 | |||
| Nickname | The Diamonds | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2011; 14 years ago (2011) | ||
| Ground | Hayden Road, Rushden[1] | ||
| Capacity | 2,955 (257 seated) | ||
| Chairman | Rob Usher | ||
| Manager | Elliot Sandy | ||
| League | Northern Premier League Division One Midlands | ||
| 2024–25 | Northern Premier League Division One Midlands, 14th of 21 | ||
| Website | afcdiamonds | ||
 Current season | |||
A.F.C. Rushden & Diamonds is an Englishfootball club based inRushden inNorthamptonshire. They played their opening season at Kiln Park, the home ofRaunds Town, in 2011–12 and subsequently shared the Dog & Duck ground withWellingborough Town from July 2012 to the summer of 2017. A groundshare agreement withRushden & Higham United was agreed for the 2017–18 season. The club was formed by supporters in July 2011, afterRushden & Diamonds, a formerFootball League club, were expelled from theFootball Conference and liquidated.[2][3][4]
At an open meeting chaired by a supporters group called SaveRDFC, a mandate was agreed upon to create aphoenix club,[3][5] fully owned and controlled by its supporters. A team was created and accepted into the Northants Senior Youth League for the2011–12 season, while a senior team played in theUnited Counties Football League Division One for the 2012–13 season.[6] They are currently members of theNorthern Premier League Division One Midlands.
The originalRushden & Diamonds was formed on 21 April 1992, following the merger ofIrthlingborough Diamonds andRushden Town. The club's early years were marked by success. Within four seasons the club had reached theConference National, and within nine the club were members of theFootball League. However, following their promotion toDivision Two the Diamonds' fortunes took a turn for the worse. The club were relegated twice in three years, and suffered instability off the field. Seven different managers took charge of the team between March 2004 and May 2011, while the club itself was controlled by four different parties during the same period. Following a period of sustained financial difficulties during the 2010–11 season, the club were expelled from the Conference at the end of the campaign,[7] and entered administration that July.[8]
AFC Rushden & Diamonds was created during the summer of 2011 byRushden & Diamonds fans as a"phoenix club" after the original Diamonds were expelled from theConference National, and subsequently went on to fail to secure a place in theSouthern League Premier Division.[9] After missing the FA league deadline for registering a senior side, AFC R&D formed a youth team to compete in the Northants Senior Youth League for the club's inaugural 2011–12 season, with the intention of fielding a senior side the following year. Following an open fans' meeting, supporters voted to play their games for the 2011–12 season at Kiln Park,Raunds, the home ofRaunds Town.[10] Former Rushden & Diamonds head of youth development Mark Starmer was appointed as manager, initially taking control of the Under-18 side.[11] The U18s were accepted into the Northants Senior Youth League for the 2011–12 season,[12] but no senior side was registered in time for that season.
The club's first match was a 3–0 loss toRaunds Town in a friendly youth match played on 6 August 2011, attended by 350 supporters.[13] The first ever competitive goal scored at any level for the new club was a penalty from Lewi Williams in the inaugural match of theDale Roberts Memorial Cup against Cleveland Juniors at Kiln Park on 14 August 2011.[14] The Diamonds played their first competitive game on 25 August 2011, winning 3–0 againstDaventry Town in the Northants Senior Youth League. The side ended the league campaign in fifth place with 30 points from their 16 games,[15] and they won the NYSL Knock-out Cup, beatingAFC Kempston Rovers 4–1 in the final held atCorby Town's Steel Park.[16] Throughout the season the club established partnerships with other local clubs which saw money donated to the club, the establishment of a youth development programme, and the acquirement of a playing field and home ground until the end of the 2012–13 season.[17][18]
Ahead of 2012–13, Mark Starmer was given the First Team Manager post,[19] with ex-Rushden & Diamonds player Andy Peaks appointed as his assistant.[20] The senior team were registered to play in theUnited Counties Football League Division One, playing its home games at the Dog and Duck, home ofWellingborough Town. A Women's team and a series of Youth teams were also established.[21][22]
The senior side's first match was a 3–0 victory in a friendly againstCrawley Green on 17 July 2012. Striker Peter Okechukwu scored the senior team's first goal, with a crowd of approximately 100 watching the match.[23] A month later, AFC Rushden & Diamonds beatThrapston Town 3–0 in their first ever competitive senior match, with goals from Alfie Taylor (2) and Jack Wisniewski in front of 784 supporters.[24] The club had mixed form throughout the season, but finished the league in second place, securing promotion to the United Counties League Premier in their first senior season.[25] The club also took part in theFA Vase, United Counties League Knockout Cup and the Northants FA Les Underwood Junior Cup.[25][26][27]
In 2013-14 the club entered theFA Cup for the first time. Starting in the competition's Extra Preliminary, they beatLondon Colney,Northwood,Cockfosters, andCambridge City to reach the Third Qualifying Round, where they were defeated 3–1 away toConference South sideDover Athletic.[28] In the league, Rushden & Diamonds finished third.
