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Archived News from September 2004

STAGSNET`S STATISTICAL PREVIEW
2nd September 2004 22:33


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 three league wins there since then. The first was on November 9, 1968, the second one on December 30, 1989 - both times in the old third division – and the Cobblers were relegated both times! The most recent was in the final league game of last season with the Stags having already clinched the playoffs spot and the Cobblers needing a win to assure their place. And between August 12, 1972 and August 27, 1988 (both cases were opening day league games), when an 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 28 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 league outings, 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.

The teams faced each other in the final league game at Field Mill in each of the last two seasons. And immediately after last season's final league game, the teams faced each other again – in the playoff semi-finals. First, the Stags won 2-0 at Sixfields, when the Mendes goal halfway through the second half finally put the game beyond the Cobblers' reach and Northampton then had to score first in the return if they were to get back in the Cardiff reckoning. They did so and were even 3-0 up at one stags before Curtis pulled one back for the Stags. As the away-goals ruling did not count in the playoffs, the tie in front of a bumper 9243 crowd went into extra time – and then penalties! From the spot, the Stags converted all five while Pilkington saved Northampton's fourth, a well-taken Sabin one to pull the Stags through to the playoffs finals. It was one of my longest nights as a Stags fan! It was a historical play offs drama, to say the least. And this meant that the Stags have gone through in ALL games at knockout stages against the Cobblers!

So far this season, the Stags have started better. A few days ago, a golden six-minutes spell with three goals midway through the second half was enough to rout Yeovil 4-1, while Northampton lost 2-0 at Scunthorpe.

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. And the current Cobblers manager, Colin Calderwood, started his league career at the Stags in 1982. Former Stag Mark Kearney has been youth team manager for Northampton as well. Peter Morris was acting and assistant Cobblers manager in the mid-nineties, and Clive Walker was the Cobblers manager for a while some ten years earlier.

Played for both sides: Charles Anthoney, Derek Asamoah, Kim Book, Alfred Brown, Peter Clark, Efon Elad, John Fairbrother, Greg Fee, Fred Ferrari, Kevin Hitchkock, Thomas Knox, Pat Kruse, David Logan, David Lyon, Paul Matthews, Jim McCaffrey, Edwin McLachlan, Dean Peer, Ian Phillips, Barry Richardson, Gary Saxby, Ben Sedgemore, Phil Stant, Dave Syrett, Glyn Thompson, Clive Walker, Keith Welch, Jason White (not the goalkeeper), Benjamin Wonnacott.

Home stats: P 28, W 20, D 5, L 3, GF 53, GA 20
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 1-2 2004-05-08 3-0 2003-11-29 Div 3

Playoffs:

2003-04 1-3 2004-05-20 2-0 2004-05-16 Div 3 playoff semifinals
(The Stags went through to the finals after winning 5-4 on penalties at Field Mill)

Cup games:

FA Cup

1948-49 2-1 (at Field Mill) 2nd round

League Cup

1989-08-22 1-1 (at Field Mill) 1st round, 1st leg
1989-09-05 2-0 (at County Ground) 1st round, 2nd leg, Stags through 3-1 on aggregate

Svante Bernhard aka Sweden Stag (pictured, above right)

Details from various sources (Stags centenary book, soccerbase, the history CD /update on players/ and various editions of Rothmans Football Yearbook)

 

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