Lots of potential happy titles for this piece based on our opponents being known as the cobblers, such as ‘Dancing Shoes,’ ‘Goody Two Shoes’, ‘I Know You Got Soul’, ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking ‘and on and on, and although it isn’t totally over now, I’ve gone with this Northern Soul classic, with the version by Major Lance. And this is a bit later going out than it usually is as we have had a journey up to Nottingham after the game as we have my Mum’s eightieth birthday to attend at my brother’s tomorrow and left it nearly an hour so we weren’t travelling up amongst the returning Northampton fans.
Those five days have gone quickly, since the 3-1 win at home to Exeter on Monday afternoon which kept the hope of survival alive for at least another few days. This is our last home game of the season with Northampton Town the visitors. We played the away game against them at the back end of October, and it was the game Josh Flint went off injured to miss most of the rest of the season in.
When Northampton Town got promoted the season we only just escaped relegation from League Two, they beat us home and away, and they beat us in the corresponding away fixture back in October 3-0, but overall, the record between the two clubs is fairly even, five wins for us, six for them, and three draws. At the Broadfield it is dead level, three wins apiece and a draw. And in his Retro Reds piece, Mick Fox again pointed out that Northampton Town were the first ever league club who Crawley beat in the FA Cup, back in 1991.
There are no Northampton Town football cards from the Topps era, last time out I dug one out from the sixties A&BC sets from their single season in the topflight (one of six teams to have done that, and one of four of them we have played this season). As for the Exeter Game on Monday, again I’ve gone to the 1991–92 Proset collection, with Northampton Town being in what was then the Fourth Division, and their fixture card with their manager – Theo Foley – on the front (which shows what Proset thought of their players that season) mainly because I had that set out anyway.
More on my football card obsession over the years can be read in the article below.
And Northampton Town are one of the four league clubs whose full name starts and ends with the same letter, and the second we have played this season (after Charlton Athletic).
When I was a kid I loved everything about football, I would read anything and everything about it, work my way through all the Rothmans annuals in the library, and I would watch (and play) at every opportunity, from park football on a Saturday afternoon to Division One on Match Of The Day. But in my thirties and forties I kind of fell out of love with it, stuck in a Premier League bubble and the greedy corporate bullshit cocoon which exists around it. When the European Super League debacle happened and I gave that up and started to follow Crawley I have fallen back in love with football at all levels again. It never ceases to amaze me (and humble me) at the breadth of knowledge there is of the non-league pyramid on the forum, and this season how close a lot of the leagues have been, prime examples being the National League South which going into the final day any one of the top six could win the league, or the Isthmian League where the top three are all on the same points, with only 1 goal difference separating the top two. These season long battles coming down to the last game of the season is what football is all about. Nowadays I hardly ever buy Four Four Two, apart from the season preview and if there is anything relevant to me now (such as the latest issue with the top 50 EFL players article in) as they don’t tend to look at anything below the topflight in any country. WSC and Late Tackle are much more representative of all the levels of football. And I have got the current copy of The Blizzard, and they have a great article on the formation and struggles of Hastings United, currently trying to stave off relegation from the Isthmian Premier League. And Back Pass is great for digging back into history, the great Retro Reds pieces Mick Fox does wouldn’t look out of place in that magazine.
Before any of the kick offs today we are three points (and lots of goal difference) from safety. By kick off Bristol Rovers had lost 2-0 against Reading and so a win would put us above them on goals scored at least. The big game going on at the same time as ours is Burton Albion at home to Cambridge united, who sit just behind us. Usually you wouldn’t want the team directly below you in the league to win when you are in a relegation battle, but Cambridge winning is the best possible result for us to have the best chance of staying up.
There was sad news yesterday as it was announced that long time Crawley Town iFollow commentator ‘Travel’ Ken Blackmore had passed away. There was a whole host of tributes and positive memories to him. One I did notice which shows the regard he was held in came on the forum. The bastion of all things negative, aggressive, and downright rude – Nobby – put a positive and respectful post on, which should be screenshotted and saved for posterity, as it may be the only one ever.
The club have put up the polls for the player of the season and the goal of the season ready for the end of season club awards ceremony. For me there is only one candidate for player of the year, as he always gives his all, full out all game, every game, and that’s Charlie Barker. If he had stayed fit for more of the season then Harry Forster would have given him a run for his money, as there were times during the season when it looked as if they were the only two players who really cared. For goal of the season I’ve voted, not for what appears to be the standard choice I’ve seen everyone else mention, but instead for Will Swan’s goal. He won the header for the flick on, got the ball back in his path and hit if first time with the outside of his right foot, from outside of the right-hand side of the area and curled it into the top left-hand corner of the goal. He has been much maligned by many this season, but that goal was a glorious strike with great technique, it’s just a shame he didn’t do it more often.
