Thomas Can Lay Down Law For Poppies

AFTER more than 15 years as manager of Hinckley United before his resignation last October, Dean Thomas says he grew to be something of a politician at the Blue Square Bet North club.

There was a merger to start it all, a ground move, players often went without pay and there were winding-up orders and regular registration embargoes.

Just the kind of background needed for someone to join Kettering Town then, where the 51-year-old says he will “steer well clear of all the politics” as assistant to new boss Thomas Baillie.

“Some will say it’s out of the frying pan and into the fire,” Thomas told me this week with no little understatement, “but Kettering have hit rock bottom and they are bouncing back.”

There’s not been much written about the Poppies this season in this column – deliberately, because one, it was the same grim news every week and two, you never knew who was telling the truth.

Now he’s out of the Knitters’ politics, I hope straight-talking Thomas is right.

Alan Doyle helped keep one of Non-League’s famous names going with a team of kids – when he could name an entire team, that is – before reverting to technical director last week.

And chairman Ritchie Jeune and the supporters’ trust seem to be doing a great job voluntarily just to keep the club going at Corby’s Steel Park in owner Imraan Ladak’s continued absence.

They will almost certainly be relegated to Step 4, but with men like one of my old Notts County favourites Thomas on board, they are getting the Non-League nous to help them on their rebound.

And I’m sure the fans that are left will eventually forgive the winning goal he scored for neighbours Northampton Town the last time the sides met in the FA Cup 23 years ago!