Poppies hoping duo can provide stability after McDonald's departure

The news may not have come as a total surprise to some quarters after allegations of a betting breach were broken by the Guardian newspaper back in April. From that moment on, the tenability of McDonald’s reign was always in question, despite the football club’s steadfast belief that everything would be OK.

However, the 41-year-old cited in his last interview with the Northants Telegraph that it had been a ‘long pre-season’, suggesting the toll of the position as well as other outside influences were becoming too much to bear, leading to his decision to step away from the dugout.

Assistant Nick Green and coach David Bridgewater will take over managerial duties, with the club seemingly not in a rush to replace McDonald.

The former Rushall and Solihull man joined Kettering during another crisis period for the club, after manager Simon Hollyhead unexpectedly left the hot-seat in October 2025.

Keen to make the right appointment, owner George Akhtar and director of football Fabien Forde were actively polling fans around the ground during a 1-0 defeat to Needham Market, offering the choice of a Richard Lavery or Paul Cox return, or a new direction in the guise of McDonald.

The latter was chosen, and after an unassuming start (a goalless draw at home to St Ives Town), he led his side to an impressive win on the road against an in-form Quorn.

He went on to mastermind an incredible run of form, during which the Poppies lost only three of the final 22 league games, taking them to an unlikely fourth position in the table, sparking celebrations at Bury Town, where the play-off berth was secured.

However, that excitement quickly turned sour following a meek performance in the semi-final against Real Bedford which saw Kettering crash out 3-1 and ended promotion hopes.

Determined to right those wrongs, McDonald had put together a strong-looking squad whilst also retaining key players such as Eddie Panter, Lewis Coyle and Ismael Fatadjo.

After a 5-0 pre-season victory at St Neots Town, he was in bullish mood, stating that this season was about finishing top to avoid 'play-off heartbreak'.

But for the final two pre-season home games, against Hemel Hempstead and Saturday’s victory against Bedford Town, McDonald wasn’t in the dugout, instead opting to watch from a different vantage point. With hindsight, that appears a clear signal that he was pondering his future.

Both Green and Bridgewater were on hand over the summer when building the new Kettering squad, and it is this continuity at management level that the ownership will hope sparks a positive start to the league season.

It all starts with the visit of Alvechurch this Saturday.

McDonald will rightly receive both plaudits and support from the Kettering fan base after a successful period at the club.

But serious questions will be asked of the ownership as to why this scenario was allowed to play out in the first place and whether enough due diligence was conducted before the appointment.