BROMSGROVE ROVERS PROGRAMME NOTES 25th JANUARY 2025

 

Dear Supporter

 

Our first home game since Boxing Day would you believe?!  With two games called off due to a frozen pitch it not only effects our Saturday afternoons and what to do with them but it also has an affect on the Club’s finances.  I guess we can roughly work out revenue lost over those two games.  This has sparked the usual discussion about the pros and cons of pitch covers or similar.  Several games in the EFL were called off despite having pitch covers.  These things are not cheap and have to be weighed up against revenue lost, practicalities of laying the covers and then taking them back up etc.  Maybe we don’t need covers for the whole pitch or we could have the type of cover which inflates and heaters are placed underneath?  Lots of questions and things to contemplate.  George has asked the Trust to get involved along with others.  Let’s see where this leads over the coming months.

 

The Club is also doing some renovation work in and around the Clubhouse and is liaising with the Trust to help out with some of the costs.  We will keep you informed of any donations we make so you know where your money is going.

 

As you know, the Trust likes to donate money towards projects which benefit the fans which ultimately benefit the Club.

 

In order to boost our funds to help out with costs mentioned above, we will be  selling/raffling off the remaining FA Cup goals – this initiative will be launched at the end of January and a new board will erected in the ground showing fans names against the goals sold.  Details are due to be published imminently.

 

Other fundraising initiatives in the pipeline include:

 

·       300 Club draw

·       Race Night for the Dylan Cecil Memorial Fund – 50% split between the Fund and the Trust

 

This calendar membership year we have 100 members (37 of which are life members) and we thank you all for joining.  Of course, events run and money donated are not just for Trust members but for all Poppies fans.  Supporters’ organisations come and go so we are proud that the Trust has been round for 32 years – coming into its 33^rd year to be precise!  Long may it continue but it does need volunteers to keep it ticking over.  If you feel that you can bring something to the Trust Board then please contact us – we would love to hear from you.

 

We are also looking for an archivist or two or three (!) to help sort our memorabilia collection which is currently housed in the Newland Centre.  If anyone is interested, please contact us.

 

Today we welcome Bromsgrove Sporting to Latimer Park.  The away fixture saw us earn the three points with a 2-1 victory with Johny Edwards scoring a penalty on his debut.  We have come unstuck a little bit recently but no need to press the panic button yet.  We are still in the mix!

 

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

 FA CUP GOALS SPONSORS DRAW.

£2.00 for each draw number. 1st number drawn out to choose which goal they wish to sponsor from the top 4 goals. 2nd to select from the remaining top 4. 3rd then fourth. From 5th number drawn out onwards to be sponsored in chronological order.

Draw to be made on 22nd March 2025

Purchase your ticket here, or on matchdays in the clubhouse.

 

CLICK ON FOOTBALL FOR COMPLETE FA CUP GOALS LIST

BIGGLESWADE PROGRAMME NOTES 26th December 2024

 

Dear Supporter

 

It’s that time of year when we enjoy time with our family and friends and reflect on the year that is just about to end.  From a footballing perspective the Poppies have definitely had a year of two halves.  At one point early in the year, we faced the reality that we could get relegated for a second season in a row.  It could have happened – no team is immune; why would we be any different?  Fans often say “that was the worst game I have ever seen” – last season not a truer word was spoken after the defeat away to St Ives.  Luckily for us Ritchie stepped in and appointed Richard Lavery who did what he had to do to keep us in this League.  First half of they year over. 

 

Mid-year George, Nadiya and Fabian walked into the Club and breathed new life into it.  And what new life, so far, it has been.  Who could have even dreamt that we would be this high up in the League with a great cup run thrown into the mix – no-one that’s for sure.  There will be bumps along the way, that’s football.  But there is renewed vigour and hope around the Club and we can’t ask for more than that.

 

It is also the time of year when we remember loved ones who are no longer with us.  Within the Poppies community we have lost “loved ones” this year.  I lost my Dad at the beginning of the year.  He was a Poppies fan for many years and served on the Social Club Committee.  We travelled to away games on the Travel Club coach together when Hamish Young ran it.  Sadly, Hamish died recently.  Lots has been written about him – larger than life is the most common thread!  Indeed he was!  As well as running the Travel Club he ran the Tin Hat Social Club for a while along with his wife Shirley.  He was also at the forefront in the Mark English days/formation of the Trust and I remember him leading a pitch side protest  against said peron away at Slough when a lot of fans realised that Mark English’s intentions were not good ones.  For a real insight into the man that was Hamish, read the PATGOD article which sums him up perfectly.  With their permission I have used the closing paragraph of the article: “So RIP Hamish, a legend in your own (extended) lunchtime and a bit part of what made KTFC enjoyable back in the day.  A lot of us would settle for even a fraction of that.”

