This is it now, Derby County are into their final week of pre-season ahead of the 2017/18 Sky Bet Championship season.
Five games down, the Rams have just two matches remaining before they head to Sunderland for their Friday night curtain-raiser at the Stadium of Light.
Gary Rowett’s side have claimed four wins a draw from those games – the latest coming against 2. Bundesliga side Kaiserslautern – over the weekend!
First up this week is a short trip to Sixfield Stadiums and the latest side to go under our pre-season microscope is Northampton Town…
A Moment In History…
Dave Bowen is a name synonymous with any Northampton Town supporter.
From 1947 to 1950 he made 12 appearances for the Cobblers before moving onto Arsenal and later returning in 1959 for a season and pulling on the shirt a further 22 times.
He isn’t revered for his playing days at the County Grounds, though.
Where Bowen really earnt cult status with Northampton supporters was as a manager.
He took over immediately upon his return in 1959, guiding the Cobblers from the fourth tier of English football to the first in the space of five remarkable years.
This, however, was to be their one and only season in the top flight and back-to-back relegations followed immediately after.
Bowen left in 1967, returned once more in 1969, and had another three-year stint as manager – if that wasn’t enough, he also held the position of secretary and club director before he retired!
In more recent years, the Cobblers have a famous League Cup night at Anfield to remember.
In 2010, Northampton were a side floating around League Two – 67 places below Liverpool.
After defeating Brighton & Hove Albion and then Reading, the Cobblers were rewarded with a draw in the third round of the competition away at Liverpool.
The game ended 2-2 after extra time, featuring a goal from a player that Rams supporters will remember, Michael Jacobs, and after a pulsating 120 minutes, Northampton kept their nerve to defeat the Premier League giants via the penalty shootout to record a notable footprint in their recent history.
What Happened Last Season…
After storming to the League 2 title the year before, the last thing Northampton Town would have wanted to happen was to lose their manager Chris Wilder.
He went on to Sheffield United – his boyhood club – and worked further miracles and despite beginning the season under manager Rob Page and finishing it under Justin Edinburgh the Cobblers maintained their status as a Sky Bet League 1 club at the end of the 2016/17 season, finishing in a respectable 16th place.
There was also a notable run in the EFL Cup.
After shock extra-time wins over both Barnsley and then Premier League side West Bromwich Albion, the Cobblers were rewarded with a home meeting against Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United.
There was to be no upset on this occasion – just as they did six years ago against Liverpool – as they lost the game 3-1 after the Red Devils struck twice in the final 22 minutes.
The Stadium…
The Sixfields Stadium has been called home for Northampton since 1994 and has a capacity of 7,653. The north stand is named after club great David Bowen – who is mentioned earlier in this article.
The club are currently in the process of redeveloping their East Stand.
Previously to the Sixfields, the Cobblers played at the County Ground, sharing it with Northants Cricket Club.
Who’s The Boss…
Justin Edinburgh had a steady start to life as Northampton Town manager after taking in charge in January 2017.
He won six and drew five of his first 19 games in charge and this summer he has quickly moved to put his own stamp on the squad by bring 11 new players through the door at Sixfield Stadium – including the likes of Rangers midfielder Matt Crooks, Manchester United defender Regan Poole and forward Dean Bowditch.
As a player, Edinburgh spent 10 as a player at Tottenham Hotspurs between 1990 and 2000, where he made 215 appearances.
The former defender also made 37 appearances for Southend and 34 for Portsmouth.
His greatest success in management to date came at Newport County, who he guided into the EFL by beating fellow Welsh outfit Wrexham in a Play-Off Final – he was also named as the Conference Manager of the Year for his work.
Who To Look Out For…
In terms of ability, there is no doubt that John-Joe O’Toole is a talented operator.
After beginning his career at Watford, where he made 57 appearances between 2007 and 2010, he moved on to make a name for himself further down the Football League ladder.
He began at Colchester United and spent four years in Essex, before switching to Bristol Rovers, where he particularly caught the eye.
A physical presence in the middle of the park, O’Toole arrived at the Cobblers in 2014 and the dynamic midfielder has made 113 appearances to date and scored 24 goals.
An integral part of the side that were crowned League 2 champions in 2016, he certainly stamped his mark in League 1 by scoring 12 goals and will be looking to back that up over the 2017/18 season.
Did You Know…
Manager Justin Edinburgh is an owner of two Toni and Guy hair salons.