Football Season Review

№12: Kettering

Kettering can look back to another season of financial turmoil and mass player turnover but at the end of the day it was plain sailing with regards to staying in the division. The Poppies had high hopes for the season after a number of former players were signed up and the squad looked impressive. However, the lack of experience of Lee Harper as a manager told in the early weeks as the team was propping up the table and the owner lost patience with the boss in September. Marcus Law was tucked from lowly Barwell as a replacement and had an instant impact by securing a few wins and steering the team to mid-table. However, the home form remained dire, with just three wins in front of their fans for the whole of 2010, and the team was hardly consistent. The now customary fire sale midway through the season ripped the core of the squad apart as the likes of Ashley Westwood, Kelvin Jack, Luke Graham and Serge Makofo departed due to huge decrease in the playing budget. As a result, Law was forced to bring players from the lower leagues and loanees but the squad still gelled in nicely and the a patched-up side secured the most significant win of the season in early January - a 2:1 win away at local rivals Rushden & Diamonds that ended a nine-year wait for a victory. Kettering improved their home form a lot as well and were practically safe by the end of February. They played the rest of the season without too much pressure but showed commitment in the final two weeks of the season when beating Forest Green and Southport who were battling for their lives.


Player of the Season: Jean-Paul Marna