"You still havn't mentioned Hockey..."

...I hear Dave cry!

It was pointed out over the weekend that I've failed to mantion my recent sporting activity on my blog.

Yes, I've forgotten to mention over the last couple of weeks that I've been playing hockey for Marti's team at Southampton University and am still nursing an injury from last Sunday's collision with the biggest guy on the opposition's side!

My reward for these appearances was a Sunday roast, beautifully cooked (both times) and was well worth the few minutes of falling over, trying to swing a stick at a ball (and rarely connecting) and making Dave dance while he's in goal.

I've even brought some cheap astro turf trainers in order to stay upright during games and I will more than likely play again.

I will draw the line at Netball though...

That's riiiiiiiight...we're having a ball!

The Graduation was complete on Saturday night as we performed our final act as students of Southampton Solent University.


After a buffet at our house and a few drinks including some celebaratory champers, we piled into taxis and arrived at the Guildhall to find that we thankfully hadn't missed the star turn- Roy Walker!


We got a group shot taken and then headed inside to the Guildhall, unrecognisable from what it looked like on Wednesday for the graduation.

As the night wore on and I met up with a lot of old faces from the last three years, it suddenly hit that we were getting near the end of an extraordinary period of our lives.


Roy Walker entered and played a giant game or Catch Phrase followed by Car Park Catch Phrase, handed out "Roy Walker...Legend" shirts and spouted many of his own famous phrases...

"Say What You See"

"That's riiiiiiiiiight"

"What's Chips up to?"

(Walker, 2006: 42)

After Roy, the night wound down and the sudden turning on of the lights at around 2:15am signalled the official end of student life. I shook hands with people I may never see again, looked around at the carnage left and then we left.

And so it's all over. Three years of essays, lectures, but most of all, laughter have come and gone.


Gone, but most definately never to be forgotten.

Northampton Town P-P Leyton Orient

After the pitch inspection, today's game at Sixfields has been called off, leaving us without a game this weekend. Looking at it, it's a good thing that I wasn't planning on going up because it would have been a bit of a wasted journey!

Sixfields Pitch Inspection to take place

A pitch inspection will take place at Sixfields at 11:15 this morning after heavy overnight rain in Northampton. The game against Leyton Orient may be in doubt so supporters travelling from afar are advised to hold off their journey for as long as possible.

Leyton Orient (H) Preview

The Cobblers welcome League One's bottom club, Leyton Orient, to Sixfields tomorrow afternoon needing a win to keep the distance between ourselves and the bottom four.

Andy Kirk is fighting to be fit after missing out on Tuesday night's vicroy at Grimsby while Nick Wright could make his debut.

Cobblers sign Blues youngster Wright.

The Cobblers have beaten the loan transfer window by signing Birmingham City's Nick Wright on a month's loan.

Wright, 19, can play on either side of midfield or up front and could provide some much needed pace and power to the side.

The loan transfer window closes at 5pm this afternoon.

Graduation!

Everything went smoothly with my graduation yesterday, I didn't fall over on the stage and managed to keep my hat from falling off throughout.

It was like waiting for Christmas the night before but thoughts of graduation were put briefly to the side while listening to the Grimsby game and wafting down Chinese take away!

I awoke, donned the newly cleaned suit and headed on my merry way to uni. Luckily we were fairly early so there was no queue in the sports hall once we'd actually found it. I've been at uni for three years and didn't even know we had a sports hall!

We met others from our course as they arrived and it was strange seeing everyone again after so long- it's been over six months since our final seminar! The dash across to the Guildhall was dampened by a downpour but we made it in without any damage to the gowns. After a registration and a couple of photos it was time for the ceremony itself, a quicker than expected event.

The Guildhall seemed so much bigger with a huge screen at the back of the stage and a mass of proud parents and students. As more and more courses went up the nerves set in but it was a mix of nerves, excitement and overall pride as the Media Writers collected their long awated degrees. The walk across the stage meant that three years of hard work, late nights and endless reading was over but also made it all worthwhile as it finally hit home what I had achieved.

The ceremony ended in good time and we then joined everyone for a reception of tea, coffee, sandwiches and cake in the uni cafe, where we were also reunited with our lecturers and more course mates.

Plans were made for the evening as we had booked a buffet at the home of Media Writers, The Old Fat Cat. Buffet fans everywhere rejoice- the selection was much more than expected from a free spread and included pizza, chips, sandwiches, marshmellows, cupcakes and an awful lot of merryment from jubilant Media writers.

The night ended, once again, in reflex after first leaving the Frog and Frigate because downstairs was closed and then not being let into Ikon because "we're not students any more". And so we were left with a choice of Flares or Reflex and having had a decent enough time in Reflex on Monday, chose the latter.

We had a jolly time, ate Chicken Land afterwards and had very sore heads this morning, sorted by the traditional hangover cure of a Weatherspoons breakfast.

