Rushden and Diamonds
Rushden and Diamonds is a football (soccer) club from England.
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Rushden & Diamonds F.C. is a professional association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Formed by a merger of Rushden Town F.C. and Irthlingborough Diamonds F.C. in 1992, Rushden and Diamonds currently plays in the Conference National following a short spell in the Football League at the start of the 2000s. Nicknamed the Diamonds, Rushden and Diamonds plays at Nene Park.
History
Rushden Town
Rushden and Diamonds was founded in 1889 as Rushden F.C. In 1901 Rushden and Diamonds left the Midland League and joined the Northamptonshire League under the name Rushden Town. By 1990 Rushden and Diamonds had been promoted twice, to the Premier Division. Although Rushden and Diamonds finished its first season in the Premier Division in eighth place, they were relegated back to the Midland Division due to the poor condition of their Hayden Road ground. The future, with such a poor stadium, was limited.
Irthlingborough Diamonds
Irthlingborough Diamonds were founded in 1946. In the 80s Rushden and Diamonds experienced some success, even reaching the final of the FA Vase on two occasions (in '81 and '84). However, in the late-80s Rushden and Diamonds experienced severe financial difficulties, and the future looked bleak.
The merger
Rushden and Diamonds were formed on 21 April 1992 by a merger of Rushden Town F.C. and Irthlingborough Diamonds F.C.. The merger was the brainchild of Max Griggs, the owner of Dr. Martens. The new club took Rushden Town's place in the Southern Football League Division One Midlands of the Southern Football League, but played at Irthlingborough's Nene Park as Rushden's Hayden Road was not good enough for promotion (they had been demoted from the Premier Division the previous season due to the state of their ground).
The early years
Rushden and Diamonds won promotion to the Southern Football League Premier Division in 1993 and Football Conference in 1996, under the control of Roger Ashby. In the season following promotion to the Conference, Brian Talbot (footballer) was appointed as Rushden and Diamonds's new manager. As a player, he had turned out for Arsenal F.C. in the early 1980s. His previous managerial spells with West Bromwich Albion F.C. where he was sacked following defeat by in the FA Cup by Woking F.C. and Aldershot F.C. were disappointing.
Football League
After three near-misses they finally won promotion to the Football League as Conference champions in 2001. In their first season they reached the Division Three playoff final but lost to Cheltenham Town F.C.. In 2003 their promotion challenge was successful, they pipped Hartlepool United F.C. to the Division Three championship on the last day of the season and won their third promotion/league title in eight seasons.
2003–04 was a difficult season for Rushden and Diamonds. The club's board and supporters were hopeful of another promotion challenge, and some promising results in the early part of the season suggested that this could be achieved. But a run of bad results during the winter saw Rushden and Diamonds slip down the table and in March 2004 Brian Talbot left Rushden and Diamonds after seven years as manager to take charge at Oldham Athletic A.F.C.. Barry Hunter, with no previous managerial experience, was appointed as the caretaker player-manager, but with Rushden and Diamonds needing to offload its top players to balance the books it continued to slide further down the Football League Division Two table and they were relegated in 22nd place after losing their last game of the season.
Ernie Tippett was appointed temporary manager of Rushden and Diamonds for the last three games of the 2003–04 season, and confirmed as permanent manager for the start of the 2004–05 season. Despite bringing in a large number of new players, after a dismal run of results which saw Rushden and Diamonds the media predicted as promotion contenders fall to 22nd place in Football League Two, he was sacked. Barry Hunter became caretaker manager again, and although there were many applicants for the position, he was appointed full-time manager towards the end of the season. Rushden and Diamonds staved off relegation but released several players at the conclusion of the campaign.
Conference
In the summer of 2005, Max Griggs handed over Rushden and Diamonds and certain assets to a supporters' trust, along with an initial cash pledge. He gave £750,000 to the newly-founded supporters trust. "I feel very happy that I'm giving it to the right people", he said.
The 2005–06 season saw Rushden and Diamonds perform towards the lower end of the table as expected by the media. Manager Hunter rebuilt the squad in the January transfer window, and at the same time sold youth team products Andy Burgess, David Bell, and John Dempster. However, Rushden and Diamonds continued to struggle and on 29 April, Rushden were relegated to the Conference National after a 2-0 defeat at Boston United F.C., which resulted in manager Barry Hunter being told his contract would not be renewed at the end of the season.
