TOWN'S three league titles have all been gained under a former player starting out on his managerial career, writes PAUL PLOWMAN.

Former Celtic and Scotland striker Lou Macari led the club to the Fourth Division championship in 1985/86, at the end of his second season in charge.

Ex-England midfielder Steve McMahon took Town up from the third tier 10 years later, after taking over from John Gorman midway through 1994/95.

And Paolo di Canio was successful in securing the title just 11 months after taking over the County Ground hot seat. This season’s slow start was reminiscent of the Macari campaign.

Town were three off the bottom of the table at the end of last August following four defeats in five games, while Macari’s men were in that position at the end of September, with just two wins from their eight games.

But the Scot then saw them win 13 of their next 15 games to reach the summit of the table three days after Christmas.

And, while skipper Paul Caddis led his side out to 10 successive victories starting on New Year’s Eve, the 1985/86 side went 21 games unbeaten to the end of the season after losing 3-1 at Tranmere on 4 January.

That undefeated run was one of no less than 17 club records that fell during a season which also saw Town record 14 successive home wins and six successive away wins.

Promotion was clinched with a 4-2 victory over second-placed Chester City at the County Ground, in front of 12,630 and with seven games left. The win took them 11 points clear with two games in hand and that margin had become a massive 18 by the close of the season.

Eleven days later the championship trophy was on its way to the County Ground, when a Leigh Barnard goal secured a 1-1 draw at Mansfield.

The 1995/96 title success halted a sequence of two successive relegations following the one campaign in the Premiership.

Six players who had seen service with Town in the top flight were still with the club and, with the former Everton, Liverpool and Manchester City player-manager McMahon bossing the middle of the park, they started with a nine-game unbeaten run during which they conceded just four goals.

Only four games were lost all season, with just three coming away - although the Oxford hoodoo struck again with a 3-0 reverse at the Manor Ground.

Following that defeat Town saw out the campaign with 12 games unbeaten, gaining promotion with a 1-1 draw at Blackpool.

While Di Canio’s side have achieved most clean sheets this year, McMahon’s trio of keepers went close, with 19 year old Shay Given conceding only one goal in his five games while on loan from Blackburn.