Spartan South Midlands League Division One
Latimer Park, Burton Latimer
Admission: £5.00
Programme: £1.00
Attendance: 89
Somewhat surprisingly, I realised earlier in the week that, for various reasons, I had only visited one new ground so far in 2023, and so I certainly wanted to change that today, which eventually ruled out a tempting trip to revisit Roots Hall, for what could well, very sadly, be Southend United's last ever home game there, and visiting some basic step 7 grounds despite the promise of printed programmes. I also wanted to take advantage of some decent travel deals currently available - 10% off train tickets by using my Amex credit card, and single bus fares capped at £2 thanks to a temporary government initiative, each of which meant a trip to the outskirts of Kettering would be much cheaper than usual. And to carry on the theme of groundhopping on a budget, this game would allow me to visit a Step 2 ground (in name, at least) for Step 6 admission fee.
Although train stations at Wellingborough and Kettering are much closer to Burton Latimer, it would be much more expensive to go there than to Bedford, where I walked to Bedford bus station and then caught a bus, taking about an hour and a half, with the bus stop very close to the ground. The journey took me right past the site of Nene Park, the former home of Rushden & Diamonds, where the stadium has been completely levelled, and all that remains is an set of Exit doors, and a road sign directing towards "Football Parking". A sad end to what was a very decent modern football ground. Although Burton Park Wanderers have called Latimer Park home since 1973, Kettering Town moved in to share the ground in 2013, and have since become the majority leaseholder of the ground. Today, the ground has almost exclusively Kettering Town signage, with precious little of Burton Park Wanderers, and none whatsoever around the pitch and its immediate surroundings, which is quite a shame. There is quite an impressive turnstile block, but that is only used for Kettering's games, and instead for Burton games, spectators have to pass through a side gate and pay at a table just inside. Similarly, the main clubhouse outside of the ground, with a spacious covered area of picnic tables to one side, along with a tea bar hut seeming to offer a decent range of hot food, are only open for Kettering games, while for Burton games, quite a smart converted portakabin tucked well out of the way provides a tea bar counter, containing a basic range of hot and cold food and drink, and a separate bar area. As for the ground, it is above average for Step 6 football, but despite various enhancements which have taken place recently, is still well below average for Step 2 (where Kettering currently play, in the National League North), with facilities remaining very basic for the most part, some parts in a state of disrepair and not particularly easy on the eye, and many areas are dusty and untidy. Perhaps all of this is a reflection that Kettering do not see their long term future being here. Along one length of the ground there is hard standing until just beyond the half way line, then there is a rather old fashioned all-seater stand, and close to the corner flag, a further all-seater stand, covered by a white tarpaulin roof which has seen better days. Along the other length there is mainly hard standing, although there is uncovered terracing in a section. Behind one goal there is a metallic stand covering steps stretching the entire distance between the corner flags, while behind the other end, closest to the entrance, is the one modern and quite impressive addition to the ground, a smart all-seater stand, located behind the goal, with shallow uncovered terracing either side.
This match was something of a local derby, with less than ten miles separating the two clubs. Burton Park Wanderers were grateful for a reprieve from relegation last season, having finished second bottom last season, however following some excellent recent form, which has seen then win their last four league games and scored four in each of their last three, they are heading for the comfort of a mid table finish this season, coming into this game in tenth place, following ten wins and three draws from 22 league games. Raunds still have work to do to avoid the relegation trapdoor, coming into this game in 16th place, following seven wins and a draw from their 23 league games, and are only four points above second bottom Thame United Reserves, a berth which would be at risk of relegation. And they have been in disappointing form recently, losing their last three league games, including the reverse fixture of today's game, which Burton Park Wanderers won 0-4.
On a very overcast but fairly mild afternoon for February, this game started in a very lively fashion, with both sides having decent chances to open the scoring in the first quarter hour. The game then settled down, with not many more chances being created, and although Burton always looked the more likely to make the breakthrough, Raunds held their own, and the match was goalless and evenly poised at half time.
The game continued in a very similar fashion after the break, but it was the visitors who finally broke the deadlock when a low diagonal through all found the run of the Raunds forward, who ran on before clipping the ball across the keeper and into the net. Although Burton continued to do most of the attacking for the remainder of the game, they rarely looked like grabbing an equaliser, as Raunds gained some revenge for last week's defeat, and extended the gap to the second bottom club to seven points. I did expect that I would have to leave a few minutes early from this game, which I never like to do, with a bus back to Bedford leaving at 16.52, and with the next one not until 18.11, but fortunately, the referee kicked off on time and there were very few stoppages throughout the game. I did have a scare in added on time though, when a mass brawl caused the referee to stop proceedings and deal with the situation. Fortunately, that only added a minute or two, and as the final whistle blew at 16.50, I had time to run out to catch the bus, which was a few minutes late anyway, to head back to Bedford on the long journey home.
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