Saints flanker Tom Wood will start for England in their Six Nations opener against Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday.

Wood, who was man of the match in the momentous 38-21 win against New Zealand at Twickenham on December 1, starts at No.6.

Two other Northampton players are in the squad, with Courtney Lawes and Dylan Hartley occupying spots on the bench.

England boss Stuart Lancaster said: “We are happy to stick with the team that did so well against New Zealand, especially in light of the fact that they have all been in good form for their clubs since then.

“There were some very tight calls, with some experienced players coming back into contention, and I am sure the bench will have a significant impact on the game.

“We can’t wait to get back to Twickenham and hopefully experience the same atmosphere as the autumn when the crowd was superb

“It means a lot to the players to have such support in the ground and watching on television.”

Ben Foden and Lee Dickson were both released by England earlier this week, and are expected to play for their club at Exeter in the LV= Cup on Saturday evening.

Northampton Town manager Aidy Boothroyd has confirmed the club are hoping to make two signings on transfer deadline day.

And the Cobblers are hoping to see two players exit Sixfields, although only on loan, with forwards Louis Moult and Lewis Wilson on standby for loan spells that Boothroyd hopes will help them gain some goalscoring form.

But it is understood there is likely to be no further departures from the club, which means leading goalscorer Adebayo Akinfenwa - for whom there has been interest from Gillingham but who trained with the squad as normal on Thursday - will remain at Northampton beyond the end of the window.

Boothroyd is confident the emphasis will be put on incoming rather than outgoing transfers on deadline day, although he is aware the window for loan signings re-opens in a week’s time.

“I’m hoping that we can bring a couple in but as is the nature of these things they are never cut and dried,” he said. “You think you’ve agreed something and then somebody wants to save some money.

“We’re ready. I’ve got the backing of the chairman to go and do what I’d like to do and it’s just a matter of staying patient, biting our lip when we need to and hopefully we can get some business done.

“It could be a permanent deal or a loan deal depending on the clubs the players are at so it’s a ‘watch this space’ one because we might have to go after different targets.

“We might have to wait a week for the loan window to open but I’d like to have them in for the game at Rotherham on Saturday if we can.”

Boothroyd has revealed there is significant interest in both Moult and Wilson, who enjoyed a very good loan spell with county club Kettering Town before Christmas, and that he wants the duo to get some regular games to nurture their goalscoring habits.

“If we get a couple in I would certainly like to get Louis Moult and Lewis Wilson out to play some football because they are players I do think a lot of,” he said.

“They are players who will score goals wherever they go and goalscorers need a run in the team, which they haven’t really had that yet.

“We have had a lot of interest in those two so they may get a chance to go out and play some football and get some experience.”

Two motorists have been reprimanded by the police after they verbally abused officers as they tried to deal with a serious accident on one of Northampton’s busiest roads.

The A43 at Lumbertubs Way was partially closed at about 7.45am on Thursday because of an accident involving a car and a motorbike.

But as police officers investigated the accident and tried to clear the road, they received abuse from some irate drivers passing the scene.

Tweeting from the scene, Pc Dave Lee described their behaviour as unacceptable.

He said: “They shouted various obscenities at us as they drove passed us dealing with a serious collision.

“They only think about themselves and the fact they are now running late. Doesn’t matter that someone could be dead or dying.

“We don’t close roads or lanes unless we have to. We owe it to the people involved to carry out a full thorough investigation.”

The rider of the motorbike, a man in his forties, was taken to hospital with serious, but not life threatening, injuries.

The road reopened at about 10.30am.

Last week Jacob Round, one of four siblings playing for the Northants Basketball Club, had major surgery for a burst appendix and the ensuing peritonitis.

All the games played by the Northants Basketball Club on Saturday were dedicated to Jacob in the hope of a full and speedy recovery.

Before their tip-offs, all the teams playing at the Basketball Centre were photographed in front of a ‘Get Well’ poster.

The club’s players responded magnificently, with seven wins from the nine games played.

Junior Men’s Premier Division North

Northants Thunder 93 Sefton Stars 78

Another virtuoso performance from guard Matt Yates saw the Northants junior men to victory over Sefton Stars in a niggling, foul-punctuated game. Yates had a personal haul of 40 points accumulated through a combination of powerful drives to basket, perimeter shooting and even a number of ‘put backs’.

Yates received good scoring support from Linas Bajorunas, Paul Laurinolli, and Lewis Moody who all scored 10 points plus the defensive rebounding efforts of Bajorunas and Kamisi Fawehinmi.

The first half was pretty dour affair with both teams struggling for any kind of fluency after last weekend’s enforced snow break. Sefton edged the first quarter 17-15 but Thunder took control of the second period of play and inspired by 12 points from Yates took the quarter 24-19 to lead 39-36 at half time.

A large enthusiastic crowd anticipated a Thunder charge in the third quarter but a determined Sefton team had other ideas as the two teams traded basket for basket. The decisive period of the period came when rookie Laurinolli took the contest by the scruff of the neck scoring from a fast break, then a put back before making a steal. Thunder edged the quarter 21-19 and in the final stanza completed the job as a number of Stars players fouled out of the game. Sefton were outscored 33-23 with Yates pouring in 18 personal points leading his team to a hard-earned 93-78 win that just about keeps his team’s Play Off hopes alive.

Junior Women’s Midlands South-West Conference

Northants Lightning 71 Bristol Storm 43

Chiltern Pumas 23 Northants Lightning 86

The Northants junior women stormed into second place in the Midlands South-West Conference after a brace of wins last weekend.

On Saturday against a tall Bristol side it was the Lightning ‘bigs’ who dominated the early exchanges with Lois Bain, Emma Goulding and Chelsey Hallam all doing good work close to basket.

This enabled Lightning to take the first period of play 18-8 then a superb defensive effort in the second quarter restricted Storm to just four points giving them a 37-12 half time lead.

In the third and quarter it was the Lightning guard Izzy Johns who caught the eye as Lightning extended their lead to 54-22 but they were guilty of rather relaxing their efforts during the last ten minutes of play which they lost 17-21 so winning the contest by 71 points to 43.