 

Our thoughts are with everyone who has lost a loved one.  As a wise man once said (Bruce Springsteen!), we grieve because we have loved well.

 

The Trust would also like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a peaceful new year.

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

BISHOP STORTFORD PROGRAMME NOTES 14th December 2024

 

Dear Supporter

 

It was good whilst it lasted but our great FA Cup run has come to an end.  We pushed Doncaster all the way but couldn’t quite get across the line.  We absolutely did not let ourselves down and definitely felt disappointed that we couldn’t put the game to bed – heads can be held high and the memories of this cup run can be filed away and be added alongside those of Leeds, Fulham, and Charlton etc. 

 

On the back of this, the Trust will be resuming its sponsor an FA Cup goal initiative – probably early in the New Year.  We got as far as sponsoring the first 892 goals which were put on the board below and displayed in the ground.  They have subsequently been taken down to make way for ground improvements but we are sure they will find their way back up once we sell the current 31 goals.  Look out for further details coming soon.

  

Thank you to everyone who paid to have their name on the Working Together Boards and also joined the Trust.  Both boards are filled now and on display in the ground - go and check your name out.

 

With Christmas literally just around the corner why not help raise money for the Trust by ordering your gifts via  We have raised over £1200 in the last few years.  It is an easy way to shop.  All you need to do is go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever! 

 

Today, we welcome Bishop Stortford to Latimer Park.  For some reason, with typical Poppies imprecision, my recollection of our previous pair of fixtures against them back in the 2017-8 season is negligible compared to the games against them in the 2003-4 Isthmian League season of woe.  This, despite us doing the double over them in 2017-8 and scoring eight goals to nil over the two fixtures.  Back in 2003-4 the away humping at Bishop Stortford in the first game of January 2004 was a thoroughly miserable experience.  We meekly surrendered 4-1 at the Blues’ Woodside Park stadium on an afternoon of such achingly freezing weather that, to this day, I only have to think of this game and my teeth chatter.  I swear that the marrow in my bones froze that day.  Just over a month later, in the return fixture, the Poppies were, if anything, at an even lower ebb.  In a season where finishing in the top half of the table would funnel us into the inaugural season of Nationwide North, we were, in mid-February, in serious danger of missing the cut.  By the time Bishop Stortford visited Rockingham Road we had lost 14 league games to a number of acknowledged footballing giants such as Ford United and Heybridge Swifts.

 

We overcame Bishop Stortford 3-2 and, frankly didn’t look back again, losing only one more game all season to finish 9^th and thus sneak into Nationwide North the following season (it was much easier back then!)

 

The Blues were relegated out of Conference North last season.  Nobody likes relegation but that must have been a long old slog for them playing away to the likes of Spennymoor etc.

 

Let’s continue our good form and grab those three points!

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

 

DONCASTER ROVER PROGRAMME NOTES 2nd December 2024

 

Dear Supporter

 

So the big day has finally arrived – seems like ages since we beat The Cobblers in that famous victory at the beginning of November.  There have been plenty of League games since then and we still find ourselves sitting top of Southern Premier Central.  As the old adage goes, the League is our bread and butter but, if we are all honest, today’s tie hasn’t been far from all our minds since the draw for the second round was made.  A lot of work has been going on behind the scenes from ticketing to sprucing up the ground.  A big thanks to Duncan Harris who put a new hand-rail on the stairs up to the hospitality lounge.  George asked the Trust if we could source a supplier and Duncan offered to do the rail for no fee – many thanks Duncan.  Well done to all the volunteers for all the work they gave been doing behind the scenes in the build-up to this game. 

 

I made mention of this in recent programme notes – a few weeks ago I was coming home on a busy train from London one Saturday and unwittingly ended up sitting next to Lee Glover.  We (probably mainly me) had a good chat about all things Poppies – and a bit of a conversation about Doncaster Rovers.  Lee had just been in London to see Barrow play Bromley as Doncaster were due to play Barrow in the FA Cup.  The draw had not been made for this round so imagine my surprise when we were drawn against Rovers - an omen, pure co-incidence – you be the judge!

