Making their podcasting debut on this episode of All Things Business – The Podcast, Ben welcomes Fabian Forde and George Akhtar, Director of Football and Owner of Kettering Town FC respectively.
Honouring History
Fabian and George both have extensive histories in the sport both as players and coaches. George has coached youth teams at Watford, Tottenham Hotspur and Luton Town, while Fabian played for Watford and various semi-professional teams.
Kettering Town has an illustrious and extensive history as a football club. Founded in 1872, the team has spent much its history as a competitive non-league side, spending much of its history in the Conference league, just below the professional leagues. In recent years, they have been playing in the Southern Football League, the seventh tier of English football.
Both George and Fabian have a deep respect for this history and the passion of the fand and volunteers that have helped the club continue to operate through some difficult periods. They became aware the club was to be sold and George reached out via his contacts in the FA, who put him in touch with the previous owner. The deal went through and they immediately drove up to the ground, not knowing if anyone would even be there to let them in to take a look around.
A New Era for the Poppies
While they were excited about the possibilities now available to them, they were surprised at how much work needed to be done. Due to their experience working in more professionalised football settings, they identified a lot of easy fixes early on and have been implementing them throughout the pre-season. They describe the club as a sleeping giant that just needs a bit of direction to be roused from it slumber.
Their five-year goal is to return the club to the Conference league, which will require promotion through two leagues. The club finished 15th in the 23-24 season, and were 21 points off a play-off place, but the duo are confident they can improve the sides performance enough to challenge for promotion in the 24-25 season, focussing on sustainable growth to ensure that their improvements stick.
Ben signs off the podcast by encouraging listeners to get involved with the club if they can, especially local businesses looking for opportunities to sponsor and advertise. It’s a new era for the Poppies, and supporting their rise through the ranks could be an incredible project for any business to be involved in.
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