THE PROJECT

After three and a half years at the club, I think it is fair to say that Peter Trembling, or Trembo as he’s affectionately known, can be rather happy with what he has achieved during his tenure. Ok, he may have got off to a rocky start of sorts what with that Munto Finance nonsense. However, subsidiaries and grocery debts aside, he’s not done too badly since.

Edging ever nearer, we are finally on the cusp of the promised land that was spoken of many moons ago when the circus first arrived in town. In what is now the fourth year of the project, I am delighted to see that we are well on target to be in the top flight inside five years. In fact, it’d take a monumental collapse from David Beckham and Co’ to mess up our 18 point lead we currently have at the top of the Championship with ten games left. This is a lead even that likable chap Keith Hill couldn’t throw away.

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PATIENCE REQUIRED AT NOTTS

If some fans could have their way, we’d be stealing that crown straight back off that lot over the river for being known as the club that most like to yield the axe.

Maybe it is something in those murky waters that stem from the banks of the Trent that cause it to be so prevalent around these parts or maybe it is just anxiety that sets in when we threaten to have a period of stability? Either way, some fans are ready to see yet another era come to a premature end with Keith Curle no longer holding the faith of the absolute majority.

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OOOOH TOMMY JOHNSON

He was one of the main reasons I became as addicted with football as I did. By the time my old man and I frequented the old, wooden Main Stand on a fortnightly basis, Tommy Johnson was already my favourite player and it was something that wouldn’t change in not only the next few years but the decades that would follow in my footballing education.

Although I had already visited Meadow Lane on various occasions since 1987, the 1989-90 season would be my first where I was a week-in, week-out type with my old man and his brother. Despite only being seven at the start of the promotion winning season from the Old Division Three, I was fortunate enough to be brought up just yards away from Meadow Lane amongst a family that couldn’t wait for Saturday to arrive.

By this time my granddad had stopped making trips across the main road with us but in some ways, his retirement from venturing down the lane enabled me to become so passionate about reporting back with stories and tales of my heroes each week. Despite the fact he’d listen to Colin Slater on the wireless, he’d still always seek my opinion and reports and as a result, he allowed me to gradually develop my version of events that led to the legend of Tommy Johnson within my own family.

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HILLSBOROUGH

There are vast amounts of football fans that will have seen this weeks revelations unfold surrounding the Hillsborough Disaster and as a result, will feel shocked and disgusted about what we have learnt. How it has taken 23 years for the truth to be told in full and how a cover-up on the grandest scale was possible is hard to contemplate but finally, at last, we all know what really happened.

There are many fans who will be more knowledgeable than me of those tragic events back on 15th April 1989 and there are certainly many that were much more effected by that fateful day than I, and numerous fans up and down the country could ever imagine.

But after the Hillsborough Panel revealed all on 12th September 2012, I felt the need to say my piece on an event that has scarred football during my lifetime and will continue to do so for many years to come.

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ARE WE NOW THE DISENCHANTED GENERATION?

As England stuttered and stalled at Wembley Stadium against Ukraine this evening, it was highlighted by many via the medium of Twitter that we are in an era where fans seem to care considerably less about the progress of our national team than the generations that preceded us. Whilst many wish to stress that club football is all that matters in the life of a modern fan, there has clearly been various factors that have seen a shift in just how patriotic and proud we are about our national side.

Fans are quicker than ever to distance themselves from the performances we are subjected to by players who consistently perform to a high level for their respective clubs. But whilst the likes of Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and John Terry pick up European Champions League medals and the array of Manchester City stars look to defend their first ever Premier League honour, expectations of these players reciprocating anything close to similar form in the shirt of the Three Lions is all but non-existent.

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