2006-2007 season
Paul Hart took over as manager on 23 May and during the close season signed former Gillingham F.C. defender Chris Hope (footballer), Leo Fortune-West, Glenn Wilson, Paul Watson (footballer) and Jon Ashton. However, following a poor run of results, Hart left by mutual consent in mid-October, with goalkeeping coach Tony Godden becoming caretaker manager.
Mid- and late-2006 saw a lot of changes at the club. In July Helen Thompson became chairman, in November Rushden and Diamonds was taken over by former Peterborough United F.C. vice-chairman Keith Cousins and in December Graham Westley was appointed as manager, with the aim of getting Rushden and Diamonds out of the relegation battle and build towards promotion back into the Football League. After a seven-game unbeaten run, which featured five wins and two draws, Graham Westley was relieved of his duties on 24 February 2007 for unknown reasons. Two days later it was announced that former Weymouth F.C. manager Garry Hill would be Westley's replacement. Hill's first match, on Saturday 3 March, was a 3-0 win over Exeter City. After this game, Rushden and Diamonds hit an average run of form, eventually finishing 12th in the table.
2007-2008 season
Rushden and Diamonds started 2007–08 with mixed fortunes, winning only five games in the opening eighteen, and went into the Christmas break in 17th place. 12 points behind a play-off place, and 26 points behind league leaders Aldershot Town F.C.. A mini-revival and an unbeaten run was enjoyed from 29 January to 12 March but that run was ended with a 2-1 loss versus Histon F.C.. The season ended with Rushden and Diamonds in 16th place.
However, while the league campaign was dissapointing the Diamonds enjoyed their cup games.They reached the 2nd round of the 2007–08 FA Cup with a 5-0 win over Solihull Moors F.C. and a 3-1 win over Football League side Macclesfield Town F.C.. However, despite an early goal from Marcus Kelly, a 45-yard yard strike that was nominated by Match of the Day's Alan Shearer as "goal of the day" the Diamonds lost their second round tie with Bristol Rovers FC losing out to Aldershot after a thrilling 3-3 draw resulted in a penalty shoot-out and also got knocked out of the FA Trophy in the Quarter-Finals.
2008-2009 season
During the summer Hill brought in a plethora of new faces; including former Lincoln City shot stopper Alan Marriot and former Cambridge stawlwart Rob Wolleaston. Hill also brought to Rushden and Diamonds Dean McDonald, Lee Phillips, Sagi Burton, Jamie McGuiness, Gareth Jelleyman and Daryl Clare from Blue Square Premier rivals Burton Albion. Leon Knight was slo later brought in, a major coup. On paper, and according to the bookies, Rushden were one of the best teams in the league, and were joint-favourites to win the championship.
However, despite this "dream team" once again Garry Hill's side failed to perform. By the end of October Rushden and Diamonds were in 12th. After losing to Evesham FC in the FA Cup, on a day the official site described as "one of the darkest" in their history eight players were transfer-listed, including four players brought in during the summer.In early December, Knight was sacked for breach of Rushden and Diamonds's code of conduct. Chairman Keith Cousins retained the option to keep Knight's registration rendering him unemployed from football, unless another club pays a transfer fee to the Diamonds.
After nearly two years managing the club, the 3-0 defeat to Burton Albion and a long winless stretch, Garry Hill resigned on Tuesday 10 February 2009 with Justin Edinburgh taking over as caretaker manager. It was announced later that day that goalkeeping coach and former caretaker manager Tony Godden also left Rushden and Diamonds by mutual consent. Edinburgh's first match in charge was a 9-0 victory over Weymouth F.C after their opponents fielded their youth team after their first team left, after not being paid.
Following Hill's resignation the free management position was applied for by over 50 people, including ex-West Ham player Julian Dicks, as well as Rushden legends Duane Darby, Paul Hall and Paul Underwood. Justin Edinburgh, caretaker manager, was given the job until the end of the season. Within the space of a few games, Edinburgh breathed new life in Rushden and Diamonds as for the first time in years, Rushden and Diamonds began to play with an air of self confidence and without fear. As well as a successful start to his RDFC managing career, (earning ten points from a possible fifteen in his first five games), the standard of play and the overall entertainment value rose dramatically, with several players rediscovering performances that some had not put in in years. A 1-0 win over rivalrs Kettering merely heightened this sense of relief and recovery. The season ended with a 3-1 win over already-relegated Woking FC. The result ensured their final position as 11th, their highest finish in a league table since the Division 3 title was won in 2003. The season also ended pleasantly with the knowledge that nearly 1000 extra people visited Nene Park this season for league games, seeing a rise in the average league attendence for the first time in years.
