You're History!

In an effort to prove how much of our lives we've wasted on Patgod and foisting our unformed and uninformed opinions upon the great Poppies public, we've trawled the archives for our coverage of the previous FA Cup tie against the Cobblers.  If nothing else it shows how little has changed in the 35 years (35 YEARS!!!) since that game.  Times may change.  Players and managers come and go.  Likewise with stadia.  And yet, we Poppies fans continue to happily kid ourselves that with a few good games under our belt that we are a match for anyone.

Below, if you can make it out, from Issue 4 was our attempt at satirising the Cobblers Cup Draw back in 1989, happily falling back on the fact that they shared their ground with the County Cricket team while we lorded it from the lofty glory and permanence of mighty Rockingham Road...ahem.

What WAS the same then as now was the fact that the Cobblers were struggling near the foot of League One (or Division 3 in old money) eventually finishing in one of the relegation slots.  We ended up finishing in our usual mid-Morris period 5th in the National League (again, for older readers, the Vauxhall Conference).  

That latest return to Division 4 for the Cobblers culminated, 4 years later, with the infamous season when they finished rock bottom of the League, exactly TWO PLACES in the pyramid above us, with only Kidderminster bloody Harriers and three bloody points preventing us from replacing the Cobblers in the Football League.  Yes, you young 'uns, we were once THAT close....

The Sheep?
Don't ask....perhaps our version of Page 3.....

1989 and all that

The last time we faced Northampton Town in a serious competitive match, the world was a very different place.  Just a few days earlier, the Berlin Wall had been breached, setting off a chain that led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.  Football was still coming to terms with the Hillsborough disaster and was yet to become fashionable. And we actually considered the Cobblers to be local rivals. 

Whether they felt quite the same about us is debatable – this always felt more of a one-sided, aspirational antagonism based 90% on geography and 10% on occasional Maunsell Cup clashes that no one really cared about. But as we turned into serious contenders for promotion to the Football League, we dared to dream that before long we would be competing on equal-ish terms. Hence the FA Cup draw offered perhaps a tantalising glimpse of things to come.

Or so the script was supposed to run. Things haven’t quite panned out that way since, although the Cobblers survived an almighty near miss a few seasons later.  Something that we prefer not to talk about because we had it in our power to swap League status with them… and blew it.  

Back to 1989 and the big match. Before managing to dig out an old cutting to refresh my memory, it was generally a bit hazy. Oh yes, there was a voucher scheme (sounds familiar) which led to over 3,600 attending the previous Saturday to claim their precious piece of paper. The ground capacity for the Cobblers game was set at 6,100 and was a sell out. That felt less than its actual limit, but these were post-Hillsborough days and caution was understandable. The atmosphere was loud and the Match of the Day cameras were there again. Barry Davies in his best headmasterly mode was poised to describe our win in Shakespearean terms, or something.

Sadly it became a case of much ado about nothing. Or a comedy of errors? Our big tactical gamble was to play a defender up front in place of the injured Ernie Moss. Neil Horwood seemingly entered Morris’s thoughts after scoring several in a 13-0 (THIRTEEN) midweek massacre of Daventry. He promptly exited his thoughts again after swiping thin air when through on goal early on.

The other moment which everyone who was there remembers (and plenty who weren’t) came after about an hour. Dean Thomas came marauding down the left, looked up and saw Shoey edging across, exposing his near post. Normally no great risk from 35 yards, except Thomas could really spank them from range.  For what happened next we refer you to every sleepless night Kev has had ever since!  

Such a horrendous flub was always likely to be decisive, and Northampton kept us at arms’ length to wrap up a win that was largely devoid of home threat. Then again, would you want to return to the away dressing room to face a fire breathing Graham Carr after a suffering an upset?

Fun fact: Eight of the Cobblers starting XI went on to play for us on the downward slope of their careers, plus of course we gained GC. And Neil Horwood lived happily ever after.   

The Poppies live on TV – a short history

With our beloved Poppies about to be thrust back into the national spotlight once more, even if just for a few fleeting hours before normality resumes, what better time to reopen old wounds reminisce about the previous occasions when national television came knocking.