In the 28 point victory Johns Led all scorers with 18 points with Hallam and Goulding both scoring in double figures.

Less than 24 hours after the win over Bristol Lightning were back on court against an inexperienced Chiltern Pumas team. Unavailability of some older players meant that Lightning themselves were forced to field some under 15 players and all contributed to an excellent all-round team performance which ended in a very comfortable win for the Northants girls.

Pumas were restricted to single figure in all four periods of play while the Lightning guards, Charlotte Berridge, Izzy Johns and Steph Ogden scored freely at the end of numerous fast breaks. When they did miss Chelsey Hallamd and Lauren Milne were on hand to convert ‘put backs’ and all five of these players scored in double figures with al the other Lightning players getting on the score sheet.

No trouble for Lightning Too but blank weekend for Under 15 Girls

Cadette Women’s Midland, South-West Conference

Gloster Jets 24 Northants Lightning Too 72

The Northants cadette women travelled to Gloucester for this Midland South-West Conference game with just seven players and dully recorded a convincing win which moves them into the fourth place in the Conference table.

Lightning Too took the first quarter 24-11 but then Coach Stacey Shakespeare asked her players from a supreme defensive effort and they responded magnificently. In the next twenty minutes of play the Northants girls restricted Jets to just three points while scoring 40 themselves. With a 64-14 score line going into the last period of play Lightning Too could be forgiven for easing off a little and this allowed Jets to edge the fourth quarter 10-8 but the final result was never in doubt.

In the 48 point win all seven Northants players scored led by Amy Boot with 17 points with good support coming from Hannah Nolan and Steph Ogden with 15 and 14 points respectively while Lauren Brookes and Tara Hings contributed 10 points apiece.

Cadet Men’s Premier Division North

Northants Thunder 68 Notts Nova 74

These two teams have met on two occasions already this season in Premier Division and Cup games with the Nottingham based team winning by 20 plus points on both occasions but last Saturday’s game was a very different affair. Possibly Nova went into the game in complacent mood or possibly Thunder raised their game as a tribute to young Jacob Round. Whatever the reason it was obvious from the start that this wasn’t going to be another Nova blowout.

Thunder made a dream start playing some hard-nosed defence and scoring freely from fast break offences converted by Pauli Laurinolli and excellent perimeter shooting from George Paul as the Northants boys jumped out to a 14-zero lead to the amazement of their supporters.

Nova recovered to close the gap to 18-10 by the end of the first period but it was clear that this was going to be a close run affair.

The Thunder impetus was lost during the second period of play which the visitors took 22-13 to lead 32-31 at half time. It was very much make or break for Thunder and they responded superbly winning the third quarter 23-14 to open up an eight point lead and raise hopes of an unlikely win against a team lying in second place in the Premier Division North table.

Nova mounted a massive effort in the final quarter but Thunder still led 62-61 with les than three minutes to play. By now fatigue was playing a major part in the proceedings and a series of errors allowed Nova to score eight answered points and take the lead at 69-62.

Laurinolli closed the gap with two free throws and a coast-to-coast lay up but now Thunder were forced to foul and send their opponents to the free throw line in the hope they would miss. In the event Nova didn’t oblige as they held on for a 74-68 win.

In the six point defeat Laurinolli top scored with 31 points with excellent support coming from George Paul and Josh Round who scored 15 and 13 points respectively both these players also pulling down double figure rebounds. Coach John Collins was disappointed that his team hadn’t been able to hold on for a win but was very proud of his team’s efforts and highlighted the contribution of Karan Virdee who scored seven points and recorded a massive 15 rebounds.

Under 14 Boys Midland Conference

Northants Thunder 59 Notts Nova 85

Earlier in the season the Northants Thunder had been hammered 98-35 by a talented Notts Nova team so this 26 point defeat represented a massive improvement.

For long periods of the game Thunder were able to keep in touch with Nova but they were guilty of losing concentration allowing their opponents to go on crucial scoring runs.

Nova outscored Thunder in all four periods of play but not significantly and there were many positives to take from the game.

For Thunder, David Nieva scored 30 points while Ayo Oluyede rebounded superbly and chipped in with 9 points while Hayden Sayers contributed eight points

Under 15 Boys Midland Conference

Northants Thunder 98 Coventry Trojans 68

Northants Thunder faced play-off rivals Coventry Trojans with both teams are attempting to secure the highest possible seeding in the Midlands Conference.

When the two teams met earlier in the season the game was a close run thing until Thunder were able to mount a late charge to record a 22 point win.

The first quarter was a close encounter with Thunder holding a small lead throughout, but finding it difficult to stop a tall Trojans team scoring from a number of ‘put backs’.

Thunder edged the period 25-22 thanks to ten points from Ed Hall but there was concern that both Josh Arimoro and Jacob Killeya had picked up consecutive fouls.

The second period of play saw Thunder changing their defensive tactics resorting to a 2-3 zone which was extended up the floor after a score. This allowed the home side to go on a 9-2 run midway through the quarter to extend their lead to 41-34 thanks to scores Carlo Nieva, Kaan Uyduran and Josh Arimoro. Trojans responded positively closing the gap to just four points at 44-40 at half time and it was well and truly game on.

Thunder came out for the third quarter with a much more aggressive mind-set with Will Grosvenor adding massive energy to his team’s zone press defence. His efforts forced a number of turn-overs which sparked a 15-2 to give his team a 63-47 lead. By now some of the Coventry players were getting a little frustrated resulting in a plethora of petty fouls which saw some of their key players fouling out of the game. The impressive Thunder took the quarter by 25 points to nine to extend their lead to 69-49 with victory seemingly secured.

Trojans showed they weren’t about to submit coming up with a spirited 7-zerod run but without a recognised ball handler they found it difficult to advance the ball up court. Thunder were once again able to capitalise on this making a number of steals leading to easy scores. The home side closed the game with a 12-4 run to record a convincing 98-68 win with Ed Hal and Carlo Nieva both scoring 22 points. Good support came from Josh Arimoro, Jacob Killeya and David Nieva with 11 points apiece while the all-action Will Grosvenor scored nine but Coach Crump pointed out that this was a win firmly based on the efforts of all twelve of his players.

