“The
vs. Wellingborough Whitworth
Spartan South Midlands Division One Saturday 12thApril 2025, 3pm
Welcome to Hayden Road
Welcome to Hayden Road for today's game against Wellingborough Whitworth.
I was hoping to bring to you in these notes some good news regarding our Step Six status, on Tuesday if results had gone our way we could have been mathematically safe, however London Colney decided to spoil the party with a 1-0 win at Langford, however with the games fast running out both London Colney & Huntingdon require maximum points today if they are to have any chance of overtaking us. We of course could render them null and void by winning ourselves!
Today’s visitors are sitting pretty just outside the play-offs and although we must surely be considered the underdogs we know that we are more than capable of competing against the league’s bigger hitters as exampled in our recent performances against both DesboroughTown andAmpthill.
If selected today Jory Mann equals the all time appearances record for the club since the 2007 merger.
Rushden & Higham United FC
Hayden Road
Rushden Northamptonshire
NN10 0HX
Admission: £6Adults
£3 Concessions
£0 Under 12s
Chairman: Aidy Mann
Manager: Danny Jackson
Secretary: Scott Freeman
Bar: Gina Wrighton
Gate: Helen Whitehead
Programme: Simon Swingler
Committee: Phil Summers
Committee: Jamie Loveday
Committee: Ben Harrison
Twitter: @RandHUFC
Instagram: rushdenandhigham.fc
Email: rhufcsec@yahoo.co.uk
Many thanks to the following people for permission to use their photos: Shaun Frankham
Phil Passingham
Finbarr Carroll
Niki Crook
Simon Swingler
Wellingborough Whitworth History
The club was established in 1973 after London Ideal Clothiers folded. At the time most Clothiers players were also playing for the Sunday league team Victoria Millers, and after discussing the idea with Dave Woodley, Whitworth FC was established. The new club started in Division One of the Rushden and District League. After winning the Division in 1975–76 and 1976–77, they moved up to the East Midlands Alliance.The club won the league's Munton Cup twice.
After making several improvements to their ground, the club moved up to Division One of the United Counties League in 1985. Since then the club have remained in Division One, twice finishing as runners-up, and winning the division in 2006–07.
In the summer of 2013, Whitworth experienced a large turnover of players and eventually finished 17th in Division One. During the 2013–14 season Whitworth recorded their record high win, defeating Woodford United 16–0. A UCL record that still stands.
In 2016 James Mallows was appointed manager replacing Jaszczun and The Flourmen were promoted from the United Counties League Division One in the 2016–17 season in Mallows' debut season.
The club competed in the United Counties League Premier Division in the 2017–18 season for the first time in their existence and in their first-ever game beat Peterborough Northern Star F.C. 5–0 away from home.
The Flourmen survived their first season in the UCL Premier on goal difference after beating local rivals Wellingborough Town 3–1 on the final day of the season. The 2018–19 season was tougher for them though as they slipped back into UCL Division One.
In the summer of 2019, Simon Anderson was appointed the First Team Manager, during the season James Mallows returned to the club as FirstTeam Manager.At the end of the 2020–21 season the club were transferred to Division One of the Spartan South Midlands League.
2024/25 Player’s Stats
Lewi Williams
Everyone at Rushden & Higham United Football Club were saddened to hear about the unfortunate passing of one of our ex players Lewi Williams.
Lewi played twenty-three times for The Lankies during the 2010/11 season finding the back of the net on two occasions.
INACTION DURING HIS DIAMONDS DAYS
Lewi enjoyed the great honour of being the player that scored the first competitive goal in the colours of the newly formed AFC Rushden & Diamonds when he slotted home a penalty in the inaugural match of the Dale Roberts Memorial Cup against Cleveland Juniors at Raunds Town’s Kiln Park inAugust 2011.
Lewi was known for his skill and dedication on the pitch, his work ethic, sportsmanship and ability to inspire his teammates made Lewi a very popular figure during his spell at Hayden Road.
As news of his passing spread, tributes poured in from fans, former teammates and coaches all expressing their deep sorrow and sharing fond memories of Lewi.
