Fans should be careful with criticism towards owner Jeune, says Poppies boss Glover

Lee Glover believes there are “some issues” concerning the infrastructure of Kettering Town as the fallout from the club’s relegation from the Vanarama National League North continues.
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But the Poppies manager insists fans should “be careful” when aiming criticism towards the club’s owner Ritchie Jeune after a dreadful campaign on the pitch.

Kettering will be back at Step 3 next season after they were condemned to the drop following a final-day 3-0 defeat at Kidderminster Harriers on Saturday.

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The cause on the field wasn’t helped by a tough summer last year as Jeune appointed Glover as manager on a two-year contract but the new boss was faced with having to almost build a squad from scratch after the vast majority of last season’s team, which finished just outside the play-offs, left Latimer Park.

Just under 300 Kettering Town fans made the trip to Kidderminster at the weekend but were left devastated as their team were relegated. Picture by Peter ShortJust under 300 Kettering Town fans made the trip to Kidderminster at the weekend but were left devastated as their team were relegated. Picture by Peter Short
Just under 300 Kettering Town fans made the trip to Kidderminster at the weekend but were left devastated as their team were relegated. Picture by Peter Short

In the season that followed, Kettering were made to pay for an appalling away record and a bad finish to the campaign as they took just eight points from their final 12 games to finish in the bottom four despite keeping their heads above water for most of the campaign.

Both Glover and Jeune, who helped rescue the Poppies from financial oblivion over 10 years ago, have come in for heavy criticism from the fanbase both during the season and certainly in the immediate aftermath of relegation.

And Glover said: “Ritchie has done a fantastic job for this club and puts his money in.

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“He has had to be on the hook for a lot of wages when we couldn’t play a home game so the man has done magnificently.

“He gets a level of criticism and I think we need to be careful because what that man has done for the club has been fantastic.

“There are some issues with the infrastructure of the club.

“Going forward, the club needs to look at that infrastructure, particularly away from the playing field in terms of training facilities, equipment and things that we just haven’t had.

“Even with all that, the lads have given it a right go.”

Glover, meanwhile, felt the Poppies’ cause in the latter stages wasn’t helped by injuries to key players.

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Sheffield United loanee Frankie Maguire was one of the stars of the season, particularly in a decent spell at the turn of the year, but his season was cut short by a cartilage injury.

And Glover conceded his absence “left a massive hole” that the Poppies were never able to fill.

“Losing Frankie Maguire hurt us and then losing Jimmy Knowles for a spell with his hamstring wasn’t ideal either,” the Kettering manager added.

“Losing that sort of quality and losing players who helped turn games in our favour didn’t help.

“It was the same people producing the big moments in games and losing them left a massive hole.”

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