'Fantastic' community work makes Curle so proud to be Cobblers boss

The club have always prided themselves on the work they do within the local area and that has shone through since the severity of the coronavirus became apparent.

The players have sent a stream of messages to supporters while Curle and chairman Kelvin Thomas have made regular phone calls to vulnerable people who are having to self-isolate.

Curle’s most recent phone call came with Muriel, a supporter of the Cobblers for 73 years, and he says it’s the very least he can do during these uncertain and unusual times.

“It makes you proud and I think the pleasing aspect of it is that it’s a natural thing for the club to do,” he said.

“It’s not something where they’ve just jumped on board with other clubs, right from the offset we’ve instigated this because we wanted to stay engaged with our supporters and we want to make sure they fully understand that we’re there for them.

“We’ve got the strength and conditioning coach sending out videos via the club website to help people stay safe and healthy and we’re also trying to give as much medical advice as we can urging people to follow the guidelines.

“I’m very proud of the connection we have with our supporters and it’s very uplifting when you’re on the phone and you’re talking to someone where we’ve got something in common.

“It’s not only a love of football but also the affiliation and the connection via Northampton Town Football Club.

“You know you’re working for an organisation that cares about both the paying public and also the community and that’s important.”

Curle has also taken great enjoyment from speaking to loyal supporters on the phone, adding: “You gauge it by the response you get and the response I’ve had from the supporters I’ve spoken to has been fantastic.

“Very quickly they’ve accepted the phone call and understood the reasons why it’s been done and then they’ve enlightened me on the history of the club, their association with the club and what it means to them and the enjoyment they get out of it.

“It’s very uplifting to hear for myself the affiliation that these supporters have got with our club and what it means to them.

“It’s not only identifying themselves with the club but also it impacts them and their lives and you see the value supporters put on the club. It’s part of their lifestyle.”

Curle also revealed an amusing tale involving Nicky Adams: "There was a funny call last week when the chairman rang up a supporter and he's also had Nicky Adams on the line to join in the conversation.

"I think the chairman asked the supporter who his favourite player was and who he thinks has had a good season and in reply the supporter said he felt Nicky hasn't done as well as he's done before.

"The next thing Nicky is chirping up and joining in the conversation! But that's the response you want and I think the bloke told Nicky that he's done well but he thinks he could do better.

"I think Nicky is probably the best person you can say that to because he accepts that and he really wants to do well for this football club."