Diamonds spent most of 2014-15 near the top of the table and, in anticipation, applied for promotion. In a season that included a 6-game winning streak, and 9–0 and 7–0 wins againstDesborough Town and landlordsWellingborough Town, respectively, the club secured the United Counties League Premier Division title, their first ever honour, and promotion to theSouthern League Division One Central. Diamonds made it a double by beatingPotton United 3–0 in the final of the UCL Knockout-Cup.[29]
Ahead of the 2015–16 season the club were informed by theSouthern Football League that they must use the previously retired number 1 - retired in honour ofDale Roberts[30][31] - despite theUnited Counties League and theFootball Association having given the club prior permission. A petition was set up by supporters, and goalkeeper Matt Finlay wore 17 on his shirt in the first game of the season. Further appeals from the club eventually succeeded and the decision was overturned.[32] Away from this, the club's promotion meant that they competed in theFA Trophy for the first time. In theFA Cup, Diamonds reached the Fourth Qualifying Round for the first time, where they lost 1–0 in replay againstBarwell.[33] After spending some time at the top of the table, in the league the club finished fifth, qualifying for the play-offs. After beatingRoyston Town in the semi-final they lost 2–1 in extra time toSt Ives Town in the final.[34] The season ended with a 2–1 victory in the Hillier Senior Cup Final against old rivalsKettering Town.[33]
Diamonds were transferred to theNorthern Premier League Division One South in 2016–17, where they again finished fifth. They qualified once more for the play-offs,[35] but they were defeated 1–0 byWitton Albion in the semi-final.[36] The FA transferred the club once again, this time back to the Southern League Division One Central.[37]
They had initially planned to start the 2017–18 season playing their home games at Kempston Rovers' ground, ahead of a proposed move to Hayden Road in Rushden, however necessary works to Hayden Road were completed before the season start.[37]
On 28 April 2018 Diamonds were promoted to Step 3 at the third time of asking, finishing second behindBeaconsfield Town; their third promotion in six seasons.[38]
The 2018–19 season saw Diamonds finishing 9th on 61 points, 33 off rivals and league winners Kettering Town.[39]
The 2019–20 season was Diamonds' second at Step 3 and contained notable results such as a 5–1 victory overLeiston and an 8–2 defeat toBromsgrove Sporting. The season saw short cup runs in both the FA Trophy and the FA Cup, being defeated bySouth Shields andEnfield Town respectively. When the season was ended due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, Diamonds were placed 11th in a very tight league, where they were just 4 points away from the playoff places.[40] The2022–23 season saw the club relegated from step 3 in their fifth season at the level, a 0–0 draw on 25 March confirming their fate with seven matches remaining.[41]
Senior team games are covered byRadio Diamonds, a group of volunteers who broadcast live commentary online for fans via Mixlr.[42]
The club's initial 2011–12 season was played in the Northants Senior Youth League, and games were played at Kiln Park, Raunds, the home ofRaunds Town F.C.
The club's first senior season was in 2012–13, played at the Dog and Duck ground in Wellingborough. This arrangement remained for some years.
