Loney using promotion heartache to inspire Fylde
Fylde narrowly missed out on promotion to National One last year but have made a strong start to this season and eagerly anticipate their forthcoming top-of-the-table clashes.
Former England and Lions captain Sir Bill Beaumont is a regular visitor to Fylde, where his own journey began.
His grandsons Annie and Bertie play in the junior section, his son Sam was first team captain between 2009-12, while his two other sons Daniel and Josh also played for the first XV.
The Lancashire outfit came into this weekend in fourth and co-head coach Alex Loney believes that retaining the majority of the squad and strengthening in key areas has been crucial.
He told The Rugby Paper: “It was frustrating to miss out on promotion. We had a great start to the season and were competing hard with Sedgley Park but ultimately got pipped. Unfortunately, a mid-season wave of key injuries and slip-ups proved decisive. However, when looking at the season, our performances, both home and away were fantastic, and I'm very proud of that.
“We retained a lot of last year's squad as we had lads on multi-year contracts, but we had a few unexpected departures to higher levels, a couple of retirements and we've made a few signings who have settled in very well and are a big part of the group going forward.”
Fylde made an inconsistent start to the season but have won their last four games and recently completed the double over their biggest rivals Preston Grasshoppers. Loney believes the squad are in a good place.
He said: “We unfortunately had a few injuries in pre-season so had key players missing at the start. We were frustrated with two one-point losses to Wharfdale and Lymm, but now we're getting our squad back to full health and getting some consistency in performances and results, so we're in a good spot at the moment.”
Loney has set the squad a target of a third-place finish, but wants to challenge Leeds Tykes and Rotherham Titans, both of whom are yet to visit the Woodlands Memorial Ground.
He said: “National Two North is a competitive league, there are no easy games. We want to get to the top of the chasing pack, and we host Leeds and Rotherham so we want to be at our best to challenge them. They're rightly the top two and they're there to be shot at. We want to be consistent in the rest of the matches and are aiming to finish third.”
Loney explains that Fylde is thriving as a club with a flourishing junior section, a range of community projects, loyal players and strong support.
He added: “We have a fantastic management group, dedicated members, and volunteers who contribute to our success. The junior section is thriving, and our community projects include walking and wheelchair rugby and outreach work. Fylde is one of the best-supported clubs in the league, and our goal is to build long-lasting relationships with players.”