Under 14 Girls Midlands South Conference

NASSA 39 Northants Lightning 74

The Northants under 14 girls travelled to the Olympic Park last Saturday and returned after recording what looked to be a routine win over NASSA.

Coach Karen Goodrich was quick to emphasise that the win had been far from easy against a very athletic NASSA team. The win was very much based on the efforts of the three most experienced Lightning players although Goodrich was delighted that nine of her players got onto the score sheet.

Lightning ‘hit the court running’ and in the first quarter outscoring their opponents 22-7 but the Londoners re-grouped in the second period of play which they edged 8-7. It was business as usual after the half time break as Lightning cruised to a 35 points win which keeps them well and truly in contention for an end of season Play Off place but there are some key games coming up over the next few weeks.

In Saturday’s victory Cailtin Stewart and Rucahae Walton both recorded double doubles, Walton pouring in 20 points and Stewart 19. Sarah Round was obviously not affected by her younger brother’s illness or perhaps she was inspired, as she scored 15 points, made five steals and dished out the same number of assists.

Under 13 Boys Midlands Conference

Northants Thunder 75 Northamptonshire Trojans 45

When these two teams met earlier in the season Thunder recorded a convincing 35 point win but without the services of the influential Jacob Round there was real concern that the result might be reversed.

Thunder opened the game in very determined defensive mood with a massive effort from all five players on court.

Such were their efforts that Titans were restricted to just four points but the Northants boys also struggled to score themselves and by the end of the first quarter only held a 10-4 lead.

The Thunder scoring problems continued at the start of the second quarter as they went over five minutes without recording a score and this allowed Titans to mount a comeback and they were able to take a

14-12 lead.

Thunder coach, Mike Round called what turned out to be a game changing time-out. He demanded that his players raised the tempo of their game to initiate more fast-break offences and this had the desired effect with Laurence Williams scoring 10 points at the end of the period to give his team a 26-20 half-time lead.

Williams continued to push the ball in the third quarter on his way to a 32 point haul and with Ed Wallhead, Zak Kitchen and Josh Hannay ripping down numerous rebounds, Thunder began to pull away. They won the third quarter 22-10 and the fourth 27-15 to take the game by 75 points to 45 and so earn the local bragging rights.

Coach Round was pleased with the team effort highlighted by the fact that 9 of the 10 players made it onto the score sheet, which included a 14 point haul from Jared Ryan. 

British Colleges Men’s Midlands Elite League

Derby College 97 Moulton College A 76

In the first game of the season the Moulton men’s team lost by a single point to Derby College.

Last Wednesday the college travelled to Derby for the reverse fixture in confident mood and full of hope that they could record their second win of the season. That confidence was certainly affected when they saw that the 6 feet 10 inch Kingsley Okorah was in the Derby line up.

Kingsley was a star for England in the 2011 European Qualification Tournament and has just returned from a scholarship in America.

It would be too easy to claim that Okorah’s presence was the key to Derby’s win but his 24 points and 16 rebounds plus his defensive intimidation were significant.

The game started at a high tempo with Moulton showing themselves able to run with their opponents with Matt Yates creating particular problems for the Derby defence. For their part Derby were shooting well from the perimeter and when they missed Okorah was usually on hand to score with put backs. The home side edged the first quarter 30-24 and this was extended by a further six points to 57-45 at half time.

During the first two periods of play the Derby coach had tried all manner of defences to contain Yates but the Moulton guard was still proving to be handful in the third quarter which was tied at 15 all and Moulton felt they were still in with a realistic chance of taking the contest.

In the event they were guilty of some very poor passing at the start of the final quarter allowing easy Derby scores. This and increasing fatigue allowed Derby to win by a margin which was rather flattering to them.

In the 21 point set back Matt Yates led the Moulton scoring with an impressive 37 point haul. Good support came from Byron Wing and Linas Bajorunas who scored 19 and 10 points respectively.

THIS WEEKEND’S ACTION

Saturday, February 2

11.30am: Under 13 Girls versus Norfolk Incini; Under 13 Boys versus Bucks Hornets

1.30pm: Cadette Women versus Nottingham Wildcats; Under 15 Girls versus to Solent Suns

3.30pm: Senior Men versus Bromsgrove Bears

These five games will be played at the Northants Basketball Centre at Northampton School for Girls in Spinney Hill Road, Northampton. Spectators are welcome and admission is FREE.

Junior Men and Cadet Men travel to Cheshire Jets

Under 15 Boys travel to Derby Trailblazers

Sunday, February 3

Junior Women travel to Sevenoaks Suns (Sure Shot National Cup semi final)

Under 13 Boys travel to Reading Rockets

A report into missed 999 calls by Northamptonshire Police in 2012 has found it fell “well below customer expectations”.

Police Commissioner Adam Simmonds this morning published a scrutiny report looking at how 999 calls are handled by Northamptonshire Police.

It comes after he highlighted concerns calls were going unanswered or not being answered for a long time in the control room during his election campaign.

The report makes 15 recommendations.

It says: “When a member of the public calls the police they rightly expect the telephone to be answered promptly and professionally. During 2012 the number of calls to Northamptonshire Police which were answered quickly - or at all - fell well below customer expectations.

“From the low points of 2012, call handling performance has shown a dramatic improvement, with service levels for answering both emergency (999) and non-emergency calls being attained from November onwards.

“The police control room is now in a significantly better position to facilitate provision of a high standard of customer service. This has been achieved whilst saving a substantial amount of money. In addition, confidence in Northamptonshire Police dealing with the things that matter continued to rise during the summer.”

Mr Simmonds today said “drastic improvements” have been made to the control room.

He said: “During my campaign to be elected Northamptonshire’s police and crime commissioner, many people told me they had concerns about the answering of 999 calls by the Northamptonshire police control room.

“I looked into this and was disappointed by what I found. So I promised that if I was elected I would commission a full scrutiny of what was going wrong.

“We are the first police and crime commission in the country to undertake this kind of independent scrutiny, which is an important part of our role. I am pleased that this thorough scrutiny has been carried out.

“Dramatic improvements have been made.”

