Paul Underwood
Paul Underwood
Born 16 August 1973 (Age 24 at debut)
Total appearances 301 - 18 goals
(248 League, 24 FA Cup, 15 FA Trophy, 7 League Cup, 3 League Trophy, 3 Hillier Senior Cup, 1 Maunsell Cup)
Debut:
16 August 1997 (Home Northwich Victoria)
Final game:
20 March 2004 (Away Brentford)
Paul Underwood signed for Diamonds in 1997 for £50,000 from Enfield. Initially playing as a left-winger Paul dropped back into the role of Left Back where he excelled, eventually becoming the Club Captain. He helped The Diamonds win the Conference and promotion to Division 3 in 2001, then the playoff place in Division 3 in 2003, and finally the Division 3 Championship and promotion to Division 2 in 2003.
He appeared in many memorable games for R&DFC, and also managed to pick up winners medals in the Northants F.A. Maunsell Premier Cup in 2000 and the Northants F.A. Senior Cup in 1999.
After more than 200 appearances for Rushden, Paul was released on a free transfer to Luton in 2004, when Rushden & Diamonds were facing financial difficulty.
Underwood established himself as a Diamonds favourite under Brian Talbot and as well as representing the England Semi-Pro team. He was named as The Diamonds player of the season in 2003. In a 2004 BBC survey, Paul was voted Rushden & Diamonds all time cult hero ahead of Duane Darby and Gary Butterworth.
Paul was in the promotion winning team at Luton under Mike Newell, but then had injury problems that kept him out of the side for an extended period. After over two years battling the complications following the injury, he was still unable to gain a place back in the Luton side and has now been released by them.
| Date | Opponent | League | Goals | Shirt | Time |
| 16-Aug-97 | Northwich Victoria (H) | Conference | 0 | 3 | 90 |
| 20-Aug-97 | Farnborough Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 3 | 90 |
| 23-Aug-97 | Leek Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 3 | 90 |
| 30-Aug-97 | Gateshead (H) | Conference | 0 | 12 | 15 |
| 02-Sep-97 | Slough Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 12 | 15 |
| 07-Sep-97 | Cheltenham (A) | Conference | 0 | 14 | 15 |
| 13-Sep-97 | Farnborough Town (H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 20-Sep-97 | Yeovil Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 27-Sep-97 | Southport (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 04-Oct-97 | Woking (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 07-Oct-97 | Hayes (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 11-Oct-97 | Hereford United (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 18-Oct-97 | Kidderminster (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 25-Oct-97 | Boreham Wood (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Oct-97 | Boreham Wood (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 01-Nov-97 | Slough Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 08-Nov-97 | Welling United (A) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 15-Nov-97 | Kidderminster (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 22-Nov-97 | Morecambe (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 25-Nov-97 | Kettering Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 10-Jan-98 | Cheltenham Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 12 | 90 |
| 17-Jan-98 | Southport (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 24-Jan-98 | Dover Athletic (A) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 31-Jan-98 | Farnborough Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 07-Feb-98 | Halifax Town (H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 14-Feb-98 | Gateshead (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 21-Feb-98 | Kettering Town (A) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Feb-98 | Stalybridge Celtic (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 07-Mar-98 | Cheltenham (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 14-Mar-98 | Woking (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 21-Mar-98 | Halifax Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 23-Mar-98 | Hednesford Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Mar-98 | Morecambe (H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 13-Apr-98 | Stalybridge Celtic (A) | Conference | 0 | 12 | 15 |
| 15-Aug-98 | Forest Green (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 18-Aug-98 | Welling United (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 22-Aug-98 | Barrow (H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 25-Aug-98 | Kingstonian (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 29-Aug-98 | Southport (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 31-Aug-98 | Hayes (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 86 |
| 05-Sep-98 | Yeovil Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 08-Sep-98 | Dover Athletic (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 12-Sep-98 | Telford United (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 19-Sep-98 | Doncaster Rovers (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 26-Sep-98 | Hereford (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 03-Oct-98 | Northwich Victoria (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 10-Oct-98 | Farnborough Town (A) | Conference | 0 | 3 | 90 |
| 17-Oct-98 | Forest Green (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 24-Oct-98 | Morecambe (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 07-Nov-98 | Hednesford (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 09-Nov-98 | Leatherhead (FA Cup) (A) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 11-Nov-98 | Leatherhead (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 14-Nov-98 | Shrewsbury (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 21-Nov-98 | Bath City (FA Trophy) (H) | FA Trophy | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Nov-98 | Cheltenham (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 05-Dec-98 | Doncaster Rovers (FA Cup) (A) | FA Cup | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 12-Dec-98 | Telford United (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 15-Dec-98 | Doncaster Rovers (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 19-Dec-98 | Farnborough Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 26-Dec-98 | Stevenage Borough (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Dec-98 | Woking (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 02-Jan-99 | Leeds United (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 09-Jan-99 | Barrow (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 13-Jan-99 | Leeds United (FA Cup) (A) | FA Cup | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 23-Jan-99 | Doncaster Rovers (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 25-Jan-99 | Slough Town (FA Trophy) (A) | FA Trophy | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 30-Jan-99 | Northwich Victoria (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 02-Feb-99 | Kidderminster (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 06-Feb-99 | Woking (FA Trophy) (A) | FA Trophy | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 09-Feb-99 | Woking (FA Trophy) (H) | FA Trophy | 0 | 0 | 90 |
| 16-Feb-99 | Welling United (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 20-Feb-99 | Hednesford (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 23-Feb-99 | Southport (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 06-Mar-99 | Hayes (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 80 |
| 13-Mar-99 | Leek Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 16-Mar-99 | Dover Athletic (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 20-Mar-99 | Morecambe (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 23-Mar-99 | Leek Town (A) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 27-Mar-99 | Kettering (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 03-Apr-99 | Cheltenham (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 05-Apr-99 | Woking (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 13-Apr-99 | Yeovil Town (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 20-Apr-99 | Kingstonian (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 24-Apr-99 | Hereford (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 26-Apr-99 | Forest Green (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 57 |
| 01-May-99 | Kettering (H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 14-Aug-99 | Morecambe (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 17-Aug-99 | Telford United(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 21-Aug-99 | Kidderminster (H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Aug-99 | Sutton United (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 85 |
| 30-Aug-99 | Welling United(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 04-Sep-99 | Northwich Victoria (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 07-Sep-99 | Hayes(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 11-Sep-99 | Woking(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 14-Sep-99 | Kettering (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 18-Sep-99 | Southport(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 25-Sep-99 | Hednesford (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 28-Sep-99 | Hereford (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 02-Oct-99 | Altrincham (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 09-Oct-99 | Kingstonian(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 16-Oct-99 | Sutton (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 23-Oct-99 | Scarborough (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 29-Oct-99 | Scunthorpe United (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 02-Nov-99 | Nuneaton Borough (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 06-Nov-99 | Dover Athletic(H) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 13-Nov-99 | Yeovil Town (A) | Conference | 1 | 11 | 90 |
| 20-Nov-99 | Ilkeston (FA Cup) (A) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 27-Nov-99 | Havant and Waterlooville (FA Trophy) (H) | FA Trophy | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 30-Nov-99 | Ilkeston (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 04-Dec-99 | Hayes (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 12-Dec-99 | Sheffield Utd (FA Cup) (A) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 18-Dec-99 | Telford United (A) | Conference | 0 | 11 | 90 |
| 21-Dec-99 | Sheffield Utd (FA Cup) (H) | FA Cup | 0 | 11 | 120 |
| 27-Dec-99 | Stevenage Borough(H) | Conference | 0 | 11 |