Monday, July 31, 2006

Trialists in Luton warm up...

The Cobblers today took a team made up of trialists and youth team players to Luton Town for a friendly. Although we lost 4-2, it sounds as if one or two trialists impressed, including Jerome Watt, an England under 19 international from Blackburn who scored one of the Cobblers goals. Ryan Gilligan scored the other.

Meanwhile, it seems Craig Davies has decided on a move to Wolves instead of coming here which is fair enough and at least shows the quality of player that John Gorman is looking to bring in.

Wroxham/Norwich photos

Too many photos taken on Saturday for a post in here so I've put them together in a slideshow...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-xVdYF_unI&search=lily%20the%20pink

Sunday, July 30, 2006

Boats...Crazy Golf...Fish and Chips...Oh and a game as well!

Another superb day out in the Badgermobile yesterday as we headed to Wroxham and then on to Norwich for a 1-0 friendly defeat at Carrow Road.

The day began at the glorious hour of 5:30 and I arrived at Sixfields just in time to meet Tim, Debs and Dodger, who took us to Irchester to meet up with the Badgermobile's captain Graham. PJ was very nearly left behind after Graham left a message on his phone saying we were about to leave. Two minutes later, he appeared though...just in time!

The journey to Wroxham was mainly spent trying to guess the theme tune on BBC Radio Cambridge's morning show (where you could win a copy of Series 1 of the Inspector Lyndley Mysteries!). The hostess was far too awake for the early Saturday morning, she must have been on something.

Arriving in Wroxham over the famous bridge at around 8:15, we had time for breakfast by the riverside, a sausage sandwich and a cuppa- great way to wake us up! The rest of the breakfast time was spent trying to trap a wasp that was buzzing around us. Eventually I caught it under PJ's coke glass!

So onwards to the boat and HMS Positive II didn't disappoint! Fully enhanced with a kitchen area, tea and coffee making facilities and a lounge, we were living in luxury! The toilet was a tad bit dodgy though and on two occasions the door got stuck while PJ and Graham were in there. By that I mean it got stuck ONCE when PJ was in and ONCE when Graham was in...not that they were in there together! There wouldn't have been room. No idea how the door got stuck...must have been someone, I mean something in the way :)

A nice relaxing trip up the broads was split by a pub stop at the Ferry Inn that offered the glory of crazy golf! And crazy it was! I was rubbish. Tim and PJ were not a lot better but Tim came home with the glory of winning with me in 2nd place.

Back down the river after that and we moored back up in Wroxham before heading for a quick pint in the pub that a year previous Moll had been trying to get me pissed to no avail! Then to the only shop in town that didn't seemed to be owned by Roy, Ken's fish and chips!

All that boating made me forget that we still had a game to go to and it was off to Norwich. After we finallt managed to find a parking space, we strolled into the ground just in time for the teams to come out. Luke Chambers was the only casualty this week and didn't travel.

The game overall wasn't too bad for a friendly but Norwich's qualty showed, especially on the break. The Cobblers were struggling to find a way to goal and no-one really wanted to shoot. A searching effort from Pedjy was our only half decent attempt of the first half. Mid way through the half, as McVeigh broke the offside trap before crossing for Dickson Etuhu to score and to send the chavs in the home end crazy!

The second half was better with the Cobblers still searching for a good opening but frustratingly not being able to break down the home side. The best attempt came from substitute Bradley Johnson who hit a bullet of a shot from 30 yards that Canaries keeper Paul Gallacher did well to tip over.

As the game wore on, both sides made changes and the game slowed a little. We couldn't find an equiliser and it ended 1-0 to the home side.

Overall, it was good build up play from the Cobblers but the finishing touch was lacking. Kirky needs a goal and we're still missing Smithy in my opinionor someone to open a defence up. Time will tell whether new signings will be made but I think there's still some in the pipeline.

The journey home was in traditional badgermobile fashion ending with a rendition of Lily The Pink, fully out of tune but at least with the correct words, supplied by PJ!

So back home at around 8:30 and another fantastic outing. Now comes 9 months of hope, pain, excitement and unpredictableness (is that a word?) that is Northampton Town.

Bring it on!