Chief Constable Adrian Lee added: “The force control room is vitally important to our effectiveness as a police force and the level of service we deliver to people of the county. During the past year a significant change programme commenced to ensure that the force managed risk significantly better, improved value for money and reduced costs.

“During that journey, which was deliberately thorough and challenging, there were periods of poor performance.

“The Force control room team, led by Superintendent Mick Stamper, worked very hard to improve our management of risk and performance and the current performance figures reflect this. We are responding when our public need us and this is our primary aim.

“I welcome the recent scrutiny by the commissioner. The findings are fair and balanced, and it clearly reflects the improvements in risk management and value for money. The service we are now delivering costs almost £2 million less each year than it used to. Most importantly, on the completion of this journey we are providing a service to the people of the county that we are proud of.”

TREI ST VIE led the scoring as Northamptonshire Titans claimed a comfortable 90-63 EBL Under 14 Boys Midlands Conference win over the Leicester Warriors.

The first half saw Titans comfortably take a 33 point lead.

Coach Clarke saw that as an opportunity to rotate the bench well with court time being shared out among the eager boys.

Top scorer was St Vie, with back up coming from Hayden Alcindor (17) and Callum Charteris (15).

EBL Under 13 Boys Midlands South Conference

Northants Thunder 75 Northamptonshire Titans 45

The Titans made the short hop over to Thunder, and the first two quarters were all about the defence.

In previous games this has been an area the Titans coaching staff have been paying attention to and this was reflected in the Titans performance.

With two minutes left in the second quarter the scores were tied at 18 a piece, but then the referee called a technique foul on the Titans defence as he thought they were playing a zone.

This turned out to be the turning point in the game as the young Titans were unsettled by this decision as Thunder finish on a 10-2 run.

The game continued to reflect how the first half finished with Titans unable to find their way to hoop and Thunder finished 75-45 winners.

However, coach Barry Powell said: “The upside was again a very much improved performance by all.”

EBL Under 15 Boys Midlands Conference

Coventry Tornadoes 41 Northamptonshire Titans 91

Titans had the short and cold journey to Coventry, and after a poor performance in their last game and missing a fixture last week due to the severe snowy conditions, they were wanting to impress on the Coventry team who were the bosses.

The Titans exploded out to a 21-2 lead which settled the squad down to focus on intensity.

Cameron Hawes set the pace scoring all his 12 points in the first half.

The coaches were able to mix the players and maintain intensity on both ends of the floor and kept the scores at half time to Coventry 15 and 43 to the Titans.

The half time talk from the coaching staff was not to sit back, but to push forward as a team with the Titans scoring an excellent 34 in the third quarter allowing the team to try different options and plays on the floor for the final quarter.

As with Hawes, Alfie Fox scored 16 of his 18 points in one of the halves, but in this case the second.

There were solid performances from all the players led by the captain Andrews who had three steals, nine rebounds and 16 points before fouling out with the fourth quarter still to go.

The team all performed well and the starting five all finished in double scoring figures.

Titans will now focus with this momentum in to their next game against the top team in the league, Notts Nova.

EBL Under 16 Boys Northern Premiere

Cheshire Panthers 58 Northamptonshire Titans 57

The Titans made a long journey on Saturday to an improving Cheshire who earned a shock win.

Titans got off to a shaky start giving the Panthers an eight point streak in the first quarter, but with solid ball movement clawed it back up to a two point game.

A close game throughout saw the Panthers succeed after a slow comeback by the Titans, who suffered from some tough calls by the referees that affected their rhythm and chemistry as the game went on.

Their fourth loss of the season was a wake up call if they want to stay in the hunt for the play-offs.

A threatening, close competitor to that spot is Birmingham who faces the Titans next at Northampton Academy on Sunday.

Games scheduled for Titans next Weekend are

Saturday, February 2

12.30pm: Titans Under 14 Boys vs Shropshire Warriors at Weavers Leisure Centre, Wellingborough

14.30pm: Titans Under 15 Boys vs Notts Nova at Weavers Leisure Centre, Wellingborough

Sunday, February 3

Midday: Titans Under 13 Boys vs Bracknell Cobras at The Northampton Academy

2pm: Titans Under 16 Boys vs. City of Birmingham at The Northampton Academy

5pm: Titans Women’s team vs Bromsgrove Bears at Weavers Leisure Centre, Wellingborough

Saints forward Tom Wood is geared up for another Twickenham battle royal as England go from being the hunters to the hunted in Saturday’s Calcutta Cup showdown with Scotland.

Wood was man of the match when England’s back row outplayed the much-vaunted New Zealand loose trio and set the platform for a record 38-21 home win against the world champions in December.

But Scotland are marching on Twickenham with an army of powerful and abrasive forwards, led by captain Kelly Brown and including former Saint Euan Murray, with ambitions of turning the tables on England.

Wood is relishing the challenge and is confident England can reproduce the intensity that accounted for the All Blacks.

“It sounds big and physical. It looks as if we are expecting wet conditions and a real battle up front. We’re quite happy with that,” Wood said.

“We will need some brawlers in there who will get on the floor, get dirty and put their head where it hurts.

“If Scotland come out full of fire and determined to put pressure on you, they can get in amongst you and knock you off your game.

“That’s what we did to New Zealand. We’ve gone from targeting New Zealand to being the target. So we have to deal with that.

“The challenge for us to reproduce that (intensity from the All Blacks game) regardless of the opposition or occasion. That’s our benchmark and that’s where got to get back to.

“That’s in all aspects of our game, not just the breakdown.

“We could do with being more clinical out wide and what not, getting more variety in our game.”

Consistency of performance, handling expectations and dealing with being favourites has been a theme of England’s preparations for the RBS 6 Nations.

Andrew Strauss was invited by head coach Stuart Lancaster to address the squad on how England’s cricket team built a side that rose from fifth to first in the world.

Jessica Ennis’ coach Toni Minichiello gave an insight into how the London 2012 poster girl handled the expectation and still delivered at the Olympic Games.

England face a similar challenge at Twickenham on Saturday.

Scotland have not won there in 30 years and were beaten by Tonga on their last outing.

England, meanwhile, thumped the All Blacks.

The expectation will be for a home win but England refuse to under-estimate Scotland.

