Mark Darnell has been appointed General Manager at Aspers Northampton, a new £10m casino and entertainment complex opening in Commercial street in June.

The 51-year-old from Rushden has formerly been a top boss at one of the county’s largest footwear firms and at the helm of Rushden & Diamonds Football Club.

Mark is now busy learning about the glamorous casino business and is responsible for ensuring that around 120 new employees will be ready for the venue’s opening on June 26.

“It’s a tremendous challenge, and I am enjoying learning about a very different sort of business,” said Mark, “My main aim is to build a very customer-focused team who really know how to treat people well.”

Mark’s previous experience includes being a main board Director of

R Griggs Group, which employed more than 3,000 people in the county in the 1990s.

He then went on to become Managing Director of Rushden & Diamonds and oversaw the opening of the stadium and the Diamond Centre at Nene Park. He was involved in the Club’s rise with three promotions into the Football League in 2001, and with match day attendances increasing from 300 to 4,000 plus.