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History |
1977
Club formed on 14 October 1977, in the Physics Block at Northampton School for Boys, Billing Road.
WEATHER Foggy start and fine later
NEWS HEADLINE: Bing Crosby dies of a heart attack
COBBLERS FLASH: Lost 3-2 to Crewe Alexandra
SPORTS HEADLINE: Scotland beat Wales to qualify for Argentina 78
POP HEADLINE: Silver Lady (David Soul)
First match, a friendly, played against Abington Academicals during the afternoon of December 16 - Mark Samwell scoring in a 1-1 draw.
1978
A quarterly club magazine was launched. Club entered the Spring Bank Holiday five-a-side tournament at Lings Forum and won the 'most sporting team' trophy. Friendlies against Riverside FC, who were adopted as a sister side during the early days.
1979
The club entered the autumn five-a-side league at Lings Forum, so continuing what was to be a long association with smallside football.
The club joined the Northamptonshire Football Association and bid farewell to some members, who left NSB in the summer. Club endured a record defeat in a friendly against Riverside. Club reverted to a monthly newsletter bulletin.
1980
Selective or collective when it comes to team selection? Club top scorer Dave Stephenson sacked. First-ever Fives win for the club. Player of the Year trophies issued.
1981
Club attended a seminar at the Castle Inn, St James, to discuss a round robin of friendly fixtures with other like-minded sides. Club colours fixed as yellow shirts (with red numbers), blue shorts, yellow socks. Andy Roberts (club captain) and Matthew Webster (treasurer) resign posts on leaving NSB - and Northampton - to go into further education. John Payne becomes supreme.
1982
Without the NSB base, the club stagnated and almost died a death. John Payne resigned and one of the original 1977 members, Dick Nikel, picked up the reins. New members arrived and friendly matches were fixed up to get the club back in the swing.
1983
Club members vote no to competitive football. Membership drives falls on deaf ears and club scurrilously acquires its first set of goal nets from Nene College. Club responsible for setting up a friendlies league - the Nene Merit Competition - which kicked off in the autumn. The team were kitted out in all sky blue and won their first game, 9-1 v Red Star Rangers… although Electricity Board were to be the inaugural winners. This competition later evolved into the Nene Valley League, now the Conference - the second-biggest football league in the town.
Record Fives defeat, 10-0 to Elle and Ess.
1984
Gerard Nutt scored seven goals in a victory against Red Star Rangers and a club meeting at the King David, Kingsthorpe, voted for another year of friendlies before pushing for the big league. Fives tournament defeat to a Nexday side captained by Dick Underwood. Riverside fold.
1985
Neil Eaton and Gerard Nutt nominated the captaincy ticket. Tim Ray becomes the first player to win the Player of the Year Trophy twice, and that two years running. Club is accepted into the Northamptonshire Sunday Football Alliance - losing their first match 2-0 to Club 81 but then defeating Morris Man Reserves 6-1 in their third game.
1986
Club hit on success with disco night fundraising but the team struggles as injuries begin to bite with the advent of competition. War of words develops with Royals FC - the ploy backfires - and the club ends its first competitive season on a low note.
1987
Concerted attempt to beef up the club's social side and develop a tenth anniversary programme. Alliance hammerings though are all too frequent and the club is relegated from Division 5 to 6. An anniversary match at Kenilworth Road results in a heavy defeat to Club 81. But following a disco night at the cricket ground, the club wins its anniversary match 12-1 v Houghton Lions to break a long sequence without a victory!
1988
The club steps up its search for its first manager and it develops into a tale of three Martins - King, Dearden and Aldred. The first two have a go but were received with little enthusiasm. Players begin to drift away, in spite of an exciting 5-4 win on the Luton FC Astroturf against old friends Nunn Mills. The team threatens to disintegrate but a Spinney Hill summit sees Martin Aldred appointed as manager - and the arrival of the Kingsthorpe mafia, Mick Prigmore and Paul Dobson.
1989
Neil Eaton is re-elected club captain and the club enjoys success in the Fives at Danes Camp. The club makes a record financial loss of £400. The introduction of a morale-boosting Barcelona style kit results in a 3-2 home success against Queens Park WMC Reserves.
1990
Team finished fifth in the Lings Fives league - its best-ever placing. Plans emerge to base the club at East Haddon but after an inspection of the village club's facilities it's agreed the move would not be viable. Club upgraded to Division 5. In the Spring Bank Holiday Fives, the club qualifies for the final round and Andy Roberts appointed as manager for the 1990/1 season.
