Banstead Athletic - Merland Rise

Banstead Athletic FC
Merland Rise
Tadworth
Surrey
KT20 5JG

01737 350982

Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 82

Wednesday 20th January 2004

Epsom & Ewell 2-4 Windsor and Eton

Ryman League Division 1 South




BANSTEAD ATHLETIC - A BRIEF HISTORY

Banstead Athletic was established in 1944 as Banstead Juniors FC, changing their name to their current moniker a couple of years later. After competing in the Surrey Senior, Spartan and Athenian Leagues, they joined the Isthmian League in 1984. Starting at Division 2 level, they had a series of mid-table finishes - good enough to stave off relegation, but not quite good enough for promotion, with a 4th placed finish their best in 1995/96. Fifth place was good enough to effectively earn promotion at the end of 2001/02, following league reorganisation to a regional Division 1. Their debut season of 2002/03 saw their best-ever finish of 16th, which at the time was step 3 of the non-league football pyramid. Things gradually tailed off, and at the end of the 2005/06 season, they resigned, joining the Combined Counties League to help with travelling costs. Starting in the now step 5 Premier Division, an initial finish of 6th was a decent start. However, that would be their only top half finish, and after years of flirting with relegation, they finally succumbed in 2011/12 after finishing rock bottom. Despite initially struggling, things have got a bit better in the last few seasons, with two 6th placed finishes being improved upon this season. Presently they sit in 2nd place, comfortably in the promotion frame, and just above their current tenants AC London.

In the FA Cup, Banstead Athletic's best ever progress has been the 3rd Qualifying Round which they first reached in 1981, and then again in 2000. Progress in the FA Trophy in the 4 seasons they played was limited, the only time they progressed past the opening round coming in the 2004/05 season when they defeated Corinthian-Casuals in an enthralling 5-4 Preliminary Round replay victory. The FA Vase was a much happier hunting ground, with them reaching the Quarter Final in 1992/93. Four years later, they went one better, losing a 2-legged semi-final to Whitby Town, despite a credible draw up in North Yorkshire. 

VISIT 1: EPSOM & EWELL 2-4 WINDSOR (RYMAN D1 SOUTH)

2003/04 was a season when I clocked up what seemed like, at the time, an incredible 117 games. I've now surpassed this several times, now that I've got into groundhopping. I wasn't really a hopper at the time, though I was a full-time Wycombe fan, in the midst of a 7-year run without missing a game, home or away. I also did pretty much every reserve game and some FA Youth Cup ones too, seeing a Wycombe team on around 70 occasions that season. The other games were made up mainly of my mate Paul's team AFC Wimbledon, and Windsor & Eton - a side that had a whole load of Chairboys from our glory days in the Conference. 

Managed by our former striker Dennis Greene, who named himself on the bench, the Windsor side contained 5 other ex-Wycombe players. Goalkeeper Chuck Martini, defender Jason Cousins, midfielders Matt Brady & Dave Carroll, as well as striker Keith Scott, lined up for Windsor & Eton as they triumphed 4-2 over Banstead Athletic's the tenants Epsom & Ewell. The game took a while to get going, but Keith Scott put Windsor ahead on 34 minutes, only for the hosts to equalise with an Adam Stones header just before half-time. Second-placed Windsor stepped it up in the second half, especially in the opening 10 minutes when they scored three quick goals. A Jason Cousins header put the visitors ahead, before a great run and lob by Terry O'Connor and a Dave Carroll free-kick put Windsor in firm control. A defensive mix-up allowed Craig Watkins to pull one back, but by then the game was safe.

Landlords Banstead Athletic were doing pretty well at the time, playing in the same Ryman Division 1 South League as Epsom & Windsor, which at the time was step 3 in the non-league pyramid as it was before the establishment of the Conference North & South. I'd see the landlords twice that season, albeit in away games as they beat Marlow 1-0 in a league game December and AFC Wimbledon in the County Cup in February.

VISIT 2: BANSTEAD ATHLETIC 5-2 OLD WILSONIANS (SURREY PREMIER CUP, 29/11/16)

On this Tuesday I was on my own, thanks to the unavailability of other hoppers. With it being the middle of winter choice was restricted, and this was further complicated by the predicted freezing temperatures with minus temperatures expected in several places come kick-off time. With me wanting to save money as much as possible, and all my groundhops being a long way away, I decided a revisit was in order. My subscription to the football traveller came up trumps, listing a game that I couldn't see anywhere else in the Surrey Premier Cup. I confirmed that it was on via the Banstead Athletic site, and with the weather looking just about OK, I planned it in. The opposition was the intriguingly named Old Wilsonians from the Southern Amateur League. Funnily enough, I have vague memories of seeing that league in the mid-1990s on the regional Teletext football results. It stood out as most of the teams had the 'Old' prefix in their name.



