[Chief Rum]

July 10, 2002

Northant Evening Telegraph

What's Going On With The Poppies?

by Roger Terndon

In all my years of covering Northant sports, I'm not sure I have ever seen the confusion that abounds regarding those Poppies up the road. It must be driving the Kettering folk mad.

The practices are closed. No one can get in. The players are under lock and key. There was even a report that the club bus was seen leaving the Rock a couple weeks ago, purportedly to some unknown location to practice away from roving eyes.

But we know they haven't added anybody. No transfers or loans have been announced. Other managers are saying that new manager Matthew Kieta has not gotten back to them as of yet on some of their offers, or even on congratulations for acquiring the job. Kieta reportedly hasn't even added anyone to his staff yet. And we're even hearing rumors filtering out of the team offices that the players might not be match-ready, although that is certainly not a surprise here in early July.

This entire affair just drubs me up wrong. The strange hire of this unknown manager. The secrecy. The fact that this side, for all of its achievements in the Southern league last year, is missing components of that team, like the sacked Carl Shuttm that, without whom, will certainly put it in a fight to stay above relegation this year.

What is The Mallingerer and his new henchman up to? Do they even care about this club anymore? Or the good folk of Kettering? My guess is that Mallinger is just looking to sell the team and avoiding taking on any big contracts at the moment. It’s patently obvious this new manager is just another one of his yes-men. Saints be with us if Mallinger hasn’t figured out that a Conference side is worth a heck of a lot more than a Southern League semi-pro hack squad.

Actually, it seems to me that the townsfolk are inordinately optimistic, considering what we have heard so far. You have to feel for these people, putting up such a good face in a situation like this. Part of that is how well this Mr. Kieta has handled himself in his few scrapes with the media thus far. Part of it is the Southern League championship and the return to the Nationwide. Part of it is just that sense of every new season being a new opportunity as well.

I pray that their faith is well-founded, but I fear otherwise. Mayhaps we shall discover what kind of lot these Poppies are in five days—when they play their first friendly against Bournemouth.