be forgiven for wondering why you became a Magpie and for wishing you’d chosen to support a club that seems less doomed to failure.
But then you realise that doing so would be like trying to ditch all the beloved and obscure pieces of your music collection in favour of the Girls Aloud discography just because they chart higher. It would be soulless basically…
On the pitch over the last month we’ve looked okay. Not great admittedly, but not as bad as we are used to in recent times either. But off the pitch the last month has seen the club in a right mess!
First we get the ‘revelation’ from the Evening Post that it’s apparently dangerous to stand in parts of our relatively empty stadium. Accusations of sensationalism and not reporting all the facts made by our Chairman seem quite valid. But it all still resulted in the closure of the top half of The Kop, until they get the issue sorted – despite the fact that the in over a decade not one incident has ever happened because of it. On balance the result might not actually turn out to be a bad thing as it makes fans sit closer together and create a better atmosphere – but it’s still rather questionable as to whether the ends justifies the means.
Then we get news about a potential investor being interested in the club – which is something all Notts fans can agree is necessary for us to progress up the leagues! But it’s followed very swiftly by accusations from the Supporters Trust of the Chairman withholding important financial information from other members of the board and a thus a potential vote of no confidence in him. This ultimately led to a meeting that decayed into even more mess and proved that, despite obvious good intentions, those currently involved behind-the-scenes really aren’t the best people we could hope to have running things off the pitch. Although they are clearly all we do have for now!
Whatever happens with all this mess, it’s clear to me and most of the other 5000 or so regular visitors to Meadow Lane that it all does needs to be sorted – preferably outside of the press – and that fans need to be kept informed a little more about what is actually going on. All we want is to see signs that our club is progressing and every time the Evening Post starts to dig into yet another horror story a part of us all wonders if it’s really worth the hassle! Especially when we see other struggling clubs around us like Bournemouth on the brink of major financial investment.
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| RIP Jack Wheeler 1919 - 2009 |
Then we lost 2-0 away to Bury, which was disappointing, but not unexpected as they’re riding high up there in the play-off zone. This was followed, however, by a great 3-1 win at home to Bradford City (who are also in the promotion mix) where their defence just couldn’t cope with the speed of our attacking play from the likes of Weston, Forte (who is back on loan from Scunthorpe and scoring for fun) and Forrester. In that game I saw some of the best counter-attacking play from us in years and actually walked away feeling great about my football team!
Sadly since then we’ve lost another two on the bounce by narrow margins - 1-0 away at Darlington and 3-2 away to Shrewsbury. Just as our home form starts to pick up our away form totally deserts us.
We’ve known for several months that it’s highly unlikely that Notts County will go up or down this season, so the results don’t matter as much as usual from now until May - but as fans we’re also seeking signs that the club could mount a serious promotion push next season. If nothing else, all the boardroom wrangling at least deflects attention from the manager and the players for now – and all the moaners who want to sack yet another man in charge at the lane have something else to bicker about.
The final word this month goes to Jack Wheeler, a loyal Magpies servant and right hand man of Jimmy Sirrel, who died last month aged 89. A Public church service to celebrate his life will be held at St Mary's Church in the Lace Market on Thursday 19 March at 11am. Our thoughts go out to his friends and family. May he rest in peace.
Notts County Official Website
Notts County Mad
Left Pie-On: March
Write Commentby 诺丁汉 Feb 24, 2009, 01:49:08 pmIts just incase all 2 fans inside the ground start fighting, it could turn nasty LMFAO
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 01:57:25 pmTo be fair to the woman at the council who wrote the letter - it might be her job to be that pedantic.
But the whole "Notts put money before the fans" angle the post has taken is ludicrous. It's us fans that want to stand up in our seats to celebrate a goal - no-one at the club is making us do this. Gawd knows we deserve to be allowed to celebrate goals when they come along so rarely!!
by it's alan Feb 24, 2009, 02:02:45 pmI've already seen this, and its pretty ridiculous.
There's so many points to be raised about why the H & S guidelines / legislation are bollocks, and it's all been done so many times over.
People stand up in seated areas at pretty much every ground in the league (and beyond) - so naturally it is very frustrating when the powers that be focus on your club.
I did happen to see a ruck break out on the Kop stand last time I was at Meadow Lane ( Exeter match). I don't think it was rival fans though, looked like some kind of personal issue.
by 诺丁汉 Feb 24, 2009, 02:08:27 pmI did happen to see a ruck break out on the Kop stand last time I was at Meadow Lane ( Exeter match). I don't think it was rival fans though, looked like some kind of personal issue.
A lot of walking sticks and flat hats were thrown lmao.
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 02:13:45 pmThere's a bit more info on this story from the NEP here if anyone is bothered.
