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. After retaining the Eastern Division title in 1928–29 the club lost the championship play-off 4–2 to Plymouth Argyle Reserves. In the subsequent Football League elections they received only one vote.
In 1930 the club joined the Birmingham & District League, taking the place of their reserve team. However, after a single season the club dropped back into the Northamptonshire League. They were Northamptonshire League runners-up in 1932–33, after which they left to join the Central Combination. The club rejoined the Northamptonshire League, now named the United Counties League, in 1935 and were runners-up in their first season back in the league. They went on to win the league in 1938–39. In 1946 the club rejoined the Birmingham & District League and were league champions in 1947–48 and runners-up the following season. In 1950 they rejoined the Southern League.
Kettering were Southern League champions in 1956–57, after which they applied for Football League membership again, failing to receive a single vote. Despite only finishing eighth the following season the club received one vote in the Football League elections, a result that was to be repeated every year until 1961. In 1958 the Southern League was restructured, with Kettering placed in the North West Division. They were North West Division runners-up in 1958–59, earning a place in the Premier Division as the league was restructured again in 1959. However, they finished bottom of the Premier Division the following season and were relegated to Division One. The club won Division One at the first attempt and were promoted back to the Premier Division. Another attempt at Football League membership in 1962 saw the club fail to receive a vote.