2015/16 Prediction League; Game 5 v Northampton Town (home)

[Div3North]

Accrington Stanley

V

Northampton Town

Prediction League 2015/6; Game 5 v Northampton Town (home)


Those who are as old as Cashy and me will remember that the Cobblers – then of the County Ground, and managed by Dave Bowen (Captain of Wales in the 1958 World Cup Finals – their only visit so far ) – soared from Division 4 to Division 1 of the Football League in the space of 5 years, and spent season 1965/66 among the luminaries of the game ; they’ll also remember that the slide back down the snake was just as swift, and that by 1969/70 they were back in the basement ………..David Lloyd Bowen had gone from the Manager’s seat in the dugout in 1967 (although he returned in 1969, replacing ex Wolves wing half Ron Flowers , while simultaneously managing Wales; he might have wished he hadn’t, though, because he was manager when they lost 8-2 to Man U in the 5th Round of the FA Cup , George “where did it all go wrong” Best scoring 6 of the 8) …………..So; one season in the top flight …………..Question, then; true or false? Northampton Town once played in the FA Charity Shield (now the FA Community Shield) game …..

Actually, it’s true ; they played in the 1909 Charity Shield, losing to Newcastle; apparently in that year the game was played between the winners of the Football League and the Southern League – and they’d won the latter! Well, well – there’s hope for us yet!

Having almost gone up three seasons ago, and almost gone down the year after, they finished last season an unremarkable 12th with 61 points (we finished an even less remarkable 17th with 56). Over the summer manager Chris Wilder undertook the usual clear-out of players; two experienced keepers left – veteran Matt Duke (once of Bradford City) and Shwan Jalal (now at Macclesfield) - as did RB Ben Tozer (to Yeovil) and CB Lee Collins (to Mansfield), Irish MF Ian Morris (now with St Patrick’s Athletic, so he is ), left winger Billy Bodin (now a Brizzle Rover) and various others – including, most recently, striker Ivan Toney, who went to the Toon Army for £sillymoney (half a million, apparently)

In came #shedloads; two keepers arrived for the two who’d gone; Ryan Clarke (33) from Oxford, and Adam Smith (22) from Leicester (he was one of the three players – including the then-manager’s son – sacked for the (alleged) sex tape incident in Thailand back in May, but he’s first choice); MF Nicky Adams arrived from Bury, and – presumably on the same train – LB David Buchanan from PNE; they were joined by def Josh Lelan (20) from Derby and ex Oxford forward Alfie Potter (via half a season at the Wombles); CB Rod McDonald stepped up from Telford; CM Paul Corry arrived from Sheff Wed, CF Sam Hoskins came in from Yeovil, and yesterday they LoanSigned Port Vale RB Adam Yates, who has come in as cover for Josh Lelan (see under “suspended”) and the injured Brendan Maloney ………it wasn’t wholly unexpected that Yates would go somewhere; after 6 years and 234 games, his number 2 shirt was given to a summer signing, leaving him ****ed off to some tune …………….

Their season started brightly; they won 1-0 at 4th placed Bristol Rovers, and then 3-0 at home against Blackpool (you have to ask how much worse can it get for them? ) in the League Cup, and 3-0 at home against 8th placed Exeter ………..P3 W3 F7 A0 ain’t a bad start. Then, sadly, it all went TU , with 2-0 League defeats away at Barnet (21st) and against Plymouth (3rd), before Tuesday’s 4-1 thrashing at Newcastle in Round Two of the LC/Capone ……six games, in only one of which both sides have scored …….and it won’t have escaped your notice that – thus far into the season – all the sides who’ve scored against them have ended up beating them ………….Bit of a clue there, I think ; let’s hope that “Millionaire Matt” Crookes does it again!

We all remember last season; we win 5-4 chez eux , and they win 5-1 chez nous ; ‘nuff said! Instead, a few more Unforgettable Facts culled from the pages of Ripley’s “Believe it or Not”; their kit man is called Pat Weston (I’m assuming he’s a kit man; it doesn’t say kit person anywhere); they were once managed by Paddy Crerand; the Football League Show on Channel 5 is unutterable crap ; their first foreign signing was in 1925, when they signed William Shaw from Barcelona (what? Who? William Shaw? How Spanish is that? Not!); in 1993/4 they finished bottom of the Football League, but kept their league status because Conference Champions Kidderminster Harriers didn’t meet the ground criteria so weren’t promoted.

Currently they’re 10th, with 6 points from 4 games, and we’re 13th with 5 from 4; we each have a zero goal difference. They haven’t won in three (actually, they've lost their last three = see above), we’ve only lost once in five if you don’t count penalties …………Deadline for entries is, as always, scheduled kick-off time, which is 3.00pm this Saturday, 29th August ………..I see from Chimer’s Prediction League table that I’m in the bottom half ; but then, so are the Stanley ………….But Our Day Will Come! Won’t it, Wynonie! This game has all the hallmarks of an 8-8 draw! Oh Yes! Where’s me pills? NURSE!

Good luck to everyone! ……….. Keep the Faith! ………….. How nice to have found someone else who can score in the 90-somethingth minute! ………… And thanks for playing!

[deeayess]

2 1 Accy please

[LongLostSon]

can see a 1 - 1 again

[Stevie R]

3-1 to Northants please

[Tom D]

2-1win to Stanley please

[Shurm]

2-1 to Stanley

[cmonstanley]

3-2 to the stanley

[accybeme]

Stanley 2 Northampton 0 please

[DaveinGermany]

2-0 to the Stanley please D3N.

[smobile]

1-0 Stanley

[Revived Red]

Stanley 1 Cobblers 0, please D3N. And I do agree about the Football League Show. I never rated Manish and Steve but they were ten times better than the current garbage.

[Red-Osbornello]

1-1 please D3N.

[andyd]

2-0 to Stanley please.

[monkey hanger]

plenty of goals in two games last season therefore Stanley 0 Northampton 0

[cashman]

2-0 Stanley