Lee Thorne is the person on whom Poppies fans are pinning their hopes - he is the owner of a successful haulage business, and he is also Kettering's commercial manager .
There are suggestions that Thorne had had a serious falling-out with Ladak early this season over Ladak's poor budgetary control, and he wasn't seen at Nene Park for some months - until the last home game but one, against Grimsby. That game was also watched by former Kettering manager Mark Cooper and his father, Terry Cooper.
Ladak had suggested that Kettering's would-be rescued included someone very closely connected to the club, from which I concluded that it was Cooper. I don't know whether the Coopers are involved in any takeover, but for last night's game against Darlington - another club formerly managed by Cooper - there was, for the first time, match and programme sponsorship, presumably secured by Lee Thorne.
Kettering fans are more than a little encouraged.
If the Coopers were to be involved, I would guess that Mark would resume as manager there - which would be terribly hard on the current incumbent, Mark Stimson, who has been working under the most trying circumstances.
Presumably one of the first priorities for any new owner will be to pay off the football debts that have seen a transfer embargo imposed on the club. One can only hope.
The game against Darlington, incidentally, finished in a 0-0 draw, and Darlington fans have showered opprobrium upon the heads of their team as a result. I should point out that Darlington have similar problems to Kettering's, and that despite that they have done quite well under caretaker manager Craig Liddle. They are currently on a three-match winless run, but those games were an unlucky 2-1 defeat to leaders Wrexham, a creditable 0-0 draw at home to Forest Green, and then last night's game; all secured despite a player exoduspartly resulting from the club's difficult financial position.
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