Thursday, July 27, 2006

Naaaarwich preview

We return to the scene of one of the most memorable days out from last season this coming Saturday...Wroxham and then on to Carrow Road.

HMS Positive (left) has been in it's shackles since last September but 7 hardy souls from Sixfields Boys will tread its boards again before the Cobblers play their final friendly at Norwich.

Should be an excellent day out and a decent game as both sides look like playing their first 11 as we count down to the start of the season next weekend! Norwich suffered their first pre-season defeat in mid-week at the hands of Newcastle United but will be looking to head into their Championship campaign on a high.

Mayor stages civic reception!


The good ol' Mayor of Northampton invited the squad to the Guildhall for a Civic repection tonight to celebrate last season's promotion!

No sign of Low or Smith, nor of fellow promotion heroes David Rowson and Super Gavin Johnson!

Colin Calderwood was apparantly in Nottingham at a similar, but more lavish and extravagant affair which was said to be "a good effort from the lads who put it on and a super meal."

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Boro 1-0 Cobblers

Another disappointing result in what sounded like a run of the mill friendly game at London Road. Simon Yeo scored the only goal in the Cobblers' third defeat of pre-season! It's pretty clear that we need a couple of more players in the squad by the time we open the season at Gresty Road on August 5th but hopefully the loan signing of Craig Davies will be sealed this week.

Next up it's a return to the boats as we head for Norwich on Saturday. We'll be taking a packed out Badgermobile up to Wroxham and the Norfolk broads to board the boat before hand, in what should be a great day out!

Monday, July 24, 2006

Peterborough preview...

So we travel to Boro tomorrow night in a bit of a strange friendly fixture. Do we treat it as a full blooded derby or a pointless friendly? Depends on the result me thinks. If we win, we've got the local pride and will continue to taunt our poor local relations. Lose, and it's just another game!

I'll be listening to Cobblers World either way, we need a win that's for sure!

Ohhh, a civic reception!

The Cobblers players and staff will meet the Major of Northampton this Thursday in an official civic reception at Northampton Guildhall!

Fans are invited to welcome the squad upon their arrival but disappointingly won't be able to join in the festivities inside. Shame really, I can picture the scene with a pissed up major starting the songs along with the Town faithful..."Oh Peterborough...is full of shit..."

Sunday, July 23, 2006

What a night!

In one of the greatest night outs in my three years in Southampton, we celebrated our uni results in spectacular fashion. It started with a couple of drinks and a pizza and ended with us back in halls singing La Bamba with some Spanish exchange students!

We arrived in town to be met by the "Southampton Live" festival by the Guildhall. All of the road was closed off and we firstly watched rock band The Others in a tent before moving on to see a circus act outside the Guildhall!


After about an hour in Yates, dancing and generally being merry, we headed to the simply awesome Frog and Frigate pub down by our old Lucia Foster Welch halls of residence. From the moment we stepped foot inside to the moment we left at around 3:30am, we had the most fantastic time ever, dancing on the tables, singing along to the guitar playing man and joining in with the incredible atmosphere that this pub creates!


After our 3 and a half hour stint in the Frigate, we went outside and began the long walk home. Or at least that's we thought we were going. Instead, we somehow got talking to a group of Spanish students walking along outside the Lucia Foster hall and joined them as they invited us inside my old Camellia halls! It was so bizarre going back inside those halls and we ended up on floor 4, one floor above my old lodgings! We chatted and sang songs before Jamie demonstrated his card tricks on them and at around 4:15 we finally decided it was time to go home!

So with no taxis and no buses, we made the long trek back across town to Shirley, encountering a stag party and some random girls shouting out of a window on the way.

All in all a classic night of partying and one where everything and anything that could have happened did happen!

Saturday, July 22, 2006

Northampton Town 1-4 Reading

Oh dear! Not sure how the game went or whether Reading deserved this big a win but a bit of a pasting in our latest pre season friendly. Scotty McGleish opened the scoring making it 3 in 3 games but Reading hit back with goals from Leroy Lita, Kevin Doyle, Bryn Gunarrsson and Simon Cox.

