The Hotel End

Many will know already and have booked up but just putting it out there...

London Midland trains direct from Northampton to Crewe (albeit stopping everywhere in-between, including Kinsasha I think) £15 rtn if booked in advance. Arrive into Crewe, basically 10.30/11.30/12.30 and so on.
737 initial allocation but know loads and loads already booked up on trains...good to take a thousand or so!

It's London North Western now!

Where are these tickets Rob, I can't find them?

Minimum of £45rtn from MK, I think that there are engineering works on the way back so no direct trains very slow. Think I might pass.

It's £15 from MK...bought yesterday!

Train apps or direct. I bought on Trainline app. Not all trains but around half - unless Cobblers' fans have bought them all!
For example, I have 17.02 back from Crewe, others have an hour later, which now might have gone at that price.

Getting into Crewe at 10.30, which a lot are, and returning at 17.02 still £13 rtn from Northampton!

Coolcat is correct, there are still deals a lot cheaper than £45 return available from MK.

Just not true is it! Why do you always try and put a downer on away games? Try it for once!

I might pass...usual s***e mantra from you!
Get a life!

If you get the 7.45 train from Northampton, 18.02 back and have enough for a group save, it can be done for £12 each. Also worth noting that there's a licensed pub in Crewe station serving from 8  ;)

If someone can show me a train ticket from MK to Crewe for £15rtn?

5, yes 5 posts from Cat about an upcoming away game and not a single mention of a pub. Is that a record?

If you go on trainline now you can get one for £12!

The 1802 back is direct to Northampton, no changes...only 4 carriages though...will be cosy!

Try fcuking looking!

Guarded secrets!  ;D
Oh go on then, down the Nantwich Rd, past the ground, Crewe has its very own Beer Guerilla (for those itk!) called Beer Dock. Continental beers, ales, shop and bar...opens at 10am!

That's fine if you have mates - I don't!  ;D

Two of us on the 9.19 from MK (me and acquaintance paid £15 and £17 respectively)  ;)

Yes i can

Normal service has been resumed from our most famous patron of alcoholics unanimous.

Yeah Clarkie pull your socks up.

They are all direct back -if direct is an appropriate word!  ;D

After yesterday, decided to go with my wife and some friends to MK Lightning Ice Hockey instead. 10 mins from my front door, £18 tickets and you can have a drink during the game without being arrested.

On the subject of away days, my Dad and I love a good away trip having done numerous each season in the last 10 years or so. Trip down to Exeter in 15/16 being a particular highlight.

However this season we've done MK, Cambridge and will be doing Cheltenham but being season ticket holders, quite frankly both of us can think of better things to do with our time than spend even more of it watching NTFC right now.

Cool story Bro

Anyone making a long day or weekend of it should visit the village of Tarporley about 10 miles from Crewe, and have a couple of decent Robinson's ales in The Rising Sun. Recently refurbished pub that also does excellent food. Also the Swan Hotel keeps some good local ales. My father-in-law still lives in the village. Try it, you'll like it.

Certainly a long day (leaving Oxford at 7.30am) but making a 'weekend' of Crewe away is pushing it a bit!  ;D

Lick the "IceCreamStand".....  !!!!!

How did the ice skating go - was this a match or exhibition?

Ps  you missed a fine win Sat

Saturday I went for a nice long walk with my OH on Dunstable Downs, great day in nice weather.

Ice Hockey is this Saturday - keep up.  ;D

Can’t wait for another instalment of “ territorial advantage” , “ percentage ball” , “ if you are going to clear it , clear it long” , “ ball into the right areas “ and “ nullifying the opposition”.
Let’s hope Crewe make the mistakes that Stevenage did for our two goals on Saturday ( no disrespect to Williams who did brilliantly and Powell for his first goal , but both were howlers by the opposition ).
This football is just about bearable away from home but it’s not what I would give up a lot of things on Saturday to watch .

too late ;D

Curle is part of the Warnock school of football - so I don't think it will be getting any better.

Exactly.
The problem with that is that it has to be successful otherwise the enjoyment is nil .

I thought that some Carlisle supporters came on here a while back to say that Curle’s style was to be involved in high scoring matches - 5-4’s, 3-3’s etc? I just assumed that the pragmatic approach was to get us through to the end of the season with our league place intact and then there would be a reassessment in the summer?

I do get that Curle is currently getting us through to the end of the season but I don’t accept everything will automatically be ok after the summer .
We have heard it so many times before and then the manager can’t get players to come here or they are not as good as everyone thought they were going to be and it fails .
For me , he has had enough chance to get the building blocks in place now and hasn’t convinced me that he is moving forward with any conviction . It can’t all be left until next season to sort out .
All the other teams that went down are doing better than we are .

Out early, returning at 18:02 from Crewe for £15. Try trainsplit if trainline isn’t showing the same prices.