On 21 July 2016, Diamonds released a joint-statement withWellingborough Town, confirming that the Dog and Duck landlord Alper Ozdogan had invoked a clause in Wellingborough's lease agreement, forcing them to leave the ground by 31 May 2017. This effectively brought an end to the current ground share agreement on that date. Diamonds confirmed that they would be seeking an alternative ground share agreement in the local area.[43]
After a vote amongst the club's members, it was agreed to groundshare withRushden & Higham United at Hayden Road in Rushden, starting from the 2017–18 season and until a new ground would be completed.
In November 2018, an agreement with theDuchy of Lancaster resulted in land being set aside along the B645 Chelveston Road for the construction of facilities to serve the club. This 30-year lease also includes the possibility of expansion into neighbouring areas should the opportunity arise.[44]
As of the 2019–20 season, the club still groundshares with Rushden & Higham United.
The club badge was voted on by the fans from three possible designs and was unveiled on 9 August 2011 at a fans forum at Kiln Park. It draws heavily upon the original Rushden and Diamonds, Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds crests. The "Rampant Lion", Crosskeys of Saint Peter's Church, blue diamonds and red stripes all reflect this inspiration.[45]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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TheNorthern Premier League does not use a squad numbering system.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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(as of 3 May 2023)
Records for league and all cups, appearance totals are starting + substitute
Shown are the top 10 players in each category.
Source:2022-23 Player and Match Stats
Appearances:
Goals:
Sam Brown and Alfie Taylor played in the club's first Senior competitive game, on2012-08-18 |
|
| Date | Manufacturer | Shirt Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2011–12 | Joma | Playfish, R&D Travel |
| 2012–14 | Tempest[49] | EA Sports |
| 2014–17 | Macron | Hevey Building Supplies, Fuelsell (back)[50] |
| 2017–20 | Macron | Auto Windscreens, Fuelsell (back)[50] |
| 2020–22 | Macron | Mind Rushden, Shield Labour Solutions, Fuelsell (back) |
| 2022 | Macron | Sports, Concerts & Events, PKS Training, Fuelsell (back)[50] |
| 2022-25 | Macron | Rebel Energy, Fuelsell (back)[50] |
| 2025-Present | Macron | NRG UK Group, Fuelsell (back)[50] |
Most rivalries were formed when the supporters still followed theoriginal club, however the rivalries commenced once fans started following the phoenix club. Although this means that whereas local rivalries with league clubs such asLuton Town,Peterborough United and evenNorthampton Town have died down, the rivalry withKettering Town has been re-ignited, and new rivalries such as withWellingborough Town have been developed.
Rushden's main rivals are nearbyKettering Town. Rushden & Diamonds F.C and Kettering Town played seventeen competitive games together, 16 in theConference National and one in theFA Cup. The first competitive game between the sides was played out on 8 March 1997, with Rushden running out comfortable 5–1 winners at Rockingham Road.[51] In the early years, derby games between the two would regularly attract crowds in excess of 4,500. The clubs remained in the same division for five seasons before, in 2001, Rushden gained promotion to theFootball League, while Kettering were relegated that same season from the Conference. After a seven-year gap, in 2008–09 the teams again found themselves in the same division, after Rushden suffered two quickfire relegations and Kettering gained promotion from theConference North.
In the 16 league games contested and over 1,000 minutes of league football played between the two sides, Kettering won just twice, while Rushden recorded nine victories. In the same number of games, Rushden scored 25 goals to the Poppies' eight. On 3 January 2011 Kettering ended an 11-year wait for a win over the Diamonds, beating Rushden for only the second time in their history with a 2–1 triumph atNene Park.[52] Throughout the history of the fixture, Rushden & Diamonds maintained an impressive record of having never lost a competitive away match against Kettering Town.[53]
The rivalry resumed on 6 May 2016, when AFC Rushden & Diamonds met Kettering in the NFA Hillier Senior Cup final, which Diamonds won 2–1 at Northampton Town'sSixfields Stadium.[54]
The rivalry between the Diamonds andNorthampton Town occurred between 2004 and 06, when the two clubs played inLeague Two together for two seasons. Eight games were played between the sides – four competitive league games and four pre-season cup games. The Diamonds recorded a sole league victory over Northampton, a 3–2 win atNene Park during the 2004–2005 season thanks to a last minute goal fromBilly Sharp.[55] They also beat their rivals in two pre-season Maunsell Cup games. After the Diamonds' relegation out of the Football League this rivalry diminished in relevance, especially as this relegation led to the re-ignition of the Rushden-Kettering rivalry.
