Interesting times. As ever.

I'm sure I'm not alone in remembering a time when owners of Kettering Town FC couldn't sell on the club for love nor money.  Well, money anyway.  We all recall cheesy Imraan's cheesy photograph of him cheesily waving the keys to Nonce Park on the back page of the ET, saying, "Come buy my stake in literally nothing".  Or the seeming ages it took for Ritchie to extricate himself from the club after making it clear he wanted out.

Now it would appear we have at least two interested parties vying to nail down the best parking spot at Latimer Park, get their mug in the programme and glad-hand opposition club officials on a Saturday.

In the Red corner we have George and his family.  On the positive side, other than getting us back into the National League you can't argue with their impact at the club.  Two pretty successful seasons.  Gates averaging over 4-figures.  THAT day at Sixfields.  Some seriously buzzing weekends.  In the "Negative" column, George seems to have fallen out with a lot of our volunteers and doesn't take perceived criticism well.  And let's not talk about punting the Concession Season Ticket price several years down the road.....

In the Other Red corner there's blast-from-the-past Brad Piercewright with his sudden wealth and even more sudden need to take over the club and spend us into the League.

In an ideal world (i.e. outside of the madness of football) our two suitors would find a way to work together for the betterment of the club.  Put aside personal ambition to achieve greatness together.  But such is the intoxication of football club ownership even at our lowly level, and the buzz and glamour that comes with it, that I doubt an accommodation can be made.  No, instead I'm sure we'll soon see a splintered fanbase taking pot-shots at each other yet again as the two combatants slug it out for the enormous prize of being slagged-off on KTFC Chat after 4.45PM every Saturday.

George and Brad in happier days

FIFTEEN YEARS! Jeez.....

This round of end-of-season games flashed up on social media recently.  I always have a quick look to see in which of a half dozen divisions we might have been playing at the time.  On this occasion I noted that we were spending one of our last (probably ever) seasons suping at the top tier of non-league football.  Then I noted the fixture - the last Saturday of the season and a home win over Southport.  And the year - 2011 and it dawned on me that this was the game after which nothing was ever the same again.

Within a couple of months of this fixture we'd left Rockingham Road forever.  Southport were briefly relegated.  The Direones Mk I had gone bust and we were measuring-up for curtains down at Nonce Park.

We finished the game against Southport with, if memory serves, a couple of late goals to send them down and then probably clapped the players off before retiring to the bar to have a few drinks and reflect on a reasonable season in the top flight of Non-League football.  We probably discussed which players Marcus Law might like to retain for the following season.  It'd be great if we could secure the services of on-loan Danny Mills wouldn't it?  Was Adan Cunnington quite up to this level?  Would Ian Roper be able to shave a pound or two off from his cuddly-frame in the close season?  

We'd have pondered who would be our whipping boys away from home now Southport were heading to the punishment of the cold gulag that was Blue Square North.  And we no doubt pondered what hair-brained schemes our increasingly erratic owner might come up with and gave a little chuckle before heading home to catch up with Dr Who and Strictly (at least some things don't change) and a take away meal from one of the numerous outlets on Rockingham Road.  Not a single one of us had an inkling what was coming next.  Was that better than knowing?  I still can't say for sure.

Time marches on.  15 years have passed since then.  We've been ensconced at Latimer Park for over a dozen years now and for a lot of our fans this is all they've ever known.  Think about it.  Very few of our fans under the age of, say, 25, would have ever even seen a Kettering team run out at a ground in Kettering.  They wouldn't have experienced the sights, the sounds, the smells of Rockingham Road.  Or breathed in the pungent atmosphere made up of equal parts cigarette smoke, embrocation and bovril.  

Recently I found myself sufficiently close to our old ground to summon up the nerve to walk up through the houses that now cover our old patch.  Thankfully nothing remains to pull on the heartstrings.  Just a number of small, very closely built, hideously expensive houses on an unexpectedly steep hill.  And then, just when I thought I'd safely negotiated this minefield, I came out onto Cowper Street and the familiarity of the row of houses there plunged me into a feeling of utter sadness.  

Looking directly at these houses a completely irrational fragment of my lizard-mind absolutely KNEW that if I simply turned 180 degrees that Rockingham Road would somehow still be there.  Would that it was....