Plymouth 1994

Sky TV brought many innovations to the coverage of football in this country. American style marketing and razzmatazz. Games on Monday nights. The whoosh. And live FA Cup coverage from Round 1 onwards. We didn’t have to wait long for an opportunity to land in our laps. Surviving just one tie in the 94/95 competition delivered us a plum home draw against a Plymouth side managed by Peter Shilton. And Sky picked it for their prime Sunday afternoon slot!  

Unlike previous occasions when we made the MOTD highlights, there would be a big build up (ooh), a temporary studio (gasp) and Richard Keys (…).  Not since hosting It’s a Knockout had the town known such giddy excitement. Even Weetabix got in on the act, plastering their name inside the ground for the one and only time.

With Super Carl Alford leading our attack, hopes were high that Shilton would depart even more lugubrious than normal. However, the team had a collective off day and left Andy Gray growl-less up on the gantry. Alford miskicked his and our only chance, Plymouth had buckets but just one was enough. We sloped off feeling like we hadn’t shown up to our own party. 

How we saw it.  Oh the wit...

Wrexham 1999

After a gutsy draw at the Racecourse earned us a home replay, Sky decided to give us another chance to register a shot on target in front of their cameras. To Rockingham Road they came on a November night, setting up their mini studio once more. Memory doesn’t quite stretch to recalling if we were again graced with their A Team. It feels more like they may have chosen to rest Keysey, and go with Alan Parry on coms. Equally Peter Morris had a tricky selection dilemma.  To play Sam Banya up front alongside McNamara or Hudson. Or try to win.

With or without Sam, this was another night when casual viewers must have wondered if non-league teams were allowed to shoot.  Wrexham soon took a two goal cushion, and whilst we made a better fist of it than against Plymouth, it was in truth another squib of the moist kind.  

Kingstonian 2000

History records that Sky were also present at our second and at this rate last appearance in the FA Trophy final. However even at this distance the memory of that day is still so painful, we would prefer not to dwell on it. Not so much the loss, but the fact it was to Kingstonian, who didn’t care a whole lot about it then and even less now.

Leeds 2009 (x2)  

Were it not for an ill-judged choice of shirt sponsor, it’s quite possible that our next live appearance would have been at home to Fulham. But Imraan knew best as he always did.  Fortunately, stunts were on the back burner the following season when we were paired with Leeds – or so we thought. This time ITV had the broadcasting rights and, no doubt hoping for a repeat of Histon knocking out Leeds the previous year, almost got their wish. A packed Rocky Road saw us lead for a while before Beckford earned a replay.  Then came the ultimate prize of a trip to Old Trafford for the lucky winners. But in Bully terms, would we be getting the speedboat or the steak knives?

To Elland Road, where the League One leaders and ITV4 lay in wait. It was, to put it mildly, a bit one sided, but somehow we kept the tie alive into extra time. And scored a brilliant goal – Heslop breaking from deep, ball swept to Partridge haring down the right, low cross whipped in and Elding there to meet it. Leeds stunned as 2,000 in the away end erupted. Eventually, inevitably, the dam burst in the second period of extra time but what a heroic performance that was. And Ladak couldn’t wait to let John Deehan know what he thought about it, by sacking him straight after the match. Just to add insult to the loss of that speedboat.

And that, boys and girls, was that until the next chapter at Sixfields. Odds on a Poppies win – maybe modest. Chances of George immediately sacking Lavs if we lose – probably smaller.    

Fence uncomfortable much Kev?

We've had worst Poppies supporting days than Monday 14th October 2024 I suppose.  We started the day by signing, arguably one of the best strikers in the league and ended it by drawing the Cobblers in the FA Cup.  Not too shabby.  Certainly known worse days.  Quite a few in fact.

The signing of Jonny Edwards is the most obvious example that, despite the protestations of our new owners and Lavs that a play-off spot is their aim this season, we are tilting for the title.  It's going to be tough.  One look at the League table shows how incredibly tight the top 10 is.  A run of wins you are on top of the pile.  A run of defeats and you are looking over your shoulder at the relegation scrap.  Few that have seen us at our best this season would doubt that we have as good a chance as anyone else to win the league.  

