3/1 To Win
The 24 teams that will take part in Sky Bet League One in the 2023/24 season were confirmed at the end of May.
Here, dcfc.co.uk will take a look at each one in focus ahead of the new campaign getting underway at the start of August.
In this instalment, one of the new members of the division, Northampton Town, are in the spotlight.
Fact File
Established: 1897
Nickname: The Cobblers
Home: Sixfields Stadium (7,798 capacity)
Manager: Jon Brady
2022/23 finish: 3rd (Sky Bet League Two)
Club History
Established in 1897, Northampton Town were admitted into the Football League in 1920.
Their nickname, ‘The Cobblers,’ is a reference to the town’s historical shoe making industry.
They moved to their current home, Sixfields Stadium, in 1994 after nearly 100 years at their previous stadium, the County Ground.
In 1965/66, they reached the First Division for the first time in their history. That was their one and only season in England’s top-flight as they were relegated after just one year.
Played For Both
Bradley Johnson
Central midfielder Bradley Johnson, who had four years with the Rams between 2015-2019 and made 140 appearances, was a part of the Cobblers during his early years as a professional.
He joined Northampton as a teenager in 2005 and remained there until 2008 when Leeds United acquired his services.
Johnson, now 36, is still playing and was most recently a regular starter for MK Dons in League One before being released in the summer.
Michael Jacobs
Current Portsmouth winger Michael Jacobs was a product of Nortampton Town’s Academy before bursting onto the first-team scene.
His performances for the Cobblers caught the eye of plenty and following the expiration of his contract he linked up with the Rams in the summer of 2012.
He remained in Derbyshire until 2014, after making 43 appearances, when he moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers on loan and later sealed a permanent switch.
Jacobs will have the chance to face off against both the Rams and the Cobblers for Pompey in Sky Bet League One in the 2023/24 season.
Timi Max Elsnik
Slovenian international midfielder Elsnik joined Derby County’s youth set-up in 2015 and played a pivotal role in the young Rams’ success at that time.
He was sent on loan a number of times during his time in Derbyshire including to the Cobblers in 2019.
Following his release from Derby in 2019, he has gone on to represent Slovenia at international level and win the top division in his homeland with Olimpija Ljubljana.
2022/23 Season
The Cobblers achieved automatic promotion to Sky Bet League One after six years away in 2022/23.
They were in and around the top three for the entire campaign but their season went right down to the wire.
A 1-0 victory over Tranmere Rovers on the final day ensured their cemented third place and would be playing back in the third tier after missing out on promotion via the play-offs in the previous season.
Record Against The Rams
Derby have only played Northampton 12 times competitively over the years but have yet to taste defeat against the Cobblers.
With that said, the Rams have only registered seven wins across those fixtures with the remaining five all ending in a stalemate.
The most recent fixture between the two was in the Fourth Round of the Emirates FA Cup back in 2020. The initial tie ended in a 0-0 draw at Sixfields before the Rams were went on to win the replay 4-2 at Pride Park Stadium ten days later.
