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Rushden and diamond's on 18:33 - Nov 8 by Hayesender
True dat, but wtf happened to them?
Weren't they owned by some dodgy old gangster?
I believe they were owned by the boss of Doc Martins shoe company. I remember when they were in the Conference, they were the most hated club in that league then and possibly in non league. Opposition fans would chide them about their lack of history and how their rapid rise in non league ranks would all end in tears. Correct on both accounts then by all and sundry.
There aint half been some clever bastards.
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Rushden and diamond's on 19:51 - Nov 8 with 5162 views
Rushden and diamond's on 18:33 - Nov 8 by Hayesender
True dat, but wtf happened to them?
Weren't they owned by some dodgy old gangster?
They were owned by the guy who created Dr Martens, and even had a Dr Martens superstore at their ground - which was a fabulous set up with a huge academy and youth facility attached, in the middle of nowhere. But then halfway through that League One season when Ainsworth scored he pulled the plug. That's the problem when one rich dude artificially inflates a club up the leagues - when he loses interest or dies you're fcked. Gretna.
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Rushden and diamond's on 20:45 - Nov 8 with 5114 views
Never liked them. They were the result of a merger forced through by Max Griggs, which seemed wrong to me, a precursor to MK Franchise. Maybe I was wrong, looking back. Maybe everybody up there was delighted with the merger.
"The opposite of love, after all, is not hate, but indifference."
Rushden and diamond's on 20:45 - Nov 8 by BrianMcCarthy
Never liked them. They were the result of a merger forced through by Max Griggs, which seemed wrong to me, a precursor to MK Franchise. Maybe I was wrong, looking back. Maybe everybody up there was delighted with the merger.
A merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds as I remember. 2 local rival towns whose respective football clubs fans weren't exactly the best of friends by all accounts or at least told to me by a Rushden follower. No wonder R & D fans looked like a press ganged confused bunch, told to support a new team and turn up at grounds and show appreciation for a new shiny toy. They couldn't work out why there was so much hatred hurled at them. They were soon to find out why. I wish the same fate on Franchise.
There aint half been some clever bastards.
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Rushden and diamond's on 22:02 - Nov 8 with 5021 views
Rushden and diamond's on 21:06 - Nov 8 by Monahoop
A merger of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds as I remember. 2 local rival towns whose respective football clubs fans weren't exactly the best of friends by all accounts or at least told to me by a Rushden follower. No wonder R & D fans looked like a press ganged confused bunch, told to support a new team and turn up at grounds and show appreciation for a new shiny toy. They couldn't work out why there was so much hatred hurled at them. They were soon to find out why. I wish the same fate on Franchise.
I'm too young to remember but does anyone know or imagine if there was a similar reaction or feeling among the locals when St Jude's Institute & Christchurch Rangers merged back in the day ?
[Post edited 8 Nov 2017 22:36]
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Rushden and diamond's on 22:13 - Nov 8 with 5004 views
I used to work with the bloke who did mc duties before games. Like a lot of MK fans I think, he was an exiled Londoner who needed an excuse to get out of the house on a Saturday. More shocking was the MK fan I worked with who switched allegiance from AFC when he moved up there.
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Rushden and diamond's on 23:17 - Nov 8 with 4946 views
I grew up in Rushden and watched them quite a lot, so I can actually give some good detail about what happened. They won League Two in the year Rangers lost at Cardiff. They were doing ok in the middle of the League One season, until a fire sale of 4 key players on deadline day (including Bignot to Rangers). They needed to cut £250k of wages in March before the end of the season, so that shows how much they were throwing about. IIRC for his signing on fee Onandi Lowe asked Griggs to pay for his new Ferrari.
The merger wasn't really hated, because both clubs were going nowhere. From 1992 to 2011, they got to see their local side go from nowhere in non-league to League One, visiting Elland Road, Sheff Wed and the Millennium Stadium. Griggs' intentions were noble, he wanted to give the local area League football, it's just that he built the stadium in a bad location and in an unsustainable way that meant once he left, the running costs were way too much.
The ground nearly killed Kettering Town in 2011 as well, it was a lovely set up, but a complete money pit. I went to both QPR-Rushden games in that League One season and although Rushden only took one point from them, they probably should've taken 4. Day made a great save to stop Lowe at 3-3 in that Ainsworth game and then Lowe had a shot blocked on the goal line by one of his own players in injury time at Loftus Road. Those would've kept them up and things might have gone differently, who knows.
The fans that did stick around created a phoenix club, which is getting decent crowds of 4-600 at Step 4 of non-league, so although it was a colossal waste of money, there's some positive legacy for the community.
