New Day; New Hope

It's matchday. It's only been three days since our last home match against Coventry, but I have found myself eagerly awaiting another visit to the Sixfields Stadium, (capacity 7653, all seater!!!!).

I have been a keen follower of all things football and happy to find the positives from a lot of teams I have seen over the last plenty of years, courtesy of Sky.

I do not consider myself to have any particular affinity to a premiership club, and have now only begun to realise my fixation and deep loyalty to Northampton Town. (I don't need tears, it's only football!!).

It's been a long time since I have actively followed a football club - and as I explained in the first posting - I had been exiled in Reading and was happy to follow a team. I was fortunate enough to follow a fairly successful Reading FC of the mid to late seventies, Charlie Hurley's Blue & White army 75/76, promoted to old division 3 in his first season boosted by the silky skills and unpredictability that was Robin Friday, (often labelled "The Greatest Player You Never Saw"). and a talent that could with better guidance have graced the international arena.

Years followed of commitment to local football, moved back to Northampton 1990, marriage, children, fatherhood (no time for football), till now.

However, one pre-season game and I am totally lost in my re-found soul! I can't wait for Saturday afternoon, I am excited, expectant and optimistic.

Unbelievably, my son is already sharing the love for The Cobblers! One game - we lost, has obviously stirred something within him that needs fulfillment. It might just be his love for the game, I hope it's a feeling of "Home is where the heart is," and over the course of a season it will bind him eternally with the club and the town.

Saturday 24th July 2010 - Pre Season friendly; Cobblers v Watford
It's another fine Northamptonshire day, warm, slightly overcast. The visitors to Sixfields today are Watford. Still best remembered due to their association with Elton John, Graham Taylor, John Barnes, Luther Blisset. However over the last 30 years Watford have enjoyed the highs and lows of football, Premier League, Europe, Cup Finals and now find themselves like a lot of clubs watching the pennies, developing youth and struggling to recapture past glories.

I will admit they looked really impressive in the warm up. They look looked fit, sharp and skillful. Movement was good, ball skills excellent and they looked ready for a game. They spent a good thirty minutes charging around looking impressive. "They'll be knackered at this rate," I commented to my son.

I don't know what was said in the pre match team talk but that must have gone something like;

"Don't go out on the pitch today and play like your a Championship side. Don't stretch them all over the park, don't knock the ball around and make them chase it and most of all don't exert your superior skills and sharpness on a team that are two divisions lower than we are."

All credit goes to the Watford team's loyalty to their manager - they carried out his instructions to the letter - apart from the odd glimpse of obvious talent - they were S**te!!

Half time; Cobblers 3 Watford 1 - YES!
Michael Jacobs 1-0
Michael Jacobs 2-0, this boy is talented. He is exciting to watch on the ball and there is a buzz in the crowd whenever he get's it. He's a product of the youth team. Hope expectations are not too high too soon, but we'll take it as it comes. Class.
Danny Graham 2-1, Defence caught square by a slide rule pass, neat finish.
Tadgh Purcell 3-1, deserved his goal, has worked hard this half and should add quite a few goals this season.

Watford team talk half time;

"Ok lads a jokes a joke. Forget everything I said at the beginning!"

I'm seated within chatting distance of a Watford fan - (looked like an ex player but didn't go there). We started chatting and he informs me that the team on the park will be the Watford starting eleven for most of the coming season, they have nothing else apart from a few kids. They will struggle this year to stay up. He is impressed with The Cobblers today and says we should have a good season. Nice balanced team put together by Sammo. I am thinking he has summed up my thoughts entirely!

Cobblers made a couple of substitutions replacing Purcell with Guinan, McKay with Herbert. New boy John Johnson took the field to replace Paul Rogers. Johnson welcomed back to Sixfields by warm applause and settled into the right back slot as if he owned it.

Substitutions led to change of the game. It seemed to me that Guinan spent most of his time on the pitch moaning and whingeing. He's on the list if there are any takers.

Watford scored direct from a free kick - using the old "Whilst they're setting they're wall up and before the ref blows his whistle", trick. 3-2

Cobblers try the old "Whilst they're setting they're wall up and before the ref blows his whistle", trick - Hit the post with keeper stranded. Unlucky. (Can't believe a side that had been successful previously with their effort were so switched off to someone having the audacity to try it against them.

Mis hit half volley loops over Cobblers keeper 3-3. If he connected with it, coaches in the car park would have been damaged. They all count I suppose.

My Watford mate can't work out how they have scored three goals without having three shots! "It's a funny old game"

Northampton were impressive today.

Jacobs, (Class act), Harris, (impressive at the back, seemed to be on the end of everything), Thornton, (Industrious), Wedderburn, (Distribution impressive, Colossus for his age), caught the eye for most of the game, but the pleasing thing was the teamwork.

