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Papering over the cracks

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Terryfenwickatemyhamster
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« Reply #60 on: January 02, 2020, 23:08:05 pm »

The resident board Policeman has spoken....conversation ended.

I might be a tad sensitive by responding to this 😁😁 But I have to be fair to myself and reply. I have never once banned anyone from this site. I have always accepted, but sometimes argued against others perspectives. But I will say, that I am tired of the social media phenomenon of standing free of any commitment, whilst preaching to others.

I am proud of being a supporter of Northampton Town through thick or thin. I am proud that I have made every effort to remain aloof of the inherent negativity of some, and avoid their attempts to drag me into their misery. The world is full of negative people who look constantly at what life owes them. I’m not like that. I am proud of what I have and I enjoy life. Part of that is being proud of my town, the sporting heritage it has, and the team I love being and being part of that. I am not a KT supporter, or an east stand worrier, or worrying about what the future holds. I am just a simple, honest cobblers lover. I wish there was more of us.



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« Reply #61 on: January 03, 2020, 11:20:29 am »

The debate over attendances, is for me one which is far more complex than style of play, or any other singular reason.

Our support has been constant (pretty) for many years, with the odd uplift during the run in when we have something to play for (either end of the table).

I think its fair to say as well that free offers are much lower than ever before, or special deals for season ticket holders etc to attend with a cheap secondary ticket? Might be wrong here, but I never seem to see any promotions these days.

So at least our current support could be classed as 'hard core' in the main.

Tim Ogelthorpe touched on it during the Cobblers show on Thursday night when he said about general direction of the club. I believe this is the main reason why there is a lack of enthusiasm at the moment. Style of play may have a small impact but if results are better by hoofing it, Id argue that better results will make up any numbers lost by those football purists within our fan base! Of course, both a pleasant style of play coupled with winning would help, but how often has that happened in the last 20/30/50 years?!

I think its high time that the clubs owners come out and say what they really want to achieve, and add some substance to it. The redevelopment (lack of) is clearly a factor as to why people are staying away, when a team plays at a nice stadium it does tend to get more people in, but that has be alongside 'ambition'. Unfortunately we appear to have neither at the minute, which is perhaps dragging a few people down?

This post isn't meant to stir anything up, far from it. More so a case of adding to the debate. If new owners came in banging the drum about getting to the championship in 3 years, sorting the ground out etc...it would raise morale and achieve an instant uplift on the gates. Hypothetical of course, but regardless of your views on KT etc its all very stale in the boardroom, despite the excellent work the clubs staff do on a day to day basis by winning awards, providing very decent hospitality etc and the stuff done in the community, for the kids etc. The big picture...AMBITION AND GENERAL DIRECTION...is often washed over as if its an irrelevance and a negative swipe which at least from my perspective, it most certainly isn't!
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« Reply #62 on: January 03, 2020, 12:00:50 pm »

Just to help matters, I am bored at work today and found this average attendances for 2018/19 and 2019/20 so thought I would see how it looked

Team                2018/19       2019/20      
Swindon Town        6427           7361      Up 14.5%
Northampton Town  5100           5081      Down 0.5%
Exeter City                4418           5031      Up 14%
Port Vale                4430          4886      Up 10%
Crewe Alexandra     3761          4694      Up 25%
Grimsby Town        4430          4562      Up 3%
Mansfield Town        5000          4321      Down 13.5%
Carlisle Utd        4721          4281      Down 9.5%
Cambridge Utd        4338          4143      Down 4.5%
Newport County        4386          4020      Down 8.5%
Colchester Utd        3521          3705      Up 5%
Cheltenham Town   3134          3473      Up 11%
Oldham Athletic        4364          3432      Down 21.5%
Stevenage                2714          2732      Up 0.5%
Forest Green        2775          2628      Down 5%
Morecambe        2033          2421      Up 20%
Crawley Town        2290          2247      Down 2%
Macclesfield Town    2316          2090      Down 10%

So it doesn't look as if we have dropped too much in average home gate

Personally I think yes the football may not be great at the minute but we are winning and certainly playing a lot better than the last 3 seasons, so I am happy to go every week and enjoy it for what it is. Me I just enjoy the day out with mates and if the result and performance are crap well there is always next week.
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Terryfenwickatemyhamster
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« Reply #63 on: January 03, 2020, 12:19:18 pm »

The debate over attendances, is for me one which is far more complex than style of play, or any other singular reason.