The two sides have not been separated by more than a converted try in four matches.

“Scotland have already stated that they like nothing better than coming to Twickenham to spoil our party,” Wood said.

“Performing with consistency like the All Blacks is something that’s ingrained in your culture and that’s something Stuart (Lancaster) set up right from the start. No matter who you’re playing.

“Just because we beat the All Blacks and did so convincingly, running in some tries, that doesn’t mean it’s just going to happen again.

“Scotland are a different opponent, present a different challenge and we need to govern ourselves in that respect.

“We’re about working hard, going about your processes, doing your analysis, no one game is more important that the other.”

Which former Northampton Town player has gone into modelling? Who is in charge of recruitment for a national company in Paris?

Who scored 30-odd goals for Barcelona in a season then joined the Cobblers for nothing?

And who was a member of FIFA’s 1970 World Cup committee?

The answers to all these questions and dozens more can be found in the latest project being undertaken by the club’s evergreen historian Frank Grande.

Frank is something of an institution when it comes to the Northampton Town, a matchless curator of history and a man whose knowledge of former Cobblers is rarely surpassed.

He most recently published a who’s who compendium of former Town players on the eve of the 1988-89 campaign and has almost completed an update to incorporate the hundreds of players who have passed through the club since.

It is hoped the book will comprise around 150 pages with photographs and be in paperback format.

As with the 1988 edition, it will include a short biography of every player who has played for the club since 1920 including all their clubs, record at Northampton and achievements and honours.

The planned price of the book is between £12 and £15.

“I was working on the book when my publisher suddenly announced his retirement,” says Frank.

“Not wanting to shelve the work completed I have found another publisher but I want to know what kind of interest there is for such a publication.

“I need to see if there is any interest out there hence I am asking for anyone interested to e-mail me.

“I’m not looking for money at this stage just enough interested people to make the publication viable.

“All I need is a list of names and hopefully the publication date should be around the autumn so would make a good Christmas present.”

Anyone who wishes to register their interest in the book should email Frank at frank.grande@talktalk.net.

GJ van Velze is set to return to the Saints squad for Saturday’s trip to Exeter.

And there is also positive news on the fitness of wing Ken Pisi and tighthead prop Brian Mujati, who are recovering well from their injury problems.

Van Velze has been out since injuring his shoulder in the 18-12 Heineken Cup victory against Castres on January 11.

But the South African No.8 is ready to return as Saints look to make the LV= Cup semi-finals with a victory at Sandy Park.

“He’ll be back in contention,” confirmed Northampton director of rugby Jim Mallinder. “He got a bit of a shoulder knock a couple of weeks ago.

“He could have probably played last weekend, but we thought it was probably best to keep him back an extra week and he’s raring to go for Saturday.”

But the game appears to have come too soon for Pisi and Mujati.

The Samoan wide man suffered an ankle knock in the win at Exeter on January 5, while Mujati was forced off in the defeat to Saracens on December 31, with a calf injury.

“They’re two of our longer termers and they’re slowly coming back to fitness,” said Mallinder.

“They’re both doing quite well and jogging now so that’s really good to see.

“I don’t think they’ll be fit enough to start at the weekend but they’re getting there.

“We’ll swap things round a little bit and give people a rest and bring in a few of the other players, but generally it will be the same squad that started last week.”

A 92-year-old woman had two handbags stolen by burglars who conned their way into her home by pretending to be from the water board.

The distraction burglary happened yesterday in The Headlands, Northampton.

A police spokesman said: “The incident happened between 4.30pm and 5pm. Two men called at the home of a 92-year-old woman and told her there was a problem with the water supply.

“Once inside the house, one man kept the victim talking while the other stole two handbags containing cards and a small amount of cash.

“The offenders then left the property, got into a black Seat Leon and drove off towards Wellingborough Road.”

One of the men is white, in his 20s, clean shaven, around 5ft 7in and of slim build. He wore a dark baseball cap with a yellow emblem on it.

Officers are keen to speak with anyone who may have noticed a vehicle or two men acting suspiciously in the area.

Jim Mallinder admits Paul Doran-Jones’ comments after joining Harlequins ‘did not read well from a Saints point of view’.

English champions Quins announced the signing of the Saints prop on Tuesday, with Doran-Jones saying he was joining ‘the best club in the Premiership’.

He also commented that his new side ‘play with smiles on their faces’, but did express his desire to bring silverware to Northampton before he leaves this summer.

And though Mallinder feels some of the comments may have been taken out of context, he feels outgoing players must be careful with what they say to the media.

“You’ve always got to be careful what gets said in the press,” said the Saints boss.

“Sometimes what you actually say is not what’s actually quoted, and sometimes they do pick things out.

“But I can certainly confirm that it didn’t read well from a Saints point of view.”

“He’s made a decision, he’s still part of our squad for the remainder of the year and I’m sure he’ll be doing his utmost to help Northampton Saints win some trophies.”

Doran-Jones joined Saints from Gloucester in the summer of 2011, but has been unable to force his way past first-choice tighthead prop Brian Mujati in the pecking order.

He will now move on in search of first-team rugby and Mallinder was philosophical about the situation.

He said: “Paul’s come here, he’s been someone who’s travelled to quite a few clubs and he’s not managed to settle down.

“I know he’s got his family in London.

“We’re naturally disappointed that he wants to leave but you only want players here who want to play for your club.

“If he doesn’t want to play for us, that’s fine. We’ll get players here who want to play and we’ll develop and make into better players.”

Doran-Jones won’t be in action for Saints in their LV= Cup clash with Exeter on Saturday evening as he has been named in the England Saxons team to take on Scotland A at Newcastle tomorrow night.

Cobblers have made their transfer deadline day move and signed former Sunderland and Coventry City striker Roy O’Donovan until the end of the season.

And manager Aidy Boothroyd is delighted to have again landed a player he also signed from Sunderland when he was manager at the Sky Blues in June, 2010.

“Roy is a striker who can also play in both wide areas,” said Boothroyd.

“He has played a number of games in the Premier League and was someone I tracked very closely when I was at Colchester.

“I then took him to Coventry when I went there. He is fit, athletic, mobile and he has an eye for goal.

