Another Gary down!

Last season I bemoaned the fact that I lagged behind Gary Stohrer, Gary Hooper, Gary Graham and Gary Foreman in a Latimer-Park-Gary-Hierarchy I'd just made up.  Well, we're not looking so Gary-centric these days.

By now everyone will have heard that Gary and Sara were departing as "mein host and hostess" at the Poppies Social Club.  Anyone who has spent any time in the clubhouse in recent years knows how much effort the pair of them have put in to give us an off-field facility to be proud of.  Numerous events, regular pool, darts, bingo etc. evenings are testament to the work they have done.  As much as Gary on the terraces is a noisy drunken buffoon (!) off-field he is the consummate host, relaxing, glad-handing and happily watching as Sara and the other staff do the actual work.

As soon as their sudden departure was announced, on the eve of a new season most of us felt at least a smidgen on unease.  This news had seemed to come entirely from left field.  They were still taking bookings for tables at the next bingo evening at the end of July.  A curious thing to be doing if you knew you were leaving....?

Now the pair of them have been placed on the always-homely-sounding "gardening leave".  This evokes a charming image of Sara pottering around her herbaceous borders while Gary watches on from under their patio hoarding, nursing a cold can or two and offering the odd word of unsolicited advice.  In reality, it means your employer has dispensed with your services and doesn't trust you not to burn the entire company down to the ground while you work your notice, so has your keys confiscated and gets his security people to march you off the site. 

How did this situation head south so quickly?  And how closely does this resemble Lavery's departure a few weeks ago.  Never mind the job you've done - you're out.  I have no idea what has happened behind the scenes.  I doubt many have.  But what I do know is something Ritchie admitted to a couple of seasons ago that the social club had made more money for the football club than matchdays attendances had during at least one season.  Stewardship of the clubhouse cannot be an afterthought or left to a couple of the dwindling number of volunteers George still gets on with to run.  It's a serious position for a club of our size.  Having the right person or people in position to run this side of the club is more important to the overall well-being of the Poppies than any showy signing on the playing side.  

So far, George and the other new owners have, rightly, been largely seen as a positive and have been supported by the overwhelming majority of us.  They have said all the right things, although, if past evidence is anything to go by, this isn't necessarily the hardest thing to do.  They had the benefit of the best season since Rockingham Road days.  The goodwill is still there.  But goodwill is a finite resource and soon depleted.  Since we last all gathered at Latimer Park we have lost a good Manager, some more than decent players and now the best people any of us can recall running the club bar.

So far George et al have known nothing but sunny days at Latimer Park.  I truly hope they continue, but recent developments can do nothing except frighten the horses, and Kettering Town horses are notoriously easy to frighten and very hard to placate afterwards.

And as for Gary Foreman - better watch yourself on that rickety-looking gantry.....

Ta-ra for now