Kettering Manager Lavery Aims for FA Cup Upset

Richard Lavery, currently the manager of Kettering, had some of the most memorable experiences of his playing career in the FA Cup, including scoring for Hinckley United in the 2004-05 competition. As a manager, he now seeks to provide Kettering Town supporters with a memorable occasion during Saturday’s televised first-round derby match against Northampton Town, which will be played away. In 2003, while playing for Telford, Lavery scored in a match where his team recovered from a two-goal deficit to defeat Crawley 3-2. This victory was part of a campaign that saw Telford reach the fourth round before their elimination by Millwall. The subsequent season, he scored two goals for Hinckley as they overcame Torquay United and subsequently forced a replay against Brentford, a League One team at the time. Hinckley ultimately lost 2-1 in the second-round replay. Additionally, Lavery was part of the Corby Town squad that achieved a 1-1 draw against Luton Town, then a Conference club, in 2010. However, Corby Town was defeated 4-2 in the subsequent replay held at Kenilworth Road. The 47-year-old stated to BBC Radio Northampton’s Non-League Scene show, “I’ve had some great times in the FA Cup as a player so I’m hoping for more as a manager.” He added, “I think it’s the best competition in the world. It gives lower teams a massive chance to cause an upset as a lot of higher teams don’t take it seriously until the latter rounds.” After concluding his playing career, Lavery served as an assistant manager at both Nuneaton and Kettering. During his time at Kettering, he worked under Marcus Law when the Poppies secured promotion to National League North in 2019. Lavery rejoined the club in February, becoming their third manager within a four-month period. His appointment was succeeded three months later by George Akhtar, who became Kettering’s new owner with ambitious plans. Subsequently, Lavery’s strategies have proven successful, with nine victories in their last 10 matches propelling Kettering not only into the FA Cup first round but also to the top position in Southern League Premier Central. What instructions, then, will he impart to his players prior to the kick-off against Northampton at Sixfields? He stated, “I’m trying to play it down. I’m approaching it as a normal game because if you hype it up it can get to the younger lads.” He continued, “There’s probably going to be about 8,000 there, a sell out, but as a player you just have to try and blank that out. If you do make a bad pass or a wrong decision and the crowd gets on at you, you can go under. You’ve got to try and blank it out and play as normal. It’s hard to do because it is a different occasion, so young lads might find it hard but they might thrive on it as well. It can work both ways.” Lavery benefits from having two highly experienced players available for this cup encounter, which marks the first meeting between the two clubs since 1989. In that previous match, Dean Thomas, who later managed Lavery at Hinckley, scored the sole goal in Northampton’s 1-0 victory. Richard Lavery took over as manager at Kettering in February, succeeding Jim Le Masurier. Gary Hooper, who scored two goals in a Scottish Cup final as Celtic defeated Hibernian 3-0 in 2013, also possesses Premier League experience from his time with Norwich City. The 36-year-old participated in last season’s competition for Barnet and aims to score his first FA Cup goals since the 2008-09 season, when he netted twice against both Walsall and Alfreton in victories for Scunthorpe United. The Poppies’ squad additionally includes Nile Ranger, formerly of top-flight Newcastle, who has demonstrated strong scoring form since joining the club last month. Lavery commented, “They’ve both been class. Gary Hooper came on for his first minutes the other night and scored a great goal. Nile has scored five in eight, or six in eight, something like that.” He added, “They’re great to have around the place and their experience will be massive in the changing room because they’ve both been there and got the t-shirt and will help the young lads out as well.” In a previous interview last year with The Athletic, Ranger stated, “I should be minimum Championship right now. I shouldn’t be having problems but I didn’t listen. If I added nutrition to my game and behaviour, I’m Haaland.” This internal conviction is what motivates his return to playing with Kettering. Before Kettering’s victory over Farsley Celtic in the final qualifying round, he informed BBC Look East, “Coming back is a big statement from me. I want to show others, and myself, that I can still make it.” He continued, “People say this isn’t my level. But the atmosphere is good and we get good crowds. I’m 33 – I feel like I’m 56 – but I’m knocking them in. I still think it’s possible (for me) to make the Football League (again).” Gary Hooper was pictured with the Scottish Cup after Celtic’s triumph in the 2013 final. Lavery anticipates having an almost full-strength squad for the match against League One club Northampton, though he acknowledges his team is considered a significant underdog. He stated, “I’ve got 18-19 fit players so I’ve got a good headache, but a good headache is a lot better than a bad one.” He continued, “I’ve not been managing that long, probably four or five years, so this is probably my biggest game as a manager but I’ll treat every game the same. It’s 11 men versus 11 men so why can’t we go there and give them a game? Yes, they train full-time. Yes, they’re probably going to be fitter than us. Yes, they’re on more money than us. But for me, it’s all about us on that day. If we turn up and have a great day, they might have an off day. Let’s see what happens.” Richard Lavery’s comments were made during an interview with Chance Litchfield of BBC Radio Northampton.