A large-scale operation to help bring down levels of arson in the Corby area has been launched.

Operation Revive is being led by the Arson Task Force, a joint team run by Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, and Corby Community Safety Partnership.

It has been launched today (Monday) and coincides with Corby Community Safety Partnership’s Take Action week in Corby’s Kingswood ward.

Throughout Northamptonshire, incidents of arson have increased by 25 per cent in the year 2014-2015, compared to the previous year.

There have been 74 arsons in Corby within the last year (2014-2015), an increase of 32 per cent on the previous year.

Currently 40 per cent of arsons in Corby are occurring in the Kingswood ward where, in the last 18 months, there have been 39 arsons; the highest level in any area within Northamptonshire.

One of the most common types of arson in Northamptonshire is wheelie bins being set alight.

The figures reveal that one in six arsons within the county is caused by a wheelie bin being set on fire.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue and Northamptonshire Police will be out and about on the Kingswood area this week as part of the Take Action week of activities.

Fire crews will be in Kingswood tomorrow (October 27) and on Thursday (October 29) to offer home fire safety Cchecks to residents, and to supply smoke alarms if required.

They will be working with the police and neighbourhood wardens to ensure they are visiting people who are deemed to be most at risk.

Crews will also be patrolling the area in search of obvious fire risks such as accumulations of rubbish and, in particular, combustible materials.

Corby Fire Station manager Kevin Aitken said: “The number of fires in the Kingswood estate is one of the major drivers for Operation Revive in this area, because the number of arsons in Kingswood has increased.

“I would urge local residents to take simple steps such as making sure they put the right bins out on the right day, so that rubbish is collected in a timely manner and does not build up too much.

“This is just part of our ongoing involvement in Kingswood.

“This work will hopefully increase the safety of residents on the estate.”

Members of Corby’s Community Safety Partnership will be carrying out a series of activities in Kingswood throughout the week, including the Community Payback team completing jobs in the area such as painting and unclear signage today.

Tomorrow (October 26) and Thursday (October 29), Corby Council’s community safety team will be door knocking on the Kingswood estate to find out what matters to residents in the area and delivering free safety advice packs.

On Wednesday (October 28), Baileys Skip Hire will deliver a skip to the Kingswood Neighbourhood Centre car park, so if residents have any rubbish that can’t be placed in their wheelie bins, they can pop down to the centre to make use of the skip between 10am and 3pm.

There will be exclusions on some items; TVs, computer monitors, gas bottles, fridges/freezers, tyres, fluorescent lamps and asbestos won’t be accepted.

Shaun Johnson from the Arson Task Force said: “It is great to be able to work closely with the Kingswood community, as part of the Corby Community Safety Partnership, to raise awareness of some of the potential risk factors when it comes to arson.

“We would also like to urge more members of the public to come forward with any information they have with regard to the arsons that have taken place in Corby or any other area within Northamptonshire. Anyone who would like to give information anonymously can do this by ringing the Crimestoppers number.”

Anyone who has witnessed an incident of arson in Northamptonshire can contact the police on 101 or give information anonymously via Crimestoppers by calling 0800 555111.

The A43 near Towcester has reopened in the northbound direction after a crash involving three vehicles.

The crash, which involved a Mazda, a Mercedes and a van, happened near to the McDonalds roundabout at 1.45pm.

All three emergency services were called to the scene and the fire service released two people from their vehicles.

A police spokesman said none of the injuries were believed to be life-threatening.

Drivers were advised to use alternative routes as there was a long queue of traffic from the A5 to the Silverstone junction.

Concerned Cobblers fans are due to attend a special meeting at the Guildhall in Northampton tonight to discuss the crisis at the football club.

A panel that includes interim director of the Northampton Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust Stuart Taylor, Jacqui Forster, of Supporters Direct, and Cobblers chief executive James Whiting will field questions from supporters in the main hall from 7pm.

The panel will also include Trevor Stroud, of the Wycombe Wanderers Trust which clubbed together to buy the Adams Park-based League Two side in 2012.

Kevin Simons, who recently set up a crowdfunding bid to raise £100,000 for the Cobblers supporters trust and Northampton town’s communications officer Gareth Willsher, will also be on hand to answer questions.

