New Day; New Hope

It’s matchday. It’s only been three days since our last home match against Coventry, but I have found myself eagerly awaiting another visit to the Sixfields Stadium, (capacity 7653, all seater!!!!).

I have been a keen follower of all things football and happy to find the positives from a lot of teams I have seen over the last plenty of years, courtesy of Sky.

I do not consider myself to have any particular affinity to a premiership club, and have now only begun to realise my fixation and deep loyalty to Northampton Town. (I don’t need tears, it’s only football!!).

It’s been a long time since I have actively followed a football club – and as I explained in the first posting – I had been exiled in Reading and was happy to follow a team. I was fortunate enough to follow a fairly successful Reading FC of the mid to late seventies, Charlie Hurley’s Blue & White army 75/76, promoted to old division 3 in his first season boosted by the silky skills and unpredictability that was Robin Friday, (often labelled “The Greatest Player You Never Saw”). and a talent that could with better guidance have graced the international arena.

Years followed of commitment to local football, moved back to Northampton 1990, marriage, children, fatherhood (no time for football), till now.

However, one pre-season game and I am totally lost in my re-found soul! I can’t wait for Saturday afternoon, I am excited, expectant and optimistic.

Unbelievably, my son is already sharing the love for The Cobblers! One game – we lost, has obviously stirred something within him that needs fulfillment. It might just be his love for the game, I hope it’s a feeling of “Home is where the heart is,” and over the course of a season it will bind him eternally with the club and the town.

Saturday 24th July 2010 – Pre Season friendly; Cobblers v Watford
It’s another fine Northamptonshire day, warm, slightly overcast. The visitors to Sixfields today are Watford. Still best remembered due to their association with Elton John, Graham Taylor, John Barnes, Luther Blisset. However over the last 30 years Watford have enjoyed the highs and lows of football, Premier League, Europe, Cup Finals and now find themselves like a lot of clubs watching the pennies, developing youth and struggling to recapture past glories.

I will admit they looked really impressive in the warm up. They look looked fit, sharp and skillful. Movement was good, ball skills excellent and they looked ready for a game. They spent a good thirty minutes charging around looking impressive. “They’ll be knackered at this rate,” I commented to my son.

I don’t know what was said in the pre match team talk but that must have gone something like;

“Don’t go out on the pitch today and play like your a Championship side. Don’t stretch them all over the park, don’t knock the ball around and make them chase it and most of all don’t exert your superior skills and sharpness on a team that are two divisions lower than we are.”

All credit goes to the Watford team’s loyalty to their manager – they carried out his instructions to the letter – apart from the odd glimpse of obvious talent – they were S**te!!

Half time; Cobblers 3 Watford 1 – YES!
Michael Jacobs 1-0
Michael Jacobs 2-0, this boy is talented. He is exciting to watch on the ball and there is a buzz in the crowd whenever he get’s it. He’s a product of the youth team. Hope expectations are not too high too soon, but we’ll take it as it comes. Class.
Danny Graham 2-1, Defence caught square by a slide rule pass, neat finish.
Tadgh Purcell 3-1, deserved his goal, has worked hard this half and should add quite a few goals this season.

Watford team talk half time;

“Ok lads a jokes a joke. Forget everything I said at the beginning!”

I’m seated within chatting distance of a Watford fan – (looked like an ex player but didn’t go there). We started chatting and he informs me that the team on the park will be the Watford starting eleven for most of the coming season, they have nothing else apart from a few kids. They will struggle this year to stay up. He is impressed with The Cobblers today and says we should have a good season. Nice balanced team put together by Sammo. I am thinking he has summed up my thoughts entirely!

Cobblers made a couple of substitutions replacing Purcell with Guinan, McKay with Herbert. New boy John Johnson took the field to replace Paul Rogers. Johnson welcomed back to Sixfields by warm applause and settled into the right back slot as if he owned it.

Substitutions led to change of the game. It seemed to me that Guinan spent most of his time on the pitch moaning and whingeing. He’s on the list if there are any takers.

Watford scored direct from a free kick – using the old “Whilst they’re setting they’re wall up and before the ref blows his whistle”, trick. 3-2

Cobblers try the old “Whilst they’re setting they’re wall up and before the ref blows his whistle”, trick – Hit the post with keeper stranded. Unlucky. (Can’t believe a side that had been successful previously with their effort were so switched off to someone having the audacity to try it against them.

Mis hit half volley loops over Cobblers keeper 3-3. If he connected with it, coaches in the car park would have been damaged. They all count I suppose.

My Watford mate can’t work out how they have scored three goals without having three shots! “It’s a funny old game”

Northampton were impressive today.

Jacobs, (Class act), Harris, (impressive at the back, seemed to be on the end of everything), Thornton, (Industrious), Wedderburn, (Distribution impressive, Colossus for his age), caught the eye for most of the game, but the pleasing thing was the teamwork.

Danny Graham (Watford). Their most impressive player and was a constant threat on the ball. Will surely be snapped up by a better team – looks like he deserves it.

I know it’s only a friendly and it’s all about fitness but most Cobblers supporters came away with high hopes and anticipation for the season. If we play like this against 2nd division sides, someone will get murdered.

My son is off for his last residential of the year with the National Youth Orchestra on Sunday in preparation for three concerts culminating with a performance at the Royal Albert Hall as part of the BBC proms. He informs me that he is taking his Cobblers shirt away with him to wear in rehearsals. I would like to know if this is the first time a Cobblers shirt will be aired at such a gathering. He is wearing it with pride and keen to show his allegiance to the cause. Good lad.

It’s rather ironic that the NYO are staying in Birmingham for two weeks and he will unfortunately miss the next friendly against Birmingham City.

Need to find another convert to the course for next week – wonder what my wife’s doing Sunday afternoon?

“Come On Cobblers”