By Albatross
April 29 2003

Hartlepool United have to beat Rushden and Diamonds if they are to claim the title. Everyone knows they used to be two clubs - but there's a bit more to it than that. Here's some more info about our opponents in the Championship Decider. The year was 1992, and in the United Counties League - three promotions from the Conference - a small team in Northamptonshire was struggling to stay afloat. That club was Irthlingborough Diamonds. Their Chairman, desperate for funds, went to see Dr. Martens Footwear owner Max Griggs with a proposal: if Griggs would take over the club, lock stock and barrel, he could develop the ground and facilities as a sports and leisure club for his employees.

Griggs was already interested in Football; he'd been on the board at Northampton Town some time previously. He came down to see the club and it's facilities, and agreed to take them on. However, he had ambitions of his own. Far from simply keeping the club afloat, Griggs thought they could move on: Conference in Five years. Sound familiar? Griggs, one of the wealthiest men in Britain, wanted to see "his" club going places.

Down the road though, Rushden Town were looking for a new ground, and were short of funds themselves. Although they had spent some time in the United Counties League, they were a promotion ahead of Diamonds in the Southern League Midland division. The clubs had been keen rivals, but Griggs had other ideas: why not merge the clubs, play at Irthlingborough's Nene Park ground, and take Rushden Town's place in the higher league? The powers that be gave the go-ahead, and without kicking a ball Rushden and Diamonds were already one step nearer Griggs' ambition of a Conference place.

The new club averaged gates of a little over 300 in their first season, amid worries about how the fans of the previously rival clubs would take to the new arrangement: by the following season, no-one was worrying as the team surged to their first promotion and saw attendaces reaching four figures. A further season of progress saw them reach 5th in the Southern Premier, an FA Trophy Semi-Final, and average attendances of over 1500.

The following season - the club's fourth - saw Griggs promotion target achieved with a season to spare. R+D won the Southern Premier (by now sponsored by Dr. Martens), and that wasn't the only reason they were in the news. The £85,000 they paid Kettering for Carl Alford was an enormous sum and a then non-league record payout: and no doubt quite a few fully professional clubs were looking on enviously as the club was able to simultaneously upgrade its ground and splash out on players.

The Conference however proved to be a tougher nut to crack. A mid-table finish in their first season was followed by 4th for the next two; by now, everyone recognised it was not a matter of if Rushden and Diamonds would achieve League Status, as when. The next season saw them going even closer, as they finished runners-up to Kidderminster: but some extravagant spending in 2000/1, including the signings of Julian Jackson and Duane Darby for six-figure sums, finally saw them take the title in their fifth season in the Conference. After just nine seasons, they were in the Football League.

Last season, no-one was sure what to expect. But with Griggs backing them, they were able to strengthen the squad and reached the Playoff Final before losing out to Cheltenham.

This season they have for much of the time been the only team to get anywhere near us; and the combination of their good form and our bad run means that, like it or not, they are now favourites to lift the title on Saturday.

Whatever way you look at it, it's been a remarkable achievement. In 11 seasons of existence, they have now been promoted no less than four times, and with Northampton being relegated can legitimately claim to be the premier team in the county. It's up to Pools to try and make sure that it won't be Title number four as well as promotion this Saturday.