Football returned to a ‘new look’ County Ground in late August several alterations having been made to both improve the facilities to fall in line with the Government’s policy on membership schemes.
The Spion Kop became the new members area, a new portable stand at the Kop end became a permanent fixture. The family enclosure was moved down the main stand side in order to make way for a new visitors enclosure in the comer by the police tower. It increased the capacity of the ground by 50, provided space for an extra 2,300 home fans and complied with the government’s 50 per cent membership area.
The new measures were not welcome by everybody – particularly away fans. The restricted view and cramped conditions of the away section led to aggravation later on. Changes behind the scenes had spawned a new reserve side in the Senior Section of the Midland IntermediateLeague, and a link with Timken Duston that saw the Nene Group United Counties League club become the Cobblers official nursery side.
That gave the Cobblers use of Timken’s superb facilities, while also allowing Cobblers fringe players to play regular Saturday football. .Former player, Brian Knight, who had been managing Wellingborough Town, took charge both the reserves and Timken Duston.Sixties idol Joe Kiernan joined the club to run the youth side in the South East Counties League Division Two.
New signings unveiled on the pre-season tour of the North East were David Longhurst, a Northampton born striker signed from Halifax Town for £40,000, Steve Senior, a £14,000 buy from York City and Chris Scott, a central defender recruited from Blyth Spartans.
Neither Senior, a full-back, nor Scott were to establish themselves and both had left the dub by Christmas.
August 15 – Chester City 0 Northampton Town 5
After a dismal pre-season campaign, there was little cause for optimism as the Cobblers made their bow on a higher stage for the first time for 11 years.
The lukewarm attitude proved totally unfounded as the Cobblers, inspired by skipper Trevor Morley, made light of the opposition and the absence of last season’s leading scorer, Richard Hill .
Morley opened the scoring (24 minutes) and after the break the Cobblers ran riot with goals coming from Phil Chard (53) , Russ Wilcox (55) , Dave Longhurst (72) and Dave Gilbert (81). Division Three clearly held no terrors for Graham Carr’s men.
August 17 – Port Vale 0 Northampton Town 1 (Llttlewoods Cup)
Four players were sent off by referee Viv Callow to take the gloss of an excellent opening performance in the Littlewoods Cup.
Steve Senior making his-full debut and Phil Chard were dismissed along with Vale’s Paul Smith and Ray Walker.
It made dismal viewing for watching Manchester United boss Alex Ferguson, although he must have been impressed with Dave Longhurst’s brilliant winner, chipped in over Alex Williams four minutes from the break.
September
September began clouded in controversy at Doncaster when assistant manager Clive Walker was in trouble …… after being reported to the police by a home supporter for swearing.
Walker later appeared at Doncaster magistrates court and was fined £ 100 and charged £ 10 costs after pleading guilty to using “insulting words likely to cause alarm or distress.
Manager Graham Carr spoke out in defence of Walker by insisting that “the whole thing has been blown out of all proportion.”
• The month ended with the sad news that former director Charlie Barham, seriously ill for many months, had died on the day of the Littlewoods Cup trip to Ipswich.
Along with Bany Stonhill, Charlie was behind the idea of a consortium of local businessmen taking over the club during the dark days of 1985. He had remained a loyal and passionate Cobblers fan, despite leaving the board in 1986.
• On the field, four players passed the milestone of 100 appearances for the club – Trevor Morley, Warren Donald, Phil Chard and Graham Reed.
September 2 – Northampton Town 4 Port Vale 0
(Lttlewoods Cup, Cobblers win 5~0 on aggregate)
Port Vale striker Andy Jones came to the County Ground with a £300,000 price tag on his head. But it was Trevor Morley who stole the scoring show with his first ever hat-trick and his first Cup goals for the club.
Yet for much of the game he fretted whether the goals Would count as dense fog left fans totally in the dark.
Referee Terry Holbrook saw out the match much to Morley’s relief who struck in the fourth 50th and 63rd minutes with Keith McPherson chipping in with one on the stroke of half time.