“He will give us a different kind of threat to the other players we have at the club.

“I have worked with him before and he is a good character.

“I know what we are getting with Roy and I am very pleased we have been able to bring him in.”

The 27-year-old O’Donovan, who is a former Coventry trainee, established himself in the League of Ireland with Cork City, where his honours included a league title, golden boot and a nomination for Soccer Writers Association of Ireland (SWAI) Player of the Year.

He scored 31 goals in 74 league appearances for Cork, and that form caught the eye of Roy Keane, who took him to Sunderland in 2006.

He made 17 appearances for the Black Cats before going out on a series of loan spells.

His purple patch was a spell at Hartlepool where he scored nine goals in 15 appearances at the end of 2008/09, but his record elsewhere is less prolific, with a total of 14 career goals from more than 100 appearances in England and Scotland for Dundee United, Hibernian, Southend and Blackpool,

O’Donovan played 24 times in his time with the Sky Blues, but scored only one goal.

In total, O’Donovan has scored 14 times in 58 senior starts and 45 substitute appearances in the English leagues and Scottish Premier League.

Saints boss Jim Mallinder says Ben Foden and Lee Dickson will be ‘highly motivated’ after their England omission.

The Northampton duo were sent back to Franklin’s Gardens earlier this week and will play no part in the Six Nations opener against Scotland at Twickenham on Saturday.

Instead, they are likely to be strutting their stuff for Saints in an LV= Cup clash with Exeter at Sandy Park.

And Mallinder expects to see them in good form as they look to prove a point to England boss Stuart Lancaster.

“Although we’re disappointed for Lee Dickson and Ben Foden individually that they won’t be involved for England against Scotland, from a club perspective we’re happy they will be available for us,” said the Saints boss.

“Lee and Ben are very competitive individuals and they will be highly motivated to put in good performances on Saturday.”

Saints will be without Dylan Hartley, Courtney Lawes and Tom Wood for Saturday’s clash as the trio have been retained by England.

But Mallinder was happy with the amount of flexibility his squad showed in the 26-7 win against Gloucester last weekend and he feels there is plenty of strength in depth.

“Samu Manoa showed his versatility, playing at blindside flanker and getting into the right positions to make big hits and stop Gloucester attacks last weekend,” he said.

“With Courtney away with England and GJ (van Velze) injured, it’s good to see players fitting in well and for others like Samu to be able to play in different positions.

“There are some big games coming up and it’s important we are in good shape for the next few weeks.

“Training is certainly positive at the moment and there is still plenty of competition for places.”

Aidy Boothroyd will avoid being distracted by any ‘fireworks’ in the Rotherham United dug-out when he takes his Cobblers side to the New York Stadium on Saturday (3pm kick-off).

Town - who were the final visiting team to play at the Millers’ former home at the Don Valley Stadium - make their maiden appearance at Rotherham’s new ground this weekend in what is their third away fixture in a row.

They face a home side who were booed off the field at the end of their most recent match, a 3-1 home defeat to npower League Two strugglers Bristol Rovers.

That result, combined with six further losses on home soil so far this season, has increased the pressure on manager Steve Evans, whose lively presence in the technical area Boothroyd says he will do his best to ignore.

“I really don’t concern myself too much with opposition managers,” he said.

“I try to read them on what they’ve done in the past during games and we do get an insight into every manager.

“We will want to win the game and so will they and it is going to be a tight battle, I’m sure of that.

“I think you’ve got two good teams going up against each other and I think it might come down to a mistake or somebody being a little bit more organised that the other team to settle the game.

“We have to focus very much on ourselves and not be distracted by any fireworks or any emotion from anybody else.”

Boothroyd is anticipating a difficult game at Rotherham against a Millers side for whom promotion was the sole pre-season objective, both in terms of the manager’s stated aims and the budget with which he was given by the board to achieve such a target.

He admits the Sixfields meeting of the two sides was a close affair but that the 2-1 win for Northampton back in August represented a tactical victory.

“It was a good game here at Sixfields and to be honest it could have gone other way really,” he said.

“Tactically we sorted it out and got the better of them that night.

“But they’ve got some good players and they expect a lot of them there. They’ve got a wealthy owner, a new stadium and everyone expects them to do well this season.

“With that backing comes an expectation and it is nice to have that.

“We’ve got to see if we can go and give a similar account of ourselves to the one we gave earlier in the season and get a similar result.”

The Cobblers head to Rotherham United this weekend 48 hours after the end of a transfer window which essentially boiled down to being little more than an unncessary distraction.

They didn’t actually need to sign anyone in January.

Five wins in seven games suggests this is a team that is doing quite alright in league two as it is.

And when you take into consideration that any new arrivals were likely to be loan players anyway, and that such deals can be done in a week’s time, the fuss and furore about the window itself all seems rather pointless.

Roy O’Donovan has arrived from Coventry City to bolster options in the final third and that seems about right - Louis Moult has gone off the boil since his red card at York City in November and Lewis Wilson looks sharp but probably needs another loan spell to toughen him up a little more.

The key part of the past month was, however, never going to be about recruitment.

Although there is always a frisson of excitement among the supporters when a new player comes in, the fact of the matter is that the Cobblers would really have just been signing players for the sake of it at this stage.

The most important thing was to maintain the status quo, to come through the period unscathed and with all the big hitters still on the books and ready to enhance the bid for promotion.

Lewis Hornby had been scouted a number of times by several other clubs and it is impossible to believe that Chris Hackett, the team’s best, fittest and most consitent player, did not have his suitors.

Kelvin Langmead will have interested clubs, but the business done at this time of year is usually for strikers.

Goals win games and there is no shortage of clubs willing to pay the big bucks to boost their chances of putting more points on the board, either for survival or promotion.

Which brings us onto Adebayo Akinfenwa.

Gillingham wanted him and the case could be made quite easily that a longer-term contract elsewhere was in the player’s best interests.

But he had to be kept.

The club stood no chance of replacing him with another player with a comparable goalscoring record without splashing some serious cash.

Now that the window has closed, Akinfenwa - and all the other players - can concentrate on the job of mounting a genuine attempt at promotion to league one at Sixfields.

