NORTHAMPTON TN 1996-97
THIRD DIVISION PLAY-OFF WINNERS
WEMBLEY app- earances were like London busses for Ray Warburton. Wait ages for one and suddenly two come along at the same time.
Warburton had been denied the chance to play at the Twin Towers earlier in his career by a broken leg.
He thought his chance had gone, especially after Northampton stuttered in the closing stages in 1995-96.
The Cobblers missed out on the play-offs after winning just one of their last four games.
But fast forward 12 months and they weren’t about to make the same mistake.
“We used to just grind teams down but the longer the season went on, we got better and better,” he said. “Then, around March we had a bit of a dip.
“We lost a couple of big games to Wigan and Mansfield but then we played away at Torquay United on a Monday.
“Big John Gayle, who didn’t drink, said to us all on the bus that, if we got a result, he would buy the beers for the way back – and he did.
“You always remember things like that. It was the turning point for us. I think we then won four and drew a couple to sneak into the play-offs.
“We built momentum at the right time. Ian Atkins was very good at getting the right characters in there. He didn’t have any bad eggs and no sulkers.”
Even though they finished 12 points behind Carlisle United, who occupied the final automatic place, the Cobblers were the form team in the play-offs.
They won 1-0 in Cardiff and secured a Wembley visit with a famous 3-2 win at Sixfields. Another Welsh team, Swansea City, were waiting for them.
Involved
Warburton led the team out and they were not to be denied as John Frain scored the only goal of the game.
The following season, Ian Atkins’ side returned to northwest London but this time were beaten by a single goal.
“The home game against Cardiff was a great game to be involved in. Even now, 20 years on, people say it was the best night they have had at Sixfields,” said Warburton.
“I used to score four or five a season. I think it was 2-1 on aggregate and my goal put that distance back between us.
“Looking back, it was probably the most exciting two months of my career since I was at York and they won the playoffs in 1992-93.
“I played the first 11 games and then broke my leg and got fit around April. I played a reserve game at Coventry and broke my leg again.
“By the time we got to the play-off final, I was just about able to jog around so they let me go out on the pitch and warm up.
“I was devastated because you think you are never going to get the chance again, so it was great to get it.
“The Swansea game wasn’t a great one, but we did the job and that is all that matters. It was all about the result on that day.”
1. Michael Whittaker: Triallist who has lost touch with team-mates.
2. Ali Gibb: Full-back who became a physiotherapist with Shrewsbury Town and Stockport County before joining Bolton.
3. Sean Parrish: Midfielder who won promotion with Chesterfield. He has been academy manager at Northampton, youth coach at Wolves and is currently AFC Telford’s assistant manager.
4. Christian Lee: A forward who won promotion with Gillingham. Has worked as a male model.
5. Garry Thompson: England Under-21 forward who won a promotion at Aston Villa, managed Bristol Rovers, coached at Brentford and Hucknall Town and has worked in PR and been a driver.
6. Lee Maddison: Full-back whose career was ended by NonHodgkin Lymphoma. Now lives at Lee-on-the-Solent and runs the South Coast Football Academy. 7. Claudio De Vito: A forward, now back in his native Peterborough where he works for Amazon. 8. Jason White: Forward who appeared in a play off final for Scunthorpe, went into financial services and is a partner at St James’s Place Wealth, Hong Kong. 9. Michael Warner: Full-back who is now international sales manager for Fortum Charge & Drive in Helsinki, Finland. 10. Denis Casey: The physio is now retired and living in Chapel Brampton, Northamptonshire. 11. Dean Peer: Midfielder who helped Birmingham win a Leyland Daf Trophy. Became a physiotherapist in the NHS. 12. Mark Cooper: Forward who won a promotion with Leyton Orient, became a cabbie and leases out a fleet of black cabs. 13. Andy Woodman: Goalkeeper who won Division Three with Brentford. Went into coaching and managed Whitehawk. He is now coaching at Arsenal. 14. Ian Sampson: Central defender who managed Northampton Town and Corby. Now scouting for Crystal Palace after coaching at the FCV Academy. 15. Billy Turley: Goalkeeper who won a promotion with Rushden & Diamonds. He became a goalkeeping coach and worked for Mansfield Town and Northampton. 16. Chris Burns: Midfielder who played for Portsmouth in an FA Cup semi-final. Now living in Gloucestershire, where he has managed Brockworth Albion and works as a bricklayer. 17. David Rennie: Defender who helped Birmingham to promotion. Based in Leicester and advises companies on health and safety, as well as employment law. 18. Paul Curtis: Former right-back who ran Northampton’s academy before becoming sports development officer for Corby Council and then Tresham College. 19. Ian Clarkson: Defender who helped Birmingham win promotion and became a journalist. Now, he is a PE teacher and head of football at Foremarke Hall School in Derbyshire. 20. Roy Hunter: Midfielder who was a Northampton player of the year. Works at Cleveland Potash Mine and managed Redcar Town. 21. Neil Grayson: Striker who won England semi-professional honours and played Non-League football until he was over 50. Works for a fencing business. 22. Ian Atkins: Later managed Carlisle, Oxford and Bristol Rovers and has been chief European scout for Sunderland, Everton and now Aston Villa. 23. Ray Warburton: Central defender who won five promotions in 21 seasons. He was general manager for a property developer and is now director of a home care company. 24. Lee Colkin: Defender who managed Rugby Town, was a sales executive for Ikon Office Solutions and is now a director of Technocopy Solutions in Leicester. 25. Danny O’Shea: Midfielder. Assistant manager at Cambridge United and Northampton coach. Owned a wine bar and pub. Now coaching in Western Australia.