The 500 club awaits for Poppies legend Solkhon

Brett Solkhon stands on the brink of hitting another huge personal milestone for Kettering Town and it could well arrive in their biggest game of the season so far.
Brett Solkhon will make his 500th appearance for Kettering Town if he features in the huge clash with King's Lynn Town on New Year's DayBrett Solkhon will make his 500th appearance for Kettering Town if he features in the huge clash with King's Lynn Town on New Year's Day
Brett Solkhon will make his 500th appearance for Kettering Town if he features in the huge clash with King's Lynn Town on New Year's Day

The Poppies legend will make his 500th appearance for the club if he features in the top-of-the-table clash with King’s Lynn Town at Latimer Park on New Year’s Day.

Appearance number 499 came last weekend when the 35-year-old, who now sits second in the club’s all-time appearance list behind Roger Ashby (663), came on as a second-half substitute in the 6-0 success over Dunstable Town but he was suspended for the 4-2 win at St Neots Town on Boxing Day.

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But he will be available for Monday’s game, which has become a huge clash in the battle for promotion in the Evo-Stik South League Premier after Kettering’s win at St Neots closed the gap on King’s Lynn to just one point after the leaders were held to a 1-1 draw by St Ives Town.

Solkhon has been struggling with a knee injury in recent weeks with Tom Marshall stepping into the breach alongside Gary Mulligan.

Solkhon is certain to be in the squad for the New Year’s Day showdown but he insists Kettering’s push for promotion remains the number one priority.

“When I played that first game against Dagenham & Redbridge at Rockingham Road, I never believed I would be standing here on the brink of 500 appearances,” Solkhon said.

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“It will be a fantastic milestone when I get there and if it happens in front of a big crowd at Latimer Park on New Year’s Day in a top-of-a-table clash then that would make it even better.

“But the main goal is for us to gain promotion. That’s what we are all focused on.

“It’s a big game on New Year’s Day and first and foremost, we want to try to get the three points so we can take another step towards where we want to be.

“From a personal point of view, to hit 500 appearances will be amazing.

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“But gaining promotion and winning trophies is what we are all here for. That’s what you can show your grandkids in the future and I hope this can be another great season to go along with so many others I have had at Kettering.

“When you’ve been at a club for a long time, you always have ups and downs.

“But I think one of the reasons I have been here this long is because I have always worked hard and I think the fans appreciate that.

“We now have some cover at centre-half with Tom Marshall coming in and he has arrived at a good time.

“I’m not 100 per cent fit with the knee injury I picked up at Banbury but with Tom being here it means it can be managed so that I can play when I am needed.”