AFC Rushden & Diamonds v Buckingham Town
Tuesday 5th February 2013 – 7:45pm
ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League Division One
Dog and Duck Stadium, London Road, Wellingborough NN8 2DP
After the playing very few league games during the November to January period, the Diamonds face their second game in February on Tuesday evening when Buckingham Town visit the Dog and Duck. The two teams met during December with the Diamonds recording a big victory, but the Robins have a new manager as well as a large number of changes in playing staff as they hope for improved fortunes in 2013.
At the weekend the Robins drew 1-1 with ON Chenecks, and the scale of the change that has gone at the club in recent weeks was illustrated by the fact that only one player who started that game also started the game against the Diamonds in December.
As this is a league game, season tickets are valid. For those paying on the gate normal prices apply, so entry to this game is at the standard admission prices of Adults £5, Concessions £2.50, Under 16 Members FREE, Under 8 FREE (Concessions (with ID) are Over 60′s and Students. 8-15 year old non-members will also be admitted at the concession rate. Under 16 members are admitted free to all home matches on production of a valid membership card. Under 8s are admitted free to all home matches.
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
According to their website, Buckingham Town was formed in 1883 and is thus one of the oldest clubs in the UCL. The Robins initially played in local leagues before joining the Hellenic and then the South Midlands League in the 1950’s. They joined the United Counties League in 1974, winning the league title in 1984 and 1985, before joining the Southern League, where they won the Southern Division title in 1991, before dropping back into the UCL, where Morrell Maison took them to the runner’s up spot in 2004.
The Robins have had a challenging season to date, with the 9-0 defeat at home to the Diamonds one of several high scoring games – for a report on that game see here.
After a disagreement with the landlords at Ford Meadow, the ground they had played at for over 120 years, they were forced to play at Winslow Leisure Centre last season, but for this season they have moved to Bletchley and now play at Manor Fields, the ground once occupied by the defunct Bletchley Town.
After manager Steve Orchard left earlier in the season Daniel Kingston took over the reins in a caretaker role, and he was in charge when the Diamonds visited Manor Fields. Since then Neil Griffiths has taken over as manager, and has brought in a number of new players . They play in red shirts and shorts.
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. The current league table is here.
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.
