Deep Breaths All Around

Whether the Club employees believe it or not, the average supporter, including those on Poppynet and here at PATGOD do not enjoy berating their efforts. I can’t believe anyone gets a thrill from pointing out perceived problems and shortcomings associated with our Club.

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The situation regarding matchday tickets seems to have spiralled unnecessarily into a bit of a slanging match between supporters and officials. But before the Club prepares another broadside to the fans I trust they’ll bear in mind these few words.

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Every Kettering supporter wants to see the team do well, in a stadium we can be proud of, stewarded in a sensible manner and administered in a confident way by the staff. We are desperate for this and most of us will do anything we can to help this situation come about. We will pay the expensive entrance fees, buy the Klondike tickets, buy the replica shirts, have a couple of pints in the Tin Hat, and if budget allows, we may even indulge in the odd burger or two. We’ll do these things happily to help maintain and improve our football club.

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When we moan about such things as the ticketing situation it is not merely to enjoy a good grizzle (honestly!) although being from Kettering, we obviously are partial to one of them every so often.

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We are worried about how the ticketing situation will affect our club. We worry that the old, infirm and non-domicile supporter will be heavily inconvenienced or miss out entirely on supporting the team. We are concerned that the “floating fans” will not see the Poppies as being their team of choice should they deign to put in an appearance. We’d like nothing more than to see our ground full of our supporters, roaring the Poppies to success. We tasted it last year, and are eager for more.

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The atmosphere against Fulham, particularly during the second half when we kept them pinned in their half and missed chances to punish our Premiership opponents, was as good as I can recall at Rockingham Road. All three home sides of the ground cheering at once! Brilliant. The Club made a fortune and we all enjoyed the day. Everyone is a winner. We want more of this sort of game and less of the outnumbered-in-our-own-ground type games such as Cambridge last season. At the moment we seem to be heading more and more in this direction.

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To help with this, supporters wouldn’t be worth their salt if they didn’t suggest alternative arrangements surely? Such as, would it be possible to set-up an online booking facility for supporters? And perhaps retain one pay turnstile?

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This wouldn’t be an issue if it were effectively policed? Perhaps we could continue to use the one on Cowper Street, which used to remain open to half time? These are just ideas to hopefully help stop our home support dwindling further.

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We desperately want the team and club to succeed, and our, at times, over-zealous pursuit of these aims can often come across as negativity, being critical or just plain pig-ignorant. We only ask that you understand why. We all want success for the Poppies, and you guys are sometimes in the firing line simply because you are the only people that can deliver it!

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We greatly appreciate your efforts thus far, and you need only show us clear leadership, and we will follow.