The weekly club e-mail came out and there is no mention of the emergency loan for Toby Steward being extended, or of any other emergency loan keeper being taken on, so it looks as if JoJo Wollacott will be back in action today. Only for the announcement to come late in the morning of the match that the loan had been extended and we would be playing Toby, with JoJo still out with a neck injury, though there is no truth in the rumour that he got the injury from repetitive strain injury picking the ball out of the back of the net all season.
With it being the last home game of the season it meant that it is the day on which every season ticket remembers they have free ticket vouchers in the red envelope shoved in the back of a drawer somewhere and they dig them out to invite friends to use them, or for some people, seeing as they don’t have any, inviting randoms they meet in the street. And so there are hoards of people wandering around with no idea where they are supposed to be sitting / stood, and there are vast numbers of people sitting in the wrongs seats as they try to sit / stand near the people who gave them the ticket. In addition to the people end of season rush for free tickets, there is also the last minute need to use up all the free sausage roll / pie and hot drinks vouchers before they become obsolete over the summer. So let’s hope they’ve ordered extra stock in for the game.
With about twenty minutes to go before kick off the club announce that the game is a sell-out. There is a reasonable contingent of away fans, but the crowd is announced – well shown up on the scoreboard as 5,105, which depending on how many away fans there were maybe a bit high, as there were a shit load of empty seats around us in the east marquee.
The away fans had mainly turned up in the club’s bright yellow away shirt, and a few had taken the colour theme a bit further and come dressed as bananas. Northampton Town were wearing their yellow shirts, along with yellow socks and maroon shorts, whilst we were in our all-red home kit.
The minute’s applause before kick off to commemorate Travel Ken was thunderous and taken up by the away support as well which was nice to see.
Northampton kick off and it only takes about thirty seconds for them to have their first throw on our side of the pitch and for TAFKAL to yell out ‘get on with it.’ That first throw was fine for him to yell out the player’s name, but when it reverted to being the full back taking it, the double-barrelled surname wasn’t getting much of a look in.
We get an early corner down the right-hand side. It is taken short going back to Jack Roles and he swings a cross in, it is headed down by a defender and comes to Ben Radcliffe near the edge of the box and his shot goes over the bar. And over the top of the KRL Logistics stand for ball loss one of the game.
Attacking down the right again and Roles swings another cross in which is headed clear to the left side of the box, it is won back, and the ball is played across to Liam Fraser on the edge of the D and his shot goes just wide.
The early stages of the game are a bit disjointed, the possession is there, but it isn’t quite coming together, the final ball forward is just off, as is some of the passing and control from both sides. Another ball goes down the right wing and Rushian Hepburn-Murphy is onto it only to be fouled outside the right of the penalty box. Roles takes the free kick which is punched clear.
There is a coming together off the pitch in front of the west stand and the whole Northampton bench are up and getting involved as are most of the team, with only Radcliffe there, the player taking time to get back up and on the pitch is Gavan Holohan, and although the ref is over there, there is no evidence of any cards.
A lot of our forward play is coming down the right, and it does so again with a ball releasing Roles, his first time cross is slightly behind RHM who attempts a back heel flick to force it goalwards, and it goes wide. Northampton break down their right and Jeremy Kelly cynically stops it and is probably a bit lucky not to pick up a yellow for it. The free kick is played into the box and punched clear by Toby Steward, Northampton play it back into the box and get a weak shot off which is collected by Steward. We give away a cheap corner, which is taken deep and headed behind for another corner on the other side of the pitch. We break and RHM is off down the right wing, played back across to Kelly but just beyond him.
There are a lot of small white feathers floating about on the wind across the pitch and into the stands. It looks as if there may well have been a chicken blown up before the game in some kind of sacrifice to Jabu as in Major League.
We are consistently playing a release ball down the right wing for Roles to get onto. This time he feeds the overlapping Holohan whose cross is collected by a diving keeper before it can reach a striker. We win the ball back in midfield and play it to Panutche Camara, he slips the ball through to RHM to the right of the penalty area, and he shoots across the keeper, and it nestle in the left side of the net, and we lead 1-0.
And we stay calm on the restart, don’t let Northampton get on the front foot as we have against so many sides this season after scoring, and the rest of the half, including one minute of added time is comfortably seen out, and we go into half time leading 1-0.
The second half sees us come out as if they had been prodded by the devil at half time. Straight from the kick off the ball is played over the top to RHM in the box, he plays it back to Camara, but his cross is too deep. At the other end Kelly is penalised for a foul throw and Northampton get the throw on the edge of our box, they swing a cross in which is punched clear and we break down the right, RHM plays it back to Camara, his deep cross is nodded back to Kelly and his shot takes a deflection and hits the underside of the bar and it looks like it has gone up and the fans are up celebrating a second goal, only it isn’t and Northampton manage to clear.
A ball out of defence from Radcliffe finds Kelly down the left, he cuts in, but his attempted ball forward is half cleared out to Charlie Barker, and his shot from thirty five yards out is high over the bar, and over the Eden Utilities Stand for ball loss number two of the day.