 

Let’s enjoy today – it’s been quite some time since we enjoyed FA Cup exposure.  The pressure is all on Doncaster!

 

Thank you to everyone who has paid to have their name on the Working Together Boards and also joined the Trust.  We have filled both boards now.  One of them is already on display in the ground and the second one is due to be put up as well – might even be on display today!

 

INSERT IMAGES

 

With Christmas just around the corner why not help raise money for the Trust by ordering your gifts via  We have raised over £1200 in the last few years.  It is an easy way to shop.  All you need to do is go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever! 

 

Thanks for all your support.

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

LEISTON PROGRAMME NOTES 11th November 2024

 

Today’s visitors, Leiston FC arrive at Latimer Park comfortably mid-table, but knowing that a run of good results could put them in the midst of the incredibly crowded play-off chase.  Equally, they don’t need me to remind them that a dodgy run might leave them fighting for their status in the division.

The fact that Leiston are even in this division is a tribute to a club that hails from a town the size of Brixworth.  Not only that, but Leiston boasts TWO senior clubs, with Leiston St Margarets FC also pulling in punters from the same small supporter pool.

Everything I know about Leiston FC I gleaned during a holiday in Suffolk this past September when the Poppies Trust Chairman and myself took in the enormous and presumably grudge-filled, “East/West Suffolk” derby between them and their visitors from Sudbury.  And all of the insider-information was gathered in a pre-match chat with a couple of local supporters happy, if bemused, that Kettering fans would be boosting the modest attendance on such a foul, sodden Tuesday evening. 

Leiston have a small, modern stadium with a scant standing cover.  What cover that was on offer was most welcome given the torrential rain that accompanied the warm-up and the first half of the game.  The pitch at Victory Road though, was so good that the game was never in question.  Their billiard-table flat playing surface is of a quality we can only dream of in this corner of Northamptonshire.  I’m already looking forward to seeing Lavery’s charges enjoy themselves on it to the full next March.

In our short playing history with Leiston, although we have won both of our games in Suffolk, we have yet to defeat them at Latimer Park.  In our first pair of fixtures in 2019, on our way to winning this division, Leiston beat us 2-1 at Latimer Park early in the season with a decisive strike five minutes from time.  In the return fixture we went one better when Aaron O’Connor scored the only goal of the game, late into stoppage time.  Last season the deadly then Poppies, now Spalding United strike force of Tyrone Lewthwaite and Sam Bennett scored the goals for us as we won the away in one of the very, very few highlights of Andy Leese’s tenure.  The return fixture here finished 2-2, but this came after we’d pulled ourselves clear of any relegation worries, so we’ll let that one slide, although I probably wasn’t so sanguine on the day.  Our goals came through Bruno Andrade and the ever-loveable Adi Yussuf.

Our new friends at the Leiston-Sudbury game (which Leiston won 3-2 after slipping to an early 0-2 deficit) are well aware that they are punching substantially above their weight by playing in the Southern League Premier division.  The crowd of 170 for a not-so-local derby highlighted Leiston’s modest stature in the division.  The new ground and other funding has come from, if our new friends are to be believed, funds donated to the local community by the company that runs the nuclear power station at nearby Sizewell “B”.  I suppose you might as well take any monies donated from such a source and use them as quickly as you can.  Should anything go…awry…at the facility there probably won’t be much time to discuss the why’s-and-wherefores of football funding or even boil an egg, although why it is assumed this would be the go-to activity when the three minute warning sounds remains a mystery to me.  At least we know should anything go….awry….at Weetabix all we’ll get is a slightly more burnt wheaty-smell on the way back to our cars.  Not instant irradiation.

However, our new friends were of no use whatsoever when it came to the BIG question about Leiston FC.  We took the plunge and asked whether Leiston was pronounced “LEE-stun” or “LIE-stun”.  They left us in eternal suspense by shrugging the question off and saying that both pronunciations were acceptable and they weren’t fussed either way.  Or “EEYver” way, presumably.

 

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

BEDFORD TOWN PROGRAMME NOTES 16th November 2024

 Dear Supporter

 

Thank you to everyone who has paid to have their name on the Working Together Boards and also joined the Trust.  We raised £1085 via this scheme – we paid the Club for the boards (obviously!).  We gained 49 Trust members and 2 life members. 