I must admit that the recruitment side of things does concern me a bit especially with KT and DB wanting to leave (despite KT’s reassurances that financial backing remains in place until a buyer emerges). I just hope that KC and Simon Tracey have some aces up theirs sleeves as the market place is going to be incredibly competitive in the summer. With their strong links with Carlisle you would assume that the likes of Hope and Devitt might feature highly on the wanted list. Either way with KC contracted for another season we’ve got no option but to hope for the best.

Never use trainline with their commission. Use any UK rail company you will see the same fares without the commission. The same booking engine is used across the board.

I used Trainline a week last Saturday and they didn't charge a booking fee.  They used to but that was the first time without, have they removed it?
The ticket was the same price as on National Rail.

Yep, paying 25p and simply touching a button and there's your tkt on the phone is a scandalous rate...up there with Wonga!

And Trainline is so much clearer and easier to navigate than any of the train company websites, where invariably problems with loggin and credit card details, trying to get the price advertised and finding it doesn't actually exist and going through the whole process again after you are timed out!
25p or maybe 30p now worth it for e-tickets, for anything not standard Off Peak!

Every time I’ve used trainsplit it’s been very simple and offer big savings on prices advertised by trainline

Yes, Trainsplit is another ok app. Find GWR, Virgin etc sites annoying though!

You keep paying the 25p and they will keep charging it.
Unless they don't which may or may not be the case.
Anyway I'm not going Satdee, pencilled in a big day out early April to say bye bye to Notts County  ;D

Occasional Part-Timer ;)

Which is better, an Occasional Part-Timer or a Full Time Part-Timer?  ??? ;D

Another headscratcher of a team selection - Sordell over Williams, bridge dropped/rested, joe Powell dropped after scoring and Daniel Powell coming in. I don’t know where the creativity is going to come from.

Cornell; Goode, Taylor, Pierre(c), Buchanan; Turnbull, O'Toole, Foley; Hoskins, D.Powell, Sordell.

Subs: Coddington, A.Williams, J.Powell, Bowditch, Bridge, Elsnik, J.Williams.

No Junior Morias or Shaun McWilliams in the 18. Shay Facey & George Cox both injured.

https://www.northamptonchron.co.uk/sport/football/i-didn-t-come-here-to-warm-the-bench-1-8831239

Hows that working out then Andy?

Odd line up. Willo and Bridge should have started.

It seems an odd one... but what else to expect with Curle picking the team. :-\

Sordell has done naff all but starts before our top scorer who scored the winner last week..baffling

Bearing in mind my condemnation of Joe Powell an hour before kick off last week I reckon Sordell will score at least once this week!

Junior Morias unavailable due to illness it has been confirmed.

I've got a very good feeling about this game.

I really don’t understand Curle’s logic, D Powell totally useless and starts, Williams most likely scorer as his Cobblers record suggests doesn’t start, Bridge has shown enough to be a starter surely, then there’s Hoskins.........

I dont

Neither do I really.

Get in there!!!

Haha.

D Pow with an assist from the Sordmeister... 0-1

Curlio is the greatest...

0-2 YESSSSSSS

We're the greatest team in the world!!!

;D

JJOT is the greatest midfielder...

Some of these posts have aged well.

Amazing.  Two up and even Powell has got one

and he set up JJ for the second.

Why are you here so early? Normally you don't make an appearance until there's 6 mins left.

0-2 HT..that'll do

15 points from the drop and 10 from the Playoffs as its stands

It seems that no one on here can correctly forecast the starting eleven. Imagine what it must be like for the opposing manager. It seems that Keith Curle's chief weapon is one of surprise (and ruthless efficiency and almost fanatical dedication to the ...)

;D

Powell MotM first half...  ;D

The Curle Inquisition.

I think this all proves, despite what people want to think, is that football has no logic whatsever

  ;D

I truly believe there's a third goal in us..

Goode booked..Crewe on top but we're standing firm

I don't

Double sub:

Bowditch replaces JJ
Willo replaces Sordo

JWill on for Goody

The Hoskmeister picks up a late yellow

I think it all it does is just reiterate how utterly piss poor the quality in league 2 is this year and how we have missed a golden oppertunity

Blow up ref. Rest of my acca is in....

Ffs we're in the 9th minute of added

Yessss

Good win

0-2 FT

another huge 3 pts..

Good win and welcome 3 points, safety almost assured.

9 points off 7th place. 15 points off 23rd place - 11 to go. Good away form, 2 home games up next though.

Absolutely spot on.

Completely agree. We have played very, very few good sides this season.

Crewe were even worse than Stevenage last week.

Rough house tactics won the day  ;D according to Crewe anyway.

 
Good defensive display; their Fwds were shocking

Was dithering all week over going on the back of last week, but have had a fair bit of travelling in recent times and just wanted to chill out so didn't bother. Wish Id made the effort.

