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Archived News from May 2004

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
3rd May 2004 22:17


Northampton was one of the clubs that crossed the league swords with the Stags in their inaugural league season. And already on October 24, 1931 did the Stags face the Cobblers in a div 3 (S) home league game, ending 2-0 to the Stags thanks to two Harry Johnson goals watched by 7,015 thus being the third-ever Stags league victory. This was to be a pointer to Northampton's visits to Field Mill as they have only managed two wins there since then, on November 9, 1968 and on December 30, 1989, both times in the old third division – and the Cobblers were relegated both times! And between August 12, 1972 and August 27, 1988 (both cases were opening day league games), when a old div 3 game ended 1-1, Northampton suffered eleven consecutive defeats at the Mill to a score of 26-3. Needless to say that Field Mill has been a horror ground big style for the Cobblers! And the Stags have scored in all bar three of the previous 27 home league games at the Mill. Apart from the first-ever Northampton win in 1968, the two others were goal-less draws.

And at Northampton, the Stags have won nine out of twenty-eight outings (the latest mentioned below), winning four out of five unbeaten between March 25, 1975 (2-0, goals from Bristol City loanee Kevin Griffin and the late Gordon Hodgson) and April 2, 1983 (2-1, both goals from David Caldwell in front of only 1,988).

Here are some memorable Stags v Cobblers games:
* November 19, 1938. The Stags scored one-third of all their away League goals in the 1938-39 season by recording the first-ever away win – then at the County ground to the tune of 4-3 and three strikes from Somerfield and one from Dutton in front of 8,774
* April 29, 1961. The Stags needed to win to have the chance to avoid re-election against an already promoted Northampton side that went on to play their only season at the highest level in 1965-66 – then to be the first side to slide back to the basement after the Stags great FA Cup season in 1968-69. The Stags won 4-2 in front of 4872, Ken Wagstaff netting twice, Delapenha and Jones one apiece
* May 7, 1977. The Stags last home game and the last one overall for the Cobblers. The Stags had already secured promotion and the Cobblers needed to smash the Stags unbeaten home record to have any chance to stay up and needing Reading and Portsmouth to drop points in their remaining fixtures. None of the Cobblers' wishes came true as the Stags attended by 11,314 comfortably stuffed Northampton 3-0 due to goals from Bird, Moss and McEwan.
* April 24, 1990. Mansfield were seeking revenge for their only second home defeat against the Cobblers and gained a very vital win to secure their division 3 status and condemning the Cobblers to relegation due to goals from Trevor Christie and Mark Kearney in front of a paltry 2119 crowd.

Last season, the teams were relegated together and played the final game of that campaign.
The Stags overturned an early 0-1 deficit to a 2-1 win with Andy White equalizing and Liam Lawrence converting a penalty to hit the winner in front of 3928, a good attendance considering the fact that both sides already were doomed. That attendance should be much higher this time due to the fact that the Stags secured their playoffs place by stuffing Huddersfield away last Saturday and Northampton apparently having sold out their ticket allocation.

In the first half of this season, Northampton were a huge disappointment hovering in the bottom half - considering the fact that the Cobblers have spent a huge amount of £ on players and already having had a managerial change, Martin Wilkinson getting the sack and being replaced by ex-Stags player Colin Calderwood in the hot seat. And in that half, the Stags stuffed Northampton big style at Sixfields 3-0 with an early Christie strike starting the rout. A Lawrence penalty and a Disley strike ten minutes from time completed the mauling.

But after the turn of the year, the Cobblers have been promotion material but last Saturday sneaked into the playoffs position for the first time due to a 3-2-win with a player sent off against Bury and Yeovil losing at home against Hull. But will the Cobblers still be in the playoffs after the final game? Another vital one in this matter will be played 34 miles away from Stagsland, where Lincoln entertain Yeovil. Which team of Northampton and Yeovil will suffer missed-out playoffs place heartbreak?

Not for the first time, Lincoln have had a say in last-day matters with the Stags involved. This time around, the Northampton fans will have a check on what's going on at Sincil Bank. But twelve years ago, the Stags faced Rochdale at home and also-contender Blackpool had to face – Lincoln away! Thence, the Stags secured auto promo while Blackpool after losing 0-2 at Imps Nest had to secure promotion the hard way – via the playoffs.

Another fact is that both clubs have had a Dave Smith as manager, the Stags between 1974 and 1976, while the Cobblers had a Dave Smith in the hot seat between 1954 and 1959.

Played for both sides: Kim Book, Alfred Brown, Peter Clark, Efon Elad, John Fairbrother, Greg Fee, Thomas Knox, Edwin McLachlan, Barry Richardson, Gary Saxby, Ben Sedgemore, Glyn Thompson, Clive Walker, Keith Welch, Benjamin Wonnacott.

Home stats: P 27, W 20, D 5, L 2, GF 52, GA 18
Away stats: P 28, W 9, D 4, L 15, GF 26, GA 43

Season Home Date Away Date

1931-32 2-0 1931-10-24 0-3 1932-03-05 Div 3 (S)
1937-38 4-1 1937-08-28 0-3 1938-01-01 Div 3 (S)
1938-39 1-1 1939-03-25 4-3 1938-11-19 Div 3 (S)
1946-47 3-2 1947-04-05 0-3 1947-01-23 Div 3 (S)
1960-61 4-2 1961-04-29 0-1 1960-12-10 Div 4 (old)
1967-68 3-2 1967-09-25 1-1 1967-09-05 Div 3 (old)
1968-69 0-2 1968-11-09 0-0 1969-01-18 Div 3 (old)
1972-73 1-0 1972-08-12 0-1 1973-02-17 Div 4 (old)
1973-74 2-0 1973-09-01 0-2 1974-01-01 Div 4 (old)
1974-75 3-0 1974-10-28 2-0 1975-03-25 Div 4 (old)
1976-77 3-0 1977-05-07 1-0 1977-03-08 Div 3 (old)
1980-81 2-0 1980-10-27 1-0 1981-01-10 Div 4 (old)
1981-82 4-1 1981-09-21 1-1 1982-02-09 Div 4 (old)
1982-83 2-0 1982-12-28 2-1 1983-04-02 Div 4 (old)
1983-84 3-1 1984-05-12 1-2 1983-12-18 Div 4 (old)
1984-85 2-0 1984-12-22 0-1 1985-04-30 Div 4 (old)
1985-86 1-0 1986-01-11 0-1 1985-08-31 Div 4 (old)
1987-88 3-1 1987-10-20 0-2 1988-04-10 Div 3 (old)
1988-89 1-1 1988-08-27 1-2 1989-03-18 Div 3 (old)
1989-90 1-2 1989-12-30 2-1 1990-04-24 Div 3 (old)
1991-92 2-0 1992-03-10 2-1 1992-11-05 Div 4 (old)
1993-94 1-0 1993-12-11 1-5 1993-10-12 Div 3
1994-95 1-1 1994-09-17 1-0 1994-11-10 Div 3
1995-96 0-0 1996-02-03 3-3 1995-08-26 Div 3
1996-97 1-0 1997-03-22 0-3 1996-08-24 Div 3
1999-2000 0-0 1999-10-19 0-1 2000-04-29 Div 3
2002-03 2-1 2003-05-03 0-2 2002-09-28 Div 2
2003-04 (at Sixfields) 3-0 2003-11-29 Div 3

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

Details from various sources (Stags centenary book, soccerbase and various editions of Rothmans Football Yearbook)

 

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