Osman pens one year deal

Abdul Osman has signed a new deal with the Cobblers that now ties him down for another season at least. The midfielder was initially on a week to week contract after failing to agree a longer contract in the summer but has now put pen to paper on a longer term with the club.

So more good news for us following the signing of John Johnson earlier this week and the Cobblers are near enough there in terms of personnel as the final pre-season game looms on Sunday.

JPT areas sorted as Cobblers face possibility of long trip

The "areas" for the first round of this seasons' Johnstone's Paint Trophy have been decided and the Cobblers could face a long Tuesday night trip as far afield as Hartlepool should the draw go against favour. The draw is designed to keep ties as local as possible but when you look at the possible long journeys possible and the calibre of opposition, it's tough to see a more difficult area to be in.

The Cobblers have been placed in the North East Area and could also meet League One sides Sheffield Wednesday or Walsall whilst also sharing a group with League Two champions Notts County.

The areas in full:

Northern Section (West)

Accrington Stanley, Macclesfield Town, Morecambe, Oldham Athletic, Port Vale, Rochdale, Shrewsbury Town and Tranmere Rovers

Northern Section (East)

Chesterfield, Hartlepool United, Lincoln City, Northampton Town, Notts County, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday and Walsall

Southern Section (West)

AFC Bournemouth, Aldershot Town, Exeter City, Oxford United, Southampton, Swindon Town, Torquay United and Yeovil Town

Southern Section (East)

Brentford, Brighton & Hove Albion, Charlton Athletic, Dagenham & Redbridge, Gillingham, Leyton Orient, Southend United and Stevenage

All First Round ties will be played on the week commencing 30th August with the First Round draw taking place on Soccer AM on the morning of August 14th.

The Posh are amongst the lucky teams to have been handed a bye to Round Two. The list of byes are as follows:

Northern Section: Bradford City, Burton Albion, Bury, Carlisle United, Crewe Alexandra, Huddersfield Town, Peterborough United and Stockport County

Southern Section: Barnet, Bristol Rovers, Cheltenham Town, Colchester United, Hereford United, Milton Keynes Dons, Plymouth Argyle and Wycombe Wanderers

Bayo agrees Gills contract

Well someone has pitched up the money to pay Bayo's way next season and it just happens to be a fellow League Two side to do it. Gillingham have swooped in after the big striker couldn't agree terms with Southend United last week and will name him in the squad to face Hearts tonight.

Bayo scored 17 times last season but left it too late to agree a new deal with the Cobblers so we now face the prospect of facing both himself and fellow ex-player of the year Danny Jackman when the Gills visit Sixfields on October 30th!

Squad numbers decided...

The squad numbers for the 2010/11 season have been decided with new boy Tadgh Purcell handed Bayo Akinfenwa's number 10 shirt for the coming campaign. Michael Jacobs is included in the squad with number 17 whilst the number 3 shirt appears to have been kept aside for the likely signing of Marcus Hall.

2010/11 squad numbers in full

1. Chris Dunn
2. Paul Rodgers
4. Kevin Thornton
5. Craig Hinton
6. Dean Beckwith
7. Ryan Gilligan
8. Abdul Osman
9. Steve Guinan
10. Tadhg Purcell
11. Andy Holt
12. Nathaniel Wedderburn
13. Paul Walker
14. John Johnson
15. Courtney Herbert
16. Billy McKay
17. Michael Jacobs
19. Alex Konstantinou
20. Seb Harris
21. Alistair Slowe
23. Liam Davis

Guinan at the double at Nuneaton...

Nuneaton Borough 0-2 Northampton
Pre-Season friendly
Tuesday, July 27th 2010

Steve Guinan’s double strike earned the Cobblers their latest friendly victory last night with the transfer listed forward still staking his claim for a place in Sammo’s thoughts with the season now just ten days away.

Guinan got on the end of a cross from strike partner on the night Courtney Herbert to put the Cobblers in front after just four minutes. It was the same man to set him up for the second as well with Herbert doing well down the left hand side before crossing for Guinan to convert.

Encouraging signs from a friendly then, a game that saw John Johnson complete his first ninety minutes of the pre-season after only playing a bit part in Middlesbrough’s programme so far.

There’s one final chance to impress for the boys as they take on Birmingham City at Sixfields on Sunday afternoon.

McCready signs for Morecambe

Defender Chris McCready has signed for the Cobblers' League Two rivals Morecambe on a free transfer. McCready was never in Sammo's plans and was farmed out on loan to Tranmere Rovers last season.

Signed by Stuart Gray, he only made 18 appearances for the club and when Sammo came in and changed things around it always looked like his days in a claret shirt were numbered.

And so he will line up against us next season, a season which begins a week on Saturday!