Listened in on the wireless, sounded in the main very comfortable. Also, crucially, we seem to have finally sorted out our game management. Bodes well.

To reach the play off's I reckon we'd need to either win 9, lose 2 or win 8, draw 3. Bloody unlikely!  ;D I am however grateful that Im going to Sixifield's next week to watch a game with at least a tiny bit riding on it from an upwards perspective. A big bonus.

Powell sounded good. We all know 'he's got it' but has hardly ever delivered for us. Can he kick on now and be our coveted winger for the run in? Again, very much doubtful but you never know! Todays a good day, well done to the 600 plus who did make the effort (which is an amazing figure given the circumstances) and one that shows there is certainly no apathy within the hardcore ranks of our support. Truly wished Id made the effort, but whatever happens Ill be at Grimsby in a fortnights time.

I felt it was because they struggled on their bobbly pitch. Another clean sheet for Cornell while O'Donnell let in another five  ;D

It’s going to be very interesting to see what decisions KC makes come the end of the season - the mass clear out that most of us have been advocating for so long is perhaps now not so clear cut with the likes of Powell, buchs, jjot and Taylor coming back into form, or is it just a case of them lifting themselves knowing their contracts are up in the summer?

It is a case of them lifting themselves knowing their contracts are up in the summer.

Funny how those injuries that proved so troublesome in the dark days of January, heal when the end of the season is approaching.

In his interview, JJ said he liked the away fans new song about Charlie Goode. Can anybody enlighten me further as he forgot how it went?

The back five all had a good game today, including Turnbull, and appear to be complementing each other.
Dan Powell played well and contributed with his goal and assist.
JJOT looks like he is getting back to something like he was.
Cornell spilled one but recovered well and he made a couple of vital saves at the end.
Hoskins worked his socks off for the team and had a decent speculative shot that could easily have gone under the bar.
Foley isn't fully up to speed but improved as the game went on.
The only disappointing performance was Sordell who is obviously (to me) not yet fully match fit appearing to play within himself, hopefully we will see him at his best before the end of the season.
All in all another professional away performance, just need to be as consistent at home now.

Which injuries?

Football related injuries.

To whom?

Various players from various clubs in the past and into the future. "Got a twinge in my groin Boss." "Won't be able to make Carlisle away when it's plus 1 temp and peeing down with rain".

 ;D The Inspector Calls 8)

Sky flashed up the keepers who have kept most clean sheets this season in lg1 this afternoon and R O'D was about 3rd on the list. Tremendous achievement in that team! 😉

Really ? :

1)James Shea   Luton Town
     31    15   48,4 %
2) Aam Davies   FC Barnsley
     31   14   45,2 %
3) Alex Cairns   Fleetwood Town
    34   13   38,2 %
4) Mark Howard   Blackpool
    27   12   44,4 %
5)Richard O'Donnell   Bradford City
    34   11   32,4 %

Does not include todays matches ???
   

Not sure where you've got those figures from nevers but the Barnsley keeper was top and as I say R OF up there. Impressive given where bradford are.

Saw the five he conceded yesterday. Cornell would have been crucified on here for a couple of them?

He still likes a meltdown every time he concedes doesn’t he?!

And the two that D'Gea conceded...  ;D

My take on the game yesterday was that the defence won us the game. I liked the way the midfield operated particularly
Turnbull and to a slightly lesser extent Foley. Foley pulled off an extraordinary tackle in front of the vocifierous support, hooking the ball away without fouling the oppo. I was surprised at the team selection with Bridges, Powell and Williams omitted and Dan Powell selected. It worked tho' with Crewe having very few clearcut chances. Hoskins distinguised himself with some chase backs and excellent tackles. Jury still out on "Soufle" but he showed some decent touches and did well to remain on the pitch until he was somewhat belatedly subbed. Probably not fit enough yet. Cornell was calm and authoritive thru' out and am amazed at the pointless criticism he attracts.
Thanks to the magnificent support who were positive thru' out (and cheerful too) it made for an enjoyable afternoon. As for their chants; I dont see the point of criticizing them be it the Ira or the 31 versions. It does bring a smile when you hear the 31 version - in fact some round me joined in! Its a pity that Cobblers78 is not on here now to tell us how many points we need to make the play offs. He was bullied off by some on here.

Their forwards were gash which helps. A team with the clinical Revmeister in would have scored against us.

They're a very arrogant team so Feely is feeling good..

he greatest!

It is noticeable how we've started to pick up results as our more physically imposing midfielders (JJOT, McWilliams and Foley) have come back into the side (or been moved into midfield as in the case of Turnbull). Even Powell yesterday started to use his ample physique to hold off challenges. Only Elsnik of our new midfield recruits or youngsters looks the part physically.

Indeed. Can't remember whether it was the third or fourth goal, but he assaulted the post a couple of times with his boot!

If you are talking about ROD then many on the Bradforum have a distinctly poor opinion of him.