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Lydney boss Duncan Bell late to promotion party but proud of club

By lauracfell  |  Posted: April 09, 2014

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WHEN Lydney secured National Three promotion head coach Duncan Bell was almost 1,300 miles away in Italy playing for the Newport Gwent Dragons.

The tighthead prop was frantically checking his phone for news of Lydney’s fate after the Dragons’ 25-25 draw with Zebre Rugby in Parma.

And it was the news he had waited all season for, as Lydney had secured promotion straight back to National Two with a stunning 71-17 win over basement boys Chippenham.

Though former England and Bath prop Bell was “gutted” not to be at Regentsholme for their final home game of the season, he paid tribute to a long, hard season.

Bell said: “I was gutted not to be part of the last home game of the year, the game where we were crowned champions, and the game in which the club was accredited by the RFU.

“It was a big day for everybody. It’s been a really hard season, every team we have played against – they have been really dogged.

“We may have won every game bar two but every team who has come up against us wanted to beat us, because they knew we were one of the best teams in the league.

“It has been really tough, and it’s great testament to the boys and everyone off the field as well.

“It has been a great season, we may have come down from last year but not many teams bounce straight back and that’s what we’ve done.

“Hopefully that will give us some momentum going into next year.”

If Lydney are to avoid yo-yoing between the two leagues and ensure survival next term, strength and depth in the squad must be improved.

Bell and team manager Colin Henderson have already begun actively recruiting for next season and are targeting certain positions.

Bell continued: “We are always on the lookout for new players, especially tighthead props, because I am definitely going to retire, although I know I said that two years ago!

“Next season, there will be 20 players in the squad while this year it has been 18, so we need a bigger squad, with more quality.

“We are actively hunting and we have a number of positions we are targeting. All players are welcome to the club. There is a great feeling at Lydney at the moment.

“The more we can do to try to create an atmosphere in the club, the better. Hopefully we can do that in the off-season and talk to a few players and hopefully they will come along.”

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