The Opposition - Key Facts
Full name: Rugby Borough Football Club
Nickname: No commonly used nickname
Founded: 2017
Ground: Kilsby Lane
Capacity: 1,711
Chairman: Brian Crinigan
Manager: Dave Stringer (since May 2024)
Last season: 3rd/19 (UCL Premier Division South)
Journey distance: 60 miles

The Opposition - History
(From Rugby Borough FC website)
Rugby Borough FC as it is now, began life in 1994 under the name of Rugby Town Junior Football Club, and it was the Junior club who masterminded the development of our home ground facilities at Kilsby Lane.

The site, which is 35 acres, contains 3 full size 3G Astro pitches, 2 medium Astro pitches, and 17 grass pitches. For season 2025/26 over 90 teams will train and play at the site.

The forward vision of the club enabled Rugby Borough FC senior section to be set up in 2017/18. After being accepted into the Leicestershire Senior League Division 1 we became champions in our very first season and were promoted to the Premier Division for 2018/19.

The new season saw Borough win the Premier Division title, but promotion was denied because of a local planning decision delay, preventing us from meeting the ground standards required in the allocated timeframe.

Although the 2019/20 and 20/21 seasons were curtailed by the pandemic there were some major changes going on behind the scenes, culminating in the Junior Boys and Girls, and Senior Men and Women’s sections unifying, and taking the name Rugby Borough Football Club.

Borough fully focussed and ready for the 2021/22 season won the Leicestershire Senior League Premier Division. With the ground now up to standard, promotion to the Spartan South Midlands Division 1 and step 6 of the non-league pyramid was finally achieved. Just a year later promotion to step 5 was achieved at the first attempt, via the playoffs, having finished third in the league during the 2022/23 season.

Season 2023/24 and our first in the United Counties League Premier Division South saw us travelling less, but facing tougher competition, finishing out the season below halfway in the table.

Our second Season in the United Counties League Premier Division under a new management team saw us compete at the very top of the league and finishing a very creditable 3rd.

So, to the playoffs and a home Semi Final against March Town winning the tie 2-0 to reach the final. The team gave everything and came out on top, winning promotion to Step 4 and the Pitching In Northern Premier League.

It’s been quite a journey for the club and to get where we are today is testament to the Volunteers that run the club.

The Opposition - This Season
It was a disappointing start to the campaign, with the first match seeing Borough eliminated from the FA Cup at the hands of Kidsgrove Athletic.
However once their NPL fixtures began it was a different story, winning three and drawing two out of their first five to sit 4th.
September started with a defeat but then saw a four match unbeaten run which ended with a disappointing defeat at Bedworth United.
They bounced back quickly, with no defeats in three but they come in to the match today off the back of successive defeats to Lichfield City and Carlton Town.
Despite what's been generally a very good season so far, remarkably they are yet to win more than one game in a row.

League (6th/22): P 16 W 6 D 6 L 4 F 23 A 18 Pts. 24
Cups: P 2 W 0 D 0 L 2 F 2 A 4

Top goalscorers: Leo Stone (5), Cameron Collins (3)
Biggest victory: 3-0 vs. Corby Town (13th September)
Heaviest defeat: Yet to lose by more than one goal (happened on six occasions)
Highest home attendance: 412 vs. AFC Rushden & Diamonds (13th August)
Average home attendance: 194 (11th/22)
Most consecutive wins: 1
Most games without a win: 3
Most consecutive defeats: 2
Most games without a defeat: 4

The Nailers
After an indifferent pre-season, Belper started well in the NPL with three victories in their first four matches but this early spell also saw an exit from the FA Cup at the first hurdle.
A good point was secured on Bank Holiday Monday at Basford and it was another draw against Rugby Town back at the Raygar.
The Nailers battled past Newcastle Town in the FA Trophy before defeating Bedworth United.
Rugby Town ended the FA Trophy run at the Second Qualifying Round stage but it was back to winning ways against Wellingborough Town and Coventry Sphinx.
Carlton Town won at Belper on the 7th of October to inflict a first defeat of the season and four days later it became back to back defeats as Coleshill won 2-0.
The Nailers bounced back well from these setbacks, with an impressive victory at Anstey Nomads being followed by a comfortable home win over AFC Rushden & Diamonds.
At the weekend a last gasp free kick from Jacob Gratton secured a point at Racing Club Warwick before a late, late show from Corby Town condemned us to defeat on Wednesday evening.
Five players have appeared in every match so far.
Kevin Bastos leads the goalscoring charts with six, while Liam Moran has four. Jonathan Wafula, Jacob Fenton, Jacob Gratton and Ben Rhodes have three. Jack Broadhead has two while a further four players have a single goal to their name.

Head to Head
This will be a first meeting between the sides.

The return fixture is scheduled for Saturday, 14th March 2026.

Form Guide (all competitive matches)
Belper Town: LLWWDL
Rugby Borough: LDDWLL

Team News
Full team news will be announced at 2:15pm.

Permutations
Carlton's victory on Tuesday put them top and with the Nailers defeated the following night, a return to the summit relies on Carlton dropping points.
A draw will only be enough for Belper to go top if Corby Town vs. Carlton Town also ends in a draw.
If Belper fail to win, the winner of that match will be top at 4.45.
A Belper win would send them top with either a draw or a Corby win in Northamptonshire.
For Borough, a win could send them as high as 3rd if Carlton win at Corby while they will also be keeping an eye on the results of Lichfield City and Basford United who stand in their way.
In summary it's all eyes on Corby as well as Belper!

Match details
Belper Town vs. Rugby Borough
Pitching In Northern Premier League Midlands Division

Saturday, 1st November 2025 - 3:00pm kick off

Raygar Stadium
Bridge Street
Belper
Derbyshire
DE56 1BA

Admission prices: Adults £11, Concessions £7, U11 (with accompanying adult) £0

Follow the match
Full coverage of the match:

• Audio commentary with Tom on Radio Belper Town
• Full text coverage on X and Facebook
• Match reports on the website (all matches) and in the Non-League Paper (Saturday matches only)

NPL Midlands fixtures
Game of the day has to be Corby Town vs. Carlton Town as third plays top, although the game at the Raygar Stadium has huge implications at the top of the table as well.

Friday, 31st October
(8th) Mickleover FC vs. Shepshed Dynamo (14th)

Saturday, 1st November
(7th) Anstey Nomads vs. Bedworth United (22nd)
(2nd) Belper Town vs. Rugby Borough (6th)
(21st) Boldmere St. Michaels vs. AFC Rushden & Diamonds (19th)
(10th) Coleshill Town vs. Sutton Coldfield Town (13th)
(3rd) Corby Town vs. Carlton Town (1st)
(9th) Coventry Sphinx vs. Basford United (5th)
(4th) Lichfield City vs. Bourne Town (20th)
(12th) Long Eaton United vs. Rugby Town (11th)
(17th) Loughborough Students vs. St. Neots Town (16th)
(18th) Wellingborough Town vs. Racing Club Warwick (15th)