Hollyhead ‘excited’ after he beats off ‘unbelievable candidates’ to land Poppies job

The 53-year-old was unveiled as the boss at Latimer Park on Friday evening, replacing Richard Lavery who left the club by mutual consent last month.

Hollyhead was the manager of Banbury United last season, his first role as a boss, but he has also been an assistant at several other clubs, including Malmö, Odense and Stevenage.

“I was taken aback when I heard of the approach from Kettering last week, given its proud history," said Hollyhead.

"When a club like Kettering enquires, it’s very hard to refuse a discussion considering the tradition that has been fostered for more than 153 years.

"I am really excited by the opportunity and looking forward to meeting everyone at the club in due course.”

Poppies owner George Akhtar admitted he and director of football Fabian Forde had been stunned by the 'unbelievable candidates' who applied for the role as the new boss, but believes the club has found the right man in Hollyhead.

“We were blown away by the calibre and quantity of unbelievable candidates for this role," said Akhtar.

"After speaking to Simon, I was very enthused by his passion and his commitment to detail.

"Myself and Fabian have worked tirelessly to select, for our amazing fans, the person who we believe is the best man for the job.

"I believe Simon's vision for the club is aligned with ours and we are extremely excited about the next chapter of this magical club.

"I know the fans will welcome Simon to our football family.”