And so the season is over and we can all pack away the claret shirts for another summer, eagerly anticipating the 2008/09 season following an excellent finish of ninth place in League One.
The second half of the season has been outstanding and despite a late surge towards the playoffs eluding us eventually we can look back with great pride in a season that was salvaged from a bleak winter.
Ninth place was achieved with a win over Tranmere at the weekend and it was a great way to sign off, particularly for Poul Hubertz who is leaving the club at the end of his contract in the summer. All the best to Hoobs, scorer of thirteen goals this term and nice to see the big man sign off with a goal.
Adebayo Akinfenwa was also on the score sheet as he did enough to make Stuart Gray decide to keep him on with a new contract offer. The annoying thing is that Bayo has asked for all contract talks to go through his agent and although he seems happy at Sixfields he could yet leave for a higher offer.
Danny Jackman surprisingly pipped Mark Bunn to the Player of the Year award, following up his previous awards at Gillingham. Since the switch to midfield, Jackman has been a pivotal part of the side and has won a lot of fans over after an up and down beginning at the club. Congratulations to Danny.
So the season is now over but the summer transfer activity looks set to keep us all interested. Bunny will surely be off this time for the right price, particularly as his current contract runs out next summer while Jason Crowe could be prized away, again if the money is good. But anything we do get in for player sales will be trustingly spent as Stuart Gray has time and again proved himself in the transfer market.
No-one knew of Daniel Jones or Mark Little before their loan spells but both were absolutely outstanding in their contributions and growth under Gray. It looks unlikely we will get either one permanently now that Wolves have stayed in the Championship but Gray’s eye for talent will go a long way to ensuring a healthy squad is put together for 2008/09.
Gray is saying “bring it on” when asked about the pressure of next season after this campaign’s success and that’s exactly what we want to hear as the summer break begins. It’s clear we need re-enforcements but the excitement for 2008/09 has begun already, despite finishing 07/08 under a week ago!
I really can’t remember being this optimistic and proud to be a Northampton Town supporter. Ninth place is well above what a lot of people were expecting but everything is now in place for one hell of a push next season. In Stuart Gray we have a manager who can take us to the next level, in David Cardoza a trusting and patient chairman that will back his manager all he can and in the players a hungry, young side that wants to go places.
Things are very much looking bright at Sixfields and to echo our managers’ words, bring on next season!
Up The Cobblers!
Danny
1 comment:
Good stuff, it is times like these that make supporting Town all worthwhile. Having been to see the Cobblers play seven times this season and see them pick up just five draws from the games still made it all worthwhile (without those five points, it would've been a bottom half finish).
Let's not be afraid of saying we are now a playoff side - the competition for the 3rd to 6th spots will ignore us at their peril. Roll on next season, I say.
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