Northampton issue complaint over Scunthorpe’s team selection for 7-0 loss

As reported by Northampton Chronicle, Cobblers chairman Kelvin Thomas said on The Guardian’s article: “As a club we have been overwhelmed by the support shown across all of football following a very tough day Saturday..

“We have obviously spoken to the EFL regarding some matters but probably more so about the rules going forward and we certainly do not expect anything to change in the short term. I have already congratulated the Bristol Rovers Chairman on their promotion.

“We are now totally focused on the play-offs against Mansfield. We can’t lose sight of the fact that this group of players achieved 80 points over the season which we finished very strongly winning four of our last five games.

“Talking to Jon (Brady) and the players today what happened this weekend has only brought the group closer together and we will now use that motivation for the play offs, in which we know the Cobblers fans will be right behind us.”

Bristol Rovers will also be investigated by the Football Association for the pitch invasion which came in the 85th minute having made it 7-0.

“It’s tough (to put into words), but you’ve covered us all year and you’ve been part of this journey as well with the highs and lows,” Joey Barton said when asked to explain what his players had just achieved via Bristol Post.

“As a direct consequence of that, the fans have turned up and supported them because they knew they give everything for the quarters. You get special days at football clubs if you get that kind of recipe.

“I didn’t expect us to win 7-0, I didn’t think anybody did. I was hoping for a Barrow draw, but were we going to do it any other way? Does this group do it easy?”

“I can’t describe it,” he added. “It’s probably something when I’m in my rocking chair and the fact I’ve headed a lot of balls out at the near post area has caught up with me, I’ll remember this favourably with Weetabix running down my chin and I’ll be thinking of the scenes at the Mem on this day.

“We’re fortunate in this game to get paid very well for what we do, which is kick a football around. Moments like that are just priceless, to see the fanbase like that, to see the players, to see the emotion.

“You cannot put a price of that.”

“I feel for Northampton, I do,” Barton added. “They’ve gone and won 3-1 away from home, they’re five goals clear. Colin Calderwood is a great guy as I’ve said. I know I’ve rubbed Jon Brady up the wrong way but he has done a fantastic job this year as well.

“They’ve sat in the top of three for a lot of the season. We’ve come and done them on the line. It’s still yet to sink in but they’ve had a fantastic season as well and I hope they go up in the play-offs.”

Jon Brady said he was proud of the supporters, his players and the club when reflecting on Saturday’s 3-1 away win.

“It’s pretty hard to comprehend right now,” he said.

“We were excellent and to go 3-0 up was a perfect start. Barrow came back into it although I felt there was a foul on Shaun McWilliams for their goal.

“No one has won here since Phil Brown has taken over, they are a good team and they played a full strength side today, which was important.

“80 points is a terrific effort, I’ve got an incredible group and they couldn’t help what has happened today.

“We’ve turned a lot of moments round this season and we will dust ourselves down and get ourselves ready for the playoffs.

“We need to look forward as a group, what is done is done and whether its right or wrong we just have to get ourselves ready for Mansfield.

“I’m up for it, the group will pick themselves up and we will be ready.

“We can’t thank the supporters enough both here and back at Sixfields watching on the beam back and we need them again now.

“I am proud of the players, proud of the supporters and proud of the club.”

Barrow boss Phil Brown had sympathy with the Cobblers and admitted ‘it didn’t feel right’ after Jon Brady’s side were denied promotion.

Brown said: “I have just been talking to Colin Calderwood who’s a good friend of mine and the first thing you feel is that it doesn’t feel right that something like that has gone in.

“When the cheer went up from our fans, I was thinking ‘what could that be? Surely that’s something from our perspective?’ but that was the weirdest situation I’ve ever been involved in during 43 years of football.

“That shows you how strange it was. Northampton have the best defence in the league and now they will have to go into the play-offs. It beggars belief but that’s football – it never surprises you.

“Good luck to them in the play-offs. The coaching staff were not in a good frame of mind after full-time but they have a full week to prepare to get the team up and ready and they are a good side and have every chance of getting through the play-offs.”

Fans reacted as Northampton Town take to a issue complaint over Scunthorpe’s team selection for the 7-0 loss…

@BedlamGas: Well I did feel sorry for Northampton fans, but this is just pathetic by the club. Fair play to all the Scunthorpe and Barrow fans who are gracious enough to defend the Gas and congratulate us on pulling off something phenomenal.

@IbizaWolves: Sour grapes… They should focus more on themselves and their performances in the play-offs rather than other peoples squads. Classic example of blame-culture, rather than taking responsibility for your own performances and results.

@ElliotLane11: Had thought it would only be a section of their fanbase that was bitter but for the club themselves to try and argue this is so, so poor. Absolutely no case to be had and wasting time and energy on a lost cause when you’ve got a play-off semi-final looming. Embarrassing

@_jwynny: I would love to know what they want to come from this

@TomNJones: They’d been playing a similar team for several games. They had already been relegated for several games. Relegated teams often pick players that are more likely to be with them the following season once they have gone down. Northampton have absolutely no case.

@LloydMason12345: This is getting better and better. Northampton didn’t get enough points, we’ve been consistently smashed by numerous teams over the season, this isn’t unusual, you failed to beat us Northampton, it’s just getting funny now

@LedburyGas: Yeah I agree. I feel some sympathy for Northampton fans because I know if it had been the other way round I’d be annoyed, but perhaps not annoyed enough to think something dodgy went on. It is what it is. Move on.

@Dano1883: Hahahahahahahahahahaha #UTG

@rjb_1998: I love this argument as if a strong Scunthorpe lineup exists

@StevenSOS1987: I’d have liked to have made a formal complaint over a retaken free kick 25 years ago but we can’t have everything. A quarter of a century later and I still enjoy any misery for Northampton. There’s nothing like an irrational football grudge

@sargentcidered: This would be petty in the extreme, but let’s face it, Rovers would definitely complain if it was the other way round. Pretty sure there were similar threats towards @wwfcofficial for some minor indiscretion once from them.

@cmacd57: Dry your eyes lads, I’ve been complaining about our team selections for 4 seasons now.

@VintageCobbler: I think @ntfc is right to lodge a complaint if only because @SUFCOfficial have undermined the integrity of the competition. Nothing will happen this year but the @EFL will need to change its rules for the future.

@robsgen14: Or their defender could’ve just not done a ridiculous handball against us in the 95th minute 🤷‍♂️

@0161quorn: If only they hadn’t started time wasting at 3-0

@DavidRutt: Im surprised by this, it just makes us look bitter as fuck 🍋 #ntfc

@jsulli_man: Pointless this. Nothing will come of it anyway. Just take it, move on and get revenge at whatever point it comes on the pitch #ntfc

@JackPeterGoing: Easy for this to be labelled as ‘sour grapes’ by rovers fans, but as the beneficiaries of this situation I’m sure they would have something to say had Barrow (who had already secured their league status) fielded a team of kids and we’d put 6 or 7 past them

14 of the same 18 strong team sheet from last week🤣🤦🏻 https://t.co/sjKtRmSpB3 pic.twitter.com/ta9a8pApCV

— Chris (@EastTerraceGas) May 9, 2022