Season In Review 2009/10...October...

Ian Sampson would confirm his appointment after the first game of October, a game that didn't produce a win but did see his Cobblers side battle to a 2-2 home draw with Bradford City. After a goalless first half, Simon Ramsden and Michael Boulding put the visitors in control but Alex Dyer pulled one back before John Johnson headed home his first goal for the club in the dying seconds.

So the decision was made and the Cobblers officially had the man for the job. Sammo was signed up until the end of the season and would be on trial as such until the summer months. It was a massive task with the club languishing in the lower reaches of the table but it would be a positive start to full time management for the former Town player.

The first official game in charge for Sammo was the Johnstone's Paint Trophy Second Round game at home to Bournemouth and despite a Danny Hollands goal in the first half, Steve Guinan equalised and there was once again a late sting in the tale. Bournemouth thought they had won it when awarded an 86th minute penalty but Lee Bradbury saw his kick saved by Chris Dunn. The Cobblers went up the other end, won a penalty of their own and Ryan Gilligan showed how it was done by slotting home and putting us into Round Three, the area Quarter Finals.

There was yet another come back the following weekend as the Cobblers fell 2-0 down at Bury but Courtney Herbert scored a stunning solo goal to out us back in the game before Adebayo Akinfenwa made it 2-2 and the fighting spirit was well and truly back in the squad.

Back at Sixfields and the always hard to beat Lincoln City were seen off by a Steve Guinan goal with just under twenty minutes to play.

Guinan was on target again the following week as he put the Cobblers in front at Morecambe. But it looked like all was lost as the Shrimps came from behind to lead 2-1 through a Phil Jevons penalty and a Stuart Drummond goal just before the break. That spirit shone through again though and the Cobblers scored three times in the last twenty minutes to win the game. Andy Holt, John Johnson and Adebayo Akinfenwa were on target and the travelling fans went home delighted.

The month would end in narrow defeat though and with a number of chances going begging at Torquay it always looked like we would end up on the losing side and it was an ex Cobbler that stole the show. Chris Hargreaves scored with seven minutes remaining and showed his respect for the Cobblers but not celebrating.

All in all October was the month when we finally got going and even with that late defeat at Plainmoor we were rolling and had ourselves back out of danger at the wrong end of the table.

Pre season taking shape

The 2010/11 pre-season schedule is just about finalised with a good mix of fixtures arranged in the past couple of weeks. The Cobblers will host Championship sides Coventry City and Watford and Premier League Birmingham City as well as coming up against a host of old faces at the likes of Long Buckby and Kettering Town.

Further trips to Corby and Nuneaton Borough have also just been added to give the pre-season fixture list a healthy balance of opposition.

Provisional Pre-season fixture list

Sat Jul 10 Long Buckby (a)
Tue Jul 13 Kettering Town (a)
Sat Jul 17 Corby Town (a)
Wed Jul 21 COVENTRY CITY (H)
Sat Jul 24 WATFORD (H)
Tue Jul 27 Nuneaton Borough (a)
Sun Aug 1 BIRMINGHAM CITY (H)

Harris signs extension

Seb Harris has signed a one year contract extension to stay at Sixfields for a further season. Harris, who can play up front or at the back, scored the winner against Cheltenham Town in one of his first appearances for the club and appeared from the bench a few times towards the end of the season.

The big man was waiting on a contract offer from the club as Adebayo Akinfenwa made his mind up but now Bayo has gone there is a bit of a room for flexibility and Harris agreed to stay around.

Abdul Osman and Liam Davis remain the only players unsure about their futures of those offered new deals.

Season In Review 2009/10...September...

As the Cobblers entered September 2009, Stuart Gray was well and truly on his last legs. The month would see a managerial change, a shocker at Meadow Lane and the start of a Cobblers legend stamping his mark on the team.

Gray earned himself a small stay of execution with a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy victory at League One Wycombe Wanderers as an entertaining 2-2 draw ended with the Cobblers going through on penalties. Wanderers managed to miss all three of their spot kicks to help us on our way through to Round Two.

But Gray wouldn’t last much longer. The home league game with Barnet on the following Friday night sealed his fate. Despite Ben Marshall continuing his early good form after joining on loan, Barnet went top of the table by striking three times in twenty second half minutes through Ahmed Deen, Paul Furlong and John O’Flynn.