And so it's onwards to the Graduation Ball on Saturday to officially complete student life.

Grimsby Town 0-2 Northampton Town

The Cobblers progress to Round Two of the FA Cup after a more straight forward than we thought victory on Tuesday night. A Justin Whittle own goal put us into the lead before Joe Burnell doubled the advantage and Grimsby had no answer.

We now travel to Barnet on Saturday week in Round Two...the dream goes on!

Grimsby Town (A) Preview (FA Cup First Round Replay)

The Cobblers travel up to Blundell Park this evening for the FA Cup First Round Replay with Grimsby Town on the back of our first away league defeat this season.

While we were beaten at Scunthorpe on Saturday, the Mariners held high flying Wycombe Wanderers to a 1-1 draw at the Causeway Stadium.

For the Cobblers, Andy Kirk looks set to miss out through injury, more than likely meaning a recall for James Quinn.

It'll be a tough trip tonight but one that could be vital to our season. We've been knocked out of the Carling Cup and the Johnstone's Paint Trophy in the first round and we don't want to make it an unwanted hat-trick.

Just please...don't let it go to penalties!

Humptey Dumptey makes us have a great fall...

Monday in Graduation Week was spent at the pub quiz as Jamie made his triumphant return to Southampton to help us into 4th place and agonisingly we missed out on 3rd by one point thanks to a question about Alice in Wonderland. The question was:

Which nursery rhyme character did Alice meet in Through the Looking Glass?

We debated whether it was the white rabbit or Humptey and lost out after going for the rabbit, which I don't even think is a nursery rhyme character.

Mital then forced som tequila onto us and this made us so disorientated that we ended up in Reflex across the road with Marti and her course mates.

And so it begins...

Last night the huge week of celebrations kicked off in earnest. On Wednesday, I will join my fellow Media Writing graduates and wear the cap and gown with pride. I've taken four days off work and plan to make the most of the official end to our uni life.

Last night saw the beginning of this momentus week as we went to Ocean village's swanky bar, Banana Wharf for a couple of glasses of their finest wine. Yes, that's right, wine. One of these bottles was still nearly full when we left though and so we had it corked and hid it in Isha's handbag as we headed to the Frog and Frigate.

Some bizarre horse and Greek dancing later and we were out on our ear after Isha asked if we could have some glasses for our wine (We'd already lied that we had NO alcohol with us upon entry). I think we had more fun being ejected from the Frog than we would have had staying and we ended up watching random music channels into the early hours of the morning and finishing off the wine!

Full Time: Scunthorpe United 1-0 Northampton Town

Scunthorpe got their deserved win but it was a cruel late blow to The Cobblers as Andy Crosby converted a dispusted 86th minute penalty.

Mark Bunn had kept us in sight of a point and Scott McGleish could even have put us one up but he missed a golden chance when one-on-one with the keeper.

The unbeaten away record in League One is now gone and we now face a bottom of the table clash with Leyton Orient next weekend at Sixfields.

Half Time: Scunthorpe United 0-0 Northampton Town

Mark Bunn's heroics mean that the Town are still holding Scunny at half time after the young keeper saved us on 3 or 4 occasions.

Ian Taylor also cleared off the line as the home side dominated the first half. Sounds like we've had little to offer up front so a testing 2nd half coming up.

Scunthorpe United v Northampton Town- The Line Ups!

Scunthorpe United Murphy, Crosby, Hinds, Sparrow, Baraclough, Foster, Taylor, Williams, Keogh, Sharp, Morris

Subs: Mulligan, Byrne, Goodwin, Lillis, Foy

The Cobblers Bunn, Crowe, Holt, Chambers, Doig, Taylor, Kirk, McGleish, Jess, Bunell, Dyche

Subs: Dunn, Hunt, Bojic, Quinn, Watt

Scunthorpe United (A) Preview

The Cobblers make the trip to Glanford Park to meet a Scunthorpe side in good form and high spirits as they lie 3rd in the League One table.

Town have Andy Holt fit and ready but Bradley Johnson won't feature after his loan move this week to Stevenage Borough. The home side's main threat will come from prolific front two Andy Keogh and Billy Sharp, the latter having scored the winner against the Cobblers for Rushden and Diamonds in their 3-2 win back in 2005.

It promises to be the toughest away game so far for the Cobblers and any points that we can come back with will be a good return.

FA Cup 2nd Round Draw

The Cobblers or Grimsby face an FA Cup trip to League Two Barnet in Round Two. It could have been a lot worse a draw than that but let's concentrate on the replay first before we start planning the trip to North London.

Northampton Town 0-0 Grimsby Town (FA Cup 1st Round)

The Cobblers were frustrated at Sixfields yesterday by a hard working Grimsby Town, playing their first game under new boss Alan Buckley and we must now face a tough replay up at Blundell Park on Tuesday week.

