AFC RUSHDEN & DIAMONDS members have voted overwhelmingly in favour of groundsharing with Rushden & Higham United next season and beyond.
Diamonds have played at Wellingborough Town's Dog & Duck Stadium since the formation of their first team four years ago but were told prior to this season that they would most likely have to vacate the ground at the end of the current campaign.
Wellingborough's landlord Alper Ozdogan invoked a clause in their lease which was set to force them to leave the ground by May 31.
It left Diamonds searching for a new home and they narrowed it down to three choices: Rushden & Higham, Kempston Rovers and Northampton Sileby Rangers.
Members of the club voted on their preferred location and the Evo-Stik NPL South club have revealed that 94 per cent of votes cast were in favour of playing at Rushden & Higham's Hayden Road.
The Step 6 club's ground doesn't currently have the grade D required by Diamonds and improvement works will have to be undertaken so that they comply by the March 31 deadline.
Chairman Ralph Burditt told the club's website “I am really pleased that the members have been so united in their decision. It is a very exciting time for the club and we can't wait to start working closely with Rushden & Higham United.
“To have the opportunity to play within one of the towns which the club represents is fantastic, although there is obviously a lot of work to do in order to prepare Hayden Road for the new season.
“In order to complete the work within a reasonable time frame, we will need to rely once again on volunteer effort from our supporters and I know that they won't let us down.”
