Kettering's cup triumph

Kettering Town 2-1 Notts County
FA Cup Second Round
Wednesday 10th December 2008

Celebrations for Kettering! (Photo: Unknown)

In terms of unlikely non-league FA Cup success stories, many people have perhaps forgotten the exploits of Kettering Town just over a decade ago.

Managed by Mark Cooper, the Poppies were a decent Blue Square Premier (now National League) outfit at the time, boasting several players with a decent pedigree who'd either 'been there and done it' at a higher level at some point in their careers or youngsters who had the potential to progress. They certainly weren't the easiest of opponents to face due to Exodus Geohaghon's torpedo-like long-throws, the uncompromising defensive steel of Guy Branston and the goal threat offered by Gareth Seddon.

Certainly, as was proved on this occasion which marked my only trip to Rockingham Road, they were more than capable of giving League Two teams a good game!

Though the game was live on Setanta Sports, the opportunity to get down to Northamptonshire on an otherwise unremarkable Wednesday evening was too good to refuse. Who wouldn't want to miss a cup game under the floodlights (and huge, striking pylon floodlights as well) on a freezing cold night just a couple of weeks before Christmas?

The initial tie at Meadow Lane had finished in a 1-1 draw with Brett Solkhon putting the Poppies into an early lead before Sean Canham levelled. Craig Westcarr had gone close in the second half with a shot which was blocked on the line but a replay at Rockingham Road it was.

So now a cup shock was possible, hence why the TV cameras were in town, and County's indifferent form showed they were far from being a formidable outfit but surely even they'd have enough to get the job done at the second attempt against non-league opposition?

Around 3,500 packed into the ground and it seemed that a surprise wouldn't be happening as Jay Smith put Notts ahead close to the break with a rocket of a strike which found the net via the underside of the crossbar.

Sat in the away section of the Main Stand with County's travelling contingent, there was an air of confidence during the half-time interval - a false belief that, having broken the deadlock to take the lead, it would be a straightforward task to get the job done hereafter.

The second half was a completely different affair and it didn't take long for Kettering to rally as Exodus Geohaghon launched one of his long-throws into the mixer and though it was partially clear, the ball was recycled with a terrific cross from which Solkhon put enough power on his header to beat Russell Hoult with it and level the score at 1-1.

Rockingham Road was in raptures and there was a terrific noise around the place yet within 85 seconds of the game re-starting, that joy turned into double delight as Kettering turned the game on its head and scored again - this time as Gareth Seddon was teed up by Westcarr before finding the target with a low drive.

As the home crowd erupted into celebrations once again, even with 35 still to play at this point, their was an air of shell-shocked resignation, despair and silence in the away section. As much as Kettering had brilliantly fought back, they'd also capitalised on slack stupidity (especially for the second goal) as County's players had switched off - and now, it was they who suddenly had a job to do! 

Despite what must have seemed a nerve-jangling, tense and pain-staking finale for the home fans, with seconds seeming like hours, their was to be no comeback and referee Scott Mathieson's final whistle brought a mini pitch invasion and euphoric scenes of delight as it was Kettering, and not Notts County, who had progressed into the Third Round.

There's no doubt Charlie McParland, Notts' then-boss, delivered an explosive, expletive-laden rant at his players once they were back in the dressing room because they'd simply chucked away a golden opportunity to go on a cup run. The Scotsman couldn't have been happy, even though you couldn't take anything away from Kettering's magnificent fightback!

Football is often a much smaller world than people believe and there's a plethora of connections linking clubs/individuals who featured in this game - some of whom I later got to know personally whilst working at Mansfield Town.

The end where Solkhon and Seddon scored.

The TV pundit for Setanta Sports was a certain Paul Cox - now the current Kettering manager who also appeared for Notts County during his playing days. At the time, he was managing Eastwood Town - the lowest-ranked team left in the FA Cup and they were awaiting the winners of this tie (and probably hoping for a local derby) in Round Three. Cox's best success came at Mansfield and, of the two sides, many players were later signed by him including John Thompson, Exodus Geohaghon and John Dempster. Others to have had spells at Field Mill include Craig Westcarr (who actually signed for Notts six months after this game), Kevin Pilkington and Paul Mayo.

Kettering triumphed over Eastwood, who also wore black and white stripes, in the next round in what was perhaps the most unglamorous FA Cup Third Round since the turn of the century, before ultimately bowing out to Fulham in Round Four.

It's a crying shame that in the years immediately afterwards, Kettering's decline was sharp and drastic - thanks largely due to their enigmatic, ego-driven owner, Imraan Ladak, who alienated most of the fanbase by relocating the club several miles to Nene Park - vacated when Rushden & Diamonds went bust in 2011.

The Main Stand. County's fans were in the grey seats (Photo: Dan Westwell).

The move, unsurprisingly, didn't work out and whilst the bulldozers were quick to move in and flatten every last trace of Rockingham Road, Kettering dropped out of the Conference Premier in 2012. Nowadays, although the Poppies are back playing in their hometown once again (to a degree; ground-sharing in Burton Latimer), these halcyon days seem very much a distant memory!

Life hasn't been as good for Mr Ladak in the years since. Renowned for being problematic and difficult amongst his former players, in the last few months alone he's been declared bankrupt, caught up in a bitter dispute with his old employers (this time, Pertemps) and subsequently jailed for making derogatory comments about former colleagues!