James Averill of the Northampton Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust, which has organised the meeting, said: “Tonight’s meeting is to learn really from the supporters and ask how they think the trust should move forward now.

“It is to ask whether they feel we should increase our shareholding in Northampton Town, or whether fans think we should go even further than that and perhaps take a big ownership role.

“We are here to listen to our members.”

Anyone wishing to attend tonight’s meeting is advised to arrive in good time as 220 seats are available on a first come, first serve basis.

The Cobblers have been handed a trip to Sky Bet League One outfit Coventry City in the first round of the Emirates FA Cup.

Chris Wilder’s men will travel to the Ricoh Arena to take on the Sky Blues over the weekend beginning November 6.

The tie will be the first meeting between the clubs since January, 1990, when the Cobblers famously beat the then top flight City 1-0 at a rain-soaked County Ground.

Steve Berry was the match winner on that occasion, as Graham Carr’s third division Northampton saw off a Coventry team that had a couple of years earlier won the competition, beating Tottenham Hotspur 3-2 in the final at Wembley in 1987.

Aside from that meeting, the two clubs haven’t played each other in competitive football since 1967.

Coventry did of course utilise Sixfields as their home stadium in the 2013/14 season, and were supposed to stay there for three years, but the dispute that saw them forced out of the of the Ricoh was settled, and the club returned to its home ground in September, 2014.

The Sky Blues are currently managed by former West Brom and Celtic manager Tony Mowbray and have had a good start to the season, sitting fourth in league one.

Former Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas has agreed terms to buy Cobblers...but only if a deal can be struck with Northampton Borough Council on the £10.25 million debt.

Northampton Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust director Stuart Taylor revealed details of the behind-the scenes talks to buy the League Two side as part of tonight’s public meeting on the future of the club at the Guildhall.

Mr Taylor said that he had met with council chief executive David Kennedy prior to tonight’s meeting.

He added: “He (Kelvin Thomas) has now agreed with David Cardoza to buy the club, he has agreed with Buckingham group Limited to take on the development of the East Stand.

“What is not agreed is whether he will be able to take on the £10.25 million owed by the club.

“It is in negotiation with the council now.”

During the heated meeting, attended by close to 200 Cobblers fans, the club’s chief executive James Whiting also revealed that the club now owes the HMRC £166,000 after missed VAT and PAYE payments.

Breaking his silence for the first time, Mr Whiting said that the last few months had been an “extremely difficult situation” for staff there.

He said: “Are we in a desperate situation where we need to find a buyer? Yes.

“We need cash in the short term and the HMRC petition needs to be sorted in the next few weeks.

“The football club also still owes the council £10.25 million.”

In a night of revelations, the six-person panel, which also included Jacqui Forster, of Supporters Direct, Kevin Simons, who recently set up a crowdfunding bid to raise £100,000 for the Cobblers supporters’ trust and Northampton Town’s communications officer Gareth Willsher, Mr Whiting was asked by a member of the public whether he knew where the council’s loan had gone.

While he said all the loan transactions were handled by Cobblers chairman David Cardoza, he added: “As soon as that money arrived it went to the football club contractor, 1st Land.”

However he explained that some of the £10.25 million was “held back” as a contingency fund.

Later it was confirmed to the meeting that about £7.37 million had been given to 1st Land.

When Mr Whiting was asked whether, in hindsight, the club should have chosen 1st Land to project manage the Sixfields development, he said: “Clearly that was an error.”

But he went on to say that all matters to do with the stadium redevelopment were again “handled by David Cardoza”.

Following the meeting, a Northampton Borough Council spokesman said: “We note that the outline of a deal to acquire the Cobblers is reported as having been agreed. We also note that it is also reported that a proposal is to be made to the council. The council will consider any proposal with due regard to our responsibility to protect the public purse.”

Firefighters have rescued people from flats in a Northamptonshire town centre following a blaze which may have started in vehicles parked below.

According to a tweet from the county fire service, five fire appliances were at the scene of the blaze off Dryland Street, Kettering, at around 9.20pm.

The tweet stated: “Incident 21:18 5 fire appliances in Kettering carrying out rescues from a building, following vehicles alight underneath flats - #Kettering.”

