Phil Yelland dips into the archives to find out how Northampton Town have fared on previous visits to Barrow ahead of Saturday's encounter at The Dunes Hotel Stadium.
Saturday sees us close our season with a visit from Northampton Town who last came to Barrow way back in August 1971. They were our first visitors in what was to be our final season in our first spell in the Football League and they won by the only goal of the game.
They had been the last club to visit us at the end of the 1970/71 campaign, also in Division Four. We were finishing bottom of the pile but won 2-1 with goals from Malcolm Russell and Mick Hollis. The crowd that day was just 1,466 but it was not the lowest gate of the season, as only 1,452 had watched us defeat Southend United a month earlier.
Our first meeting with The Cobblers here came in the first season of Division Four when, in December 1958, we drew 2-2 with our goals coming from Ted Purdon and Jackie Robertson.
Town won their first game at Holker Street 1-0 the following season. Our first win came by the same scoreline in September 1960 when Barrie Lowes scored the only goal of the game. At the end of that season, The Cobblers won promotion as they started their journey to the top flight.
That was out last meeting until November 1967 when we had been promoted to Division Three and Town were on their road back down the ladder. On a Monday night, we recorded a fine 4-0 win with four different scorers – Player/Manager Colin Appleton, Roy McCarthy, Jim Mulvaney and Dave Storf. The game was watched by 5,851 fans – the biggest gate here to watch The Cobblers.
Town gained revenge the following season though, with a 2-0 win – but they were still relegated.
So, at this stage after seven games between the sides here, the record is an even one with each team having won three times and one draw.
Let’s hope we can nudge ahead on Saturday afternoon with win number four and complete the double, having won for the first time ever at Northampton at the start of February.