On the day of the game, I was on my day off, and walked down town, before getting a lift back with my Dad. I spent the afternoon researching Banstead Athletic's history to update my blog whilst I listened to The Two Mikes on TalkSPORT as well as listing a few items on eBay. After a dinner of Spaghetti Bolognese, I left just before 6. A 45-minute delay was predicted on the M25,  but it turned out to be just 15 minutes. I got to Banstead at 7.20, and was glad to see the floodlights on and fellow hopper Laurence confirming the game was on. I caught up online in my car for 10 minutes before wrapping up and going in. There was still some doubt over whether the game would go ahead, due to some players voicing concerns over the pitch, or probably just not fancying the cold. The referee, experienced in his profession was not going to call it off at this late hour. Even so, I stood and chatted to Laurence and some other hoppers until I saw the teams making their way onto the pitch. As it was a frozen night, I opted to huddle in the small press area which at least had some knee-high walls around it to insulate me from the cold. My flask of Bovril helped too.


I was unclear as to what step that Old Wilsonians, tonight's opponents, played at. It turned out, after later research, that they were not even in the football pyramid, or indeed a member of the FA. Instead, the Southern Amateur League which they play in is affiliated to the AFA, or Amateur Football Alliance to give it it's full name. The AFA was formed in 1907 to maintain an organisation that contains purely amateur clubs after the FA's decision to admit professional clubs. There are criteria that leagues and clubs need to follow, such as providing food and drink to their opponents after games. The Southern Amateur League has been around since the dawn of the AFA. In a three-tiered senior league, Old Wilsonians currently sit in 6th place in the top division, with their only title on record being in 2004/05 when they were Division 3 Champions.



Despite their status, the visitors were the brighter team early on and on their first-half showing, it looked as if a cup shock might be on the cards. Jalen Gravesande opened the scoring on 12 minutes, netting after a pinball session in the box. Kieran Steadford doubled the lead 4 minutes later as more indecisive defending from the hosts allowed him to slot into the bottom right-hand corner after an initial clearance. Old Wilsonians had been well on top and really should have added to their tally. A couple of minutes before half-time their lead was halved when Martin Smith's composed finish brought Banstead back into it. Whatever was said in the home dressing room at half-time, it had the desired effect. With 52 minutes on the clock, Tayler Maddog converted a square ball at the back post to square things up. Banstead were well on top by now and this proved to be the turning point of the game, with the visitors restricted to chances on the break from now on. Joe Hill put Banstead ahead on 67 minutes, following up a fantastic initial shot that fell kindly for him after rebounding off the angle of post and bar. It wouldn't be until added time that the hosts would seal the victory. Martin Smith powered home a square ball from around 10 yards, before the aptly named Billy Frost scored the goal of the night, hitting the ball into the top corner to complete the scoring.



I'm not sure what step Old Wilsonians would play at, were they playing semi-pro football, but in any case, they did themselves, their league and the amateur game in general great credit. Really they should have been further ahead at the interval and although they didn't see much of the game in the second half, the late double salvo for Banstead was harsh on them. It had been a decent game too, and certainly deserved more people watching it that the 25 hardy souls that ventured out on a frozen night. It was one of a limited number of games in the country that was finished to its conclusion, with nearby Corinthian-Casuals game being halted on 55 minutes. I said my goodbyes, before nipping to the toilet before leaving. The journey home proved to be a bit of a pain with a 20-minute delay on the M25 thanks to the road being narrowed down to one lane. I was sat at a standstill for ages, thanks to it being poorly managed and drivers zooming past red X's and jumping the queue. I listed to Hull beat Newcastle on penalties in the League Cup on the way home, eventually getting in at 11.  I watched Dave Gorman's Modern Life Is Goodish, before going to sleep just before half past midnight.



THE GROUND

MERLAND RISE is situated in a residential area, so I'm not sure what is available around the ground. At the ground, hot drinks are available, as is a bar, but I didn't see any food or merchandise on offer. One bonus is the large car park, with plenty of spaces available.