An eyewitness said there were large numbers of firefighters and police in the area, who had sealed off the street.

A 19-year-old from Northampton who admitted driving a car dangerously through residential streets in the town has avoided a custodial sentence.

Jordan Medeiros, of Ryeland Road, Duston, was arrested on March 22 this year after he drove a VW Golf GTI dangerously along Kettering Road, Fairfield Road and Raeburn Road.

Northampton Magistrates’ Court heard police pursued Medeiros as he travelled above the 30mph speed limits in the area.

He was arrested by officers after his car hit a kerb and he stopped the vehicle.

Magistrates sentenced Medeiros to 20 weeks in a young offenders institution, suspended for 18 months. He must complete 150 hours unpaid work and pay costs of £380. He was also disqualified from driving for 18 months.

Boaters will soon be able to moor up at a new marina when it opens its waterways next month.

Work has started to cut through to the River Nene at White Mills Marina in Earls Barton and this takes the county’s newest marina a step closer to being ready to receive its first boats.

The cutting through work started at 10am yesterday (Monday) and filling up of the marina basin will be a controlled process, taking about 56 hours to complete.

Work began on the marina in Grendon Road, Earls Barton, at the start of July, and with the floating pontoons due to be installed over the next two weeks, White Mills will be able to start accepting boats in time for the winter moorings season at the beginning of November.

To give people the chance to see how the marina will look once it is full of water, White Mills Marina is hosting another open weekend from 10am until 4pm on Saturday, November 7, and Sunday, November 8.

More than 10,000 cubic meters of earth has been moved during the development and it will take about 19,760 cubic meters of water to fill the four-acre basin.

Marina manager Chris Dixon said: “The one question everyone has asked at our open days is ‘when are you cutting through?’

“Cutting through to a river to flood a marina is not an everyday occurrence so I can understand totally why people are so interested.”

Throughout the development White Mills has hosted a number of open weekends and 10 per cent of the berths have already been reserved.

With its access to the River Nene and its range of floating pontoons, White Mills Marina is capable of accommodating narrow boats, wide beams and cruisers.

Each boat will have access to water and electricity direct to its mooring, and WiFi will be available throughout the site.

In addition, the facilities available to boaters will include women and men’s showers and toilets, disabled shower and toilet, laundry room, basic chandlery supplies as well as fuel, pump out and Elsan disposal.

Chris, who will be living aboard his narrowboat Bees Knees with wife Wendy, added: “It has been difficult for visitors to imagine what the marina will look like once it is full of water, so we are very pleased to have secured 10 per cent of the moorings already.

“We have had some excellent interest to date, and filling it up cannot come soon enough now.

“It is going to look terrific.”

Further information is available by calling Chris on 07802 890874 or going to www.whitemillsmarina.co.uk

Almost 300 police officers and Police Community Support Offices (PCSOs) have been given access to their local fire station as part of the ongoing merger between the two blue lights services.

A police spokesman said officers will now be able to go to their local fire station rather than return to their main base, meaning they are able to stay within their beat area for longer.

The spokesman said the overall aim is to provide office and computer facilities for police officers so they can also complete essential paperwork while remaining in the local community.

Station manager Jason Urbani said: “We have issued key fobs to around 300 police officers and PCSOs, giving them access to retained fire stations on their patch.

“Initially, they will be able to use the stations as a drop-in for welfare purposes but eventually the aim is to provide hot-desking and IT access for police officers as well.”

County Commander, Superintendent Andy Cox, said police officers having another base in their local area would be a “bonus”.

He said: “Officers still have use of their mobile devices, and access to another drop-in base means they can spend even more time on their beat and be more visible in the community.

“This is particularly important in rural areas that are some distance away from a main police station. We are working more and more closely with our fire service colleagues and it makes sense to join up and share facilities.”

Meanwhile, work is currently underway to co-locate police and fire officers at Mereway fire station in Northampton.

Building and refurbishment work is about to begin at the station, where a joint base for firefighters and community and response police officers will be established.

Fire appliances will continue to be deployed from Mereway fire station while work is being carried out. However, welfare facilities for firefighters will be provided in the police offices at Mereway, where they will be based while the building work takes place.

