QPR face Northampton demons
Tuesday, 20th May 2008 16:51

Cruelly denied a cup tie against Northampton for the past 18 months, QPR have taken matters into their own hands and arranged a friendly with them instead.

Last year’s tie with Leyton Orient at Loftus Road ended the recent tradition of first round League Cup ties against the Cobblers brought about on an annual basis by the ridiculously convoluted and complicated seeding of the cup draw.

Clearly missing encounters with our bogey side the club has arranged a pre-season friendly at the Sixfield Stadium scheduled to take place on Wednesday July 23 at 7.45pm according to the Northamptonshire press.

In 2006/07 he Cobblers came to Loftus Road and were beaten 3-2 thanks to a last minute winner from Ray Jones – his first professional goal for Rangers. Click here for a match report.

The visitors had earlier come from two goals down to draw level invoking memories of previous disasters against the League One outfit. The season before Rangers embarrassed themselves at the Sixfields and lost 3-0 on another one of Andy Hall’s special nights out, an x-rated match report can be read here.

In our play off season we were held to a 1-1 draw in Northampton and beaten by them at Loftus Road 1-0 despite going for promotion while the Cobblers struggled against relegation. They won at Loftus Road the season before that as well, and 2-1 against us in the League Cup after extra time, and came from two goals down with ten men to hold us to a draw in the league game at Sixfields.

In fact prior to the last meeting QPR's last win against Northampton was way back in 1962, although in fairness there haven't been many games in that time. Still, I could do without yet another chorus of "you'll never beat the Cobblers" echoing round Sixfields in July.

The current Northampton team is managed by former Southampton manager Stuart Gray and finished ninth in League One last season, ten points outside the play off places. Midfielder Giles Coke may be familiar to some R’s fans, the former QPR youth teamer signed for Northampton from Mansfield just over a year ago. They are also playing newly promoted West Brom as part of their summer campaign, the R’s are due to face Oxford, Chievo Verona and possibly Fiorentina as they gear up for an assault on the Championship.

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