Buckingham Town v AFC Rushden & Diamonds
Saturday 15th December 2012 – 3pm
ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League Division One
MK Irish Centre, Manor Fields, Bletchley MK2 2HX
After more than a month without playing a league game, AFC Rushden & Diamonds return to ChromaSport & Trophies United Counties League Division One action when they travel to Bletchley to face Buckingham Town on Saturday afternoon at Manor Fields.
Admission for the game is £4, and the MK Irish Centre (which owns and operates Manor Fields) has a bar which will be open from around 1:30.
The team will be wearing black armbands during this game in memory of Dale Roberts. It has been suggested that the Diamonds fans present at this game perform a minute’s applause starting at the beginning of the 24th minute of the match. We encourage all supporters to join in.
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
The Robins have had a challenging season to date, with no shortage of goals in their recent games – the last five league games have seen 4-0 and 5-3 wins over Burton Park Wanderers and Wellingborough Whitworth, but 6-0 and 5-0 defeats against Olney Town and Bourne Town, followed by a 3-1 victory over Wootton Blue Cross last weekend.
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. They play in red shirts and shorts.
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.
Manor Fields, Bletchley
For directions for the 24 mile trip from the Dog and Duck to Manor Fields (MK2 2HX) see here. The ground is owned and operated by the Milton Keynes Irish Centre. To get there from the roundabout on the A5 dual carriageway to the south of Milton Keynes, take the exit signposted to Fenny Stratford & Bletchley. After 500 yards, turn left off the main road at the sign for Manor Fields which is opposite Dobbies Garden Centre – turning into a narrow road leading to the sports fields. Cross the small bridge and follow the road until you see the Irish Centre in front of you, facing the car park with the ground to the right of that, behind a fence. There is further parking near the adjacent cricket field – and parking is free.
For those wishing to use public transport, the options are a little limited, with possibly the best option being the Bedford to Bletchley rail service, which has a stop at Fenny Stratford station which is a 17 minute walk from the ground. See the Traveline website for door-to-door trip planning.
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.