Group Manager Robin Porter said: “Refurbishment of the existing facility is necessary to accommodate both police and fire teams in the same building.

“The extent of the works has required us to put plans in place to ensure adequate alternative facilities are available for firefighters at Mereway during the refurbishment.”

“It is expected that this new joint fire and police facility will be completed by March next year. During the period of building work I would like to reassure people that the fire service response will be maintained within the Mereway area”.

Cobblers fans will have to consider the possibility of forming an AFC Northampton and starting again as a “phoenix” club, a public meeting heard last night.

About 150 supporters attended the main hall of the Guildhall last night to debate the off-the-pitch crisis surrounding the League Two side.

Fans posed a number of questions to a panel which included Cobblers chief executive James Whiting, members of Northampton Town Football Club Supporters’ Trust and the club’s communications officer Gareth Willsher - asking how it can carry on with debts now spiralling out of control and the threat of liquidation looming.

Panel member Jacqui Forster, of the Supporters Direct organisation, said even though a buyer could be waiting in the wings in former Oxford United chairman Kelvin Thomas, supporters needed to prepare for the worst as, like Telford and Wimbledon fans found, some club debts can be “insurmountable”.

When asked if a fan-owned football club was realistic at this stage, she said: “That is up to you - it depends whether a deal can be done with the interested party.”

But she went on to say: “At the end of the day, it all depends on whether the club’s debts can be covered.

“Sometimes it can be just too much.

“If the worst does happen, fans can be putting their money into a black hole.

“You need to keep in the back of your minds the possibility of an AFC Northampton.”

Last night it was revealed Kelvin Thomas had agreed terms to buy Northampton Town and continue the East Stand development, but would only take over as chairman of the club if Northampton Borough Council could give the club some leeway on repaying the £10.25 million loan.

Early on in the meeting, interim director of the Cobblers supporters’ trust Stuart Taylor, said fans would have to raise around £900,000 to buy a 25 per cent share of Northampton Town.

“It’s a laudable ambition,” he said. “But I don’t think in the short term we are going to raise the capital we need to get to that amount.”

Speaking after the meeting, he said dropping down the leagues and starting again as an AFC Northampton, would be a “worst case scenario,” adding that the main priority for Northampton Town now is securing a buyer.

“The trust is willing to work with anyone we think is going to be a credible new owner.

“There are other people that have made contact with us and said they are interested.

“My hope is that Kelvin Thomas comes through and secures a deal with the council to put the club on a sound financial footing and complete the East Stand.”

However there are situations where supporters have rescued their clubs from the brink of liquidation without the need for an outside investor.

On the panel last night Trevor Stroud, of the Wycombe Wanderers Trust, which raised enough money to buy the League Two side in 2012, said such fan takeovers are possible “but there isn’t an easy answer” as to how.

Currently the NTFC Supporters’ Trust is trying to raise £100,000 to support its activity in the current crisis at Sixfields.

Advisor to the trust Kevin Simons, who set up the crowdfunding campaign, said: “If we have to become a phoenix club, we will need to pay for it.”

Boss Chris Wilder and captain Marc Richards have promised the Cobblers supporters that the team will continue ‘to give their all for the club’, despite discovering players and staff are unlikely to be paid on time this month.

The financial crisis that has engulfed the club over the past few months has until now not directly impacted on the players, but an official announcement by the club has changed all that.

Chief executive James Whiting said in a statement on the club’s website on Tuesday: “We were asked (at the Supporters Trust Forum at the Guildhall on Monday night) a direct question about whether the players and staff would be paid on Friday.

“In the interests of honesty and openness and in the spirit of the meeting, I gave a truthful answer to the meeting and asked for those there to keep that off social media until I had the chance to speak to the staff and players on Tuesday.

“The situation is that because of the ongoing uncertainty it is likely that the wages will be paid late this month.

“I felt it was important to tell those concerned face to face rather than them read such information online and I would like to thank those who attended the meeting for respecting that.”

Wilder, the players and staff at the club were informed of the development on Tuesday morning, and the Cobblers boss said: “Clearly things are not ideal at the moment because we all financial commitments, but we understand the position the club is in and we appreciate being told up front rather than only finding out at the last minute.

