Communication (Lets Me Down)

Regular visitors to “Poppynet” will have noticed with amusement recent altercations between Imraan and various members. Most of this recent fracas stems from the club’s very late issuing of prices for the forthcoming season. Quite reasonably, many people were worried about the delay, and the effect it might have on quickly scraping together the necessary funds to purchase a season ticket with only a few weeks notice.

Whilst it is understandable the club took its time in order to get it’s pricing structure right, the reasoning for the delay wasn’t communicated all that well. Matters were not helped by one or two more forthright Chatterboxers giving it both barrels, and then the Club Chairman sniping back in return.

Those who remember previous Kettering Chairman will applaud Imraan’s willingness to engage with supporters. Most of our ex-Chairmen considered the supporters as a necessary evil at best, and dog shit on the bottom of their shoe at worse. Some believed “real supporters” were only those who agreed with everything they said and did, no matter how immoral or illegal. Certain other ex-Chairmen only acknowledged you only if you were a match sponsor or lent the club large sums of money which were confusingly reported as being “gifts”.

What Imraan should consider is that although certain Chatterboxers make a lot of noise they actually represent a tiny minority of Poppies support. Out of the 1200 registered users only 70 have posted 250 times or more since the start of 2008. Whenever there seems to be a large groundswell of agitation with a particular issue you are invariably talking about a handful of people – and this is where club officials should show a bit of awareness before jumping in with both feet.

When you are dealing with Poppies supporters you are dealing with passionate fans. This is a football town – pure and simple. This isn’t a rugby town that just happens to have a football team, like Northampton. This isn’t a town where we support one of two teams that play some 300 miles to the North as they do in Corby. We are not a bunch of tame Bedfordshire overspill who have somehow washed up in Irthlingborough. When you are involved with Kettering Town Football Club you are dealing with an organisation that people from Kettering care deeply about. We don’t always love what’s going on at the Poppies, and if we don’t love what’s going on, it is a safe bet to assume we hate it! It may not be a healthy attitude, but it is certainly a passionate one.

The club needs to communicate with all the fans, and not let a tiny, vocal number have an inordinate affect on club strategy. Is the database formed by the creation last season of the Membership Scheme being used? Are the club emailing or mailshotting these members with news and details of prices etc? I’m sure the Club knows that they need to reach the 99% of established and potential supporters who don’t spend every waking hour looking to argue online from the safety of their bedrooms.

Someone hunched over a PC with no life and too much time on their hands is not necessarily the best person to dictate the policy of a football club. And, yes, the irony of that statement is not lost on me….