David Brian's Blog - Posts Tagged "football"
With a knock kneed chicken and a bow legged hen...
I haven't been so happy since I don't know when!
I'd just like to say a massive, massive well done to Northampton Town Football Club.
And indulge in a brief (personal) history lesson.
It was a chilly midweek evening, many years ago, and I was filled with a nervous anticipation. A young boy about to attend my first 'proper' football match. I was being jostled amid a sea of bodies, in a queue which stretched the length of Abington Avenue, the main road which runs parallel to Northampton's (then) home, The County Ground.
We had just drew close to the first set of turnstiles, but my dad directed me away from these and on towards another turnstile, which was situated under the main stand. As we began to move forward past a set of double gates, a thunderous roar erupted from inside the ground, swiftly followed by a repetitious chant of 'NORTHAMPTON!' which filled the night air.
The crescendo of noise was coming from an area beyond the gates, and the urgent, almost violent edge it carried made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Excitement coursed through me, and I looked at my dad, wanting answers as to what was going on. He smiled and told me, 'That's the Hotel End terrace, son.'
He shook his head when I asked if we were going in that section, and said 'it would be some years before I was old enough to venture into there.'
It was some years later, but eventually I did become a regular on the Hotel End.
We watched that first match from the tightly packed, although infinitely safer side-terracing, and I was entranced by the magic that was Northampton Town.
Of course, a significant fact managed to escape me that night. We were playing the mighty Aston Villa in the third round of the League Cup, and we drew the game with a goal apiece, and in front of over fifteen thousand fans.
My second match was the return leg at Villa Park, and a game we lost by three goals to one. A game played in front of over twenty five thousand fans. It didn't matter that we lost, because I was hooked!
These occasions were electric!
Following Northampton was electric... well, not quite.
You see, those first two games I attended were huge (at least by Northampton's standards), but they were far from the norm.
Following a team who play in the lower leagues (and unfortunately that is an area Northampton Town tend to frequent) can make for painful viewing. Poor quality football, low crowds, little success, and truly awful, inedible food on offer.
Even a move away from The County Ground, to the newly built Sixfields Stadium failed to produce any longterm improvement in the clubs fortunes.
But that first match had captured me, and from that day forward Northampton was in my heart. I was, and always would remain a fan of The Cobblers!
If only dad had taken me to see Manchester United it may have all been different!
But the Town were in my blood, and once a Cobbler always a Cobbler!
Over the years success for my team has proven sporadic at best, and the last couple of years had been dire. This season though, under the excellent chairmanship of David Cardoza, and the management of Aidy Boothroyd, Northampton Town just might be on the up!
On Saturday May 18th, Northampton Town Football Club will contest the League Two Play-Off Final against Bradford City, at Wembley Stadium. It will be only the third time Northampton have appeared at Wembley, and the winners will be promoted to League One. And after the last few years of struggle, success for The Cobblers would be a massive achievement.
So please, excuse me my wandering down memory lane, as I wanted to share Northampton's upturn with you all. And remember if you are a neutral, on the 18th support The Cobblers!
Good luck to Aidy and the boys.
And Bayo, let's do this one Beastmode!
I'd just like to say a massive, massive well done to Northampton Town Football Club.
And indulge in a brief (personal) history lesson.
It was a chilly midweek evening, many years ago, and I was filled with a nervous anticipation. A young boy about to attend my first 'proper' football match. I was being jostled amid a sea of bodies, in a queue which stretched the length of Abington Avenue, the main road which runs parallel to Northampton's (then) home, The County Ground.
We had just drew close to the first set of turnstiles, but my dad directed me away from these and on towards another turnstile, which was situated under the main stand. As we began to move forward past a set of double gates, a thunderous roar erupted from inside the ground, swiftly followed by a repetitious chant of 'NORTHAMPTON!' which filled the night air.
The crescendo of noise was coming from an area beyond the gates, and the urgent, almost violent edge it carried made the hairs stand up on the back of my neck. Excitement coursed through me, and I looked at my dad, wanting answers as to what was going on. He smiled and told me, 'That's the Hotel End terrace, son.'
He shook his head when I asked if we were going in that section, and said 'it would be some years before I was old enough to venture into there.'
It was some years later, but eventually I did become a regular on the Hotel End.
We watched that first match from the tightly packed, although infinitely safer side-terracing, and I was entranced by the magic that was Northampton Town.
Of course, a significant fact managed to escape me that night. We were playing the mighty Aston Villa in the third round of the League Cup, and we drew the game with a goal apiece, and in front of over fifteen thousand fans.
My second match was the return leg at Villa Park, and a game we lost by three goals to one. A game played in front of over twenty five thousand fans. It didn't matter that we lost, because I was hooked!
These occasions were electric!
Following Northampton was electric... well, not quite.
You see, those first two games I attended were huge (at least by Northampton's standards), but they were far from the norm.
Following a team who play in the lower leagues (and unfortunately that is an area Northampton Town tend to frequent) can make for painful viewing. Poor quality football, low crowds, little success, and truly awful, inedible food on offer.
Even a move away from The County Ground, to the newly built Sixfields Stadium failed to produce any longterm improvement in the clubs fortunes.
But that first match had captured me, and from that day forward Northampton was in my heart. I was, and always would remain a fan of The Cobblers!
If only dad had taken me to see Manchester United it may have all been different!
But the Town were in my blood, and once a Cobbler always a Cobbler!
Over the years success for my team has proven sporadic at best, and the last couple of years had been dire. This season though, under the excellent chairmanship of David Cardoza, and the management of Aidy Boothroyd, Northampton Town just might be on the up!
On Saturday May 18th, Northampton Town Football Club will contest the League Two Play-Off Final against Bradford City, at Wembley Stadium. It will be only the third time Northampton have appeared at Wembley, and the winners will be promoted to League One. And after the last few years of struggle, success for The Cobblers would be a massive achievement.
So please, excuse me my wandering down memory lane, as I wanted to share Northampton's upturn with you all. And remember if you are a neutral, on the 18th support The Cobblers!
Good luck to Aidy and the boys.
And Bayo, let's do this one Beastmode!