“The players and staff have shown terrific professionalism over the last few months in really difficult circumstances and will continue to do so as we know we carry the hopes and loyalty of Northampton Town supporters.

“This won’t affect that, we will continue to give our all for the club and thank the supporters for their patience and backing.”

The Cobblers travel to play Newport County in Sky Bet League Two on Saturday, and skipper Richards promised the fans that there will be no let-up in commitment or performance from the players.

“These are difficult times but we will all stick together, we appreciate being told face to face and we will help each other through,” said the 33-year-old.

“Clearly we are all hoping for confirmed news on the takeover as soon as possible but as players that is beyond our control.

“We will prepare for the Newport County game and our full focus and commitment will be on that, this news doesn’t change that.”

Russ Wilcox (York City), Tim Sherwood (Aston Villa) and Guy Luzon (Charlton Athletic) are the latest managers to bite the bullet in the cut-throat business of English league football management, but there have been 30 per cent fewer manager departures this season than at the same stage last year.

In October 2015 alone you can add Uwe Rosler (Leeds Utd), Mark Cooper (Swindon Town), Brendan Rodgers (Liverpool) and Terry Butcher (Newport County) to the list, and earlier in the month Dick Advocaat resigned his Sunderland post after a poor start to the 2015/16 campaign.

To date, there have been 14 managerial casualties across the top four leagues and Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho and Newcastle’s Steve McClaren are topping bookmakers’ lists as favourites to be next up for the chop.

By this time last year however, we had already seen 20 departures. Time will tell whether the managerial merry go round is slowing down, or if the sack race will gather pace later this season.

A social media campaign to find a dog which went missing from Irchester Country Park earlier this month has proved successful after the prized pooch was reunited with its owner.

Last week the Chron covered Ian Bean’s appeal for help to find his beagle Bonnie, who went missing on October 4.

And now, after weeks of searching and appealing for information on social media, Bonnie is back in the family home after being found in the park where she was originally lost.

Ian says he couldn’t believe his eyes after she jumped up at his car.

He said: “On Thursday afternoon, unable to focus on work I decided to visit Irchester Park and have a look for Bonnie.

“I did my normal walk around the park checking an old T-shirt I had hidden in the woods and returned to the car.

“As I started to reverse the car a very skinny and desperate Bonnie jumped up at the car window - initially I did not believe my eyes as I had dreamt of such a scenario so many times.

“I opened the car door, called Bonnie and she ran round, jumped up on my lap and just whimpered with relief and excitement.”

Ian drove Bonnie to a vets in Bedford who concluded that she had lost almost a third of her body weight and had sores and missing nails, which indicated she had been kept on a hard surface.

After breaking the news to his children, his daughter flew down from university in Dundee to welcome Bonnie home.

And Ian says he is relieved to have her home.

He added: “It felt like Christmas in our house on Thursday evening, our family was complete and we could not believe how lucky we and Bonnie had been.

“We do not know if she escaped or was set free, but we are just very relieved and happy to have her home.

“We would like to thank everyone for all the help and support we have had as some very kind people have kept us maintaining hope.

“We now have a lot of posters to take down.”

David Jackson reviews acclaimed Canadian post-rockers Godspeed You! Black Emperor at Warwick Arts Centre

If the apocalypse happens, Godspeed You! Back Emperor would almost certainly be leading contenders to provide a fitting soundtrack.

Montreal’s post-rock masters combine moments of, gentle, brooding calm which build and explode into euphoric, deafening screams of clashing instrumentation and violent riffs, only to subside, leaving fans trapped amid an almost hypnotic grip.

Since emerging from a hiatus about five years ago, GYBE have released two albums in three years.

Their return was cemented by Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend! in 2012 with Asunder, Sweet with Other Distress following this year.

At the Warwick Arts Centre on Thursday, the band’s nine song set featured the latter in its entirety sandwiched between a handful of other songs.

Opener, Hope Drone slowly built amid screaming violins and reverberating guitars as band members assembled on stage amid a faint overhead light.

While GYBE played their entire set in near darkness with some members sat at chairs, they were illuminated by a rear screen, which projected images and words as varied as the band’s music.

