Redevelopment Closer Than Ever?

[BedsCobb]

It surprises me as to why our club, its supporters and the town it represents have no concept as to what it requires to be more successful and evolve into a club befitting of its stature!
For far too long, nearly 2 decades now,  it has been happily led by passing land speculators with us just lapping up the utter nonsense they spout in order for them to get fat on the abundant land our club stands on.
Isn't it time we invited the clubs supporters, the trust and general public of Northampton to come up with workable ideas that we can all agree on that finally allows a path way to sustainable growth and success, then present them to Thomas and basically demand immediate action or face being forced out.
I very much doubt anyone still believes Thomas is here for the benefit of our club or has plans to grow the infrastructure , its obvious to me he hasn't and wont.
Folk asking for updates on any redevelopment when after 4 years, we haven't even seen plans drawn on the back of a fag packet !
Northampton needs to take back control of her football club.

[guest3086]

The next step is the key. Thomas and his cronies will exit when they have milked the land deals. There is a fat duck we can do about that. I almost think it would be better to progress by just leaving Sixfields behind. If we could whip NTFC from under their noses and start again.

[Tabasco Kid]

Beds, youre really are getting to be tedious now.

[EB Claret]

It surprises me as to why our club, its supporters and the town it represents have no concept as to what it requires to be more successful and evolve into a club befitting of its stature!
For far too long, nearly 2 decades now,  it has been happily led by passing land speculators with us just lapping up the utter nonsense they spout in order for them to get fat on the abundant land our club stands on.
Isn't it time we invited the clubs supporters, the trust and general public of Northampton to come up with workable ideas that we can all agree on that finally allows a path way to sustainable growth and success, then present them to Thomas and basically demand immediate action or face being forced out.
I very much doubt anyone still believes Thomas is here for the benefit of our club or has plans to grow the infrastructure , its obvious to me he hasn't and wont.
Folk asking for updates on any redevelopment when after 4 years, we haven't even seen plans drawn on the back of a fag packet !
Northampton needs to take back control of her football club.

Day after day alone on a hill
The man with the foolish grin
Is standing perfectly still
And nobody wants to know him
They can see that he's just a fool
(Lennon/McCartney)

Beds has cool friends who write songs about him!

[guest3086]

Day after day
They send my friends away
To mansions cold and grey
To the far side of town
Where the thin men stalk the streets
While the sane stay underground
Day after day
They tell me I can go
They tell me I can blow
To the far side of town
Where it's pointless to be high
'Cause it's such a long way down
So I tell them that
I can fly, I will scream, I will break my arm
I will do me harm
Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall
I'm not quite right at all, am I?
Don't set me free, I'm as heavy as can be
Just my librium and me
And my E.S.T. makes three
'Cause I'd rather stay here
With all the madmen
Than perish with the sad men roaming free
And I'd rather play here
With all the madmen
For I'm quite content they're all as sane
As me
(Where can the horizon lie
When a nation hides
Its organic minds
In a cellar, dark and grim
They must be very dim)
Day after day
They take some brain away
Then turn my face around
To the far side of town
And tell me that it's real
Then ask me how I feel
Here I stand, foot in hand, talking to my wall
I'm not quite right at all
Don't set me free, I'm as helpless as can be
My libido's split on me
Gimme some good 'ole lobotomy
'Cause I'd rather stay here
With all the madmen
Than perish with the sad men
Roaming free
And I'd rather play here
With all the madmen
For I'm quite content
They're all as sane as me
Zane, zane, zane
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien
Zane, zane, zane (ah ah ah)
Ouvre le chien

[Melbourne Cobbler]

To repeat from the Newport thread the fact that we haven’t been relegated out of the football league indicates we have performed slightly over par? For the more intellectually challenged of us, if this statement is wrong it may indicate that the previous/current owners and ground are more than adequate and all that is needed is wait and we will achieve our natural level with the infrastructure and resources we currently have? If you really think about it my original statement is perhaps an indication of the need for change? However, rather predictably in the rush to stick the boot in, that possibility may have been missed?

[BedsCobb]

To repeat from the Newport thread the fact that we haven’t been relegated out of the football league indicates we have performed slightly over par? For the more intellectually challenged of us, if this statement is wrong it may indicate that the previous/current owners and ground are more than adequate and all that is needed is wait and we will achieve our natural level with the infrastructure and resources we currently have? If you really think about it my original statement is perhaps an indication of the need for change? However, rather predictably in the rush to stick the boot in, that possibility may have been missed?

Yes we must celebrate being just 5hit for the last 20 years as opposed to being even worse 5hit over this period..Great logic me old duck, 😉

[Melbourne Cobbler]

Yes we must celebrate being just 5hit for the last 20 years as opposed to being even worse 5hit over this period..Great logic me old duck, 😉

Did I say it should be celebrated? What I am saying is with the owners, resources and infrastructure at our disposal to date we have perhaps done well not to be relegated, do you disagree duckie?