Past rivalries from the original club's younger years were also enjoyed withKidderminster Harriers,Cheltenham Town andYeovil Town, with the three clubs often competing against each other in their various play-off and championship pushes. Rushden also enjoyed rivalries with various other clubs throughout their history.Peterborough United andLuton Town were seen as small rivals during the club's Football League days, due to the relative geographical proximity of the three clubs. Following the original Diamonds' relegation into the Conference, however (despite Luton's presence there also) these rivalries diminished considerably. As the new entity, a ground-share withWellingborough Town means that a rivalry between the two tenants has ensued inWellingborough.
Updated 7th Sept 2024. * indicates position/round not final.
| Season | League record | Average attendance | FA Cup | FA Vase | FA Trophy | League Cup | Hillier Cup | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Div | Level | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Pos | |||||||
| 2011–12 | Northants Senior Youth League[56] | (Youth) | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 30 | 5th | 295 | WN | ||||
| 2012–13 | United Counties League Division One[6] | 10 | 36 | 28 | 6 | 2 | 96 | 31 | +65 | 90 | 2nd | 544 | R3 | R1 | |||
| 2013–14 | United Counties League Premier Division | 9 | 36 | 26 | 3 | 7 | 88 | 35 | +53 | 81 | 3rd | 470 | 3Q | R4 | R1 | R1 | |
| 2014–15 | United Counties League Premier Division | 9 | 40 | 31 | 6 | 3 | 121 | 32 | +89 | 99 | 1st | 550 | 1Q | R2 | WN | R1 | |
| 2015–16 | Southern League Division One Central | 8 | 42 | 23 | 8 | 11 | 81 | 44 | +37 | 77 | 5th | 457 | 4Q | PR | R1 | WN | |
| 2016–17 | Northern Premier League Division One South | 8 | 42 | 20 | 11 | 11 | 73 | 52 | +21 | 71 | 5th | 466 | 3Q | 2Q | QF | R1 | |
| 2017–18 | Southern League Division One East | 8 | 42 | 27 | 10 | 5 | 92 | 25 | +67 | 91 | 2nd | 501 | 2Q | PR | R3 | SF | |
| 2018–19 | Southern League Premier Division Central | 7 | 42 | 15 | 16 | 11 | 60 | 49 | +11 | 61 | 9th | 562 | 1Q | 2Q | R1 | WN[57] | |
| 2019–20 | Southern League Premier Division Central | 7 | 26 | 13 | 7 | 6 | 45 | 40 | +5 | 46 | 7th | 458 | 1Q | 2Q | R3 | QF | |
| 2020–21[58] | Southern League Premier Division Central | 7 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 11 | +3 | 9 | 13th | 377 | 1Q | 1R | |||
| 2021–22 | Southern League Premier Division Central | 7 | 38 | 19 | 8 | 11 | 55 | 45 | +10 | 65 | 5th | 373 | 1Q | 3Q | R1 | RU | |
| 2022–23 | Southern League Premier Division Central | 7 | 42 | 8 | 7 | 27 | 40 | 87 | -47 | 31 | 21st | 343 | 1Q | 3Q | R1 | 1R (dq) | |
| 2023–24 | Northern Premier League Division One Midlands | 8 | 38 | 9 | 5 | 24 | 38 | 78 | -40 | 32 | 19th | 413 | PR | 1Q | WN | ||
| 2024–25 | Northern Premier League Division One Midlands | 8 | 40 | 13 | 10 | 17 | 44 | 61 | -17 | 49 | 14th | 401 | PR | 1Q | SF | ||
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