Kettering Owner Expresses Joy Over FA Cup Upset Victory

The proprietor of non-league club Kettering Town described their surprising FA Cup triumph against nearby Northampton Town as “historic for the club and the region”. The Poppies, a team from the seventh tier of English football, overcame an initial deficit to defeat the League One Cobblers by a score of 2-1 at Sixfields Stadium. This victory also marked Kettering’s progression to the second round proper of the FA Cup, a feat not achieved since 2010. George Akhtar, who acquired ownership of Kettering earlier in the current year, stated that he “could not put the result into words”. Northampton initially gained an advantage in the match when Poppies captain Connor Johnson unfortunately deflected a shot from Tariqe Fosu into his own goal. However, Luca Miller, a teenager born in Kettering, netted an impressive equaliser, followed by Nile Ranger heading in the decisive goal early in extra time. Akhtar commented, “In the first half we showed our nerve. In the second half, we were clearly the better team and we deserved that [result].” He added, “The unity and the harmony [around the club] has just been unbelievable. Not many teams are going to fancy [playing] us [in the next round].” Fabian Forde, a footballer director, remarked, “I’m quite an optimistic person, but I couldn’t have dreamed of this. I’m on cloud nine.” He continued, “We came here and said we want to show what we’re made of. We didn’t play them off the park, but we held our own and played the percentages. We showed we are a team to be reckoned with. The fans are amazing… they were immense today.” As a result of their victory in the match, the visiting team secured £45,000 from the FA’s prize fund. Before Saturday’s surprising outcome, Northampton and Kettering had faced each other on two prior occasions in the FA Cup, with the most recent encounter being a 1-0 win for the Cobblers at Rockingham Road in 1989. Peter Short, a Poppies supporter and photographer, declared, “That’s the biggest win in Kettering Town’s history.” He added, “They looked comfortable. Kettering believed more and they [Northampton] looked like the non-league team for a while. If you’re going to jump on a bandwagon, this is the one to back. It’s fun. Kettering aren’t ‘hoof it long’, there’s skill and talent. I’m so delighted.” The draw for the FA Cup’s second round is slated to occur around 19:45 GMT, during the BBC’s FA Cup highlights broadcast on BBC Two. For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.