Northampton Town

1970–71 season
Chairman	Eric Northover
Manager	Dave Bowen
Stadium	County Ground
Division Four	7th
FA Cup	First round
League Cup	Third round
Top goalscorer	League: John Fairbrother (15) All: John Fairbrother (18)
Highest home attendance	11,923 vs Notts County
Lowest home attendance	3,337 vs Workington
Average home league attendance	6,602
← 1969–70 1971–72 →

The 1970–71 season was Northampton Town's 74th season in their history and the second successive season in the Fourth Division. Alongside competing in Division Four, the club also participated in the FA Cup and League Cup.

As of match played 1 May 1971.

Name	Position	Nat.	Place of Birth	Date of Birth (Age)	Apps	Goals	Previous club	Date signed	Fee
Goalkeepers
Kim Book	GK		Bath	(1946-02-12)12 February 1946 (aged 25)	94	0	Bournemouth & B A	July 1969
David Hill	GK		Kettering	(1953-09-28)28 September 1953 (aged 17)	1	0	Apprentice	August 1970	N/A
Defenders
Eric Brookes	FB		Darton	(1944-02-03)3 February 1944 (aged 27)	98	3	Barnsley	July 1969
John Clarke	CB		Northampton	(1945-10-23)23 October 1945 (aged 25)	139	0	Apprentice	July 1965	N/A
Ray Fairfax	FB		Smethwick	(1941-11-14)14 November 1941 (aged 29)	138	2	West Bromwich Albion	July 1968
Brian Heslop	U		Carlisle	(1947-08-04)4 August 1947 (aged 23)	10	0	Sunderland	March 1971
Phil Neal	U		Irchester	(1951-02-20)20 February 1951 (aged 20)	59	8	Apprentice	July 1968	N/A
Alan Oman	FB		Newcastle upon Tyne	(1952-10-06)6 October 1952 (aged 18)	2	0	Apprentice	October 1970	N/A
Frank Rankmore	CB		Cardiff	(1939-07-21)21 July 1939 (aged 31)	126	19	Peterborough United	August 1968	£12,000
Neil Townsend	CB		Long Buckby	(1950-02-01)1 February 1950 (aged 21)	50	1	Apprentice	September 1968	N/A
Barry Tucker	FB		Swansea	(1952-08-28)28 August 1952 (aged 18)	0	0	Apprentice	July 1970	N/A
Midfielders
John Buchanan	W		Dingwall	(1951-09-19)19 September 1951 (aged 19)	3	0	Ross County	October 1970
Graham Felton	W		Cambridge	(1949-03-01)1 March 1949 (aged 22)	145	13	Apprentice	September 1966	N/A
Trevor Gould	CM		Coventry	(1950-03-05)5 March 1950 (aged 21)	37	1	Coventry City	October 1970
Peter Hawkins	LW		Swansea	(1951-11-09)9 November 1951 (aged 19)	25	3	Apprentice	July 1968	N/A
Joe Kiernan	CM		Coatbridge	(1942-10-22)22 October 1942 (aged 28)	310	14	Sunderland	July 1963
John McGleish	CM		Airdrie	(1951-12-18)18 December 1951 (aged 19)	3	0	Apprentice	November 1968	N/A
Dixie McNeil	W		Melton Mowbray	(1947-01-16)16 January 1947 (aged 24)	76	22	Corby Town	May 1969	£5,000
Eric Ross	CM		Belfast	(1944-09-19)19 September 1944 (aged 26)	68	5	Newcastle United	August 1969
Forwards
Keith East	CF		Southampton	(1944-10-31)31 October 1944 (aged 26)	35	9	Bournemouth & B A	July 1970	£5,000
John Fairbrother	CF		Cricklewood	(1941-02-12)12 February 1941 (aged 30)	159	62	Peterborough United	February 1968
Frank Large	CF		Leeds	(1940-01-26)26 January 1940 (aged 31)	188	74	Fulham	August 1969

Pos	Team v t e	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	Promotion or relegation
5	Chester	46	24	7	15	69	55	1.255	55
6	Colchester United	46	21	12	13	70	54	1.296	54	Qualified for 1971 Watney Cup[a]
7	Northampton Town	46	19	13	14	63	59	1.068	51
8	Southport	46	21	6	19	63	57	1.105	48
9	Exeter City	46	17	14	15	67	68	0.985	48

Overall								Home						Away
Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GAv	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts	W	D	L	GF	GA	Pts
46	19	13	14	63	59	1.068	51	15	4	4	39	24	34	4	9	10	24	35	17

  Win   Draw   Loss

Pos	Player	Division Four			FA Cup			League Cup			Total
		Starts	Sub	Goals	Starts	Sub	Goals	Starts	Sub	Goals	Starts	Sub	Goals
GK	Kim Book	45	–	–	2	–	–	6	–	–	53	–	–
GK	David Hill	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	–
DF	Eric Brookes	38	–	–	2	–	–	6	–	2	46	–	2
DF	John Clarke	42	–	–	2	–	–	6	–	–	50	–	–
DF	Ray Fairfax	34	–	1	2	–	–	5	–	–	41	–	1
DF	Brian Heslop	10	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	10	–	–
DF	Phil Neal	18	–	2	–	–	–	2	–	–	20	–	2
DF	Alan Oman	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	–	–
DF	Frank Rankmore	25	–	3	2	–	1	6	–	–	33	–	4
DF	Neil Townsend	15	–	–	–	–	–	–	1	–	15	1	–
DF	Barry Tucker	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
MF	John Buchanan	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	1	–
MF	Graham Felton	26	1	4	–	1	–	3	–	–	29	2	4
MF	Trevor Gould	35	–	1	2	–	–	–	–	–	37	–	1
MF	Peter Hawkins	4	2	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	4	2	–
MF	Joe Kiernan	42	1	1	2	–	–	6	–	–	50	1	1
MF	John McGleish	2	1	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	1	–
MF	Dixie McNeil	43	1	13	2	–	1	4	1	–	49	2	14
MF	Eric Ross	15	3	2	2	–	–	4	1	–	21	4	2
FW	Keith East	26	3	7	–	–	–	6	–	2	32	3	9
FW	John Fairbrother	40	2	15	2	–	1	6	–	2	48	2	18
FW	Frank Large	41	–	14	2	–	–	6	–	1	49	–	15

Books

• Grande, Frank (1997). Northampton Town F.C.: The Official Centenary History. London: Yore Publications. ISBN 978-1874427674.