By Nathan Jackson
June 6 2011

Kettering Town are familiar foes for the Imps after the clubs met in the incredibly controversial FA Cup 1st Round games back in 2008. The controversy surround an alledged racial attack on several members of the Imps' playing squad and coaching staff, combine that with a defeat and it was a few weeks to forget for the Imps.

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Back in October 2008, Lincoln were on a fine run of form, winning 5 games out of 6 and the day after a 1-0 win at Bournemouth came the FA Cup draw. City were drawn away to Blue Square Premier leaders Kettering Town.

The clubs had shared a reasonable relationship up until that point, facing each other in pre-season friendlies on a regular basis and we even shared the odd player. Richard Butcher, Anthony Elding, Craig Westcarr Nicky Eaden, Keith Alexander, Paul Musselwhite, Ben Wright, Rene Howe and Alan Buckley and John Deehan have all been linked with both clubs, and Owain Warlow had even been on loan at Kettering from Lincoln just weeks before the FA Cup games.

Kettering won 2-1 in a replay and to be fair, were the better team over the two games but the games turned two clubs that got on relatively well into enemies. It emerged that after the game, a Kettering fan had alledgely shouted racial abuse at members of the Lincoln bench, including assistant Iffy Onuora. What followed was months of bitter comments on both sides and the clubs haven't gotten on since. As it turns out, the fan's court case came to nothing due to a lack of evidence.

It was yet another example of how Kettering have made the news in recent years. The four times Conference runner's up became professional in 2006/7 and they were looking at promotion with a few weeks to go before falling away. Morell Maison was sacked with two games to go for not winning the title and Graham Westley took over as caretaker, losing to Farsley in the Playoffs. They soon appointed Mark Cooper and the 2007/8 proved to be a multi-record breaking season for the Poppies. They won the most games ever in the Conference North (29), divisional record points of 87 and starting the season with seven straight wins, all culminating in the title.

That had come just a few years after a failed attempt to turn Paul Gascoigne as manager, the former Boston man leaving after just 39 days. And whilst Kettering have a proud history in the FA Cup, an FA Cup replay at Leeds United in 2009/10 proved very controversial. Lee Harper was player/manager and was on the pitch as former Lincoln Director of Football John Deehan bought on Lee Fowler for Patrick Nousbissie and despite holding Leeds to a highly respectable draw at full time, Kettering would lose the game 5-1 after extra-time and Deehan was sacked the next morning. Imran Laddak heavily criticising the substitution and said it was the main reason that Kettering lost.

Kettering finished midtable last season but moved down a place on June 6th after fielding an ineligible player twice and they were deducted the two points they won in those games.

The Poppies have been rated as likely midtable-also-rans by bookmakers. 

Getting to know the Blue Square Premier : Kettering Town

Discussion started by theimps.ka (IP Logged), 06/06/2011 17:56

theimps.ka
06/06/2011 17:56

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