Club History

pic: the old club badges

Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was formed at the end of the 1991/92 season following a merger between local rivals Rushden Town (formed 1889) and Irthlingborough Diamonds (formed 1947).

Rushden Town FC was founded in 1889 and competed in the Midland and Northants Leagues before joining the United Counties League in 1901. Apart from a short period in 1956-61, during which the side competed in the Central Alliance, the Russian's remained in the UCL until 1983, winning the Championship on 10 occasions. It was a bold decision to step up into the Southern League Midland Division and for a time it appeared that the Club had over-reached itself, but seven years later it gained promotion to the Southern League Premier division. However, after finishing in 14th place in it's 1st season the Russian's were demoted to the Midland Division as the outdated Hayden Road Ground failed to meet the required standard for the Premier Division.

Irthlingborough Diamonds FC were formed in 1946 and began playing competitive youth football the following year. After a lengthy association with the Rushden & District Youth and Senior Leagues, the club moved into the Kettering Amateur League in 1960 before joining the United Counties League 4 years later. In 1967 the Diamonds won the Division 2 title and were promoted into Division 1 where they remained until 1982. The Championship was won on 4 occasions - the last of these being in 1982/83, and foremost among other notable achievements were exciting FA Vase runs which took the Diamonds to the semi-finals in 1980/81 and in 1983/84.

Both clubs achieved relative success before the pre-merger but by 1991 Irthlingborough were suffering diminished fortunes compared with the highly successful 70's & 80, and an approach was made to a prominent local business man, Max Griggs, concerning a possible sponsorship package. After much consideration, Max Griggs recognised the problems being experienced by both Rushden and Irthlingborough and deliberations and discussions commenced regarding the merger of the 2 clubs. Despite reservations from various quarters the merger was eventually agreed and Irthlingborough's Nene Park, was brought up to the required standards.

The newly formed club would kick off their first campaign in the Beazer Homes League Midland Division, in which Rushden Town had finished 8th in the 1991/92 season. The first game, watched by 315 spectators, was on Saturday 22nd August 1992, against Bilston Town at Nene Park, and finished 2-2. Ollie Kearns scored the clubs first ever goal, and John Baker scored the first goal against the Diamonds. Frankie Belfon restored the Diamonds lead on 80 minutes, only for the new side to be denied a winning start by a Michael Gayle equaliser in injury time. Junior Wilson became the first Diamonds player to be booked. The Diamonds first win came three games later, as Bridgnorth Town were defeated 2-1 at Nene Park, and their first defeat came eight games into the season as they went down 1-0 to Yate Town. Rushden and Diamonds finished their first season in third place, just missing out on promotion to the Beazer Homes Premier Division. Glenville Donegal was Rushden's top scorer in their first season with 26 goals.

pic: john flower collect the beazer midland division championship shield

Before the start of the 1993/94 season Nene Park experienced a number of changes. The South Stand was completely demolished, and construction started on a new South Stand and the Diamond Centre. New floodlights were erected as was a 1000 seater North Stand, and the pitch was re-laid. There were also a number of changes in playing staff, and they paid dividends as Rushden and Diamonds won promotion to the Beazer Homes League Premier Division, with 98 points from 42 games, losing just 2 of them. Slightly less significantly (only slightly, mind), Rushden also recorded their first win over arch rivals Kettering Town, beating them 3-2 in an NFA Hillier Senior Cup Semi-Final in front of a record breaking 2,352 crowd. Rushden then went on to beat Northampton Spencer 5-0 in the final, to secure their second piece of silverware of the season. Mickey Nuttell finished as the season's highest scorer with an impressive 39 goals in 57 games.

The summer of 1994 saw yet more changes to both the ground and the playing staff. The Diamond Centre and new South Stand were opened ready for the new season, and construction started on a new West Stand, to be named the Peter de Banke Terrace. On the playing front, striker Darren Collins joined for £20,000 from Enfield, and midfielder Gary Butterworth became the Diamonds most expensive player when he signed for £22,000 from Dagenham and Redbridge. Pre-season games started well with a 2-1 win over Peterborough, sealing the Maunsell Cup for the first time. There were then some superb results in the three home friendlies, with a 0-0 draw against Norwich City, a 3-2 win over neighbours Northampton Town and an excellent 2-0 win over Coventry City. However, the Diamonds form in the pre-season friendlies didn't reflect on their league form as often as would have been liked. They finished 5th in the league, 25 points behind the winners, Hednesford Town. There was more joy for the Diamonds in the cups though. As well as the win against Peterborough to lift the Maunsell Cup, Rushden recorded their biggest ever win, an 8-0 thrashing of Desborough Town, albeit in the 1st round of the NFA Hillier Senior Cup. They also reached the Semi-Finals of the FA Trophy, and despite winning the first leg 1-0, their opponents Woking came back to win the second leg 2-0, although Rushden had a strong case for a penalty turned down. Dale Watkins finished as the Diamonds' top scorer with 35 goals in 47 games.

