Norteles hoping for Sixfields success to celebrate 50th birthday

Norteles, who were formed way back in 1966, are playing Red Lion Kislingbury in the final, which kicks off at the home of the Cobblers at 3pm, but win or lose it is going to be a day of celebration.

That’s because after the match, the club is staging it’s 50th year celebrations in a special function at the Boys Brigade Old Boys Rugby Club on St Andrew’s Road in Northampton.

Norteles, undoubtedly one of the oldest surviving town clubs, was a founder member of the original Sunday League, playing under under the banner of the then GPO.

Soon after, the name was changed to Norteles (Northampton Telephones) by the then secretary, the late Norman Frost.

Spokesman Andy Norfolk, who has been involved with the club since the late 1980s, said: “Over the years we’ve had some great players and turned out some quality teams, but also in order to survive have had a few games where we’ve had to throw together anyone who we could get hold of!”

The club has enjoyed relatively few successes, the first being the winning of the afternoon division two title in 1976.

After a long wait, Norteles then won the Norman Frost Trophy in 1992, with now ageing striker Mark Roper ‘lassoing the trophy!’

In 1997 ‘Norts’ won division one of the Sunday League, and reached the Millenium trophy final two years on the bounce in the early 2000s - losing both to Standens Barn.

This season has already seen success, with the team winning division one of the Northants Sunday Conference. They are going for their first ‘double’ at Sixfields.

The current squad is a mixture of youth and experience, and winning the league and reaching a Sixfields final is fitting way to celebrate 50 years as a local football club.

Following the clash against Red Lion, the post-match reception at BBOB, which includes a bar and buffet, starts at 6pm and will go on until late.

All Norteles players past and present are invited to attend the function, along with friends and family.