Our support has been constant (pretty) for many years, with the odd uplift during the run in when we have something to play for (either end of the table).

I think its fair to say as well that free offers are much lower than ever before, or special deals for season ticket holders etc to attend with a cheap secondary ticket? Might be wrong here, but I never seem to see any promotions these days.

So at least our current support could be classed as 'hard core' in the main.

Tim Ogelthorpe touched on it during the Cobblers show on Thursday night when he said about general direction of the club. I believe this is the main reason why there is a lack of enthusiasm at the moment. Style of play may have a small impact but if results are better by hoofing it, Id argue that better results will make up any numbers lost by those football purists within our fan base! Of course, both a pleasant style of play coupled with winning would help, but how often has that happened in the last 20/30/50 years?!

I think its high time that the clubs owners come out and say what they really want to achieve, and add some substance to it. The redevelopment (lack of) is clearly a factor as to why people are staying away, when a team plays at a nice stadium it does tend to get more people in, but that has be alongside 'ambition'. Unfortunately we appear to have neither at the minute, which is perhaps dragging a few people down?

This post isn't meant to stir anything up, far from it. More so a case of adding to the debate. If new owners came in banging the drum about getting to the championship in 3 years, sorting the ground out etc...it would raise morale and achieve an instant uplift on the gates. Hypothetical of course, but regardless of your views on KT etc its all very stale in the boardroom, despite the excellent work the clubs staff do on a day to day basis by winning awards, providing very decent hospitality etc and the stuff done in the community, for the kids etc. The big picture...AMBITION AND GENERAL DIRECTION...is often washed over as if its an irrelevance and a negative swipe which at least from my perspective, it most certainly isn't!

I am as unclear as anybody as to why KT doesn’t just say what his plans are. He definitely has a very clear agenda, it wouldn’t  hurt to be candid with the support. But, as I said elsewhere. We have never once in my football lifetime been blessed with a stand out owner. In fact I can’t remember one owner that has been completely upfront.
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« Reply #64 on: January 03, 2020, 14:40:43 pm »

This thread is going on a lot. Just shows what a great win it was on Weds.
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« Reply #65 on: January 03, 2020, 15:45:22 pm »

I am as unclear as anybody as to why KT doesn’t just say what his plans are. He definitely has a very clear agenda, it wouldn’t  hurt to be candid with the support. But, as I said elsewhere. We have never once in my football lifetime been blessed with a stand out owner. In fact I can’t remember one owner that has been completely upfront.

VERY fair point/s made.

That isn't a reason though why as a support base we should let things drift. Its been drifting far too long. Personally, I'm enjoying (overall) going to watch us at the minute, we are winning more than losing, I get to spend quality time with my lad, enjoy our pre-match routine etc etc. But to me, its clear that my enthusiasm isn't matched across the fan base, and Id love that to change! I've views on why that is, perhaps they are shared by others, perhaps not. I think theres a real apathy amongst us, more so than at any other time I can recall. An acceptance that this is, just our thing. You've made the point that we need a star to follow, which is a fine observation and one I agree with. But how that comes about, fcuk knows! We've alot of factions amongst our support, each with its different views/outlooks. Unless that is somehow unified, then it will be difficult.