Local rivalries
RDFC-Kettering Town rivalry
Rushden's main rivals are nearby Kettering Town F.C.. The clubs have played twelve competitive games together, all coming in the Conference National. The first competetive game between the sides was played out in the 1996-1997 season, with Rushden running out 1-0 winners. The clubs remained in the same division for five seasons before, in 2001, Rushden gained promotion to the Football League. After a seven year gap, in 2008-2009 the teams again found themselves in the same division, after Rushden suffered two relegations and Kettering gained promotion from the Blue Square North.
What is perhaps most notable about this rivalry is the one-sided nature the results outline. In the 12 league games, and over 1000 minutes of league football played between the two sides, Kettering have won just once, while Rushden have won seven times. IN the same number of games Rushden have scored 20 goals to the Poppies' 6 goals. The most recent game between the sides saw Rushden again run out winners, beating Kettering 1-0.
During a friendly match between the match in 2005 two flares were thrown onto the pitch. In another game between the two sides at Rockingham Road on Shrove Tuesday eggs and flour were thrown over the wall at the Rushden fans. In the most recent game between the two teams at Nene Park a flare was thrown from the pitch from the Rushden section, prompting an investigation. That game also saw nine arrests, the use of 60 police officers, and a police helicopter.
Other local rivals
Rushden also held a rivalry with a number of other teams, including Northampton Town F.C., Peterborough United F.C. and Luton Town F.C.. Rushden's rivalry with Northampton was the fiercest of the three, with a particularly famous victory seeing Rushden come from 2-1 down to win 3-2 with a late Billy Sharp goal. These rivalries, however, have diminished in intensity since Rushden's relegation from the Football League, and subsequent lack of games between the sides. However, due to Luton Town FC's relegation from the Football League in the 2008-2009 season, the mild rivalry between the two sides is set to be re-introduced.
Managers
- Assistant Manager: Michael Stone
- Physio Simon Parsell
Most appearances
Only eight players have made over 200 appearances for the club:
{) or have, after leaving the Diamonds, gone on to greater things (see Caleb Folan)
- Duane Darby
- Tarkan Mustafa
- Michael McElhatton (footballer)
- Garry Butterworth
- Paul Underwood
- Adrian Littlejohn
- Dean Holdsworth
- Andy Burgess
- Paul Kitson
- Brett Angell
- Ronnie Bull
- Marcus Bignot
- Darren Collins
- Billy Turley
- Tim Wooding
- James Rodwell
- Andy Peaks
- Barry Hunter
- Onandi Lowe
- Paul Hall (footballer)
- Rodney Jack
- David Bell (footballer born 1984)
- Billy Sharp
- Caleb Folan
- Jamie Ashdown
- David Lowe (footballer)
- Simeon Jackson
- Curtis Woodhouse
- Marcus Kelly
- Chris Hope (footballer)
Honours
League
- Football League Division Three The Football League 2002-03
- Football League Division Three Playoff Finalists (Runners-up) The Football League 2001-02
- Football Conference Champions 2000-01 in English football
- Southern League Premier Division Champions 1995-96 in English football
- Southern Football League Division One Midlands Champions 1993-94 in English football
Cups
- Conference League Cup Runners up 2008
- NFA Hillier Cup Winners Winners (4): 1994, 1999, 2007, 2008
- NFA Maunsell Cup Winners(4): 1995, 2000, 2006, 2008
- Conference Shield Winners Winners(1): 2001
- Southern League Championship Cup Winners(1): 1997
- South West Challenge Cup Semi-Finalists 2009
Related pages
Altrincham Football Club, Boston United, Bradford Park Avenue, Burton Albion Football Club, Cambridge United, Crawley Town Football Club, Darwen, Eastbourne Borough Football Club, Ebbsfleet United Football Club, Exeter City, Forest Green Rovers Football Club, Glossop, Grays Athletic Football Club, Halifax Town, Histon Football Club, Kettering Town Football Club, Kidderminster Harriers, Lewes Football Club, Mansfield Town, Milton Keynes Dons, Northwich Victoria Football Club, Oxford United, Rushden and Diamonds, Salisbury City Football Club, Stevenage Borough Football Club, Torquay United, Weymouth Football Club, Woking Football Club, Wrexham, York City