But even better our Chairman has given the Post a proper slamming - comments which will obviously never see the light of day in the newspaper. Check that in full here.
The crux of it is that the information the post worked from was rather out of date and since then the club have actually received full clearance from the Council on the ground safety. So this news was out of date before it was even printed. Fools!
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 02:14:52 pmIs it true about Bywater getting a bottle thrown at him by Forest fans last weekend by the way?
by it's alan Feb 24, 2009, 02:30:43 pmIs it true about Bywater getting a bottle thrown at him by Forest fans last weekend by the way?I don't know, my seat is in A Block, down the other end from the Trent End so I didn't see anything. Kris Commons was pelted with coins when he took corners down our end though, despite the fact police were clearly filming the crowd.
Hopefully the safety issues at Meadow Lane do get cleared up / rightfully dismissed. It's another hassle you could do without. Fingers crossed for the investment too, would be great to see you up top end of the table!
I'll be there on Saturday, and while I will be sitting down, I do hope the lads on the Kop continue to stand and enjoy themselves.
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 02:40:33 pmHopefully the safety issues at Meadow Lane do get cleared up / rightfully dismissed. It's another hassle you could do without. Fingers crossed for the investment too, would be great to see you up top end of the table!
The irony is they already are pretty much cleared up. From the Notts official site (showing two rather different ways to report the same story on the same day):Quote from: NCFC Official siteMagpies Get All-Clear On Safety
Meadow Lane was today given a clean bill of health by Nottingham City Council, the ground safety authority.
Safety issues were raised during a Council inspection in January and outlined in a report to the club on February 3.
But as Chairman John Armstrong-Holmes explained: "The vast majority have now been dealt with and in many instances, that was done prior to us receiving the report."
A letter received today by the Chairman from Catrin Styles, Environmental Health Officer for the Council's Health & Safety Enforcement Team, confirmed that concerns have now been removed.
She wrote: "I would like to confirm that I have received satisfactory documentation from the Stadium Manager Greg Smith, confirming the completion of inspections and remedial works to the installation electrics, lifts and immediate structural works identified within the structural survey report."
Armstrong-Holmes today slammed the Nottingham Evening Post for their coverage of the issue, describing it as: "Extremely irresponsible reporting."
He added: "Supporters need to know that the Post went ahead and printed the story in sensational fashion, working with a leaked copy of the report, when they knew full well that things had moved on.
"They went ahead in the knowledge that had they spoken to the City Council they would have established that everything was in hand - but why let the up-to-date facts stand in the way of a story!"
Thanks for the best wishes and stuff though!
by it's alan Feb 24, 2009, 02:44:17 pmSound Jared
by 诺丁汉 Feb 24, 2009, 02:58:30 pmlol guessing my posts were deleted, i understand
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 03:00:54 pmlol guessing my posts were deleted, i understand
Erm...yeah! Purely for your own good.
by Jared Feb 24, 2009, 03:39:13 pmHaha. Turns out that Middlesborough have had similar problems to us. They've been told to sit down and shut up by their council!
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/24022009/58/premier-league-boro-fans-told-sit-shut.html
by it's alan Feb 24, 2009, 03:51:14 pmHaha. Turns out that Middlesborough have had similar problems to us. They've been told to sit down and shut up by their council!
EDIT: Don't know how to make that any bigger, but you can see the scanned letter here along with debate on the issue...
http://www.footballforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194685
by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. Feb 24, 2009, 03:54:17 pmEDIT: Don't know how to make that any bigger, but you can see the scanned letter here along with debate on the issue...
http://www.footballforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194685
Here's the url of the pic:
http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj70/xborox/img075.jpg
Click on that to see it full size
by 诺丁汉 Feb 24, 2009, 03:56:01 pmThis is for a different reason they have fans bagging the furnishings because they havent scored in over 8 hours of premier league matches.
by themilkman Feb 24, 2009, 03:58:50 pmAnother highlight this season for the Boro.
Unbelievable.
What a ridiculous waste of time.
If anything we need MORE danger in our graveyard of a ground.
by Albert Herring Feb 24, 2009, 05:16:38 pmI saw something thrown vaguely in the direction of Bywater from somewhere in the middle of Trent Lower, which he ostentatiously picked up and deposited in the goalmouth with a smirk; don't think that it was anything as big as a bottle, though bigger than a coin - fag lighter, maybe.
by Sara Feb 24, 2009, 07:06:47 pmLoved being in the Brian Clough stand on Saturday and it makes the match so much more exciting when you stand up just as things start hotting up a little..well, IMO anyway..Saying that,on Saturday, a guy was moaning to the stewards that he couldn't see anything which in many ways, is crap espec when the tickets are so expensive; it ain't fun to watch the back of a person's head when the idea is to see a football match so I guess from that perspective, it seems fair enough if people stay seated..bearing in mind, Sat's match was pretty packed!
by New Jersey Manufacturers Insurance Co. Feb 24, 2009, 07:32:50 pm"Staaaaand up... if you hate health and safety regulations."