Edwards is the real deal, as anyone who saw his debut at Bromsgrove will attest.  He came on at half time, scored a penalty and were it not for numerous goal-line blocks and a keeper equal parts lucky and inspired, he would have finished with the match ball under his arm.  I thought it was amusing, though, that in the official club website write-up of Jonny's signing they mentioned his 3 goals in 2 games against us last season.  If anything, this diminishes his quality.  So abject were we against St Ives last season that only scoring 3 goals suggests he wasn't very good or trying very hard.  Such was the ease with which the Poppies were carved up at "The Quattro-Tech Westwood Stadium" last season that at one point even I scored a goal which was subsequently flagged offside.

The FA Cup draw was, obviously, the main news of the week.  The next morning on radio Northampton Kev Shoemake and Luke Graham were dragged onto the airwaves to talk about the County clash.  Disappointingly, BOTH of them remained stubbornly neutral about the match  Considering that between them they have something in the region of 250 appearances for us and (checks notes) ZERO appearances for the Cobblers, would it have been so hard to back your former team?  You do know that hoping your former team can spring a shock against the mighty Northampton Town ISN'T a hate crime?  Even on Radio Northampton.  We are as much in Northamptonshire as they are.  Do you think any former Cobbler players asked the same question wouldn't automatically back their former employers?  Of course they would.  And rightly so.  C'mon guys - we know you'd both love us to turn the Cobblers over.  Would it kill you to admit it?  

It's probably this lack of commitment-to-the-cause why Kev never quite, despite repeated efforts, managed to snag that elusive Poppies Testimonial game.  But hey, there's still time.....!  😉

Expect some more from Patgod about the upcoming FA Cup clash and perhaps a dig into the archives about our last encounter from back in more analogue days, where if both Neil Horwood and Shoey could handle a ball properly, the outcome might have been different.

Still got it!
Brett and Craig are equally amused that Shoey's
beer-gut repels another attack in the recent Legends game.

(c) Shorty

Hooked On A Feeling

As a very occasional poster on this blog, I think I need to check in about now or my access is revoked. So here goes… Where were we?  About the last time I troubled the scorers, we were just pulling clear of another demotion thanks to a couple of wins, the club was up for sale but no one seemed to be interested, turning up to games was done out of a sense of duty or masochism, and the pitch was still a spilled pint away from being unplayable.      

Pretty remarkable what’s happened since.

Plenty of people have said the same but I echo that this feels like one of those once in a generation resets. A combination of new management, new ownership, new players and new-found belief. All interlinked and self seeding. Without the management would the players have come? Without the ownership would the belief be there? Without the belief would the ownership be there? Without the players would the fans be there? Without the, er, well, whatever! It’s happening!

George speaks very well about his vision for the club and at present seems to have about a 110% approval rating. The last owner who breezed in with such an impact was only held back by a few minor flaws, like appointing his fanboy hero as manager despite obvious disqualifications, pandering for publicity and moving the club miles out of town on a very dubious business case. George so far shows no sign of doing any of these things. As would any normal, rational human being. Plus you can’t help but trust someone called George. But not Zippy.

Lavs has assembled a squad not just to compete but to entertain, a conscious policy whereas plenty of others would’ve gone for the solid, grind out results option. We saw something similar many years ago with Gary Johnson, but the difference is that this bunch can also defend. Expansive, attacking football has put >300 on our home crowds, which in turn is starting to fund ambitious signings like Edwards. And Nile until his rehabilitation gets him noticed again.   

Lastly there’s the home game experience. Latimer Park doesn’t have a whole lot going for it but it does have a large clubhouse and adjacent space (unlike Rockingham Road, even I must admit), so smart move to make the most of it.  Good food and live music – it’s crazy but it might just work. And if that still holds water on a January midweek, we will truly know that this club is now blessed. 

Ready to buzz on Saturday!

Unluckiest Poppies Shirt Ever?

Unluckiest Poppies Shirt Ever?  Boy, that's category with a lot of runners and riders.  And an awful lot of front runners.  A lot of dodgy seasons swathed in a lot of dodgy kits.  But there's one shirt that always struck me as THE unluckiest Poppies shirt ever.  This one.

Why?  Well, to ruin your day, let's all look back at our last season in National North under the inspiring leadership of Lee Glover.  Lots of draws and defeats.  Just enough wins to keep us interested.  Great days (!)  A season where if we'd shown just 1% more gumption over nine months we'd still be in National North, enjoying regular Northern gumpings and 4 hour coach journeys.

