A good day overall.Despite the 11.23 Lancaster to Morecambe being cancelled.
popped to the John O Gaunt in Lancaster and became a real ale bore for half an hour with Black sheep.
12.20 to morecambe was a bus... sat next to WBA fan "doing the ground" cue usal ptronising comments about County Ground etc
popped in the Wethy's plenty of claret in there and then the Kings opposite Eric Morecambe's statue again all claret.
Plumped for fish n chips on the prom, missed the first two again seas of claret but too busy. Couldnt bl88dy find another, so pie n peas at the ground (lot down my t-shirt - age thing!)
Great atmosphere, briefly bumped in to Davcobbler great to see him, but virtually had to sprint to station for the 17.20 train so couldn't chat. hope to see you at games next year matey.
Oh and the game? Not the best really but deserved to win and frankly who cares til next season?

All ticketed up...
booked on Sixfields Travel, but open to offers.
Bear in mind I live in Leicester.
btw just who is that guy who also lives in Leicester joins the Sixfields Coach at Leicester Forest East?

[was nigh on in line with the goal line in west upper , imo never did all that ball cross the line . Ref was a bit power mad at first seemingly giving us nothing then doing the exact opposite later on in the game !!]

was nigh on in line with the goal line in west upper , imo never did all that ball cross the line . Ref was a bit power mad at first seemingly giving us nothing then doing the exact opposite later on in the game !! !st red foot up dangerous 2nd red ref being in a i told you mode and sticking to his guns . didnt look quite so bad from where i was but there ya go .

Funny old game isn't it?
I say that the ball was at least a foot over the line. I wasn't in line, but my bro backs me up with this, he sits right in the very last seat in West Stand (near Jeema who also said it crossed the line).
Looked at the two sending offs and to me he got them wrong too, however look at where the incidents took place, right in front of the benches and a noisy home crowd.
The penalty was bizarre can't explain why they didn't see who committed the foul? Why not consult the other two officials?
All in all we were lucky but we deserve a bit of luck agree?

Absolutely spot on. We need to get this through to the powers that be ASAP in my opinion. The type of music played before, At half time, and when thge teams are coming out make a huge difference in my opinion. Would it be Gareth Willsher to contact. The club need to know that they also need to do their bit to lift the fans!

Great point, I'm afraid the two (or is it three now - I can't tell their voices apart) geriatrics that DJ at the moment are dire. The music choice is pathetic they do need to try and whip the crowd up (difficult at Sixfields i know) "Lets get together again" every week sorry guys it doesn't cut it these days.

I think for some reason some people/players getting trapped in the "too good to go down" and the "things will turn soon" ideas. Let me tell you if we do not win this one we are then favourites to go. No wins in 14 it will be new manager effect not worked/working.Both teams will have a right kick up the *rse after saturday's result, question is who wants it more??? Can Burton be stung twice by fellow strugglers? I would say unlikely, in so many ways I wish that they had won on saturday.

Ok so I didn't go, but I thought I would analyse the highlights as I watch them...
Firstly Osmans handball the first clip shown pretty much sums him up really good player- not sure how much he cares?
The first goal one has to ask where the f*ck was our left midfielder (Jacobs?) thats where the goal came from.
The second goal was a short corner, why the f*ck the basics of closing a short corner down were not carried out? Couldn't they be bothered? "not my job"? . When the ball hits the net, okay slightly fortuously, we had ALL ELEVEN players in our own area, I'm not saying that's right or wrong but still he got a shot in and still their player got the deflection before our lot.
The third goal, long throw in, beaten at near post and guy scores from close range. FFS Dunn anything around that six yard box is yours barge push and bully the opposition to get the ball, you looked like all the circus acts rolled into one there (tumbler, performing seal, f*cking clown)
Great free kick from Jacobs in the 2nd half, but wtf was Harrad doing before that trying a bicycle kick from a cross, just f*cking head it son...your not Pele in Escape to Victory!
Over all Have we really got enough players that care enough to get us out of the mire? I have to say i doubt it. God i hope I'm proved wrong!

Dunn must go he will take us down. He has never been good enough, never will. Why sign a keeper then not play him?

Sixfields Travel Club it is then.
Forgoing the obvious delights of Burton but dropped off at Leicester Forest East services on return, jobs a good one

"Gwillem is the lad from sunny Spain - Viva El Bauza"
"He packed his bags to play for tayn -Viva El Bauza"

Tues 5th April.
This may well be an huge game
1) They are also struggling
2) We have their former favourite - Chicken Judas or Lion Judas?
3) We owe them big time (or do we? they pretty much got Gray the sack last season and definitely were the straw that broke Sammo's back last month)...
4) It aint that far really most people in Northampton could get up there for a 7.45 ko.
Lets big it up as a fixture.

And while we are at it anyone travelling to this game from or via Leicester I would be interested in a lift (obviously petrol/refreshment money offered) message me.
I can get there which involves travelling on bus via Derby on return, possibly getting back 2ish in morning, but I'm thinking this is an important game and by hook or crook will definitely be there.

 But it could be sh*te to watch - between the goals.
[/quote]
All 103 of them...Including 30 from a midfielder!

