Cobblers fans from Blackthorn to Delapre have been left exasperated by the club's desperate form in the second half of the season which saw the club relegated from League One with four games to go.
Coaching, recruitment and lack of investment have been cited as key reasons for the club's demise. However, Cobblers Scoops can reveal the real cause lies on the roads the Shoe Army travel on every day!
Ask any true Northamptonian what they like least about the town and apart from migrants they'll no doubt answer roads. They're the worst in the world and it's become apparent they were the key factor in the Northampton Town FC disaster of 2026.
Cast your mind back to December 2025, Scott Mills was hosting the Radio Two breakfast show, the "Six Seven" trend was causing chaos in UK classrooms and Kevin Nolan's lads were sitting pretty, firmly mid table in league one. With the festive period on the horizon, the challenge was thrown down by the manager: 12th place on Christmas day and each squad member gets a custom engraved, personalised NTFC china set commemorating the achievement.
"Rumours of the quality soon spread round the dressing room and the lads were really up for it." a club insider confided.
"Obviously the usual names like Cath Kidston and Emma Bridgewater were being thrown around but when someone saw a tab left open for bagsoflove.com on a laptop at Moulton College, performance levels went through the roof. The likes of Plymouth and AFC Wimbledon were put to the sword"
Unfortunately the former West Ham and Bolton man was less than jolly when his squad opened up their "presents".
"Here we go lads, this is exactly what I think of you all" Nolan is alleged to have said as he opened the boot of his car in the staff area of the car park.
"The lad's faces said it all as they opened the boxes to find smashed claret and white pieces. His complaints about hitting a "crater" on the Rothersthorpe Road weren't cutting it."
A festive thrashing to Burton and string of defeats followed and it wasn't just the players and fans who were deflated...
Loanie Ethan Wheatley had been a leading light up front but unfortunately due to a series of punctures obtained to and from training, he'd spent almost as much time in Sixfields Tyres as Sixfields Stadium. When the opportunity came for a move to League One rivals Bradford City he jumped at the chance to sign for the Bantams.
"I spoke to the manager and loved his vision for what he hoped to achieve here, also I did a Freedom of Information request to Bradford Council and compensation claims for tyre and suspension damage are 27% lower than the national average", he told the Telegraph and Argus.
Efforts to replace Wheatley before deadline day fell "flat" with the roads around the Moulton Training ground turning the venue into an impenetrable fortress for potential signings
"Punctures, sidewall bulges, bent/cracked wheels, and misaligned suspension. No one could get close to the place to get the deal done. One guy tried to do it remotely on a tablet in the cab while they were getting towed, only for the AA driver to go over a massive bump, resulting in them accidentally clicking submit before they electronically signed the deal."
With a threadbare, disgruntled squad lacking goals and motivation, the Vertu trophy represented a glimmer of hope. However, after the travelling squad suffered a bout of motion sickness on the A5123 enroute to Kenilworth Road, the team were dispatched from the competition, Nolan soon followed and League 2 beckons once again.
"Colin Calderwood had plans to shore things up a bit at the back and work on set pieces but to be fair he's spent most of his time as caretaker over at Formula 1 getting his suspension sorted".
NEXT TIME: POTENTIAL NEW INVESTORS LATEST "The man at the top drove through Northampton, the roads reminded him of the favelas of Rio"