Danny Graham (Watford). Their most impressive player and was a constant threat on the ball. Will surely be snapped up by a better team - looks like he deserves it.

I know it's only a friendly and it's all about fitness but most Cobblers supporters came away with high hopes and anticipation for the season. If we play like this against 2nd division sides, someone will get murdered.

My son is off for his last residential of the year with the National Youth Orchestra on Sunday in preparation for three concerts culminating with a performance at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC proms. He informs me that he is taking his Cobblers shirt away with him to wear in rehearsals. I would like to know if this is the first time a Cobblers shirt will be aired at such a gathering. He is wearing it with pride and keen to show his allegiance to the cause. Good lad.

It's rather ironic that the NYO are staying in Birmingham for two weeks and he will unfortunately miss the next friendly against Birmingham City.

Need to find another convert to the course for next week - wonder what my wife's doing Sunday afternoon?

"Come On Cobblers"

It's my son's last year at home before he goes off to university.

"Why don't you do something as a Father / Son for his last year" suggests my wife.

Now, as some of you will identify, relating to a seventeen year old with attitude is never easy. However, we do share an interest in sport in general, football in particular.

"Why don't we spend your last year before Uni, doing something useful together - Let's get season tickets for Northamton Town F.C."

Yes you read it right - Northampton Town F.C. English football league. Division Two. (That's "The Cobblers" for the uninitiated, based on Northampton's heritage gone by as the nations capital for the shoemaking industry).

Now, I'm born and bred in Northampton and have been a lifelong follower. Supported them fairly often with my dad as a child, until I was forced to emigrate to Reading just 'cause my parents moved. (I was only ten at the time so there were no other options!).

Tainted by my parents, my brother, my sister in law, my nephews, nieces and all their mates, my son on the other hand has been following Reading FC. (all above mentioned have been season ticket holders and have bribed him into supporting Reading).

The battle is on. Over the course of the next 46 league games can he be swayed from the dark side to see the light that is Northampton Town.

It's bound to be a journey with it's highs and lows, and like all football supporters across the world, expectations are always high before a ball is kicked in anger, it's only as the season unfolds that you either question your own sanity or suddenly realise that your judgement and assesment of the team before your very eyes is sound, and that football management should have been your chosen career!

So it's time to start the conversion.

21st July - Pre-season friendly; The Cobblers v Coventry City
This is a bonus - a warm summers evening to watch a football match - very pleasant. The visitors this evening to Sixfields, (home ground of the mighty Northamptoin Town FC, capacity 7653 (all seater!!!), are near neighbours from up the M45, Coventry City.

We're only using two sides of the ground tonight - One end filled with Coventry supporters, (probably a quiet night in Coventry on Wednesdays), and the West Stand scattered with Northampton Town die-hards, press-men and men in suits.

The strange thing about football is that quite often you can be on the back foot before the game has started - well in this case Coventry scored an early goal - don't think we'd been in there half!

1-0 down is not great this early, it's uphill from here lads!

Now this is one thing I am going to enjoy for the season - life around the stadium!!

They say that there's "Nowt as queer as folks, " which leads to some interesting observations.

I am only a newbie season ticket holder and am interested in what it takes to voice your support for your team.

After 90 minutes I now know that all you have to say is "Come On Cobblers", "Stay tight", "That's it".

Well that's all the bloke sat near me said all night - over and over and over again. At one point I'm sure the players were fed up hearing him cause all the play was condensed over the far side of the pitch. Doesn't matter though - you just have to shout it louder!! (If he's my regular season ticket neighbour, I will spend one match counting the "Come on Cobblers!!!!"

What else happened - well we had plenty of possesion without looking threatening. We can boast a fairly good mix of youth, with promise, and experience, with experience. (Never sure what of, but they have experience).

Half time refreshments were cold, (very welcome). My son shared his chips, (it's a father son bonding moment), then I realised why he shared them - they were crap and it's the last time I'm forking out £3.00 on chips!

Hot news get me Sky Sports! - "Messi" spotted in crowd at Sixfields. Realised after a few minutes that it wasn't really Lionel Messi but some kid with a Barcelona shirt - ah well we can dream - he must be out of contract sometime!!!

Coventry missed a sitter in front of their own fans - early contender for miss of the season - 4 metres out - open goal - cleared his own supporters and the stand - new ball please!

Things look promising for the season ahead and we will win more than we lose. Football was neat and positive. Bit more work on creating an opening and we should be on our way.

My son is smiling at the end and enthused by what he has seen - looking forward to the next home game (Watford, they lost to Barnet tonight so it should be easy then!!!!!).

"Come On Cobblers"