Challenging 'at the top end of League Two' will be the aim for Cobblers next season

Town have won three promotions from League Two in the last decade, and another push for the top seven will be the expectation from many next term, although the speed with which their 2025/26 campaign unravelled might have some fearing the worst.

Three of the four relegated League One teams from 2024/25 finished 14th or below in League Two in the season just gone, including two (Crawley and Shrewsbury) in the bottom six. Cambridge very much bucked that trend, however, by winning automatic promotion and bouncing straight back.

“It goes without saying that this season, or in particular the second half of this season, has been a big disappointment,” said Whiting. “We were well placed at Christmas, but we haven’t reached anywhere near the standards required in the second half of the season and that is a big frustration for us all.

“We have looked back and reviewed what has happened, but as always in football, things move on very quickly and already the main area of focus for us is working to try and return to the club to this level as soon as possible.

"While we have spent the majority of the past decade in League One, when we have been in League Two we have generally been successful and challenging at the top end of the table and that will be our aim again next season.”

The club’s hopes of achieving their goals in 2026/27 will likely hinge on two key factors – who they appoint as their next manager and whether the ongoing investment talks prove successful.

Whiting added: “We very much hope the potential new investment, as outlined in the recent Letter of Intent will help with that, as will the appointment of a new manager. Those matters continue to be our priority, with the detailed processes taking place quietly in the background, as we head in to what we expect will be a busy and important summer for the club as we look to begin the pathway forwards.

“We know that you will want to find out who the new manager is going to be as soon as possible and would like to hear more from us regarding the new investment. We will of course share more information with you as soon as we can.

“We very much hope you will join us on our journey. While we completely accept that the second half of this season has been a disappointment, football is full of highs and lows and while we have been fortunate enough to enjoy a number of highs over the last five years, these last few months have been a really tough time.

"We have particularly appreciated the loyal support we have received, both in terms of attendance at games and the purchase of season tickets, and all of us at the club would like to say a huge thank you to each and every one of you for your support. That support shows no signs of wavering and season ticket sales are very encouraging.

“A big thank you to everyone this season, supporters, staff members, volunteers, sponsors, anyone who has helped us along the way. We are determined to move forward and while fully acknowledging we have not achieved what we wanted or expected to this season, we are genuinely excited about what the future may hold.”