[NTFC87]

999309 views now not long till 1 million now

[St Edmundsbury Cobbler]

Yes we must celebrate being just 5hit for the last 20 years as opposed to being even worse 5hit over this period..Great logic me old duck, 😉

We've generally been **** while playing in a crap stadium for 122 years, that's what being Northampton Town FC is all about. That's what you sign up for when you start supporting The Cobblers.

[singcobb]

We've generally been **** while playing in a crap stadium for 122 years, that's what being Northampton Town FC is all about. That's what you sign up for when you start supporting The Cobblers.

I have to agree there. The truth is unless you are a senior citizen you started supporting to Cobllers when they were in the third or fourth tier of English football and showed no sign of going anywhere else. People seem to forget the dire times of the past like staying in the league only because the winner of the Conference didn't meet the promotion criteria or having to rely on YTS Scheme kids to be able to field a team.

It is like these people have bought a Mini but expect it to be a Rolls Royce.

[Vintage Cobbler]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

The truth is VC that it goes beyond infrastructure and type of ownership. The fundamental financial structure outside of the championship is flawed. I am afraid much of what goes on is unsustainable, including at Sixfields. Our current owners are 5 million in apparently and have achieved nothing. Everything you need to know is right there. Bolton with the Reebok nearly went to the wall, whilst people will put up the all too predictable excuses for this, the evidence is damning. For every success story there is a failure and anybody with real money will proceed with caution. Even then they could do a Max Griggs and walk with all too predictable results. I am afraid the dispassionate answer is semi professional for division 1 & 2. As a supporter there is nothing I would hate more, the financial reality tells another story. Bury is the start and more will follow, as you say. Dreams are fine but it comes with a risk attached. If every club was semi professional and spending was capped at say 70% of turnover it would be a level playing field and clubs would be no longer at risk from some of the incompetence that goes on. I am fully aware that this is going to go down like a bag of sick and I hate the idea myself, I am just calling it as I see it. Perhaps when a few more clubs with a proud history implode the powers that be will act? Let’s just hope we are still around when and if it happens.

[Terryfenwickatemyhamster]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

I usually eat whatever bread is provided. If I don’t like it, I either stump up my own money, or shop elsewhere.. I wouldn’t spend my life moaning about it from afar, supplying nothing more than noise.

[1971cobbler]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

White bread is the best....FACT!   

[St Edmundsbury Cobbler]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

I'd love for us to be better, but the truth is unless someone is willing to piss circa £30m on us for ground Redevelopment and associated business development plus invest in the squad to even get us to the Championship let alone stay there then we're destined for the pattern of years in the bottom division with two or three years in the third tier.

Even when we were the "Chelsea of Division 3" under Cardoza and Bilko had an open checkbook, we were still s***.

That's life, that's who we are and that's how it is.

 

[Horsham Cobbler]

Just embrace and love the Cobbs for what it is ….. the good, the bad and the ugly.

[singcobb]

On the other hand because you’ve were brought up eating white bread it doesn’t mean you always have to eat the stuff. I was one of those who saw our season at the highest level and was also at Shrewsbury and then at Chesterfield on a grim day when we finished in a relegation place but were only saved from the Conference by Kidderminster’s ground not being up to EFL standard requirements. 

You and ST Ed seem to be white bread people.  I am not.  I want and expect better. However, I realise that to achieve that the ground and the club’s infrastructure and wider relationship with the people of Northampton has to be much better.  As we have seen, what the club has now whether it is its bricks and mortar, ownership and management is not good enough to either mount a serious promotion challenge or, if we get promoted, maintain a place in the league above for more than a season or two.  That is where we are.

My own take is that the conventional private ltd company ownership vehicle is broken for many clubs in the lower divisions, including NTFC. The sad demise of Bury illustrates the point.  Others will follow.  I know that many disagree with fans ownership and always hope the next owner will be a wealthy benefactor rather than an opportunist with land development profits the real agenda.  I very much doubt that these hopes will ever be realised and so things needs to fundamentally change.  Think of the German 50+1 ownership model and the long term sustainability and growth of the club before coming back and saying “ twas always thus” at NTFC.  It needn’t be.

It is not what you were brought up on, it is what you decided to purchase when you started following the Cobblers. As I said do you buy a mini and expect it to develope into a rolls royce. I started supporting when we were on the fourth tier of the league and expected nothing more than to see division 4 football with the occasional trip to the dizzy heights of division 3.

[Tabasco Kid]

I started supporting when we were on the fourth tier of the league and expected nothing more than to see division 4 football with the occasional trip to the dizzy heights of division 3.

Me also. And I have not been disappointed.
And that is the way that it will remain. Despite the best efforts of hill wailers to convince me otherwise.

[EB Claret]

Me also. And I have not been disappointed.
And that is the way that it will remain. Despite the best efforts of hill wailers to convince me otherwise.

Too bloody right!
We can still dream though,doh!