On 17 April 1965, Northampton Town achieved an extraordinary feat by sealing promotion to the First Division after a 4-1 victory at Bury. Under the management of Dave Bowen, the team ascended from the fourth tier to the top flight in just five seasons. Graham Carr, only 20 years old at the time, noted the nervous atmosphere but recounted gaining control during the match. The celebration was brief due to a demanding schedule, which included three games in four days, ultimately finishing the season just a point behind champions Newcastle United.
"We needed to win at Bury on Easter Saturday. Everybody seemed a little bit nervous, but as the game went on, we got control...we could relax," Graham Carr recalled.
"After the game, I can't remember celebrating. We were sitting on the bus ready to go and we could hear Dave Bowen talking to Sports Report on the radio," said Carr.
"Then we got the flight back to Luton and the following day we played Plymouth in the return game and won 3-1. We played three games in four days with the same players. No subs then. If you were injured, you stayed on."
"Northampton finished the season in second place with 56 points from their 42 games - only two for a win in those days - and were just a single point behind champions Newcastle United."
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