His legacy will continue to be celebrated by all the clubs Lewi played for ensuring that he will never be forgotten.
LEWI
Fixtures
LeagueTable
GuestArticle
Glasgow has always been a hotbed of footballing talent. In Queens Park, the city had almost certainly the best team in the world for much of the nineteenth century, followed by the giants of Rangers and, belatedly by the standards of Glaswegian football, Celtic.
But a fourth club had multiple false starts in joining them, winning trophies and entertaining crowds of thousands before the Second World War, and pushing the big boys close for a couple of decades after it. But in the end, for Third Lanark, ambition and mismanagement would lead to their vanishing from the game altogether.
The Hi-Hi were formed out of the Third Lanarkshire Volunteer Rifle Regiment, and in 1872 became Glasgow’s third team, just nine months after the formation of
THE BOYS OF THIRD LANARK
GuestArticle
Rangers and 15 years before Celtic. They joined the Scottish Cup the following season, reaching the quarter finals twice before reaching the final, which they lost to Queen’s Park in a replay. Two years later they lost the final again, to Vale of Leven. It took 11 more years for the Thirds to find success, finally winning against Celtic in 1889. It was their first silverware, and they looked to grow.
1890 saw the formation of the Scottish Football League, and Third Lanark were founder members. In 1903 they moved to a purpose built stadium at Cathkin Park, and in 1904 won their first league title. Sadly, it would also be their last. They lost momentum, and six players, to the First World War and began to yo-yo between the divisions in the 1920s. They returned to the top flight for the 1930s, and even reached the Scottish Cup final again, before war once more upset any momentum they were building.
At the end of the conflict, the Thirds once more aimed for glory. This time, they flew too close to the sun. The 1950s foreshadowed what was to come, with director Bill Hiddleston forced to resign for transfer irregularities. Things looked good for a time, but like a bad penny, Hiddlestone would return.
3rd LANARK LEGENDS REUNIONAT THE OLD GROUND
GuestArticle
Manager George Young prioritised attacking flair over defensive stability. Not that it stopped fans flocking to Cathkin Park. Games were frequent goalfests.
The following season was supposed to herald a new dawn, but instead it saw a disastrous slip backwards. Before the season started, disgraced director Bill Hiddleston suddenly announced that he had bought a majority share of the club.
Hiddleston took asset stripping to new levels. The sale of the club’s best players was nothing new - but when no new talent was brought in. Improvements to the pitch and ground were cancelled, but the cost-cutting had only just begun.
When the electricity went off at Cathkin Park, it was the beginning of the end. Fans entered raffles with prizes that mysteriously disappeared. Players' wage packets were filled with coins taken directly from the turnstiles. He even had the balls whitewashed to hide their age and damage.
When Glasgow council blocked the sale of Cathkin Park to property developers, Hiddleston’s ultimate plan fell apart. A Board of Trade investigation discovered that club funds had been used to build his driveway. Some players bought out their own contracts, and others arranged their own moves away to ensure the signing bonuses went directly to them. In 1966 the club were relegated, and in 1968 it was all over. What players remained were handed envelopes stuffed with cash, and informed that the club was no more.
Enjoy the game.
Martyn Green The Untold Game
Find more at TheUntoldGame.co.uk or on social media @TheUntoldGame
Meet Whitworth’s Mr X
I spend a lot of time monitoring the social media accounts of the other club in league, looking for titbits of information, results etc and in my humble opinion the funniest account of all of the clubs that are active onTwitter (x) Wellingborough Whitworth’s is the pick of the bunch.
I asked the man behind the account to tell us a bit more about himself and this is what he had to say:
“We’re always trying to build up our club’s profile and social media is your biggest asset. We have a FB page, which is run by someone else and our X platform which I run.
Much of the match info is the same as everyone else’s: opponent, date, venue. I’ve tried to be creative with player interviews post match, player profiles and writing about our opponent’s players. It is a challenge as we’re trying to grab people’s attention.
My tweets always come from the dugout as they happen so I try to capture the emotion which we all love. Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes it isn’t. I try to give a balanced view of the game and probably dig out our players more than our opponents.
I think the players like reading the tweets after, especially if they’ve made a positive contribution.
