Dings Crusaders R.F.C.

Rugby team
teamname = Dings Crusaders
fullname = Dings Crusaders Rugby Football Club
location = Lockleaze, Bristol, England
country

founded = 1897
ground = Landseer Avenue
capacity = 500
coach = flagicon|England Alan Martinovic
captain = flagicon|New Zealand Mike Panoho
league = National Division Three South
season = 2007-08
position = 6th
url = www.dingscrusaders.co.uk

Dings Crusaders R.F.C. is a rugby union team based in the Bristol suburb of Lockleaze. It competes in National Division Three South, the fourth tier of English rugby union competition, the 2007/08 season being the club's fifth as a National League club. It is one of the oldest clubs in Bristol, with its roots in a slum area of Bristol stretching back 110 years. The club is unique in the league, in that it is entirely amateur, as opposed to semi-professional structure of which the other clubs are a part. This always has been and will remain so "we don't play for personal gain" being a poingant line in the clubs anthem, very much a part of the community of Lockleaze it is not uncommon to find that some players in the teams today are third generation Dings players. The Legendary John Dawes on a recent visit to Dings commented it was good to come to a real rugby club so please come and join us for a truly warm welcome.

History

The Dings was a slum area of Bristol located between Barton Hill and Temple Meads. The Shaftesbury Crusade, a Christian mission in the area, encouraged sporting activity in the Dings. In 1897, H.W. Rudge founded Dings Crusaders as part of the Dings Boys Club. Dings is one of only two remaining members of the original Bristol Combination set up in 1901, the other being Bristol Saracens.In 1948, Jack Steadman instigated a move to Dings' current home in Lockleaze. Since league structure was introduced, Dings gained three promotions between 1996 and 2003 to enter the National League for the very first time. The club were relegated at the end of the 2003/2004 season, their first in National Division Three South, but were spared by the demise of Wakefield. Since then, the club has consolidated its position within the league.

2006/07 Season Review

Dings Crusaders began their fourth season as a National League club with a cruel defeat by eventual champions Southend at Lockleaze. First half tries from Dean Weaver, Sylvan Edwards and Vince Murrell had given Dings a 24-8 lead at the break, however they went on to lose 30-27, conceding a controversial last-gasp try.

Following defeat at Bridgwater, the first win of the season was secured in unconvincing fashion in the home match against arch rivals Clifton. A thrilling 30-30 draw at Chinnor in which Dings again blew a winning position in the final seconds was followed by a comfortable win over Cinderford at Lockleaze. Number eight James Phillips, on loan from Bristol Academy, received a two-week ban after being sent off for fighting. The following week brought a woefully inept performance at home to Hertford in which the Dings went down 26-14.The Crusaders' next match was a daunting trip to title-challengers North Walsham without half the first-choice pack including captain Paul Fincken, however the team returned home with a very creditible losing bonus point.

Dings followed that up with a draw at home to Westcombe Park in a game which they should have won, and a comfortable 33-0 victory over London 2 outfit Norwich in the EDF National Trophy. A thrashing at Havant was followed by a league victory over fellow strugglers Old Patesians at Lockleaze and a National Trophy victory over plucky Richmond. An impressive showing in the local derby defeat at Lydney brought on equally impressive victories over Rosslyn Park and Macclesfield of National Division Three North, the latter securing a place in the fourth round of the National Trophy. Unfortunately Tim Bagg was ruled out for the rest of the season after an operation on his anterior cruciate ligament.

The draw produced a dream tie at home to National Division One and former giants London Welsh, however the team suffered an embarrassing thrashing at newly-promoted Canterbury and dropped points at home to Bridgwater in another drawn match. Drybrook were put away comfortably in the Roadchef Gloucestershire County Cup before a disappointing derby defeat at Clifton. A huge game against whipping boys Chinnor on home soil in which a victory was needed to ease relegation fears saw a one-point 19-18 win for the Dings, courtesy of a Gareth Griffiths penalty with the last kick of the game.

The London Welsh game drew a huge crowd to Lockleaze in filthy conditions but ultimately the Dings were easily beaten, going down 32-5. A victory over Cheltenham in the quarter-final of the Gloucestershire Cup was sandwiched between disappointing league defeats at Cinderford and Hertford. Dings defeated a top-half side for the first time of the season when North Walsham visited Lockleaze, running out easy 18-3 winners. Another humiliation, this time at the hands of table-toppers Westcombe Park, was followed by an incredible loss at home to Havant. Tries from James Phillips, Sylvan Edwards, Dave Bufton and Chris Wright-Hider had put the Dings 25-5 up with twenty minutes remaining and secured the four-try bonus point, however a complete capitulation in the last quarter resulted in a 31-25 Havant win.

A massive clash against relegation rivals Old Patesians in Cheltenham in the middle of March produced an excellent Dings performance and in the process yielded the first away win of the campaign, a 22-12 victory that does not reflect the Dings' total dominance of the game. The next week saw Dings edge a nail-biter over Lydney, meaning a win at Rosslyn Park would ensure the side's safety. Another woeful performance saw the Dings go down 30-3, a Dave Woods penalty the only Dings effort to trouble the score board.

The draw for the Gloucestershire Cup semi-final had put Dings up against fierce rivals Cleve at Lockleaze. A huge crowd saw Dings, whose back line was decimated by injuries, nullify the danger of Cleve's all-star backs (including former Bath, Bristol and London Irish scrum-half Hentie Martens, ex-Bristol centre John Pritchard and Mike Catt's brother Richard) superbly and win an enthralling contest 29-24 after extra-time after the scores were level at 19-19 at the end of normal time.

The Crusaders then secured their place in National Division Three South for Season 2007/08 with a convincing four-try defeat of Canterbury, which went some way in gaining revenge for the December humiliation in Kent. Two tries from flanker Sean Fox, along with efforts from young winger Dave Pitt and Fox's back row colleague Martin Gallagher put Canterbury to the sword with a quarter of the game remaining. With the final game at Southend now meaningless for the Dings, and Southend requiring a win to ensure promotion to National Division Two, Dings travelled to Essex with a near 2nd XV and were soundly beaten 76-15.

The season was not quite over, as the Roadchef Gloucestershire County Cup Final was still to be played. The Final put Dings up against National Division Three South rivals Cinderford at Clifton RFC. With the rain lashing down, Dings emerged winners by just a single point, 9-8, courtesy of three Dan Quartley penalties, and enjoyed their second County Cup in four years.

Current squad

Club officials

President Floyd Waters

Vice President Raymond Bowden

General Secretary Peter Jones

Treasurer Richard Fackrell

Chairman Steve Lloyd

Chairman of Selectors Richard Grant

Commercial Manager Chris Lloyd

Head Coach Alan Martinovic

Assistant Coach Johnny Gordon

Club Captain Mike Panoho