Gray was sacked in the days following that defeat and his then assistant Ian Sampson took charge, temporarily at first. His first mammoth task was to try and sort out a disorganised and demoralised team for a trip to big spenders Notts County.

Alex Dyer gave us a surprise lead at Meadow Lane but then it all went wrong in front of a dejected away following, many of whom left before the full time whistle. County hit back and were 2-1 up by the break through Matt Ritchie and Lee Hughes. The home side went on to score five with Hughes completing his hat-trick and Ritchie getting a second to completely obliterate the Cobblers. By the time Andy Holt scored a consolation to make it 5-2 the game was long over and there weren’t many of our fans left to see it!

The performance was at least a lot, lot better the following week in Sammo’s first home game in charge and despite Rochdale coming away from Sixfields with a 2-1 win there were signs of better things to come. Ryan Gilligan got the Cobblers goal.

A 3-0 defeat at Shrewsbury was another depressing afternoon though and it was looking gloomy for Sammo’s chances of taking the job full time but there was to be a break through in the final game of the month at home to Rotherham.

Ryan Gilligan hit the opening goal and had us in front by half-time before the emergence of young Courtney Herbert saw him bag his first ever senior goal to make it 2-0 just after the break. The tide was turning and Ian Sharps’ own goal all but sealed the points for the Cobblers with Adam Le Fondre’s late penalty not enough for the Millers.

Sammo had given himself some leverage and was just a couple of weeks away from getting the job full time. After a dodgy start to 2009/10, things were starting to look up!

Gilbert signs one year deal

Defender Peter Gilbert is the latest to answer his contract offer and today boosted Sammo's squad for next season by agreeing to a one year deal. Gilbert was one of the most consistent players of last season and the fact that he was barely noticed says a great deal about his work. It's an important signing in terms of continuity following the departures of Bayo and Holt yesterday and means that there are now just two players that we're waiting to hear back from.

Abdul Osman and Liam Davis are yet to answer but have a little longer to reply and but we at least have some idea of what's happening, something that's not been too aparant in previous seasons. The budget is greatly reduced but Sammo will now have some idea of what he has to work with and this is even before the season has officially ended. Seb Harris, meanwhile, is looking likely to earn a deal with Bayo leaving and will be hoping to sort something out in the next few weeks. The American could be a useful asset as both a defender and forward and the Cobblers boss hinted that he may well yet have a role to play in his future plans.

Season In Review 2009/10...August...

And so begins the round up of another season at planet Cobblers…a season which once again lived up to the usual roller coaster entertainment of previous campaigns. At least we can look back now as a League Two club and be thankful that we are still in the Football League, something that back in the early going was, rather shockingly, looking less likely!

After relegation from League One, we needed a good start to the season and backed with a clutch of new signings there was a perfect chance to do just that at home to unfancied Macclesfield Town at Sixfields. Craig Hinton, Chris McCready, Dean Beckwith, Billy McKay and loan signing Ben Marshall were handed debuts but the Cobblers could only manage a goalless draw in an edgy start to the season.

A midweek trip to the south coast saw Stuart Gray come up against one of his former clubs as Southampton proved too powerful in the Carling Cup. Rickie Lambert began a terrific season for himself by netting from close range before Adam Lallana put the result beyond doubt and the Cobblers out in Round One.

Things continued to look bleak in our first away game of the league campaign as Chesterfield began their final season at Saltergate with a win courtesy of Donal McDermott’s winner, condemning us to a narrow defeat.

But relief was, temporarily around the corner as the Cobblers convincingly picked up a first win of the season at Accrington the following Tuesday. Steve Guinan, Adebayo Akinfenwa and Billy McKay were the scorers as we finally got off the mark.

The corner looked to have been turned with another victory, the first home win of the season, just a few days later as Bournemouth were put to the sword. Bayo struck early on and Marshall rounded off an impressive display by following up a Billy McKay shot to seal the points.

All of that hard work, though, would dramatically fall apart the following weekend as the Cobblers as we travelled to Burton Albion. Albion scored three times in the opening ten minutes to stun the Cobblers and begin Stuart Gray’s final descent. Although Guinan and Ryan Gilligan clawed goals back late on it wasn’t enough and the Cobblers boss would not see another full month of action as Town boss.

Bayo to go...it's official!

