The Opposition - Key Facts
Full name: Rugby Town Football Club
Nickname: The Valley
Founded: 1956
Ground: Butlin Road
Capacity: 5,000
Chairman: Brian Melvin
Manager: Grant Joshua (since May 2025)
Last season: 19th/21 (NPL Midlands - reprieved)
Journey distance: 56 miles

The Opposition - History
Rugby Town FC began in 1956 as New Bilton Juniors, soon renamed Valley Sports and progressing through local leagues before becoming VS Rugby in 1969. After several ground moves, they settled at Butlin Road in 1973. Under manager Jimmy Knox from 1981, the club enjoyed its greatest success, winning the 1983 FA Vase, claiming league and cup honours, and reaching the FA Cup second round in 1987/88. A highlight came in 1991 with a 1–0 win over Manchester United in a testimonial.

After Knox’s departure, financial struggles saw the club enter receivership in 1992, but supporters rescued it and promotion soon followed. Name changes to Rugby United (2000) and Rugby Town (2005) proved contentious. In the 2010s, Dave Stringer twice led the team close to promotion via play-offs, before a period of managerial changes and eventual relegation to the Midland Football League in 2017.

Stringer briefly returned, then Carl Adams took over in 2018. The club’s best FA Vase run since 1983 came in 2021–22, and in 2022–23 Rugby secured promotion back into the Northern Premier League system.

The Opposition - This Season
The Valley started the season with defeats in the FA Cup and NPL but won their opening away match in the league at Wellingborough Town.
A run of four without a win followed but a draw at the Raygar Stadium kickstarted a five match unbeaten streak, the penultimate match of which was the 3-2 FA Trophy win over Belper where we had been two ahead at half time.
After back to back defeats they went seven without tasting defeat but since this run ended in early November they won only once in nine matches up until the original scheduled date for this fixture (10th January).
Since then they have defeated Lichfield City at Butlin Road but come into the match this evening off the back of successive reversals to Basford United and Coleshill Town to join Belper in the bottom four of the NPL Midlands Form Guide.

League (17th/22): P 29 W 9 D 5 L 15 F 36 A 46 Pts. 32
Cups: P 4 W 2 D 1 L 1 F 9 A 7
FA Cup: Exited at Extra Preliminary Round (Coton Green)
FA Trophy: Exited at Third Qualifying Round (Worcester City)
County Cup: Still in (play Coleshill Town in next round)

Top goalscorers (NPL only): Caine Elliott and Rivel Mardenborough (7 each)
Most minutes played (NPL only): Caine Elliott (2,563), Josh Thomas (2,373)
Biggest victory: Three goal victories on three occasions
Heaviest defeat: Three goal defeats on two occasions
Highest home attendance: 1,169 vs. Rugby Borough (29th November)
Average home attendance: 405 (4th/22)
Most consecutive wins: 4
Most games without a win: 5
Most consecutive defeats: 3
Most games without a defeat: 6

The Nailers
Belper had a great start to the NPL campaign, not losing until matchday ten but did exit the FA Cup at the first hurdle, Kidsgrove Athletic winning in Staffordshire.
There was an early exit from the FA Trophy as well, Rugby Town coming from two goals down to win 3-2 and the league form was up and down after this match, with two wins followed by two defeats and then another two wins before a draw and a defeat!
November was much better with three wins from four matches and the concession of just a single goal.
December started well with four further matches without defeat but it ended with reversals to St. Neots Town and Long Eaton United.
The Nailers have struggled to get any momentum in 2026, with a draw at home to Basford United on New Year's Day followed by a win in the County Cup but then an NPL defeat to Corby Town.
After ending Wellingborough Town's fantastic run with victory in Northamptonshire, Belper drew at home to Coleshill Town and slipped to a 3-1 defeat at Carlton Town on Saturday..
Appearances wise, three players still have a 100% record this season.
In terms of goals, Kevin Bastos and Jacob Gratton lead the way with nine while Liam Moran has eight. Jacob Fenton collected five before his move away from the Raygar Stadium while Jack Broadhead, Ben Rhodes and another departed player James Tague have scored four. They were joined on that number by Diego De Girolamo with his strike on Saturday.
A further five players have three goals or fewer.

Head to Head
The sides have met on seven previous occasions, the first five all within an 18 month period when both sides were in the NPL South.
The first match was a goalless draw before Rugby won a League Cup encounter by the odd goal in seven.
They also secured a win in the next encounter at Belper but the Nailers then secured three points in each of the following two meetings without conceding a goal.
The league meeting earlier this season finished 1-1 at the Raygar Stadium, with an Elliot penalty cancelling out Louis Keenan's opener.
A few weeks later the sides crossed paths again, this time in the FA Trophy at Butlin Road. Belper led 2-0 at half time but an inspired second half from Rugby saw them progress to the next round.

Overall record for Belper: P 7 W 2 D 2 L 3 F 10 A 10.
(5 x NPL, 1 x FA Trophy, 1 x League Cup)

Form Guide (all competitive matches)
Rugby Town: LLDWLL
Belper Town: DWLWDL

Team News
Full team news will be announced at 7:00pm.

Permutations
The Nailers can climb back to third in the table but it would require a win combined with defeat for Anstey Nomads at Carlton Town.
If both matches go Belper's way even by a single goal they will go above the Leicestershire side on goals scored.
We cannot catch Basford United in second, they are also in action tonight.
Rugby can climb one place to 16th with a win, a draw or defeat would leave them where they are unless Bedworth United win at Basford United.

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

Tuesday, 10th February 2026 - 7:45pm kick off

Butlin Road
Rugby
Warwickshire
CV21 3SD

Admission prices: Adults £10, Concessions £5, U18 £5, U12 £2 - Cash and card accepted

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
It's a huge night at the top of the table, despite there only being three fixtures the top four are all in action.

(2nd) Basford United vs. Bedworth United (21st)
(1st) Carlton Town vs. Anstey Nomads (3rd)
(17th) Rugby Town vs. Belper Town (4th)