More work to be done then in the build up to the big kick off in two weeks and next up is the game at London Road, Peterborough on Tuesday night. It's a local derby so we'll certainly want to win the game plus I think we need a bit of lift after not claiming a pre-season win so far.

Degree giftage!

Complete surprise today as my parents came down and gave me some amazing gifts from them and my brother, the new Cobblers home shirt, some champers plus two tickets to go to the Queen musical "We Will Rock You" in the West End in two weeks!

Tribute...

I made a short and geeky sldeshow of my final year of uni photos and you can see the happy times, set to a rather jolly tune by Tenacious D, right here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bj-jo2xhDs

Friday, July 21, 2006

2:1!

I'm officially a Media Writing graduate as I passed at a 2:1 level!

I feel absolutely amazing and have had my family and friends on the phone all afternoon. This one day make the last 3 years so worthwhile and I wish I can describe better how I'm feeling right now!

Graduation is on Wednesday, November 22nd and I look forward to it immensly!

Happy Days!

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Ambitions

A few people have been asking me where I would be happy with in terms of league position next season and it's a tough one.

Do we think that we'll be pushing for promotion like Southend did last season, or will it be a case of a great escape from the drop back to the hell hole of League Two? I tend to think neither at the moment. There's a lot of good teams in League One next season but I think we can certainly hold our own enough to stay in the league.

At this point I would be delighted with a top half finish and with the playoffs near enough in sight to create a bit of hope towards the end of the season. What I will say is you never ever know with the Cobblers and this will surely once again be another topsy turvey, nail biting season.

Sweet Home...Northampton!

The Cobblers are safely back on home soil today and preparing for Saturday's game at Sixfields against Reading.

Seems to have been a good mini tour and a tough couple of games for the lads, and with the season now just over two weeks away they'll hopefully be close to full fitness soon! It'll be interesting to see how we fare against Reading a pretty strong home crowd is likely in the only pre-season game at Sixfields this summer.

Uni Photos!

For some reason I couldn't post pics in the post below but here's some from Year 3 in their own post:

Dave and Marti at Dave's Surprise 21st Party:


Jamie proudly sports the Beer Hat:


We're in...Cardiff!









Me with some of the crazy Media Writers hours after handing in the dissertation:


Me (left) with my hosuemates Jamie and Alicia. Jamie's the one in the middle!


Suits You Sir! Me with Captain Blowers and Danny at the Summer Ball:


Me and Roopa at the ball, plus Becky, Roopa, Dave, Marti and Jamie also at the ball:

Uni Life...Part Three

The final part in this trilogy of my uni life, onwards to Year 3!

The year began with the renaming of Southampton Institute as we became the Southampton Solent University. Celebrity How Too guy/news reporter Fred Dineage was on hand to officially open the uni and after that we headed to the union. The entertainment came from "The Queens", a Queen tribute band and in all my years here I have never witnessed an atmosphere in the union like there was that night. Brilliant opening to the year!

Year 3 was mainly focused on the dissertation/major project and despite numerous comments by Roopa that described writing a script as a dissertation as "mickey mouse" I ploughed on with a 10,000 word theatre script about the end of World War Two.

It stated out as a small idea during last summer but once I realised how much research would be needed, I set out in September to come down to uni to get a good start (and so no-one else nicked the books!). I had weekly meetings with my tutor Seamus who helped immensly with the project, and also put on special weekly workshops so that we could read out each others scripts and see where we were going right/wrong.

Due to the dissertation needing only a once or twice weekly contact with tutors, we had plenty of free time to either work on the other units of the course but the research for the other units was hectic as well!

Due to a lot of free time, we felt the need to discuss our projects thoroughly at Wetherspoons at their many great offer nights. Burger night, Curry night (The Chilli-Chutney Challenge) and Steak night were all attended during the year and Jamie's comical attempts at ordering for 6 people including the different side orders was a weekly highlight.

We also discovered the pub quiz at the Cricketers on Bedford Place which we regularly attended and regularly did badly at, including one last place finish in which we won some Pork Scratchings for being so rubbish!

In other news, Dave announced his engagement to Marti and they set a date for September (I won't publish the actual date in case the paparazi are snopping around this site). Great news that was, and I look forward to the wedding even if I had to pay for my own invite to be posted!