Enough from me on the matter, roll on Sunday!  Grin
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« Reply #66 on: January 04, 2020, 18:06:13 pm »

So, having read lots of view-points, here's my opinion.....  There are 3 (Plus 1) things that have fundamentally changed over the last few years, that have created this divide:

1)  The Off-side Law.  Not so long ago, teams would set their defensive line on the half-way line, knowing that they would get an "off-side" call in their favour, even if only because a forward stuck out their arm pointing to where they wanted the ball played to.  The Law change has stifled the exciting, ranging runs of 1v1 before taking on the keeper (eg, Richard Hill) from the half-way line.  Now, defenses sit very deep, worried about whether a forward is deemed to be involved with play.  Rather than open the game up, this Law has stifled entertainment.

2)  Computer Games.  This phenomenon has suddenly sprouted a generation of fully-qualified polymaths that is capable of doing everything from conquering the World to Managing a Restaurant, whilst along the way mastering Town Planning, Policing, Rally Driving, Football Management and Nose-Picking.  Not so long ago, it was necessary to go through proper education, training, apprenticeships and on-the-job experience before acquiring any appreciable skills in these disciplines, let alone spouting-forth as a self-proclaimed expert.  I await for the day when I sit aboard a plane piloted by someone whose only qualification up until this, their first flight, is "landed a plane using Microsoft Flying Ace".

3)  s*** TV.  In days of yore, Football on TV was a real extended highlights of ONE game on Match of the Day (10pm-ish), with very limited highlights of a second game.  Match analysis was limited to a couple of sentences, such as....  "Well, that was not a game for the faint-hearted"..... and, "He did nothing 89 minutes, but, that 1 extra minute made all the difference."  There were no Slow-Mos, no Close-ups, no in-game "analysis" by experts, no alternative angles, and (for some of us) just a very grainy long-distance picture of some players in a light top v some players in a dark top.  Today, over-analysis of the very best of the very best football means that, unless your HEART, SOUL and EXISTENCE is dependent upon getting your fix of live football watching the team that has the same colour shirt as your blood......  Then, you are just a waster.

4)  The Internet.  It gives a platform to that timid chap, who spent the whole of his life being slapped down.  He can now pretend to be anything he wants, with as big a following a his ego allows, regardless of reality.

The times, yes, the times, they have a change-ed.

But, please don't let a couple of folk make a myth out of "The people have spoken, therefore....."





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« Reply #67 on: January 04, 2020, 18:20:34 pm »

I am as unclear as anybody as to why KT doesn’t just say what his plans are. He definitely has a very clear agenda, it wouldn’t  hurt to be candid with the support. But, as I said elsewhere. We have never once in my football lifetime been blessed with a stand out owner. In fact I can’t remember one owner that has been completely upfront.

Because his plans are wholly unpalatable to the supporters.
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« Reply #68 on: January 04, 2020, 18:23:36 pm »

I am as unclear as anybody as to why KT doesn’t just say what his plans are. He definitely has a very clear agenda, it wouldn’t  hurt to be candid with the support. But, as I said elsewhere. We have never once in my football lifetime been blessed with a stand out owner. In fact I can’t remember one owner that has been completely upfront.
Maybe outright outsider ownership with land based agendas is proving to be something not in our clubs best?
More a community based,  Its a Northampton thing.. Wink
Ger em ate of air club.
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« Reply #69 on: January 04, 2020, 19:17:24 pm »

This thread is supposed to be for those who want to take a direct swipe at Curly, his boring, predictable and negative tactics, and that in the words of Talking Heads...'We're on a road to nowhere (baby)'

Please leave Kevin or whatever his name is out of it or the thread is likely to be locked!  Wink
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« Reply #70 on: January 04, 2020, 20:20:14 pm »

This thread is supposed to be for those who want to take a direct swipe at Curly, his boring, predictable and negative tactics, and that in the words of Talking Heads...'We're on a road to nowhere (baby)'

Please leave Kevin or whatever his name is out of it or the thread is likely to be locked!  Wink

Talking Heads would never follow a chorus with 'baby' for Christmas sake.
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« Reply #71 on: January 04, 2020, 21:25:21 pm »

Talking Heads would never follow a chorus with 'baby' for Christmas sake.

