History of Rushden & Diamonds F.C. facts for kids

Rushden & Diamonds F.C. was a football club from Irthlingborough, England. They played in the Football Conference, which is a league below the main professional football leagues in England.

How the Club Started

Rushden & Diamonds was created on 21 April 1992. This happened when two local football clubs, Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds, decided to join together. This idea came from Max Griggs, who owned the famous shoe company, Dr. Martens.

The new club took Rushden Town's spot in the Midland Division of the Southern League. However, they played their games at Irthlingborough's Nene Park. Rushden Town's old ground was not good enough for promotion. The very first match for the new club was at home against Bilston Town. It ended in a 2–2 draw.

The Early Years (1992–1996)

The club had amazing success in its first few years. In their first season (1992/93), the Diamonds finished 3rd in their league. The next season, they won the league and were promoted to the Southern League Premier Division. This happened on the very last day of the season, after a close 3–2 win against Merthyr Tydfil.

In the 1994/95 season, the club had a fantastic run in the FA Trophy. They reached the semi-finals, playing against Woking. The Diamonds won their home game 1–0, but then lost 2–0 away, so they didn't make it to the final.

Just two years later, in 1996, the Diamonds won another championship! They finished two points ahead of Halesowen Town. This meant they were promoted to the Football Conference, a higher league, after only four years as a club. During these years, their home stadium, Nene Park, was also greatly improved with new stands and facilities.

Reaching the Football League

When they moved up to the Football Conference for the 1996/97 season, Brian Talbot became the new coach. He helped the team avoid relegation. The team spent five seasons trying to get into the Football League, which is the professional league system in England. They finished 4th twice, then 2nd, and finally 1st.

During this time, the Diamonds also had some exciting runs in the FA Cup. In 1998/99, they beat several teams, including Football League side Shrewsbury Town. This led to a big match away against Doncaster Rovers. After a 0–0 draw, Rushden won the replay 4–2 at home. Their reward was a dream match at home against Leeds United, a top team from the Premier League. A record crowd of 6,431 fans watched a 0–0 draw, meaning Rushden earned a replay at Leeds' stadium, Elland Road. About 3,000 Diamonds fans traveled to watch the game. Rushden even scored first, but Leeds eventually won 3–1, ending the Diamonds' amazing Cup journey.

The next season, the club reached the 3rd Round of the FA Cup again. They played away against Sheffield United. Rushden played very well and a goal from Jon Brady helped them draw 1–1. In the replay at home, the game was 0–0 after 90 minutes. It went to extra time, and then to penalties. Sadly, Rushden lost the penalty shootout.

The 2000/01 season was when Rushden finally won the Conference championship. They spent a lot of money on new players, hoping to win the title. They bought Duane Darby and Justin Jackson for large sums. After a great start, their form dipped, and they fell behind Yeovil Town. However, they had an incredible comeback, losing only one of their last 23 matches. They finished six points ahead of their rivals, winning promotion to Football League Division Three with a 2–1 win at Chester City.

Life in the Football League

First Season (2001/02)

After trying for so long, the Diamonds finally made it to the Football League in 2001 as Conference champions. Their first ever Football League match was a 1–0 win away against York City. The team had some ups and downs, but they managed to go on a 10-match unbeaten run.

They reached the Play-Offs at the end of the season, finishing sixth. They played Rochdale in the semi-finals. The first game at Nene Park was a 2–2 draw. In the exciting second game, Rushden won 2–1, with goals from Onandi Lowe and Paul Hall. This meant they reached the Play-Off Final at the Millennium Stadium in Wales, to play against Cheltenham Town. Over 24,000 fans watched the game. Rushden scored a fantastic goal through Paul Hall, but Cheltenham scored two more goals to win the match. This ended Rushden's hopes of another promotion that season.

Promotion Again (2002/03)

After getting so close, promotion was a big goal for the 2002/03 season. The team started well. They had a tough game in the League Cup, losing 8–0 to Coventry City. However, they bounced back with six straight league wins.

Rushden finished the year in the top six. Their form was a bit mixed over Christmas and January. But then, they went on an amazing winning streak against teams like Hull and Bury. They caught up with the league leaders, Hartlepool United.

Rushden & Diamonds secured their promotion to Division Two with a 2–1 win away at Carlisle United. This result put them at the top of the league! On the final day of the season, they played Hartlepool at Nene Park. They only needed a draw to win the title. In front of over 6,200 fans, Rushden scored first. Hartlepool scored a late goal to make it 1–1, but the Diamonds held on for the draw. They won the Division Three title by two points! It was an incredible achievement, as the club had gone from a lower league to the third tier of English football in just 11 years.

Tough Times (2003/04 & 2004/05)

The 2003/04 season was difficult for Rushden & Diamonds. They hoped for another promotion, but a series of bad results saw them drop down the table. In March 2004, manager Brian Talbot left the club after seven years. The club also had to sell some of its best players to save money. They ended up being relegated back to League Two.

The next season (2004/05) was also tough. They struggled again, but managed to avoid another relegation on the very last day of the season.

Back to the Conference (2005/06)

In the summer of 2005, Max Griggs, the club's owner, gave the club to a group of supporters, along with a large sum of money. He felt happy giving it to the fans.

The 2005/06 season saw the club struggle in the lower part of the league table. The manager tried to rebuild the team, but they continued to have difficulties. On 29 April, Rushden was relegated back to the Conference after losing 2–0 to Boston United.

Back in the Conference

New Managers (2006/07)

Paul Hart became the new manager in May 2006. The club also saw many changes behind the scenes. In November, Keith Cousins took over the club. In December, Graham Westley was appointed manager. He helped the team improve, but he left in February 2007. Garry Hill then became the new manager. The club finished 12th in the league that season.

Cup Runs (2007/08)

The 2007/08 season was mixed for the club in the league, as they finished 16th. However, they did well in cup competitions. They reached the 2nd Round of the 2007–08 FA Cup. They lost 5–1 to Bristol Rovers, but Marcus Kelly scored an amazing goal from 45 yards away! The club also reached the final of the Conference League Cup, but lost on penalties.

Changes and Improvement (2008/09)

Before the 2008/09 season, manager Garry Hill brought in many new players. Many people thought Rushden would be one of the best teams in the league. However, the team struggled. After losing an FA Cup game, many players were put up for transfer.

In February 2009, Garry Hill resigned as manager. Justin Edinburgh took over as caretaker manager. His first game was an incredible 9–0 win against Weymouth F.C.! Justin Edinburgh was given the job until the end of the season. He brought new energy to the club, and the team started playing much better. They finished the season in 11th place, which was their highest league finish since winning the Division 3 title in 2003. More fans also came to watch games at Nene Park.

Play-Offs Again (2009/10)

In 2009, Justin Edinburgh rebuilt the team again. The new team had a mixed start to the season but then found their form. They reached the FA Cup Second Round, losing to Brighton. The club finished in fourth place in the league, which meant they made it to the Conference Play-Offs.

They played Oxford United in the Play-Offs. The first game at Nene Park was a 1–1 draw. But in the second game, Rushden lost 2–0, ending their hopes of promotion. During this season, Rushden also had their biggest ever home win, beating Gateshead 8–0.

The Final Season (2010/11)

The 2010/11 season was a very difficult one for the club, and it sadly led to its end. The season started quite well. In the FA Cup, they beat their local rivals Kettering Town 2–1. However, they lost in the next round.

In December, there was very sad news. The club's goalkeeper, Dale Roberts, passed away. This was a very hard time for everyone at the club. After this, the team's form got worse, and they struggled in their last few matches. The club finished in 13th place.