 

The initiative has come to an end now – you can still join the Trust though - visit POPPIES TRUST: MEMBERSHIP (ktfctrust30.blogspot.com); membership is £10.  Life membership is £100.  U16s free.

 

Our next fund-raising initiative will be raffling off the subsequent FA Cup goals we have scored since the last raffle a few seasons ago – look out for details coming soon.  We still have some goals to score so it may be a few weeks before we have to start this fund-raising scheme!

 

 

Just a reminder that The Trust are registered with easyfundraising, which means you can raise FREE donations for us every time you shop online. Over 7,000 brands will donate to us when you use easyfundraising to shop with them – at no extra cost to yourself!  These donations really mount up and make a BIG difference to us, so we’d really appreciate it if you could take a moment to sign up and support us. It’s completely FREE and only takes a moment.  So far, those supporters that are registered have raised a total of £1218.22

You can find our easyfundraising page at https://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/poppiestrust/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pmc&utm_content=gs-email1. Anyone who has already signed up - don't forget to go through the easyfundraising web page or app to shop online, to make sure your donations are activated.

 

Back in October, Trust Board member, Martin Bellamy, was presented with a Recognition of Valued Service Award along with other Club stalwarts, Sue Samuels and Bryony Gates.  The Award was presented to them by Rosie Whiting, MP for Kettering, at the home game versus Sudbury.  To be fair, Martin has been a stalwart of the Club whether he has been on the Trust Board or not – well deserved Martin.  And well done to Sue and Bryony too.

 

We are now well and truly back into League games with the FA Cup 2^nd round tie on the back-burner for now.  Last Saturday saw us take on Redditch Utd at home.  Redditch were a decent side but we plugged away and picked up 3 valuable points to stay top of the League.  A crowd of over 1800 turned up at Latimer Park for this game which was fantastic.  I know the voucher scheme was in operation once more but the interest is there.  Once the FA Cup is behind us, hopefully, some of those who have come along will stay for a while as this season looks like it is going to be a good one. 

 

Today we welcome Bedford to Latimer Park – another tough game in store.  At the time of writing, Bedford lie in the top 10 and only 5 points behind us – that’s how tight it is amongst those top 10 teams.

 

Thanks for your continued support and come on your Reds!

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer

REDDITCH UTD PROGRAMME NOTES 9th November 2024

 

Dear Supporter

 

Couldn’t really think of much to write about for these particular programme notes – not much been going on lately ……. Oh hang on a second, in the words of Celine Dion, it’s all coming back to me now ….  Allez allez oh, allez allez oh, KTFC, you’re the one for me!  What an absolutely fantastic evening – still can’t quite believe the result even now.  Poppies fans were magnificent, the players were magnificent, the evening was magnificent – been supporting the Poppies for a long, long time and this game/result ranks up there with some of the best – will live long in the memories of all Poppies fans.  And it is not over yet.  Drawn at home to Doncaster in Round 2.  Now, this is a tenuous link and obviously had no idea that this draw would come about but a couple of weeks ago I was coming home on a busy train from London one Saturday and unwittingly ended up sitting next to Lee Glover.  We (probably mainly me) had a good chat about all things Poppies – and a bit of a conversation about Doncaster Rovers.  Lee had just been in London to see Barrow play Bromley as Doncaster were due to play Barrow in the FA Cup – an omen, pure co-incidence – you be the judge!

 

I also met up before the game with Trust Chairman – Andy Roberts.  The Cobblers Trust was the first Supporters Trust to be formed in the country – followed closely by the Poppies Trust. 

 

INSERT PICTURE HERE

 

Thank you to everyone who has paid to have their name on the Working Together Boards and also joined the Trust.  The initiative has come to an end now – you can still join the Trust though - visit POPPIES TRUST: MEMBERSHIP (ktfctrust30.blogspot.com); membership is £10.  Life membership is £100.

 

Our next fund-raising initiative will be raffling off the subsequent FA Cup goals we have scored since the last raffle a few seasons ago – look out for details coming soon.

We will be catching up with George in the coming weeks to talk about funds raised and projects we can help with financially.

 

Also, look out for news about a Ralph Hartley original painting which was put in the care of the Trust some years ago.

The Trust has been raising money via  for some time now  We have raised over a £1000.  It is an easy way to shop.  All you need to do os go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever!  The Club has recently launched this initiative.  It will work the same for the Club and those details can be found on the Club’s media outlets.  No matter which page you go to, ultimately the money raised will go to the Club in one way or another.

