Cobblers CEO James Whiting: Cobblers 'in the best place ever' to make step up to League One

Cobblers chief executive James Whiting believes the club is in ‘the best place ever’ to make the step up to League One after their promotion was confirmed earlier this week.

Town only secured a top-three finish in League Two on Monday but already the planning and hard work for next season is well under way, with the retained list announced on Thursday.

Northampton were relegated back to the fourth tier within two years of winning the League Two title in 2016 while in 2020, they went straight back down following promotion through the play-offs.

However, whilst on both of those occasions the club were hampered by major changes between seasons, this time around it should be different. Eighteen players are under contract going into next season, including several key men who are tied down until 2025.

"We feel we are in the best place we ever have been to go into League One and have a real good go at it,” said Whiting. "I think our planning has been really good. You go back a couple of years to when the last manager departed, we had an assessment of where we were as a club and what our strategy needed to be.

"We knew what we wanted as a club, we knew what we wanted in our manager and coaching staff, and we knew what we needed for training for facilities and the type of players we wanted to bring in.

"I think people can see an identity now in how we play and the type of player we recruit and that means we have a lot of really good players at the club who will go on and be better players.

"We have rewarded those players that have been good for us and we want to keep, and what it means is that we go into next season with some really good players all under contract for another year or two.

"That gives you a really good base to build from. We'll be sad to see some players go because everyone has contributed but there's a fantastic foundation for us. We know we need to add quality in the summer but we are in a really good place."

Town’s promotion was confirmed on a wonderful day at Tranmere. Fans, players and coaches celebrated on the pitch at Prenton Park and the party continued when the team bus returned to Sixfields that evening.

"It was a brilliant day and it was probably two years into the making with all the work that went into the previous season,” Whiting added. “We all know the heartbreak of last year but Monday was a fantastic day for everyone involved.

"It’s been a brutal season at times, not just with all the injuries but some of the red cards we’ve had which have been a bit battling, but we have had a mentality of just finding a way to win and keeping things simple and the players and coaching staff, I’ve never seen anything like it.

"We had players playing with knocks and bruises. Sutton away will live with me for a very long time and that goes down as one of my favourite games in my 12 years at the club. We had no right to win that game.

"Players put their bodies on the line and fought for the club and fought for the fans and the fans really appreciated that and we have really felt their support over the last few months. They somehow dragged us over the line at Sutton and one of the things I’m most proud of is that we have achieved this together – the fans, the players, the coaching staff, everyone behind the scenes.

"Getting promotions is incredibly hard and you need everyone on the right page. It feels closer and tighter than ever before and it’s an achievement that everyone has been a part of.”