A New Dawn?

"Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I am permitted to hold for the moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations."
--George Bernard Shaw

I found this quote in the offerings for depression! Not that I think I am suffering from physical or mental depression, only I am suffering like many others a depression over Northampton Town's recent form on a football field.

You see, I want them to improve and play better football. I want them to win, and I want them to be successful. I have grown up a Northampton Town fan. It's my own fault. We are what we are in life, and as a football team we are what we are. It goes back to the old saying that we "only reap what we sow."

Better people than I can discuss the history of Northampton Town Football club and I am not going back to find out what happened in the past. We can only assume that whoever was sowing at the time was ultimately trying to do their best for the club and still are. No one that I know gets up in the morning determined to have a crap day and perform badly at work. We are only trying to do our best.

I want things to improve not only for me and thousands of others inside Sixfields, but I would love it to improve for my son. It's his first season following the club closely and I don't want him to lose interest due to club failings on or off the pitch. The strange thing is that he seems to be hooked into "The way it is." That doesn't mean we are complacent about the current situation but we can accept that this is reality for the time being. I want it to "Burn brightly for future generations", so that he may sit with his children and say, "It weren't much better when I was your age!!"

Talking of improving for the future. My son was 18 in the week before the Gillingham game so it was decided that the day of the match would bring his first, (legally first), pre match pint! I will say at this moment that it was also his first visit to the "Carlsberg Tavern." Oh dear.

There is already a discussion on the boards about the state of the place, and Saturday may have been a one off. But no draught lager. Slow pouring taps that were working. Limited supply of bottled beverages, (not cold either), and all the atmosphere of a vacuum! (1 bottle of Magners, 1 bottle of Bud - over £7.00, disgusting rip off), I'd rather buy a couple of cans out the back of someones car in the car park!!

Since our last home appearance in the debacle that was Hereford, the Cobblers have visited Oxford, (lost 3-1), Ipswich, (Carling Cup,lost 3-1). Oh dear!!!

We were desperate for a win against a team that has not won away from home for the best part of 18 months, and one that boasts the ex Cobblers striker that didn't stay in the summer, Adebayo Akinfenwa.

If ever a script was written - then there you have it!

Not a great start for the Cobblers, we are 1-0 down in 7 minutes to a well worked free kick that totally out foxed the Cobblers defence sending the wall and defenders one way whilst the ball ended up going the other. (I have seen the TV replays since and I think this was one of the best worked free kicks I have witnessed for a long time). My son tells me that it's from FIFA 11 !!!! (Coaches take note - get your dead ball plans from the game platforms!)

Despite the early set back the Cobblers continued to press forward in wave after wave of attacking effort. Not much pretty stuff today, we played a more direct route than of late but it seemed to be working.

Patience was rewarded with a Dean Beckwith header and the relief flowed around the crowd like a Mexican wave!

Once again we were blessed with a trainee ref who was only spotting fifty per cent of anything untoward and I am convinced that it was the linesman who eventually informed him that a defender is not allowed to hold his arms around a player, wrestle him to the ground, whilst defending a corner. Well done Lino! Leon McKenzie slots home the resulting penalty. Cobblers lead 2-1 at the break.

The second half resembled the Alamo! Gillingham pressed forward, Northampton dug in for the bombardment! We dug in deeper and deeper and deeper and with a bit of luck and a lot of effort, they did not pass!!

It wasn't pretty to watch in the second half, and it wasn't without it's nerve racking moments but as John Wayne is often credited with saying, "A man's gotta do, what a man's gotta do," and we held on by hook or by crook. (By the way, and I've checked out the John Wayne quote, (Sad old git!), The quote was actually said by Fred MacMurray in "The Rains Of Ranchipur" in 1955.

(My mum will now say to my dad, "I don't remember that," to which he will utter the standard response, "I knew that, you remember, it's the one where the spoilt and stubborn Lady Edwina Esketh, (Lana Turner), comes to a small town with her husband, (Michael Rennie). She falls in love with an indian doctor, Dr. Safti, (Richard Burton). She also meets an old friend of hers, the alcoholic Tom Ransome, (Fred MacMurray). An awful earthquake is followed by days of rain."

Right, I'm off to Blockbusters to book my copy for next weekend, sounds like a good Saturday night in!!!

My youngest son, (non football loving), spent the best part of half term in the recording studio with his band "The Incidents," and followed up with a support gig on Saturday night at Cottingham.

They absolutely blew the main act away and received rave reviews from the audience on both their performance and their blossoming talent. (They write their own songs and can be checked out on their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Incidents/119780191414528

Give them a quick click and a like, and spread the word to all your mates. I believe they show a real talent with some catchy tunes that would not be disgraced on a radio show.

I have become hooked on the glories of "Twitter." I know it's a late discovery but I can't believe people "Tweet" the most inane things - Fascinating!!! (I'm @oldbloke42 if you want a "Tweet").

Come On Cobblers, Come On!!!!