Dave also had his surprise 21st birthday party at Soul Cellar which was indeed a surprise to him as he had thrown Marti a surprise party of her own the night before! Jamie turned 21 in January and made a commemorative Beer Hat for the occasion. It inevitably ended in Flares...that's the bar, "Flares", I don't mean that the beer hat was thrown down the trousers of a 70's throwback.

And then it all came slowly to an end. We visited Cardiff for a pretty pointless career day that told us we didn't really need a degree (well we knew that from Rick anyway) and it seems to get anywhere in tv in Wales you MUST speak Welsh. Either that or be a distant relative of Tom Jones.

Our final words of wisdom came from, who else, but Rick Hudson. In the last ever uni seminar, Rick said his final words to us..."It doesn't matter who likes or doesn't like your work, if your aunty hates it, who cares?....Fuck your auntie and let's call it quits"

Superb Rick...superb! He also gave us a quick "Brrrr" and he was away into the night.

We completed our dissertations and handed them in on May 3rd 2006 before heading straight to the union. The following night the course held it's end of year party in The Old Fat Cat (the home of Media Writing) and then the summer ball rounded it all off.

And so it's all over and tomorrow we will find out what these 3 years have brought us in terms of a grade. I'm absolutely crapping myself to put it lightly. 3 years of painful 9am lectures, spending 6 hours in the same room, staying up late to finish assignments. But you know what, for every painful memory, I've gained a million and one more superb memories and if anyone at all is reading this and wondering whether to go to uni or not, I can't put into words how great it is and what you'll take out of it.

So good luck to everyone at the Solent University tomorrow getting their results.


BONUS! THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF RICK HUDSON!

So this will only make sense if you were on our course but the lessons are there for all to learn. The top ten commandments from Rick...

1. Thou Shalt Bosh it out.

2. Thou's first draft is always shit.

3. Thou shalt fuck all that shit.

4. Writing is a stupid job for thou.

5. What is the point? Who cares?

6. Is this all just a load of bollocks?

7. If thou does not like it...thou shalt sod off.

8. Who wants to write short stories? Why? What's the point?

9. "Brrrrr..."

10. Thou shalt fuck you auntie and call it quits.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

It's Wacker Day in Austria!

SV WACKER BURGHAUSEN 1-1 NORTHAMPTON TOWN

Scotty McGleish was in the goals again today, scoring in the Cobblers' draw with the very German sounding Burghausen.

Sounded like another competitive game, just what we need...unlike the ridiculous tour of Spain a couple of years ago when we won one game 15-0 and tried to get a ten year old to come off the bench!

Next up, we're back at home against Premiership new boys Reading on Saturday.

Uni Life...Part Two

Part Two of my look back on uni life as results day gets ever nearer!

Year Two: Rickisms, Sounds, Noise and Silence and a peculiar conversation about Terry Venables and Osama Bin Laden's brother!

So we entered Year Two with a few drop outs from Media Writing. I swear some people started in Year Two that I never saw in Year One and others that I only saw once or twice reappeared having passed the first year without actually having to come to lectures! It was all running along at a normal pace until one lecturer stole the show with his motivational speeches that Churchill would be proud of...or not.

The lecturer in question, Rick Hudson. He began slowly, in a lecture about something to do with story books or the like. I was seated half way up with Jamie and Dave and we were all making ourselves busy (I believe I was writing a Media Writing version of Bohemian Rhapsody) while Rick strutted his stuff on the stage. He came to a section about the renaissance...

"What do you think of when you think of 18th Century renaissance..."

No answers from the enthusiastic audience....Still no answers....we were worried about the silence so started to lift our heads from our various doodlings and Rick looked right at us...

"ART"

A single word that became an in joke between the three of us from then on in. As in some parts of the first year section on this site, I guess you had to be there!

It didn't end there. Oh no my friends, there was furthar extrodinary antics from the Hudson. In a lower key seminar, attended by around 6 people (I remember myself, Jamie, Hannah and Alicia but sure there was a couple more!). Rick was giving individual advice to the merry folk of Media Writing but it wasn't exactly what we had hoped for....