That season, the away goalkeeper shirt, manfully modelled by the freakishly long-limbed Cameron Gregory struck me as a thing of exquisite beauty.  Grey and black with a two-tone Poppies badge.  Absolutely gorgeous.  Unfortunately, the half-mad, and three quarters blind officialdom of the National League decreed that the shirt was too close in colour to the referee and linesmen.  Obviously our betters believe not only that black and grey are the same colour but also that refs, linesmen and goalkeepers are stood alongside each other so much over the course of the average game that confusion might well reign.....

So, this fabulous shirt was hidden away from decent society for most of the season.  And then, IT happened.  We had an away game at fellow strugglers Bradford Park Avenue.  The day started well.  We parked no more than 20 feet from the entrance to the ground.  We then enjoyed a spectacularly fine pre-match meal in the their social club.  Gangly Gregory took to the pitch in THAT shirt and it looked fantastic.  And then we went into an early, deserved lead.  All was looking good for 3-points on the road and a moderate stride towards league survival.

And then.....

Gregory got caught up in some unfortunate shenanigans and received a red card.  Exactly why he was sent off I can't say.  I was at the other end of the ground on a dull afternoon and all I can recall is lots of chest-bumping and finger-pointing, followed by an early bath for our net-minder.  The still-gorgeous shirt was handed to George Forsyth who was equally moderately OK in goal as he ever was in midfield.

But, the damage was done.  Down to 10-men, BPA pummelled us.  It was well after the 90 minutes was up that Bradford finally snatched an equaliser.  In hindsight a devastating equaliser.  We can't blame the grey shirt directly, but....

• In it's first appearance, the goalie was sent off.
• In it's first appearance we dropped 2-points, which, in the final analysis, would have been enough to keep us up.
• In it's first appearance we saw the last appearance of Cameron Gregory who was more than happy to sit out his ban whilst nursing a new, improved contract at Boston United rather than continue fighting with us.

That's a lot to dump on a single shirt that was, to my knowledge, worn in just this one game.  That said, I have attempted a one man campaign to redeem this shirt's reputation.  A campaign that reached it's zenith last season when it and I finally managed a Klondike win at just the millionth attempt.

F*ck the North!

It is in the nature of being "The Hero" that the hero has a flaw to raise the confrontational stakes and encourage their enemies.  Their Achilles heel.  Superman has his Kyptonite.  James T Kirk could never resist a bit of Intergalactic-soft-focus-totty.  Captain Ahab wouldn't let go of his Dick.  Moby, that is.  The ancient Greek warrior Achilles had his, well, Achilles heel I suppose.  

And, after facing our third opponent from t'north this season it has become pretty obvious where the otherwise free flowing Poppies of 2024 come unstuck.  Namely against any team that plies their trade north of the Trent.

Our victory over Stafford Rangers in the FA Cup should have been an early warning.  Sure, we won.  And played them off the park for 75% of the game.  But we were forced to hold on at the end for a 2-1 win rather more than the initial 45 minutes would have suggested.

And then Cleethorpes came to Latimer Park and missed chance after chance before we squeaked home with a last gasp penalty.  And now, Gainsborough have come along and well and truly made us pay for our earlier good fortune and avenged Cleethorpes by calmly putting us away with very little fuss.  

The way both Cleethorpes and Gainsborough out-played us was very similar and very telling.  Their football was simple but incredibly effective.  Every time we had the ball one or two of their players nipped around our ankles until we either passed back or were dispossessed.  When they got the ball from us they passed it forwards fast into channels or to feet and were having a shot on goal moments later.  Nothing very clever.  

But against Nu-Poppies, who are always looking to spread play or tip-tap prettily in the middle of the park, the tactics were overwhelmingly successful.  This is how Northern teams play.  A bit of steel.  A lot of hassling.  No fussing about when in front of goal.  We've got to toughen up in these sort of games and perhaps have a Plan "B" when pretty, pretty isn't working all the time.

Suddenly, next week's FA Cup tie up at Farsley is looking a whole lot tougher than it did last week.

He's Northern
He drinks beer
He smokes tabs
He has Poppies for breakfast