STEP BACK IN SPORTING TIME... 2007 - Relegated Saints make Mallinder move...

Relegated from the Guinness Premiership after a disastrous campaign under Paul Grayson, Saints, who had won the European Cup in 2000, were gearing up for life in National Division One.

A total rethink on the coaching structure saw Grayson relieved of his duties and Jim Mallinder brought in to try and ensure Saints returned to the top flight... we hit the Chron archive to look back and find out what the main players were saying at the time...

All stories from 2007 by Ashley Potter

Sackings and managerial merry-go-rounds are normally the preserve of football, but in the 2006/2007 season the Saints found themselves in the eye of a storm or two of their own!

They went into the campaign full of hope with club legend Paul Grayson as head coach, experienced Kiwi Peter Sloane his assistant, and another Gardens great Budge Pountney as the director of rugby.

Just 12 months and one devastating relegation from the Guinness Premiership later, only Grayson remained - and he had been demoted to ‘skills and backs coach’.

It was a nightmare campaign on and off the pitch for a club that had been European champions just seven years earlier.

Pountney had stepped down mid-season, while it was Sloane who suffered the real kick in the teeth. As the season ended with Saints dropping into Division One, the former All Black was initially named acting head coach.

He took charge in May, and was tasked with preparing Saints for the new season, as the club publicly stated they were searching for a new director of rugby to replace Pountney.

By the middle of June, Sloane was gone.

Relieved of his duties a week into pre-season, without even having officially taken charge of a game.

The reason? Saints had gone out and got their man in England Saxons coach Jim Mallinder - but he came as a package along with Dorian West, and he also wanted to be head coach.

That meant there was no room for Sloane, who was shown the door.

It had all been a bit of a mess, but at the end of it all, Saints had collared the coach they wanted, with Mallinder handed the task of rescuing the club from their relegation embarrassment...

‘WE HAVE A GOOD COACHING TEAM...’

Paul Grayson’s demotion...

SAINTS boss Jim Mallinder says his predecessor Paul Grayson is an important part of his coaching team.

Grayson was moved from head coach to backs and skills coach following last season’s relegation from the Guinness Premiership.

The England World Cup winning fly-half was made joint head coach with Budge Pountney when Alan Solomons was sacked in 2004. And after the pair saved Saints from relegation on the last day of that season, Grayson was then made head coach with Pountney switching to director of rugby.

A decent campaign then followed and Grayson was handed a five-year contract.

But relegation from the top tier forced the Saints hierarchy to admit they made a mistake expecting too much of Grayson too soon, and he will now work under director of rugby Mallinder – who, at 36, is the same age as Grayson.

But former Sale Sharks boss Mallinder sees no problem in working with a man who is effectively his predecessor, with the pair sharing the same office with new forwards coach Dorian West.

Mallinder said: “It is working very well. I have known and Dorian has known Grays for a long time, we played together. I believe we’ve got a good coaching team here, we can work off each other.

“Dorian will be doing the forwards work and myself and Grays will be doing the backs and the general game plan. It is a big job, there is lots of skills do be done, kicking work to be done and lots of analysis to be done.”

After last season’s disaster, the coaching department has seen a complete overhaul and cut in numbers.

Director of rugby Pountney left the club halfway through the season, while Frank Ponissi and the long-serving Paul Larkin were shipped out.

And Peter Sloane, who was moved from forwards coach to head coach at the end of the season, has been pushed out following Mallinder and West’s appointment.

Grayson is the only survivor from the five coaches that started last season.

But Mallinder feels Grayson will fit in well in what he believes is a strong coaching threesome.

Mallinder added: “We work as a three in this room as well as with the conditioning staff and the other members of staff, but we are the main coaching side.

“It is a good coaching team and we’re really positive and looking forward to the season.”

‘OUR IMMEDIATE OBJECTIVE IS TO GET PROMOTION!’

Jim Mallinder on his appointment... June 7, 2007

New Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder believes he has joined a club that can go on to dominate domestic rugby.

Mallinder was appointed by Saints after sifting through applications and interviewing candidates from all over the world. Kiwis Warren Gatland, Wayne Smith and Pat Lam were in the frame, along with England coach Andy Robinson.

The RFU have released Mallinder from his contract with England Saxons along with his assistant at the academy Dorian West, who will join Mallinder at Saints.