The big man hasn’t scored as many goals as he would have liked in the past month - just two in nine games - and so it could be argued the issue has distracted him from producing his best form.

Of course, it’s not all about Bayo, and Boothroyd too will be pleased the window has passed without any great drama.

It is a necessary distraction but one that has been safely navigated without too much damage being done, both to the squad and to their position in the league table.

Northampton General Hospital has been praised in a national report looking at how health organisations can help reduce violent crime.

A Department of Health study revealed that a pledge by the Government urging hospitals to share violent crime data with police to help fight crime was only being carried out properly in a third of areas in England.

Northampton was highlighted as one of the areas where this information was being shared, along with Cardiff and Cambridge.

In 2010, the Government said hospitals should share non-confidential information with police to help cut crime. This involves telling police and local councils the time and place of assaults, the types of weapon used and the types of attack. The data is used to paint a picture of violence in an area so resources can be better deployed to tackle it.

Public health minister Anna Soubry called on hospitals to improve how they share data with police, saying there are no “logistical or legal” barriers and asking them to explain any “good reasons why it cannot be done”.

“We can cut the number of lives blighted by violent crime if the NHS works with the police as well as it can - which is why I have asked to see further improvements,” she wrote.

“Many victims of assault go to the A&E department for treatment but do not report the incident to the police. So it’s vital that hospitals work with the police by sharing anonymised information about the assault victims that they see.

“Many hospitals and police forces share information really well already and the results show this, but we want to make sure every area across the country puts this work into place.”

Tieing up loose ends to reach a profitable result is all part of the challenge for Towcester Racecourse punters.

So it is fitting that popular fiction’s most masterly sleuth should have helped along them along that path at Thursday’s meeting, to solve the puzzle.

Admittedly, close-up work with a magnifying glass reveals that the Sydney Paget who illustrated the works of Sherlock Holmes in The Strand magazine had his name spelt with an ‘i’.

Strong evidence suggests the naming of Donald McCain’s high class recruit to the chasing ranks had more to do with the 19th Century English aristocrat (Sydney with an extra y) who indulged his passion for racehorses in the USA.

Followers of the turf will scarcely be concerned at such trivia as long as they stay in tune with McCain’s six year-old who gave Jason Maguire an armchair ride to land the 3m beginners’ chase by 11 lengths.

And as far as they were concerned, the case was effectively solved when David Pipe’s exciting bumper recruit Red Sherlock skated home by more than double that distance, neatly book-ending the day’s events.

Elementary, as a certain resident of Baker Street once said.

Perhaps not surprisingly, given all the clues which lay scattered on the heavy ground, both horses were sent off at stingy prices on a day when five of the seven favourites obliged.

Sydney Paget (4/5), Thunderstorm (8/13) and If In Doubt (4/5) represented the odds-on brigade while Gorgehous Lliege (3/1) and Red Sherlock (7/4) at least sat on the other half of the betting equation fence.

Pipe sent just the one runner to Northamptonshire and the fashion in which Red Sherlock scattered the opposition in the final furlong was quite awesome.

Both Thunderstorm and If In Doubt carried the colours of JP McManus and were ridden by Tony McCoy but closer inspection revealed they were trained by Philip Hobbs and not Jonjo O’Neill who saddled four in the novices’ hurdle, two of which ran into third and fourth places.

Thunderstorm’s win came in the 2m handicap hurdle.

Gorgehous Lliege followed up a course victory over 2m 6f in December (he was subsequently second here over 2m 3 1/2f) by winning over the extra distance of 3m.

The victory of the Venetia Williams chaser was timely for jockey Liam Treadwell who had picked up a 12 day ban for missing out the wrong fence at Leicester a day earlier.

Non winning favourites on the card were Niki Royal (7/1), scoring for trainer Jamie Snowden, jockey Tom O’Brien and the Mirror Punters Club, and Mujamead (9/1), the latter in the 2m handicap chase.

The latter success was notable as Mujamead led home his stable mate, the 14 year-old Kinkeel, who was backed down to 3/1.

Thirty years is a very long time for Scottish supporters to wait for a win at Twickenham but I have a fear this year could just be the opportunity they have longed for.

There is a certain congruence with the story back then as there is now: England were out-and-out favourites and Scotland were expected to hop back over the border with their tails between their legs.

It turned out to be a famous win for our cousins north of Hadrian’s Wall and left a scar on me as it was my first trip to Twickenham. To travel home after losing a ‘banker’ was a tough pill to swallow for an 11-year-old boy.

Fast forward 30 years and Scotland again are expected to be second best on Saturday but there is nothing more dangerous than a Scotland team that has been written off.

It is important to get into context that this is a new Scottish coaching regime and, as we saw with England last year, with any new coaching setting the players generally react and performances improve.

Sometimes there is a honeymoon period of a few games, but sometimes that improvement is built on more solid foundations and the team can keep growing.

Whatever will happen to Scotland by the end of the championship one thing is certain: They will be a massive test for England on Saturday.

One thing that is clear about Scott Johnson’s approach as their new head coach is that he has always been viewed as a player’s coach.

Well respected after his stints in Wales, he will undoubtedly get the best from his new charges.

Johnson, coupled with the wily experience of Dean Ryan as interim forwards coach, will believe they are capable of causing an upset.

The days of an England team underestimating the opposition are well gone - if they ever existed at all - which is why I was amused by the rantings of ex-Scotland and Lions guru Jim Telfer this week, calling England arrogant and pretentious.

It’s amusing because this type of rubbish is always pedalled at times like these, but nothing could be further from the truth with this current England set up.

They are hardly words that you would use to describe the likes of Stuart Lancaster, Andy Farrell and Graham Rowntree, more down to earth men you could hardly wish to meet, and that attitude of humility and respect has filtered into their squad during the past 12 months.

They, better than anyone, realise their stunning performance against New Zealand will be quickly forgotten if they fail to back that up on Saturday.

The mindset and expectation has now fundamentally altered and England have to live with that.

By 6pm on Saturday evening we will know whether they can live with that. I believe they can but it will be much tighter than many people are expecting.

Tactically England are up against it this weekend, with the absence of Manu Tuilagi, who has been a real menace in the midfield, and his ability to smash over the gain line will be missed.

