Manager Cox wants Poppies to give fans some cheer

Paul Cox wants his Kettering Town players to kick off the new Vanarama National League North season by giving the supporters something to smile about.

The Poppies fans will be back at Latimer Park for some competitive match action for the first time since Kettering beat Nuneaton Borough 5-1 in the second round of the FA Trophy on December 15 last year when Cox’s team take on Bradford (Park Avenue) in the season opener on Saturday.

With the last two seasons being cut short due to the Covid-19 pandemic and fans being forced to stay away for the vast majority of the last 12 months, Cox is determined to put some “smiles on faces”.

A new-look Poppies squad is set to take to the field this weekend after a busy summer and hectic pre-season schedule.

And the manager has no doubts the supporters will be right behind his players as they bid to get the new campaign off to a good start on home soil.

“We are hoping for a bumper crowd,” Cox said.

“I have no doubt the fans will get behind us, they always have.

“They have supported me and the players really well since I came here, just like they did when I was a player at the club.

“They are the life and soul and I think they understand what we are trying to build.

“They have always supported us 100 per cent, we need to give a little bit back now.

“We want a full season where we will try to put a smile on their faces.

“People haven’t been able to go to football, they have been locked down and there will be people who have

been struggling in different ways.

“We have to play our part now and put smiles on their faces and give them something to cheer about.”