The ground itself is impressive, having served at step 3 for a few seasons in recent times. It's probably just about up to that standard at the moment, with the possible caveat that they need more seats. Certainly, it's a good ground for their current level, cover is on 3 sides of the ground, the remaining far end consisting of a couple of steps of open terracing.

Egham Town - Runnymede

Egham Town FC
Runnymede Stadium
Wards Place
Egham
Surrey
TW20 8XD

01784 435226
Official Website
Twitter

Ground Number: 81
Saturday 6th December 2003
Egham Town 0-1 Windsor & Eton
Ryman League Division 1 South


EGHAM TOWN - A BRIEF HISTORY

Egham Town were founded in 1963 and played in the Pantheon, Surrey Senior, Spartan & Athenian Leagues before joining the Isthmian League in 1977. Starting in Division 2, they'd stay at this level until 1998 when they were relegated to Division 3, a complete contrast to the 1990/91 season when they finished in 3rd, narrowly missing out on promotion. Things didn't start well after their relegation with their first game being a 9-0 defeat to Camberley Town. They soon recovered though and in 2001/02, league organisation meant that 6th place was good enough for promotion to the newly established Isthmian D1 South. 2002/03 would see their highest ever placing in the non-league pyramid as they finished 10th at what was then step 3. Despite this, they'd suffer a double relegation in the next 2 season, the second being especially difficult as they were moved to the Southern League Western Division, with much-increased travelling costs. From 2005 until 2013, they'd play at step 5, one season in the Isthmian League Division 2, and the rest in the Combined Counties League following reorganisation. Finishes were always at mid-table or above and in 2012/13, their first league title since the 1970's entitled them to promotion to the Southern D1 Central. Since then they've done well and just missed out on promotion last season. A third-placed finish was followed up by a playoff semi-final defeat to St Ives Town on penalties. This season they were sitting in 10th, with an outside chance of another shot at the playoffs should they put a good run together.



In the FA Cup Egham Town reached the 4th Qualifying Round for the second time this season. Bracknell Town, Arundel, VCD Athletic and Faversham Town were defeated to set up a tie against St Albans City. They narrowly lost 1-0 and missed out on a tie against football league side Carlisle United. Success in the FA Trophy has been limited, with the 2nd Qualifying Round in 2013/14 being their best effort so far. 1984/85 saw the club reach the FA Vase 4th Round before a 2-0 home defeat to AFC Sudbury. Local cup wins include the Egham Twinning Tournament several times and the Southern Combination Floodlit Cup in 1979.

The town of Egham is most famous for being the place that the Magna Carta was signed in the year 1215, and the football ground's name of The Runnymede Stadium recognises the locality that the signing took place in. The most famous past resident of Egham is actress Hilda Braid. She lived in the town for around 8 years and although she was most well-known for playing Nana Moon in Eastenders, she had a long and varied career including starring as Florence Johnson in sitcom Citizen Smith. 




VISIT 1: EGHAM TOWN 0-1 WINDSOR (ISTHMIAN D1 SOUTH)

My first visit to Egham Town came on the 6th December 2003, which was FA Cup 2nd Round Day. Nowadays I'd no doubt be at an FA Cup game if there was a groundhop available and that's exactly where I was on the previous night, watching Wycombe draw 1-1 with Mansfield Town. For some bizarre reason, this run of the mill encounter was covered on Sky TV despite there being several non-league v league clashes. At least it gave me the chance to visit somewhere new on the Saturday as I was following Wycombe home and away at the time and so didn't get many chances to see other teams.

I wasn't really a groundhopper at the time, although I did enjoy watching Windsor & Eton as they had a huge number of ex-Wycombe players at the time. I took my usual football mates Paul & Sue as they had the same idea as me about watching random games. I don't remember a huge amount about the day, but it was a decent one. I remember the club's amusing nickname of 'The Sarnies' based on their name sounding like Egg & Ham. I also remember the excellent chips at the ground, which were so delicious that I had 3 portions. I can't recall if I got a programme at the time, but I did get a copy from the Windsor club shop later on. Looking back, it's a great effort, with a cover that is very much of the time, design-wise. There's also lots to read in it, including some good stats.

