What Goes Around

Even though our Club might soon cease to exist, the fact that supporters are due to show Imraan the red card tomorrow makes me chuckle.  Who can forget the Leeds game where a bright-eyed, excited Imraan eagerly bounced in front of the ITV cameras to have a dig at the Council and wave his own red card.  true, we all felt the same as Imraan, and were soon waving our own red cards at our numb-nuts councillors.

As ever with publicity stunts it proved to be a 5 minute wonder.  Somehow the Council survived.  They still don't give a damn about the Poppies.  Leeds bloody well equalised.  Imraan (and Ben Pickering) didn't get their Manchester United pay day.  And Imraan didn't get his new ground with excellent facilities until we moved into the recently departed husk of the Scum last summer.

And what an excellent job Imraan has made of utilising all of the wondrous facilities at Non Park.  It does make you wonder how much of a fluke his successful locum business was when measured against his record since.  Burger bar in Rocky Road car park. Hmm. Blink-and-you'll-miss-it Insurance company.  Well.... Chinese restaurant in a football ground, outside a god-fearing village where they would probably burn at the stake anyone of oriental appearance.  What was he thinking?



Happier days.  Happier demonstrations. 
Equally miserable Poppies fans



It seems the only successful innovation Imraan has overseen at his time at the Poppies was the organisation of his red card demonstration.  It must have been a good idea, because it would appear he is going to be on the receiving end of a similar stunt on Saturday.  Or at least his empty seat in the Director's box will feel the withering blast of a few pieces or red card waved around, in a rapidly depopulated, and unloved stadium!

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

Careful with that axe, Eugene

We have had to put up with the former club employees grinding their axes with Imraan for many months on Poppynet.  You know, the ones who grandly announce that they are privy to tidbits of information that they couldn't possibly divulge to mere mortal Poppies supporters.  Oh no.  Heaven forbid.  It's enough that YOU know that THEY know something.

As it has transpired, they have been "right" and the club has been royally f**ked over by Imraan.  Not that any of them were in the least bit specific with their dark mumblings, but you wouldn't know this from the way they are crowing as the club is about to blink out of existence.

As we have all known, almost since his arrival, Imraan has run the Poppies in what could charitably be called a scandalously haphazard fashion.  And no one  has known this better than the axe-grinders, as they have been on the inside, looking out.  They have grandly swanned around the ground on matchdays, with their superior expressions, swathed in their "Poppies officialdom".  All seeing and all knowing.   They would have known then how Imraan was running the club, but did any of them say anything then, whilst exercising influence, strutting around in club blazers, or banking their DRC paychecks?  Of course not. They were more than happy to go along with Imraan's shenanigans as long as they were on the inside.  All of which makes their bleating now that they are just ordinary fans like the rest of us so hard to swallow.

Unfortunately this attitude has shown itself again with regard to the Supporters Trust.  Former members of the Trust committee, who have stood down over the years because they couldn't play nice with others, or threw their toys out of the pram, are popping up now asking why the Trust isn't organising boycotts, or setting up a brand new club, or at the very least, hiring a hitman to "rub-out" Imraan.

Again, when they were on the Trust committee they did bugger all, but now are demanding action from everyone else.  God alone knows why anyone would choose to be on this committee.  Since formation thay have contributed thousands to the club, organised pretty much every event the club has put on, and paid for most developments at Rocky Road such as disabled access, and new goalposts.  They even shelled out, at Imraan's "invitation" to pay to investigate our using Corby's new ground.

Former committee members, and others, including many who can't be arsed to part with a few quid to actually join, are clamouring for the Trust to ride in and sort all of the club's problems.  Not an easy task.  A thread on Poppynet talking about a simple task of demonstrations at "home" to FGR will have as many different suggestions as their are posters.

Painful as it is to admit, but until Imraan actually does something there is very little ANYONE can do.  If we want something to happen at the FGR game why not clamour for Imraan to take the microphone at halftime and tell us what's going on?  He likes talking.  He probably believes he can still talk us around.  All of us will be there.  And, if we don't like what we hear at least the Trust-hired hitman will have a clear shot.....

Stimson - A Poppies Career



September 2011, and Mark arrives at Non Park,
confident in his abilities and looking forward
to the challenge of lifting Morrell Maison's motley
collection of bored lard-arses up the
Blue Square League.