September 5 – Doncaster Rovers 0 Northampton Town 2
Disciplinarian Graham Carr left vice captain Phil Chard and summer signing Steve Senior behind as further punishment following a two match ban.
“It will make them think a bit before getting booked in the future, ” explained Carr.
While Chard and Senior were turning out for Timken Duston in the United Counties league, the rest of the first team squad turned in another highly competent
performance at Belle Vue with goals from Trevor Morley and Dave Longhurst – both in the second half.
September 9 – Northampton Town 2 Brentford 1
Dave Gilbert triggered off a three goal in five minutes spell, which took the Cobblers to second place. For an hour the game was one long yawn and then Gilbert curled a left foot free kick into the comer (68 minutes) .
Then Dave Longhurst struck three minutes later, after swapping passes with Trevor Morley for his first strike at the County Ground.
Robbie Cooke frayed the nerve ends by slotting home a penalty two minutes later, after he was felled by Russell Wilcox.
Not a classic by any means, and one that hardly merited Steve Perryman’s 700th game.
September 12 – Northampton Town O Notts County I
Money bags Notts County, containing Northants lads Gary Mills and David Kevan, somehow survived a second half onslaught to sneak three points towards their championship challenge.
The lone goal came from Gary Lund, who had netted for Lincoln City the previous season, before that club descended to the obscurity of the GM Conference.
A short tally of 15-2 in the Cobblers favour tells its own sorry statistical – goals were to be much shorter supply than the previous campaign, which helped to explain a later drop-off of support from a freckle public.
September 15 · Preston 0 Northampton Town 0
There were no goals three days later at Deepdale, but the Cobblers came of the artificial pitch with a point – an
Improvements on the championship battle of the previous season.
The signs were beginning to emerge of a total transformation from ’86/’87 when the attack was all the rage and the defence often the fall guys.
This blankety-blank made it four goals conceded in seven and cup games, and later goalkeeper Peter Gleasure was to be rewarded with a new o year contract a far cry from the desperate days of his early career at the County Ground, a place constantly haunted by re-election.
September 19 – Bristol Rovers 0 Northampton Town 2
This was the fourth away win in just six weeks – a remarkable tribute to the Third Division newsboys.
The defence was boasting the best record m the entire Football League and this was a fourth clean sheet – all away!
Morley had taken over the Hill mantle of goalscoring and struck after 41 minutes with Chard adding a second (48).
September 22 – Ipswich 1 Northampton Town 1
(Littewoods Cup)
The Cobblers walking wounded got a richly deserved draw set up a fascinating second leg. Dave Gilbert’s unerring accuracy from the penalty spot got the goal, but the whole team battled for the result.
Romeo Zondervan had given Ipswich an un reserved half time lead (38 minutes), but Gilbert levelled things (55) after Frank Yallop needlessly handled.
A comer count of 7- 1 in the Cobblers favour underlined that the Cobblers were far from out of their depth the impressive surroundings of Portman Road.
But the draw was won at the cost of injuries to Dave Longhurst, Phil Chard and Keith McPherson.
September 26 – Northampton Town 1 Port Vale 0
Graham Carr, no doubt encouraged by the Cobblers start, announced plans to sign two players and would be seeking something like £80,000 from the board.
It seemed a fair request since he had spent only £60,000 of the £250,000 that Watford had paid for Richard Hill .
Before the game players and fans had stood for a minute’s silence to former director Charlie Barham, who died earlier in the week. Barham, of course, had been one of the boardroom inspirations behind the Cobblers rise from the ashes.
The game was won with a solitary Chard goal near the end, when he drove through the defensive wall following a tapped free kick.
September 29 – Southend 1 Northampton Town 1
History repeated itself in the form of a controversialSouthend goal in the same mould as the Walsall travesty.
Roy McDonough was jogging sedately back when Derek Hall was allowed to run through and score. No amount of gesturing with referee Roy Wiseman made any difference.
Morley pounced from 25 yards to score a classic equaliser at a ground which had yielded 12 goals in two League and Cup games a season earlier.