Paul Cox has got his mojo back at Kettering
Poppies chief revelled in battle at the bottom
KEEPING Kettering Town in National League North felt as good as winning promotion for Paul Cox, who has his football bug back.
The man who led Mansfield Town into the Football League in 2013 took on an altogether different challenge with the Poppies last October.
Newly-promoted Kettering were rock bottom of the division with just eight points from 13 games when Cox, who made 100 appearances for the club, took over.
The 48-year-old instantly took them on a seven-game unbeaten run in the league and when the season came to a halt, they were nine points clear of the relegation zone.
As luck would have it, there would be no relegation from Step 2 anyway but Cox had still achieved his aim.
“It was probably one of the toughest things I’ve done in my managerial career,” he told The NLP. “We inherited a group that was low on confidence. You don’t get much time in football to turn things round but we worked really hard with the group we had.
“When I went in, the chairman (David Mahoney) said just keep the club up. I got a lot of self-satisfaction out of doing it. To achieve that was as much as some of the promotions I’ve had as a manager.”
Cox admits he had fallen out of love with the game after a difficult time at Guiseley and didn’t envisage making a return to management.
But slowly and surely the fire in the former Barrow and Torquay United boss’s belly reignited and a chance to manage one of his old clubs was too tempting to turn down.
Challenge
“I understand the passion of the supporters and the size of the club and how, for whatever reason, it had fallen away,” Cox said, recalling his playing days with the club when Kettering were challenging for a place in the Football League.
“It’s given me a different experience. I’ve probably had a career where a lot of the time I’ve been fighting for promotions, I haven’t spent a lot of time near the bottom of leagues.
“It’s given me an understanding and a skill that probably I needed to develop. It was all really positive and has given us a base to build on now.
“I’ve loved every minute of it. I feel a warmth from the supporters and an honesty from the chairman and the board. I’m really enjoying being back as a manager, the ups and downs, the problem solving.”
Now the challenge is for both Cox and the club to become an established National League North club.
During the break, Kettering have been working hard on bringing Latimer Park up to ground grading standards.
Over £160,000 has been spent on new turnstiles, a new 250-seater stand and tiered terracing, a medical room, enhancements within the hospitality areas and a major redecoration of the clubhouse.
Resources
“As a whole the club had stepped up to the level,” added Cox. “We’ve had some really positive talks with the chairman about what’s needed to be successful at this level and ultimately get it back to where it was. A lot of people seem to forget that
Kettering was one of the biggest clubs in Non-League football at one stage.
“Everyone understands where we are and we need to build and grow as a football club, not just as a team. Everyone is pulling in the same direction.
“I’m looking forward to the season, putting my stamp on the team and the club. I don’t believe it’s all about money. I want to make this club competitive, we’re not going to have the resources of other clubs but nothing can stop us from being competitive.”