On the brink of history…

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better. ..Just when you thought we couldn’t score any more spectacular goals…Just when you thought we were about to stumble across a bump in the road…the Cobblers come up trumps and better themselves one more time. In a second half performance that perhaps eclipses most in this stunning run of games, the Cobblers produced four goals at Leyton Orient to remain top of the league and make every other team in the league stand up and take notice.

The score line on Saturday will surely have sent waves of nerves through League Two, particularly the promotion rivals that are still keeping up the pace behind us. The gap to watch – that of a huge fifteen points between us and fourth place – is growing by the week and Chris Wilder’s men are on the brink of doing something very, very special.

The victory on Saturday was made more special by some of the goals that lead to it. If an overhead kick from Rod McDonald wasn’t special enough, then this from Ricky Holmes certainly was…

Can this man do any wrong? I think not. That, my friends, is an absolute peach and if it were scored by anyone in the top flight we’d be seeing it for months on end. Take a big, big, bow, son!

Great to see James Collins wrapping things up with a scramble followed by a fine finish – both of which worked to simply put the cherry on the cake of a quite remarkable afternoon in East London. Orient will have been stunned after a first half that appeared pretty even and saw a fair few chances go begging.

Just how much further Town can go will once again be challenged with another big step up at Oxford on Tuesday night. As it would have been on Saturday, a point would be a more than useful gain from one of our closest challengers, but the onus will all be on them in one of the toughest games we have left. There should be absolutely no fear from Wilder’s men.

The manager is probably the calmest man in the place at the moment, on screen and radio at least. Wilder isn’t getting over excited or over hyping the situation which is probably what we all need right now. Inside, though, he must be swelling with pride at the job he and Alan Knill are doing and with the results that are putting him deeper and deeper into Northampton Town folklore.

Pride is most definitely the word at the moment. That, and, disbelief that this is happening to Northampton Town.

That team that you make self-deprecating jokes about…you know the ones: “Well someone has to support ‘em”.

That team you’re mocked about (Cobblers! Wobblers!)

That team that you feel will let you down at some point.

That team.

That team are on the brink of history. Hold on tight.

Christmas Bonus…

Six points, a grip held on second place and a genuine powerhouse of a signing at League Two level – it’s not been a bad Christmas and New Year period for the Cobblers as the home defeat by Portsmouth that derailed the fine run of form was quickly forgotten about with two very different victories.

It’s a stark contrast to twelve months ago when Town headed into the 2015 on the back of five straight defeats. We were two points from the drop zone having collected just 24 points from 23 games. Fast forward twelve months and 2016 begins with us five points clear of fourth place with a game in hand and with more than double the amount of points on the board.

The victories that keep us in touch with leaders Plymouth Argyle and the chasing pack were a good indicator of where we’re at. Fellow promotion hopefuls Accrington were the better side at Sixfields a couple of days after Christmas but an out of sorts performance still ended with us nicking the win thanks to the reliability of the blossoming pairing of Ricky Holmes and Marc Richards, Rico heading in the only goal of a tight games.

Barnet were more straight forward opposition for once and when you brush past the Bees, a perennial bogey team of ours, you start getting the feeling that we’re going to be in with a huge chance of keeping up the pace with a group of sides that are showing no signs of blinking in this huge promotion race.

The fact that the ranks were boosted on Tuesday by a beast of a signing – Shrewsbury striker James Collins on loan until the end of the season – surely makes everyone else sit up and take notice. It’s s statement of intent that means that the attacking options are even more potent than ever. The exit of Dominic Calvert-Lewin would have been disappointing after the youngster made a good impression in his short time here but given that the focus is now on promotion the moves in and out make a lot of sense. Calvert-Lewin certainly has potential but it’s understandable that if someone like Collins becomes available you have to go for him.

