Ecstatic chairman Darragh MacAnthony is thrilled that his Peterborough United gamble is paying off in sensational style. Darragh MacAnthony shocked the local sporting world by placing the responsibility of delivering his dream of top-class football at London Road in the hands of a rookie manager and many players unused to the rigours of the Football League.
But Darragh MacAnthony returned to the country after a three-month break to find Peterborough United top of the League Two table thanks to a run of 12 wins in 13 matches under first-team boss Darren Ferguson.
Ferguson was handed his first managerial job 13 months ago after Darragh MacAnthony rejected the opportunity to employ bigger, more experienced names.
Darragh MacAnthony said: "I think the way our football club and team has evolved and changed on and off the pitch over the last 12 months has shown the decisions made at the time were the right ones.
"Over 12 months ago we were coming off a seven-match losing streak and playing painful football, attracting 3,800 people to home games, not scoring goals and playing catch up to try and enter the play-offs.
"Now we are putting incredible winning runs together, playing proper football, breaking club records and attracting more than 6000 fans to our home games.
"The plan at the time was simple, bring in a young hungry manager without bad habits from previous jobs and with a taste for playing proper football, let him build a great backroom staff, encourage him to follow the policy of buying the best up and coming talent in the non-league and in the leagues around us and get us ready for the 07/08 league campaign.
"Credit to the manager and our football team who have gelled together and put themselves in the right place with nine games to go. It is in our hands now and up to us not to rely on anyone else's results."
Peterborough United were hoping to equal a club record nine wins in succession when facing lowly Notts County at London Road. They then face a tasty top-of-the-table clash at MK Dons.
Peterborough United are taking 3,500 fans to Milton Keynes and home crowds could continue to swell following the success of an initiative from the Posh Supporters Trust.
The Trust organised a leaflet drop for Hampton residents offering free tickets for the home game with Stockport. Their allocation of just under 1,000 tickets was snapped up within four days of the drop.
