We want to address some issues that occurred during Saturday’s match against Peterborough Sports.
The vast majority of supporters enjoyed what was a great afternoon at Hayden Road, but the behaviour of a small number of individuals was unacceptable and, unfortunately, took some of the shine off the day.
In particular, we need to make it absolutely clear that bringing alcohol into the stadium is not permitted. Anyone found bringing alcohol into the ground will be required to leave and may also face a ban from attending future matches.
More broadly, the Club will not tolerate behaviour that is disrespectful, threatening or abusive towards our volunteers, staff, opposition or fellow supporters.
It is particularly disappointing when incidents of this nature require members of our Board and other volunteers to step in and deal with situations that should never arise. These individuals give up their own time to help run and support this football club. They should not be placed in difficult or confrontational situations because of the behaviour of a small number of people.
There is already more than enough going on behind the scenes to keep our volunteers and Board busy without having to deal with avoidable issues caused by poor behaviour on matchdays.
Following discussions with Rushden & Higham United, we have also taken the decision that, with immediate effect, supporters under the age of 16 will no longer be permitted entry to the clubhouse unless accompanied by a responsible adult. We appreciate that this may be disappointing for some of our younger supporters, but the decision has been made in the interests of maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everyone using the facility.
We also want to apologise to Peterborough Sports and their supporters who were affected by Saturday’s incidents. That is not the experience we want visiting clubs or supporters to have when they come to Hayden Road.
We have a fantastic community around AFC Rushden & Diamonds, and we want matchdays to be enjoyable, welcoming and safe for everyone. We therefore ask all supporters to respect the Club, our volunteers, our Board, visiting teams and fellow supporters.
Please enjoy your football, support the Diamonds and respect the people who give their time to make it happen.
AFC Rushden & Diamonds Board of Directors