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Rushden and diamond's on 05:56 - Nov 9 with 4826 views
Rushden and diamond's on 19:51 - Nov 8 by Northernr
They were owned by the guy who created Dr Martens, and even had a Dr Martens superstore at their ground - which was a fabulous set up with a huge academy and youth facility attached, in the middle of nowhere. But then halfway through that League One season when Ainsworth scored he pulled the plug. That's the problem when one rich dude artificially inflates a club up the leagues - when he loses interest or dies you're fcked. Gretna.
Yes. And at that game our match ticket gave us a discount in the Dr Martens shop at the ground. I doubt anyone took up the offer. I don't associate going to football with buying shoes.
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Rushden and diamond's on 09:18 - Nov 9 with 4685 views
Rushden and diamond's on 19:51 - Nov 8 by Northernr
They were owned by the guy who created Dr Martens, and even had a Dr Martens superstore at their ground - which was a fabulous set up with a huge academy and youth facility attached, in the middle of nowhere. But then halfway through that League One season when Ainsworth scored he pulled the plug. That's the problem when one rich dude artificially inflates a club up the leagues - when he loses interest or dies you're fcked. Gretna.
A case of Max Griggs on fire, R&D fans terrified.
A magnificent football club, the love of our lives, finding a way to finally have its day in the sun.
I'm too young to remember but does anyone know or imagine if there was a similar reaction or feeling among the locals when St Jude's Institute & Christchurch Rangers merged back in the day ?
[Post edited 8 Nov 2017 22:36]
People in glass houses, eh?
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Rushden and diamond's on 09:40 - Nov 9 with 4658 views
Rushden and diamond's on 00:12 - Nov 9 by Mistication92
I grew up in Rushden and watched them quite a lot, so I can actually give some good detail about what happened. They won League Two in the year Rangers lost at Cardiff. They were doing ok in the middle of the League One season, until a fire sale of 4 key players on deadline day (including Bignot to Rangers). They needed to cut £250k of wages in March before the end of the season, so that shows how much they were throwing about. IIRC for his signing on fee Onandi Lowe asked Griggs to pay for his new Ferrari.
The merger wasn't really hated, because both clubs were going nowhere. From 1992 to 2011, they got to see their local side go from nowhere in non-league to League One, visiting Elland Road, Sheff Wed and the Millennium Stadium. Griggs' intentions were noble, he wanted to give the local area League football, it's just that he built the stadium in a bad location and in an unsustainable way that meant once he left, the running costs were way too much.
The ground nearly killed Kettering Town in 2011 as well, it was a lovely set up, but a complete money pit. I went to both QPR-Rushden games in that League One season and although Rushden only took one point from them, they probably should've taken 4. Day made a great save to stop Lowe at 3-3 in that Ainsworth game and then Lowe had a shot blocked on the goal line by one of his own players in injury time at Loftus Road. Those would've kept them up and things might have gone differently, who knows.
The fans that did stick around created a phoenix club, which is getting decent crowds of 4-600 at Step 4 of non-league, so although it was a colossal waste of money, there's some positive legacy for the community.
Thanks for the background info. It seems that the curse of clubs is to try and get too big too quick.
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Rushden and diamond's on 10:19 - Nov 9 with 4594 views
i work down the road and its a crying shame what's happened to them and Kettering especially now the stadium has been bulldozed down and being made into a new housing estate (it was being used for car boot sales the last few years ) , I know from first hand that Rushden did have a good youth set up which has now fallen by the wayside , also Kettering's old rockingham road ground has been sold to a "surprise, surprise" property developer
And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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Rushden and diamond's on 10:39 - Nov 9 with 4579 views
I'm too young to remember but does anyone know or imagine if there was a similar reaction or feeling among the locals when St Jude's Institute & Christchurch Rangers merged back in the day ?
[Post edited 8 Nov 2017 22:36]
From my recollection of reading 'A Complete Record', there was.
I think a few players / members of the Christchurch Rangers did try to carry on as a rival club (possibly Paddington?) but it folded after a couple of seasons.
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Rushden and diamond's on 11:39 - Nov 9 with 4531 views
Rushden and diamond's on 10:39 - Nov 9 by eastside_r
From my recollection of reading 'A Complete Record', there was.
I think a few players / members of the Christchurch Rangers did try to carry on as a rival club (possibly Paddington?) but it folded after a couple of seasons.
Rushden and diamond's on 18:33 - Nov 8 by Hayesender
True dat, but wtf happened to them?
Weren't they owned by some dodgy old gangster?
You're thinking of George Reynolds, he of the famous combover, who owned Darlington. Sold their old Feethams ground and built the Reynolds Arena now home to a third level rugby union team.
Yes. And at that game our match ticket gave us a discount in the Dr Martens shop at the ground. I doubt anyone took up the offer. I don't associate going to football with buying shoes.
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