While moments of calm featured night time grasslands and wild animals, sudden changes of their dynamic saw the band accompanied with clips of industrial smoke stacks, electricity pylons and scrolling texts.

On occasions, from the rear of the Butterworth Hall, all that was visible were orange lights from the numerous amplifiers scattered across the stage, the screen projections and the rough outlines of eight band members crafting a cacophony of sounds.

Occasional cheers and ripples of applause drifted around the venue, as GYBE shifted between songs with no interaction with their audience.

Among the highlights of the night were recent LP track Piss Crowns Are Trebled and set closer The Sad Mafioso.

On Thursday, Godspeed You Black Emperor took fans on an emotional rollercoaster of calm and beauty interjected with abrasive, crushing post-rock soundscapes.

It was everything you’d expect from one of the genre’s leading bands, but utterly thrilling at the same time.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor played:

Hope Drone

Gathering Storm

Peasantry or ‘Light! Inside of Light!’

Lambs’ Breath

Asunder, Sweet

Piss Crowns Are Trebled

Mladic

unknown (new song)

The Sad Mafioso

Police are appealing for witnesses after a boy was punched and had his bag stolen in Wellingborough after being approached by three teenagers.

The 16-year-old victim was at the bandstand in the Castle Fields park with four friends at about 6.30pm yesterday (Monday), when they were approached by three young black men who had their faces partially covered.

His four friends, two boys and two girls, ran off but the victim was then punched and had his bag stolen before the offenders made off.

The victim suffered no serious injuries.

Police would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have seen anyone acting suspiciously in the area at the time.

Anyone with information should contact police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

The Cobblers have been dealt a damaging fresh injury blow with the news that central defender Shaun Brisley’s loan spell at Sixfields is over after he was ruled out for six to eight weeks with a knee injury.

Brisley suffered medial ligament damage in a sturdy challenge with Stevenage striker Armand Gnanduillet at Sixfields on Saturday.

The central defender was forced off after just 10 minutes of the Cobblers’ 2-1 win over Teddy Sheringham’s men, and a scan has revealed the seriousness of the damage suffered.

Brisley, who still had two weeks of his successful loan spell from Peterborough to run, will now return to London Road and concentrate on working his way back to fitness.

“Shaun is going to be out for between six to eight weeks, as he’s damaged the medial ligaments in his knee,” said the Cobblers boss, who has seen his team lose just one of nine Sky Bet League Two games since Brisley arrived at the club.

“That is really disappointing for him, because he has been superb in his time with us.

“I would like to thank Shaun for his efforts, because he has played a big part in our recent run, and has been outstanding.

“Hopefully he will make a speedy recovery.”

On the plus side for the Cobblers, Ryan Cresswell is making good progress after missing the match last weekend with a groin strain picked up in the 3-2 win over Carlisle United, and has a good chance of being fit for Saturday’s trip to Newport County.

Full-backs Brendan Moloney and Evan Horwood are both also available for selection at the weekend after they played the full match in an 80-minute friendly at Cambridge United on Tuesday lunchtime.

That match also featured Rod McDonald, who replaced Brisley last Saturday, Alfie Potter, Chris Hackett, Ryan Watson and goalkeeper Ryan Clarke.

A man who was talking to a woman in St James was dragged away and robbed.

The victim was approached by a woman who spoke to him at about 4.45am on Thursday, October 22.

Shortly after, two men dragged him into Dover Court, St James’ Road and robbed him.

One of the men is described as black, 28 – 32 years of age, about 5ft 7ins tall, of medium build and with short dark hair.

The second man is described as black, 28 – 32 years of age, about 5ft 9ins tall, of slim build and with short dark hair.

The woman who spoke to the victim is described as black, about 5ft tall, of slim build and with an afro style hair.

Anyone with any information can call Northamptonshire Police on 101. Alternatively, they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Boss Chris Wilder has branded the Cobblers’ Emirates FA Cup first round trip to Coventry City as a ‘dangerous match’ for their hosts and Sky Bet League One high-flyers.

Wilder accepts the match at the Ricoh Arena is going to be a testing one for him and his players, but he believes the Cobblers are also going to be a real threat to Tony Mowbray’s side, who currently sit fourth in the league one table.

