AFC Rushden & Diamonds
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| Nickname(s) | The Diamonds |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2011 |
| Ground | Dog & Duck London Road Wellingborough Northamptonshire NN8 2DP |
| Capacity | 2,500 |
| Chairman | Ralph Burditt |
| Manager | Andy Peaks |
| League | Northern Premier League Division One South |
| 2015–16 | Southern League Division One Central, 5th (transferred) |
| Website | Club home page |
A.F.C. Rushden & Diamonds is an English football club based in Northamptonshire. They played their opening season at Kiln Park, the home of Raunds Town, in 2011–12 and have subsequently shared the Dog & Duck ground with Wellingborough Town since July 2012. The club was formed in July 2011 by supporters after Rushden & Diamonds, a former Football League club, were expelled from the Football Conference and liquidated. At an open meeting chaired by a supporters group called SaveRDFC, a mandate was agreed upon to create a phoenix club, fully owned and controlled by its supporters. A team was created and accepted into the Northants Senior Youth League for the 2011–12 season, while a senior team played in the United Counties Football League Division One for the 2012–13 season. For the 2013–14 season, an Under-21 team was added, which plays in the Midland Football Combination Under-21 division.
The original Rushden & Diamonds was formed on 21 April 1992, following the merger of Irthlingborough Diamonds and Rushden Town. The club's early years were marked by success. Within four seasons the club had reached the Conference National, and within nine the club were members of the Football League. However, following their promotion to Division 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, and entered administration that July.
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