pic: the beazer premier division championship shield comes to nene park

The 1995/96 season saw the launch of Rushden's own radio station, Radio Diamonds. And it couldn't have had a better first game to commentate on, as a capacity crowd of 4,600 turned up to see the Diamonds go down 3-1 to Kevin Keegan's Newcastle United, including £6m striker Les Ferdinand and French star David Ginola. And it turned out that later in the season, Rushden would see their own share of big transfer news. Rushden got the season off to a good start, and topped the league early in the season. The Diamonds' home form was the key to their success, as they won the first nine at home. At the mid-point of the season, Rushden had opened up a 10 point lead at the top of the table and looked like walking away with it. With two thirds of the season gone, Rushden had opened up the gap by another 2 points, with Halesowen their nearest challengers 12 points behind them. However, it started to fall apart at this point and the Diamonds' promotion hopes fell into serious jeopardy. It was then that Ashby decided to pay a non-league record shattering fee of £85,000 as he managed to lure Carl Alford to Nene Park from rivals Kettering Town. A goal on his Rushden debut helped Alford to pay off his fee, but it wasn't enough as Halesowen went on to win 2-1 and closed the gap at the top to just 3 points. By the time the last game arrived, Rushden were just 2 points clear, but with a much better goal difference than Halesowen, meaning that a draw would almost certainly be enough. Rushden won the game 3-2, to secure their promotion to the Vauxhall Conference. This wasn't their only achievement of the season, as the side, which was only three and a half years old, reached the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup, before losing 3-1 to Cardiff City. Darren Collins was the club's top scorer, and the highest scorer in non-league football, with a brilliant 40 goals in 55 games.

pic: roger ashby leaves the dugout for the last time as diamonds manager, followed by brian talbot

The Summer of '96 saw more developing of the Nene Park ground, as construction began on a new East Stand to be named the Airwair Stand. Pre-season fixtures brought a host of top clubs to Nene Park, as Arsenal, Derby County and West Ham United provided the opposition for the Diamonds. The season started abysmally for Rushden and Diamonds, as they took just 10 points from their first 12 games, leaving them struggling near the bottom of the table. After 28 games they were a point adrift at the foot of the table, having won just 6 times. At this point the board decided a change in management was needed, and Brian Talbot was appointed as Head Coach. Talbot managed to turn the season around for the Diamonds as they went on to win 8 of their last 14 games. Talbot's first win as Rushden boss, came in the form of an outstanding 5-1 thrashing of Kettering Town. By the end of the season Rushden had reached 12th place. There was still one piece of silverware for the Diamonds though, as they beat Nuneaton 3-0 to win the Southern League Championship Match, shortly before the start of the season. The club's top scorers were Darren Collins and Carl Alford who both finished on 16 goals.

The 1997/98 season saw the arrival of a number of experienced league players at Nene Park. Despite this, the Diamonds still got off to a disastrous start, losing the first 3 games without even scoring a goal. 8 games into the season, following the ridiculous 5-5 draw with Farnborough, Rushden had just 8 points. Before the next game, Brian Talbot had brought in 36 year old defender Chris Whyte, a League Championship winner with Leeds in 1992. His experience proved vital as the Diamonds won their first game of the season, 2-1 at Yeovil's Huish Park. From then on, Rushden stepped up a gear and 16 games into the season they had climbed up to 6th place, the highest they had ever reached in the Conference. By the time runaway leaders Halifax came to Nene Park, the Diamonds were up to fourth, one point behind Morecambe and Cheltenham and eleven behind the Shaymen. What followed on that February afternoon is looked upon as one of the greatest ever performances by a Rushden and Diamonds side. Halifax, who had lost just 2 of their 26 league games, found themselves a goal down after just 28 seconds, the quickest ever in a Rushden game. Rushden went on to win 4-0 and moved within 8 points of Halifax, and up to second place in the league. However, the Diamonds' hopes of making a miraculous come back and winning the league were dashed a month later, as Halifax took revenge on them in the shape of a 2-0 win. Rushden never rediscovered their mid-season form and finished the season in fourth place. Still a remarkable achievement considering that the club was only six years old. Darren Collins was the club's leading goalscorer for the third season running, as he finished with a fantastic 35 goals in 45 games, just 2 goals less than Geoff Horsfield.

