Ep24 - Brad and Norms

Hello Poppies fans, thank you for joining us for episode 24. I'm Jamie and joining me in the recording booth today is Craig Hello Craig, how are you doing? Are you doing okay? Yeah, very good, thank you very, very good. Good stuff. Well, as you'll know, don't be aware listeners, today's episode is taking a unique format. We are focusing on off-field developments and we're delighted to be able to bring you the supporters, the latest news with regards to a submitted takeover bid. It's attracted a lot of attention this episode, so if you are joining us for the first time as a listener, welcome. Thank you for your time, thank you for listening. The Poppy Cast is a fam-owned and fam-run podcast and we hope you enjoy it. Let's introduce our guest to the pod then today, so our first guest played for the club over two stints starting in 2001 to 2003. He's a Dr Martin's league champion and also played during the dawn of the Latimer Park era in 2013, including in that fine 4/3 win over Ailsbury and Ited, where we're all convinced that the club was going to be wound up for good. I'm getting emotional thinking about it. A big welcome to the podcast at Broadpeace, right? Thank you guys, yeah, that was a nice little intro for us there and that was an epic game and I actually remember crying in the change room after it, believe it or not. I was captain at that point as well, so it was not a nice experience but we won and then we managed to survive, so yeah, happy days. Brilliant. Our second guest is 11th on the all-time Kettering Town appearance makers list. He has played 369 games and scored 78 times over his nine years in the Kettering Red and Black. He scored at Wembley in 2000 and will always be regarded as a Kettering Town legend. A huge welcome to the podcast to Craig Norman. Thank you very much and I like everyone and believe it or not, I can remember every one of my 78 goals, only joking. Well, how many were from the penalty spot to be fair, Craig? That's incredible, isn't it? That's incredible. We will at some point need to ask you about your technique for penalty taking. Craig, Parker, and just to bring you back in, we were saying, weren't we? We could record a whole episode on these two guys on the field experience. Yeah, honestly, obviously we are doing this for the reasons of the club purtists and everything else at the moment, but I'd personally also like to just thank you both for being with us tonight. A fan like us, we've been through the mill and back supporting Kettering and, you know, I wish we could be talking about things like the Dr. Martin's title, the Wembley days, Kyle shirt, he a manager, but we shall save them stories for another day. Shall we cap? We'll get back there. Before we go into the takeover bid, I just wonder if we could just ask you both for a little snippet on what does Kettering tell mean to you both from your time as players because I think that really feeds into why you want to purchase the club. Is that correct? Yeah, obviously coming sort of up to Kettering in '94, '95, under Gary Johnson, didn't really know what the club was all about. Obviously, we were full-time at the time and I think David was up at Malkham, so we're sort of rushed up on the Friday evening up to Malkham and stayed in the hotel and done at the worst day view possible. I think I'll give four goals away in the end and we got B-5 free. And it was just that that struck me the way support which I didn't expect, obviously coming from Chelsea, I didn't expect it in like non-leg football and then just really the home game after that, the size of the crowd at home per bronze grove in the FA club and it just it just sort of took me out big in size the club was and it just went from strength and strength for me and it just never really played so many games and enjoyed it so much under so many different managers and had a satire rapport with the fans and never really looked to ever leave and go anywhere else if I'm honest it just that that was my club and has remained that to the day so as you say with this what's come up it's so exciting for me as a fan to be involved it's that's really why I'm I'm sort of part of it really. Yeah and from my point of view I left Scarborough after playing you guys in the conference I I'm from Northampton born and bred and I've lived in Ketchon for decades if you like couple of decades until I moved to Portugal and I was at Scarborough, played in the conference Darin Collins, Noomi and said Ketchon are interested would you come so I signed a two-year deal with you and the first year was was the best year of my relatively small football in Korea because I fell into business but it was it was a best year probably of my life if I'm honest from a from everything personal and football going to Tiviton away at the last game of season and the experience that that gave me and the joy was just it was incredible I mean to sit in that change room winning the league getting getting Ketchon back up to the conference because I got relegated that year when I when I joined um it you can't even explain the feeling I'll never forget the cold shots and I ended up falling out the end of it throwing a T-pipe at me which that is for another episode by the way that was one of my funniest moments in football now I'll never forget I'll never forget the words he said I'm sure you remember Noomi's but he walked in and it we're all going crazy and and I mean proper crazy and now I think I was two and a half thousand funds away at Tiviton it was absolutely ridiculous but sitting down and he said guys just shut up shut up and we all sort of went quiet and he went look around this room look at everyone in the eyes I got goose bumps saying this I'm sure you all know and he was you know look around this room look everyone in the eyes he said you will never ever forget this moment honestly boys take it in and I swear he was he was spot on because for decades um I've always had the love for Ketrin as a football club I've watched them live I've been to homel games away games and I've watched them on TV and I've kept in touch with a small amount of our team norm has been one of them and uh when my opportunity came in life um to perhaps get involved in football Ketrin was always my first choice before I'm honest because I was never going to achieve to buy aston villa or even be part of a villa consortium which is my main team