Collins’ first involvement will be a top of the table clash at leaders Plymouth on Tuesday night but first comes a rare appearance in the FA Cup Third Round on Saturday. It’s been one of the most dramatic cup runs in recent times with the victory at Coventry drawing all the emotion possible from a travelling contingent that were genuinely believing that it could be the final ever away game for the club and then a remarkable turnaround against Northwich Victoria threw us into the hat.

It’s not the glamour tie it could have been at this stage but the appetite and desire of a squad chomping at every bit of opportunity that comes their way means that there’s a big opportunity for an upset and progression to a stage not reached since 2004.

It’s still ‘pinch me’ territory from where we were before that game at Coventry and whatever happens on Saturday and then on Tuesday, you have to be thankful for this completely opposite style of ‘worry’ we’re facing in the next few days.

As we settle in for this double header, let’s first check out the latest man to tie his flag to the mast of the good ship Cobbler…

Cobblers forced off top but still sitting pretty at Christmas…

The run is over and the Cobblers have been knocked out of the Christmas Number One battle at the very last second of the race. But while Christmas Day is usually spent in a state of apprehension, this year we’re staring down at the majority of League Two after one the most extraordinary first halves of the season in recent memory so second place is nothing to shake the proverbial stick at.

It was all going to come to an end eventually, of course, but this defeat doesn’t feel like the end of something but more of a marker as to how far we’ve come when a late defeat to one of the favourites for the title becomes a bitter disappointment. After an, at times, pulsating encounter at Sixfields there wouldn’t be a lot of people leaving the stadium arguing that the two teams on show won’t be there or there abouts in the promotion race in May.

Portsmouth came and gave as good as they got and this was a clear step up from the opposition facing us in the last few weeks at Sixfields. The fact that we hung with them for the majority of the game should be good enough to keep the spirits high ahead of three big games over the Christmas and New Year calendar which will set the tone for the next phase of the season.

Obviously there are still things to work on and another centre back in the January sales with a bit of pace and a calm head – Shaun Brisley’s return from down the road perhaps – would be welcome but you can’t argue with the attacking flair that Chris Wilder’s men are playing with. It’s arguably the most exciting Cobblers sides in terms of attacking intent, attitude and determination that I’ve ever seen. Previous promotions from League Two in 1997, 2000 and 2006 have come about more from graft than guile apart from the odd flashes of individual genius from the likes of Martin Smith, Marco Gabbiadini and, erm, Dean Peer.

This squad has something special and they must be kept together and even added to by a couple in January – it’s not only the best chance we’ve had of promotion in years but the best chance of going up with a squad capable of competing in League One should they all stay together. Injuries or suspensions could, at the moment, cause a few problems, but Kelvin Thomas has already hinted that some back up may be drafted in during the transfer window.

All in all, we can sit comfortably on Christmas Day 2015 knowing that the club is back in safe hands and the team are in a phenomenal position.

So here’s wishing you all a peaceful and Happy Christmas. Thank you for continuing to read – this blog will be 10 years old in June so let’s hope we’re celebrating the same way we were when I started it…with promotion.

 

Kelvin Thomas or bust?

A couple of weeks on from my last post and Northampton Town edge that bit closer to D-Day and the winding up hearing on November 16. What we now know is becoming a little clearer, though once again conspicuous by his absence in any form (even his usual propaganda videos) is Mr Cardoza.

It’s emerged that Kelvin Thomas, formerly of Oxford United is leading a consortium and has agreed a deal to take over the club but the huge sticking point is the £10.25 million loan that needs to be sorted out with the council. With every passing day comes more meetings, more frantic clamouring for back up plans and the nerves at the heart of the club reaching breaking point. It’s looking more and more like it’s either this consortium, with a new deal with the council, or the end.

That’s how serious this is and the council, as Tony Clarke has said this week, simply must lodge an objection with the High Court and call for an adjournment at the very least on November 16.

In the meantime, the Trust is doing all it can to plan for all eventualities and have, as you would have heard by now, set up a fighting crowdfunding campaign here:

https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/ntfctrust

I ask for ANY football fan passing this blog, clicking on it by accident or finding it through whatever means to consider donating. The funds will be needed no matter what the outcome is and it’s been overwhelming already to see supporters from up and down the country leaving messages and money in support.