Hmmm. Doesn't really scan. Needs work.
by it's alan Feb 25, 2009, 10:03:30 amLoved being in the Brian Clough stand on Saturday and it makes the match so much more exciting when you stand up just as things start hotting up a little..well, IMO anyway..Saying that,on Saturday, a guy was moaning to the stewards that he couldn't see anything which in many ways, is crap espec when the tickets are so expensive; it ain't fun to watch the back of a person's head when the idea is to see a football match so I guess from that perspective, it seems fair enough if people stay seated..bearing in mind, Sat's match was pretty packed!
This is exactly why safe standing areas should be intrroduced. That way there is a choice: people who want to stand can stand; people who want to sit can sit.
This is a whole different debate, but I can't see it happening anytime soon in this country.
by khongor Feb 25, 2009, 11:32:12 amI prefer the idea put forward by Steven Wells in the Guardian - that stadiums have special "nostalgia" areas where misty-eyed middle-aged men can stand and be terrorised by feral packs of skinheads for 90 minutes. Sounds great!
by it's alan Feb 25, 2009, 12:42:30 pmIts got to be better than the current situation where any degree of choice or freedom is wiped out by the authorities, based on on the elitist and old fashioned view that all football fans are trouble making hooligans who don't care about anybody else's safety or property.
by it's alan Feb 26, 2009, 02:37:09 pmUpdate:
Notts County will be forced to close part of Meadow Lane's Kop stand for Saturday's home game against Bradford City.
The move follows a meeting over safety issues between the club and Nottingham City Council.
The council said there was a potential hazard as some fans persistently stand in the upper tier of the Kop, which is very steep. The section seats 2,000.
http://www.thisisnottingham.co.uk/homenews/Safety-fears-close-Meadow-Lane/article-728521-detail/article.html
City Council are out of order here. Watch the Bradford City fans stand persistantly on Saturday.
by Jared Feb 26, 2009, 03:08:22 pmIt's true and it's ridiculous.
But all manner of shit is kicking off behind the scenes at Notts this week and frankly nothing surprises me about any of it right now.
by it's alan Feb 26, 2009, 03:27:10 pmIt is ridiculous. On so many levels.
I am pissed off about this. I hope the Kop regulars turn up and stand at the front of the Kop instead. Although, I fear that the stewards are going to be doing everything they can to make everyone remain seated.
As a football fan, and as a supporter of having a choice, it upsets me.
by Yer Mam's Fat Ass Feb 27, 2009, 01:59:10 pmHaha. Turns out that Middlesborough have had similar problems to us. They've been told to sit down and shut up by their council!
EDIT: Don't know how to make that any bigger, but you can see the scanned letter here along with debate on the issue...
http://www.footballforums.net/forums/showthread.php?t=194685
that letter's a spoof man.... can see by how it's written....
by it's alan Mar 02, 2009, 11:12:34 amGreat day for the Pies! Cracking result and brilliant support.
Thought the atmosphere was just as good with the top of the Kop shut... it meant everyone sat together at the front. Probably more people sitting down, but there was no shortage of singing and banter with the Bratfud lot. I'm glad they went home with bugger all as well!
by Jared Mar 02, 2009, 11:24:14 amWe were brilliant in the first half on Saturday! The break for that first goal left me in a state of shock. It was proper football!
And I concur about the kop atmosphere. The reasons behind the closure of the top are still wank, but every cloud has a silver lining...
by Lord of the Nish Mar 02, 2009, 11:42:38 amOh, and this is what I was going on about the other day, Jared.
by it's alan Mar 02, 2009, 11:58:58 amWe were brilliant in the first half on Saturday! The break for that first goal left me in a state of shock. It was proper football!
And I concur about the kop atmosphere. The reasons behind the closure of the top are still wank, but every cloud has a silver lining...
Yeah the break, was classic counter-attacking. Great to watch,
All 3 finishes looked pretty solid as well, was it the second when he brought the ball down on his chest and blasted it home? Quality stuff.
I've been to three County matches this season, and they've won every time. I'm a good omen!
by LeftLion Mar 09, 2009, 01:16:30 pmClick here to read this article: Left Pie-On: March
On the pitch over the last month we�ve looked okay, but off the pitch we\'ve been in a right mess!
Please use this thread to comment on the above LeftLion article.
