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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Nostalgia mid 1980s
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on: August 25, 2022, 15:48:29 pm
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The Cobblers played the Manchester United game on the 7th February 1970.
The Tranmere game was played on the 27th January. On Saturday 31st January the Cobblers were at home to Bradford PA and that was where vouchers were given out first of all.
There was another game on the 2nd February 1970 (Monday) but it was called off due to the rain. However, the turnstiles stayed open and anyone turning up was given a voucher. It was possible to go around all of the turnstiles collecting vouchers.
The father of a pal of mine did exactly that and he gave me a voucher for the Spion Kop. I was at the FA Cup game!
The interesting thing is that the Monday night game was against Sc***horpe. It was finally played on the 18th February, which was a Wednesday. Kevin Keegan was in the Sc***horpe team.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: What to do?
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on: January 13, 2021, 15:09:01 pm
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My first game was in about 1960 when the Cobblers beat Oldham 8-0 and I thought that if football is like this, then it is worth watching. As the team moved up the divisions my view at games was obstructed by the crowds and I gave up. I seem to remember watching a game against perhaps Crystal Palace. The Cobblers got a penalty awarded and I did not see it being taken. I had to ask somebody what happened. After that I gave up going. I would stand in the garden, which was about a mile away, and could hear the groans and cheers.
Coincidentally I returned to watch the Cobblers when they played Brighton in the league cup and beat them 8-0. I missed the season in division 1 because I had a part-time job on Saturdays and in the evenings.
As the Cobblers slipped down the divisions there was space again in the Hotel End. I could see the games and players again. You could see their faults and their strengths.
For a short time Dave Bowen looked as though he would get the Cobblers promoted. Then things hit rock bottom until Bill Dodgin arrived. Around that time I got a season ticket for a couple of years. Because of work, I could sit in the stands to watch the reserve games. Johnny Petts played in one game and tried to jump over the rope on the cricket side to retrieve the ball. His trailing leg caught the rope and he fell flat on his face. Getting up, Petts looked at the rope and tried again with the same result. Most of the first team were in the stands watching and were in hysterics. I do not remember which game it was, only that Johnny Petts tripped over the rope and the Cobblers' players could not believe what they had just seen.
Dodgin's team was good but then Crerand took over. Normal service was resumed. We then got Graham Carr and that was exciting football. I had moved away from Northamptonshire, but went to home games and away games that were near to me.
We had the Atkins period again after hitting rock bottom.
The rest is a bit of a blur now. Exactly who was in which team etc and when the Cobblers got promoted, but who cares?
I did not see the First Division season but I saw Johnny Petts trip over the rope on the cricket side. John Buchanan was outside one of the northern clubs looking at the crowd and muttered that we could do with a few more. At the old Wigan stadium a Wigan player kicked the ball away with such venom and it hit a Cobblers' player. I was on the terraces and the Wigan player shouted to me "I think he stopped that!"
Coming up to date and the Cobblers were struggling again when Ady Boothroyd took over. Matt Duke dryly said "You need a bit a of tension. That's what makes the world go round."
I do not expect miracles from the Cobblers. I know that they will struggle for at least this season. Covid has not helped. However, if I lived locally, I would not think about getting a season ticket now. If the Cobblers were playing away, I would probably watch a non league team like Brackley. You see players who are good and they can take a bump without needing a lot of treatment. Che Adams was the last stand out player that I saw when he was at Ilkeston.
Matt Duke summed it up, you need a bit of tension!
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The Hotel End / Other Football & Sport / Re: Tranmere v Brackley
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on: November 27, 2020, 19:53:45 pm
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I have watched Brackley play, over the years, when they are nearby. Jon Brady managed them before Kevin Wilkin and his teams played keeping their shape. As a manager you can hear Kevin Wilkin praising his players.
Brackley have some useful players and they definitely can play football. Let's hope for an upset.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: CURLE OUT.
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on: November 15, 2020, 12:13:38 pm
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Similar comments so often. Where would everyone like the Cobblers to be at the end of the season? I would be happy to see them survive and regroup for another season in Div 1. If that happens then there has been success. It is rare for teams to get promoted every year. This division is hard and there are some shrewd players, who know the game. You could argue that some of them should be recruited to play for the Cobblers. With this virus knocking around, how many of you are actively planning to move around the country after a job? Players are people and I'm sure many are looking as how the virus goes before committing to moving sticks. If the Cobblers really are that bad, then watch Brackley for £2 next weekend. I saw their FA Cup game and it was enjoyable. The picture cut out a few times, the floodlights failed, but there was entertainment. You know the standard to expect, but for £2 it is better than £10 and feeling miserable. I have only seen 2 victories so far and players that do not seem to have any discipline regarding their position on the pitch. If I were a forward, I would take a book to read as there is not much else to do.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: OXFORD CITY LIVE ON BT SPORT
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on: November 10, 2020, 08:06:03 am
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Let's hope that this game was a watershed. In his post match interview Keith Curle stated that players and agents had been knocking on his door asking for games. The players are playing for a league 1 team so, if they have anything about them, should be fitter and better than Oxford. Clearly the game was a shambles. Keith did not say that the team was unlucky to lose.
If today is a day of honesty then either there will be an improvement or players will not be seen again. Last season I went to Sc***horpe and that game was embarrassing. Let's hope this game was a turning point. Players were given a chance and they know how they performed and what can be done about it now.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Promotion - when do you know it is possible?
