Cox in for the lads

The maths is pretty simple for Paul Cox.

29 game left to play

+

Get enough points in that time for us to end the season third from bottom

=

Become Poppies Legend.  Forever.  

So much so, we'll never dream of questioning how much you've "enjoyed" life since you stopped playing.

Blurred Vision

I went to the optician’s today for an eye test. It found I'm slightly short sighted, which makes it harder to see distant things clearly. I was advised this could be an issue when, for example, going to a football match.  Did I want glasses?

My mind flashed back to last Saturday.

“No thanks!”

At the moment, the less seen the better. After a month or two of ‘adjusting to life at this level’ the Spennymoor game punctured any illusion that things are going to get better without a major shake up in personnel.  Against a side that are just solidly mid table we looked smaller, weaker and devoid of any idea where the next goal is coming from. And that was just in the warm up. Bmm tish!

Though we’ve been here before with struggling sides, I can barely remember the Poppies looking so futile so early in a season, with the exception of the Nene Park fallout. However there are still nearly 30 games to go and the chance to re-set under a new manager. Who will it be?  Even the ever reliable rumour mill was finding it hard to cough much up last weekend. Over 30 applications had been received, and they were all, er, from people. Believed to be associated with football.  With some experience of playing the game.  Come on, give us a clue! 

It’s good though that the club are taking their time, after the rather too hasty announcement of Eaden (was that after sifting through 30 candidates? maybe not). This is probably the most important appointment we have made in many years, so let’s give ourselves the best chance to get it right. I hope though, that extra points in the interview process aren’t awarded for being an ex Poppy. “Someone who understands the fans and their expectations”.  Marcus Law had it right when he said that other managers make us a feature of their team talk: keep it tight and wait for the moaning b*stards to turn on their team. And this idea that a former legend will have a special insight – well Man U tried that and you have to say it’s going well.  No, all it gives you is an extra few games before the knives are out.

What do we need? Ideally a magician, an inspirational figure who can turn base metal into gold. On £250 a week plus expenses. But failing that a grizzled old sod with a book (because he doesn’t do laptops) bulging with contacts, who can bring in a bit of experienced knowhow at short notice to shore things up. A modern version of Graham Carr, and no we don’t mean Alan.  

 

Hello, is that Billy Whitehurst?

    

Legends indeed

Last night's Legends evening at Latimer Park was a rousing success.  Gordon, Sean and Jim spoke well and their mix of amusing stories, gossip and glimpses of the Poppies past, kept the large crowd entertained.

These guys still consider Kettering Town to be THEIR club.  No matter where they originated, or who else they played for they all stayed local and stayed engaged with the Poppies.  This is certainly a trait one doubts that modern players are likely to emulate.  In the days where being on the bench for a couple of games has players rushing for the "Exit", it is doubtful many of today's crop will be engaged in this sort of evening 30 or 40 years down the line.

But, what struck me the most the evening was the sense of history and continuity that came from engaging with men who played for us 40 or 50 years ago, and sharing stories that many people in the room remembered and could relate to.  Decades of shared memories of good times and bad times.

It made me consider how we, the current crop of Poppies fans, all to often allow a few bad results to lose our perspective.  KTFC is a living organism, that has weathered much hardship over the years.  How petty do we look when defeat in a single game can tip us over the edge into desperate fury, when balanced against our club being in it's third century of continued survival?  The Poppies are for life, not just for 90 minutes.

Of course, this will all go out of the window if Spennymoor turn us over this afternoon...

Farewell Alex - we hardly knew ya!

Alex Nimely's departure didn't come as too much of a surprise to seasoned Nimley watchers.  When you consider he has never played more than 20 games for ANY of his 11 clubs so far, and hadn't found the net since notching for the mighty Stabaek in Norway almost three years ago, one wonders why we placed so much faith in him.

In his few minutes on the pitch for the Poppies he did slightly less than the last supporter who invaded the pitch and was about as threatening.

So much riding on him.  Waiting for the International Clearance.  Dumping Aaron for him.  Sometimes you wonder how Eaden hung on to his job for as long as he did....

One for a future Poppies Programme Quiz