In our new regular feature, Walsall Web-Fans tracks down the views and thoughts of our opposite numbers. This week, Notts County fans from Magpieweb talk to us about Mad Dog, their Italian Job and Lee Hughes!
WW-F 1.How are your summer signings settling in? Anyone in particular we need to watch out for on Saturday?
TonyHateley: Lee Hughes is our danger man, when he’s fit he will score from 90% of chances that come his way, imo the summer signings that are playing are settling in well.
YouPies: Lee Hughes and Montano the lad we have from West Ham on loan.
2.What is your view on Martin Allen taking charge? Is ‘Mad Dog’ the man to lead you to bigger and better things?
TH: MA has been brilliant from day one, the only worry is that he is successful and gets poached, he hasn’t got a good record of staying at clubs.
YP: He is brill, he brought a no die attitude back to the club
3. What is the fans relationship with chairman/owner Ray Trew? After several seasons of new owners will he stay long?
TH: Ray Trew and his wife Aileen have been very approachable and have visited on line forums including this one to give their views, however after negativity from a minority of Notts fans they have unsubscribed from all the forums and don’t interact. I also noticed Aileen wasn’t in her usual seat in the kop with her family on Saturday. Since Trew took over the club have made major strides off the field the Meadow Lane Sports Bar has been totally revamped and looks fantastic, the seating areas have been improved so that we now have a safety certificate for a full capacity crowd (should we ever get one), lots of other things happening behind the scenes to improve the club, we just need to sort it on the field and hopefully that will happen under MA, I personally hope the Trews will continue for many years to come.
YP: It’s been fantastic, Ray always came on the boards and posted with the fans, then some fans went too far and now Ray’s taken a step back and no one can blame him.
4.Where do you think County will finish in the league this season?
TH: Above mid table would be an improvement, not sure we are good enough yet for the playoffs, it depends if we can sign another striker.
YP: Top half with no worry of going down towards the end of the season would be fine by me
5.Turning to Saturday, any predictions for the game with Walsall?
TH: Judging by your recent results you will give us a hard game, my heart says a narrow win perhaps 1-0 but my head says a draw.
YP: 2-1 Notts but we will leave it late to snatch the win
6.Should Ian Mc Parland have been allowed to continue with the progress he made before Sven Goran Errikson arrived?
TH: You will find differing opinions from Notts fans of McParland but in my opinion we played some of the best football seen at Meadow Lane for years and he should not have been sacked.
YP: In my eyes Charlie was a fantastic coach but never proved to me he was a good manager. He never had that Plan B when people stopped us playing football. He’s still my hero back in the day, him and Micky Waite banging those goals in.
7.This week Notts County play a friendly match in Turin to mark the opening of Juventus FC’s new stadium. Is this bad timing? Are you proud of the shirt links you have with the Italian club?
TH: We couldn’t do anything about the timing it is not ideal but what an opportunity for Notts, they couldn’t refuse when Juve came knocking. Yes we are very proud of our links with Juve and one of our favourite songs when Notts are playing well is “It’s just like watching Juve”.
YP: This is a hard one because it’s a match we could not refuse and after next Tuesday if we get 4 points out of 6 then no problem but it we end up with 2 defeats the internet boo boys will be out in force. Yes it’s nice being link with Juve, like TH says its just like watching Juve.
8. Besides your very near neighbours, who do you class as your rivals these days?
TH: Apart from the Fword (we don’t mention the name) historically Mansfield have been rivals but sadly no longer in the league, personally speaking I used to work in Chesterfield and had some good banter with their fans so I always look for when we are playing them.
Me, I think Bristol Rovers but that goes back over the years when they robbed us from going to Wembley. Local team must be Mansfield I miss playing them.
9. Were there any objections raised by the fans when the club signed Lee Hughes, given his much-publicised coverage of a non-footballing incident a few years ago?
TH: Yes I remember quite a few Notts fans said they would never watch Notts while he was a player and it was the wrong to decision to sign him. Now he is a talisman and I have a feeling he will be a Notts legend
YP: Hughsey is a legend and loved by all Notts fans.
10. Do County have any celebrity fans?
TH: The only one I can think of is actor Shane Meadows, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shane_Meadows.
Many thanks to TonyHateley and YouPies from Magpieweb for their contributions!