 | |
| Nickname(s) | The Diamonds |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1946 |
| Dissolved | 2011 |
| Ground | Nene Park, Irthlingborough |
Irthlingborough Diamonds was a football club from Irthlingborough, England. Founded in 1946, in 1992 the club merged with Rushden Town to form Rushden & Diamonds, which played at Irthlingborough's Nene Park until financial troubles caused it to enter administration in July 2011.
Irthlingborough Diamonds were founded in 1946 and joined the United Counties League in 1964. The club won the UCL First Division in 1970–71, but were not promoted to the Premier Division until after the next season, when they finished 3rd.
The 1970s and 1980s saw a sustained period of success, with the Diamonds only finishing outside the top half twice, and winning the league on three occasions. They also did well in the FA Vase, reaching the semi-finals twice (in 1981 and 1984) and the quarter-finals five times.
The club's reserve team also joined the UCL, playing in the second and first divisions until 1980 when they were moved to a special reserve division.
On 21 April 1992 it was announced that the club was to merge with nearby Southern League club Rushden Town to form a new club, Rushden & Diamonds. The merger was the brainchild of Max Griggs, the owner of Dr. Martens, and saw the new club play at Diamond's Nene Park (Rushden Town had been relegated from the Southern League's Premier Division the season before due to the poor state of their Hayden Road ground). [1]
The new club assumed Rushden Town's place in the Midland Division of the Southern League. With stadium improvements and significant investment in the playing squad, the club advanced to the Football Conference by 1996, and into the Football League in 2001. However, Rushden & Diamonds was relegated back to the Conference following the 2005–2006 season in which they finished bottom of the table. In July 2011, after a period of instability and financial difficulties, the club was wound up and entered into administration after being expelled from Conference National. [2]
Following the dissolution of Rushden & Diamonds, a "phoenix club," AFC Rushden & Diamonds, was formed, which as of the 2017–2018 season competes in Northern Premier League Division One South. Unlike Rushden & Diamonds F.C., the new club plays its home games in Rushden rather than Irthlingborough.
Irthlingborough is a town on the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England. As of 2021, it has a population of 9,325, and was at one point the smallest town in England to have had a Football League team, Rushden & Diamonds F.C., before the promotion of Forest Green Rovers in 2017. The parish church, St Peter, has a lantern tower, unusual for Northamptonshire churches, which was built to guide travellers across the Nene valley in foggy weather. It also has doors at the four cardinal points and has eight misericords in the chancel.
Rushden & Diamonds Football Club was an association football club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England. Nicknamed "The Diamonds", the club played at Nene Park. The club's main rivals were county neighbours Kettering Town.
Farnborough Football Club is a semi-professional football club based in Farnborough, Hampshire, England. Founded in 1967 as Farnborough Town, they are currently members of the National League South, the sixth tier of English football and play at Cherrywood Road.
Nene Park was a sports stadium situated at Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England, along the bank of the River Nene, which could accommodate 6,441 spectators, with 4,641 seated and 1,800 standing. It formerly hosted football matches but at its time of demolition it was unused. The car park could hold 800 vehicles. From 1992 until the club's demise in 2011, it was the home ground of Rushden & Diamonds, having from 1969 been the home of predecessor Irthlingborough Diamonds. It became Kettering Town's home for 18 months, but the club left the venue in November 2012 to play at Corby, due to the costs of running the ground. Demolition of the ground began in late February 2017 and lasted approximately two and a half months.
Spalding United Football Club is a football club based in Spalding, Lincolnshire, England. The club are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at the Sir Halley Stewart Field.
Evesham United Football Club are an English football club based in Evesham, Worcestershire. They reached the first round proper of the FA Cup for the first time in the 2008–09 season. In 2005, they entered the Southern League Premier Division for the first time in their history but were relegated after just one season. They are affiliated to the Worcestershire County Football Association.
Rugby Town Football Club is a football club based in Rugby, Warwickshire, which plays in the Northern Premier League Division One Midlands. It is nicknamed The Valley, and plays its home matches at Butlin Road. It was originally named New Bilton Juniors and renamed four times. First, in 1956, to Valley Sports. The next time was in 1971 to Valley Sports Rugby, or simply VS Rugby, then in 2000 to Rugby United, and again for the most recent time to Rugby Town F.C. in 2005.
Thurrock Football Club was an English football club based in Purfleet, Thurrock, Essex. Known as Purfleet until 2003, the club played at Ship Lane.
Raunds Town F.C. is a football club based at Raunds, Northamptonshire, England. The play in the Spartan South Midlands League Division One. They were FA Vase semi-finalists in 1994–95.
St. Ives Town Football Club is a football club based in St Ives, Cambridgeshire, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at Westwood Road.
Rushden Town F.C. was a football club from Rushden, England. Founded in 1889, the club merged with Irthlingborough Diamonds to form Rushden & Diamonds in 1992. Nicknamed "the Russians", the club played at Hayden Road.
Ampthill Town Football Club is a football club based in Ampthill, Bedfordshire, England. The club are currently members of Spartan South Midlands League Division One and play at Ampthill Park. They are affiliated to the Bedfordshire County Football Association.
Rushden & Higham United F.C. is a football club based in Rushden, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the Spartan South Midlands League Division One.
Leicester St Andrews Football Club are a football club based in Aylestone, a suburb of Leicester, England. They play in the Midland League Division One, having been relegated from the Premier Division at the end of the 2017–18 season.
Kettering Town Football Club is a football club based in Burton Latimer, Northamptonshire, England. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at Latimer Park in Burton Latimer. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976.
Rushden & Diamonds F.C. were a Football Conference club based in Irthlingborough, Northamptonshire, England.
Garry Butterworth is a professional footballer, having previously played for Dagenham & Redbridge, Rushden & Diamonds, Farnborough Town, and Kettering Town. He was a midfielder.
The 1991–92 Southern Football League season was the 89th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
The 1992–93 Southern Football League season was the 90th in the history of the league, an English football competition.
A.F.C. Rushden & Diamonds is an English football club based in Rushden in Northamptonshire. They played their opening season at Kiln Park, the home of Raunds Town, in 2011–12 and subsequently shared the Dog & Duck ground with Wellingborough Town from July 2012 to the summer of 2017. A groundshare agreement with Rushden & Higham United was agreed for the 2017–18 season. The club was formed by supporters in July 2011, after Rushden & Diamonds, a former Football League club, were expelled from the Football Conference and liquidated.
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