Bastock impressed with Kettering Town's reaction to change

The Poppies have maintained their good form this season under the a new management team
Assistant-manager Paul Bastock pictured alongside Jordon Crawford and Decarrey Sheriff ahead of Kettering Town's 2-1 victory at Blyth Spartans last weekend. Picture by Peter ShortAssistant-manager Paul Bastock pictured alongside Jordon Crawford and Decarrey Sheriff ahead of Kettering Town's 2-1 victory at Blyth Spartans last weekend. Picture by Peter Short
Assistant-manager Paul Bastock pictured alongside Jordon Crawford and Decarrey Sheriff ahead of Kettering Town's 2-1 victory at Blyth Spartans last weekend. Picture by Peter Short

Paul Bastock couldn’t be happier with the way the Kettering Town players have reacted to the new regime at the club.

The legendary non-League goalkeeper, who holds the record of most competitive club appearances in world football, joined the Poppies as assistant-manager alongside new boss Ian Culverhouse just under four weeks ago following the shock departure of Paul Cox.

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But Culverhouse and his backroom team have done a quick job of steadying the ship with the Poppies currently on a five-match unbeaten run that has put them into the play-off places in the Vanarama National League North.

Having won 2-1 at Blyth Spartans last weekend, Kettering are now preparing for a clash with in-form York City at Latimer Park on Saturday.

And Bastock has been impressed with the way the squad had taken to the new management team.

“Coming into any club, you’re never sure how things are going to go and whether you are going to gel with the boys,” the Poppies’ assistant-manager said.

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“But they have done really well and you can see they are loving training and all the stuff Cully (Culverhouse) brings to the table.

“We have had some good results but we just have to keep banging on the door and see where it takes us.”

Bastock has and always will be one of the most popular figures in non-League football and he had a spell as a player with Kettering in the early 1990s and was in goal for the infamous 4-1 defeat at Kenny Dalglish’s Blackburn Rovers in the third round of the FA Cup in 1992.

“It’s lovely to be back here,” he added.

“The staff we have got at Kettering are brilliant and then there are a lot of familiar faces behind the scenes.

“I always remember the fans at Kettering being so welcoming when I was here as a player and they have been exactly the same now I have come back.”