1991
Indisputably the club's most memorable year! Ian Chadwick organises tee-shirts for the boys, Andy Roberts and Rob Strickland face knee surgery and Carlton Oliver serves in the Gulf War. In the Division 5 Cup Final at Wootton Hall on March 24, the club triumphs 1-0 against Airflow Reserves - the winning goal coming from a Joe McBride first-half header, this after Martin Aldred had missed an early penalty. The club clinched the League and Cup double with a 2-2 against Overstone Reserves at Overstone, a match watched by our rivals from Queens Park WMC. The clinching point came courtesy of a Paul Dobson penalty, following a dubious tumble in the area by Paul's brother Glenn. Paul never missed a penalty for the club! But the end of the year was not without its difficulties and club personnel was chopped and changed.
1992
Peter Reeve, who originally joined the club in 1989 but left a year later, re-joined the club and became assistant manager. The club enjoyed a Sunday Vase success at Kettering Highfield thanks to a hat-trick from Grant Stewart.
1993
Paul Dobson establishes himself as the leading club goalscorer in all disciplines but a Division 4 relegation battle looms in the Alliance. Track suit tops arrive for the players and a trip to Holland is mooted. An application is made for the club to enter a reserve side in the Nene Valley League. Pete Reeve challenges Andy Roberts as manager but his bid is rejected by one vote at the club AGM at the King William IV pub, Kingsthorpe village. This sparks a mass exodus and resulted in an awkward end-of-season presentation night on the Saucy Sue narrowboat! Reeve enters a new Northampton Bedrooms side into the Nene Valley League, taking the place earmarked for NVR reserves. His players, competing in the Lings Forum Fives under the NVR banner, were stopped from playing and a bona-fide NVR side saw the smallside campaign through. The club encountered a goalkeeping crisis and a league game against Mereway United Reserves saw the opposition walk off the field at Parklands because it was too cold!
1994
Club wins three out of four Divisional Cup round robin matches but narrowly misses out on a semi-final place. Paul Dobson leaves the club and the team sinks to the bottom of Division 4. The balance sheets looks healthier!
1995
Too many players at training! Club preserves its Division 4 status but Andy Roberts steps down as manager, to be replaced by Chris Hoult. Derek Sherry and Andy Graham take on the captaincy role, Gez Nutt blazes the goal trail and the club bases itself at Kingsthorpe Rec where its record is decidedly unimpressive!
1996
Club comes back from 0-3 to beat Parklands 4-3 and plays two games in as many days in April - a 0-5 reverse v Cosworth Reserves (in the sun on Sunday morning) followed by a 2-0 win at Wootton Reserves (in the rain on Monday night). Emergency captain Neil Eaton retires to take up refereeing.
1997
Treasurer Dave Pochin falls ill and is later replaced as treasurer. Chris Hoult steps down as manager in the summer and is replaced by Kev Hughes. Andy Roberts chalks up 500 appearances for the club, most of them at Fives! Anniversary match at Overstone sees NVR draw 2-2 with NVR Old Boys.
1998
The club again occupied a relegation spot but, not for the first time, preserved its Division 4 status. Mark Whatling elected treasurer and team captain. Poor attendance for the 20th anniversary dinner at the Grand Hotel, but it was good to see quite a few old faces. Gez Nutt takes over from Paul Dobson as all-time club top scorer.
1999
Narrow defeats to divisional front runners augured well for the future but a hefty defeat in the NFA competition in Peterborough - scoreline 2-10 but a goal for Gareth Willsher! Matt Roughton smashed ten goals in a 22-0 club record victory over Club 81 Reserves and he finished with 40 for the season - also a club record. Paul Clemas took on the managerial reins and the club enjoyed a good run in the Cup competitions.
2000
An excellent run in the NTFA Plester Shield resulted in a final appearance against Transport at Fernie Fields. Antony Witheyman gave NVR the lead but a 2-1 defeat resulted after extra time. The game was watched by then Cobblers boss Kevin Wilson, about to celebrate outright promotion for NTFC. Barry Pancoust takes over as manager from Paul Clemas. Dave Potts breaks his leg in a match against JWC Athletic. Club upgraded to Division 3.
2001
A goodish year on the field but the side was still lacking a little consistency. Club strengthened its links with matchday pub Halfway House, Kingsthorpe. Mark Whatling became the sixth player to win the Player of the Year award for a second time. The club won the Midas Fives League at Lings Forum.
2002
Some in and out performances but the club strengthened its smallside association with players involved in two tournaments during the week. Andy Martyn takes on the managership with Mark Whatling as his assistant. A record number of players registered during the course of a single season.
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