“I think it’s a great draw for us,” said the Cobblers boss.

“It’s a local game, so that is good for our support and no doubt the backing will be healthy because it is just up the road.

“It pits us against a team that is going really well in league one, although it is not a league one club, the stadium and the tradition the club has, it’s a lot higher than that.

“The tie also gives us an opportunity of progressing.

“We are going to have to play well, but I think it’s a great game for us and a dangerous one for Coventry.

“If they play well they would expect to win, but it’s a good challenge for us and if we want to progress to the next level, and we want to play teams like this week in, week out, we can have a look at ourselves in this game.

“We have nothing to lose and we go there in good spirits, and in good form, and it is a dangerous one for them.

“We know we’ll have to play really well to get a result, and hopefully we can do that.”

Coventry have enjoyed a good start to the season, but have been heavily reliant on the goals of 18-year-old loan striker Adam Armstrong, who has scored eight goals in 12 starts since joining the club on a temporary basis from Newcastle United.

Former England international Joe Cole also joined the club on loan last week, but it’s not been confirmed if parent club Aston Villa will let him play in the FA Cup.

The Sky Blues are also well organised at the back, and can boast the joint best defensive record in the division, conceding 12 goals in 14 games.

It is going to be a big ask for the Cobblers to return from their first competitive trip to Coventry since 1967 with any sort of reward, but Wilder believes it is possible.

“We are away from home and we are going to have to defend well, because they have got a lot of good players going forward,” said the Cobblers boss.

“Tony is a manager who has managed at the highest level, whether that’s up the road in Scotland or in England, so it is a tough task for all of us.

“But it’s a game we can have a right good go at, and we are looking forward to it.”

A seminar will be taking place at Althorp House tomorrow (Thursday) to help reduce the number of lead thefts from churches in Northamptonshire.

In the last three months, there have been four incidents in Northamptonshire where churches have had large portions of their roofs stolen, leaving huge damage to the fabric of the buildings as well as a hefty bill to replace the lead and make repairs.

In the vast majority of cases insurance companies will not pay the total cost of repairing and replacing roofs, which leaves churches with the task of paying for the work themselves.

Between nine and 12 tonnes of lead was stolen from the roof of St Marys Church, Great Brington, in August and lead lead worth £12,000 was stolen from St Andrews in Arthingworth last month.

The removal of the lead let water into the church, which caused thousands of pounds worth of damage to a Victorian organ.

The seminar will be hosted jointly by The Archdeacon of Northampton, The Ven Richard Ormston and Northamptonshire Police’s Deputy Chief Constable, Andy Frost and will provide an update on the current situation regarding thefts from churches across the county, as well as useful information to help churches to protect themselves.

Sergeant Sam Dobbs, from Daventry, has organised the event. He said: “We are finding that offenders are becoming more technologically savvy when it comes to stealing lead roofs, including the use of drones, which is why it is important churches do all they can to protect these historic buildings.

“These crimes don’t just result in the theft of the lead, but damage to masonry, guttering, water damage inside the church and in one case, the destruction of the church organ.

“Many of our churches are in rural locations, so it is important that as much crime prevention advice as possible is followed, along with awareness raising for those people who live near churches, so they can be confident to report any suspicious activity to us.”

Anyone who does spot people acting suspiciously in rural areas or near churches can call police on 101 or 999 if a crime is taking place.

A piece based on a true story is to be performed at The Stahl Theatre in Oundle next week.

I Loved You and I Loved You is performed by Sweetshop Revolution on Monday November 2.

It is based around the young Welsh composer Morfydd Owen, who lived almost one hundred years ago. In this piece, half-way between a dance and a play, it tells her extraordinary story; from humble beginnings to her meteoric rise as composer and pianist; looking too at her relationship with the man she longed to love, and searching for answers to her mysterious death at the age of just twenty-six.

Theatre Director, Naomi Jones comments, “As always, the Stahl’s line-up seeks to cater for a broad range of theatrical tastes and audiences will enjoy evenings of dance and drama.”

The show starts at 7.45pm and tickets for the show cost £12 for adults and £10 for concessions.

For further details about the performance or to book tickets in advance call 01832 273930 or visit www.stahltheatre.co.uk.