I’m always trying to get a new idea to promote and love some of other club’s ideas. It’s a role that I never saw coming when I played but it’s a great opportunity to give players a bit of positivity especially in the crude world of social media.
Hopefully today’s fixture will give us a few things to tweet about”.
The Man Behind TheAccount
Proud Sponsors of Ben Peaks
Proud Sponsors of Jack Bloodworth
The History ofThe Lankies
HIGHAM TOWN
The earliest recorded mention of Higham Town Football Club occurred in 1876 when the club was formed following a meeting held at the Griffin Public House in Higham Ferrers. The club initially competed in the Northamptonshire League during the latter part of the nineteenth century.
The Lankies’ golden age was undoubtedly in the 1920s, when they were reformed following the conclusion of the First World War. By this time competing in the Wellingborough & District League, they won the NFA Junior Cup also gaining admittance to the Northants League which they won in their maiden season along with the Northants Senior Cup.
The league title was retained a year later as well as Northamptonshire’s premier trophy, The Maunsell Cup. The same season (1921/22) the Lankies enjoyed a long run in the FA Cup culminating with a tie against Football League Chesterfield. More than matching our professional opponents we secured a 4-4 draw at Saltergate before succumbing by a single goal to nil in the replay.The Lankies were also the highest scorers in the FACup that season.
The History ofThe Lankies
In the 1923-24 and 1926-27 seasons the club were league runners up and in 1931 and 1933 they were also Northants Senior Cup runners cup. In 1936 the Maunsell Cup was once again secured withThe Lankies defeating NorthamptonTown in the final.
On resumption of the football calendar following the end of the Second World War The Lankies competed in the Rushden & District League where they remained before joining the United Counties League. During the period between 1950-1997 The Lankies finished runners up in the league on no less than seven different occasions.
In 1997 The Lankies finally secured the United Counties League Division One title which was the club’s first league title in seventy five years.
RUSHDEN RANGERS
Rushden Rangers were formed as a youth football side in 1978 by Steve Cavender who was inspired by watching local lads playing a jumpers for goalposts game in Melloway Park, Rushden. Steve would hold the position of Rushden Rangers’secretary until 1990.
In the club’s heyday it boasted numerous youth sides and two senior sides going on to secure the NFALower Junior Cup and the Northants Combination League title.
In 1994 Neil Gant offered the Hayden Road facility to Rushden Rangers which now lay vacant following Rushden Town’s merger with Irthlingborough Diamonds and subsequent move to Nene Park.
The History ofThe Lankies
MERGER
In 2007 the decision was made to merge Higham Town and Rushden Rangers, with the new club playing at Hayden Road in order to preserve their United Counties League status. With assistance from the Stadia Improvement fund the Hayden Road facility was brought up to the required standard.
THE MODERN ERA
Since the merger Rushden & Higham United has plied their trade at Step Six, initially in the United Counties League and more recently the Spartan South Midlands Division following a lateral move in 2021.
The club’s most famous day since the merger in 2007 came in 2013 when the NFAJunior Cup was secured with victory over Cogenhoe at NorthamptonTown’s Sixfields Stadium.
Rushden & Higham Utd
Mickey IBBESON
Mason JACKSON
Kian KING
Jack BLOODWORTH
Mitchell SHARPE
Austin BISHOP
Dennis PALMER
James LEWIS
Ralph OLUWOLE - SHIWOKU
Ben PEAKS
Jory MANN
Sven SARTAIN
Redha ZEKRI
Danny WELLS
Mohammed KHAN
Jack CULWICK
Tomas OLIVEIRA
Troy JOHNSTON
Wellingborough Whitworth
Thomas BAILEY
Ryan BAXTER
Remy BRITTAIN
Harry DENT
Aiden GARSIDE
Vikram MAZUMDAR
Liam MORRISSEY
Milton NCUBE
Jai NEWELL- HOLLELY
Charlie NIXON
Jacob THOMPSON
Harry BAILEY
Marley FALCON - MANSER
Antonio GOMES
Nathan HEYCOCK
Jamie MITCHELL
Jack EDISON Match Officials:
