The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

BartonRaz wrote:

mattreddan wrote:If it comes to it can fans play? Surely we've got a few decent players as fans who wouldn't mind playing for free...?

I think you are underestimating the standard.

Oh no I know its a tough league, the lower leagues usually are tougher and more physical

Dont believe Chris Hope has a club for next season yet, and is still local.

Let's wait 2 c what the real fall out first but with this v sad but not unexpected news there are 3 main questions are will we have enough money to run a team @ southern league level anyway? Is the so called japanese grp real anyway or just KC + CH in disguise? And if NP is too expensive to run @ conf prem level how is it going to be economic in a lower one?

I fear that today is the final nail in the r + d coffin but thanks for the ride!

But is Nene Park too expensive to run? There's plenty of smaller clubs in the conference that survive and there's no reason (literally there's been no reason!) why RDFC couldn't have.

The whole thing is a total mess with no clarity over anything that's gone on over the last few months.

Arendee wrote:But is Nene Park too expensive to run? There's plenty of smaller clubs in the conference that survive and there's no reason (literally there's been no reason!) why RDFC couldn't have.

The whole thing is a total mess with no clarity over anything that's gone on over the last few months.

it is expensive to run but helen tompson said we actually made a profit not so long ago
its more than do able as long as you use the facilites to your advantage and keep you squad realistic

tough to do it without big financial help lower than the conf though

Thurrock are reprieved in the Conf South, so at the moment we're heading for the Zamaretto Prem, but I highly doubt we'll be in any league next season tbh.

We can't afford to run nene park as it was to break even on matchday an attendance of around 1800 was needed, even if we went in to the Zamaretto prem doesn't mean we can't do everything to improve attendances, yes it will be difficult but hard work and perseverance attendances could improve potentially.

Playing at this new level could be just what the club needed and could build the momentum back up to eventually start to raise attendances and begin the climb back.

I just hope a plan to restart in the Southern League can be found and the club takes the opportunity to rebuild with a well "grounded" financial plan.

Arendee wrote:Playing at this new level could be just what the club needed and could build the momentum back up to eventually start to raise attendances and begin the climb back.

I just hope a plan to restart in the Southern League can be found and the club takes the opportunity to rebuild with a well "grounded" financial plan.

I like your optimism , perhaps it won't be the end of the world, but we'd need a very good financial plan to survive thats for sure and we won't have a huge amount of time to build a team from scratch presumably with a new manager as well. And trying to see a good side to playing in the Zamaretto, there'd be a few new interesting local clubs like Bedford or Brackley to play, no more trips to Barrow or Southport, although
Weymouth's still quite a distance :?

Just seen on twitter that the Southern League's AGM isn't til next weekend, so our place (provided we're still in business then) in that league can't be ratified til then.