On the pitch, several ex-Wanderers featured. Dave Carroll, who was an absolute legend for Wycombe got the only goal of the game when his superb free-kick curled around the wall and past Egham keeper James Mercer. The free kick had been won by another former player Keith Scott who had also played in the Premiership for Swindon Town. Chuck Martini. Jason Cousins, Matt Brady and Ryan Parsons also featured and were managed by Dennis Greene who has just left Boston United in the present day.

VISIT 2: EGHAM TOWN 1-1 FARNBOROUGH (SOUTHERN D1 CENTRAL 13/12/16)

I was on my own again this week, owing to fellow hopper Anwar opting to stay in and watch Arsenal on the TV rather than going to a game. With my nearest new grounds at Three Bridges and Haringey & Waltham involving gruelling rush-hour journeys on the M25 and in London. So I decided that as revisit was in order. Out of all the local fixtures that were listed, Egham Town v Farnborough jumped out. It was only 25 miles away meaning that fuel costs would not be too expensive and I could eat at home. It was also a decent-looking game and a ground that I had barely written about on this blog, and I wanted to do it justice. Doing my research I noticed that the club had changed their home colours to red and white to reflect the clubs forerunners Runnymede Rovers. Looking at the match preview on the Farnborough site, I noted that I'd be seeing a player that I had seen on my last visit to Runnymede. Ryan Parsons had played for Windsor when I last visited, but tonight the ex-Wycombe left back was on the bench. Their substitute keeper James Reading had been a youth player for us, whilst Dennis Oli would be again lining up for Farnborough - he had a mediocre spell for us under Peter Taylor around 8 years ago, having sounded a promising signing upon arriving from Grays Athletic.

On the day of the game I was off work and so started my walk down town early, so as to have my hair cut. With that completed I still had time to get all my Christmas cards and also a few bits for myself. I came home and had lunch and for once I had time to spare, and so could catch up on a few things. After having dinner I left at 6.30, not in any rush as I'd already got a programme from this venue. Generally, the trip over was good, once I'd navigated the ever confusing Crooked Billet 'Roundabout' I arrived at 7.15, parking in a nearby side street and walking to the ground. I paid £8 to get in and caught up online. Initially, the floodlights were only half on to save money, but 15 minutes before kick off, they were turned fully on and I could get some updated pictures of the ground. Unlike at Marlow earlier this season where I'd barely seen a Farnborough fan, they were out in force and congregated behind the goal where their team was attacking, and were in good voice too.

The game started off with Farnborough in their white change strip, despite there being no colour clash as Egham were in their usual red kit. Farnborough also had red as their first choice kit for a while, back when the controversial Graham Westley was in charge but had seen sense when he left and reverted to their traditional yellow and blue kit. Farnborough came close very early on but the shot just narrowly missed the top right-hand corner. It was a bright opening half, with near misses at both ends, but it remained scoreless at the break. I'd been hoping to get some chips at half time on the account of them being excellent last time out, but the club no longer sold them.  The second half started with hosts Egham well on top and they were rewarded on 48 minutes when they opened the scoring. Wes Daley advanced into the box on the right-hand side and planted a calm low shot in the bottom left-hand corner of the goal. They continued to be well on top for a good 15 minutes, though for reasons known only to the, they started to slow things down and try and take the sting out of the game. This annoyed Farnborough and they were on at the referee to hurry things up. They turned their annoyance into something positive as they started to take a hold on the game after being restricted to chances on the break for the first part of the half. Their equaliser came on 70 minutes when time home side failed to clear their lines. Former Wycombe fan Dennis Oli flicked on for Sam Shaban to drill home and this led to the visitors having their own good spell.

In the end though, neither side could find a winner in what had been a very good game. Visitors Farnborough will have been most frustrated, having lost the chance to make up ground on league leaders Royston Town, and I've now seen them draw both times I've seen them this season. There'd been only one result I'd been interested in away from my own game and that was the one that decided who Wycombe would be playing in the FA Cup 3rd Round. I was delighted when non-league Stourbridge defeated Northampton 1-0 as we will now face an interesting tie in the new year at home. I listened to Black Country Radio on the way home as they had excellent coverage of the game and it got me buzzing for the game. I've seen Stourbridge twice before, both times have seen them win, defeating Glossop North End 3-0 in 2005 and Bashley 5-0 in 2012, so obviously I'll be hoping for a less impressive result for them when we face them. I was in by 10.15 and typed my blog in bed before watching Dave Gorman's Modern Life Is Goodish, going to sleep around midnight.



