IAN LEADS POPPIES RE-BUILD
IAN Culverhouse believes Kettering Town have the potential to replicate the success he achieved at King’s Lynn Town – but they’ll need reinforcements.
The new Poppies boss, taking over from Paul Cox who left for Boston United, saw his team fall to a luckless 1-0 defeat on Tuesday night at home to high-flying Kidderminster Harriers.
Kettering played over half the match with centre-back Connor Johnson in goal after keeper Rhys Davies has been stretched off with an ankle injury.
They were already on the back foot being able to name only four substitutes with Culverhouse and his trusted assistant Paul Bastock meeting the players for the first time just 90 minutes before kick-off.
Yet the 57-year-old, who led King’s Lynn from the Southern League to National League with back-to-back promotions, saw enough to convince him the club can push towards the play-offs this season – and beyond.
Consistency
“It’s a young group of players and they’re giving everything they’ve got,” Culverhouse, who left King’s Lynn in November, told The NLP. “They were a little bit down after Kidderminster but we said you can be proud of your efforts. If we can get this rolling with these young kids and what they can give us, it could be exciting times for Kettering.
“Even though this is a league higher, I can see this on the same level as King’s Lynn – going in, trying to develop players and bring money into the club, really help it grow and for it to become a really strong club again.”
Culverhouse was impressed by Kettering’s ambition following long discussions with their hierarchy.
“When the phone call came from Richie (Jeune), the owner, and he asked whether I would be interested, I jumped at it,” he said. “It’s a football club that has plans. They want to redevelop and want to progress the club.
“We’ve got to get that consistency on the pitch which can match their ambitions.”
Culverhouse wants to build on Kettering’s promising first half of the season but that can only be achieved by strengthening the squad.
Challenge
“We need to help the group, we need some bodies to come in that will compliment it,” he said. “They’ve done ever so well and put themselves in a really strong position. We don’t want that to peter out, we want to help them as much as we can.
“The league has definitely got stronger since the two years we were in it. It’s going to be a great challenge.”
Kettering have also cashed in after selling 14goal striker Callum Powell to Southend United on a two-and-a-half-year deal.
“He’s done ever so well for the football club and deserves his chance,” added Culverhouse. “It was an offer they couldn’t really refuse. He had the desire to play higher as well so we wish him well.”