Official Club Statement

Corby Town FC Chairman Peter Mallinger has released the following statement:

"The recent statement by Kettering Town chairman Imraan Ladak has raised a number of points which involve Corby Town Football Club and I felt an explanation would be helpful.

I should first point out that relationships between the directors and management of both Corby Town and Kettering Town are excellent and were summed up for me when Corby Town drew Luton Town in the FA Cup this year and the police restricted our ground capacity from 3.000 to 2,000. It was Kettering Town chairman Imraan Ladak who immediately telephoned me to offer Rockingham Road as an alternative venue for us to play the game at no cost to ourselves.

The fact that the lease has been fast running out at Rockingham Road is no secret and in 2009 Imraan Ladak and I met to discuss the possibility of Kettering Town groundsharing with Corby Town.

Before Kettering Town could have groundshared it would have been necessary for them to have obtained a £450,000 grant from the Football Stadium Improvement Fund to upgrade the ground to Category 'A'.

They would also have paid to Corby Town a ground rental and a percentage of everyone coming through the turnstiles on a matchday.

Corby Town would also benefit from additional income they would have received through the Social Club bar and catering facilies.

If Kettering Town had had a reasonably successful run over the next ten years it could have benefited Corby Town Football Club and its new ground by almost £1million.

We saw that as a positive step and the additional income would have made running the club a lot easier and would have provided additional funds for manager Graham Drury to work with.

As it happens none of this is to take place because it appears Imraan Ladak has agreed new terms with landlord Ben Pickering.

Had a Kettering Town groundshare taken place I believe it would have meant enormous benefits for Corby Town Football Club. That is obviously not to be the case. We wish our near neighbours well and hope we are soon going to be able to join them in the Blue Square Bet Premier League."