When the land was acquired in early 1969,
then secretary Tony Jones told the local press his plans for
the site, 'Spectators will be looked after. Attached to the
dressing rooms will be a stand, probably with standing room
only, although we may add a small seating section. Players will
have a separate training area with lights, and a large car park
is to be built at the entrance to the ground, it will be an
enclosed ground, segregated from the other land, which we do
not own. Priority will be given to the playing surface and dressing
room facilities, and we hove in mind a large brick building
which will also accommodate a treatment room and committee room.'
The Ground was officially opened on Saturday, August 16th after
months of hard work from the players, officials and supporters,
the overgrown meadow, which the water board once owned had been
transformed into a ground worthy of a UCL team. At 6.45 on that
August evening the formalities began. Tony Jones made a welcoming
speech. Les Underwood, then Chairman of the NFA and still a
regular spectator at local games responded. Councillor Dr. Musson,
club patron, added a few congratulatory words before CE Buller,
President of the UCL wrapped up proceedings. Then at 7 o'clock
Irthlingborough Diamonds splayed their first game at the ground
against a UCL representative XI, the result was a 3-3 draw.
For the next 19 years Nene Park remained
one of the best UCL in the county, now was the time to improve
it as the 70's drew to the end, the committee decided the installation
of new floodlights would be the next improvement, the club also
won the tag of the first UCL team to do so, Diamonds beat near
rivals Rushden Town by 6 months to this honour. Ipswich Town
manager Bobby Robson official turned on the lights in November
1978, watching his manager do the honours that night was future
Diamonds manager Brian Talbot. Talbot played in the proceeding
game under the new lights, in a game, which saw an all-star
team rip apart an injury ravaged Diamonds side 5-1.
The first signs of a decade of development
became visible in February 1992 when new Chairmen Max Griggs
official started the re development of Nene Park by digging
the first footings for the new North Stand. The 1,000 seater
North Stand replaced the small covered terrace which stood on
the north side of the ground, never again would any one twist
an ankle as they stumbled off the single shadowy row of slabs
while making their way to the exit at a midweek game. The North
Stand was completed in the summer of 1993 just in time for the
final pre season friendly, 1,000 fans packed the new stand to
watch the Diamonds beat Northampton Town 1-0.
As soon as worked finished on the North Stand attention switched
to the south side of Nene Park. The old Main Stand, dressing
rooms and Clubhouse were all razed to the ground in the space
of a though hours. Tony Jones' hard work the last three decades
were gone forever. In their places a second new 1,000-seater
stand and the Diamond Centre were to be built. While this redevelopment
work was taking place portakabins on the west terrace provided
offices and dressing rooms for the players and official. With
the pitch re-laid and powerful new floodlights installed the
new season kicked off with only the east end of the ground recognisable
as the old Nene Park. 50-poplar tress still sponsored by local
business and fans remained to give the new Nene Park a picturesque
view.
The summer of 1994 saw the Diamond Centre
official opened by HRH Prince of Wales along with the South
Stand taking the capacity of Nene Park to over 2,000. Now with
the new changing rooms ready for the 94/95 season the portakabins
on the West Terrace could now be removed thus clearing the way
for the 1,900 capacity West Terrace enclosing three sides of
the ground. The terrace would later be named after Peter De
Banke, a popular figure at both Clubs before the merger. With
the terrace opened just before Christmas of the same year Nene
Park's transformation was almost complete, the 50 poplar tress
at the east end of the ground had gone by the Summer of 95,
in it's place was a temporary open terrace tacking the capacity
to over 4,000.
An entire season passed before the final phase of the redevelopment
of Nene Park started, with the team preparing for their first
season in the Conference the first footings for the Airwair
Stand were dug. Once completed the stand would be the jewel
in Max's crown, a two-tie stand capable of holding over 5,000
fans. The stand was to be built in three phases, phase one would
see a 2,500 seater uncovered stand completed in time for the
December 31st Football League deadline. Phase two saw the roof
added in the Summer of 1997. Phase three, the second tie of
the stand will be started once the Diamonds have established
themselves as a League Club.
While the Airwair Stand was being built during the Autumn work
was also being carried out on the A6 in a bid to improve the
road network around the ground. A new roundabout at the bottom
of Station Road and the A6 was built. The Nene Park roundabout
made it easier to leave the ground along the new Diamond Way
leading from the east car parks. The new roundabout was opened
in the week leading up to the home game against Gateshead in
mid October 1997.
With all four sides of the ground completed
by the Summer of 1997, work started on the re modelling of the
North Stand. Thought by many to have been ambitiously over large
when constructed in 1993, it had actually been found to be too
small and have to few facilities. The Press Box was moved along
the stand to allow room for the construction of prestigious
corporate boxes along the back row of the stand. The work was
scheduled to be completed by March 1998. On the outside of the
stand a new office block was added allowing the club to centralise
it administration facilities, also built was a state of the
art 150 square metre Souvenir and Doc Shop. The entire complex
was official opened on July 16th 1998 by Max Griggs.
During the 97/98 season work proceeded away from the ground
pitch, developments to the complex saw major improvements to
the training ground, now know as pitch 2, with portable dressing
rooms installed pitch side. With the advent of full time playing
staff and the Football Academy, Pitches 3 and 4 have been laid
at the West and East of the area. Pre-season 2000/2001 dawned
with the opening of the Dr Martens Sports and Exhibition Centre
adjacent to Pitch No.2, including the base for the playing staff
complete with gymnasium, management offices and recreational
facilities. During the 2000/2001 season, part of the 6-a-side
area was been re-developed into an all-weather pitch.
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