Northampton Town F.C. facts for kids
 |
||||
| Full name | Northampton Town Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | The Cobblers Shoe Army |
|||
| Founded | 9 March 1897 | |||
| Ground | Sixfields Stadium | |||
| Capacity | 7,798 | |||
| Chairman | Kelvin Thomas | |||
| Manager | Jon Brady | |||
| League | League Two | |||
| 2018–19 | League Two, 15th of 24 | |||
|
||||
Northampton Town Football Club is a professional association football team from Northampton, England. They are known as the Cobblers because of the town's history of making shoes. The team plays in claret (a dark red) and white uniforms.
Northampton Town was started in 1897. They joined the Southern Football League in 1901 and won it in 1909. Later, in 1920, they joined the English Football League. The team had an amazing time from 1960 to 1965, moving up from the fourth division to the very top division of English football! This was their only season in the top league. After that, they quickly moved back down.
The Cobblers play their home games at Sixfields Stadium, which can hold 7,798 fans. Their biggest rivals are Peterborough United, and their matches are called the Nene derby.
Contents
Club History: The Cobblers' Journey
Northampton Town has a long and interesting history, with many ups and downs in English football.
How the Club Started: 1897 and Beyond
The club was formed on March 6, 1897, by local school teachers and a lawyer. They wanted to create the town's first professional football club. At first, they wanted to be called Northampton Football Club. But the town's rugby club already had that name, so they became Northampton Town Football Club.
They won their local league in their second season. Then they joined the Southern Football League in 1901. In the 1908–09 season, led by player-manager Herbert Chapman, they won the Southern League championship. This allowed them to play in the Charity Shield match against Newcastle United, where they lost 2–0.
Joining the Football League: The Early Years
After World War I, in 1920, Northampton Town joined the Football League in Division Three (South). In 1923, the club became a public company, selling shares to fans. They even had a record crowd of 18,123 people for a game against Plymouth!
The club used money raised from fans to build a new stand and improve the stadium. In 1925, they made their first international player transfer, signing William Shaw from Barcelona. Sadly, in 1929, a fire destroyed three stands at their home ground, the County Ground. Luckily, the stands were rebuilt by August 1930.
A Quick Rise and Fall: The 1960s
Northampton Town had an incredible five years from 1960 to 1965. They started in the Fourth Division and climbed all the way to the First Division, the top league in England! This was their only season ever in the top division (1965–66).
During that top-flight season, they beat teams like Aston Villa twice and won home games against Leeds and Newcastle. However, after just one season, they were relegated. Over the next five years, they dropped all the way back down to the Fourth Division. This meant they went from the fourth tier to the first and back in only nine years, which was a record!
The 1970s and 1980s: Stability and Promotion
In 1970, Northampton Town played Manchester United in the FA Cup and lost 8–2. Six of Manchester United's goals were scored by the famous player George Best.
In the 1975–76 season, the club was promoted from Division Four. They did not lose a single home game that season! They even had their goalkeeper, Alan Starling, score a goal from a penalty kick. However, they were relegated back to Division Four the next season.
In the 1986–87 season, Northampton Town won the Fourth Division championship. They earned a club record 99 points and scored 103 goals! One player, Richard Hill, scored 29 of those goals. After this success, important players were sold, and the team dropped back to Division Four by 1990.
Tough Times and a New Home: The Early 1990s
The early 1990s were difficult for the club. In 1992, they faced serious financial problems and had to go into administration. This meant they were managed by experts to help sort out their money issues. Many players were let go, and young players had to step up.
Fans helped by forming the Northampton Town Supporters' trust, which helped the club survive. In 1993, they had to win their last game of the season to avoid being relegated out of the Football League entirely. They won 3–2 against Shrewsbury Town, even after being 2–0 down at half-time!
In 1994, the club finished last in the Football League for the first time. But they avoided relegation because the team that won the league below them did not have a suitable stadium. This was also the year the club started moving to a new stadium.
The Sixfields Era: Ups and Downs
The club moved to their new home, Sixfields Stadium, in October 1994. In their 100th anniversary season (1996–97), the Cobblers reached Wembley Stadium for the first time! They won the Third Division play-off final 1–0 against Swansea City, with John Frain scoring the winning goal.
The next season, they reached another play-off final but lost to Grimsby Town. After being relegated in 1999, they bounced straight back up in 2000.
In 2010, Northampton Town caused a big upset in the League Cup. They beat Liverpool at their famous stadium, Anfield, in a penalty shootout! This was a huge win for the Cobblers.
The club continued to have promotions and relegations. In 2016, they won the League Two championship, which was a great achievement. In 2020, they were promoted to League One again after winning the play-off final against Exeter City 4–0. This was special because the season was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
After being relegated again in 2021, the Cobblers earned another promotion to League One in 2023, showing their fighting spirit!