"The first draft is ALWAYS shit" ....Ok, well maybe...

"BOSH IT OUT"....What?

"Being a writer is a stupid job"...Bugger, wrong course...

"What's the point? Who cares?"...Hmmm, I was starting to wonder...

"Is this all just a load of bollocks?"...I think it might just be...

"If you don't like it, sod off"....Ok...

"Who wants to write short stories?Why? What's the point?"...Rick, the unit is all about writing short stories!

Stuff of absolute legend and there's more to come in a thrilling finale to Year 3 tomorrow when Rick sends us off in a majestic way!

Elsewhere in Year Two, I was united with Jamie, Dave, Alicia and Becky in a Radio Production unit. We decided after some SOUND advice from our lecturer Sanda, to produce a ten minute drama about a typical conversation around a fruit machine. Doesn't sound too exciting I know but believe me, it worked to great effect. It was very handy to have the union right next door to the radio studio and we felt obliged to have a drinky-poo to get our minds at ease before a recording, which was probably the reason for us starting at a serious drama and ending with a comedy written pretty much entirely from spontaneous conversation between 3 of us.

Jamie's dad works a casino and during one random conversation about who our characters could be, he mentioned that at one point in said casino, Osama Bin Laden's brother and Terry Venables were guests! Now there's a drama for you! Once we sobered up a bit we realised it wasn't the best idea for an academic piece so created our own characters!

The radio show was probably the most fun thing I've done at uni. The preperation, trying to find a quiet pub to record background noise, the numerous cock-ups in recording and putting it together was an amazingly funny process and something that certainly didn't seem like work. Doing it with your best mates on the course made it even better and I think we all look back on this time as a lasting memory of uni.

So that's the 2nd year covered (I think) and tomorrow you can see the final part in this epic trilogy and as an added bonus we have the Ten Commandments of Rick Hudson!

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Uni Life...Part One

As we build up for results day at the Solent University this coming Friday (ahhhhhhhh!), here's a few highlights from my time at uni. Starting today with Year 1, tomorrow with Year 2 and Thursday with Year 3!

YEAR ONE: Camellia antics, Meeting the course and fooking semiotics!

So here I went, into the unknown. My parents crammed all my stuff into the car and we headed on the journey to Southampton. A heavy night of drinkage on the night before meant I wasn't feeling too good all day! So if you first met me on the first Sunday in halls and I looked ill, that was why! I had no idea what to expect and being on my own sort of scared me but excited me too. Living with 9 others would be fun but added to that I would have to cook and clean for myself. I remember my first shopping trip alone thinking what the hell do I buy?! Ended up with microwave meals (plane food as claire calls it) and chips!

I settled into halls easier than I had expected and my housemates were luckily cool people who I could get on with pretty well. Camellia halls were pretty mad times and along with my housemates Roopa, Claire, Steve, Mari, Michelle, Meyrick, Ricky, Amellia and Mike, we got up to some crazy stuff! Roopa forgot that Amellia lived with us until she walked in on her telling us this, Steve had his food taken by the food snatcher (we still don't know who that was!), Mike came home to find his room scattered in male porn cards and we watched a very insightful documentary about Claire's home town of Brighton!

Away from Halls, I met my course mates for the first time (started out a course of 100 people, ended with about 30!) in a lecture room with more than a little awkward silences! But soon we got talking and got to know people though most people I spoke to on that first day I never saw again! I think Seamus must have scared them with the infamous "If I can get here from London at 9am, you can fucking get here for 10:30" speech. The other lecturers then gave a talk about their expertise and we instantly found ourselves some useful characters for future reference!

And so the actual learning began. Semiotics, culture...hold on am I on the right course?

Cue Ian McKay: "Today we'll be watching Eastenders for 3 hours"

Ah ha! Phew, thought I'd wandered onto the wrong course there!

Other Media Writing Year One highlights included the best quote ever to take place in an I.T. room when we were all introducing ourselves and our experiences with computers. Step forward Sir Alan Chung..."I'm Alan Chung and computers are sweet". I guess you had to be there!

And so with a backdrop of crazy Media Writers, I completed Year One with a pass (that's all we needed, only years 2 and 3 count towards the final mark).

