Ground: Sixfields (capacity 7,798)
Location: Northampton, England
Ticket price: £24 - Pay online or at ground
The town of Northampton sits just to the east of Birmingham and can be reached on the London Euston line from Birmingham New Street station. From the station, it's a rough 40 minute walk where you go past the Northampton Saints pitch; the home of the town's rugby team. Just west of Sixfields Stadium sits a small retail park just over the road, playing host to a large KFC, McDonalds, as well as various other eateries.
Northampton Town were founded in 1897, playing in local leagues until they received their invitation into the Football League in 1920. Under Dave Bowen (who also worked as a summariser in the 1966 World Cup), the club achieved three promotions from the Fourth Division to the First Division within five years. However, Northampton only survived for one season in the top tier of English football after relegation in 1966. Northampton have yet to replicate the glory days of the Bowen years, languishing predominantly in the third and 4th divisions since their relegation from the Second Division in 1967 (in fact the club set a record for being the only club to win promotion from the 4th tier to the first tier, then subsequently drop all the way down into the 4th division within the decade, doing so in 9 years).
The Cobblers (nicknamed due to the town's history with shoe-making) gained a little bit of notoriety in 2016 when Shaquille O'Neal professed his love for the club in a YouTube video. He said in the 28 second clip that "first place is where he liked to be" and that he's "looking forward to visiting Sixfields at some point to watch a match." At the time of writing this, he has yet to attend a game in person.
Leyton Orient were today's visitors and they were going into the game in a good run of form. Northampton, on the other hand, were having little luck, with some fans seemingly beginning to lose patience with manager Jon Brady.
The visitors started the brighter and scored the first goal - Rob Hunt with a curling low drive that tickled past the hand of Cobblers keeper Lee Burge. A shot the former Sunderland and Coventry keeper will have been disappointed to concede and this was the feeling emanating from the crowd around me. Burge, however, proved his worth by making a string of impressive saves to keep his team in it going into the break. Aside the goal, the half was so dull that the highlight was perhaps Clarence the Moose collapsing in exasperation; worn out from mental exhaustion after watching such tepid football from the home side I imagine!
The second half saw Northampton draw level early on. Sam Hoskins, playing on the wing, found himself 1 on 1 with Ethan Galbraith. Hoskins, arguably the Cobblers' strongest attacking threat, feinted and teased the man wearing number 32, dangling a line and bobbling it, hoping for a bite. Hoskins shot, Galbraith committed himself with a block, but his leg saw the ball loop over Sol Brynn and into the far corner of the net. Hoskins was credited with the goal despite it being a clear own goal in my opinion. Hoskins then scored again from the penalty spot after a reckless challenge from Jordan Graham in the box.
Like Burge for Northampton, Graham seemed desperate to atone for his mistake, weaving his body and playing some delicious crosses that his teammates could not convert. However, the introduction of Shaq Moore meant that the aforementioned Graham could go home with an assist to his name, finding the 19 year old in the centre of the box with his shot looping over Burge's outstreched hand into the roof of the net. It's no less than what Orient deserved, having knocked on the door for the majority of the game.
Special mention has to go to Theo Archibald, who gobbed off at the ball boy on two separate occasions. "Theo Archibald, you are a disgrace!" one disgruntled Cobblers fan screamed as the Scottish winger popped off at the kid who, to be fair, wasn't being proactive when it came to giving the ball to the Leyton Orient players.
Northampton Town 2-2 Leyton Orient FC 24/10/2023
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