Well the deadline has passed for Bayo's decision to be made and despite the agent and the player both asking for more time Sammo thought that the time given was plenty and has ended all the speculation. One of the biggest players, in both senses of the word, to play for the club in the last decade has decided that his future lies elsewhere.

This, we cannot fight, and if we'd have gone up it might be a different story that you read right now. But as it is it was always going to be a fight to keep a player that has contributed bags of goals and livened up the squad whenever he's played. For this, we are truly thankful and we've now unfortunately lost two great figureheads of the club in one day.

Bayo and Holty, we wish you both well and the Cobblers now move forward into a new era as such as replacements are sought to fill two giant holes.

Holt turns down deal and departs...

Following the good news from Kevin Thornton, there's disappointment as Andy Holt leaves Sixfields. Holt turned down a two year deal on less wages than last season and brings to an end a loyal stay at the club.

It's a shame to lose a real favourite from the squad and a blood and guts type player who has given us a lot over the last few seasons but ultimately wanted to seek a better deal elsewhere.

Thornton signs!

Cracking news today from Sixfields as we wait for Bayo to make his mind up with the news that Kevin Thornton has agreed a new one year deal to stay with the Cobblers. Thornton signed in January on a free transfer and has gradually shown his quality in small bursts.

If we can get him fully fit then we have a superb player on our hands and with a pre season behind him this could be a massive signing for Sammo and a direct replacement for the departing Luke Guttridge.

So that's 1/6 signed on so far...we await further good news...come on Bayo!

Sammo expects some decisions "this week"

Sammo is expecting some of the players offered new deals to respond this week with Bayo Akinfenwa the key to the summer spending on wages. Bayo has promised to answer either way by the end of this week on the offer that's been on the table for two months now. It is likely that should he sign, we will have a smaller squad to work with next season and if not we could have a larger squad.

Meanwhile, Kevin Thornton is also set to make his decision with Sammo stating that it was between him and Luke Guttridge as to who to keep on. Abdul Osman and Liam Davis have a little longer to answer the call of the Cobblers boss whilst Peter Gilbert and Andy Holt are also making their mind up.

It promises to be a nervy couple of weeks for the Town boss and fans as we find out who will be around for the summer.

Retained list released by Sammo

The retained list is out and, as was the case with Fabio Capello's England squad announcement this week, there are one or two small surprises in there. As expected, Bayo, along with Abdul Osman, Andy Holt, Liam Davis, Peter Gilbert and Kevin Thornton. All seem good decisions by Sammo and we now wait nervously as our most prized assets think about where their future lies.
 
Steve Guinan and Craig Hinton are both still under contract but have been made available for transfer this summer. Of the others, Luke Guttridge is a surprise name on the list of those departing with his untimely show of frustration that resulted in the red card at Rotherham possibly a factor. A mutual agreement is likely to have been made there I would think. Alex Dyer is a little unfortunate to also be included in the departures list after a few years coming through the youth system and a couple of strong showings from the bench. Also released are Gary Mulligan, Joe Benjamin, Stephen O'Flynn and John Curtis, maybe less surprisingly.

So the wait is on to see who's going to be back next season and who wants out of League Two. Hopefully Sammo and Malcolm Crosby have sold their visions well and that come this time next month we'll have a strong base to launch our assault on the basement league once more. Crosby, importantly, has already signed a new deal and will be on board next season.

No miracles as season ends in damp squib

Northampton Town 1-1 Bury
League Two
Saturday, May 8th 2010

There was to be no fairy tale ending, no miracle and not even a lap of honour at the final whistle. The 2009/10 season was locked away into the vaults in far less dramatic style than we've become accustomed to. Results elsewhere eventually meant that we wouldn't have made the playoffs even with a win and the mood from the stands seemed to reflect onto the pitch as the season ended with a home draw, ending Bury's hopes along the way.

There didn't seem a lot of hope in the stands before the game and Cobblers fans seemed to be attending more in hope than expectation with a massive task ahead. The rain and wind didn't help and the game was drained out by a stubborn and well organised Bury side and the lack of confidence running through our own players.

Bury's fans were more up for it and did their club proud right up to the final whistle as they also fell short of the top seven. It was they who were in front at the break with Ryan Lowe providing them with a glimmer of hope when he found himself in space inside the Cobblers area.

