Non-league club managed by Paul Gascoigne reluctantly abandoned 114-year-old stadium

Kettering Town’s former Rockingham Road ground was torn down and is now the site of a new housing estate.

The Poppies, who were the first club to ever play with a shirt sponsor, called the iconic non-league ground their home for 114 years before moving out permanently in 2011.

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At one stage, the stadium hosted up to 6,264 fans as locals flocked to catch a glimpse of the action.

And the famous stadium garnered even more attention when Kettering hosted high-profile FA Cup ties against Fulham and Leeds United.

Gazza mania

But arguably the most glamorous occasion at Rockingham Road came in 2005 when the Northamptonshire club unveiled Paul Gascoigne as their new manager.

However, the frenzy was as short lived as Gascoigne’s tenure with the former England international lasting just 39 days in the job.

Gazza wasn’t the only big name to have earned his coaching stripes at the club with Ron Atkinson having begun his managerial career with the Poppies in 1971.

But the reminiscence of Rockingham Road came to an end in 2011 and Kettering moved to a new ground ten miles away in nearby Burton Latimer.

The Poppies have remained at Latimer Park ever since, a stadium they share with local side Burton Park Wanderers.

There had been hopes to one day return to their spiritual home however that idea has now gone up in smoke after a collection of new houses were built on the site.

Missed opportunity

The club failed in their attempts to re-purchase the stadium in 2015 in a closed bidding process and even tried to have it listed as an ‘asset of community value’.

The ground was left derelict for years before a developer for a housing project purchased the site at a price that Kettering were unable to match.

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A statement read: “Attempting to match or beat the unrealistic price tag put on Rockingham Road would have done nothing to secure the club’s future.”

Rockingham Road was knocked down in 2017 leaving a shell of the once revered ground.

The turnstiles and floodlights are in the process of being replaced by new houses with work ongoing on the multi-million pound housing estate.

Properties are already up for sale despite the continued work with prices in excess of £250,000.

When the work has been completed, 49 houses will stand where many footballing memories were once created.

Kettering currently play in the Southern League Premier Division Central and sit 12th in the table.