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on: January 02, 2020, 10:16:01 am
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Each time I log on I read more or less the same thing about the team and it got me thinking,
My questions are '"In the last 50 years how many teams were you confident would get promoted? At what point in the season did you believe that promotion was on?"
As I think back, there are probably 4 teams that I thought would be promoted without play offs.
1 - The team under Dave Bowen in 1970/71. Had Frank Ramkmore not been injured, who knows? Felt it would happen very early on and it didn't due to the injury. 2 - Bill Dodgin's team in 1975/76. A team full of characters that played entertaining football. Early in the season you could see something good. 3 - Graham Carr's promotion team with Hill, Morley, McGoldrick and co. Benjamin giving the ball to Hill and you knew there was a goal. Early on in the season the quality was there. 4 - Chris Wilder's team. It seemed to build up and was on after Christmas I felt.
Other than that nothing really stands out. Have i missed anything? Other thoughts would be of interest.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Scunny Away Sat 12th Oct
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on: October 12, 2019, 17:58:41 pm
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First half was about as bad as it can get.
I am not sure how the forward line will ever score. There is nothing positive you can say about balls to them.
Sc***horpe ran through this team in the first half. Immodium was needed.
The only positive was seeing McCormack thinking before he kicked the ball. Superb passes and somebody who can read the game.
It is time for the management to sit down and talk to the team and clear the air. Players know when things are wrong, but have they got the nerve to speak up? Are they allowed to speak?
If management do not listen to the players, they will go.
Confidence must be rock bottom.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Your random Cobblers memories
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on: October 01, 2019, 21:15:37 pm
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John Petts played in a reserve game. The ball got kicked out on the cricket side.
Petts went after it and decided to hurdle the rope along the cricket side. He caught his foot on the rope and fell down. When he got up, instead of going under the rope, he tried to hurdle it again and again caught his foot and fell over the rope.
They were the days of being a student. I was in the stands and many of the first team were there watching and were in stitches.
I was told that Alan Starling also took a cigarette when at Huddersfield.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Mauling The Morecambe A 28th Sept
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on: September 28, 2019, 19:51:53 pm
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Football has moved on so much.
If only we had a forward who is a genuine target man who can hold the ball and flick it on to players running through. Richard Hill, played on by Ian Benjamin, would have scored freely.
Balls were played that were headed on to nobody or went into areas where there was no danger because there were no players parallel with the furthest man forward. Balls needed to be headed back to players coming through.
Standing behind the goal in Morecambe's home end I actually missed Ellison's goal. As the Morecambe player crossed the ball it clearly hit Hoskin's arm and the home end shouted 'Hand Ball'. I looked to the linesman and he did not signal to the ref and the ref played on. A free kick might have been cleared, but we will never know.
The feeling was that Turnball's second goal should have been saved. Likewise I did wonder how Morecambe's first goal went in. Cornell must have been unsighted as he did not move.
Perhaps the video highlights will show more.
Morecambe stepped up the game and the Cobblers could not cope with it. They look too soft.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Macclesfield
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on: April 19, 2019, 22:35:27 pm
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Those same retards stood in the pouring rain at Macclesfield on a miserable cold night in October, behind the goal too. So whilst I deplore their ungentlemanly behaviour its dog eat dog in L2! Bet you did not even go to Macclesfield?
Back to football - would you sign their striker ?
There have been off pitch problems if you do some searches on the net.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Views on Keith Curle
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on: April 13, 2019, 12:50:30 pm
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Dave Bowen did well without managing elsewhere. Instead of expecting results after 10 games, give managers time.
The more I look at lower league football, the more I see a set of footballers and managers drifting from one club to club to another for a season or two looking for another wage. It's actually a sad life unless you make it big somewhere.
I still watch the Cobblers when they play up North, but do not expect much. The night at Macclesfield this season was good.
The game at Morecambe...
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Ivan Toney
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on: December 29, 2018, 21:43:39 pm
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Another 3 goals today.
Having gone to the game, Ivan's ability to find space was class. Based on today's game he is worthy of higher football. He was full of running. Certain Cobblers' players it is claimed are Championship standard. I haven't seen it this season when I compare them to other players who played for the Cobblers and went on to better things. There have been flashes, but you cannot rely on many of this current squad to be consistent. Trevor Quow was at the Accrington game as kit manager for Peterborough. He is limping badly and football has taken its toll on his legs.
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The Hotel End / Cobblers Corner / Re: Best International XI
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on: June 22, 2018, 11:05:44 am
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I remember seeing Bela Olah playing for the Cobblers back in the late 1950s.
Béla Oláh Born – 1938 (Ózd, Hungary) Oláh had begun to make a name for himself as a footballer playing in Hungary’s top division at the age of 15 when the 1956 uprising forced him to make the difficult decision to leave his mother and family to seek out a new life elsewhere. Having successfully crossed the Hungarian border, only to unwittingly re-enter the country at a different point, he eventually made it to Austria. He then chose to come to England because, “England was a world soccer force, second then only to Hungary.” His love of the game drew Béla to local park football where he was spotted by the manager of Bedford Town. An opportunity for advancement arose when he signed, initially as an amateur, for Northampton Town playing in Division 4. FA rules at the time stated that he could only play professionally once he had been in the country for two years. He played for Northampton 48 times between December 1958 and 1961 before going on to play for several other Southern League clubs including five years at Hastings United and an enjoyable period in a managerial role at Rye United.
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