AFC Rushden & Diamonds ace Matty Warburton dreaming of one more FA Cup hurrah

By Matt Badcock

Matty Warburton is dreaming of a cup double this weekend as AFC Rushden & Diamonds look to continue their fairytale at Burton Albion – and the school team he coaches are aiming to shine on the national stage too!

The 34-year-old former Stockport County, FC Halifax Town and Solihull Moors forward will have one eye on Surrey in the hours before the Step 4 Diamonds take on the Brewers in the Emirates FA Cup first round proper.

Wellingborough School, where he works as a sports coach, have qualified for the IAPS National Finals – and Mr Warburton can’t make it!  

“Our Year 6 team have managed to get to a seven-a-side IAPS National Final – the only downside is it’s on Saturday so I can’t make it!” he told The NLP.

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Football journey

“I had to break it to them last week. The kids and parents understood.

“I was hoping with the draw we’ve got it might have been moved to Friday or Sunday but it is what it is.

“I did look at trains but nothing worked. So I will be on my phone all morning seeing how they’re getting on!”

Warburton’s own football journey has been long and winding having started in the North West Counties with Maine Road before working his way up the ladder with Curzon Ashton, Salford and Stockport where he earned an EFL move to Northampton when he was 26.

Since then he’s won promotion with the Cobblers, the FA Trophy with FC Halifax Town and been part of trips to Wembley with Moors.

And, having joined Elliot Sandy’s Diamonds last summer, he’s determined to enjoy every minute of this cup run.

Special

“There’s no airs and graces about it, I am 34 years of age and I turn 35 in May,” Warburton said. “I am coming to the end of my career, there’s no doubt about that.

“So these days, when they do come about, are special. I carry on because I love playing. If I didn’t love playing, I wouldn’t carry on.

“We play for reasons like this. Sometimes you just play for the hope of this happening.

“So for this to actually happen is an absolute dream come true at my age when you think you might be a bit over the hill and may not get these opportunities again.

“I have played in FA Trophy finals, a National League play-off final, I’ve been to Wembley a few times, played in the FA Cup against Wayne Rooney for Northampton but this, to me, is right up with all them in terms of achievement of what this club has made.

“The amount of games we’ve played, the amount of interest and attraction it’s given to the community is amazing.”

Pure jubilation

Diamonds reached this stage of the competition for the first time as a phoenix club by beating National League North Morecambe thanks to goals from James Clifton and Warburton’s sweet free-kick.

“It was just pure jubilation,” Warburton said. “Kids were running around going wild but for the older fans who have been there and experienced what this club has gone through, some of them were in tears.

“To get them over the line to to the FA Cup first round and take as many fans as we are is really special.

“Hopefully it will put Rushden & Diamonds back on the map because they have been through some really tough times.

“We get really good attendances for this level, everything this season has been really positive and it’s really humbling to see the chairman, co-chair and the fans react the way they have.

“They just seem so proud and thankful.

“It gives you the added motivation. Not that we need it going into Burton. But to see what it means to them is amazing at our age.

“The chairman spoke to us before the Morecambe game at the end of training.

“As he started speaking eyes started to lift up and it really started to resonate what this club means to him and the people of Rushden.

“He spoke so well and so passionately. He was so proud of how far we’d got then. It probably gave us that little bit more to get us over the line against Morecambe.”

Win-win

With Clifton suspended, former Rushden & Diamonds loanee and Sheffield United goalscoring legend Billy Sharp has come out of retirement to help them do just that against League One Burton – while also chasing his dream of 300 career goals.

“It’s a win-win for everyone,” Warburton said. “It’s an opportunity for us to have an experienced, ultra professional goalscorer in our ranks and for him to come out for one last time and hopefully get us over the line.

“He’s here for all the right reasons, he’s a brilliant guy – I might try to convince to stay longer!”

They’ll be backed by 2,000 travelling fans – and Warburton says they’re not going just to take a lap of honour for a run that started back in August.

“This is almost like a win for us,” Warburton said. “However we’ve still got another game.

“What’s to say we can’t do it again? Why not us?

“I’ll stand by what the gaffer says. If we go out having given absolutely everything, he’ll be proud of us.”

READ MORE: Frankie Morgan ready for another taste of FA Cup history with Cray Wanderers