Any business can also get involved in sponsorship options here:

http://ntfctrust.co.uk/save-the-cobblers

It’s not only been the fans chipping in with former players getting in on the act. Bayo Akinfenwa is auctioning his signed shirt from his first ever hat-trick here:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/-/171986638718

Mark Bunn, who came through the ranks here is setting up his own fund:

http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/Aston-Villa-goalkeeper-ex-Cobbler-Mark-Bunn-try/story-28110214-detail/story.html

Added to that, fans are auctioning everything they can part with in order to help out and the show of strength by supporters everywhere is a sign of unity that should show anyone involved behind the scenes just what this football club means to us.

We’re not going away without a fight and wherever we are over the next few weeks, that claret fire inside of us all will be the one constant that can never be put out.

A final note to sign off with is to send condolences to the family and friends of Mr Brian Lomax who sadly passed away this week. Brian was one of the founders of the Northampton Town Supporters Trust, the first of its kind on its formation, and was one of the key figures in helping the club in its darkest of times. Above all of that, he was a Cobbler through and through and though I didn’t know him personally the tributes being sent out this week by those who did paint the picture of a gentleman, a pioneer and a friend.

Brian’s final battle cry was read out by his daughter Emily at the home game with Stevenage and he put it better than I can ever come close to doing.

The Darkest Hour?

On 6^th March 1897, a group of school teachers gathered at the Princess Royal Inn on Wellingborough Road with local solicitor AJ ‘Pat’ Darnell to form Northampton Town Football Club. It’s up to the imagination to think of what sort of conversations were had that night but I’m taking a punt that most of it was about the town not having a professional club and how it needed one. Players were rounded up, plans were made and the town (teyn) was given something that it could treasure and hold on to as their own, something to unite communities and make the everyday man, woman and child dream vicariously through a bunch of blokes on a field.

THAT is football. What’s happening on this darkest of days some 118 years later is not.

That meeting in 1897 set the wheels in motion for what would become years of battling, a season in the sun, a rise and decline that could only happen to us, a decapitated but beloved ground (greynd), new horizons, a centenary Wembley moment for the ages, promotions and subsequent yo-yoing between the bottom two divisions and stand out victories against the odds, not just at Anfield.

Once again – THAT is the sort of thing those founders would have envisioned. What we now have is the actions of a few people who a) have got themselves in a complete financial mess and b) continued to put out messages along the lines of “ah, it’ll be alright by next week/two weeks’ time/next month” threatening to destroy 118 years of history thanks to mismanagement of what has sadly become a business. When I saw this morning’s latest revelation that HMRC have launched a winding up petition against the club for unpaid taxes, it felt like not just my own heart being ripped out but the heart of our football club being grabbed and tossed over the shoulders of men in increasingly sweaty suits.

I’ve followed this club since around 1990-1991 so came into things at a difficult time yet fell in love with the football, knowing little of what was going on behind the scenes. I was lucky enough to be born in good time to witness the two Wembley finals and all that followed. I was drawn to local heroes like Andy Woodman, Ian Sampson, Ray Warburton, Sean Parrish and the one and only Neil Grayson. It makes this year around 25 years of following the club.

That’s a small chunk of its existence and everyone reading this will have their own special memories and histories. That also means that there’s generations and generations before them who have watched their own memories unfold. Children who despaired at George Best running riot grew up to take their children to see the glorious 1987 Division Four winning side and then those children took their own wide eyed young ones to witness Scott McGleish head us into League One in 2006.

Is any of this going through the minds of the people making the big decisions at this very moment? Mr Cardoza – are you waking up every day trying everything you can to save the club that have brought all of this to the people of this town and beyond? Or are you waking up thinking about your own future?

