Exeter City will be looking to make it four straight league wins as they travel t o face Northampton Town on Saturday in a 3pm kick-off.
Here is all you need to know about our opponents...
- Founded: 1897
- Nickname: The Cobblers
- Honours: Third Division (1962-63), Fourth Division/League Two (1986-87, 2015-16), Southern Football League (1908-09).
Northampton Town Football Club were founded on 6th March 1897, when a group of local school teachers got together with the well known local solicitor, AJ "Pat" Darnell in the Princess Royal Inn, Wellingborough Road, Northampton to form the town's first professional football club.
They joined the Football League in 1920, despite conceding a record 103 in the previous season – the first after the war – and became a public company in 1923, with 8,000 shares being sold for £1. Before the breakout of World War Two, they lost 10-0 to Bournemouth at Dean Court – their record defeat – and were also the first club to receive a transfer fee during the war when Bobby King was sold to Wolves for a four figure fee.
The club were promoted three times between 1960 and 1965, reaching the First Division for the first time only to be relegated back to Division Two a year later. 1970 saw the club face Manchester United in the FA Cup – losing 8-2 thanks in part to six goals by George Best.
The club moved to their new Sixfields ground in 1994 and three years later, under manager Ian Atkins, the club played at Wembley for the first time in over 100 years when they beat Swansea City in the Third Division play-off final, before featuring in the Division Two play-off final the following season – losing 1-0 to Grimsby. Since then, the club have fluctuated between League One and Two, winning the fourth tier in 2016 before being relegated back in 2018.
Last Time Out
Walsall 3 Northampton Town 2 | February 15, 2020 | Sky Bet League Two
Walsall stunned Northampton in coming from two goals down to take all three points.
The Manager
Keith Curle
Seasoned center back Curle had a 25 year playing career that him play for a number of club across the country,
He is perhaps best known for his time playing for Manchester City, where he made over 174 appearances before joining Wolves, where he stayed for another 150 matches. His transfer to Maine Road from Wimbledon made him, at one point, the most expensive defender bought by a British club. He was appointed the Cobblers’ boss in November 2018 after a four year spell at Carlisle United.
The Ground
- Name: PTS Academy Stadium
- Capacity: 7,798
- Year Opened: 1994
- Address: Upton Way, Northampton, NN5 5QA
Sixfields, or the PTS Academy Stadium as it’s known for sponsorship reasons, opened in 1994 after the club moved away from the County Ground that they shared with Northamptonshire Cricket Club. Its opening was delayed by two months but the first match took place against Barnet in Division Three, ending 1-1. In 2013-14, following a rent dispute at their Ricoh Arena home, Coventry City temporarily played at Sixfields.
The ground consists of four stands, one of which is incomplete. The East Stand is yet to be finished despite a £10.25m loan from Northampton Borough Council, but is still capable of housing 3,100 supporters.
One To Watch
Callum Morton
West Bromwich Albion’s Callum Morton has hit the ground running since joining the Cobblers on loan in January, scoring three times in five games. He bagged twice in Town’s 3-2 defeat at Walsall last week and also scored the winner at Macclesfield on February 1. He was on loan at Braintree Town last season, scoring five times in 14 matches.
Previous Encounters
Exeter City 3 Northampton Town | December 7, 2019 | Sky Bet League Two
A rapid second-half riposte with goals from Aaron Martin and Alex Fisher saw Exeter City come from behind to beat Northampton Town 3-2 at St James Park.
Northampton Town 2 Exeter City 1 | March 9, 2019 | Sky Bet League Two
Exeter City suffered back-to-back defeats as goals from Aaron Pierre and Andy Williams condemned them to a 2-1 defeat at Northampton Town.
Exeter City 2 Northampton Town 2 | November 17, 2019 | Sky Bet League Two
A devastating last-minute Northampton equaliser saw the Grecians held to a draw against the Cobblers at St James Park.
Head To Head
- Northampton wins: 52
- Draws: 34
- Exeter City wins: 30
Ticket News
Tickets can now be purchased on the day at the ground.There is a special pricing for under-11 Junior Grecian members and proof of membership will be required at the gate.
Ticket prices are as follows:
South Stand
- Adults: £22
- 65+/Students: £18
- Under-18s: £10
- Under-11 Junior Grecians: £9
- Under-7s: FREE