GROUND HISTORY TRAVEL

Interesting times it has been for one of non-league's stalwart teams. Kettering Town rejoined the Blue Square Premier in 2008 after a prolonged absence following relegation a handful of years ago. In that time, the club have seen Paul Gascoigne come and go in the space of about 40 days as manager, but the club now seem to be on stable footing.

On the occasions in which the two sides have crossed paths before, sparks have flown. On one hand, Stevenage romped past Kettering under the guidance of Richard Hill as part of a six-game winning start to the 1999/00 season.

The flip side was the Poppies with a 1-0 win at Rockingham Road that sent Boro' crashing to the bottom of the table on a dingy Boxing Day in 2002, and that saw the sacking of Boro' boss Wayne Turner.

Now looking upwards, finishing a commendable 8th in the 2008/9 campaign meant that Kettering had proved to be worthy opponents for many, but fell away when the cruch time of the season rolled around. It may well be the case in years soon to come that the Poppies really push hard for the Football League.

Select an option from the left for more information about this club