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BIG MATCH PREVIEW - |
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by Joe Heaton |
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at Billesley, Saturday, March 22, 2008, kick-off 3pm (but come for
lunch!) |
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Bedford, situated fifty miles north of London, on the Great Ouse and the A6, is a typical English county town that greatly values its rugby club. Bedford RFC was founded in 1886 by the amalgamation of Bedford and Bedford Swifts. Both parent clubs had close connections with Bedford and Bedford Modern Schools that had (and still have) associations with several of the Oxbridge Colleges. It was not surprising therefore that the club’s founding fathers chose light blue and dark blue for its colours. Bedford Rugby Club has played on the same ground in Goldington Road for over one hundred years and, during that time, thirty two Bedford players have been awarded international caps The modern history of the Bedford club is remarkably similar to that of Moseley’s. When league rugby was introduced in 1987-88, Bedford started in the then Division 2 compared with Moseley’s Division 1 status although the East Midlands club gained promotion to Division 1 shortly thereafter in 1989. In 1996, to enable the club to go professional, the boxing promoter Frank Warren and a firm called Sports Network made major investments in Bedford and quality players were recruited. This initially paid off as the club was promoted to Division 1 in 1998. However, soon after, in 1999, financial problems arose and the then owners sold the club to Jefferson Lloyd International. This was a financial disaster and in October of that year the RFU intervened to allow a consortium of Bedford business men, supported by the Town Council, to take over the club and offer shares to the members and local burghers. Several thousand shares were sold and the club is now viable Last season (2006-07), in spite of having the best home record in the Division, Bedford finished seventh in National League One, an outcome which disappointed a club with high ambitions. Although currently further ahead in playing and professional development than Moseley, the Blues remain, like Moseley, a semi-professional club with hopes to garner the financial resources needed to join the growing number of full-time professional teams playing in National League One. Bedford will not be fully satisfied until promotion to the Premiership is obtained and the regular East Midlands rivalry with Northampton is resumed. The Blues currently stand sixth in National League One having won 15 of the 25 games they have played so far. The results of the last four matches are: 9th February v Plymouth Albion Away Won 13-6 16th February v Cornish Pirates Home Lost 15-17 1st March v Sedgley Park Away Won 22-7 8th March v London Welsh Home Won 22-0 Last season Moseley beat Bedford 44-37 at Billesley in the autumn but lost the return match at Goldington Road 34-10. In November of this year Bedford took Moseley to the cleaners in winning 62-17 at home. This is a measure of the challenge the Moseley players face on Saturday. |
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