We seem to be having an attack a minute. Every time Northampton get the ball into our half we are breaking with pace on them. This time Camara plays Holohan in down the left, he gets to the area and crosses it in and RHM’s shot is over and wide. Then we break down the right, as Roles wins the ball and plays it to Camara and he puts RHM through and clear one on one with the keeper and an absolute age to compose himself and pick his spot, but his low effort is pretty much straight at the keeper, and we wince as that was the kind of chance we really have to take to make sure of such a game.
And we are almost through again straight away, Camara on to RHM and his ball to Holohan is only just cut out by a sliding lunge to the ball by a defender. And again, Camara has it in midfield again and puts another great through ball into RHM in the box, and his shot is blocked out for a corner. It is swung in, there is a bit of head tennis in the box, and it comes to Holohan, and his shot is deflected making it an easy catch for the keeper.
A long ball out is headed down by Radcliffe to Max Anderson who plays it on to RHM and he plays a through ball to Roles, and his shot is just wide. It is difficult to keep up with everything going on, the pen has steam coming off it. We win the ball in out own half, Anderson plays it to Kelly, and he runs forward and shoots from twenty-five yards, it takes a deflection and goes for a corner. It is taken deep, and Barker’s header goes wide.
The ball is won back, and Fraser plays it out of defence to Radcliffe who brings it forward and plays it onto Kelly, his cross is half cleared and comes to RHM, and his shot is over the top. Only for us to be on the attack again, winning the ball in midfield and streaming forward. Holohan times the pass perfectly through to Kelly who takes it into the box and calmly gives the keeper the eyes and sends him the wrong way, passing it into the near corner and finally there is that deserved second goal, and we lead 2-0.
The downside is hearing the news that Burton have taken the lead against Cambridge.
We win a free kick in midfield and Kelly pings it wide to RHM, Barker goes down on the edge of the area clutching his face after a coming together. We keep the ball and RHM has exchanged passes, and he shoots only for it to be wide again. It gets played straight back from the goal kick, Barker to Roles onto Camara and his deep cross is put back in by Holohan and there is a header just over.
There is a rare Northampton foray forward, and a shot is well saved by Steward, and the follow up is deflected behind for a corner. It is taken short, but we win it back and break with RHM only for him to be tackled just inside the attacking half.
And it is time for our first subs, Roles and Camara who have both run themselves into the ground are off to be replaced by the not inconsiderable talents of Armando Junior Quitirna and Kamari Doyle, whilst RHM is down injured on the right wing. There are a few quiet minutes before we make another substitution with Holohan being replaced by Antony Papadopoulos.
The attacking is still going on, Fraser plays a lovely ball out of defence to Kelly on the left, he plays it on to Doyle and his cross eludes everyone and goes out for a throw on the far side. Northampton have a break down the right wing and their player cuts inside Radcliffe and shoots and Steward catches.
Only for us to march up the other end again, Kelly and RHM play it between them down the left and then play the ball back across into the centre of the park, Fraser picks out Doyle in the box and he is calmness personified as he calmly strokes it past the keeper and it is 3-0. Which brings about the fire drill in the away end.
There are four minutes added at the end of the game, and a long ball out of defence to Doyle, he plays it on to Kelly, who lays it back to Radcliffe who clips it into the box looking for AJQ who has gone down and can’t get to it. That is the last meaningful action of the match, but there is a massive wave of a cheer going around as news filters through that Cambridge have got an equaliser. And then the final whistle goes, and we have won 3-0.
The players go off and come back on to do their lap of appreciation, during which there is a disturbance in the force with millions of voices crying out ‘NOOOO!!’ as Burton have retaken the lead and ended up winning their game.
It was odd after the final whistle saying to those fans we know around us, who won’t be making the trip away for the last game, ‘see you next season.’ It’s an odd feeling that we won’t see TAFKAL, Mark, Rick, Grant, Christine, or any of the others now for three months.
Our win saw us climb a place, jumping over Bristol Rovers up to twenty first, but the Burton win means we are still three points off safety and with a deficit in goal difference of twelve. They also have a game in hand midweek against a Wigan Athletic team who are safe in mid table and nothing to play for. Although it is now highly unlikely, we can stay up, it is still mathematically possible. All it needs is three 4-0 results in the next week, two of them as 4-0 defeats for Burton against Wigan and Charlton, and for us to win our final game away at Shrewsbury Town by the same margin. As the annoying meerkats say, ‘simples.’
I think we can all be Wigan fans on Tuesday night, and hopefully old boy Ronan Darcy can muster his new team mates to do us a massive favour.
As for that final game away to Shrewsbury Town, who have been relegated already for a couple of weeks. Well this trip has been booked in for a while, and we will be up Thursday night, ready for going to Loopfest at the weekend, with tickets for Goldie Lookin’ Chain at Shrewsbury Castle on the Friday night already snapped up.
Come on you reds.