The last day of the Nationwide Football League season saw Rushden and Diamonds suffer relegation for the first time in their 12-year history. Only formed in 1992 from an amalgamation of Rushden Town and Irthlingborough Diamonds, they swiftly climbed the football pyramid and within nine years they were Conference champions and the Nationwide League's newest club.
Inside two years Rushden were Third Division champions and were promoted. Brian Talbot was the manager who took them into the league and up it but when he left in February 2004, to manage Oldham Athletic, the team lost its way, and big time too.
The season started quite brightly and seven points from the first four games augured well for the campaign ahead. Indeed Talbot's points target was set at 50 points and by the time he departed for Boundary Park, Rushden had amassed 47 of those points and were well set for retaining their Second Division status.
Unfortunately, very quickly after Talbot left Nene Park, the transfer deadline day saw the heart of the team ripped out with the departure of several key players. Paul Underwood joined Luton, Marcus Bignot went to QPR, Onandi Lowe signed for Coventry and the biggest loss was Paul Hall who went to Tranmere Rovers and promptly started to bang the goals in from midfield that were to be sorely missed by Rushden.
In fact, after deadline day the team picked up just a single point and went into the last fixture needing a victory against Port Vale to stay up but alas it wasn't to be and Rushden were beaten after valiantly taking the game to the visitors who were pushing hard to get into the play-offs.
After that game Ernie Tippett, who had taken over after Talbot's departure was philosophical about the defeat and relegation. Ernie said: "We never quite had the cutting edge to get a goal ahead. If we had that might have given us something to hold on to. But when you are chasing a game like we were you become 'gung-ho' and that leaves you open."
Relegation definite but not Ernie's future yet, in the aftermath of going down, he remained positive and optimistic, saying: "I hope the future is a bright one. I want to build this football club up. It is a fantastic football club anyway but I want to build with a young team and some experience. Rushden is a club that is a forward thinking club."
Asked when his future would be sorted Ernie replied: "The sooner the better."
Well, we can confirm here on givemefootball that Rushden and Diamonds have, today, appointed Ernie Tippett as their full-time manager. We know that to be the case because Jane, in the media office at Nene Park told us so.
Ernie has the nucleus of a good squad at Rushden and will no doubt assemble that mix of youth and experience he wants to mount an assault on regaining Second Division status next season. Given the right backing by a 'forward thinking club' I think he'll do it.