Jacobs the star as Cobblers held Watford

Northampton Town 3-3 Watford
Pre-season Friendly
Saturday, July 24th 2010

Michael Jacobs was the star of the show on Saturday as the Cobblers fought to a 3-3 draw against Championship side Watford at Sixfields. The youngster scored twice and set up the third for Tadhg Purcell as the new striker netted his first goal for the club. Add to that a substitute appearance from John Johnson and you get an action packed friendly which both sides should come back happy from.

Jacobs, who has become increasingly the one to watch in pre-season, struck the first goal of the game after getting on the end of a Kevin Thornton cross before adding his and the Cobblers’ second a few minutes later with a header. Watford were stunned into action and Danny Graham pulled one back for them min-way through the half with the game now anything but a boring run of the mill friendly game.

It was Jacobs who provided the opening for the third goal for Purcell as the former Darlington man got on the end of his cross. Although the visiting keeper kept out the initial effort, Purcell scrambled home the rebound to give us a 3-1 half time lead.

That lead would slip away though as the second half unfolded and the visitors stepped up the pace. After chances went begging for Billy McKay and Courtney Herbert, Graham struck his second of the game to reduce the arrears. And those missed opportunities would prove vital as Martin Sorvell equalised with ten minutes to go to hand his side a share of the spoils.

So an entertaining game, a real rarity for pre-season, at Sixfields and with only two friendly games to go, starting at Nuneaton on Tuesday night, it’s getting tantalisingly close to the real thing!

Jonno's return lights up the claret summer

The signing of John Johnson yesterday could well be the catalyst that propels us to the next level. It had been a relatively quiet summer up until around 5:30pm yesterday with contracts broken, words broken and agents doing their usual dirty work. But with the glorious news of a Championship right back signing not on loan but on a permanent deal we were suddenly lording Sammo's efforts.

Facebook, Twitter and forums lit up after a couple of weeks of inactivity and the stroll through the summer suddenly turned very interesting indeed. It would, of course, be foolish to think of Johnson as the saviour but it goes without saying that having him in the side gives us something that not many right backs in League Two give their side.

For the player himself, it's a terrific show of intent. Perhaps frustrated at the lack of opportunity at Boro, Johnson has stopped any loan moves and instead dropped down two divisions to get first team football. With all the money changing hands in the leagues above us, it's a refreshing change and one that will of course go unnoticed as Premier League moguls pay £30 million to put an "international" in their reserves. Johnson's enthusiasm to play has overcome his desire for a pay day to sit on a bench all season and said pay packet is more than likely a greatly reduced one.

All that will be enough for the Cobblers fans to welcome the right back with open arms this afternoon for the friendly with Watford at Sixfields.

Johnson signs on!

In what is a surprising, uplifting and major signing, the Cobblers have somehow managed to persuade John Johnson to move to Sixfields on a permanent deal that will keep the defender at Sixfields until 2012.

Johnson was one of the stars of the second half of last season in which we shot up the league table and this signing will be a massive boost to the squad. Johnson knows his way around the club, knows the players and seemed to love playing here, scoring five goals in 38 games last season, not bad for a right back!

How on earth Sammo managed to pull this one off I don't know but full credit to him! Johnson will be welcomed back in tomorrow's friendly with Watford and goes straight into the squad for that one.

First pre-season defeat...

Northampton Town 0-1 Coventry City
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday, July 21st 2010

Coventry boss Chris Coleman didn't get the goals that he craved at Sixfields but his team did pick up the victory in a quiet friendly last night. James McPake's goal settled the contest in which the Cobblers' best opportunities both fell to Billy McKay in the final ten minutes of the contest.

Off the pitch, Chris Dunn had picked up an ankle injury so it was deputy Paul Walker that took the gloves for this one. Dunn is likely to be out for ten days and Sammo could well go down the short term loan route to replace him - Jason Steele's return from Boro could be the ideal answer.

Meanwhile, the youngster still continue to play their part in pre-season with Alex Konstantinou, Michael Jacobs and Greg Kaziboni all playing some part in the game.

We now turn our attention to Watford on Saturday and with time running out until the start of the season it's now time to really focus on shaping the first choice eleven ready for August 7th.

Plenty of action in latest friendly win

Corby Town 1-2 Northampton Town
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday, July 17th 2010

Three goals, a missed penalty, some silky skills and a rattling cross bar contributed to the latest friendly this afternoon as a youthful Cobblers outfit beat Corby Town 2-1 at the Rockingham Triangle. Sammo started with some of the players that could be battling on the fringes of the first team with the likes of Paul Walker, Chris McCready, Michael Jacobs, Greg Kaziboni and Courtney Herbert given starting places.

It was Herbert who struck the opening goal, his second of the pre-season, when he was sent through by strike partner Steve Guinan to cooly finish past the home keeper.Corby were level just after half-time as a close range effort from Ben Mackey crept past Paul Walker.

