On this day

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Charley Hearn....we had him on loan from Millwall, initially till For a month till xmas then extended to the end of the season. He played 28 games for us and scored 1 goal (in the 3-1 win at Macclesfield).
Went back to millwall and was released by them, went to Fisher Athletic!

[WadeyCobbler]

Charley pHearn....we had him on loan from Millwall, initially till For a month till xmas then extended to the end of the season. He played 28 games for us and scored 1 goal (in the 3-1 win at Macclesfield).
Went back to millwall and was released by them, went to Fisher Athletic!

Blimey, I normally have a good recollection of all Cobblers but not this one. I guess the older you get the more there is to remember (or forget)! Now I think about it the name maybe rings a bell but I can’t picture him.

[Tabasco Kid]

Excellent Tabasco, thats the pub, remember just walking in and saying to the bloke on the door "all right mate" he just waved us in.

I like to get an idea, of whom I am talking to. And I think that I know who you are. Did you all go down on a coach that was parked right by the exit, and after the game got escorted onboard by Scottish Dave the Rozzer? Just curious thats all. And break down once on the way back from Swansea? 

[west stand oap]

24th May is the date of our first 2 Wembley play off finals. 1997 John Frain's late free kick gave us a 1-0 win over Swansea (att.46,804 - c32,000 cobblers)
1998 a 1-0 defeat in the div.1 final to Grimsby (Kevin Donovan scored) was watched by 62,988 - c42,000 cobblers. Both games were refereed by Terry Heilbron.
Strange how history for our opponents in the games developed. Swansea who remained in div.2 after losing to us eventually go to the premiership, only dropping to the championship in May 2018. Grimsby who gained promotion to the championship by beating us eventually lost their league status and have only recently regained it.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

1997, our first visit to Wembley, the old Wembley of course back in those days.

A game of few chances, I remember Woodman tipping a Heggs effort over the bar. The twice taken freekick....drama!

Team was: Woodman; Clarkson, Rennie (Peer 40), Sampson, Warburton, Frain; Hunter, Parrish, Lee; Grayson, Gayle (White 76); unused sub Gibb.

1998, back again a year to the day, looking for back to back promotions.

Grimsby had been relegated from the championship the year earlier and were making their second trip to Wembley that season having already won the Auto Windscreens Shield.
Kevin Donovan scored the only goal on 20 minutes, Andy Woodman saved a penalty from Donovan later in the game but even with 6 minutes stoppage time there was to be no late drama this year. Cobblers have never been that close to the second tier since, and as OAP said, Grimsby have been all the way down and out of the league, they went on from this game to spend six seasons in the Championship before back to back relegation seasons saw them in the basement again.


That's it for "on this day in history", I've certainly had fun doing the research and digging up all those names from the past! We've had our ups and downs as a club, and over the past 35 years or so there haven't been that many seasons we were not either challenging for promotion or fighting relegation.......hardly a dull moment being a Cobblers fan!!

[tcobb]

Tabasco, no didnt go down on the coach. We went down by car, my brother lived near Chelmsford so picked him up on the way. Got down there really early though.

 Excellent first time at Wembley for the Swansea game. 2nd game i always felt let down a bit, seemed like we were very slow to push forward at any time.

[Tabasco Kid]

Tabasco, no didnt go down on the coach. We went down by car, my brother lived near Chelmsford so picked him up on the way. Got down there really early though.

 Excellent first time at Wembley for the Swansea game. 2nd game i always felt let down a bit, seemed like we were very slow to push forward at any time.

OK mate, thank you for confirming that I was incorrect.

[Saint Cobbler]

Tabasco, no didnt go down on the coach. We went down by car, my brother lived near Chelmsford so picked him up on the way. Got down there really early though.

 Excellent first time at Wembley for the Swansea game. 2nd game i always felt let down a bit, seemed like we were very slow to push forward at any time.

I think it was just that Grimsby had an excellent team at the time.

[everbrite]

I think it was just that Grimsby had an excellent team at the time.

Yes - Grimsby better team on the day ; said thru gritted teeth😎

[phil_in_npton]

Good Evening!

I have enjoyed reading all the memories recalled here and now I can actually contribute! I was at the Wembley game when Cobblers beat Swansea. I took my daughter aged 7, but my son at 5 was considered too young and stayed home with Mum. Daughter had a Cobblers shirt, My memory is slightly blurred but Andy Woodman attended the school fete and became a favourite with the kids.
Don’t remember much about the game apart from the dramatic finale. We were sat almost level with where the free kick was taken from. I can still recall the re-taken free kick, in slow motion in my mind.
However what is really etched in my mind is the amazing celebratory music straight after. The Only Way is Up and Simply the Best still give me goosebumps when I hear them, recalling standing on the seats belting them out with all the other fans!  As some of you will realise I wasn’t a Cobblers fan, but a football fan, from Northampton, supporting the Cobblers.
It was a tremendous occasion and a great memory.
The following year I did take my son as well but sadly this time no celebrations.

Phil in Northampton