Work at Nene Park continues with improvements to the training facilities, work has been carried out to develop the North Stand area to include Hospitably Boxes, Offices and a large retail outlet to house the Current Doc Shop and Souvenir Shop. At the start of July 2000 the club officially opened the new Doc Martins Sports & Exhibition Center. Talbot's first whole season in charge of the team started of poorly with only one pint from the first 12, any thoughts of another relegation battle were put to one side as the Diamonds climb the table, by Christmas they were in the top five trying to chase run away leaders Halifax Town, who themselves had only stayed up the season before with the Diamonds on the last day of the season. The New Year started well with the Diamonds keeping up the pressure on the shaymen. By April Diamonds were up into second place in the league, despite beating Halifax at Nene Park 4-0, a 2-0 lose at the Shay saw the title go to Halifax. Diamonds finally finished the season in fourth place.

pic: against all odds carl heggs opens the scoring against leeds and elland road

If Talbot's first season in charge was a roller coaster tide then the 1998/99 season was to be far more rougher. Despite equaling Wycombe Wanders record of seven straight league wins at the start of the season Diamonds were enable to keep the form going as they started to get caught by Cheltenham and Kettering Town. Diamonds minds had been sided tracked for a large part of the season as they in barked on a FA Cup run which saw them finally knock out in front of 40,000 people at Elland Road against Leeds United in the Third round, even then the Premiership side need a reply after escaping Nene Park with a scoreless draw. With Cheltenham catching the Diamonds fast the clash on April the 12th between the two teams at Nene Park seemed like it could be the title decider. With an early goal from Miquel De Souza Diamonds looked have done enough to secure the three vital points, but twice deep into injury time the Robins scored to grab the three points that would see them reach the Football League. After the sucker punch the Diamonds didn't seem to recover and by losing at Nene Park on the final day of the season against Kettering Town Talbot's men saw themselves finish in fourth place. Talbot admitted that at times in the season the cup run distracted some of his players, in the end the best team had got promoted.

The following season followed the same disastrous pattern of the following season, despite another FA Cup run in which Diamonds reached round three again playing two games against Sheffield United the season again hinge on 90 minutes of football in early April. This time the opponents were Kiddermister Harries under the control of former Liverpool star Jan Molby. The Aggborough Stadium was packed, the home fans saw the harries comfortably beat off the challenge of the Diamonds, in the end they ran out 2-0 winners. For the second year on the trot the Diamonds had thrown away the title in the space of 90 minutes in April. From that pint on the Diamonds season when by quietly and there were no celebrations when they received their runners up medals at Nene Park on the last day of the season.

Talbot stated the reason why Diamonds hadn't got promoted had been down to the lack of goals scored by his front men, he set this right for the 2000/01 by spending almost £300,00 on Morecambe's Justin Jackson and Duane Darby from Second Division Notts county in the pre season, these new signing seemed to do the trick as the Diamond started the season on form climbing to the top of the table by September, the form disastrously disappeared in October and November as the diamonds lost five games on the trot, by the end of December the League again looked lost, Talbot's men were 7 points behind leaders Yeovil Town who still had two games in hand on the Diamonds.

pic: the celebrations begin after the diamonds were crowded conference champions

Surprisingly Talbot changed things as the Diamonds went on a 17 game unbeaten run which saw the gap to to Yeovil shrink to nothing, a Duane Darby one man show against the Poppies at Rockingham Road set up Diamonds third Championship decider in the month of April against Yeovil Town at Huish Park. Almost 9,000 people watched the Conference game of the season, Talbot's spoiling tactics worked and the diamonds left Huish Park with a vital point, with four games to go Diamonds had a slender lead at the top of the table, it was down to Talbot and his team, they answered any criticisms Yeovil could throw at them and won their remaining games, the title was sent to Nene Park via Hereford, Yeovil's game in hand was at Huish Park against their West Country rivals Hereford United, deep into injury time and with the practically the last kick of the game Hereford nicked a winner to send the Diamonds into the Football League and send half of East Northamptonshire, the party at Nene Park lasted into the early hours of Wednesday morning. Over 3,000 Diamonds fans traveled up to the Deva Stadium the following Saturday to see the Diamonds crowded Conference Champions with a 2-1 win over crisis club Chester City.

The first summer as a Football League team saw little transfer activity, Talbot felt it necessary to only bring in two new faces and these face were pretty well known to most Diamonds fans already, Yeovil's Warren Patmore and Tony Pennock were both signed by Talbot within 48 hour of each other at the start of July, at the time Talbot was pleased with the squad he had available.