but villa uh Ketrin is is the is the long league team if you like that I have if you do have second teams is Ketrin down so yeah it means a huge huge amount to me my kids still live in Ketrin um we've got houses there I'm there all the time and it it isn't just about well it's everything is about the club you know that we have got simply the best intentions at art so we whatever comes of this we just want Ketrin to succeed and to be back to where it should be that's so that's lovely to hear and anytime you mention Tivitan or anytime anyone mentions Tivitan it brings the goose bumps and I'm sure a lot of fans will be taken back to that moment so thank you both for that um that insight um we put out on Facebook the fact that we were going to be hosting you both and uh we asked for comments and questions and we've had absolutely bucket loads so by way of a bit of a plan for this episode today um we're going to be asking yourself Brad and Craig a little bit about the offer that you've proposed to George in the club um and then we're going to be uh asking those questions on behalf of the fans that have sent them in Craig's got a massive list in front of him um some of those you'll probably some of those will probably cover organically which is great but um any others will sort of chime in with and we'll uh do that at the end as well does that sound like a plan a matter of smashing okay um first of all I did want to address we had a question today from James Robinson and it was actually for us as a podcast and I thought it was quite a nice point for us to reflect on he says how are we going to deal with some of the possible backlash towards us as a podcast for having this discussion and hosting this chat because there will be some people out there and it's fair to say there are some that think you know George James the club it's his club he can do with it while he will what he wants and we uh perhaps shouldn't be using our platform to push a take over um so we did want to address that thought it's a really good point um and you know since we have had that first discussion with yourself Brad back in May when you came forward with the first bid And I think it's really fair to say, and Craig, feel free to come in on this, we feel like things have changed in the last few months in terms of the feel of the fan base. You only need to look online to see the comments that are constantly addressing the negativity and wanting that change, but also the metrics too, so we can look at the survey results that the Ketrin Town Supporters Association have published recently, back in May, the supporters were asked for their confidence in a rating out of 10 for the current ownership. At the time, it was 8.1, so a lot of fans said, "Actually, we want this to take over to happen." However, if it doesn't, we're still supportive of the current ownership. The same question was included on a recent survey just a few weeks ago, and that 8.1 has dropped to 2.4. So as a fan-owned fan-run podcast that wants to reflect the views of the fans, I think we are justified in saying that this is a change that people want to see happen. So that's our justification for hosting this discussion this evening, and I hope that, even if you disagree with us, I hope that you understand our reason. Craig, do you want to come in on anything further on that? Yeah, I've just want to put in the fact that I've been quite vocal on social media about wanting this take over. I was at the park hotel sit down with the consortium that was there. I was very much well-winded by the personnel in the group. I thought it was a fantastic presentation. I think it's something that the club needs. It's something that the club needs to progress with for creditability, standards, and just a general pushing the right direction. We've got two ex-players that know the club inside out. They've got so much passion for the club. I think the time is right to make that push forward, if I'm honest with you, and I hope that you can make a lot of sense, I want my children as well to be able to watch this club grow in the future and not watch it in limbo in what could potentially be months to come. Thank you, Craig. Yeah. Okay, with that in mind, let's go to our first question then, and it's for yourself, Brad, and it's actually to address that, if you like, the leak of information, because this news of your new bid came out and the supporters group over the weekend, just thought that would be a good starting point for you to sort of answer, where has this come from, and you're happy with the avenues that have been used to communicate this takeover bid? If I could come in on that one, and I'll maybe answer that question. Of course. Go for it, yeah. Yeah, just to let you know where we are, and we've everything basically. I made a call to George, I think it was on Monday the 17th of August, a few weeks ago. I spoke to George, he had a 20 minute chat on the phone. He got some things off his chest, which is fine. At the end of the call, he asked me to go away and go back to Brad, and he was going to speak to his agent, and come back and bring something to the table. Some offers. So we went away. I spoke to Brad. We went away, come back a week later, sent a WhatsApp message, asked him for an email address to keep it nice and private, not known where George wanted it to go, so he just wanted it to go to him, and heard nothing back. The two or three days, then I thought I'd try and touch the base, I tried to call. No response, straight to answer machine, so with that in mind, obviously, Brad has emailed the offers over to various emails that we got through the club, so it went, I mean, Brad will tell you, it went to a few people at the club, and that's where we are, the situation we are out of the minute, we have heard nothing back to say that I received the bid, so basically that's why we're here to know that basically. Yeah, I think, if you don't mind me jumping in, it's very obvious to people externally, and I can say this from being internally involved in it, there are now many, many people who's involved in wanting a change, whether that is a takeover, whether that is a partnership with George, and I'm talking previous directors, current directors, board members, previous MD, previous FDs, community members, staff, volunteers who aren't there now, have all want the best intentions for the club, just like we have, and