The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Couldnt be there tonight...any news from the meeting..?

yer we are gonna merge with K*ttering

I was working last nigt

How is this merger going to work?

I don't think a merger in the proper sense is really what is on the cards, it can be dressed up as you like, but effectively it'll be K*ttering playing at NP, probably under Justin's leadership, half of our team playing for them and R&DFC gone !

So we won't be groundsharing or going in the zamerretto etc

I think the options were clear last night.
1. K*ttering play down at Nene Park.
2. An RDFC Phoenix club reforms and begins the battle upwards from 2012/2013.

That's about it !
At the meeting there was definately a majority of around 70-80% who were in favour of option 1.
Around 1% would be in favour of option 2.
RDFC starting next season 2 leagues or more below the conference will be a non starter simply because the costs of Nene Park would not be able to met and crowds would be even lower.
So you pay your money and take your pick.
Personally I'll be contacting Northampton Saints and ordering a season ticket very shortly.

So if K*ttering play at Nene Park does that mean we can play there aswell because the rent charged to K*ttering will cover the losses of the ground. or will that rent just go to KC?

Did option one also include RDFC being liquidated? If so, that's astonishing. If it meant RDFC surviving AND KTFC playing at NP then like most i'd support it.

Unfortunately as it will take a year for the Phoenix team to get off the ground, momentum would be well and truely lost. I'd go down and take in a couple of games, but without having Nene Park or any other suitable venue locally that could sustain BSP football, the 'comeback' would untimately prove fruitless. We're not in London like AFC Wimbledon where there are suitable stadiums every two miles as the crow flies.

I'm not convinced that attendances would drop significantly at all if we were in the Zamaretto Prem, but it appears that we will never find out.

In the Zamoretta it's not just crowd that would drop but sponsorship and so the income would drop but we'd still need big bucks to keep Nene Park going. The sums didn't quite add up in the conference they'd certainly not add up 2 leagues down. In the conference we could have reduced the team budget, gone part time, fought for survival but really below that it's hard to see how football at Nene Park could be made financially viable.
I should just add that options 1 and 2 are not mutually exclusive - we could have Both !

Was Mr Ladak present last night?

Seems like the deal first muted over 12 months ago is now close to fruition. KTFC to play at NP, RDFC liquidated and then a name change to K*ttering Diamonds half way through the season.

K*ttering fans already coming round to the idea - I see the poll has been removed - and their forum on Friday is their just for lip service as most of their fans are beginning to see.

The Japanese consortium is a smokescreen and by Friday I bet they have disappeared into the sunset as life under Mr Ladk begins another chapter and with JE as their manager to make life just a little more palatable for R & D fans.

IMO its over for us and we have to move on in whatever way appears appropriate to NP fans.

We have been well and truly had!