Some of the most memorable moments of Richard Lavery’s playing career were in the FA Cup.
Now as a manager, he is hoping to give fans of Kettering Town an unforgettable day out in Saturday’s televised first-round derby away to Northampton Town.
He scored for Telford as they came from two goals down to beat Crawley 3-2 in 2003 as part of a run which carried them to round four before losing to Millwall.
And he was on target twice for Hinckley the following season as they beat Torquay United and then took Brentford – then of League One – to a replay which ended in a 2-1 second-round defeat.
Lavery was also in the Corby Town team that drew 1-1 with then Conference club Luton Town in 2010, only to lose 4-2 in the replay at Kenilworth Road.
“I’ve had some great times in the FA Cup as a player so I’m hoping for more as a manager,” the 47-year-old told BBC Radio Northampton’s Non-League Scene show.
“I think it’s the best competition in the world. It gives lower teams a massive chance to cause an upset as a lot of higher teams don’t take it seriously until the latter rounds.”
Following the end of his playing career, Lavery had spells as assistant boss at Nuneaton and Kettering, working under Marcus Law as the Poppies won promotion to National League North in 2019.
He returned to the club in February as their third manager in four months and his appointment was followed three months later by the arrival of the ambitious George Akhtar as Kettering’s new owner.
Since then, Lavery’s methods have paid off and nine wins from their past 10 games have not only carried Kettering into the first round of the FA Cup, but also to the top of Southern League Premier Central.
So what message will he be giving to his players before kick-off against Northampton at Sixfields?
“I’m trying to play it down. I’m approaching it as a normal game because if you hype it up it can get to the younger lads,” he said.
“There’s probably going to be about 8,000 there, a sell out, but as a player you just have to try and blank that out.
“If you do make a bad pass or a wrong decision and the crowd gets on at you, you can go under. You’ve got to try and blank it out and play as normal. It’s hard to do because it is a different occasion, so young lads might find it hard but they might thrive on it as well. It can work both ways.”
He is fortunate in having a couple of very experienced names at his disposal for the first cup meeting between the two clubs since 1989 – when Dean Thomas, later Lavery’s manager at Hinckley, scored the only goal in a 1-0 Northampton win.
Gary Hooper scored twice in a Scottish Cup final as Celtic beat Hibernian 3-0 in 2013 and also has Premier League experience with Norwich City.
Now 36, he played in last season’s competition for Barnet and will be looking to score his first FA Cup goals since 2008-09, when scored twice against both Walsall and Alfreton in wins for Scunthorpe United.
The Poppies squad also features Nile Ranger, once of top-flight Newcastle , and a player who has been in scoring form since joining the Poppies last month.
Lavery said: “They’ve both been class. Gary Hooper came on for his first minutes the other night and scored a great goal. Nile has scored five in eight, or six in eight, something like that.
“They’re great to have around the place and their experience will be massive in the changing room because they’ve both been there and got the t-shirt and will help the young lads out as well.”
In an interview last year with The Athletic, Ranger said: “I should be minimum Championship right now. I shouldn’t be having problems but I didn’t listen. If I added nutrition to my game and behaviour, I’m Haaland.”
And it is that inner belief that lies behind his return to action with Kettering.
“Coming back is a big statement from me. I want to show others, and myself, that I can still make it,” he told BBC Look East before Kettering’s final qualifying-round win over Farsley Celtic.
“People say this isn’t my level. But the atmosphere is good and we get good crowds. I’m 33 – I feel like I’m 56 – but I’m knocking them in. I still think it’s possible (for me) to make the Football League (again).”
Lavery expects to have a near full-strength squad available for the game with League One club Northampton but admits his team are big underdogs.
He said: “I’ve got 18-19 fit players so I’ve got a good headache, but a good headache is a lot better than a bad one.
“I’ve not been managing that long, probably four or five years, so this is probably my biggest game as a manager but I’ll treat every game the same.
“It’s 11 men versus 11 men so why can’t we go there and give them a game? Yes, they train full-time. Yes, they’re probably going to be fitter than us. Yes, they’re on more money than us. But for me, it’s all about us on that day.
“If we turn up and have a great day, they might have an off day. Let’s see what happens.”
Richard Lavery was speaking to BBC Radio Northampton’s Chance Litchfield