Tune in tomorrow for more memories, this time from Year Two as the workload increases, Rick Hudson delivers his most memorable lecture and seminar ever and we somehow put together a radio show set around a fruit machine!

Town look at Craaaaig Davies!

Craig Davies, a young buck formerly at Oxford and Verona (Oxford must have been too glamorous for him) is training with the Cobblers. A 6'2 striker, he scored a hat trick in a game once aparantly so he must be good! Looks like Mr Gorman's still looking for additions to the squad so hopefully we'll hear more soon...

Feeling Hot, Hot Hot!



Absolutely scorching day on the south coast today, sat out in my lunch break in Ocean Village and wanted to stay all afternoon! Unfortunately it was back to the grind though, working in a tie in this heat isn't good!

Monday, July 17, 2006

What's that coming over the hill, is it a Cobbler? Is it a Cobbler?


The Cobblers took some time to relax in Austria today, climbing up a big hill! Later on Pedj played some tennis, a young Hewitt in the making there. Lleyton that is, not Patricia.



No other news from Sixfields today, hopefully more signings will be arriving when we get back from Austria, that's if we find our way back down the mountains! If rumours are true that Pedjy's leading the party, we may be waiting a while!

Mental images of Mr Gorman leading a chant of "We'll be coming round the mountain when we come" flash into my mind and will probably lead to a bizarre dream this evening. I will let you know.

Ouch!

Well my new gym membership is being surprisingly well used and today I absolutley knackered myself with an RPM (have no idea what it stands for- anyone know?Free Jaffa cake for an answer?) workout.

With an instructor resembling a more built-up Mr Motivator, we were put through a rigorous 45 minute work out on cycles. Not ACTUAL cycles obviously or I would be somewhere near Portsmouth by now!

Feeling a tad bit sick (no workout for around 2 years except the work out of lifting a pint glass!) but it feels good to finally be healthy after a 3 year stint of student life, Ted's Fish and Chips, Chicken Land, The Student Union (Radio Production meetings half pissed!) and many a pre match pub stop.

Relive 2005-2006

I made this video a while ago which includes all the Cobbler's goals from last season's epic promotion. Laugh again at the comedy own goal by the Dims, relive the joy of Scotty's winner at London Road and pop open that champaigne as we clinch promotion at Sixfields against Chester City!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCmQypXe-5s

Sunday, July 16, 2006

The Geoff Show

Ok, so on occasions the odd non Cobblers related post will sneak on. This being the first one!

The Geoff Show on Virgin Radio is a regular listen for the Danny ears upon an evening. Running Monday-Thursday from 10pm-1am, The Geoff Show is trying to create a web co-operative, making friends around the blogging community. So this is my mention for the show. If you havn't listened, I highly recommend it. You will be thrilled by the intellectual features such as "Drunk vs Stoned", "Porting controversy" and "The Dead of the Night."

For more info click on the link on the right on here: http://www.virginradio.co.uk/geoff

Cobblers in Awwwwstria...

The Town have arrived in their training camp in Obertraun, Austria and have already played one friendly, a 2-1 defeat to an 1860 Munich XI. Super Scott McGleish with the Cobblers' goal. The result doesn't matter (obviously it would have mattered if we won!) but as long as we get it right at Gresty Road on August 5th and beyond that then I'm happy!

More heavy training to be done this week and one more friendly before we head home and face Reading at Sixfields on Saturday!

And So It begins...

So here we go, my random thoughts and warblings about Northampton Town FC as we embark on a hopefully long and probably painful journey through a League One campaign. Already abaord the jolly ship Cobbler are Sam Aiston, Andy Holt and Joe Burnell. Going the other way are Josh Low, the football genius that is Martin Smith and the football genius that isn't Ashley Westwood.

It all begins again in under 3 weeks!

Choose travelling up and down the country following eleven men kicking one ball...Choose Chesterfield away on a freezing cold winter evening clutching an equally freezing cold hot dog...Choose terraces with no roof in the middle of a snow storm...Choose the LDV Vans trophy in a random location with 49 other hardy souls...Choose Life...Choose League One...Choose Northampton Town!