probably just like George just, so we're not disputing that at all, and I'm here really to hold an olive branch out to George, because I can't speak to him, unfortunately I'm blocked on a call, and on what's that for messages, and that's fine, I don't particularly agree with that, but it is what it is, and I'm here to say, I'm here with you guys, and really speak to George's, let's have a conversation, because I have now put another two bids into the club, would you like me to go into them? Yeah, whatever detail you are willing to divulge, that would be much appreciated, Brad. No problem, so in terms of the bits that have gone in, so I've sent them to five different emails at the club, George is sister, and two or three others who aren't, I won't name, just in case other people have spoken, so I've done my very best to put two different offers to the club, considerable offers, where I'm talking 25, 30% higher than the first bid, so you can do your own master with that, on each bid I have outlined that the supporters will have shares in the club, I've given two options, one is a full-out right purchase, with a promotion bonus for George, and the other one, which I feel I would really like to explore with George, is for him to remain as a co-chairman with norms, because I don't need to be classed as a chairman, I just want to be in the background pumping money in, so I've offered for him to stay as a co-chairman with norms, and have a minority share holding in the club, because we're talking about potentially hundreds of thousands, if not above that, of where I want to go on my own with the consortium, with or without George, so if I'm dedicating and pumping my own personal money into the club, which I'm prepared to do, I feel I need to have proper skin in the game, and that skin in the game is majority share holding, with George having a minority staying in, being on the top table with us, having it forward, and the supporters having a seat on the board, actually owning shares in the club, so there's the two options I've put forward, if one is an outright, and the other one is a partnership, if you like, I feel that we could, I feel George and I, with the consortium, could seriously turn this around in a matter of days, and I'm, yes, DD, there's due diligence work to take place, all of that, but I'm talking once any potential deal that could be done, you will see fans coming back through the door, there will be a proper excitement within Ketrin, and we will properly drive it forward, with my background from a financial point of view, and a business point of view, and I hope a little bit of football knowledge as well, because I did play at the club, I did play at a high level, and I've played at the highest level with Ketrin Town, that he's ever been at, which is the conference, with Norman, sorry Craig Norman, so we feel that we could do something really special with the club, and if that's, without George, George's decision, if he wanted to sell, and if it's with George, then they're my terms really, and I don't think that's an unfair proposal, I've tried to do everything that ticks the boxes, but also it sets a bit of a precedent to stay, look we could get this turned around pretty quickly I think, in terms of the toxicity that is in the club at the minute, which I've seen, so we're going back months now aren't we, we've made, the May discussion came out because ultimately the club is not a business, it is a institution, it is a supporters club, someone's got to own it of course they do, but it's, I feel it's in the public interest, it's in the supporters interest, that things like this are public, some things can stay private of course they can, but we unfortunately, have got no other avenues and don't tend this wrong way guys we've got no other avenues than to to speak to you guys and say look this is serious we are back here we want to get this sorted I'm trying to please everyone and by that I'm talking George and that that's just have a conversation because they're not going to get enough another offer like this I don't believe ever again if I'm honest it's the it's the biggest offer the clubs ever had it's never been brought for what we've put on the table and it will never have the level investment I believe that it's going to have from myself and another members so that is why we are here so it's me George saying to you directly let's do something together or if you've had enough let me just take it over with the consortium and that that's a rule would go with it but I'm open to both as long as he is and if he isn't there's not much else I can do guys I mean there's so much to sort of follow up with on that brand I'm going to just start with the offer itself it sounds like you're really struggling with the communication at the minute with the clubs so hence you need that sort of public support from the supporters from a podcast like ourselves that the fans listen to from local media as well you've got the Northance telegraph you might be able to help push that message how long are you putting on as a sort of deadline for this for this bid to be accepted acknowledged rejected etc yeah initially we have to Friday I gave it a week and a half because it doesn't take that long to make a decision on on the offers I don't think is they're incredible offers but look this is now Tuesday night I would suggest that there's there's another week from from Friday that I'll wait and then and then that will be me guys I think I'll focus on other things it won't be another football club it would just be other business interests that I'm doing I don't want to go away I'm not going to go away but the offer just won't be there anymore for a period of time you know there's nothing else I can do so yeah it is it's frustrating but I understand as well the the thought process from George might be that I've caused all this but in reality I think if people take a step back and be sensible like we put an offer and we went public because of who we are and that's not been an arrogant person stating that Norman and myself and the team are pretty special people from Ketri and I believe that's been involved in the club so that you know if the offer wasn't accepted now we're here and yeah we haven't had I haven't had anything back haven't had an announcement or anything so you know what what more can I do other than reach out on this like I'd call him