K*ttering/Rushden

[DustCobb]

Hi Guys,

Seems to be quite a lot happening behind the scenes going by both this message board and by Ketterings. They seem pretty certain that they will be moving to Nene Park. Am i right in thinking that the only way it could be a merger would be if you started in the Zamaretto league, obviously you guys are already there but K*ttering would have to give up their conference place?

I know you have an appeal against being expelled, but lets be honest that appeal isn't going to work, they never do.

So the other scenario i guess is that K*ttering ground share with you guys, which having tenants in there i guess would enable you to stay playing football at Nene Park?

Or the worst option for Rushden i guess is that K*ttering just move into NP and Diamonds cease to exist as a football club?

Not so much of a problem for you i'd have thought as if you are involved then at least it is at your ground and village/town, but surely the K*ttering fans would be fuming? I know you chaps would rather have your own club, just mean not as much of an issue for you as for K*ttering fans i'd have thought?

Really interested to see what happens, hence the post!

[Rushdenjim]

Do we really need to have another thread on this issue. At this time, ALL we care about is saving our club. What happens to our ground comes second. We will just have to wait for some official statement

[DustCobb]

Alright i was just curious in the whole matter. I think for outsiders and those not blinkered it is pretty clear you aren't going to save your club and that there are no investors. I hope there is a white knights somewhere for you because as a local and a supporter of local football i would rather see K*ttering Town and Rushden & Diamonds as opposed to just one of those clubs being around.

[Bob's Bitch]

I feel for K*ttering fans, we're all getting completely fucked over here but their chairman's clearly trying to get a merger/groundshare and seems to already have given up the idea of staying in K*ttering. If you're not playing in the town you represent then what's the point? Similarly I want the Beasants to endure a lifetime of misfortune after what they've done, I'm not sure I can support a merged club (before you say DC, Rushden and Diamonds weren't big rivals so it's not comparable) because we're rivals and it would just feel strange.

Having said that I might mellow to the idea after a few weeks of Soccer Saturday and mopping around. I don't see how a merged club can work though, no K*ttering fans will come over and I'd imagine a good proportion of our's won't watch one either, that leaves a merged club playing in the Zamaretto in front of maybe 600 fans? It's very clear that Northamptonshire isn't a football county.

[DustCobb]

I feel for K*ttering fans, we're all getting completely fucked over here but their chairman's clearly trying to get a merger/groundshare and seems to already have given up the idea of staying in K*ttering. If you're not playing in the town you represent then what's the point? Similarly I want the Beasants to endure a lifetime of misfortune after what they've done, I'm not sure I can support a merged club (before you say DC, Rushden and Diamonds weren't big rivals so it's not comparable) because we're rivals and it would just feel strange.

Having said that I might mellow to the idea after a few weeks of Soccer Saturday and mopping around. I don't see how a merged club can work though, no K*ttering fans will come over and I'd imagine a good proportion of our's won't watch one either, that leaves a merged club playing in the Zamaretto in front of maybe 600 fans? It's very clear that Northamptonshire isn't a football county.

No, i agree it is a totally different proposition to the original merger of sorts that formed Rushden & Diamonds. I can be on a wind up at times but im genuine this time in respect of it really interests me as to what is going to happen and i can see how both sets of fans would be dead against it.

I actually think a merger could work in the long run IF it could ride the initial storm and lack of fans etc.

I also think you'd get more Diamonds fans going along than you would K*ttering fans to begin with, not a slight on you guys or them, just purely because it would be at NP.

It is such a horrible situation and frustrates me how, not just in this situation but across football, individuals are allowed to just have total rule over a club and be able to pretty much ruin them. If the Beasents had done to NTFC what they have done to Diamonds i would be hunting them down and making their life hell.

[bozzer]

clearly the trick will be placating all sides, it's a merger for those who dont mind a merger, a takeover if you are a K*ttering fan, and RDFC being saved if you are a rushden fan.

However technically it won't be a merger as i assume RDFC will die and K*ttering will play at NP

It will be an interesting few days how good peoples PR is!!!

[DustCobb]

I'd also add if i was a K*ttering fan i'd have no problem with moving to Nene Park providing it was literally to use the ground and not as a merger. It seems they have no choice as the lease is up soon on their terrible ground and lets be honest they are never going to progress in that ground so i can't understand why their fans would be against moving to NP, obviously its not in K*ttering so i can see that moan, however....no club or a club safe and secure playing at NP?

I should also add the irony of Diamonds fans saying they wouldn't follow a merged side is not lost on me!

[Bob's Bitch]

The irony thing always irks me when I read it from Northampton/K*ttering/any fans, because they don't know the history of it. It's clear that we're rivals where as Diamonds and Rushden weren't. Also I think many of us here now wouldn't have started supporting in 1992, so really it isn't a merged club in our view. I, for example, started going to games in 2003 when I was 11 and I didn't think of it as a merged club.

[BartonRaz]

The irony thing always irks me when I read it from Northampton/K*ttering/any fans, because they don't know the history of it. It's clear that we're rivals where as Diamonds and Rushden weren't. Also I think many of us here now wouldn't have started supporting in 1992, so really it isn't a merged club in our view. I, for example, started going to games in 2003 when I was 11 and I didn't think of it as a merged club.

Until I read your post I was going to post moreorless the same thing. If you go to an away Diamonds game, the vast majority of supporters are teenagers/young adults that had no affinity with any previous clubs.

The general view of Diamonds fans is seven years out-of-date in my opinion.