The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Does anyone (or more than one person - the more the better) have the time or inclination to go down to Kingsmeadow and stand outside with a bucket?

There will be a captive audience of 5000 or so fans there tonight who know what its like to have their club taken away and, since they are 2-0 up from the first leg, I think they may be in a generous mood.

Following on from this, there are loads of football matches taking place up and down the country over the next few days:

Thursday: Forest v Swansea

Friday: Reading v Cardiff

Saturday: Blackburn v Man Utd
Blackpool v Bolton
Sunderland v Wolverhampton
West Brom v Everton
Man City v Stoke
Bournemouth v Huddersfield
Torquay v Shrewsbury

Sunday:
Chelsea v Newcastle
Arsenal v Aston Villa
Birmingham v Fulham
Liverpool v Tottenham
Wigan v West Ham
MK Dons v Peterborough
Stevenage v Accrington


If we could get people to every one of these matches with silly hats and buckets there will be thousands and thousands of football people milling around who may feel inclinded to stick their hand in their pocket and help us - as an example if 10% of the fans attending the matches that I have listed gave us just £1 each, we would raise ~£40k.

I will volunteer to do Stevenage vs Accrington and if I can have some other volunteers to help me, I will pick you all up from your houses, drive you to Stevenage and bring you back home again. Maybe someone else could volunteer to take people to MK Dons on Sunday morning?

These are great idea, it is possible that I'll be around Upton Park for West Ham's last game of the season at home to Sunderland on the 22nd. If that is the case then I'd be willing to help in this sort of fundraising. As well as this, here are a couple more ideas:

I wasn't at the forum but my Dad attended. Due to playing football this season I haven't been able to go as much as I'd have liked to, but after my dad filled me in on the situation I ran a couple of ideas by him which he said I should post on here.

Firstly, I know a few seasons ago they used to do a fans Vs. players game. How about getting something like this sorted again? Or maybe just fans Vs. fans with the privelage of being able to play on the Nene Park pitch. I for one would pay around £40 for 90 minutes on Nene Park, if 22 people show interest in this that's about a grand alone. Thrown the fans a few of the old kits, get a volunteer photographer to capture their moments and sell them at the end for about a fiver a pop and possibly a few volunteer staff (stewards etc.) theb charge a few quid for people to watch. The pitch won't need to be in the condition that it has been, i as a fan would love to say I've played on our pitch and maybe other people would too?

Also, maybe a friendly involving players from the glory days? We could try and tempt players such as darby, Mustafa, Hunter and Hall back for a friendly with either the current crop or the fans and charge people to see it. Maybe some old big names would entice the 'fans' that left when they did.

Judging by some of the comment on Conference Forum, I think we might get better support from league clubs.

Most fans of larger clubs I come into contact with recognise R&D, remember the Leeds game and generally seem well disposed to us. In the non-leagues we seem less popular, sadly.

Welsh wrote: In the non-leagues we seem less popular, sadly.

We're not a proper club, in their eyes, since we havn't been swilling around for 125 years with neglible success and we were once fortunate to have had a rich benefactor which all of them would have given their high teeth for. I've no time for that forum.

GeneralStanhope wrote: Firstly, I know a few seasons ago they used to do a fans Vs. players game. How about getting something like this sorted again? .

I think the fans would surely win this match, as there's only one player left at the club!

Trek wrote:

Welsh wrote: In the non-leagues we seem less popular, sadly.

We're not a proper club, in their eyes, since we havn't been swilling around for 125 years with neglible success and we were once fortunate to have had a rich benefactor which all of them would have given their high teeth for. I've no time for that forum.

Our roots go back to 1889, just short of 125years

Two of Diamonds wrote:
Our roots go back to 1889, just short of 125years

I know that Robin, but those twits on the Conference Forum wouldn't accept that. As early as 1898-99 Rushden along with the Ploppies and Wellingborough were playing the likes of Luton, Brighton, Southampton, Millwall, Reading, Bristol City and even Woolwich Arsenal and Spurs in the United League, Division One. They finished 3rd in the league. Take that John Motson.