His absence gives an opportunity for the burgeoning talent that is Billy Twelvetrees.

I first met him when he was a gawky-looking teenager in the academy at Leicester Tigers a number of years ago. If you had told me back then that this guy was a future international player it would have been hard to see.

But over the past few years that lanky player has bulked up and taken his opportunities, firstly at Tigers and now at Gloucester.

He is a really talented footballer and also a big physical presence, so I expect him to fit into that jersey well, which is some journey considering where he started.

This will be one of the first times I can remember that the Scotland pack will be a bigger unit than England, and they will be relishing that battle, particularly at the lineout.

That will be a huge contest, as you have some of the finest lineout forwards in the British game on display, and the team that can get the upper hand in that department will dictate things.

Foden return is a big boost for Saints

I can’t say I was totally surprised to see Ben Foden left out of England’s 23-man squad for the clash with Scotland at Twickenham this weekend.

The full-back’s form since his return from injury has been a little patchy by his very high standards and he is playing in a position where there is significant competition for the jersey.

I do expect him to be involved at some point during this year’s Six Nations, and after the disappointment of missing out this week he will be determined to win that jersey back.

It’s good news for the Saints man as he is a player with a point to prove.

It’s not a bad thing for Foden to have a week or two out of the England spotlight as he looks to regain some of his verve and I am sure England boss Stuart Lancaster will be keeping a close eye on events at Exeter on Saturday evening.

Saints’ trip to Sandy Park for the LV=Cup clash will be a tough task but one made a little easier by England’s decision to release Foden and scrum-half Lee Dickson.

Unlike qualification for Europe, Northampton’s destiny in this competition is firmly in their grasp, as they sit top of Pool 4 heading into the final round of fixtures.

A semi-final berth in the cup, for the fourth time in five seasons, will be a big boost for them in what has been a frustrating campaign so far, but getting a result at Exeter will, no doubt, be incredibly tough.

The Chiefs, who sit second in their pool, are also in the hunt for qualification and are not hurt, as Saints have been, with the absence of some their grunt up front.

Fresh in the memory, though, is Saints’ result in the Premiership a few weeks ago, which has been one of the performances of the season so far.

Whilst still not a totally assured performance against Gloucester last weekend, there was enough to suggest that a positive result is on the cards this Saturday.

Talks will be held next week to decide whether to bring in a massive shake-up of licensing restrictions in areas of Northampton where there have been problems with late night drinking.

As part of the Government’s national review of licensing, Northampton Borough Council will decide whether to introduce so-called Early Morning Alcohol Restriction Orders (EMROs) for licensed premises where there have been issues.

EMROs would enable them to restrict the sale of alcohol between midnight and 6am, althought it would not be a blanket six-hour ban. The Guildhall would instead have powers to introduce a ban within those hours, most likely between 3am and 6am.

The only premises exempt from EMROs will be hotels that provide alcohol to customers through minibars and room service, but even hotels that serve alcohol in a bar, lounge or lobby would be affected by the new orders.

EMROs will not apply to any premises on New Year’s Eve.

The licensing committee meeting on February 11 is expected to rule out introducing a late night levy on premises selling alcohol after midnight at this time. The levy is a measure proposed by the Government allowing councils to charge businesses for the extra policing and clean-up costs that the night time economy generates.

Early discussions the Guildhall has had with Northamptonshire Police indicate introducing EMROs could be a good idea for the town but that it is too early to say whether a late night levy is called for.

If after considering the two proposals the committee feels that policy changes would help tackle incidents and crimes linked to drinking, further consultation would be needed with all interested parties. A more in-depth assessment of evidence would also need to be undertaken before any final decisions can be made by the licensing committee.

Councillor David Mackintosh, leader of Northampton Borough Council, said: “There has been much discussion in Northampton since the Government announced these new powers and the licensing committee has already discussed the change in legislation. The report proposes a recommendation to rule out a late night levy at this stage but I am interested in working with the police and licensed premises to look at whether an EMRO could work for Northampton.”

Councillor Christopher Malpas, chairman of Northampton Borough Council’s licensing committee, said: “We will be making a decision based on the evidence placed in front of us. The council already works with the police and businesses to promote public safety and reduce alcohol related incidents, but we have a duty to consider whether any new proposals can help us do this better.”

Northamptonshire Police and Crime Commissioner, Adam Simmonds, said: “I am very keen to work with partners on making the night time economies safer and any powers or policy which enables that to happen is a good thing.”

Full-back Ben Foden will captain Saints in their final LV= Cup group clash at Exeter on Saturday evening (ko 6.30pm).

But Foden’s fellow England reject Lee Dickson has only been named on the replacements’ bench, with Martin Roberts getting the nod at scrum-half.

Saints director of rugby Jim Mallinder has named a strong side for the game, and a bench that is even stronger as it includes the likes of Soane Tonga’uiha, Dickson, Phil Dowson, Stephen Myler and Samu Manoa.

Saints top Pool 4 going into the final round of round-robin matches, with qualification for the semi-finals still in their own hands.

But Mallinder has warned his team that it is going to take a top performance from the Saints to keep the momentum going.

“We’ve worked hard to get into this position, and we know that our future in the competition is in our own hands,” he said.

“But we also know that we will be up against a tough Exeter team.

“Exeter play an expansive style of rugby and like to get their wide runners into play as much as possible.

But they also have some strong forwards who can get them onto the front foot, and we will have to be alert in every area of the field.

“We had to be at our very best in the Premiership there at the start of January and will need a similar performance again this weekend.

“We’re certainly not taking anything for granted.”

Saints team to play Exeter, LV= Cup, Sandy Park, Saturday, February 2, 2013, Kick off 6.30pm: Ben Foden; James Wilson, Dom Waldouck, Luther Burrell, Jamie Elliott; Ryan Lamb, Martin Roberts; Alex Waller, Mike Haywood, Tom Mercey, Mark Sorenson, Christian Day, James Craig, Ben Nutley, GJ van Velze. Replacements: Ross McMillan, Soane Tonga’uiha, Ethan Waller, Samu Manoa, Phil Dowson, Lee Dickson, Stephen Myler, Tom May