Their appointment means Peter Sloane, who was only appointed head coach at the end of the season after Paul Grayson’s demotion to backs and skills coach, has left the club.

Mallinder, who rebuilt Sale as coach before leaving ahead of their Premiership success, is excited at joining Saints despite the drop into National League One.

“Despite the current position, Saints are still one of the biggest clubs in Europe,” said Mallinder.

“Dorian and I can’t wait to start working with what we believe is a squad with a good blend of experience from around the world and exciting young English talent.

“In our National Academy roles we have seen quite a lot of Saints players over the past couple of seasons and I am convinced that the club has the potential to dominate the domestic game in the medium term.

“However, our immediate objective is simply to get promotion back to the Guinness Premiership.”

Saints chief executive Allan Robson is confident the right choice has been made.

Robson said: “We placed a good deal of emphasis not only on the ability to create an immediate impact on current performances, but also on the longer term development of the young English talent at the club in players such as Dylan Hartley, Jon Clarke, Chris Ashton, Alex Rae and even younger lads in the Academy such as David Smith, Will Harries and Phil Hoy.

“The the board were unanimous in their opinion that Jim and Dorian have the right credentials for the job.”

Saints were involved in extensive discussions with the RFU about Mallinder and West’s early release.

Saints chairman Keith Barwell said: “ I am grateful to Rob Andrew ( RFU elite rugby director) and Francis Baron ( RFU chief executive) for their agreement to release Jim and Dorian from their contracts.

“We had a discussion about the role club rugby has in developing English qualified players, and I don’t think it will be long before RFU and Premier Rugby will reach a deal that will give financial recognition of clubs’ investment in this area.

“In the meantime, however, Rob can see the longer term benefits that Jim’s release to Saints will bring and we believe that he and Dorian will provide the leadership and organisation to get Saints back into the Premiership and prepare for a long sustainable assault for the success we all crave.

“I must also thank Peter Sloane for his total dedication and commitment.”

‘IF WE DON'T GET THIS RIGHT I DON'T SEE TOO MANY OF THE BOARD SURVIVING...’

Saints chairman Keith Barwell... June 8, 2007

Chairman Keith Barwell says if Jim Mallinder fails at Saints many of the board will be forced out.

Barwell is on to his fourth man in charge of the rugby at Franklin’s Gardens in three years and he knows this time he and his board of directors have to get it right.

Mallinder takes over from Paul Grayson, who was demoted to backs and skills coach at the end of a calamitous season that saw Saints relegated, and before him there was Budge Pountney, who left as director of rugby mid season and South African Alan Solomons.

Mallinder’s first task is to win National League One and lift Saints back into the Premiership.

Barwell said: “ I am the leader, I am responsible to the fans and shareholders.

“We will make a big financial loss from last year, which will be painful for me. If we don’t get this right I don’t see too many of the board surviving this time next year.”

And Barwell revealed former Saints boss Wayne Smith could still return to Franklin’s Gardens in the future, especially as Jim Mallinder is lined up by the RFU as the next England head coach.

In a radio interview, Barwell said: “ Jim made the point that the final point of his jigsaw was to have two or three years honing up his skills in the Guinness Premiership.”

He added: “ Wayne Smith wanted to come back here, but he said to me ‘ look it has been 20 years since New Zealand has won the World Cup, I’m not even going to think about it now.

“Wayne has said quite clearly he wants to come back to Northampton, but he couldn’t come back until January 2008.

“After being relegated the team is a bit battered and we need to recharge our batteries.

“Some of the applicants couldn’t come until November and we will have played 10 games by then that is a third of the campaign.”

With the England training squad for the World Cup likely to be announced this week without any Northampton players in it, Barwell says, with Mallinder in charge, there will be a new emphasis on developing English talent.

“We have to rebuild the English squad,” said Barwell.

“But that is not a negative on our foreign players here, like Carlos Spencer and Sharky (Mark Robinson), I love those guys.

“Our long-term plan is to bring on English boys. Jim and Dorian are the people best equipped; they have contacts with the best young players in the country.

“Jim is a tough old Yorkshireman, while Dorian brings a lot of the qualities from Leicester here, he is a tough little rottweiler and that’s what we need.

“It is the desire and will, the winning culture that we hadn’t got here.”

WHAT ELSE WAS GOING ON IN THE WORLD?

