Kettering Town agrees sale to new owners
· Yahoo Sports
Kettering Town Football Club says a deal has been agreed for new owners to take over.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the club said former players Brad Piercewright and Craig Norman would be buying the club from George Akhtar, who has been in charge of the Poppies for more than two years.
Akhtar said the next stage of the club's development needed investment "on a completely different scale" and the new owners outlined an "ambitious vision".
He said: "I would not have agreed to pass ownership of the club on unless I believed the incoming owners had the ambition, resources, and commitment to build upon what has already been achieved and take Kettering Town significantly further."
Earlier in the year, Akhtar said that he intended to remain owner of the Poppies, who play in the Southern League Premier Central division, despite "a number of inquiries" from potential bidders.
During his tenure, the club have twice reached the end of season play-offs and in 2024-25, enjoyed a memorable FA Cup run, including a shock win over nearby neighbours Northampton Town.
Akhtar said the new owners were willing to invest millions of pounds into the club including delivering a new stadium.
'Passionate support'
He said: "The opportunity now is not simply to maintain the progress of the last two and a half years, but to accelerate it.
"If Brad and Craig deliver the investment and vision they have outlined, it would represent one of the most significant commitments to Kettering Town Football Club in its history and give the club the opportunity to achieve things that simply have not previously been possible."
In a joint statement, Piercewright and Norman said they wanted what was best for the club.
They said: "We recognise the responsibility that comes with taking ownership of a football club with the history, identity and passionate support that Kettering has.
"Our ambition is to build upon those foundations, invest significantly in the club and create something that supporters and the wider community can be proud of for many years to come."
The deal will now go through the legal process with the change of ownership expected to be completed by the end of the year.
Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
- Football club 'not for sale' despite inquiries
- How a tyre company's name on a shirt changed football for ever
- Club to celebrate moment it made football history