he's not taking norms calls we just want to say look guys let's get around the table and let's shake hands and walk out in the middle of the middle of the the pitch and then crack on Craig Parker do you want anything their full of questioning no you know what we've obviously got a lot of fans that have sent in a lot of questions and going through the digestion of that there's a lot of the points you've just made there Brad that some of these questions are going to be irrelevant now I've got nothing to add I'm just like I say just really excited to listen to this again and obviously hopefully to make a standing of statement going forward yeah it's difficult look we're not asking I'm not asking fans to to cause mayhem you know that is that's never come from us in fact if I'll take you back to probably one of the last statements that we made which was don't do that go to go and support the club by season to get go to the games that's the last thing that I put out there you know George and I had a bit of a rant yeah to go on the the video I didn't agree with being called a liar I didn't appreciate that however you know for me I will sit in a room and I'm happy to try and try and move this forward and I'd like to do it with George but it has to be right for him and obviously he's got to be right for me and I think what I've put on the table is pretty fair so from from a fan point of view a fan point of view I would be saying to these guys it needs to be done in the right way I can't tolerate and I won't accept if I hear anything in terms of abuse to George that's not on any of his family you know that's not acceptable I wouldn't want that for myself let alone anyone else but how do we encourage the right sort of way and I think this could be it this could be the last sort of for the dice if you like from from fans in terms of look let's listen to this one or two can speak to George in a positive manner please and he might listen to it he might not but we are here ready to do something with him or or not with him if he wants to if he's had enough you know he might not he might not want to speak to us at all and he's got his own plan but when we when we know that there are people ringing around local businesses in Tetrin asking for investment and without being arrogant you have got someone here who is in a far far greater position to be able to do something and he won't take the call it's it's hard you know we we want the best for the club be that with me or not with me be that with George or not with George this is not an ego trip here this is about kitchen town for the club I would love to do something for the club that is it and the end of story for me it's nothing to do with like I said I don't need to be classed as a chairman I don't care I can't if my as on as I my name on company's house is majority shareholder because I'm pumping hundreds of thousands and millions over time into the club that's all I need I don't need to be classed as a chairman I don't need to be classed as a director it doesn't matter give the supporters some some voice in the company sitting on the board that's all get around the table and that's that's drive it forward like I keep saying but right now I don't have it's not our option we don't have that ability to be able to to say anything to George personally right now and we don't have that ability to to do anything with the club and look ultimately the club is actually doing relatively well from a footballing point of view it's got a good squad the results are there or they're about something yes you've got other people there in the in the in the lead that are doing well but you know it's not my decision what what happens next is it's ultimately going to be George's yeah we've said it's on the previous podcast double with Jamie that on the field we you know we do things so so well with the recruitment well obviously the management situation is a bit different at the minute but you know the playing squad the the football side of things seems to be fantastic it's off the field and everything else that is the absolute worry to me as a fan at the minute that just seems just a shambles I don't need you yeah I don't want to use using words like shambles and things like it is hard look it's it is running any businesses is difficult running a football club which I haven't done yet I guess is is probably tenfold so I've got a lot of empathy for George with the pressure the stress that he must be going through with this or even without me being involved or even knocking on the door in May you know with an offer it's um I would imagine that he's doing everything he can to make sure that the club is successful and I applaud him for that um so again it's not the words like shambles and so sorry great to sort of further out in defending the club it is it's tough right it's tough having that company it's tough being in business but I but when I'm hearing that there's you know people are getting phone calls about investing I'm that's just that's just do something it's just just just for me just just touching on that but it's just a communication it's a massive thing we just want to get around the table and it's listen I've been involved in this of the last year with Brad and being a support myself it's just so exciting hearing speak like that I've had that for the last last year so the ups and downs of it we just literally want to get around a table and ever discussion we just need some communication back from the club and let's sit around a table and see if we can do something if we can't we can't but let's let's at least give it a go and that's all we're asking I'm just going to take this opportunity guys to break the podcast fourth wall because my phone is blowing up and I'm going to just introduce Peter short into the chat because he's got questions and he wants to come in so short he's been lurking there in the background probably wanting to jump out do you want to come in and first of all how you're doing mate before you get on with your question yeah please don't say I'm lurking because people already got you know concerns about me it's pleasure to be on here guys obviously you know we've spoken plenty of times before I just want to just pick up some in Brad so one of the last things you said to me and to the even telegraph was that If George goes on and does the things he said he would do, so that's put in the