Fans vote to head home

Officials at the fan-run EVO-STIK NPL First Division South club say members have voted to groundshare with Rushden & Higham United, a whopping 94 percent choosing Hayden Road over options to play at either Kempston Rovers or Northampton Sileby Rangers.

The phoenix club - who've played at Wellingborough Town since 2012 after groundsharing at Raunds Town in 2011 following their formation a year earlier - now face a race against time to bring the United Counties League Division One club's home up to ground-grading stands needed to play in the EVO-STIK NPL ahead of a March 31 deadline.

With Diamonds unsure of having a Grade D certificate in place in time, a temporary move to Hillgrounds, home of EVO-STIK League Southern Division One Central Kempston Rovers, is still being discussed along with the imminent launch a fundraising campaign to assist with the costs of coming home.

AFC Rushden & Diamonds chairman Ralph Burditt said: “I am really pleased that the members have been so united in their decision. It is a very exciting time for the club and we can’t wait to start working closely with Rushden & Higham United.

"To have the opportunity to play within one of the towns which the club represents is fantastic, although there is obviously a lot of work to do in order to prepare Hayden Road for the new season. In order to complete the work within a reasonable time frame, we will need to rely once again on volunteer effort from our supporters and I know that they won’t let us down.”

The Diamonds starting polling their fans on where to play in January after receiving notice that they would be evicted from their current base at Wellingborough Town's Dog & Duck ground at the end of this season.

Image courtesy of 100groundsclub.blogspot.co.uk

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