TBF There wasn't much time between goals before another one came along for you to get bored

http://www.footballsite.co.uk/Statistics/LeagueTables/Season1986-87/ClubResults/1986-87NorthamptonTown.html

btw wikipedia reckons that it was the individual brilliance of ONE player that stood out?!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1986%E2%80%9387_in_English_football#Fourth_Division

If he played anything other than 4-4-2 and we get walloped for playing a formation that none of the player are used to playing, then the knives would be out for him due to tactical naivety. There's a reason that 4-4-2 is so popular across the lower levels, and that's because a.) everyone knows it, knows there positions, and knows what to do, and b.) it works.

You could make a plain and simple argument to say that for NTFC this season that it is fact that it plainly does not work.
BTW I'm confused by the words good football. I alluded to the fact that Graham Carr's team got promoted playing "direct" football. There cannot be anyone on here that would argue that Carr's direct style wasn't also "good" football. For one I do not want to see pretty "passing" football, I want exciement goalmouth action and ghances/goals. Surely the quicker one can get in those positions ie one ball could do what five or six can, the better but that doesn't neccassary mean that direct football = "bad" football.

Beckwith fit... 3-5-2 with Beckwith Webster Jonson Rekord/Davis and Nana as wing backs. Managers make hard work of it don't they?
I reckon this would suit our players much better, having seen us this year.
While we are on it, Mr Johnson who incidently was my first choice as replacement is adamant that playing football will be successful. I think that is wrong - we need a lump of a centre forward and the direct style is what will succeed at this level. all the successful teams I have watched in claret and white were essentially based on direct football. Think Carr, Atkins, Wilson and Calderwood.

Got to love Jima, lives near me down near the David. decent bloke to boot. Cobblers turns him into a nutter.

My bro sits near Jima North End West Stand, I can vouch for the fact he is mad (Jima that is) but a top bloke and sometimes his wisecracks and general comedy pessimism brighten up even the worst of games!

For me it has to be Phil Chard.
And for Phil Chard nowadays read Andy Holt.
Chardie wore every shirt number except 1 in the championship season (ie for the kids he played in every postion except goalkeeper). He was effective in attack (remember who scored the "other" goal v Shrewsbury?). Midfield was his favoured position (I remember a superb volley v Rochdale). As a defender he scored about 8 goals while playing at left back, he also was an excellent right wing back and captain marvel in Theo Foley's "nearly" team. Pretty similar to Sammo he was made manager and like Sammo it ended in tears, although John Barnwell had him back as a player and he continued to give his all until the season was out. Again like sammo he scored more than his fair share against sh*tboro, this coming from an ex London Road player. Model professional always gave 100% and is forgiven for the best own goal ever v Lincoln in championship year!

Those of you mentioning Manset for a target man, forget it, gone to Reading for a reported 600k

This is ridiculous money! We are lucky to get our man at a decent price. One transfer namely the one of Bent in the prem, often has the effect of raising the price of ALL other sales... "If Bent is worth £18 miilion then player X must be worth £xx" etc etc

Atkins blowing his own trumpet there then!
Actually it wasn't as fantastic achievement as everyone thinks. Finishing in the top seven (below the top three) and getting a little luck got you to Wembley, it still does. Getting to Wembley the following year , now that was a notable achievement.
Great memories though, but the song, lets just say it was "of a moment"

Why can't we have a white one as the home strip?
My vote would be the white with pin stripe as the HOME kit

Of course the point you are all missing is that our manager's learning difficulties extend to the formation we are playing. Surely 5-3-2 suits this squad of players better? two players especially - namely Rodgers and Davis are far in away better wing backs than straight full backs. Johnson is better suited to RCB Tozer and Beckwith alongside him, with Hall/Holt also able to fill in there. Having three centre backs would take the pressure off makeshift players like those two. 5-3-2 would also enable us to play Wedderburn and Osman with Thornton in front of them. Or even Jacobs or if we need a battler Gilligan. And you could still play two up front. This formation is so much more flexible than 4-4-2 it can be defensive away from home, but also with full backs pushed on, very attacking.

Really?

So why does he continue to play Davis out of position when he's clearly our best option on the left wing? Why's he leaving out our most experienced defender, Hall, when we're shipping goals like we are and crying out for someone with experience to sort out a very young and inexperienced defence? We've just got rid of our only solid, (but slow) no-nonsense defender by loaning Hinton to Luton. Personally I'd prefer him at the back than Tozer whilst going through such a bad run.
Why does he continue to play two defensive minded midfielders in the centre when we lack creativity? The old cliche says attack is best best form of defence and we've got plenty of flair in Jacobs, Davis and Thornton.

It's been one step forward, two steps backwards all season. I'd love to see the club go on a run, I've backed Sammo all season. However, if we don't beat Stockport and put in a performance I don't honestly see a way back.

We need at least 3 wins out of the next 5 games to realistically pull ourselves away form the drop zone by January. I can't see this squad doing it. Stockport will be coming here with a point to prove. With their defensive record, we need a good win to raise confidence within the squad!

Well he's learnt that players like Thornton and Jacobs in this division are luxuries that we cannot afford.
We have to earn the right to play and I'm afraid those two do not graft enough. I am not backing sammo I have been a big critic of him, but as I said it stems from the mistakes made pre-season. Lack of direction and ideas. And pretty much like thes eason before some "panic" signings