THE GROUND

On my first visit back in 2003, I was the proud owner of a new digital camera, which were quite rare at the time. I must have been still in the mindset of having to pay for the film to be processed, as I only took 6 photos. It was an impressive ground for the level, which at the time sat at step 3 of the pyramid. There was cover on all 4 sides, two seated and tow standing and the whole ground was well kept and painted in the club colours of green and yellow. I remember the tea bar being excellent and the bar being decent too.

2016 PICTURES

There wasn't a massive amount of change when I went back. The colours had been changed to red and white, and this took a bit away from the ground as the yellow and green was really imposing. Strangely, despite this change, the red seats from the far end goal had disappeared and had been replaced by sporadically placed white ones. On the far side where were now three areas of cover, though I can't tell how this compares to my first visit due to lack of photos.

The tea bar was not as good as my first visit, none of the excellent chips, and just burgers from what I could tell. The bar was like last time, with big screen TV and football memorabilia on the walls. Nearby there was a pub and a few takeaways, so that may be your best bet if you fancy something more substantial.

Rushden and Diamonds - Nene Park

Rushden & Diamonds FC
Nene Park
Diamond Way
Irthlingborough
Northamptonshire
NN6 5QF

Rushden & Diamonds Wikipedia
Nene Park Wikipedia

Ground Number: 78
Saturday 6th September 2003
Rushden & Diamonds 2-0 Wycombe Wanderers
Nationwide League Division 2



10 FACTS ABOUT RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS FC

1:  The club was formed in 1992 following the merger of Northamptonshire rivals Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds.

2:  Originally belonging to Irthlingborough Town, Nene Park was chosen as the club's base owing to its expansion possibilities. They had originally moved to the site in 1969. Over the years the stadium and its surroundings were upgraded for the total cost of £30m.The first stand to be renovated was the North Stand, initially with a capacity of 1000. The rest of the ground progressed in stages with the East side the last to be the last. Named 'The AirWair stand, it was the most impressive, with a capacity of 2,372.

3:  Starting in the Southern League Midland Division, they missed out on promotion in their first season, finishing 3rd behind Nuneaton Borough and Gresley Rovers. Promotion was achieved to the Premier Division in 1993/94. 5th place represented a decent first season with the title to follow in 95/96.

4:  Promoted to the Conference, they finished 96/97 in 12th. After 4th placed finishes in their next 2 seasons, they finished 9 points adrft of league winners Kidderminster Harriers at the turn of the century. 2000/01 saw them put that right, finishing 6 points clear of Yeovil. They would return to the Conference for the 2006/07 season, generally finishing around the mid-table mark, with 4th place being the best they could manage in 2010 in their second spell.

5:  In their first Football League season they finished 6th in Division 3, which was good enough for a shot at the playoffs. After beating Rochdale in the semis, they lost 3-1 to Cheltenham Town at the Millenium Stadium in Cardiff. They put things right in 2002/03, earning promotion as league winners. The rest of their time in the league would see them struggle with their only season in Division 2 seeing them finish 22nd. They finished the same placing in the newly branded League 2 the following season, finishing bottom of the Football League and being relegated in 2005/06.

6:  Rushden & Diamonds best ever seasons in the FA Cup game in 1999 and 2000. They reached the 3rd Round in those years, taking each game to a replay. They lost 3-1 to Leeds United on the first occasion, taking Sheffield United to penalties on the second before bowing out.

7:  Little success was had in the League Cup, with the second round proving their limit. On the second of the 2 occasions that they did progress they lost 8-0 to Coventry City in the 2002/03 season.

8:  They reached the FA Trophy semi-final in 1994/95, losing to cup specialists Woking 2-1 on aggregate, in spite of a 1-0 win in the home leg. They'd go on to reach two further Quarter finals in 2000 and 2008.

9:  Their best ever attendance came in 1999 when 6,431 turned up for the visit of Leeds United in the FA Cup. Their biggest ever win came at troubled Weymouth in 2009 where they won 9-0 against a team comprising of youth teamers following the release of the whole first team due to financial issues.

10: 2010/11 would be their last ever season which saw them finish 13th in the Conference after a poor end to the season. Due to financial issues they were thrown out the competition. A fan-led club - AFC Rushden & Diamonds would start the following season in youth football, progressing to the United Counties League the following year. Since then they have progressed steadily up the pyramid and currently sit at step 4 in the NPL D1 South. Prior to this they were in the Southern League Central, but were moved due to geographical reasons.