I made an early start from Southampton and got as smooth a run through on the train to Northampton as I would hope to get before heading home for a breakfast. Our pre-match rituals took place in the Carlsberg Bar before the game as we watched a dour Premiership game between Man City and Newcastle that ended goalless. Ha, rubbish that Premiership lark, it was now time for the real football. The FA Cup would surely provide more entertainment than that. Er...actually no, it was even worse.

We simply never got going as Grimsby got what they came for- a replay. Full credit to the visitors for their play and they stopped our front men from ever really testing their back line or keeper. Kirk and McGleish started together and for what must be the 100th time we found out that they don't work together. Jerome Watt provided some sort of spark but when switched to the left seemed out of the game. Usually at this point I would provide a match report but it's difficult to do that when nothing actually happened! It took until around 15 minutes to go for our first real dangerous effort in a scramble that resulted in Kirk and McGleish having shots blocked.

Grimsby passed the ball around well and look dangerous countering late on. In all honesty we couldn't have been aggrieved if the Mariners won the game and if not for the excellent Luke Chambers, Chris Doig and Mark Bunn we could well have been knocked out of the cup.

We now face an extremely tough replay up in Cleethorpes but the one saving grace is that we are at least in the draw for the 2nd Round that takes place at 4:10pm. Full news here when we hear of it!

Grimsby Preview (FA Cup First Round)

The Cobblers meet Grimsby Town today for the first time since that fateful game in May when Ryan Gilligan's late equiliser up in Cleethorpes helped to consign The Mariners to a playoff place rather than joinging us in League One. Grimsby lie 4 places from the foot of League Two but have this week reappointed former boss Alan Buckley in a bid to change their fortunes.

Buckley was in charge when we met in the Division Two (League One) playoff final at Wembley back in 1998 and today sees another chance for this fixture to make its mark in history.

Joe Burnell is a doubt for the Cobblers, while Grimsby are without Gary Jones who serves the final game of a ban. Danger man Michael Reddy also remains on the sidelines for the visitors.

Big chance to make it to Round Two this afternoon and I don't fancy a replay so let's get it done at Sixfields!

FA Cup Memories

Saturday afternoon sees the First Round proper of this season's FA Cup, the greatest cup competition in the world. Every year, minnows battle against the odds to pull of historical upsets, some of the world's biggest clubs are forced to travel to unheard of places and small towns are put on the map.

For me and Northampton Town, the FA Cup has thrown up a roller coaster ride of the years.

The first FA Cup tie I remember was one that I didn't go to but still hurt the club severley- a 4-0 defeat at London Road, Peterborough. It was soon apparant that the Cobblers were pretty awful in the cup and the following season (after a 1-0 win of giants Hayes in round one) we were humbled in another local derby, this time at Oxford United, going down 2-0 in the 2nd Round.

It wasn't until 1996 that I first attended an FA Cup tie, and it gave the club their first ever taste of Sky Sports coverage in the First Round tie with Watford, then of League One (Division Two in old money). Despite a gutsy effort and a disallowed Neil Grayson goal, we finally succommed to a bizarre cross/shot from Darren Bazeley and bowed out for another year.

Cup fever had gripped me though and I was right up and ready for it the following season when the Cobblers saw off Exeter City after a Sixfields replay and took on lowly Basingstoke Town. After a disappointing draw at Sixfields, the Town made the midweek trip to an ice cold Basingstoke in a game that once again drew the Sky cameras. We were held once again and the game went all the way through to penalties before we finally saw off the plucky non leaguers as Carl Heggs sent the Town faithful (and the living room of 280 Obelisk Rise) wild! The 3rd Round brought us a trip to Leicester City, then of the Premiership where our journey ended with a 4-0 defeat at Filbert Street.

In 1998/99, Lancaster City provided more non league opposition at Sixfields and this time we managed to scrape through without a replay with a 2-1 win, setting up a 2nd Round tie with cup specialists Yeovil Town, then still in the conference, and we were beaten 2-0 at Huish Park.

1999/2000 saw the Cobblers exit in Round One at Gay Meadow, Shrewsbury, in a 2-1 reversal while the following season we were beaten at Rotherham in Round 2 by the single goal after a convincing 4-0 home win over Frickley Athletic in the first. Millmoor would, a couple of years later, become the setting of one of the more famous nights in cup history.

Before that in 2001/02, a trip to Torquay resulted in a 2-1 success for the Town but once again the 3rd round milestone was frustratingly blocked by the mighty Canvey Island, an embarressment that was made worse by the fact that it was shown live on a Sunday lunch time on BBC television!

This 2nd round curse would continue in 02/03, with defeat at home to Cambridge United in a replay but in 2003/04, all of that misery was wiped away by one night at Millmoor and a Sunday in the sun at Sixfields.