 

Back to the bread and butter of the League today.  We welcome Redditch United to Latimer Park.  As the League currently stands, we are still top and Redditch are third so another important and tough game ahead of us.

 

Oh and one last thing ….. allez allez oh, allez allez oh, KTFC, you’re the one for me!

 

Karen Spencer-Lewis

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

 

STOURBRIDGE PROGRAMME NOTES 22nd October 2024

 

Dear Supporter

There’s only one topic of conversation going on around the Club at the moment …… that FA Cup draw away to the Cobblers!  Don’t think we could have got a better draw in terms of interest/local derby.  Lots of links between the 2 clubs over the years including current Cobblers manager, Jon Brady, who played for the Poppies once upon a time.  Other names that come to mind are Graham Carr(manager), Graham Reed, Irvin Gernon, Steve Berry, Trevor Quow, Lee Harper, Darren Collins – the list goes on.  It will be a great occasion and not only put the spotlight on both teams but Northamptonshire football as a whole.  We are a small county but have a lot of good non-league teams as well as the Cobblers as the County’s League team.  Let’s do ourselves proud and who knows we might be able to avenge the 1-0 defeat at Rockingham Road all those years ago.  Come on you Reds!

The Trust, like many of the Poppies community, supports the when it can.  The Trustees of the fund recently wrote to us as follows:

On behalf of The Dylan Cecil Memorial Fund we would like to thank the Poppies Supporters Trust for their recent much welcomed donation of £150.  Such donations are crucial in keeping Dylan’s memory alive and since 2015 the fund has provided 23 holidays with many of these being the last chance for families to enjoy some treasured time together. During 2024 we have worked with Harry’s Pals, an organisation in Northamptonshire, where we have provided 4 such holidays for children with life limiting illnesses to make memories for themselves and their families.  These important breaks can only be given thanks to the support of organisations such as The Poppies Trust and the football club and its supporters that continue to donate and partake in fundraising activities in the Kettering community.  Further information can be found at dylancecilmemorialfund.co.uk.

Ian Jefferies/John Cecil

A lot of hard work goes into running the fund and the Trust is proud to support it whenever it can.

Last chance to get your name on the Working Together Board.  You can add your name by joining the Poppies Trust. POPPIES TRUST: MEMBERSHIP (ktfctrust30.blogspot.com); membership is £10, adding your name will be a further £10.  Life membership is £100.

Alternatively, scan this QR code. A big thank you to all those who have signed up.

The Trust has been raising money via  for some time now  We have raised over a £1000.  It is an easy way to shop.  All you need to do os go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever!  The Club has recently launched this initiative.  It will work the same for the Club and those details can be found on the Club’s media outlets.  No matter which page you go to, ultimately the money raised will go to the Club in one way or another.

Tonight we welcome Stourbridge to Latimer Park.  No-one will forget that free kick from

Tom Knowles back in the day when we won this league (2019).  The turning point of that season some might say.  Let’s hope for three points as we know the distraction of the FA Cup can have an impact but we are sure Lavs will have the players mentally prepared for this League game.

Thanks for all your support.

 

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

 

AFC SUDBURY PROGRAMME NOTES 19th October 2024

 

Dear Supporter

The Trust has donated £150 to the Club in memory of long-time Poppies fan and former Trust Board member, Barry Medlock who sadly died recently.  Barry was a big fan of the Poppies and we could think of no better way of donating this money in his memory.  Rest in peace Barry.

Both WORKING TOGETHER boards are pretty much full now.  Board No 1 can be seen on the far side of the ground above the fence near the dug outs.  Board No 2 will be placed there in the next couple of weeks. 

You can add your name by joining the Poppies Trust. POPPIES TRUST: MEMBERSHIP (ktfctrust30.blogspot.com); membership is £10, adding your name will be a further £10.  Life membership is £100.

Alternatively, scan this QR code.

We will be ending this initiative at the end of October, so still time to add your name to the board.

The Trust has been raising money via  for some time now  We have raised over a £1000.  It is an easy way to shop.  All you need to do os go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever!  The Club has recently launched this initiative.  It will work the same for the Club and those details can be found on the Club’s media outlets.  No matter which page you go to, ultimately the money raised will go to the Club in one way or another.