If we had an uphill task at the start of the game it had just got even steeper. Bayo and fellow half fit star Kevin Thornton had to play on and eventually got through ninety minutes each as we looked to scrape back into the game.

Ryan Gilligan tried to get us going ten minutes into the second half with a low shot before Luke Guttridge replaced Paul Rodgers on the right.

The season was draining out of us though and passes were skidding away, long balls being eaten up by the big Bury centre halves and our only real hope left came from the sending off of the Shakers' James Poole for a bad challenge on John Johnson.

We wanted to at least end the season with something and if anyone was going to score the final goal of the season it was Bayo. The big man scored what could be his final goal for the club via a deflection and that was that.

So the 2009/10 season is over...a season of changes, shaky performances, a resolute reorganisation, a couple of months of real hope and a finish that saw us fall just at the wrong time. Stuart Gray's reign perhaps ended too late after a bad start and Sammo had to readjust with loanees for the remainder of the season.

What Sammo and Malcolm Crosby have done is provide us with a battling squad again and now the hard work truly begins in trying to keep them together. With around 3/4 of the squad out of contract this is a massive summer. If we keep this group together we can do good things. If not, it's going to test the mettle of the management team in bringing in the right players to start again.

The dream is over, the season is over and all we can do now is try and put it to bed, enjoy a couple of months of relaxing and then all come back in good spirits once again for 2010/11. Remember, it could have been a relegation dog fight today...let's be thankful it wasn't and look forward to the twists and turns of the summer months to come.

It's been tough and it could get tougher but we'll be back no matter how much we moan and groan. It's another season in League Two...you love it really!

Bayo takes Player of the Year Award

As expected, Adebayo Akinfenwa has won the Cobblers' Player of the Year award for 2009/10. Bayo has once again been the leading scorer this term and has for the most part gained full fitness to try and help the chase back up League Two. Second place went deservedly to John Johnson with Ryan Gilligan's eleven goals from midfield earning him third.

Stand up and be proud for final day

Whatever the result, whatever the outcome tomorrow we really have to remember what has happened in the last few months. Any signs of discontent now are ridiculous and what Sammo, Malc and the lads have done is superb after the dismal start under Stuart Gray. Even the current regime took time to get together but after fighting relegation at Christmas it's been a terrific response from the same players and staff that had us in the mire earlier in the season. For that, we should be thankful. It's going to take a miracle of giant proportions to get us into 7th place now, not just from us but mainly from Darlington who host Dagenham and Redbridge. The Daggers were pipped to a playoff place on the last day of last season and will be desperate to avoid a repeat.

All we can do is focus on what we're doing and try to enjoy the final day of another roller coaster season. What started in disarray has ended with at least more hope than we had at the end of last term. Our club is still being ran by someone that genuinly cares, the manager is a Cobblers legend who gives us intensity on the touch line, a connection to the fans and loyalty to the cause and most of the players do give a damn about the shirt they're wearing. I actually can't name one of the current squad who isn't a team player, fighting for the shirt and wanting to play for us rather than pick up the wage and stroll around the pitch.

That, despite the relegation this time last season, shows some progression. It's likely that we're going to be in League Two again next season but to say that we have a chance, albeit a very slight chance, of the playoffs on the final day is something that none of us could possibly imagine back in December. So let's salute this effort, give the lads the lap of honour they deserve for giving us hope and belief in our team again. Northampton Town is back in good hands again and that's something to be truly proud of.

Sixfields hosts playoff melting pot

Bury come to Sixfields tomorrow knowing that they too have work to do if they're to get into the top seven. All four sides of the ground will be intently looking out for results around the country and both teams know that they can end the hopes of the other by winning the game at Sixfields. The Shakers have dropped out of the top seven after last weekend's surprising and damaging 3-0 home defeat to Torquay United at Gigg Lane and, like us, face a huge mountain to climb.

The Cobblers are likley to continue to throw Adebayo Akinfenwa on for as long as he can last and Kevin Thornton's cameo roles are expected to go on with a place on the bench once again for the former Coventry man. A big finish from both men are key to any success and if both are still with us in August it will be massive for the club whatever league we find ourselves in.

Bury look like having a fully fit squad to choose from with the only worries being the slight knocks of David Worrall and Ryan Lowe. Both, though, are likely to at least make it into the squad.

