A brand new feature for the club's official website...
Notts County are delighted to launch a new feature here on the club’s official website - ‘Diary of a Student Supporter’ is a new blog, written by James Constantine, a Notts fan and student at Nottingham University.
We will be bringing you regular updates from James throughout the season on what it’s like to be a Notts fan and a student in Nottingham. Here is the very first instalment…
Starting University is always a daunting task. Worrying whether I would still be alive at the end of the first week was a big concern. Thankfully having survived that potentially fatal first task; studying at the University of Nottingham presented a completely different but equally mouth-watering prospect. The chance to live in Nottingham and experience firsthand the atmosphere and build up on a match day was a prospect I had always wanted to experience, and one I thoroughly enjoy.
As a Notts fan having never lived in Nottingham before, it was the small things that had yet to settle in that made the biggest impact on me. When I was walking through Nottingham on the arduous journey for History books, I was able to pick up a copy of the Nottingham Post from a small green stall. Opening the paper and seeing articles on Notts was a weird, but welcome experience, seeing as I am use to reading only streams of Premier League analysis on the back pages. On my journey, another welcome change was the amount of Black and White shirts I passed and even the odd splash of pink. This was the same on my campus too, being able to spot a Notts shirt over the more common premier league teams was a pleasant change to home.
Being a Notts County fan and studying at University has given me new challenges and not just educational ones. Students come to Nottingham from all over the country and many of them support their local team, if not a Premier League club. For all the football enthusiasts and those who fancy something to do on a Saturday afternoon, I often argue there is nothing better to do than get down to Meadow Lane to watch a match. My main challenge over the next three years is to get my fellow students to adopt County as their second club and to get myself down to as many games as possible.
After a resolute 1-1 draw against Crawley this weekend gone, signs of Notts’ home form improving are noticeable. The performance was excellent and the re-signing of Damion Stewart looks a really positive and strong move. This season looks a fantastic opportunity for Notts to progress to the Championship and what a fitting tribute it would be to occur in our 150th year to top off our celebrations. Not to mention the potential Nottingham derby that could arise as a consequence.
Whatever happens this season, the chance to watch every home game is a privilege and I am on a mission to convert as many students into County fans as possible. An exciting month with the arrival of Swindon looks to be a feisty encounter, and hopefully Notts can continue to battle their way up the very tight League One table.