Location | Kettering, Northamptonshire |
---|---|
Coordinates | 52°24′39.82″N0°43′41.98″W / 52.4110611°N 0.7283278°W |
Capacity | 6,264 (1,800 seated) |
Surface | grass |
Construction | |
Opened | 1897 |
Closed | 2011 |
Demolished | 2017 |
Tenants | |
Kettering Town F.C. (1897–2011) |
Rockingham Road was a football stadium in Kettering, Northamptonshire, England. It was home to Kettering Town F.C. from 1897 until 2011.
At the time of its closure, the ground had a capacity of 6,264, of which 1,800 was seated.
In September 2017, the land was sold by the owner, Ben Pickering Limited. The site was first identified as a potential site for housing in 2005 by the local authority, and press reports indicated that the new owner was likely to use the land for a housing development. [1]
During November 2017, the entire stadium and associated structures were demolished and the site cleared for redevelopment. [2]
On 4 August 2011, Kettering Town Club moved into Nene Park after agreeing to a long-term-lease with the landlord. [3]
On 19 December 2011, the ground was repossessed by bailiffs acting on behalf of the owner, Ben Pickering. A notice on the entry to the ground read,
"Pursuant to Clause 5 of the [May 1998 lease between Kettering Town Management Ltd and Ben Pickering Ltd], we as authorised agents of the said Ben Pickering Ltd have this day re-entered the premises demised by the said lease and the said lease is thereby determined absolutely." [4]
Despite football being no longer played at the grounds, its social club was still in use by the supporters-trust and was also being used for storage of club stock which is still there. [5]
Northampton is a town and civil parish in the West Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. It is the county town of Northamptonshire and the administrative centre of the unitary authority of West Northamptonshire. The town is situated on the River Nene, 60 miles (97 km) north-west of London and 50 miles (80 km) south-east of Birmingham. Northampton is one of the largest towns in England; the population of its overall urban area was recorded as 249,093 in the 2021 census.
Northamptonshire is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It is bordered by Leicestershire, Rutland and Lincolnshire to the north, Cambridgeshire to the east, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to the south and Warwickshire to the west. Northampton is the largest settlement and the county town.
Corby is a town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in Northamptonshire, England, 23 miles (37 km) north-east of Northampton. In 2021 it had a population of 68,164. From 1974 to 2021, it was the administrative headquarters of the Borough of Corby, which at the 2021 Census had a population of 75,571.
Wellingborough is a market town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire unitary authority area of Northamptonshire, England. It is 65 miles (105 km) from London and 11 miles (18 km) from Northampton, and is on the north side of the River Nene.
Raunds is a market town in North Northamptonshire, England. It had a population of 9,379 at the 2021 census.
Rushden is a town and civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, around 18 miles (29 km) east of Northampton. The parish is on the border with Bedfordshire, 12 miles (19 km) north of Bedford.
Kettering is a market and industrial town as well as a civil parish in the North Northamptonshire district, in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is 45 miles (72 km) west of Cambridge, 31 miles (50 km) southwest of Peterborough, 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Leicester and 15 miles (24 km) north-east of Northampton. It is west of the River Ise, a tributary of the River Nene. The name means "the place of Ketter's people ".
Oundle is a market town and civil parish on the left bank of the River Nene in North Northamptonshire, England, which had a population of 6,254 at the time of the 2021 census. It is 69 miles north of London and 12 mi (19 km) south-west of Peterborough. The town is home to Oundle School.
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.. 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.
Desborough is a town in North Northamptonshire, England, lying in the Ise Valley between Market Harborough and Kettering. It was an industrial centre for weaving and shoe-making in the 19th century and had a long association with the Co-operative movement.
Rockingham Forest is a former royal hunting forest in the county of Northamptonshire, England. It is an area of some 200 sq mi (500 km2) lying between the River Welland and River Nene and the towns of Stamford and Kettering. It has a rich and varied landscape, with farmland, open pasture, pockets of woodland and villages built from local stone.
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.
Corby railway station, owned by Network Rail and managed by East Midlands Railway, is in Corby, Northamptonshire, England. The current station, opened on 23 February 2009, replaces an earlier one dating from 1879, first closed on 18 April 1966 but reopened between 1987 and 1990.
West Hunsbury is a housing estate in the south of Northampton, England, situated around 2 miles (3 km) away from the town centre, and 0.5 miles (1 km) away from the M1 via junction 15A. It is part of the Hunsbury residential area, which also constitutes East Hunsbury east of Towcester Road. Shelfleys is an earlier name for the area and still appears on signs, maps and bus destination indicators. However Hunsbury is an old name. Iron ore was formerly quarried in the area. This had begun by 1873 and an ironworks called Hunsbury Ironworks was in the course of being built in that year. The quarries were worked by several companies and individual owners, two of which companies used the name "Hunsbury" in their titles. The area is part of the Borough of Northampton. The area was developed in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s and 2000s as part of the expansion of Northampton.
Andre Christopher Boucaud is a professional footballer who plays as a central midfielder. He has played in the Football League for Peterborough United, Wycombe Wanderers, Notts County and Dagenham & Redbridge and at senior international level for Trinidad and Tobago.
North Northamptonshire is one of two local government districts in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It was created in 2021. The council is based in Corby, the district's largest town. Other notable towns are Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Desborough, Rothwell, Irthlingborough, Thrapston and Oundle.
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. Kettering were the first club to wear sponsorship on their shirts in 1976, and have scored more goals in the FA Cup than any other club.
Paul Richard Cox is an English football manager who was previously a professional footballer. Cox was most recently manager of National League North club Boston United.
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.