Not to be too harsh, but, what is the point?
12 months ago you could perhaps see KFC as a possible replacement should KTFC cease to be, albeit set up far too early. It was always going to be difficult to sell us the idea of a "phoenix club" when the original one was still going. Sure, the Poppies were on life-support, the priest had been called for, and the local undertaker was reaching for his tape measure. But the club was still alive.
Attempting to ape the success of AFC Scum, KFC entered the same league, playing at the same ground, no doubt hoping to follow their footsteps towards adult football at UCL level. However, where the Scum had successfully carried several hundred of their supporters with them, and managed to establish themselves very quickly as a club at senior level, KFC have effectively trodden water, seemingly run for the benefit of a handful of officials and players' parents.
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| Close, but no cigar |
KFC's break with the Poppies has always been supposed to have happened because the people behind the club had had enough of Imraan, and leaving the Borough. Now that Imraan has nothing more to do with Kettering, other than an occasional contributor to this blog, and we will be back in the Borough of Kettering this season, the question has to be asked - what is KFC for?
Given that supporter numbers are very much limited these days, it seems insane to split this finite group between two different clubs. Having lost hundreds of "supporters" who have voted with their feet and won't attend any Kettering football any more (or not until we're good again), we can hardly afford to divide the few hundred bodies left between Raunds and Burton.
I hope that both clubs can come together under the Poppies banner - let's not forget, KFC fans were Poppies fans of many years standing before being forced out. Surely it is time to get all our boats back in line? How else do we expect to start the fight back up to a level of football which could comfortably be called "Mickey Mouse?"
yes as its the original name and badge , and what a awesome badge too ,
ReplyDeleteIt's an even better badge when used by the Anglican Diocese of Peterborough.
DeleteAs one of the founder members of K.F.C. i have to take issue, yes it is good to see you are back in the Borough,mind had you all listened to us you wouldn't have left in the first place, though a ground share, and of course you are still a ltd. Company, i.e. run by one man who what he says goes, much the same as all previous Chairmen of K.T.F.C.
ReplyDeleteOur aim is to be a community club where by everyone has a say as to what goes on in the club, join us and you have a say, if you don't like the chairman you can vote him off, win win i think, no doubt Ritchie is doing what he can for the club but he hasn't a bottomless pit and at some point will either run out or get fed up putting in, like previous chairmen,and will, surely, at some point want some or all his cash injection back, we suspect it is only a loan,
Even now you are getting players from all over, whats wrong with local, Kettering has a fantastic youth set up waiting to be tapped in to, or why not grow your own, that is our intention, and that is why we will not stray from our intended route, And yes you can store floodlights, they a couple of miles away from our intended ground, In Kettering.
Good luck for the coming season, K.F.C. goes on.
It think it will always pain me to read Kettering Town fans, even, lapsed Kettering Town fans referring to the Poppies as "You". I have hated a lot about the Poppies over the years, have stopped attending at times and boycotted the last few games of Peter Morris's last tenure. But I would never have disassociated myself from being a Poppies fan. A real fan can't.
ReplyDeleteYou can only judge people and organisations by what they actually do. Ritchie has so far delivered on everything he has promised, despite having no prior attachment to the club.
On the other hand, for all the laudible intentions, KFC are likely to remian a hobby football club, and if KBC remain consistent, a hobby football club playing outside of Kettering.
The Ltd style of football ownership only works if a) you're profitable or b) you have someone to plug the losses. We've been lucky enough to nearly always have b) but last year we saw what happens when you don't have that person.
ReplyDeleteWho's to say RJ will always be here? We all thought Ladak was great whilst he was bankrolling us to the BSN title and Fulham at home but as soon as he decided to stop plugging the losses we hated him. RJ might get bored at some point as well and then what do we do? Pray again for another money man I'm guessing...
I should state that I wouldn't go to KFC if KTFC ever died but that doesn't stop me admiring them, or any other club, that does go down the route of fan ownership. It's the fans that make football, not money men who so easily get bored of their plaything.
Everyone's worshiping RJ at the moment but perhaps now is the time to plan for the future scenario of RJ leaving, rather than do again what we did in the first few years of Ladak and bask in the bankrolled glory?
I also take issue to "real Fan" for thirty plus years i was, player, youth team, volunteer, through very thin times i might add a couple of cup games only went ahead because of myself and my brothers input, i have raised thousands of pounds for the club over that time and given a lot of my own time and money to keep the club afloat, for what? to see consecutive chairmen waste the good work put in by "real fans", however i found that once i objected to the move to None Park i became the target for abuse after i stated the obvious as to where the club would end up i also made it public that should i have been wrong then i would stand in the center circle and apologize to one and all, however i am still castigated because i see a different way forward for football in Kettering, lets be real since the sixties no chairman has really got success for K.T.F.C., no more reliance on one man and how thick his wallet is, i also want to see the opportunity for kids to have some way to continue their football once they have reached sixteen, as it stands most either disappear or are pushed to league clubs thus the local clubs missing out, and as for a "hobby Club" yes we are playing our u18's at Raunds but only until we can put up the lights then we will be already in a step six league which will allow us easier routes to the U.C.L. and beyond, we also made a small profit from our first season, which has to be a first, we have also just been awarded F.A.Charter standard, no mean feat, so yes we are a youth set at the moment, but there is a lot of hard work gone in to get the club this far, and you all know how hard it is to a ground in Kettering, but we will succeed and Mighty oaks etc.
ReplyDeleteAs i said Good luck and success for the new season.