But the Cobblers would seal a third successive pre-season win when Guinan netted following excellent work from Jacobs, the young midfielder beating three defenders to set up the veteran forward for the winner.

Ryan Gilligan missed a penalty just after the hour mark but it didn't have any effect on the result with Nathanial Wedderburn agonisingly close to scoring his first goal in claret when he hit the bar late on.

Another worthwhile outing then as Sammo steps up his preparations and expect to see more first team players involved when Coventry come to town on Wednesday night.

Thornton nets only goal at Kettering

Kettering Town 0-1 Northampton Town
Pre-Season Friendly
Tuesday, July 13th 2010

Kevin Thornton scored the only goal of the game tonight as the Cobblers continued preparations for the new season. Thornton could well be a key player in the coming campaign and he's netted his first goal of pre-season as we ran out 1-0 winners in the second friendly game.

Sammo once again included Marcus Hall in the squad whilst Nathaniel Wedderburn and Tadhg Purcell also featured. Alex Dyer, released from Sixfields at the end of last season, was included in the Kettering side.

So that's two wins out of two against local sides as pre-season gets well and truly under way on the Northamptonshire borders. Onwards now to Corby on Saturday for hopefully more of the same!

Hall offered Town contract

Ex Coventry stalwart Marcus Hall has been offered a contract by the Cobblers as Sammo looks for experience to cover the hole left by Peter Gilbert's departure last week. Hall was released by the Sky Blues at the end of last season having made over 300 appearances for the club during two spells.

The defender played 45 minutes in the friendly win at Long Buckby on Saturday and is expected to do the same this evening at Kettering Town where Sammo will once again choose a different eleven for each half of the game.

Cobblers kick off pre-season with victory

Long Buckby 0-4 Northampton Town
Pre-Season Friendly
Saturday, July 10th 2010

The game at Long Buckby this afternoon, an obligation for the club as part of Courtney Herbert's transfer last year, turned into a positive start to pre-season as Herbert returned to his old club to score the first Cobblers goal of the summer.

Three more followed through Steve Guinan, Liam Davis and Billy McKay rounded off a good display as the Cobblers, who fielded a different eleven for each half, ran out winners on a baking hot afternoon.

Marcus Hall, the former Coventry left back, was included in the first half as a trialist whilst Tadhg Purcell almost scored with his first touch of the ball, a shot straight from kick off to begin the second half!

All in all a decent outing and we now go onwards to Kettering on Tuesday night for hopefully more of the same.

Pre-season under way today!

The wait is over and the pre-season is about to get under way as the Cobblers travel to Long Buckby for the first friendly of the season. For Courtney Herbert that means a return to the club that he was playing for a year ago and he'll be relishing the trip. It'll be interesting to see how far the youngster has come with a bit of pre-season training under his belt.

Sammo has said that he will name two "elevens" for the game with half the squad playing in the first half and half in the second. The key is fitness for the first four games of the schedule before the big count down to the real thing on August 7th.

We're also expecting a left back to come in as a trialist this afternoon with youth teamer Charlie Death also likely to play there at some point.

Let the games begin!

Osman stays...for now...

Abdul Osman has signed a week to week deal meaning that although he is with us now, there's a chance that the midfielder could walk away with a week's notice. Not the ideal situation then for the Cobblers but the silver lining is that Osman won't be leaving a free transfer because he's over 24 and technically under contract.

With all the confusion surrounding contracts this summer it's another strange one but the club say that the permanant offer is still on the table.

Meanwhile, Sammo is stepping up the hunt for a new left back with Peter Gilbert looking odds on to join Southend this week.

You go away for a second...

...and look what happens! Last time I flew off to a foreign climate Stuart Gray was sacked and although this week's happenings aren't quite as dramatic there's still plenty to catch up on...

- Peter Gilbert is now NOT staying with the Cobblers after his failure to get paperwork back to the club for various deadlines set by Sammo. Another sign of unwillingness from the Cobblers boss to stand for any messing about. A big loss on the pitch nonetheless.

- Tadhg Purcell arrives on a free transfer in a potentially terrific piece of business...a man that scored nine times for hopeless Darlington in 22 games last season points to a decent striker and hopefully that form will get better with more service in the coming season.

- Right sided midfielder Alistair Slowe also signed on this week subject to international clearance. Slowe, who was until recently with Onisilos Sotira, was born in Brighton but moved to Ghana to play for Cantonments before going on to Cyprus. The 21-Year-Old is very much an unknown quantity but that could well work in our favour as well as giving the lad a chance back in English football.

- Liam Davis has signed a new one year deal but we are still waiting on an answer from Abdul Osman.

- Tim Flowers is BACK at Sixfields as goalkeeping coach once again.

Phew! So now all eyes on the pre-season schedule and with the first friendly at Long Buckby coming up this Saturday the build up can well and truly begin!