THE NATIONAL LEAGUE AT 40

The top division of Non-League Football celebrates its 40th Anniversary this season since its formation as the
Alliance Premier League ahead of the 1979/1980 season.

Since 1979, the league has been known as:

Alliance Premier League (1979-1984)
Gola League (1984-1986)
GM Vauxhall Conference (1986-1998)
The Football Conference (1998-1999)
Nationwide Conference (1999-2007)
Blue Square Bet Premier (2007-2013)
Skrill Premier (2013-2014)
Vanarama Conference (2014-2015)
Vanarama National League (2015-)

I am a Dover Athletic supporter who grew up watching Conference Football at Crabble on a regular basis from the 1993/1994 season and, 26 years on, continue to regularly support the club watching National League Football.

To coincide with the 40 year anniversary of the division, I am writing unofficial blogs on some of my personal all-time favourite players who I have either witnessed play or admired from afar and who, for me, made a big contribution to the league over the years.

In this, my 3rd edition, I look at one of my favourite Defensive players to have played in the Conference (alongside Colin Vowden) the former Kettering Town Captain & Poppies stalwart CRAIG NORMAN.

**Craig Norman – Kettering Town (1999/2000)**
Photo Credit: Poppies Media

CONFERENCE YEARS ACTIVE:
1995 – 2001 – KETTERING TOWN
2002 – 2003 – KETTERING TOWN

Craig Norman joined Kettering Town from Chelsea in 1995, having been signed by Manager Gary Johnson, and made his Poppies debut as a substitute in a 5-3 defeat away at Morecambe in October 1995.

**Craig Norman in action during his debut season (1995-1996)**

Norman had an impressive goal scoring record, particularly for a Defensive player, and was renowned for his Penalty taking abilities and conversion rate. He netted 78 times in total for The Poppies over the nine seasons he spent with the club, an average of over 8 goals per season!

**Craig Norman – Kettering Town (1996/1997)**

The highlight of Norman’s career, like fellow teammate Colin Vowden, was scoring at Wembley in the 1999/2000 FA Trophy Final defeat to Kingstonian. Norman netted the penalty that gave the Poppies a 2-1 lead in a game that eventually ended in a 3-2 defeat.

Following Kettering’s relegation from the Conference in 2001, Norman helped guide them to the Dr.Martens Premier (Southern League) title at the very first attempt following the conclusion of the 2001/2002 season. A final day win at Tiverton Town confirmed the Poppies’ immediate return to Non-League’s top division at the expense of Tamworth. Along with the FA Trophy Final, Norman has since cited this occasion as one of his finest moments during his time with the club.

His final appearance in Kettering Town colours came in a 1-1 draw with Kingstonian at Rockingham Road in March 2004. In total he amassed 369 appearances (295 League & 74 Cup/Other) during his nine years with the club and currently sits 11th in the list of all-time appearances in the club’s history.

Upon leaving Kettering, Norman was set to sign for Nuneaton Borough in 2004, who were managed at the time by Roger Ashby (Kettering’s all time record appearance holder) but injury forced Norman into early retirement from the game aged 29.

Norman is now a Manager at BM Pallets Ltd who are now, and have been, Kettering Town’s First Team Shirt Sponsors since 2015.

He is a QPR and England supporter but he will always be a name I associate with Kettering Town and the Conference years throughout the 90’s and early 00’s and he certainly makes my all-time Conference XI.

My thanks must go to Kettering Town club historian and statistician Paul Cooke for the Kettering Goals & Appearance statistics and to Poppies Media for the use of the credited player images.

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