Nolan sacked as Northampton boss after poor run

Kevin Nolan (left, with Colin Calderwood) won 22 of his 70 games in charge at Northampton Town Northampton Town have sacked boss Kevin Nolan following a run of only one win in their past 16 league matches. The Cobblers are 23rd in League One, three points from safety, having scored only 31 goals in 36 matches, the second lowest total in the league. They drew a blank in what proved to be Nolan's final game in charge, losing 1-0 at AFC Wimbledon on Sunday. Technical director Colin Calderwood has been put in charge on an interim basis, assisted by Ian Sampson, both ex-Northampton managers. "We will always be grateful to Kevin for his hard work here, he helped keep us up last season and we enjoyed a strong first half of this season," chairman Kelvin Thomas said in a statement. , external "But since Christmas the sequence of performances and results have led us to believe a change is in the best interests of all concerned. "We are fortunate to have someone of Colin's experience, supported by Ian Sampson and the rest of the staff to look after matters on an interim basis." Nolan's departure came on the 129th anniversary of Northampton's formation and they are the 10th League One club out of 24 to part company with their boss this season. Listen to Kevin Nolan's final interview as Cobblers boss (BBC Radio Northampton) He was appointed in December 2024 after predecessor Jon Brady - now in charge at FA Cup giant-killers Port Vale - resigned and guided them to 19th place last season. The 43-year-old moved to Sixfields following a spell as a first-team coach at West Ham, having previously managed Leyton Orient and Notts County. They failed to win any of their first four games this season, before four victories in the next five lifted them to mid-table. Nolan's side beat AFC Wimbledon 3-1 on 19 December but ended 2025 with back-to-back defeats at the start of a run of nine games without a victory. They eventually beat Stevenage 3-1 on 7 February but have not won in the league since then and last week were knocked out of the EFL Trophy at the semi-final stage, losing 2-1 at Luton Town. Speaking following Saturday's game, Nolan insisted he was ready for a "dogfight" to try and preserve Northampton's third-tier status. "We've got to scrap our way out of it - that's the only way you get out of these situations," he told BBC Radio Northampton. "The relentless schedule has been ridiculous, it has hurt us, affected us but it's now up to us to fight our way out of it." Northampton have 10 games left this season, the first at home to Burton Albion on Saturday. Acting boss Calderwood led them promotion from League Two in 2006 and later had spells in charge of Nottingham Forest, Hibernian and Cambridge United before returning to the club as technical director in January 2025. Sampson was manager from 2009 to 2011, having previously played almost 450 games for the club as a central defender. FA Cup fifth round: Quarter-final draw before West Ham United host Brentford Four big calls Borthwick could make to revive England Dolphins to release Tagovailoa at record £74m cost Jessie Buckley on The Bride! and Oscar nominated Hamnet The Nations Pod Guide puts Rome in the centre The Mitford sisters refuse to play by the rules The highlights of Piano Room Month 2026 with Vernon Kay Four big calls Borthwick could make to revive England 'We've not moved on from Old Firm cup final 45 years ago' India triumphant again - do the rest have any hope of catching them? Five talking points from round four of Six Nations Watch Celtic beat Rangers on penalties to reach Scottish Cup semis. Video Watch Celtic beat Rangers on penalties to reach Scottish Cup semis 'England's style of play is tedious and doesn't allow players to express themselves' Randell makes history with five wickets in five balls Was new-era F1 really racing or more like a computer game? 'Fantastic French made to look ordinary as Scotland come of age' Russell 'imperious' and Bearman 'raced beautifully' - driver ratings Winter Paralympics daily guide: 12 skiing golds decided on Tuesday 'I saw a drone hit the US consulate' - Patten's escape from Dubai Who is to blame for Spurs' chaotic descent towards relegation? 'Howard Webb, where are you?' - How we can stop VAR ruining football 'There were tears - but I had to peek behind curtain of head injuries in rugby' Iran, the US, and a World Cup that starts in three months Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.