VISIT 1: RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS 2-0 WYCOMBE WANDERERS

Wycombe first-ever visit to Nene Park was a poor day for the Chairboys. Things started badly for Wycombe as early as the 3rd minute, when Wycombe keeper Frank Talia raced out of his goal to challenge a high ball with Diamonds striker Onandi Lowe, made a hash of it and was sent off. We had no keeper on the bench so Steve Brown and Richard Harris took their turns in playing in goal. Chris Vinnicombe was also sent off for a second yellow card later on in the game, whilst Lawrie Sanchez was also sent to the stands for saying something to the referee. In the end, despite a good performance and lots of chances for Wycombe, goals from Onandi Lowe and Rodney Jack consigned Wycombe to defeat and put them into the bottom 4, where they would end the season, despite changes of manager.



VISIT 2: RUSHDEN & D 1-2 WYCOMBE W (L2, 12/02/05)

My second visit to Nene Park was a lot better than the first, result wise. Over 500 Wycombe fans travelled to Northamptonshire as John Gorman started to make good the mess that he had inherited from Tony Adams back in November. We'd lost at home to Boston United the previous Saturday and it looked to be the same old story when Graham Allen converted David Bell's cross to give Rushden the lead on 50 minutes. Minutes earlier Wycombe keeper Frank Talia had been lucky not to see red for the second successive year at Rushden as he again handled outside the area, but he was only booked. The hosts missed a string of chances and we looked to be beaten but Matt Bloomfield's excellent 25-yard strike came against the run of play to level things up. Still, Wycombe struggled to get a grip on the game but Nathan Tyson's last-minute close range win created a smash and grab the win for Wycombe that was very cruel on the hosts.




VISIT 3: RUSHDEN & D 0-0 WYCOMBE (RESERVES 08/03/05)

This was at the height of my Wycombe Wanderers obsession with me seeing 74 games across all of Wycombe's various sides over the season. This included most of the reserves games, including this dour 0-0 draw. Played on an outside pitch, I went with my equally obsessed fellow fan Paul, driving down for this afternoon game after work. We spent most of the time chatting to John Dempster's dad who played for Rushden at the time and who would go on to play for Oxford United & Mansfield Town amongst others. Despite the game being dull and taking support to daft levels, I'm glad I went so I can say 'I was there" and just wish I'd taken more photos.



VISIT 4: RUSHDEN & D 1-3 WYCOMBE W  (L2, 22/04/06)

For this visit, I travelled with Paul & other mates in my car. Due to there not being much around the ground we stopped at Wellingborough on the way for lunch and I remember being pleased that all the parking in the town was free. On the pitch, Wycombe were in poor form, following a double tragedy that occurred at the start of the year. Firstly in January young player Mark Philo was killed in a car crash, then around a month later manager John Gorman lost his wife to cancer.

Rushden & Diamonds were fighting against relegation, sitting second bottom, despite 3 wins and a draw in their last 6 games. Wycombe had lost their last 6 games and had just put manager Gorman on sympathy leave, meaning that assistants Keith Ryan & Steve Brown were in charge. It looked to be the same old story when Marcus Kelly opened the scoring for Rushden on 24 minutes. A quickfire double just after the hour mark saw Tommy Mooney and Roger Johnson saw Wycombe take the lead. The win was sealed on 88 minutes when Mooney scored from the spot after a Rob Gier foul in the area which saw the Rushden man get his second yellow card and marching orders.



THE GROUND

NENE PARK was a great ground but it was always a bit too big for its tenants to maintain, leading to financial issues for both Rushden & Diamonds and Kettering Town. Though the stands were effectively 4 separate structures, the corners were all closed in. It featured 3 sides seating with a capacity of 4,641 and a further terrace - originally named the Peter DeBanke terrace, but altered to the Dale Roberts terrace following the young goalkeeper's tragic death in 2010. The ground was home to Rushden & Diamonds from 1992 - 2011 and local rivals Kettering Town for the 2011/12 season.

The ground was part of a wider complex and therein laid the problem. With several outside pitches to maintain and without the demand to meet supply, it was always a challenge to meet the costs of running the site. As well as the pitches there was a Doc Martens outlet which doubled as the club shop and a bar at the ground too, though I can't recall ever going in there. The location did not help, with the venue being located right out in the sticks with poor transport links unless you were lucky enough to drive.