The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Isn't it amazing that although so many people had worked so hard to get us where we are, it was still a step into the unknown in many ways - and yet 48 hours later there has not been one single moan about anything regarding the organisation, the matchday experience, the prices, the quality of football - or even the match officials !

That's quite a tribute to all those that got us to here.

I felt like I was watching my team at my home ground. Can't pay everyone at the club any bigger compliment than that.

The only shame is that the old R&D had a hardcore 1000 IMO, so there are still 200+ people missing out on something really special. It promises to be a hell of a ride and I can't wait for the next game on Saturday.

Agree with that BR i went to a few Wellingboroughs games last season and I thought to myself we would always be visitors but Saturday I sat and watched as almost 800 people came into the ground and it felt so different it felt like our home game indeed

bozzer wrote:Agree with that BR i went to a few Wellingboroughs games last season and I thought to myself we would always be visitors but Saturday I sat and watched as almost 800 people came into the ground and it felt so different it felt like our home game indeed

It will be really strange, if we meet W'boro away in the cup.............i won't have to do anything and still feel as thiugh we are playing at home...........I ope they have enough stewards? :lol:

I'm so glad we chose Wellingborough over St. Neots, because there's no way we would've got anywhere near 784 at St. Neots, even if their ground is nice. It did feel like home, it was great walking around and thinking 'Oh that guy used to stand at the top of the PDB' etc.

It's a bit of a shame that our next home game isn't for ages, I hope we can carry the momentum and avoid too big a drop-off.

I must admit I was slightly skeptical before the game, how would the dog and duck feel knowing how different it would be to our previous ground, what on earth would the quality of football be like at level 10 (the fact that the last game I went to watch was Brazil didn't help!). But overall I was pleasantly surprised at the general feel of everything, the football was a bit scrappy at first of course but once we got going in the second half it was really good and we've clearly got a very decent squad who will do well this season. And of course our additions to the ground helped make it feel like home, without them it may have felt a little bit like an away game all the time, but to see Ann's Pantry, Dale's Bar and of course our brand new little terrace named the PDB was fantastic, but like I said I enjoyed the overall feel of the place anyway, the clubhouse is great as well.

One slight downer for me at the first game was the chants at the ref, which considering it was our very first game in the UCL, I thought perhaps it was not a great idea to potentially piss off the refs in this league in our first game and he wasn't particularly bad, but other than that our lads made a fantastic noise all match from the terrace and it was a fantastic day

I would agree with that. I know we all groan at decisions that don't go our way but I think at this level we should be more understanding and realise that without these officials we wouldn't have a match. They're just blokes who like football enough to want to officiate, cut them some slack and certainly don't abuse or insult them or call them names (something that I was disappointed to hear at the start of both halves) - I'm sure they can hear, you know.

Sara Pascoe wrote:I would agree with that. I know we all groan at decisions that don't go our way but I think at this level we should be more understanding and realise that without these officials we wouldn't have a match. They're just blokes who like football enough to want to officiate, cut them some slack and certainly don't abuse or insult them or call them names (something that I was disappointed to hear at the start of both halves) - I'm sure they can hear, you know.

The assistant on the dug out side is 63!!

Mat.H wrote: The assistant on the dug out side is 63!!

The one on the Peter Ebdon stand side was at least that as well.

Sara Pascoe wrote:I'm so glad we chose Wellingborough over St. Neots, because there's no way we would've got anywhere near 784 at St. Neots, even if their ground is nice. It did feel like home, it was great walking around and thinking 'Oh that guy used to stand at the top of the PDB' etc.

It's a bit of a shame that our next home game isn't for ages, I hope we can carry the momentum and avoid too big a drop-off.

Have to agree felt like a carnival atmosphere. Great first day couldn't have gone better