Kettering Town F.C.

Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976. History The club was established in 1872 under the name Kettering Football Club. They joined the Midland League in 1892 and were champions of the league in 1895–96, a season which also saw them beat two Football League clubs in the FA Cup; a 2–1 win over Loughborough in the third qualifying round was followed by a 2–1 win at Leicester Fosse in the fourth qualifying round before they lost 2–1 at Newton Heath in the first round. The club then also entered a team into the new United League, which they left in 1899. After winning the Midland League again in 1899–1900, the club applied for election to the Football League. However, they received only two votes and failed to gain entry to the League. Instead, the club joined Division One of the Southern League. In the 1900–01 FA Cup they reached the second round, beating Football League opponents Burton Swifts and Chesterfield before losing 5–0 at Middlesbrough. After finishing bottom of Division One of the Southern League in 1903–04, Kettering dropped into the Northamptonshire League, where the reserve team had been playing. They won the league at the first attempt and were runners-up in the next three seasons. In 1909 the club rejoined the Southern League, playing in Division Two B, but also continued to enter the first team into the Northamptonshire League for another season; they went on to finish the 1909–10 season as runners-up in both leagues. League reorganisation saw them placed in Division Two of the Southern League for the following season. In 1912 Kettering left the Southern League again, transferring to the Central Alliance. They played in the Alliance until returning to the Southern League in 1923, where they were placed in the Eastern Division. In 1924 the club were renamed Kettering Town after becoming a limited company. They were runners-up in the Eastern Division in 1924–25, and after finishing fourth in 1926–27 the club applied for Football League membership again, receiving only one vote. They were Eastern Division champions the following season and went on to win the overall Southern League championship, beating Bristol City Reserves 5–0 in a play-off. Another attempt at Football League membership saw them receive only three votes.