Who are they?

Cheltenham Town Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England. The team compete in League Two, the fourth tier of English football. Nicknamed the “Robins”, they have played at Whaddon Road since 1932. The club contests rivalries with Gloucester City and Forest Green Rovers.

Founded in 1887, the club spent much of its early history competing in local football circles, before moving to the Birmingham Combination in 1932 and then the Southern League in 1935. They spent the next 50 years in the Southern League, winning the Midland Division in 1982–83 and then claiming the Premier Division title in 1984–85. They were subsequently promoted into the Alliance Premier League in 1985, where they remained for seven seasons until they were relegated in 1992. They finished as runners-up of the Southern League Premier Division for four of the next five seasons, and were promoted into the Conference in 1997.

Under the stewardship of Steve Cotterill, Cheltenham won the 1998 FA Trophy final and then secured promotion into the Football League for the first time after winning the Conference title in 1998–99. He left the club after the 2001–02 season, having guided them to the FA Cup fifth round and promotion with victory in the 2002 Third Division play-off final. Immediately relegated after one season in the Second Division, they secured another promotion as manager John Ward coached them to victory in the 2006 League Two play-off final. Relegated after three seasons in the third tier, the club’s 16-year stay in the Football League ended with relegation back to the Conference in 2015. However manager Gary Johnson led Cheltenham to the Conference title with a 101 point tally in 2015–16, making them the first club in 26 years to secure an immediate return to the Football League as champions of the Conference.

Head-to-head:

Manager – MICHAEL DUFF

Northampton Town away on Sunday. Are there any other injury problems from today ahead of the quick turnaround?

No, I’ve not spoken to Gav (Crowe) and a lot of the time it’s not until the adrenaline comes out of the body you pick it up. There isn’t anything obvious and nobody came off because they were injured. The lads will be off on Friday, rest and recuperate, come back in on Saturday and we’ll find out where we’re at from there.

Another tough one at Northampton

Yes, they’ve been going really well, but lost 4-0 so they’ll be after us. Keith (Curle) will have them ready for us and it’s a really tough place to go even if they’d won. They are on a good run after a slow start, but they are another club in terms of the summer signings, they are having a bit of a go so it’s another game we’ll be underdogs for, but that’s the way it is.

It’s getting very tight up there now, but you have lost three home games in 2019, so plenty to be positive about

Yes, looking at it objectively because you can get emotional after a game, saying we’ve not done this or that, but most people would have taken where we are after this amount of games. That’s not saying we are happy with it because if we repeat the last 10 games we won’t be where we are. We are not naive, we are not hiding behind anything and we do need to do more to win games, but today I didn’t think we needed to do that much more. Bigger picture thinking, the group has moved on, we look a better team that 12 months ago and all we can do is try to keep improving the team and the players.

Most recent meetings 

Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town, 18 April 2015

Northampton kept their slim hopes of a League Two play-off place alive with victory over a Cheltenham side who remain in the relegation zone.

After a drab first half, Robins boss Gary Johnson, returning to his old club, saw his midfielder Joe Hanks smash against the bar from 20 yards.

Soon after, Cobblers forward Ivan Toney finished Lawson D’Ath’s left-wing cross to score his 10th of the season.

And Marc Richards’ right-foot strike sealed victory for the hosts.

Chris Wilder’s side are now four points off the final play-off place, while Cheltenham stay 23rd, after the sides either side of them, Hartlepool and Tranmere, both lost.

Northampton Town 1 v Cheltenham Town 3 , 08 September 2018

Cheltenham claimed just their second victory of the season with a win at Northampton.

Will Boyle’s close-range goal in the first half was added to by Conor Thomas and Kelsey Mooney after half-time, with Kevin van Veen’s penalty in vain for the home side.

Northampton raced out of the blocks as Sam Hoskins steered an early effort off target and then Van Veen ballooned over from an acute angle.

But Cheltenham took the lead when Johnny Mullins found space from a free-kick and knocked the ball down to Boyle, who tapped in.

The Cobblers levelled just past the hour as Hoskins pounced on a short back pass and drew the foul from goalkeeper Scott Flinders, allowing Van Veen to score from the spot.

But Cheltenham won their own spot-kick when Shay Facey felled Jacob Maddox and Thomas converted, squeezing the ball past David Cornell.

And the Robins had their third soon after as a scramble from a corner allowed Mooney to prod in.

Match report supplied by the Press Association.

Cheltenham Town 3 v Northampton Town 1, 23 March 2019

Luke Varney’s double and a goal from Tyrone Barnett secured an emphatic League Two home win for Cheltenham over Northampton.

Barnett initially forced David Cornell into a fine save low to his right in the 13th minute before Varney opened the scoring five minutes later, tapping in after a cross from Kevin Dawson on the right.

Varney’s second – and 13th of the season – came from the penalty spot in the 41st minute after Ryan Hughes had tripped Barnett in the box.

It was almost 3-0 as the first half drew to a close, only for Barnett to head a cross from Ryan Broom just wide.

Although Northampton sent Dean Bowditch and Marvin Sordell on at the break, there was no sign of a comeback.

Cornell blocked well from Kevin Dawson in the 70th minute and the Cobblers goalkeeper did well to turn a Chris Clements’ free-kick over the bar.

From the resulting corner, taken by Chris Hussey, Barnett nodded in from close range to make it 3-0.

In the 89th minute Bowditch scored a consolation goal for Northampton with a free-kick into the bottom right corner from 22 yards.

Match report supplied by the Press Association.

Key Stats

Don’t forget to pop to the club shop today!

The Dave Bowen book is on sale now!

The description ‘Cobblers Legend’ has been applied to many former Northampton Town players. But there is no better Cobblers story than that of Dave Bowen – player, captain, manager, club secretary, broadcaster. His statistical story is out on Friday, price £19.99, with book sales helping to raise charitable donations in favour of Cynthia Spencer Hospice and a Dementia Cafe in Northampton. Available in the Northampton Town Club Shop (cash only) and via Amazon.  ‪

Buy from Amazon here.

Dave Bowen Bust

Northampton Town will unveil a bust to former player, manager, secretary and president Dave Bowen ahead of kick-off on Sunday.

Supporters are invited to attend the unveiling, which will take place outside the main entrance to the stadium at 2.30 pm.

Working closely with the Bowen family, the club commissioned Sporting Icon to produce a permanent and lasting tribute to Dave Bowen.

“This will be a permanent and lasting tribute to one of the most important figures in the history of the club,” said Chief Executive James Whiting.

“As supporters will know, we are a club with a very proud history and strong community links and this seems an appropriate tribute to a man who achieved a lot for the club in many different roles.”

Barry Bowen, Dave’s son, has worked closely with the club and Sporting Icon on the production of the bust and he added:

“Family members have had input into the production process and we hope this tribute will mean as much to the fans as it does to the family. We are really looking forward to seeing this in place at the home of the Cobblers.”