flood lights and reintroduce the community and items like that, then at least what you had done was forced to change. Obviously some new flood lights have been installed allegedly not correctly. We've now obviously lost someone incredible in the form of Phil Wade. There's apparently some kind of community initiatives, but these are big announce four or five weeks after they've happened, so it feels like a bit of a hot pot. And is that a reason why you've now reemerged with an over offer? We haven't gone away. I've respected the club intern and George in terms of maiden up and you've not heard anything from me other than a one response when he called us lies, which I wasn't a fan of. I've not said anything else since then. There's been no other communication, no, the statement. We've sat back and I've watched and I've heard, I said I've watched. I'm not on any social media, but I'm also not stupid. People reach out to us, you know, we've watched the Bill Baile is the Phil Wade's. We've watched what's happened to various people and again, I don't want this to be a witch hunt on George because it isn't, but we're seeing. What seems to be a negative feeling around them and again, I truly hope that isn't to do with us, but I think it was inevitably going to happen anyway. It's where I am with that. So I felt now is the time because I would imagine that George is under immense amount of stress and pressure. Forget the results, as I said, but in terms of hearing things, seeing things, seeing negativity on social media is not great for anyone. It's the olive branch to say, look, we're still here, here's two offers, huge offers. Let's not get ourselves because I will not move from the fact that I still believe the clubs just abound. It doesn't have any main assets, but it needs to be right for George. So I've done everything I can on this last two offers, which are incredible, by the way, to make this happen. So that's why, surety is that I've come back and said, well, I think this is the time because I don't want anything negative to happen to the club. And I'm not saying it's going to be gone down the pan or anything like that. We knew the situation a year ago, we knew the situation six months ago. If that has been turned around, no problem, but I'm not seeing it. I'm hearing about the facilities. I'm hearing about people leaving, you know, it doesn't seem like a positive uplift. So yeah, that's why, basically, it's like, right, okay, we're here. We can help you. We can help the club. Let's do something together or not at all, you know, and that's where I am. And I think all these people that I mentioned, and I don't need to name everyone, I think everyone knows. Everyone is trying to get this into a position where we can do something special. And now I've given that opportunity to for both options in or out, you know, if I can sit there as I said, sorry for repeating myself. But if I can sit with George and he wants to stay in, he is in, but I'm talking as if it's my company, it isn't his. So he holds the cards and rightly so, by the way. So I don't know, it doesn't need to be forced out and it's like that. But I just think now, you know, when you're here, as I said, repeating myself about investors, been asked to join my Christ, like we're here. Let's put our egos aside. Mine's well aside with my office. I can assure you. Do you recognize that's what it is? It's ego. Do you reckon this is actually now a personal thing now? You know, someone brand new would come in that wasn't Brad Pierce, Frank Greg Norman, fresh as a daisy hadn't appeared to slight the work of the club currently. Do you think it would be a very different outcome? No, I don't want to be dragged into the ego. We've all got egos, okay. But I don't want to be to be about that. I don't want to say anything negative about George. I haven't said anything negative about George publicly or private is, you know, is we are where we are now. So now I don't. I think George probably is disappointed with the May presentation. But I've got nothing to lose here. I've got everything to gain and so's Ketchon town by doing something with a slot, because it isn't just about me, by the way, surety. There are serious people, serious Ketchon people who are behind this and want this to work. It isn't about me. So you can take my ego out of it. And I don't know George personally very well. I think is a really personable guy. I enjoyed having my conversations with him. Yes, we were way out on numbers, but other than that, I actually thought he was a nice guy. And I think he still has got a lot to offer. It's going to be, as I said, ultimately, it's down to him. So I don't want to be joining to the old ego thing, surety. People make their own judgments on that. But if you know the individuals, you can make your own judgment. I don't really know George. No, I don't think you'll find you don't think anybody will disagree with you. His aimability and his passion and he is so approachable to talk to. I think that is never been in question here. I think I think a lot of the feeling is just that, you know, this has just been a step too far and a bit too much, you know, too much chewed off basically. And just quickly Craig, you know, you've been at the last park all the time to see him already. Have you felt any personal animosities? You've walked around last my park. Have you kind of, you know, felt a cold stare from some of the catching officials you walk around? Or again, is it, you know, you just, you're a bigger and better man than that. No, I was down there opening game of season and no, there was no animosities towards myself. I would say it was a, it was a strange feel from past seasons. It was, it was just a strange sort of atmosphere and a few people had said that. And really, it's just reiterating what sort of Brad said. It's, we don't want to divide the fans, you know, that was never the aim was not to divide. We don't, we don't want people. It just feels like there's a massive divide and we don't want that as a football club. We really don't and being a family self. I did feel that a little bit at the opening game, which, you know, it's a shame really. It is a shame. Can I ask about, from a business perspective, it doesn't make sense to keep coming back with more and more money on the table. So if this offer isn't acknowledged, isn't accepted. Bearing in mind, you know, you've spoken about