Club History

SOUTH RUSHDEN JUNIOR FOOTBALL CLUB

Having gained coaching experience locally in the preceding two seasons in small –sided  football, Martin Atkinson and Daryl Chambers, decided that there should be somewhere locally for parents dissatisfied with the choices available, to take their sons and daughters to play football.

Early meetings were at Irchester WMC and a group of parents were sufficiently keen to explore the feasability of establishing a new club. The headmistress of South End Junior School , Mrs Storr, was approached with a view to using the school field for training and matches. Fortunately, our request fitted in with the school`s community aspirations, and we have had an excellent relationship with the school ever since. Indeed the club was initially named Rushden SouthEnd to reflect it`s new home and the town  the club comes from, and played in a 6 a side tournament at Sandy, and re-newed former fraternal links with Gary Smart at Soham Town Colts with a friendly,  under this banner. However, the powers that be with vested interests decided against this name, and we were forced to change to “South Rushden”. Although the name was rather tongue-in-cheek, (Rushden not really being large enough to differentiate between it`s areas), events have caught the name up. We are actually situated in the South of Rushden, which is rapidly becoming the fastest growing area of the town, and will continue to be so for the forseeable future.

Using a grant from the Football Foundation and the East Northants County Council, we were able to purchase the necessary equipment to get the club off the ground. Such was the interest in the fledgling club that we had enough interested players to enter two teams. One in the under 11 section of the Kettering Weetabix Youth League and one in the corresponding section of Bedfordshire`s  Chesham Insurance league, which featured a two-year age band. 

The club`s first game was against Bedford Pumas at Whitefriars Junior School , and the first Weetabix fixture was against Irchester Romans. In both cases, each team conceded six goals, and the inexperienced ten year olds were truly demoralised at Oakley,against a good,experienced group of eleven year olds.

It became clear that the player`s relative inexperience had lead to the early demoralising results and traumatic experiences,which in turn threatened the survival of the new club.  There was n`t sufficient ability in the squad  to field two teams in two leagues, and after a parent`s meeting,and with the agreement of the boys, it was decided to almalgamate the two teams and concentrate on  the Weetabix League, and thus withdraw from the Chesham League.

The decision was entirely justified, the former whipping boys went to Grange United and won 6-0

and finished that season in mid-table. The club won it`s first tournament  in July 2002, a 6 a side at Raunds Tigers.

The team  consisted of:

Craig Fortescue,

Grant Chambers,Andrew Hutchinson,

Jamie Souster, David Baish, Ben Strutton,

Peter Corp, Adam Kirkup.

Season 2003/4 saw the side as Under 13s finish just outside the promotion spot in third, and the team fulfilled it`s promise under Andy Kirkup and Eddy Fitzpatrick as Under 14s in 2004/5, with a runners-up spot in the league, and as Ken Burton Cup Finalists. Played at Nene Park, the Under 14s lost narrowly to Mawsley United 3-2, but such was the support of all of the club`s age groups , that it has become the club`s proudest moment so far.

A small sided football side was created from the younger lads who came to training on Saturdays, some of their fathers, bitten by the bug, gained their coaching qualifications and became team managers.Robin Davie and Russ Baxter and that first small –sided team, now form the backbone of the Under 14s side which will contest the 2006/7 season.  

Similarly, Ian Underwood and Steve Morris created an under 11 side which played during the  2004/5 season, but Ian was forced to resign due to ill-health and the team broke up.

In February 2004, Mark Brawn initiated a mini-football training session which grew enormously, and continues to do so and from it`s ranks , Justin Raines  lead his Under 8s into small-sided league football for the first time . Such was the demand that there were two Under 8s sides, The Spartans, with Ian Fensome, and the Trojans,  with Keith Parker and Rob Lewis, and an Under 9s side under Martin Atkinson and Alan Monaghan.

Off the field, the club began with nothing, then the school kindly allowed  A&J Sectional Buildings to donate and erect a shed, which was joined in May 2004 by a former site manager`s portakabin, affectionately known as The Green Room. There exciting plans afoot for the future, which I can`t possibly divulge at present, but you`ll know soon enough.

The future looks bright………………….the future is Navy & Scarlet.

CLUB COLOURS and CREST

The club colours were chosen by Martin Atkinson, and the first kit was supplied by Matchwinner, and consisted of Navy Blue Shirts with a scarlet band accross the chest, navy shorts, and scarlet socks.

The colours were chosen as they were different to all the other local clubs and the club was keen to establish an identity , e.g  Weekley  = Purple & Black, Rushden Rangers =Red & Green,

Navy and Scarlet = South Rushden. It is for this reason that we are keen to establish a tradition of each team wearing Navy and Scarlet.

For season 2006-7 onwards, we have selected Macron/ Ram Sports  to supply our kit, and from now on , every new kit will feature the distinctive Navy and Scarlet Halves .

Macron also supply Swansea City FC

The club crest is a relatively new development, and is tied into the desire to establish an identity for the club. Initial designs were uninspired, so Daryl Chambers decided to spend some time researching club emblem design, and came up with the one that is used today.  He writes…..

“The football background, represents our core activity, the two differently coloured hands clasped in friendship and the compass points above it represent the club`s ethos of welcoming all people, from all backgrounds, from all points of the compass. The date at the bottom of the ball  represents the year of the club`s formation , and the two stars on either side of the ball act as a counterpoint to the compass in the centre. They`re also there because, as in the case of the Italian Serie A shirts, and Chelsea`s 1970 FA Cup shirts, they set the whole badge off …….

………..and stars look good !!!”

So there you have it.  

HONOURS

2004-2005