To directly quote 80's big-hated Reggae popsters, Aswad -

"Don't Turn Around"

That was the season that was

In the end the season finished with a whimper.  Apart from a barely five minute spell after Eddie scored, we didn't really threaten our hosts.  Just for a moment we looked like we might rediscover the attacking verve that has propelled us into the play-off shake-up.  But no.  Dollar-Soaked FC scored a third and that was that.  Of the three money-bloated tiny teams in the division, one won the league and the other two will be playing the play-off final.  All very predictable and horribly dispiriting.  

The whimper-finish to the season was by no means entirely Liam's fault, but in the final analysis he was the person who dictated that during the last month of the season we adopt such a negative method of play.  Wingers were despatched to the substitute bench.  Seven defenders packed the middle of the park and Eddie was given lofted punts to try to feed off.  We definitely adopted a safety first, second and third approach with a view to hopefully pinching something in the last twenty minutes.  It was almost as if the management had forgotten that we had only got as far as the play-offs because we'd put it all out there and gone for it over the second half of the season.  We seemed to have got scared that we'd squander our play-off place if we'd continued to attack the opposition.  A shame as those fans who swelled out gates towards the end of the season saw only subdued April-Poppies and not the swashbuckling March-Poppies who blitzed their way up the league table in the first place.  Are they likely to return in such numbers next season to watch us try to bore our way to the odd win?  Doubtful.

Post season, minds turn to the playing staff and who we'd like to keep.  As much as I'd like to keep a large number of the players I fear another Poppies post-season bloodbath.  With a mixture of ending contracts and disappearing loan players I feel the Poppies team that takes to the baked, cracked Latimer Park pitch this coming August will bear little resemblance to the one that trudged off the field at Bedford.

As for last seasons players, these are my thoughts, and my guesses as to loanees and contracts....

I would gladly keep either of the goalkeepers we had this season.  I assume White was on a year's contract, so he'll be a free agent.  I was never sure of Alexander's status.  It seems he lives in a bit of a twilight area where he's always at the end of a phone to answer our emergency call.

In defence loanees Mensah and Coyle will be heading back to Bedford Town.  I'd have them both back here in a shot should we get the chance.  I assume Peters is on contract for next season - why would he come here so late in the season else?   He looks useful but I need more of a look to come to a firm decision.  Issacson falls into the same category.  I wouldn't be disappointed to see him back, but if we lost him I'd survive.  Andoh went from looking like the weak link in our defence to an occasional world-beater.  Definitely worth another punt.  I'd have no issue with seeing Rowe, one of Liam's early acquisitions, again next season, but, sorry, but Forsyth's tenure must surely be over - he can't really nail a place in either defence or midfield.  And then there's Glennon.  Is he our player or not?  I vote "not."

In midfield Van Lier will be heading back to Inbred Central (aka Kings Lynn).  I'm not sure I'd fight too hard to get him back.  Same with Bitemo returning to Hereford.  I doubt we'll see him again.  Had some good games but if he never pulled on a Poppies shirt again would I lose any sleep?  I'm guessing Fatadjo is at the end if his contact.  Good player and Liam seems to like him.  But is he worth his presumably large wedge.  Don't know?  I'd keep him but somehow doubt we will.  Thanoj is unlikely to return for the new season.  This won't bother many people (particularly my other half) but I often see more in his play than others and has been one of his biggest defenders.  Even so I think his Poppies race is run....Another contract presumably now run it's course is York's.  I love what Wes brings to the team but it's obvious Liam doesn't, so it's farewell to Wes.  Of the two Kai's I can't see Fifield returning.  Skillful as the day is long, but lacking fitness and heart.  Williams has been under-used but I'd like to see him come back as he is the type of direct winger the opposition defenders hate.  Lewis, curiously, faded this season as our results improved.  Back next year?  Not really fussed either way.  Nor is he I suspect.

Upfront I think Jeche is worth persevering with.  He desperately needs more game time but is a handful whenever given the chance.  Panter's retention is the the proverbial "no brainer".  Horrible nasty little shit on the pitch he may be, but he's OUR horrible, nast little shit, and our season would have been a far drabber affair without him.  If Powell can't find his way back from Alvechurch I won't be fussed.  The saving on his wages will be more welcome than him.  Shame really as he was, for a short time, as good as we've had in years.

Let's play a game.  

Players from this Season I wouldn't mind seeing return for 2026-27.

White or Alexander (sorry, really can't split them!)

Andoh / Coyle / Mensah

Fatadjo / York / Williams

Panter / Jeche

Players from this Season that Liam will probably retain for 2026-27.

Panter

Eddie can look forward to single-handedly
carrying the Poppies again in 2026-27

(c) Shorty