the concerns about the club's finances and since then in May, the club's accounts have been published and that has kind of done nothing really to make those fears go away. Do you, do you guys foresee a situation where you just kind of sit on your hands and wait for, wait for the inevitable. I think that will knock on your door. No, I don't, I think the accounts that have been released are the previous years, by the way. So it isn't, it isn't up to date. That includes the FA Cup run, I believe. And like you said, they're not overwhelmed. And I don't think they ever will be, by the way, you know, even if the opportunity to take it over or be part of it, you know, the club needs one actual help every year. And that's the differential at this level is that it doesn't, even most clubs don't make, don't make any money. But the difference is that we, you know, we feel we've got that finance to, to prop it up and more. Yeah, that's where that is. I think from an offer point of view, I got married this weekend. And my wife does not want me to put anymore bits. We have a debate after debate. Norm's and I have sat up for hours and days and months about all this. And it's a difficult one because I'm in business to make money in my, in my company and we always have done. And this is a complete loss leader, but it's a passion and it's a drive that I've had for many years to get back in football. You know, I've been a leader like Norm's. I've kept in the club on my second stint. I was captains everywhere I've been. I'm an MD, I'm a CEO, I'm a business leader. But I'm not a football owner, football coach and I've not been a football manager and the dream is always to get back into football in some capacity. And that's kept in town. So this for me, I think is, is that I'll throw the dice from from this perspective. And then I don't want, you don't want to sit on your hands. You don't want to see this toxicity in the club. And it is there and that is not, that is nothing to do with us. And it doesn't necessarily everything to be George has been combination of the way things have gone. The worst case scenario is that, you know, there is no money and I'm, I don't know George's position, but I don't feel comfortable asking or hearing that there's. Companies been asked for investment, you know, and there's, that won't happen with us. You know, we, we're, we're fully stable and we know what we're going to do with it. And the bit point of view, I don't think I'm gonna go. I shouldn't go. I shouldn't have gone second or third time, but I have because sometimes the heart rules ahead, the head is saying you're an absolute lunatic. But I stood there in front of 150, 200 people in May and I openly said I'm prepared to lose millions of pounds investing in the club. I mean, who else would do that? Who else would stick? To start with hundreds of thousands that's going to end up being millions into a football club knowing they are. And it's not like we're a Premier League club. It is a non-league club that will never make any huge amount of money. So, you know, I'm sitting here going, I'm going to lose an absolute fortune doing this, but it's a passion and I want to drive. It would just be, it would be absolutely incredible in the club. If we manage to do something over collectively or us guys, I just can't tell you how passionate I am about it and the team involved in it. But yeah, it's, I'm almost done after this because I can't keep going because it's taken a lot of stress out of me and the consortium, but sitting in my hands waiting for it potentially to go south is not something I want to see. I don't want to see the club. I don't want to see George or I don't want to see the club lose money. I don't want to see administration points deductions just to get into the club for next to nothing. I don't see the value in that. The value is hundreds of thousands, but I don't want to see that. You know, everyone wants the best for the club. And like I said, if George has got a huge amount of money and he can drive it forward, then pick up the phone and just tell me, I'm okay and I'm going to pump all this money in. And I will go away and watch the club from the farm and wish them all the best. But I'm just not seeing that at the minute. So sorry if that's a long winded answer. No problem. That's so unfair. So we talked about the bid itself and the frustrations with getting around the table. I wonder if we move on to your sort of plans for should the consortium be successful? And what do you see the future of the football club looking like? Craig, do you want to have a look through some of the questions from the fans? Because we've had a few with regards to the makeup of the consortium and who's involved and that sort of thing. Yeah, obviously I've just had to try and digest some as we're going along. So obviously Brad, you've answered quite a lot of the questions. Just one from Alex. I was at the meeting at the park hotel and a lot was specific on the training and the ground facilities. But what would be the priority for you? Would it be finding a new ground or upgrading Latin a park? Yeah, again, this is I'm not happy to try and answer the best I can. But ultimately, we don't own the club. So I don't think a vision is ever going to change. Catching town football club could have a fantastic stadium. We used to play in front of two, two and a half thousand in the conference and FA Cup runs more than that, you know, double. And the town needs a real stadium with just going to add a bit of pride back into everyone and a place where you want to go. And if I am successful or if me and Joyce do something together, that's not going to take six months a year. We're talking a good two, three, four years, but it has to be the goal is a new stadium and be that the opportunities back when the bids went in, there was opportunities for land. I've not even looked at opportunities for land because I've wasted so much time on this and not got anywhere. If there's an opportunity to do something with George or on my own with the club, of course, it would be finding some land with the council if we could with some help in terms of planning and actually trying to build something, yeah. If that isn't doable, could we redevelop the whole of Bertrand Latimer in terms of the stadium that would have to be the only option, wouldn't it? If there's an opportunity to buy some land with planning