Club Colors and Sponsors
Northampton Town traditionally plays in claret (dark red) and white kits.
Kit Makers and Sponsors
Over the years, many companies have made the club's kits, including famous brands like Adidas, Umbro, Nike, and Puma. Puma has been their kit maker since 2023.
The club's shirts have also been sponsored by different companies. Currently, the University of Northampton and PTS Academy are their main sponsors.
Stadiums: Home of the Cobblers
The County Ground: A Historic Home
Northampton Town played at the County Ground from 1897 until 1994. They shared this ground with the county cricket team. The stadium saw its highest attendance of 24,523 fans in 1966, during their only season in the top football division. The last game played at the County Ground was in October 1994.
Sixfields Stadium: The Modern Home
The club moved to Sixfields Stadium in October 1994. It is a modern stadium with seats for 7,798 people. The main stand, the West Stand, holds 4,000 fans. The East Stand and the stands behind the goals are smaller. The South Stand is usually for away supporters.
The stadium was briefly called the PTS Academy Stadium from 2018 to 2021. But it went back to being called Sixfields Stadium in July 2021.
The team trains at Moulton College in Northampton, which they have done since 2016.
Supporters and Rivals
Northampton Town's biggest rivals are Peterborough United. Their matches are known as the Nene derby, named after the river that connects the two towns. Other teams they have rivalries with include Oxford United and Milton Keynes Dons.
Players: The Current Squad
Here are the players currently in the Northampton Town squad:
|
|
Players on Loan
|
Special Players: PFA Team of the Year
Some Northampton Town players have been chosen for the PFA Team of the Year, which means they were among the best players in their league that season.
- 1974–75:
Paul Stratford - 1980–81: Steve Phillips
- 1986–87: Keith McPherson, Richard Hill, Trevor Morley
- 1999–2000: Ian Hendon
- 2005–06: Ian Taylor, Josh Low
- 2015–16: Adam Smith,
John-Joe O'Toole, Ricky Holmes - 2019–20: Charlie Goode,
Nicky Adams - 2021–22: Liam Roberts, Jon Guthrie, Fraser Horsfall
- 2022–23: Sam Hoskins
Club Heroes Chosen by Fans
In 2006, fans voted for their favorite club heroes. Here are the top three:
- Andy Woodman
- John Frain
- Dave Bowen
Club Management and Leadership
Current Staff Members
- Manager: Jon Brady
- Head of Academy / First Team Coach: Ian Sampson
- First Team Coach / U21 Player Pathway Manager: Marc Richards
- Head of Goalkeeping: James Alger
- S & C Lead: Ashlee Adebayo
- S & C Assistant: Joe Power
- First Team Physio: Michael Bolger
- First Team Analyst: Liam Jefferson
- Head Strategic & Recruitment Analyst: Alex Latimer
- Kit Manager: Adam Moreton
Board of Directors
The club is run by a board of directors.
- Executive Chairman: Kelvin Thomas
- President: Bob Church
- Directors: David Bower, Jim Rosenthal, Nigel Le Quesne
- Associate Director: Graham Carr
- Non-Executive Director: Mike Wailing
Managers Through the Years
Many managers have led Northampton Town since it was founded in 1897. Here is a list of all the permanent managers:
|
|
|
Club Records: Amazing Achievements
Northampton Town holds a unique record: they are the team that went from the lowest professional league to the top league and back down again in the shortest time, just nine years!
- Tommy Fowler has played the most games for Northampton Town, with 552 matches between 1946 and 1961.
- The club's top goal scorer is Jack English, who scored 143 goals from 1947 to 1959.
- The highest number of fans at a game at the County Ground was 24,523 on April 23, 1966, for a match against Fulham.
- The record attendance at Sixfields Stadium is 7,798, for a game against Manchester United in 2016.
Honours: Trophies and Promotions
Northampton Town has won several titles and promotions throughout its history:
League Titles
- Second Division (Level 2)
- Runners-up: 1964–65
- Third Division South / Third Division (Level 3)
- Champions: 1962–63
- Runners-up: 1927–28, 1949–50
- Fourth Division / Third Division / League Two (Level 4)
- Champions: 1986–87, 2015–16
- Runners-up: 1975–76, 2005–06
- Promoted: 1960–61, 1999–2000, 2022–23
- Play-off winners: 1997, 2020
- Southern League
- Champions: 1908–09
- Runners-up: 1910–11
Cup Competitions
- FA Charity Shield
- Runners-up: 1909
See also
In Spanish: Northampton Town Football Club para niños