By November the  strain begins to show as most of  the large
group of lazy tubbies are shown the door and not replaced.


Not sure about the Chairman either....

  



By December the effort involved with
trying to keep a team of malingerers, 10 year olds
and malcontents going is taking it's toll.

Hasn't spoken to the Chairman since his
interview.  Can't remember his name.






After the Luton games, working with
a rapidly shrinking squad, and suffering from
further strain, Mark finally
hears back from the Chairman.

It's good news, he's free!



Poppynet goes Pop!

Graham Jones has spotted a painful flaw in online forums in general, and our own Poppynet in particular!  Please remember, if any of the posters have an issue with how they are portayed below, this wasn't written by the PATGOD staff! Doesn't mean we don't agree though!



"Have you noticed lately that no matter what the subject is on Poppynet the subject always finishes up with people having the same argument? Here is one thread that got banned.


Gaj: Haven’t we had a lot of wind and rain lately in Kettering.

The Gob: There’s been more at Nene Park though.

CC: I don’t know that Pink Floyd song Simon. Have you heard something about them having a new CD out?

The Gob: I tried telling people at Wicksteed Park that they have more rain at NP but everyone just put on their anoraks and just went there singing in the rain

CC; actually NP has the third highest rainfall of any ground in the Conference. Points for anyone who knows the top 2.

Penfold: I bet Radio Northampton won’t do a weather forecast for Kettering though.

JC: The trust knew NP has more rain but would anyone listen?

Horace: As long as it doesn’t get into my pint of Fugglemuckers Finger Ale I don’t care.

The Gob: That’s if IL has got any beer on. Didn’t he promise we would have free beer at NP?

Gretton Poppy: Is it Ebbsfleet?

CC: no

Timaloy: It rains a lot at Ibrox.

Elvis: I hadn’t used to think it was IL’s fault about all the rain lately but now I’m not so sure.

Pedro: At last people can see that it always rains more when the Tories are in power.

Sadman: I have checked and in fact it does rain at Rockingham Road as well

The Gob: I tried telling people at Wicksteed Park that they have more rain at NP but everyone just put on their anoraks and just went there singing in the rain.

Sev: We have thought about having a meeting about the rain but it is not possible due to our constitution.

Wotever: Believe me, it will pour down non-stop for the next 5 days.

Scully: When I was at the club my youth players had to get used to playing in rain, so we practised in the showers with the water full on.

Paulk: No wonder the electric bill was so high. I think IL knew all along that it rains a lot at NP as I used to tell him all the time but he wouldn’t listen. Solkhon plays well in the rain.

HOTK: …. ….. ….. …… …..!

The Gob: I tried telling people at Wicksteed Park that they have more rain at NP but everyone just put on their anoraks and just went there singing in the rain.

Everybody: Shut up!

This is why we don't normally talk to the press

It was my big moment. As I shuffled towards the turnstile, it became apparent there was a reporter asking fans for their views. Quickly I collected my thoughts...

“Excuse me, we’re asking fans for their hopes for 2012?”

I paused for a moment.

"I say to you today, my friend, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream.

I have a dream that one day this club will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: that every supporter can watch his team play in its rightful home."

I have a dream that one day even the plain of Irthlingborough, swimming with injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that one day the club of Kettering Town, whose owner’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where we glimpse the promised land.

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and we won’t be stuffed 5-0 twice inside a week.

This is our hope. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our struggle into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day".

The ET edited this slightly to:

“We need the embargo lifted, or I fear Poppies will be going down.”

Bloody journalists.

You know things are grim when...

...The team runs out to ‘Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life’

...Followed by ‘Daydream Believer’.

...Poppynet’s Prediction League is abandoned due to an overdose of pessimism.

...Away fans sympathetically refrain from pointing out we’re shit and we know we are.

...Yet again we’re losing at home with the scoreboard reading 2.59pm.

...The team earn warm applause for avoiding defeat by a spectacular margin.

...Marcel McKie would greatly strengthen the squad.

...So would Ernie Moss. Now.

...Cobblers are in free fall and we’re all too depressed to care.

...The most likely opponents next Christmas are AFC Diamonds.

...It wasn’t this bad under Mark English.