and support from the council and all that sort of stuff, I'll do it. If I can't, then it will be, we'll try and build at the club where it is now. I would try my best to buy that land. And if that's not doable, I'll try and extend the lease to a hundred years, forget where we are now and we want real stability. So the training facilities as well comes hand in hand. It will be a case to see where's available, but yeah, to answer your question in terms of it shortly, yes, training facilities, yes, news stadium or a significant upgrade in the current stadium. That's all I can say. - Right. - No, that's great, thank you, Brad. I've got one from the commentary here, which is a unknown personnel on Facebook that he says, hi, Jamie. I'm not sure if any of the below was covered in debt for the original meeting, which I was unable to attend, but is the consortium just Brad and Craig and the names were pretty much all known from around the club, or have there been any others involved in the background? Having heard a few others talking on the subject, I'm aware, ex-Saint Dylan Hartley, ex-Cobblers, and Poppy Lee Colkin are both involved with Brad's call business. Are they part of the proposed consortium from a financial point of view? This is a big question. Or if so, would all initial spending be from Brad's pockets, or are we looking at other various financial inputs? - So Dylan and I was in business in Anglo-Tech when I first started going and started doing some acquisitions, I then bought Dylan out of his shares. So Dylan isn't involved in this, no. Lee Colkin works for me now as a sales director in the company. Look, he's a football man, but he's not involved on a consortium level. Would he be involved at some capacity? I think absolutely, 'cause his skill sets in football and business could add some value, might be selling some boards or whatever, it doesn't matter. I think I will lean on as many valuable people as I can, from a financial point of view, it's me. I've not asked a penny, and norms will back you up with this. I'm not asked a penny from anyone. There hasn't been anyone in the consortium where I've said, can you give me this? Or, you know, if people want to do something with me, my door is open, if we're successful. But right now we're not there. So if someone says, Brad, I want to put some money in, no problem, but the plan for me is on my head. Yes, we'll drive commercial sales through. Yes, we will be getting sponsorships through local businesses. We want to drive it forward like the club needs, of course, but the crux of it is coming from Brad's pocket. Okay, I'll take another question, which is from Ethan. What does Brad think the supporters can do to help move the deal forward? We have had certain boycotting talks of protests, but the vast majority of fans have no idea how to support this takeover. Yes, it's a tough one. We don't want, and I speak for everyone, I think, who's been involved in this. Or in the background that's been involved in this. Nobody wants toxicity. No, I don't see any real value in boycotting. Everyone needs to have a voice, of course, but it needs to be done the right way. It's really hard question to answer because you don't want the club to suffer. You don't want George to suffer financially, personally. I just hope everyone is sensible with it, is probably there. Would you agree with that, Norms? There's nothing like this. Again, I go back to, we don't want a divided fanbase. We don't protest, it's a toxicity at the club, which we don't want. Leave it hopefully to us. We're asked, let's get round the table. Let's speak, let's take it out. The support was hands, let's us deal with it. Let's all, as a consortium, we're asking, we're reaching out to say to George, George, let's sit round the table, we can have a chat. Let's see what we can do in this boycotting and everything with the support. Let's try and pull it to bed. It's not good for anyone, it's not good for George, it's not good for the fanbase. We can see Gates are dropping. There was a decent gate on bank holiday, but the minute with the toxicity in the club, it's going one way, and that's a bad thing for the football club. So on the subject of boycotting, no, demonstrate. Everyone's, as Brad said, got a voice, but let's do it in the right way. Let's not get abusive. Let's not get abusive online or in person. Let's just, let's do it the right way, basically. - Okay, Craig, this is another one for you as well. Just to jump in, it's what is Craig Norman's position within the consortium? Will he be back in financially or is he involved in other aspects of the consortium in the current guys? If the takeover, it's successful. What role did the image. for infasage Craig plays around the club. Sorry, I thought that said, are you going to be playing football again Craig then? Sorry. We both feel that we could still play. That's the danger you got. Well, we did have that conversation over a bottle of red bread. Didn't we? We was a little bit tipsy one night. There was nothing connal last game. If we had acquired the club and there was nothing connal last game, we were going to bring you ourselves on with five minutes to go. You're playing a hilly a cup, couldn't you? Yeah, exactly. I'd just like to answer for my perspective, if George is wanting to do something with us guys, for me, Norms is co-chairman. If George doesn't want to remain and is willing to sell, for me, I'll put Norms at the top. Like I said, he's a legend at that club. As you mentioned, at the outset, he's well respected, great guy. We know our football and we're leaders and he is the best leader I've ever played with. And I know he'll deliver at that club, as he did on the pitch. You got me tearing up here, Brad. Is there any other questions Craig, you want to follow on with that? I've literally got one to final, I think one from John here is, it's a quite a quick fire one, Brad, but if accepted, how long for it to be finalised and if rejected, does Brad walk away? If accepted, depending on which option, I think, ultimately there's due diligence involved and we're quite thorough on my businesses at the minute. It would be exactly the same. Normally it takes three to four months for any acquisition that at best, which is why we tried to do this pre-eal of pre-summer. So I'd probably work on the same sort of time scale 12 to 16 weeks. Depends how clean the information flow would