Blues boss Paul Jewell says he wants nights like last season’s Carling Cup semi-finals against Arsenal to become regular occurrences for Town. Jewell is looking for his team, who take on Northampton at home in the first round of the competition tonight, to face the likes of the Gunners on a weekly basis in the league sooner rather than later.
Speaking at yesterday’s pre-match press conference, Jewell joked that he tried to claim responsibility for taking Town to the semi-finals, the Blues eventually losing 3-1 on aggregate having led after the home leg: "I tried to take credit for that but unfortunately it wasn’t down to me.
"I think to have 30,000 people at Portman Road that night was brilliant, it was an atmosphere to behold.
"The following week we went to the Emirates with 60,000 and we were half an hour from getting to a final. It was a great experience for players and supporters alike.
"It’s an experience we would like to happen every week — full houses and playing in the Premier League. That’s what we’ve got to try and aim for. That’s our holy grail ultimately.”
Back in January, Town were David to Arsenal’s Goliath but Jewell says the situation will be reversed this evening: "The boot is on the other foot, Northampton have an opportunity of knocking a Championship team out of the cup.
"The semi-finals seem a long way away when you’re starting a game in August but it’s a great opportunity for fringe players to play football.”
The Town boss’s best memory of the competition happened in 2005/06 when he was manager of Wigan: "We beat Arsenal in the semi-final at Highbury. We scored a last minute goal to get to the final. We won’t talk about that final because I’ve never watched a minute of it, we lost 4-0.
"I became quite famous after that semi-final for my leather jacket. I’ve had some stick for that leather jacket!
"We were the last team to play at Highbury, both in the league and the cup and to get the last minute winner in extra-time — we actually lost the game but went through on away goals — is a memory I’ll always cherish.”
Will the lucky leather jacket get another outing as Town start on the road to Wembley? "It might come out if we get to the semis!”
