Pitchero Non League

....disappointed and disillusioned fans a team to support.

Fans held a well-attended meeting last Friday night and voted overwhelmingly on forming a new club should the `old` one fail in its various appeals which, of course, it now has.

The name `AFC Rushden & Diamonds` was chosen and a route in which to begin a new club decided upon.

The timing of the demise of Rushden & Diamonds FC left AFC with no chance of staking a case for a place in the non-League Pyramid for 2011/12.

It was therefore decided overwhelmingly to begin next season with an under-18 team and set up committees and get the new club organised, bearing in mind the people undertaking this were ordinary fans with no expertise in running football clubs at any level.

Open trials will be held on Tuesday, 12th July at Raunds Manor School 7.45-9.45pm, and then at Raunds Town FC on Saturday, 16th July 10am-12 for AFC Rushden and Diamonds.

Another fans meeting has been scheduled for after the trials session at Raunds at midday. All Rushden and Diamonds fans are invited to view the trials before attending the fans meeting.

The meeting will include important votes on the future direction of the AFC Rushden & Diamonds, which ground option to use, and all fans are urged to attend.

The new club will be a `one member – one vote` organization, with no one person having overall control of the football club.

It is planned to apply for senior status in 2012/13.

It`s going to be a long road, and everyone has a lot to learn, but it`s nevertheless very exciting to be at the beginning of something new.