be if it got to that. And is Brad prepared to leave, if not accepted? That's one thing I answered that on the pre-summer. I won't be there's no chance of me increasing the number. No, if anything, it's going to go down because it's just not worth what I've put on the table. As I've said, I'll reiterate this to George and everyone who has seen or heard of the offers. No one's going to be buying that club at that price. I don't care what level. Promotion, etc. It's not going to happen. You won't happen. If it does, I'll hand up and I wish everyone the best because someone will have serious money to do what we're going to do. Buying it at that value, they're not going to buy it just for fun. They'll be buying it to drive it forward. So again, it would have worked. This change, this podcast might make a difference, we hope. We hope so. It's admirable that you're pushing for that diplomatic resolution around the table. I just wonder if that resolution doesn't come. Do the fan base continue to get more frustrated? I know you don't want that toxicity. Nobody does, but the frustration, there's the potential there, isn't it, that that continues to grow. I just wanted to bring in a comment from one of our listeners on Facebook, Mike Scott. I've got a lot of respect for Mike's opinions. He says, "I just don't get why George doesn't sell up." Richie's June, the previous owner, built up a director's loan of 600,000 pounds in his time at the club as shown in the accounts for 2023. It doesn't appear that George has that kind of money to put in. So if you don't have that kind of money, you need the good will of the fans and local businesses to support you. And George has absolutely torched any good will he has accrued during the last nine to 12 months. How does he think that you can turn this around? Somebody close to him has to make him see sense. Well, yeah, for me, I mean, that's a question. Only George can answer, really. Yeah. I'll tell you what's something else, what Mike might make George see sense is catching me and dumped out the FA Cup on Saturday, which is a potential with Wellenbury, how they've started. I mean, you hear all sorts of rumours of what's been budgeted. And of course, any chairman or financial person, a club banking on an FA Cup run or an FA trophy run is ludicrous. But you just can't put anything past at the moment because, you know, the way it's been, I'm not going to quite describe it as a shambles, but you just hear people have been close to the board and the top table. And yeah, so I do certainly think Saturday and at a result not going catchings way could maybe force someone's hand. Yeah, but we don't want we don't want catchings to be be sure to we wouldn't we wouldn't wish that on the club. If anything, we want them to go on a decent run. So so there is money available rather than and perhaps where, it seems to be right now. But again, that at some point that will go again and we'll be in the same position I feel. But yeah, that's that's hope they do win on that weekend against one. But that's what I would say. Absolutely. No, no, well, I'm sure our two well-involent listeners will definitely want it to not happen. But yeah, certainly. Well, yeah, me living in well-involent was a big game for me. There's kind of fault it, kind of fault to lose out. Um, Gents, does anyone want to come in with any thoughts, comments or any questions we've missed Craig before we sort of summarise and wrap up? I think we're, you know, we've made everything pretty crystal clear now on the head right now as we go on. I just really appreciate you both coming on tonight. Thank you. And I've been in the question. I'd just like to say that obviously thanks to you guys for for giving us this platform to speak. Thanks for the fans that have have reached out. Um, you know, with support for what we tried to achieve. And lastly, to George, um, like that's that's that's try and get something done. Between us collectively or not, that's that's try and find a way that's that that will make catching great again. That sounds a bit trumpish, but it's it's honestly how I feel. I think it it can be, uh, financially turned around pretty quickly. That's for that way. So let me when you, uh, when you edit this, make sure you put some nice, uh, you know, dramatic music over the top of this one. Yeah. I was going to get YMCA when we introduced them. It was, um, about, um, because that's how I felt over time. Yeah, just from my point of you, thanks guys as well for having a song and, you know, letting us, you know, put a record straight and and, you know, speaking to George directly, giving us that opportunity really, um, and just thanks to the fans who have supported us and listen, it, it as a fan myself, looking at ease, such a great opportunity, which I believe the club will never, probably never ever again. And I'll just, I'll just hope, you know, we can take it forward. It's such an exciting opportunity. Um, we just want the chance to do it. So thank you guys. Not too. Thank you. For, you've got married this weekend, Brad, for goodness sake, and you're straight on the podcast with us on your, on your first couple of days back. So appreciate it, massive. Oh gosh. Yeah. I also want to say a massive thank you to our, um, listeners and two Kettering fans who have got in touch on Facebook. There are so many that have liked and commented on our Facebook post. So many excited by the potential of the takeover. There are too many to name, but if, uh, we've asked your question, thank you so much. And if we didn't get around to it, we'd do apologize, but I think we've done a pretty good job of, of covering all the bases, um, on this episode. We haven't even talked about the, on the field stuff. Have we Kettering a still and beaten going into the FA Cup this weekend? Um, maybe we'll have some more time for that next time round. Yeah. I do need to mention before we wrap up the Kettering Town Supporters Association is having an inaugural meeting at the Wayfarer's pub on the 7th of September. So that's coming up in a week's time at 7 30 PM. Um, you can sign up for it at fans.ktfcsa.com. Um, please do so because I know a lot of hard work's gone into it and I know Danny will appreciate anyone who turns up to discuss the Supporters Association. Okay, that is us wrapping up for this episode. Thanks again for listening and we'll catch you on the next episode of the Poppy.