Club denies telling co-tenants to play elsewhere

Kettering Town play at Latimer Park in nearby Burton Latimer

A non-league football club has denied "rumours, speculation and statements" suggesting it has told the club it shares a ground with to play elsewhere this winter.

Northamptonshire Combination side Burton Park Wanderers has shared Latimer Park in Burton Latimer with Kettering Town, of the Southern League Premier Division Central, since the latter found itself exiled from the borough of Kettering in 2011.

In a statement, Burton Park Wanderers said Kettering, which has a long-term lease of Latimer Park, had told them their next home game would be their last at the ground until March to protect the pitch for its own matches.

But Kettering, nicknamed the Poppies, said it had given no such notice.

Burton Park Wanderers said: "On Thursday 9th October we were informed we had the choice between 11th or the 18th October to be our last home game at Latimer Park until next March.

"We remain fully committed to working with Kettering Town FC to find a fair and practical solution that allows us to play on the pitch, as we have done for many seasons.

"While respecting their concerns about pitch maintenance, the weather has been kind to us."

It said it was "waiting to hear" where its home games would be played for the "foreseeable future".

'Back pitches'

Kettering Town play at step three of the National League System, three divisions below EFL League Two, while Burton Park Wanderers play at step seven, the foot of the pyramid system.

In its counter statement, Kettering Town said Burton Park Wanderers' position within the non-league system "does not require them to play on the main pitch" at Latimer Park, and suggested they could play on "back pitches" adjacent to the main ground.

Kettering said: "With the likelihood of winter weather coming in soon, and the need to safeguard the main pitch, Burton Park Wanderers are to use the back pitch from later this month until March.

"By then, hopefully the spring weather will allow Burton Park Wanderers games to take place on the main pitch again, without compromising ongoing improvements or putting the club's home fixtures at increased risk of postponement due to adverse pitch conditions."

It said fans would "be all too aware of past issues" with the main pitch in winter, leading to postponements and fixture congestion.

"If there is any change to the above going forward, or any further developments fans need to be made aware of, a further statement will be made at the time," it added.

Burton Park Wanderers are due to host Spratton on Saturday, while Kettering travel to Redditch United.

Exiled Poppies

The Poppies have not played in the borough of Kettering since their last match at their historic Rockingham Road home in 2011.

The club sold its freehold to the ground in the 1980s and with negotiations over the extension of its lease stalling, then-owner Imraan Ladak announced a shock move 10 miles away to Nene Park in Irthlingborough.

The move proved disastrous.

After leaving Rockingham Road in 2011, Kettering moved into Nene Park, the former home of Northamptonshire rivals Rushden & Diamonds

In their first season at the former home of Rushden and Diamonds, they finished bottom of the table and were forced to drop down two divisions because of debts totalling £1.2m.

But there was little respite for them in the Southern League as players went unpaid and the Poppies fielded just 10 players in a humiliating 7-0 defeat to Bashley.

The club narrowly avoided going out of business and, after a brief groundshare with nearby Corby Town, they moved to Latimer Park, which they have shared with Burton Park Wanderers ever since.

Rockingham Road was demolished in 2017 to make way for housing, six years after Kettering Town's final game at the stadium