This might seem overly dramatic but we’re in serious territory now, if we weren’t deep in it before. The moment you see the letters HMRC you know something is seriously up. This is very different to dealing with a local council who can be talked around. They most certainly won’t hesitate in taking us to the cleaners. And I’m sorry Mr Chairman, but spinning things out for another week where you can have breathing space isn’t good enough.

It’s interesting to note that Cardoza continues to release statements AFTER news has been revealed by a third party like the council or HMRC. Had his hand not been forced, would we all have been left to find this out by ourselves? He’s got himself into one heck of a hole no matter how comparatively small the amount we owe HMRC is. The council will now have no choice but to up their own efforts in recovering the £10.25 million that was due to be paid back by today.

Once again some of the most loyal and passionate supporters, who pay into the club week in and week out in numerous forms, are left to play a waiting game and to get strung along for another week while behind very closed doors the future of a football club created by people who just wanted to give the town a club to call their own is hanging by the tightest of threads.

The heroes

What has to be said in the middle of all of this is that the players and staff have been nothing short of heroic. As all around them collapses the Cobblers somehow won 3-2 at Wycombe, genuine League Two title contenders, and then again at home against Hartlepool to make it six unbeaten in the league. Chris Wilder and the players who are producing incredible results with this backdrop deserve so much more credit and coverage (I know this is ironic being at the bottom of this particular blog entry!).

We’re currently – and stress the word currently with the real possibility of docked points – sit just two points off a place in the top three of the division with a squad that has come together and put everything else out of their minds. It seems to have had a unifying effect and long may that continue because if we do come through this they’ll be ready for whatever’s next.

Somehow, we must find joy in following the battle on the pitch – it’s the only thing that can suspend our worries for ninety minutes at a time.

Walking the tight rope

If things weren’t serious enough, we’ve now had a killer wound that’s threatening to completely alter the history of the football club we all know and love. The news last week that the council have demanded repayment of their £10.25 million loan is the latest in a long run of disasters that started with the half built stand that’s become a visible representation of the most frustrating and mysterious year of our recent history.

It’s the only time I can remember at least in the last ten years when results are becoming secondary to events in the secretive offices of Sixfields. There’s a lack of confidence from the council and, understandably, from the life blood of the club itself – the fans – and we once again pass through another week where the only noises coming from the chairman’s office are in retaliation to the biggest bullet that’s been sent his way so far. Deadlines have long gone and I’m now even further in the camp of those who have lost complete trust.

It all comes, ironically, when we’re somehow competing well enough in matches to keep ourselves within touching distance at the top of the League Two table. Coming so close to victory on Saturday against league leaders Leyton Orient is testament to the increasingly difficult job being done very well by Chris Wilder and the players in the midst of all of this uncertainty.

What good results do give us is something to grab on to and tonight’s game at AFC Wimbledon is another reminder that we have an outlet for our anger and frustration – by joining the players’ efforts from the terraces.

What comes next is anyone’s guess and it’s excruciating to say the least.

I can’t claim to know much of the insides and outs of everything – that you can find by digging through The Hotel End’s topics where more detailed accounts of events can be found – but what I do know is that this is a hugely significant part of our history one way or another.

Something that won’t change is the passion we have for our club and nowhere will that be more apparent that at the games that will ultimately shape the levels of ambition we have once this is finally all said and done. Whether we’re deducted points, put into administration or worse, the one constant will always be the unwavering support for the TEAM that’s come to the fore every time we’ve been in trouble or ahead of a huge game.

As well as making our voices heard in protest, let them be raised in unity with the players battling through this all, letting them know that we’re right behind them.

It’s the one thing we have left to control.

Answers demanded after Town derailed…

If all was going swimmingly on the pitch, if the Cobblers were top of the table leaving everyone else in their wake, if there was even a hint that this season will be any different – if, if, if…then maybe the attention currently being drawn to David Cardoza and the (still only potential) takeover would be calmer.

But after just one point taken from Accrington Stanley and Dagenham and Redbridge, the latter seeing the Daggers come up with their first EVER win against us, things are taking a dramatic turn for the worse and answers are being demanded left, right and centre. And rightfully so.

