AFC Rushden & Diamonds are pleased to advise supporters that following a Special General Meeting (SGM) of Part Owners on Wednesday 3rd April 2024, and subsequent voting process, our Part Owners have voted overwhelmingly in favour of returning to the Dog & Duck, home of Wellingborough Town Football Club, this summer ahead of the 2024/25 season.
There was a 63% turnout of 266 eligible Part Owners (3 postal votes were cast).
Groundshare
Dog & Duck – 89%
Hayden Road – 11%
Admission Prices
+£1 – 60%
= 38%
-£1 – 2%
After 18 months at the helm, Chairman Rob Usher and Vice-Chairman Alex Raspin presented a business case to Part Owners at the SGM, calling into question the Club’s sustainability and ongoing viability with the current business model and current ground sharing arrangements. A move to the Dog & Duck opens up additional avenues for revenue generation and gives our Club the opportunity to genuinely reset and move forward, once more.
As Rob and Alex discussed in great detail, whilst a move to the Dog & Duck doesn’t bring an instant drastic benefit due to the requirement to both fund this move and fulfil our financial obligations at Hayden Road, in time it will prove to be a good halfway between our current arrangement and a new home for our Football Club, removing current restrictions around secondary income, improving cash flow and giving us greater options to make positive changes.
Chairman Rob Usher had this to say: “For many years our Club hasn’t been operating within its means and whilst we are on course to make a profit this year, the figures show that if we continue as we are, AFC Rushden & Diamonds as we have come to know it will no longer exist. We can stay where we are, cut our cloth accordingly and carry on, but we’ll become something our supporters don’t recognise and for us as the current custodians of this Club, that’s not something we’re going to sit by and let happen.”
“Over the last 18 months since assuming our positions in November 2022, we have had to make drastic changes, easy decisions and tough decisions, to ensure that the Club survived but whilst cutting costs across all areas of the business to ultimately ensure sustainability, the one area we have never really been able to impact positively is the groundshare agreement at Hayden Road. It’s the one area of the business where costs have actually increased since we took charge. This dictated that we need to look at alternative options and after very positive conversations with Wellingborough Town’s representatives over the last few months, we were able to table this move to Part Owners. As a Board, we are pleased with the outcome of the vote.”
As discussed at the SGM, to ensure that this move is a success, the Club requires a substantial amount of help, both financially and physically over the coming months. Whilst we have an incredible group of volunteers, at board level the Club is seriously undermanned at present, running at half of its capacity and those that have worked to put this opportunity on the table for the Club require as much help as possible to see this through in a very short space of time. Quite simply, this move needs to have a unifying effect amongst all supporters and the strength of good feeling and positivity towards this move suggests it can.
Both short and longer term, the Club is looking for the following:
- A project manager to oversee the move alongside a project manager at Wellingborough Town Football Club and the Board of AFC Rushden & Diamonds. This role ideally needs someone available at most/all times during the day.
- Supporters in various industries that may be able to assist the Club with free of charge or reduced costs for building materials, cement, labour or anything else that we may require. We can offer FOC sponsorship opportunities in return. If you think your business or the business you work for can support in any way shape or form, please get in touch.
- Someone or a group of people to assist with removal and disposal of wooden perimeter fencing at Hayden Road, preferably FOC or in return for sponsorship.
- Supporters with time to give this summer, who would be willing to form part of a working party tasked with returning Hayden Road to the condition in which we found it. Likewise, supporters who are able to assist at the other end in ensuring the Dog & Duck is ready to host our matches from July-onwards.
- A Bar Manager and staff willing to run the Bar at the Dog & Duck during our matchdays. Preferably on a voluntary basis to maximise revenue.
- A Catering Manager, willing to run the catering end-to-end on our matchdays. Preferably on a voluntary basis to maximise revenue, however there is an expectation that we may need to pay for this.
Lastly, but perhaps most importantly:
- Financial assistance. Whilst we have costed elements covered, it is inevitable that hidden or unexpected costs will occur. As a fan-run Club and not-for-profit organisation we do not have the financial resources to simply take the hit as/when these occur and would be hugely grateful if our supporters can come together to raise funds through donations or any other means to give us a buffer.
We would like to place on record our thanks to all at Rushden & Higham United FC for allowing us to call Hayden Road home for the last seven years, supporting the Club as it grew and allowing us to make the necessary changes to Hayden Road whenever required to comply with ground grading regulations. We look forward to welcoming all AFC Rushden & Diamonds supporters to Hayden Road one final time this coming Saturday for the fixture against Shepshed Dynamo. This is the Club’s Community Day and a designated ‘Pay What You Want’ fixture, so a large attendance is assured.
The hard work starts now.