Apart from Stay Up Late
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« Reply #72 on: January 04, 2020, 22:25:20 pm »

Because his plans are wholly unpalatable to the supporters.

They are unacceptable to a very limited amount of supporters and the Trust at present. I'd confidently predict virtually all of our support wouldn’t  mind if KT and DB owned half of the  town, if it led to a well funded successful  team. Like a few others, you routinely over complicate football supporters. They very rarely place morals above success...

As I have previously stated. They seem to have almost infinite patience.
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« Reply #73 on: January 05, 2020, 10:13:13 am »

https://www.ntfc.co.uk/news/2017/may/attendances_rising/
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« Reply #74 on: January 05, 2020, 14:50:14 pm »

Wonder how all the dissenters are tonight? So boring isn't it when you're team makes it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years with a Neanderthal manager in charge and hopeless Hoskins in the side.
I presume they won't bother with the fourth round.
Up the Cobblers, keep up the progression.
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« Reply #75 on: January 05, 2020, 16:17:56 pm »

Wonder how all the dissenters are tonight? So boring isn't it when you're team makes it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years with a Neanderthal manager in charge and hopeless Hoskins in the side.
I presume they won't bother with the fourth round.
Up the Cobblers, keep up the progression.
I think nobody on this forum should be too surprised when there are a few critical comments after a 0 4 loss to a low table div 2 team and a few rapturous comments after a 2 4 win against a top half div 1 side. Wouldn't' it be boring if we all sat on the fence after every game? This is the joy of watching the Cobblers. We can't all be Liverpool supporters.
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« Reply #76 on: January 05, 2020, 16:36:11 pm »

Wonder how all the dissenters are tonight? So boring isn't it when you're team makes it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years with a Neanderthal manager in charge and hopeless Hoskins in the side.
I presume they won't bother with the fourth round.
Up the Cobblers, keep up the progression.
I take it that was aimed at me and a few others, I was there today and loved every minute of it, great game and we even played some football.
Get the fcuking chip off your shoulder and lighten up a bit, are you a Corbyista by chance?
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« Reply #77 on: January 05, 2020, 17:08:04 pm »

The interesting question to ask here is: why were we so poor against Crawley (and to a lesser extent in all of the last four league games) and so brilliant against Burton?

Some theories:

- We are better with two up front (Oliver and ANother)
- Lines is starting to play better and Watson and Anderson are gaining fitness and match sharpness (i.e. we have something resembling a midfield at last)
- We play better against better-quality passing teams who attack us (Crewe, Plymouth, Burton) because the game becomes a bit more stretched and there's more possibility for quick transitions and counter-attacks. (This theory is admittedly undermined by the Crawley game where they passed off the pitch.)

This game would appear to suggest that Curle is capable of getting results against credible league one opposition - a good indicator of his long-term viability as manager.

IMO what he needs to do now is add variety to our attacking approach so that we can break down sides who are more inclined to park the bus/match us in terms of direct football.

If he makes the right additions in January then we could be in for an interesting few months. Confidence should be very high in the camp and if you take the Crawley game out the equation then results have been very impressive over the last couple of months.

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« Reply #78 on: January 05, 2020, 17:10:33 pm »

When they set the standard as high as they did today you’ve got to expect dissenting voices after capitulations like at Crawley and Scunny.

Fantastic day out today capped by a great performance on the pitch...bring on whoever in the 4th round!
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« Reply #79 on: January 05, 2020, 17:21:35 pm »

Wonder how all the dissenters are tonight? So boring isn't it when you're team makes it through to the fourth round of the FA Cup for the first time in 16 years with a Neanderthal manager in charge and hopeless Hoskins in the side.
I presume they won't bother with the fourth round.
Up the Cobblers, keep up the progression.

This.  I felt Burton came to play football today, but couldn't handle the set pieces and direct play.

Do fans really want football that looks good, but a defeat at the end of it?  Probably not.
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Football WITHOUT Fans is NOTHING
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