Kettering Town’s Historic Rockingham Road Stadium Recalled Ahead of Derby Match

This Saturday, Northampton Town and Kettering Town are set to compete in their first Northamptonshire derby in nearly 35 years. The match will take place at Sixfields Stadium and be broadcast to a national television audience. While Kettering was the host for the previous encounter between these teams in 1989, their historic former venue, Rockingham Road, no longer exists. BBC News explores the narrative of this vanished stadium, which was once considered the town’s “Angel of the North”. Inaugurated in 1897, Rockingham Road remains the spiritual home for the Poppies. This venue epitomized a non-league stadium, situated within a residential district close to the town centre and deeply embedded in its community. It garnered affection from home supporters and presented a formidable atmosphere for visiting teams. The primary stand boasted a towering roof that intensified the sound generated by a full attendance, which could reach up to 6,264 spectators when it closed. The stadium witnessed a historic moment in 1976 when Kettering became the inaugural British club to feature a sponsor on their shirts during a match against Bath City. During the period of Rockingham Road, notable figures such as Ron Atkinson and Paul Gascoigne served as managers for the club; Gascoigne’s tenure famously lasted merely 39 days. Even though Kettering never advanced to the EFL, the stadium, owing to the club’s extensive FA Cup history, welcomed prominent English football teams such as Leeds United and Fulham. The Poppies’ 114-year presence at the stadium, affectionately known as “Rocky Road” by its fans, concluded in 2011. The last league fixture held there on April 30, a 3-1 victory against Southport in what is now the National League, drew an attendance of 1,403. Spectators present at that game did not realize it marked the end of an era. The club divested its freehold for the ground in the 1980s. When discussions regarding a lease extension faltered, the then-owner, Imraan Ladak, declared an unexpected relocation 10 miles away to Nene Park in Irthlingborough. This decision had dire consequences. During their initial season at the former stadium of Rushden and Diamonds, they ended up at the bottom of the league standings and were compelled to descend two divisions due to accumulated debts amounting to £1.2m. However, their time in the Southern League offered scant relief, as players experienced unpaid wages and the Poppies were forced to play with only 10 players in a humiliating 7-0 loss to Bashley. The club narrowly escaped financial collapse. Following a brief period of ground-sharing with neighboring Corby Town, they relocated to Latimer Park in Burton Latimer, a venue they have since shared with Burton Park Wanderers. Ritchie Jeune, who managed the transition to Latimer Park, acquired Ladak’s share in 2013 and held aspirations of returning the club to its namesake town. Nevertheless, hopes for an emotional return to Rockingham Road were dashed in 2015 when the club was unsuccessful in purchasing the site during a closed bidding process. With Rockingham Road deteriorating, the club made two attempts to have their former home designated as an “asset of community value” before a developer eventually purchased it for a housing development. Attempts to establish a new home within Kettering have not yet succeeded, though optimism for the future persists. George Akhtar and Fabian Forde acquired the club from Mr Jeune earlier this year. Last month, Mr Akhtar stated that the owners were “in discussions” regarding a potential new location in Kettering, but he also emphasized that he remained “very realistic” about Latimer Park potentially serving as their home for several more years. A visit to Rockingham Road today reveals minimal evidence of the historic stadium that once occupied the site. The stands, turnstiles, and other remnants of its footballing heritage have vanished. Currently, the Brittania Park housing estate stands in its place. Peter Short, a Kettering supporter and photographer, remarked that the stadium’s four floodlights were a local landmark and are deeply missed. “You could see them for miles on the way into Kettering train station,” stated the 39-year-old Mr Short. He added, “They were like our Angel of the North. To me, those floodlights meant Kettering.” He further commented, “Not to be cliche, but it was a proper non-league ground. The main stand was phenomenal. Opposite, the Brittania Road stand was a nasty terrace, which intimidated away fans and the banter was incredible.” Mr Short also shared, “I always stood on the exact same paving slab for every game. It’s something a whole generation of fans will never understand. Latimer Park is great, but even if you built four beautiful stands there… it will never replace Rockingham Road.” This weekend, as the Poppies get ready for their most significant FA Cup match in years against “friendly” local rivals Northampton, memories of Rockingham Road are expected to resurface. This encounter will mark only the third competitive fixture ever between the two teams, with the Cobblers having emerged victorious in both prior matches. Kevin Shoemake, who served as Kettering’s goalkeeper in the 1989 game, described the disappearance of Rockingham Road as “a sad reflection of the game”. While speaking at the former site of the stadium, he commented: “To see what it is now is a huge shock and quite surprising. It was home and I have very fond memories of great games and atmospheres.” Dean Thomas, who scored the decisive goal against Shoemake, stated: “It was such an iconic non-league stadium with great managers, crowds and players and now it’s no more. Times really have moved on. “I live locally, and you drive past and the first thing you do is look at one of the old grounds you played at… and now it’s a housing estate. It’s a sign of the times.” The match between Northampton Town and Kettering Town will be broadcast live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Two starting at 17:15 GMT on Saturday, with kick-off scheduled for 17:30. Additionally, the game will be available live on BBC Radio Northampton and BBC Sounds. For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.