So here we go then, one more game to settle nine months of hard work. We desperately need help but here's to at least a big performance from our claret heroes.

Don't stop believing...

Back to the old badge!

Northampton Town F.C. have announced that from this summer we'll be reverting back to the traditional badge used by the club up until 2006. Based on "comments by supporters", the club have made the decision to go back to the crest of old. The change back will kick in officially from July 1st.

Time to clutch at those straws...

It's time to clutch at straws...well I thought as Sir Alex Ferguson, one of the best in the business, was doing so I would follow suit. Our situation, of course is a lot more desperate than Ferguson's with United needing to make up just a one point deficit to reach their aims...so if they're clutching at straws, we must be well and truly grabbing at hay - or something more straw-like.

Here's the break down again....can this really be done?

Northampton Town vs Bury: Cobblers MUST win...but so must Bury, making this first ingrediant to the battle very tasty indeed. Both teams need all the points to stand a chance of grabbing seventh place with a draw probably not enough for the Shakers either. But we certainly can win this one, with one final push at Sixfields.

Darlington v Dagenham and Redbridge: This is the big one...Dagenham need to fall to defeat at the league's worst club. All we can hope for is that Darlo want to go out on a high and with nothing to play for and nothing at stake we must rely on their pride.

Chesterfield v Bournemouth: Not too bad a game in terms of slip up potential this...nerves at Chestefield should be sky high and a free and already promoted Bournemouth could cause them problems. Remember, we only need a draw in this one.

Port Vale v Shrewsbury: Same deal with this one...a draw will do us and Shrewsbury put up a decent fight in their home game with fellow playoff hopefuls Morecambe at the weekend, eventually going down 3-2. They'll want to end a disappointing campaign on a high though and will certainly test Vale.

So can it really be done? Well last season we didn't think we could go down based on other results...this time we need the opposite effect and if we gain all three points at Sixfields and that information is relayed around the country then nerves could spread like wildfire. Then again, Redbridge could be 7-0 at half time and ruin my dreams.

We have to hang on to any sort of hope we have...i am indeed clutching at those straws but what else can you do? Keep the faith, keep the pride and keep believing till the end. There may be a twist or two to come just yet...

Sinking feeling again in Yorkshire

Bradford City 2-0 Northampton Town
League Two
Saturday, 4th May 2010

If the Cobblers are picked to play in Yorkshire in the final away game of next season I think we should all just boycott it. Exactly a year on from the devastation of Leeds and relegation came this 2-0 defeat that could well be the final nail in our coffin in terms of playoff hopes. Nothing short of a miracle will do us now and once again we’ve got the worst luck at the worst time.

All was going ok on Saturday with the Cobblers evenly matching their hosts until the twelfth minute when Gareth Evans decided to strike a hammer blow to our chances of the top seven with an unstoppable volley. Other playoff rivals were blowing hot and cold and a goal for the Cobblers could well have given us fresh impotence in the race for the end of season lottery.

As it was, the next big incident in the game saw us reduced to ten men when Peter Gilbert played too short a pass to Dean Beckwith and the central defender hauled down Leon Osborne. Referee Mr Crossley, another bad omen for the day, sent Beckwith off and the uphill struggle turn into a mountain of a task for the rest of the afternoon.

Still, Billy McKay should have scored with a gaping goal late in the first half but could only find the post. That was to be a massive point in the game.

Sammo threw on Steve Guinan, Courtney Herbert and Kevin Thornton with fifteen minutes to go to try and galvanise an equaliser that could have made next weekend a little bit nicer a task but it was Bradford who struck the killer blow on the counter attack – Evan getting his second of the game to seal the win.

This leaves us needing a miraculous final day of the season with four teams between the Cobblers and 7th heaven, the final playoff place. We need ALL of the following to happen:

- Cobblers to beat Bury
- Dagenham to lose to bottom club Darlington
- Port Vale to draw or lose at home to Shrewsbury
- Chesterfield to draw or lose at home to Bournemouth

So it is going to take one hell of a final day for the Cobblers to reach the playoffs now but either way it would be nice to end this season with a win that would secure a top ten finish at the very least – something that Sammo and Malc deserve. Whatever happens, I hope you’ll join me in giving the lads a good send off and whatever league we’re in next season we know we’ll be back.

Now, I’m just off to look for that flying pig…up The Cobblers!