Poppies planning to upgrade ground

The Poppies have played at the home of United Counties League Burton Park Wanderers since 2013 and have submitted draft plans to their local authority for a revamped stadium hosting up to 6,500 supporters and a full-size 3G pitch.

The EVO-STIK League Southern Premier Division club's officials have set no timescale for transforming the ground and say bringing to Latimer Park to life does not mean they have given up hope of eventually returning to their own home.

Poppies chairman Ritchie Jeune says improving their current base is key to the club’s future though and is hopeful their community-driven project will pass muster.

He said: “We are excited by the prospect of developing Latimer Park into a complete sporting facility supporting local clubs not just football. We believe that there is a genuine need for facilities this side of Kettering and we are hopeful that the local residents will provide us with valuable feedback on the design and usage of the site.

“Working with the Burton Town Council, we will present the draft plans to residents during the consultation phase prior to applying for any full planning application. We still have a desire to return to Kettering with some kind of matchday facility. Plans to develop Latimer Park do not change that desire."

He added: “We will not be building a white elephant under the Kettering Town FC banner. For the development of Latimer Park to be successful it needs to cater for the needs of the Burton community and be accessible to the whole Burton community of which KTFC are a part.”