AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Basford United
Saturday 17th November 2012 – 3pm
FA Carlsberg Vase Second Round Proper
Dog and Duck Stadium, London Road, Wellingborough NN8 2DP
AFC Rushden & Diamonds will host Basford United on Saturday afternoon at the Dog & Duck in the Second Round Proper of the FA Carlsberg Vase. Following victories over Fakenham Town and Yaxley, the Diamonds will face a team that also has had two victories in the competition, including a win over UCL Premier high-flyers Holbeach United.
This is an all-pay game. Pricing for this game has been confirmed as £5 Adults, £2.50 Concessions (Over 60s, students, U16s) and £1 U8s. Should the game finish level after 90 minutes there will be 30 minutes of extra time, if the scores are still level there will be a replay at Basford United’s Greenwich Avenue ground on Tuesday 20th November.
Diamonds recent signing Lance Allen is unavailable for the game as he played in an earlier round for Bugbrooke St Michaels, but Matt Gearing is eligible to play on Saturday.
N.B. As this is a game in an FA competition, the FA rules regarding alcohol must be observed, meaning that no alcohol can be consumed outside of the clubhouse – please help us by observing this rule. See here for more details.
Details of any issues with respect to the weather / pitch conditions etc will be here or on Twitter (@AFCRD). Those who may not have internet access in the build-up to a game may want to make note of the club contact phone number as detailed here.
Our Opponents
Basford United play in the Premier Division of the East Midlands Counties League – which is a step 6 league (details here), the same as Division 1 of the UCL. In round 1 of the competition they knocked out the higher ranked Kirby Muxloe of the Midland Alliance with a 4-1 away victory. They are based in Basford, which is just to the north of Nottingham. They are currently in second place in their league, having won 11 and lost 2 league games this season.
Perhaps their best known player is striker Martin Carruthers, a veteran of over 350 Football League games for the likes of Stoke City, Scunthorpe and Southend, and who like Chris Hope has celebrated his 40th birthday this season. He faced R&DFC several times in their Football League days, including both games for Scunthorpe in the Diamonds first season in league football.
The club was formed in 1900, and played in local Nottinghamshire Leagues until the 2011-12 season when they joined the Central Midlands League and were promoted into the East Midlands Counties league for the 2012-13 season after winning their division.
They are managed by Darren Saunders, and their club colours are yellow and black. Their club website is here.
The Dog and Duck
For directions to the Dog and Duck see here, where you will also find details of car parking options. You will find a range of bars and catering facilities, as well as a Club Shop. There is covered seating available, as well as a covered standing area.
There is always a need for additional volunteers to help with ongoing maintenance and matchday work, as detailed here.
Other Info
Individual player profiles for the squad are available here, with a summary list of player and management profiles here. Summary stats for the season to date are here, including appearance, attendance and goalscoring details.
There are details on how to become a member of AFC R&D here, as well as information on Multiple Game Tickets and related prices here.
A full directory of UCL clubs, including links to websites, ground details etc, along with club links including Twitter details and some general UCL links is here.
