Meet the opposition | Northampton Town
As Swansea City get set to host Northampton Town in the Carabao Cup, we take a closer look at the Cobblers.
What’s their story?
Northampton are currently in their first season back in League One, having secured promotion with a third-place finish in League Two last term.
Formed in 1897 and admitted to the Football League in 1920, the Cobblers enjoyed their sole season in the top-flight during the 1965-66 campaign but had dropped all the way down to the Fourth Division by the end of the decade.
In fact, they hold the record for the quickest rise and fall from the fourth tier to the top-flight and back again, with their journey up and down the divisions taking just nine years.
They have spent every season since in either the third or fourth tier, although Swans fans will not need reminding of their 1997 Wembley success against Jan Molby’s side in the old Third Division play-off final. John Frain breaking Swansea hearts with a last-gasp free-kick.
How’s their form?
During pre-season, the Cobblers most recently played out creditable narrow defeats against Championship sides Leicester and Birmingham, and enjoyed victories over MK Dons and Brackley Town.
They finished last season strongly, losing just two of their last 15 games, but suffered defeat at home to Stevenage on the weekend.
Who’s the gaffer?
Jon Brady. The Australian has done an excellent job since become Northampton boss in March 2021, following the departure of Keith Curle.
He was unable to prevent them being relegated to League Two, but led them to within agonising sight of an immediate return to the third tier the following campaign only for Bristol Rovers to deny them automatic promotion on the final day before they were beaten by Mansfield in the play-offs.
However, they bounced back to finish third and secure a place back in League One.
A winger during his playing days, Brady had spells on the books with Brentford, Swansea, Wycombe, Mjolner, Hayes, Rushden & Diamonds, Woking, Chester City, Stevenage, Hereford, Cambridge, Kidderminster, Kettering and Brackley.
He moved into management with the latter club, spending over six years in charge, with his next job being in the academy set-up at Northampton, from where he has progressed to the senior team.
Who’s the captain?
Jon Guthrie. The centre-half joined the Cobblers in the summer of 2021, and has been an integral part of their promotion pushes over the last two seasons.
He has since made 93 appearances for Northampton, netting 10 goals.
Hailing from Devizes, he started with Wiltshire League club Pewsey Vale before being picked up by Crewe Alexandra in 2012.
He spent five years with Alex, racking up over 120 league appearances, before moving to Walsall.
Two years at the Bescot Stadium were followed by another two at Scottish club Livingston, before he moved on to Northampton.
Who are the key men?
Striker Sam Hoskins was Northampton’s top scorer last season as he racked up 20 league goals, becoming the first Cobblers player to achieve the feat since the 1986-87 season.
He has been with the club since 2015, and has racked up 339 appearances in all competitions, scoring 75 goals during that time.
As a youngster he was part of the Southampton academy, and made four first-team appearances for Saints.
He also had loan spells with Preston, Rotherham and Stevenage, before making a full-time switch to Yeovil.
However, he was unable to nail down a regular starting role, but has found a home at Northampton.
Hoskins also had seven assists to his name last term, the same amount as midfielder Mitch Pinnock.
Pinnock, who was on the books at Arsenal for seven years before joining Southend, had a nomadic early part of his career, which also took in spells with East Thurrock, Bromley, Concord Rangers, Tonbridge Angels, Maidstone United, Dover Athletic and Kingstonian.
When he returned to Dover for a second spell he became a regular and his performances for them proved the foundation for a move to AFC Wimbledon.
He made 59 league appearances over two seasons with them before spending a year in Scotland with Kilmarnock.
A move to Northampton followed and he was a key creative figure in last season’s promotion campaign.
Marc Leonard has been a popular arrival at Sixfields after sealing a second loan switch from Premier League Brighton.
The Glasgow-born midfielder, a Scotland Under-21 international, came through the youth ranks at Rangers before spending time in the academy set-ups at Hearts and Brighton.
He has yet to make a league appearance for the Seagulls, although he has made two League Cup appearances, including a senior debut in a Carabao Cup win over Cardiff.
Leonard spent last term with the Cobblers and made 48 appearances in all competitions during their successful campaign.