Gray feels the size and quality of the squad must improve; the increased take-up of season tickets is important in setting the budget, but also the club needs to get its stadium development as soon as possible.

We were warned not to expect any investment on the back of the hotel deal – it should be built over the summer – because it is a one-off payment with no further income, and will be used to pay off creditors.

He made it clear that he wanted good home-produced talent, players who were proud to pull on a Cobblers shirt in front of their own family and friends.

He said that not retaining Joe Burnell gave more chance to Alex Dyer to establish himself, and he also picked out Ritchie Jones as a promising prospect.

He found it hard to have to tell Danny May that he hadn't shown enough improvement to be retained, but with a limited budget such decisions were necessary.

When we went five games without scoring a goal he was grateful to the chairman for his continued support at a difficult time.

Gray's wish list includes two strikers – and there is some money available for the right players whom we are actively tracking – and he also wants one or two more quality players in midfield, and possibly a left-back.

Without intending an exhaustive list, I found his naming of a group of players seen as central to success to be interesting – Chris Doig, Danny Jackman, Jason Crowe, Mark Bunn, Gabor Gyepes, Mark Hughes, and Giles Coke, a list which most fans would support.

With his calcified thigh, Hughes will need to be wound down and re-started during pre-season, Coke is still only 80 per cent fit but pre-season should get it sorted, while a decision on Adebayo Akinfenwa is in abeyance while his leg injury is assessed.

He again is quoted at only 80 per cent fitness, and one of the screws through the pin in a bone is now catching on an adjoining bone and giving problems. It is clear that Gray will want a fit Akinfenwa, he rates his abilities.

It was interesting, too, that he is still in touch with Kenny Deuchar and he said: "I could have made him an even better player." If Deuchar's USA experience goes sour, I bet Gray will move in.

Gray said he wanted to see Wolves get into the play-offs and promoted, making it more likely we could make a bid for Mark Little and Danny Jones.

I'm not sure what Gray will make of the new black away kit unveiled this week – he made a point at the forum of saying that light coloured socks and kit made it easier to pick a pass to a team-mate, especially in murky conditions.

Initial responses of most fans seem positive, but I find it drab – and why a bit of blue but no claret?

Vale hsow not good enough
I'd be a millionaire if I could explain why football teams suddenly under-perform.

Clubs spend time and money making certain that diet, training, lifestyle and the correct attitude of players combine to produce a peak performance on match day.

Then our heroes turn up and produce a shambles, as the Cobblers did at Port Vale on Saturday.

It isn't adequate to say we were off the boil because we were safe from the stress of either promotion or relegation, and then to say that Port Vale outplayed us because they were already relegated so could relax and enjoy their football; you can't have it both ways!

You owe travelling fans a better show than this, and if nothing else, surely a player will be motivated by a win bonus?

Clearly there is some still-to-be-discovered psychological key that managers would love to turn, if just they could find it.

A manager can 'psych-up' players too much – Stuart Gray admitted last week that our dreadful performance at Leeds earlier in the season may be due in part to his attempt to focus our inexperienced side on the tension and pressure of running out in front of a large and aggressive home crowd at one of the world's most famous grounds, a ploy which seemed to backfire as half our team froze and we were taken to pieces.

We posted an early and undeserved 2-0 lead at Port Vale with well-taken goals from Andy Holt and Ryan Gilligan, but our defence was frequently in disarray as the home side got behind us with ease.

Marc Richards poached a close-in goal for them, but then taunted our fans by kissing his shirt badge and backing away grinning in mockery, easily a yellow-card offence.

So when he missed a sitter of a header, and later hit the bar when it was easier to score, our fans enjoyed mocking him in return.

He was never much use as a consistent goalscorer when he played for us, but until Saturday he had a reputation as a hard worker and a decent bloke – but he managed to destroy that in 10 silly seconds.

Danny Glover scored their second to make it 2-2.

We could have rescued three points in a second-half rally, especially as we were denied a rock-solid penalty when Giles Coke was felled a metre inside the penalty area, but referee Mr East, not a man of steely decision, opted instead for a free-kick just outside, which we wasted.

If the line official had been properly positioned it should have been flagged a certain penalty.

Colin Larkin did his future as a potential striker no good at all by panicking and air-kicking a simple chance from six yards, and in the end you felt that although we'd rescued a bit of pride, we could have played for another three hours and still not hit the back of the net again.

Our midfield gave the ball away like a hot potato, and it is hard to pick players in any position who were up to scratch, except Gabor Gyepes, and the amazingly recovered Chris Doig, who is playing as if he's never been away.

On the way to the game we were overtaken by Southend supporters going to Tranmere, dressed as nuns, a tradition for their final away game.

Ours is to take various inflatables, and the Port Vale stewards played along by returning the beach balls, inflatable shark, alligator etc, every time the breeze took them away from us.

This was in sharp contrast to the game at Grimsby a few seasons back when the stewards grabbed our blow-ups, and punctured them into a sad heap.

The police motorcyle escort away from the ground for our coaches was stunning – maybe they were practising for the invasion of Leicester fans to Stoke this weekend in a game vital to both clubs at opposite ends of the Championship.

For financial reasons it would be good for us if Leicester were relegated.

We were spirited away in convoy, with all our possible road exits blocked by flashing blue lights, all the way down to junction 12 of the M6, a distance of around 25 miles, where presumably we were safe either from pursuing yobs, or from the temptation to return and cause havoc.

Time for the Haycox quiz
Chron columnist Nick Haycox will be presenting another of his famous quizzes on Friday May 9.

Entry is £2 per person, for teams of four to six, but if alone you can be placed in a team on the night.

It is a mixture of questions, not just sport.

You may take the chance to pay at the door on a first-come first-served basis, or buy tickets in advance at Sixfields box office, or at the NTFC Supporter's Ltd kiosk at Satuday's game.

If you need food you'll have to bring your own, but a full bar service will be provided.

I may try to field another media team if we can recover from our dismal display last time, and the non-arrival of Jefferson Lake who still owes me £6. Now edit that last bit out!

No sign of Bunn signing yet
Mark Bunn's couple of days' training at Manchester City has fans surmising it as a thinly-disguised trial.

I think it more likely is intended to give him experience of top-level coaching; however if it did act as a shop-window, neither our club nor the player could complain.

With City in their current turmoil over Sven Goran Eriksson's future, thoughts of future signings will be put on ice.

Boot cash
The car-boot sale on Sunday raised a total of £1,505 from sellers, car park donations and catering. The next will be on Sunday May 25.

Pitch presentation
A win against Tranmere in our last game of the season this Saturday at Sixfields will leap-frog us ahead of them in the table, so I hope the team makes amends for last week's dismal show.

Gray is adamant that a high finish will help him in attracting quality players. This season's Chron Cobblers Supporters player of the year will be presented on the pitch at 2.45pm.

Friendlies wait...
A pre-season tour will be going to either Slovenia or Dusseldorf, but the club is waiting on Coca-Cola Championship promotion and relegation to be settled before arranging UK friendlies.