It’s the Friday before Kettering Towns' big FA Cup game at home to Doncaster Rovers at noon on Sunday the 1st of December which is live on BBC 2, so with a little bit of time on my hands, I thought I’d have a little pop along and see how they were getting on in readiness for the big day.
Well, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, the amount of effort and work going into preparing for a 90-minute football match was truly amazing, with all the BBC preparing their gantries and cabling, the installation of additional seating, additional toilets being delivered and installed, electronic advertising boards being installed on three sides of the ground this truly was a massive operation on an industrial scale.
While these images don't give a real reflection of the amount of work being done, the club also have had to complete a lot of work to comply with FA regs, installation of CCTV, more entrances to the stadium along with segregation for the visiting supporters, more food vendors more toilets etc... but on a down note there will be no alcohol on sale at the ground, with the FA regs not allowing the opening of the bar inside the ground and with the media using the clubhouse the pumps will be dry.
I think what was so evident was the hard work that a 25-strong group of volunteers had put in, from repainting much of the ground to sweeping up the leaves, cutting the grass, trimming the hedges... the list just goes on and on; these people really are the true heroes of football because, without them and the effort, passion and time they put into their local clubs, there would be no football.
Massive shout out to them and all volunteers at clubs around the country!!!!
The groundsmen are working hard to ensure the pitch is in its best possible condition for the big day, and I have to say they’re doing a splendid job and, at the same time, getting their daily steps in (-:.
All in all, I am so glad I popped along; I never dreamed of what goes into laying on an FA Cup game at a non-league club.
So well done all at Kettering Town!
I wish you all the very best for your game on Sunday and would be great to see you in the hat for the third-round draw, I’m sure many of the Doncaster Rovers fans might find their surroundings rather different And like many of us don’t realise just quite what goes into setting up a live FA Cup second round game, Truly amazing!
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