National news... June 8, 2007

SINGER George Michael was being sentenced today for driving while unfit.

The star has admitted the offence, claiming he was guilty due to tiredness and prescribed drugs. Brent Magistrates’ Court in north London has heard the 43-year-old had a cocktail of drugs in his system including GHB and cannabis.

He was found slumped at the wheel of his Mercedes in north London, on October 1 last year.

BIRD flu has been discovered at a farm which bought birds from a market linked to an earlier outbreak, the government has revealed.

Tests found 22 chickens and three ducks tested positive for avian flu at the farm in St Helens, Lancashire, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs said yesterday.

The new cases are being linked to the outbreak in north Wales last month, where contaminated birds were traded at the Chelford market.

Northampton news... June 8, 2007

EARL Spencer has condemned the use of ‘distressing’ images by the media in the wake of this week’s controversial Channel 4 documentary on the death of his sister, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo, the Earl confirmed he had not watched the documentary and would not comment on it specifically, but he criticised the use of 'distressing' images by the media in general.

He explained that before her death in 2004, his mother Frances Shand Kydd had suffered paralysis and, at one point, was stuck in front of a television while a documentary featured images of her daughter at the end of her life.

He said: “Media interest has to be balanced with a sort of general respect for people’s dignity and the feelings of surviving relations.”

SCHOOLS in Northamptonshire spent almost £10 million on supply teachers last year because of a lack of qualified staff able to look after county classrooms.

New figures reveal a record £9,686,000 was spent on temporary contracts – the equivalent of hiring about 500 newly qualified teachers – to make sure youngsters can receive their education.

According to the Government, the figure has increased from £8.45 million in 2002/ 3, bringing the total spent by county schools since then to £35.465 million.

The figures have been attributed to rising sickness levels and a shortage in full-time contracted teachers.

Northampton sport... June 8, 2007

JASON CROWE is likely to make a decision on his Cobblers future by the end of the weekend.

The 28-year-old wing-back is the last of the Town players whose deal expired this summer to clarify whether he will be staying.

As it stands, the club are without a right-back with Pedj Bojic having been released and stand-in full-back David Hunt now at Shrewsbury Town.

Should Crowe quit Sixfields – with Colin Calderwood’s Nottingham Forest believed to be heading the queue for his signature – the Cobblers will need to bring in a replacement.

DOUBLE centuries from Ravi Bopara and Grant Flower plus a successful opening spell by Martin Saggers helped put Essex in firm control of their LV County Championship Division Two clash against Northamptonshire at Chelmsford.

After the home side had declared on 649 for five, the visiting openers were removed by debutant Saggers, on loan from Kent, in his first six overs.

But Usman Afzaal (73) and skipper David Sales (23) launched something of a recovery before they were dismissed just before the close which arrived with Northants on 121 for four.

Music and movies...

UK top five singles - June 8, 2007

1 - Umbrella - Rihanna

2 - Real Girl - Mutya Buena

3 - Beautiful Liar - Beyonce & Shakira

4 - Here In Your Arms - Hellogoodbye

5 - Makes Me Wonder - Maroon 5

UK top five albums - June 8, 2007

1 - It Won’t Be Soon For Too Long - Maroon 5

2 - Minutes To Midnight - Linkin Park

3 - Wait For Me - Pigeon Detectives

4 - Back To Black - Amy Winehouse

5 - Life In Cartoon Motion - Mika

UK Box Office number one film

Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT?...

THERE was a happy ending at Franklin's Gardens...!

The appointment of Jim Mallinder may have been messy in its execution, but it turned out to be a master stroke by Keith Barwell and the board.

Saints stormed to the National Division One title in the 2007/08 season, winning all 30 games along the way - with a certain Exeter Chiefs (whatever happened to them?) in second place.

Saints also won the EDF Energy Trophy by beating Chiefs 24-13 in the Twickenham final.

In the years that followed, Saints re-established themselves as one of the top club sides in England and Europe.

They agonisingly lost the 2011 European Cup Final to Leinster and then the Premiership Final to Leicester Tigers in 2013.

But in 2014 Mallinder finally saw his Saints team ‘dominate the domestic game’ as the club won the big prize for the first time.

They beat Saracens after extra-time in a memorable Grand Final at Twickenham to become the champions of England.

As for Grayson, he played his part in the club's recovery too, assisting Mallinder until he left the club in 2012.