Today we welcome AFC Sudbury to Latimer Park.  Last season they and the Poppies were battling to avoid the drop – both teams eventually survived with us doing the double over Sudbury and Hitchin dropping like a stone.  Two things to mention about Sudbury – one: the spicy bean nachos I had from their snack bar at the away game last season – absolutely bloomin’ delicious!  And two, earlier this season, whilst on holiday in Suffolk, me and the other half went to watch Sudbury play at Leiston.  It was an entertaining game with Leiston running out 3-2 winners – no spicy bean nachos at Leiston though!

Our poor Trophy record continued when we fell at the first hurdle at home to Gainsborough Trinity.  Shame, as those of us lucky enough to have been to one or both of our Trophy finals will know how reaching a final brings a whole town together – the excitement and anticipation of reaching the non-league equivalent of the FA Cup is a feeling that does not leave you.  Players get to play and possibly score on the hallowed turf.  This is something that we were reminded of for those of us who were able to attend the Craig Norman/Colin Vowden evening recently.  Both players played and scored in the 2000 Trophy Final – it was a lovely to reminisce and what great memories for those two players – and something that will always be written in the history book for the players, the Club and the FA Trophy.

The glamour of the FA Cup is more enticing for a lot of fans.  A chance to get some national coverage and possibly a cup upset – plenty of which we have experienced over the years.  Don’t get me wrong – I have no problem with that.  I have lived through a few of those upsets – but is it wrong to want an FA Trophy run and an FA Cup run?!

Thanks for all your support.

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.

 

GAINSBOROUGH TRINITY PROGRAMME NOTES 5th October 2024

 

Dear Supporter

Great wins recently at home to Lowestoft and Stamford – the Stamford win particularly satisfying given they currently lead the way at the top of the table.  We followed those wins up with the FA cup game away to St Ives – a good win which has seen us drawn away to Farsley in the next round – given their ground situation we are not entirely sure where it will be played!

Today, we start our FA Trophy campaign.  I think we can all agree that our record in the Trophy has been pretty poor overall so a nice run this season would be welcome!

The Trust recently donated £150 to the Dylan Cecil Memorial Fund leading up to the annual football match between Angry Birds and the Sonics.  Unfortunately the game was called off due to the adverse weather.  John Cecil (JC to most of us) advised “we have managed to raise £250 in a couple of hours through the scheduled raffle and 3 football cards with just the usual Sunday lunchtime suspects and family. With the £150 donated from the Trust we have boosted the Dylan Cecil Memorial fund by £400.  We can never, ever put into words how grateful we are to the Poppies family but please know that from the bottom of our hearts that we are truly grateful for all your support not just now but also over the past twelve years of heartbreak. We will hopefully be able to re-arrange the actual game in the near future.  Once again thank you to you all, your support really does make all the difference and we have, to date, assisted in arranging and funding over 20 holidays in the Burnham area for deserving families to make special, lasting memories together”. 

 

All you need to do is go to www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/ketteringtownpoppiessupporterstrust and join for free.  Every time you shop online, go to easyfundraising first to find the site you want and start shopping.  After you’ve checked out, that retailer will make a donation to the Trust for no extra cost whatsoever!  It will work the same for the Club and those details can be found on the Club’s media outlets.  No matter which page you go to, ultimately the money raised will go to the Club in some way or another.

 

The WORKING TOGETHER boards continue to fill up.  Board No 1 is now full and can be seen on the far side of the ground above the fence near the dug outs.  Board No 2 is filling up too.   You can add your name by joining the Poppies Trust. POPPIES TRUST: MEMBERSHIP (ktfctrust30.blogspot.com); membership is £10, adding your name will be a further £10.  Life membership is £100.

Alternatively, scan this QR code.

We are looking to end this initiative at the end of October, so still time to add your name to the board.

Thanks for all your support.

Supporters Trust

Kettering Town (Poppies) Supporters Trust, PO Box 6492, Kettering, NN16 0YT

ktfctrust30.blogspot.com

enquiries@poppiestrust.co.uk

Facebook: Kettering Town 'Poppies' Supporters Trust;

Twitter: @poppiestrust

Trust Board Members:  Karen Spencer-Lewis (Chair), Mark Severn (Treasurer),

Richard Atkinson (Vice Chairman), Bill Pringle, Lewis Horne, Martin Bellamy, Dave Tailby and Ed Palmer.