Where to start may be the biggest question of all.

The ‘heads of terms agreement’ was signed on or around the 24^th June – over TWO MONTHS ago. Since then, we’ve been reassured by Cardoza that the interested party are London based and that it may now be mid-September by the time anything else can be revealed. In the midst of all that went a transfer window, during which nothing was done to address a couple of key positions on the playing side – the very thing that could have bought everyone a bit of breathing space.

The lack of communication once again falls into question. It’s not for the first time. This is what I wrote on October 12^th last year around the East Stand ‘development’:

“The communications department seem to have been on sabbatical for over a year now. Any injury news is kept completely under wraps. Players can be ruled out for months and then appear on the bench or, in the case of Lewis Hornby (remember him?), they can pick up an injury in training and are then not heard of apart from in fleeting mentions once in a blue moon. If a player’s out for months, tells us. If someone’s career is over, tell us. There’s a growing sense that the club is being locked behind the four – sorry three – walls of Sixfields and to the fans that can’t be good…”

“…All it would take was an honest and open message from the Chairman. If money hasn’t been paid for reason a or reason b then please just tell us. The longer the issues are stretched out the more damaging it becomes on the relationship between club and fans and that only causes aggravation on the terraces and a drop in performances on the pitch. We’re in a position where the players are actually pretty decent but if everything around them crumbles it’s only a matter of time until they too get disenchanted.”

Sound familiar? Change a few words here and there and it could be directly referenced to the here and now. How on earth are players and management meant to engage fully when all around them crumbles?

I know there must be reasons for the group not being identified but each passing day alienates more and more of the people that are the genuine heart of the club – that, of course, being the fans who gamely trek around the country to give a lift to the players wearing their beloved shirts.

As for the team – it’s all gone to pot again there and this is half the reason for the sudden outburst from Cobblers fans. The second goal conceded against Dagenham was laughable and summed up everything in a nut shell – miscommunication leads to a simple defeat.

I do feel slightly sorry for Rod McDonald, a defender clearly out of his depth at the moment. It’s not his fault that he was called upon in the summer as a back-up and was then thrust into the first team ahead of his time but more foresight should have been in place. Chris Wilder knew of Zander Diamond’s injuries and of age creeping up so something more substantial should have been worked on in terms of a third centre back. The same goes up front, where Marc Richards is again going it alone in front of the interchangeable three of Potter/D’Ath/Adams – three players who individually can create moments but as a three just can’t find a rhythm.

Wilder needs a big rethink tactically – the 4-2-3-1, fluid as it is, is being worked out far too easily by opposition and the plan b just isn’t there. Giving us something to cheer about has to be level on top of the agenda for Cardoza and Wilder.

The worrying thing is that there doesn’t seem to be any kind of “we’re in this together” attitude from the chairman and the manager that reflects to the fans that there genuinely isn’t anything to worry about.

The takeover is certainly taking over the season but at the moment it’s in all the wrong ways.

Elementary…

Ryan Watson has made his triumphant return to Sixfields by signing a loan deal until January as more beef is added to an already impressive Cobblers midfield. With Jason Taylor’s red card at Barnet and a frantic Saturday-Tuesday-Saturday run of games through August Chris Wilder has moved to bring in a man who was just getting going in his first spell with us last season.

The 22-year-old played five times for the Cobblers a year ago but when a cruciate knee ligament injury hit the Leicester man returned to his parent club. But now back in full health, he’s back and should go straight into the squad for the visit of Plymouth Argyle on Saturday afternoon.

It’s a signing that makes complete sense given the solid start he made last season and the amount of games we’ve got coming up. Watson proved himself well in his short stay and will likely see plenty of action with injuries and suspensions already taking their toll on the Cobblers squad.

Don’t rule out more late signings in the next couple of weeks (Central defensive back up please!) as the transfer deadline rolls towards closure on September 1^st.

