Kettering Town FC seeks funding advice from local MEP

Kettering Town Football Club received a visit from Northants MEP Emma McClarkin today, as the local politician met with them to discuss the building of sports facilities at the club.

Miss McClarkin is the Conservative Spokesman for sport in the European Parliament, and visited the club as part of her day in Northamptonshire. Having been shown potential ideas for a number of options for facilities, she was impressed at the commitment that the club has to contribute to the local area and get people more involved in sport. She also spoke to Kettering Councillor Michael Brown, who invited her to the club, about what EU grants are available to help with such projects.

Kettering Town FC was originally formed in 1872, becoming founding members of the semi-professional Alliance Premier League in 1979. In 2013 the club moved to Latimer Park ground, going on to record an unbeaten league run of 21 games that season, and in 2014/15 the team won the Evo-Stik Southern League Division One Central Championship at their first attempt.

Miss McClarkin said:

“Football is a real grassroots sport, with the ability to bring people together, so it’s great to see Kettering Town FC really getting into that spirit with their ideas for community facilities at the club.

“Football needs initiatives like this to help the game at a local level and do good for local communities, and I hope everyone will get behind the club and support it.”

Cllr Michael Brown said:

“Anyone who lives in or around Kettering knows of the huge generational struggle that the club is having to find a permanent place within the town to play 1st team games and provide community facilities.

“It’s great that we now have Emma on-board to try and find some light at the end of this tunnel, and I’d like to thank her for coming along today.”