Cooper takes a swipe at chairman Ladak as huge week looms in the Poppies’ survival bid
Mark Cooper has delivered a chilling warning on Kettering Town’s future as he described the week ahead as “all or bust”.
The crisis-stricken club saw their Blue Square Bet Premier clash with Forest Green Rovers on Saturday postponed just after 1pm with a large part of the Nene Park pitch frozen solid.
But it would seem there are even bigger problems lurking as caretaker-manager Cooper, who was brought back to the club on a promise of new money coming in, revealed he wasn’t sure whether the new investors wanted to proceed with a takeover.
Cooper confirmed the club has a hearing with the Football Conference this week over “financial irregularities”, which is likely to focus on their inability to pay their playing squad on time for the third month in a row and a transfer embargo that was imposed as a result.
It seems that talks about a takeover have stalled and, in an apparent swipe at current chairman Imraan Ladak, who escaped a protest against him from angry fans with the game being called off, Cooper said he wants to “see if people have a conscience”.
Kettering are due to travel to league leaders Wrexham on Saturday but Cooper said: “There is no guarantee we will get to Wrexham unless things happen.
“There is a Conference hearing on Thursday, I believe about financial irregularities, so anything could happen. It could mean points deductions or fines.
“I think the club will be doing well to play that game next weekend.
“The game being off means we miss out on gate money, which we would have tried to get to pay the players with so they have gone unpaid again.
“I don’t know where we are. I don’t know where the investment stands and to be honest, I don’t know how we go forward. You are probably asking the wrong person.
“It’s a real mess and I have come into it with my eyes firmly shut by the look of it. It’s desperate and it shouldn’t be like this. For the want of a better phrase it is all or bust.
“Let’s see if people have a conscience but I am not even sure the investors still want to take the club forward after the negotiations they have had to go through.”
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Kettering
Sunday 27 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 12 C to 26 C
Wind Speed: 8 mph
Wind direction: North east
Comments
There are 4 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Stuart T
Tuesday, January 17, 2012 at 11:29 AMIf its true about Imran, then I feel sorry for him, but he should let someone buy the club and get it of his shoulder as quick as possible, he will lose it anyway.
Westy the fat oaf
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 09:29 PMPlease can we finally get this saga over this week. Its been to painful for too long.
Zed4
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 03:38 PMIf the worse happens and KTFC go out business, start a new club by all means but don't rely on the existing Supporters Trust. Make it all embracing to any supporter that wants to be involved such as AFC Rushden & Diamonds have set up as a community club with a members scheme on a 'one fan one vote' basis.
Stuart T
Monday, January 16, 2012 at 02:23 PMIt is all IF! we have to thank Mark for caring and still being around? It seems Ladak is keeping his head down, not meeting with the consortium, so no one can do anything at all. Looks bleak to me, we may as well get used to the idea that its the end of the club. Start again, but this time have the Supporters Trust with most of the responsible day to day running of the club, not leave it to one man.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.