 

Friendlies, countdowns and takeover mysteries…

The countdown is officially on – we’re on the home straight for the start of the 2015/16 season with just one friendly to go this Friday in Sheffield and the final pieces of Chris Wilder’s newest jigsaw still being sought.

On the pitch, we seem to be putting together something solid with an emphasis on a small but fit squad and the friendlies have been raced through without any real problems barring an injury to talisman Ricky Holmes. Even that’s been placated by the fact that flying wingers are now arguably the strongest area of the squad with Alfie Potter and Nicky Adams performing well in pre-season and Lawson D’Ath looking to build on a terrific first season with us.

The problem, as things currently stand, lie elsewhere with back up options to key positions still to be filled and questions still abound over the future of Ivan Toney. With or without the young man who is still attracting a lot of attention, we still need at least one more option up top, if not two. Something different, in the target man mould, would be helpful and if Toney does depart then a pacy option and high quality alternative will be imperative.

Central midfield needs a bit of added meat as well with one more in there probably enough for now for competition and the inevitable injury / suspension issues that will come up mid-season. Joel Byrom and Jason Taylor have forged a good relationship in the middle of the park and will take some moving but there’s definitely a need for something else in there.

Rod McDonald’s signing at the back means that we’re near enough done there with a few of the new signings able to fill in at different positions across the defence and so there’s just those couple of gaps now to fill before the assembling is done.

Some of that could well hinge on any developments on the takeover front and the nervous wait goes on to see who/what/where/when and why the deal is taking place. We’ve heard of a positive meeting with the council but still nothing has been made clear to the supporters who are inevitably theorizing their way through the summer. With such sensitivities behind it, though, it needs to be done right and Wilder is unlikely to be waiting for the resolution before pushing on with signing targets. You just hope that any rumours or disruption that’ happening in the board room doesn’t affect the big kick off and the opening month of the season that sees us tackle some stern early tests.

Bristol Rovers and Barnet away in the early part of the season won’t be easy with momentum and the wind behind their sails still blowing away from promotion in May. Home games in August against Exeter and Plymouth could be crucial in getting a foot hold in the season and getting off to the kind of start that’s eluded us on plenty of occasions in recent times.

There’s around 15-20 clubs that are thinking the same as us in that playoffs are a realistic target this season and that’s what makes League Two so unpredictable once again. With just TEN DAYS to go now, the only certainty is that the fun and games are about to begin all over again!

The cull goes on as Town claim another Daggers win…

Sinclair…Cobblers exit

Every time the Cobblers play Dagenham and Redbridge I think that it surely must be this time when the incredible run of results against them comes to an end. Nine wins and a draw from our ten meetings with them paint the picture of dominance against one club that we’ve not had for years. But once again, on Saturday, we put them to the sword (ok, ok, the knife perhaps) and a 1-0 win took us further into the zones of comfort in league standing terms.

It’s as good a run of form as we’ve had for months and saw the ever popular loanee Ricky Holmes net the winner with a fine finish that further endeared himself to the claret faithful. Holmes has been outstanding since joining on loan from Pompey and one of the next orders of business for Chris Wilder needs to be getting him tied down to a longer deal. The difference that he, along with Lawson D’Ath on the opposite flank, is making takes a huge pressure off a defence that’s finally found some stability.

So on we march towards another home game but the squad numbers are getting smaller by the minute thanks to Emile Sinclair and Gregor Robertson suffering the wrath of Wilder’s January Cobblers detox. Sinclair wasn’t a great surprise to me but Robertson, a man who can cover at left back or central defence, could have still been handy back up. Wilder does seem to know what he’s doing now – something that I very much questioned a month ago – and will likely bring in at least two more new faces by the end of the month. Could we be in for yet another action packed deadline day in a couple of weeks?!

Either way, it’s all looking a lot brighter once again and with Newport County coming to Sixfields on the back of a 4-0 trouncing by Cambridge United on Saturday hopefully we can put more and more distance between ourselves and the scramble below.

Keep it up boys!