Volunteers who head up a charitable trust attached to Kettering Town Football Club are in dispute with the club’s owner after he signed a £15,000 grant application on their behalf, without their consent.

Charity organisation Kettering Town FC Community Trust works in parallel with Kettering Town FC (The Poppies) to provide different initiatives including walking football, street football, pan-disability football and Wildcats football for girls.

But the relationship between the trust and the Poppies collapsed after it emerged the club’s owner George Ahktar signed an application made to North Northants Council for floodlight funding in December 2025 that should have been officially made by authorised trust signatories.

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Clark Cowell, chairman of Kettering Town FC Community Trust, went public as matters came to a head last weekend with a stinging rebuke of Mr Akhtar’s actions.

He said: “The final straw for me concerned the unauthorised signing of documents relating to floodlight grant funding. Despite repeated attempts by the community trust to assist, George excluded us from the discussions and told us the matter was in hand.

“As he is not a trustee, George has no ability or authority to sign on behalf of the trust and in my view a formal investigation should be carried out as to how this occurred.”

In response, Mr Akhtar, who bought the club in 2024, said as soon as the situation ‘came to light’ he had contacted the council to explain the issue.

He said: “As soon as it came to light we made the trust aware. I spoke to Adele Wylie [chief executive of North Northants Council – NNC] who said it’s ‘no big deal’. We said we’d get the trust to sign it.

“But there’s been a lot of tension between the trust and the club.”

Saying it was an extremely serious matter, Mr Cowell stated that NNC confirmed documents had been signed by Mr Akhtar on behalf of the trust.

Mr Cowell said: “To be absolutely clear, as he is not a trustee. George did not have the community trust’s knowledge, consent or authority to sign those documents on its behalf. The unauthorised signing of documents in the name of an independent charity is an extremely serious matter.

“Every pound available to the trust matters. We have consistently explained that our limited charitable budget exists primarily to support community programmes we were established to deliver.

“There has been considerable unrest surrounding the club, including mistakes, and in my opinion unfulfilled promises and decisions that have caused growing concern to me and others who care deeply about KTFC and have advised me that they are deeply concerned about the relationship between the club and the trust.

“The relationship between the football club and the trust requires greater transparency. Although the club publicly states that it supports the trust and its community teams, my experience has caused me to question what that support means in practice.”

With the trust refusing to sign the application, the money will have to be paid back to NNC. The trust has asked the club for a safety certificate for the floodlights that have now been installed at the Burton Park ground.

Mr Akhtar said: “All they have to do is to sign the document. They want to go legal. They are playing hardball for no reason whatsoever. They are trying to smear my name. I personally think it’s because of the hostile bid. They are holding the club to ransom.”

The club now needs to find the money to pay the £20,000 work that has been carried out but Mr Akhtar is not sure where the money is coming from if the grant cash is returned to NNC, admitting the club is living ‘month by month’.

Kettering Town FC Community Trust is waiting for an invoice from NNC in order to pay back the grant money.

Mr Cowell added: “I will continue fulfilling my responsibilities as chairman of the community trust and supporting the tremendous work of those involved with it.

“This decision has not been taken lightly, nor is this statement intended as a personal attack. It comes from genuine concern for a football club and community that mean a great deal to many people.

“Kettering Town Football Club belongs to us all, to generations of supporters who have invested their time, money, passion and loyalty. They deserve openness, respect and leadership that protects the club's long-term interests.”

A spokesman for NNC said: “£15,000 funding was awarded to Kettering Town Football Club Community Trust. As a charitable trust they fitted the criteria to bid for the Powering Change Energy Efficiency community funding.

“The council followed its grant policy robustly. However, the council has subsequently been made aware that the signatory for the grant was from the club, not the trust.

“Ever since it was brought to our attention the council has been working with the relevant parties to find a resolution.”