The first round gave us a home tie with high flying Plymouth Argyle and in a thriller, Derekd Asamoah settled the game late on in a 3-2 win for the Cobblers. Home again in Round 2 and this time a little more straight forward as we saw off ten-man Weston-Super-Mare 4-1. We awaited the 3rd round draw with excitement but were slightly aggrieved when instead of the big guns being paired with the Cobblers, we were left with Championship side, and Chuckle Brothers' favourites, Rotherham United, again at Sixfields. Trailing 1-0, the Cobblers fought back and Martin Smith belted home a deserved equiliser before a goal mouth scramble in stoppage time came to nothing and we were forced to make a midweek trip to Millmoor but were at least in the hat for Round 4 for the first time in a very long time!

The draw brought about a frantic scene at Sixfields as the ticket sales for the Rotherham replay went through the roof- because now we knew that the winners of the tie would face a home game with Manchester United! Extra importance now on the replay and over 3,000 Cobblers fans descended on Millmoor. There was no room in the stand to take us all and people just seemed to stand wherever they could. I think I started near the back but ended up in the middle of the stand! Rotherham took the lead early on but loan signing Richard Walker headed us level. We got right back into the game, pushing the home side back until the glorious moment right in front of the Claret army. Martin Smith put in a free kick from the right hand side that evaded everyone and beautifully nestled into the corner of the net to send us chuffing mental! We held on and the full time whistle meant that we were to take on Manchester United. It was incredible to think that in just weeks we would be linign up with some of the world's greatest players...and Diego Forlan.

Tickets sold within hours and I managed to get one after 6 hours of queing at Sixfields but there were stories of "fans" buying season tickets just to get priority for the United game and then throwing the season ticket away!

Sixfields was packed to capacity and Sky came a visiting once again for a Sunday afternoon encounter with the Red Devils. Despite a good effort and Mark Richards hitting the bar, United ran out 3-0 winners. The moment of the game, though, had to be Lee Harper's 2nd minute penalty save from Forlan!

So that was the cup dream over for another year and we've not gone as far in the competition since.

The next season we again upset higher opposition in the opening round with victory over Barnsley and then won at home again in Round Two against Bury, setting up a 3rd Round tie with my university City of Southampton! The Saints had already knocked us out of the league cup and I was praying that the game would go to a replay so that we could play at St Mary's but Southampton defeated us at Sixfields 3-1.

Last season saw another good run into Round 3. After picking up an impressive 3-1 win at Wycombe and a replay victory over Stevenage Borough, we were paired with Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The travelling faithful did us proud again but after Josh Low briefly drew us level, we were unfairly beaten 4-1.

And so to this season. Who knows where the run will take us this time around. We may be beaten at the first hurdle, we might make it through to face another big gun or we may have to play on a cold Tuesday night in Tamworth. We just don't know...and that's the magic of the cup.

Come on Town!

Youth show the way...

The Cobblers youth team showed the way for the first teamers with victory in the first round of FA Youth Cup yesterday as we saw off Mansfield Town 1-0 at Field Mill. Shaun Goodall grabbed the vital goal and we now face a home tie with Huddersfield Town in Round Two on November 22nd.

I think I'm busy that day with something...something to do with graduating.

Cole returns to Southend

Mitchell Cole has returned to Southend after two months on loan at Sixfields.

Cole played nine times for the Cobblers and his only goal came in the 1-0 win at Millwall in September.

It's a shame we can't keep hold of him but Southend seem to have a few injuries so Cole could find himself in Championship action some time soon!

Good luck Mitch!

The Flat is warmed!

We officially warmed the flat of Mr and Mrs Stuart-Marquez yesterday and ate far too much of the finger food laid on!

Great company as always and I think I've eaten a year's worth of Dorito's in the space of 4 hours. The hosts were slightly upstaged, though, by the appearance of baby Jack (Marti's nephew) and their two new (and very tiny) hamsters!

Good times!

Northampton Town 1-1 Blackpool

I wasn't at the game but by most accounts it was a relatively fair result against an in form Blackpool outfit. Eoin Jess is starting to find his feet after a below par season in League Two and he struck the equiliser in the draw yesterday following Andy Morell's opener.

The draw leaves us in 16th place in League One and still comfortably above the bottom four. Next week we face a break from league action with the FA Cup 1st Round tie with Grimsby Town.

Blackpool Preview...

Simon Grayson brings his in form Blackpool wide to Sixfields tomorrow in as mid table a game as you could expect as 12th take on 13th in League One!

After picking up our first win at home last Saturday, we'll be looking for another three points that would propel us into the top half of the table. Sean Dyche and Ryan Gilligan look set to miss out, Gilly injuring himself in mid-week preventing a possible loan move while Dyche picked up a knock in training.

I won't be at the game due to Dave and Marti's flat warming party but good luck to the Town!