Northampton Town Next Manager Odds: Andy Woodman Favourite to Replace Kevin Nolan
Posted by Rob Shepherd on Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Northampton Town have sacked Kevin Nolan after a dismal run of form dragged the Cobblers into serious League One relegation trouble, with Colin Calderwood stepping in on an interim basis as the club weigh up their next permanent appointment. The Best Betting Bonuses team takes a closer look at the latest betting odds and the scale of the survival battle facing the club at Sixfields.
Northampton Town Sack Kevin Nolan After Seven-Game Winless Run
Northampton Town have parted company with manager Kevin Nolan following a wretched run of form that has left the Cobblers staring down the barrel of relegation from League One.
The 43-year-old former Premier League midfielder was relieved of his duties on Monday after a sequence that yielded just a single victory from 16 league fixtures. His departure came less than 24 hours after a 1-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon on Sunday extended Northampton’s winless league run to seven matches and left the club 23rd in the table, three points adrift of safety with 10 games remaining.
Nolan won 22 of his 70 matches across all competitions during his time at Sixfields, a win rate of 31.4 per cent. The Cobblers have managed only 31 goals in 36 league outings this season, the second-lowest tally in the division. Those numbers paint a stark picture of a side blunt in attack and brittle in confidence.
Chairman Kelvin Thomas acknowledged the difficulty of the decision but insisted the board’s hand had been forced. “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,” Thomas said. “But since Christmas the sequence of performances and results have led us to believe a change is in the best interests of all concerned.”
Northampton have become the 10th League One club out of 24 to change managers this season, a statistic that underlines the volatility of the third tier. Nolan’s appointment in December 2024 was initially positive. The former Bolton Wanderers, Newcastle United and West Ham United midfielder guided Northampton to 19th place and survival last term, and four victories in five matches during the autumn briefly pushed the club towards mid-table respectability. An alarming collapse since Christmas has undone all that good work.
Calderwood Steps In: A Return Steeped in History
In the immediate aftermath of Nolan’s departure, the club have turned to a familiar and experienced figure. Colin Calderwood, Northampton’s technical director since January 2025, has been placed in interim charge, with former Cobblers boss Ian Sampson serving as his assistant.
It is a move that carries significant weight. Calderwood, 61, previously managed Northampton between 2003 and 2006, guiding the club to promotion from League Two during that spell. His managerial CV also includes a stint at Nottingham Forest, where he secured promotion to the Championship in 2008, as well as spells in charge of Hibernian and Cambridge United.
As a player, Calderwood earned 36 caps for Scotland and was a member of both the Euro 96 and World Cup 98 squads. He made over 630 career appearances, including 163 in the Premier League for Tottenham Hotspur and a further 26 for Aston Villa.
But it is the very beginning of Calderwood’s career that provides an intriguing subplot for those watching events at Sixfields with a keen eye on the East Midlands.
Colin Calderwood began his professional career at Mansfield Town, making 100 first-team appearances for the Stags between 1982 and 1985 before earning a move to Swindon Town.
His appointment as interim boss at Northampton creates a direct thread between the two League One clubs. Mansfield, managed by Nigel Clough since November 2020, currently sit 16th in the division, six points above the relegation zone.
The Latest Betting Odds: Who Could Be Next?
With Calderwood installed on an interim basis, the bookmakers have wasted little time in pricing up the market for Northampton’s next permanent appointment. Most bookmakers have not priced Calderwood for the permanent role, and those that have offer odds of 30/1 — making him an unlikely candidate to take charge on a full-time basis.
According to the latest odds, Bromley manager Andy Woodman is the 2/1 favourite. The 53-year-old has earned widespread respect for his work at Bromley, leading the club into the English Football League for the first time in their history following a National League play-off triumph in 2023-24. He also won the FA Trophy with the Ravens in 2021-22. Woodman previously had a spell at Northampton as a goalkeeper during his playing days, and that existing connection to the club could prove significant. Bromley are currently 14th in League Two.
Robbie Savage (3/1) is a more eye-catching name in the market, though his recent managerial path has been more winding than the original version suggested. The former Wales international, now 51, was appointed head coach of Macclesfield in June 2024, having previously helped shape the reborn club behind the scenes as a board member and later director of football. Under his leadership, Macclesfield won the Northern Premier League Premier Division title and sealed promotion to the National League North in March 2025. He then took the next step in July 2025, when he was appointed manager of National League side Forest Green Rovers. A leap from non-league management to a League One relegation battle would still represent a bold move, but Savage’s profile, confidence and obvious ambition ensure he remains a name that will attract attention.
Ian Sampson, who is currently assisting Calderwood, sits at 4/1. The 56-year-old is a bona fide Northampton legend, having made 449 league appearances for the club between 1994 and 2004. He previously managed the Cobblers between September 2009 and March 2011 and briefly served as caretaker following Jon Brady’s resignation in December 2024, overseeing a morale-boosting 2-1 derby victory over Peterborough United. His intimate knowledge of the club and its DNA will count in his favour.
Tamworth boss Andy Peaks (5/1) is another contender. The 54-year-old is a Northampton native who led Tamworth to promotion to the National League last season, though his side currently sit 16th in that division.
Further down the market, several experienced EFL names feature. Leam Richardson (12/1) enjoyed success at Wigan Athletic, winning the League One title and promotion to the Championship in 2021-22, though a subsequent spell at Rotherham yielded just two wins from 24 matches. Mark Robins and Lee Johnson (both 12/1) bring considerable managerial experience at Championship and League One level, while Gary Rowett and Matt Gray are available at 16/1.
The Scale of the Task
Whoever takes the Northampton job on a permanent basis will inherit a squad facing an almighty battle. Ten matches remain, starting with a home fixture against Burton Albion on Saturday. Three points separate the Cobblers from safety, and the goals column tells its own story. With just 31 scored from 36 league outings, only bottom club Port Vale has found the net fewer times.
Nolan had remained publicly defiant to the end. “I’ve been in these situations before, and you have to scrap your way out of it,” he told BBC Radio Northampton after the defeat at Wimbledon. “I’m up for the fight. We’ve got a good group, and they are hurting.”
Those words, spoken on Sunday evening, were rendered moot by Monday morning. The brutal reality of football management had caught up with a man who, as a player, won promotion to the Premier League with three different clubs and scored 69 top-flight goals across more than 400 appearances. His previous managerial record at Notts County, where he maintained a win rate above 40 per cent and reached the League Two play-offs, had suggested he possessed the tools for the job. In the end, the results simply were not there.
For Calderwood, the immediate focus is clear: survival. His track record of securing promotions at Northampton and Nottingham Forest speaks to a man who knows how to galvanise a squad, and his intimate understanding of the club, having served in various capacities over several years, gives him an advantage that an outside appointment might lack.
Whether the board choose to hand Calderwood the role on a permanent basis or looks elsewhere, one thing is certain. The next 10 games will define Northampton Town’s season, and quite possibly their near-term future.
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