The first game of the new season and the first for the Diamonds as a League Club saw them travel to Bootham Crescent to play York City, over 1,500 fans travelled north to see the Diamonds claim a historic 1-0 thanks to Warren Patmore's first half strike. Over the following months that summer days win seemed a distant memory as the Diamonds adjusted to life in the Football League, the main concern for Talbot was his team inability to score in front of goal and after the Diamonds slowly slipped down the league table after their bright start Talbot started to ring the changes, at the start of December one of those changes Onandi Lowe, who was on loan from the Kansas City Wizards, took just 13 minutes to mark his debut for the club with a goal against Bristol Rovers.

A win over Carlisle just before Christmas was followed by two defeats at Southend and Plymouth to end the year on a low note, the start of the year however brought better times three wins on the trot against Macclesfield, Darlington and Oxford help the Diamonds climb the table and to bring about some respectability. Andy Tilson's debut was marred by a loss at Hull, but the team bounced back to draw with Rochdale, beat Orient and then draw with Torquay and Cheltenham. The Diamonds finally looked like they could hold their own against more established clubs.

As the season came to an end Lowe's goals were starting to move the Diamonds towards a place in the end of season play offs, a brace of gaols at Bristol and one against Shrewsbury was followed up with a fantastic hat-trick at Mansfield in a brilliant 4-1 win. The Diamonds went into the final game of the season at relegated Halifax Town knowing that three points would secure a play off spot. After a nervous first half the Diamonds ended up winning 4-2 and make the play-offs in their first season in the Football

pic: lowe seems relexed ahead of the play off final in cardiff

league. The Diamonds were paired with Rochdale in the semi finals, the first leg was at Nene Park and saw both teams score twice, for the third time this season the game ended all square. The Rochdale fans left the game quite confident that they would beat the Diamonds at Spotland, but after a disastrous home goal the Diamonds fought back with a goal apiece from Lowe and Hall.

The scenes that followed that famous victory will live in the memories of the Diamonds fans for a long time. The final would see the Diamonds play their old non league rivals Cheltenham Town in Cardiff for a place in the Second Division, despite a superb solo goal from Paul Hall the Robins once again got the better of the Diamonds by winning 3-1.

After the roller coaster ride of the Diamonds first season in the football league, the fans went into 2002/03 season wondering where the ride would end, the play offs again, or could the Diamonds live up to the bookies tag as second favourite and claim automatic promotion to Division Two. The Diamonds kicked off the season in Swansea, Paul Underwood's goal 5 minutes into injury time saw the ten men of Diamonds secure an opening point.

A disappointing draw at Shrewsbury was followed by a 2-0 win over Scunthorpe. The Diamonds has started the season flying but were brought down to earth by Cambridge. This was the Diamonds first meeting with one of last seasons relegated teams from Div2. The 4-1 scoreline actually flatted the Diamonds, it could have been a cricket score. By the end of September the Diamonds had slipped down the table after a 0-0 draw with York City and another heavy defeat at Bournemouth.

After a poor run in September the Diamonds started to improve their form, as Christmas approached the Diamonds were looking good for automatic promotion sitting just behind Hartlepool in the table, a 0-0 on Boxing day against Scunthorpe United saw the Diamonds move to the top of the table, pole position was surrendered 90 minutes against Oxford United at Nene Park. The first game of 2003 saw the Diamonds secure a 5-1 win of Shrewsbury Town, further victories against Kidderminster and Cambridge meant the Diamonds were just two points of the top of the table, despite not winning in February the Diamonds knew that automatic promotion was in their own hands, the Championship was starting to look a distant thought.

pic: underwood and max show off the trophy to the nene park crowd pic: the players celebrate winning the championship in the changing rooms

The Diamonds started March with wins over York and Bournemouth at Nene Park, before suffering their last defeat of the season on Saturday March 8th awat against Wrexham, an 11 game undefeated run started at Nene Park the following Saturday with a 4-2 win over Hull, this upturn in form coincided with a down turn in Hartlepool's, with seven games to go the Diamonds were now only 3 points behind Hartlepool, the gap in February had been 14 points!

Three wins on the trot in April against Bristol Rovers, Lincoln City, Carlisle United saw the Diamonds secure promotion to Division Two, with three games to go the Diamonds were by now 2 point clear at the top of the table, the Championship was Diamonds to win. A 3-0 win over Macclesfield and a hard thought point at Leyton Orient where a win would have secured the Championship mean the title would be decided on the last day of the season at Nene Park against Hartlepool.

A beautiful sunny day greeted both players and supporters of both clubs inside a packed Nene Park and it was to prove a sunny outcome for the Diamonds. Rushden dominated play as Hartlepool looked nervous and it was no surprise that the Diamonds went in front through Paul Hall. It took a very late goal from Hartlepool to gain a draw, but it wasn't enough. The final whistle signalled the start of a huge celebration as the Diamonds were crowned Division Three Champions, after just two seasons in the Football League the Diamonds we now planning for a giant step up into Division Two.