How did it go so wrong? asks Pedro (and the rest of us)

As we sit transfixed in front of Poppynet in the dog days of the Imraan Ladak era, it’s worth asking how did it go so wrong?

If we think back to the start of this era, it seemed all of our Christmases had come together. We had a rich young chairman, promising us the earth with one of football’s biggest names as manager. Immediately new players started arriving (with the CV to demonstrate the commitment to flowing football and success). Admittedly, it quickly went pear-shaped but the necessary action was taken and Morrell Maison arrived, steadied things and had us playing champagne football. At this time I, like many of us, couldn’t wait for the next feast of football, only slightly dulled by the nagging inability to fix the defence. Yes, we could score 4 every game but the opposition could often score 4 or more themselves. Sadly, Morrell couldn’t bring us the success Imraan craved and he was eventually dispatched (who knows what might have happened had he been kept on and we’d won the playoffs that season?!).



Mark Cooper was brought in, funds were provided, and we romped home as champions of BSN. The glory days were just around the corner. Murmurings of discontent would occasionally become more than murmurings with a steady turnover of back office staff. However, this was easy to ignore while success on the pitch, coupled with lucrative high profile cup runs, continued. Coops eventually went on to pastures anew with all our best wishes. From here on, things quickly began to slide, I’d say you can even put a date on it: the night John Deehan was sacked.

Throughout this time, Imraan kept his own profile high, regularly arguing with the Conference Board (something many of us thought was more than due given the ridiculous way the Conference was, and still is, run; a bit like KTFC today! ) and supporting the Palestinian cause (again, something many of us didn’t just sympathise with, but admired him for and proudly wore the shirts with the logo).

Ever since, we seem to have been a club on the verge of crisis, eventually falling off the verge into full on crisis. Yet we, the fans, have never been told

How is it that a chairman that once seemed the answer to all our prayers, a chairman who walked amongst us fans and was a fan, who brought us huge success for a time, who championed causes many of us supported, a chairman that at one time had so much goodwill, has now become such a pariah? Had he been open and honest with everyone, working with the many people who only want what’s good for KTFC instead of seeing plots against him everywhere, we’d have helped him overcome whatever crisis or crises ahead.

Sadly, instead of going down in memory for all the right reasons, Imraan will be remembered for all the wrong reasons.


Pedro - The Voice of Reason