Jon Brady was a great manager but an even better person - it's a sad day to be a Cobbler

Jon Brady’s 200-game and near four-year reign in charge of the Cobblers came to an abrupt and shocking end on Thursday morning when it was announced he had taken the bombshell decision to step down. Defeat at Stevenage on Tuesday spelled the end of a wild ride that saw thrilling highs and galling lows.

As someone who saw him after every game, it cannot be overstated just how much Brady cared about the club and the town. He took his responsibility incredibly serious and his passion and love for the game, for his players and for the fans burned deeply within him. After defeats he would often amble around an empty pitch on his own, stewing on what went wrong and how to fix it. Even after wins, he’d rarely get carried away. He’d analyse every detail and quickly think ahead to what comes next. Possibly, in the end, that was all too much.

But Brady can be incredibly proud of everything he achieved and the manner in which he did it. Yes, his passion and his emotion is well-known but let it not be lost what a fine manager he became and what a fabulous job he did at Sixfields. He picked up the pieces from relegation in 2021 and almost singlehandedly rebuilt the squad and the team, driving Cobblers to back-to-back 80-point seasons in League Two before following it up with the club’s highest EFL finish – 14th in League One – for 16 years. He out-performed his budget every season and did it whilst constantly battling unrelenting injury problems.

A poor run in recent weeks culminated in a disastrous night at Stevenage where yet more injuries and Tom Eaves’ crazy red card was followed by late heartache as Town dropped into the relegation zone for the first time since Brady was appointed permanent manager.

That moment was a tipping point for some as calls for the manager grew. But the line ‘be careful what you wish for’ has rarely felt more pertinent. Managers like Brady do not come around very often and there is no guarantee that the next person will be even half as good.

One thing is for sure, whoever and whatever comes next, Cobblers will not find anyone who cares as much as Jon Brady did.