Mike Packwood

Driving into work this morning, we were discussing a fundamental and long lasting decision we're about to have to make about our future. No, I'm not referring to whether we should catch up with Hinterland tomorrow, or watch Young Montalbano, (that's easy, Hinterland every time), but about the future of the UK and the yes or no decision on leaving the European Union. The general consensus was that at the last general election in May the Conservatives were forced to promise a referendum because if they hadn’t, we might all have voted for UKIP , which would in turn have led to another hung parliament. The Conservatives didn’t want that and so promised a referendum of their own over Europe to ensure they won the election.  Whether or not that is exactly how it came to be, we’re about to be faced with the most important (voting) decision we’re ever likely to be asked to make. Unlike a general election where you can get it wrong, on the basis that another one will be a...

Cardoza, David. Two words that are going to live long in the memory of Northampton Town fans, and for all the wrong reasons! Even if you were previously a supporter of his, it's now impossible to present him in a positive light. The man appears to be single-handedly hell bent on destroying a football club that is dear to thousands of people. And for the rest of Northampton, who don't really care, he's the person who appears to have 'lost' over £10million of public money. So whether you're a Cobblers fan or not, this week is huge for Northampton.  For the past couple of months anyone with NTFC close to their hearts has done their level best: The staff at the club are working without being paid. The Supporters Trust have raised the best part of £50k, As we speak close on 2000 people have signed a petition pleading with him to sell. And on top of that, almost unbelievably given the circumstances, the team are in an automatic promotion spot. DC has been rightl...

….we're getting what we pay for! The Chronicle and Echo (and Mercury and Herald) building in the market square Northampton As a fascinating  aside to the continuing  financial woes at Northampton Town FC there’s an online spat taking place between a number of twitter and forum posters about the role the Chronicle and Echo has played in reporting (or not) events at Sixfields over the past year or two. In one case the spat has become personal between the editor and an ex-employee, where an ill thought out letter from the editor has found its way onto a public forum, The Hotel End. I have been very critical of the Chrons coverage of this story myself and recently emailed the editor with a plea that he ‘grow some balls’ to which I got a long and detailed reply about  the apparent ‘size of his balls’ which I presume was intended to firmly put me in my place. (Incidentally he didn't reply to the one I sent him last week asking how much the C...

You are my sunshine, my only sunshine, you make me happy when skies are grey, so please, don't take my Northampton away..... The end of NTFC could possibly be taking place as I type .  Today, not only is the £10m loan repayable to the council that lent it, but we also hear that HMRC has issued a winding up order for non-payment of tax. All in all, from a financial point of view, it really couldn't be much worse. I was born under the Hotel End. I was one of the 942 v Chester. I've put money in buckets before. I was in the Exeter rooms that night. I was in the pub in Southend when the police horse nearly came in. I was there the last time we played at Newcastle (not the other week - the time we nearly beat them). I was at Liverpool on 'that' night - sitting in with the Liverpool fans oddly. I was at the match at Shrewsbury when we said  'this must never happen again'.  I was on the cricket side when we knocked Coventry o...

A 3-day mini-break in Vilnius, Lithuania....which turned out to be a really interesting place, especially if you're interested in ex-soviet architecture, abandoned football grounds, castles in the middle of lakes and medieval city centres.   

Last Saturday Mum organised a special birthday party to celebrate Dads 90th Birthday. It took place in one of the function room s at Belmont Abbey on the outskirts of Hereford - where they live in an adjoining apartment. A great day and a great turnout, with pretty much the entire Packwood family and all his friends, relatives, children, grand children and great grand children present.