Cinderford unveil “one of the best pitches in the country” as new era begins
Cinderford RFC have entered a new chapter with the unveiling of their state-of-the-art 3G pitch, which has been hailed by club president Peter Bell as “one of the best in the country” after the £1.3m project was completed on time. (Photo Credit: Cinderford RFC)
The transformation at Dockham Road began soon after Cinderford’s penultimate home game of the 2024/25 season, with the 1st XV playing their final home fixture of the campaign against Old Redcliffians just down the road at Berry Hill RFC.
Reflecting on the project – which also includes a refurbished stand, smart new dugouts and new floodlights – Bell told National League Rugby: “I couldn’t be happier. “Out of 100, I’m 100. You never quite know how these projects will turn out, but it’s been fantastic. I work in construction, and South Wales Sports Grounds – who laid the surface – have done a superb job.”
With the season concluded, the contractors had a clear 13-week window to complete the installation, which they did on schedule.
“The timescale, budget, and quality have all been spot on,” Bell, whose investment has turned this project into a reality, continues. “We’re just finishing a few tidy-up jobs and variations now, but overall I couldn’t be happier.”
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Behind this success was strong local support, a vital factor in clearing planning and administrative hurdles. “It made a massive difference,” Bell says. “I remember being in St Lucia, lying on my sunbed and I am on the phone to the local leader of the Labour council! Everyone I spoke to – councillors, planning officers, and people at Cinderford – were supportive. Of course, there were hurdles to clear, but the process went smoothly because we had that backing.”
Timing was critical, too. “The key was getting everything signed off before the end of last year. If we’d missed that window and didn’t get our ducks in a row by November/December, we’d have gone back at least a year, with costs maybe rising five to 10 per cent. Thankfully, everything fell into place, and we chose South Wales Sports Grounds from four or five credible bids. They’re a family business like ours, only 27 miles down the road, so it felt like the right fit.”
On the quality of the pitch, Bell is unequivocal: “Very confident! Me and my Dad have had racehorses all of our lives. When you see your horse going up the gallops, you think it’ll win the Grand National and the Gold Cup. The reality is it won’t win a Gold Cup and it won’t win a Grand National!
“However, I can safely say this. The new 3G surface, the eco-friendly infill, the irrigation system, I believe it’s the best pitch in the country at this very moment.”
With that in mind, Bell jokes that he was in no hurry to let everyone at Cinderford onto the new surface, keen to keep it looking pristine for as long as possible. When asked if he’d considered keeping it off-limits, he admits with a grin that the idea had certainly crossed his mind. “A little!” he laughs.
“I even took the first conversion on the pitch myself! Social media wanted to know how many attempts it took! That is for me to know! But no, of course the pitch is there to be used.”
And the first to use the pitch have been Cinderford’s players, who have been equally impressed with the transformation. “After a couple of training sessions, every player and everyone I’ve spoken to is over the moon,” Bell adds. “I made a point of asking them [the players] as they came off [from training]. Not a single negative comment. Years ago, people worried about unpredictable bounce on artificial pitches, but the modern surfaces are far better. Big forwards told me they’d rather hit a ruck after gliding over a surface than slogging through the mud!
“If you think about it from a player welfare point of view too, I have seen so many horrific injuries in the middle of winter where very good back-row players have lost their footing and that has caused injuries.
“When I asked the question to Jake Polledri [the former Italy international who has been coaching at Cinderford] last season what his view on a 3G vs grass pitch was, he said if he’d been playing on 3G in his final game, he would still be playing international rugby. His injury happened on grass.”
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And behind the sleek, state‑of‑the‑art pitch at Dockham Road lies a deeper vision for the club’s future. Anyone who has seen Bell leading the Cinderford sing‑song after a victory will know just how passionate he is about the club, and this latest chapter marks a vital step towards securing the long‑term sustainability of the National Two West outfit.
“This is my 20th year as president, and like all sporting clubs, you want to be ambitious,” Bell explains. “I want Cinderford to be in National One playing the likes of Rams, Richmond. We have been there and done it recently, but we need a sustainable business model and need to be realistic.
“We can’t rely on a few individuals forever. Facilities like this allow us to generate income from more than just match days. We’re already looking at Phase Two and Three: building a gym, more seating, possibly padel tennis courts. This is about creating a multi‑sport facility that will sustain the club long‑term. We have a responsibility to leave the place in better shape than when we came.”
Cinderford also wants to attract and nurture homegrown talent. “We want that side of things to grow, too,” Bell continues. “My stance has changed in the last year or two, and that means putting the club and grassroots rugby first, not Cinderford 1st XV and short-term ambitions. In time, if more of our squad comes through our own system, we’ll spend less on recruitment and build stronger ties with the community.”
Bell cites former scrum-half Mikey Austin – who played consecutive seasons for Cinderford in National One between 2021 and 2023 – as a perfect example of the pathway he is looking to forge. “I was at the club the other night and said to the coaches, ‘How many people do you see here who could go from Cinderford to Hartpury to Gloucester?’ And honestly, I reckon there were at least six. I’m positive that will grow legs because I want our kids to play on the best surface available, be coached by the best coaches available, and have the best opportunities.
“When I first became a serious sponsor all those years ago, me and my Dad, our vision was clear. Cinderford should be a pathway to Gloucester. Over the last 10-15 years, Hartpury has become a big player in that pathway but I’ve always wanted Cinderford to be that link, and in many ways, it has been.
“Mikey was a second team player back in 2020, then he got brought through into the first team, played at Hartpury, and now he’s signed by Gloucester. He was at the club the other night, giving back through coaching. That’s exactly what we want to see. The pathway starts here, and we just need to make it grow.”
During his time at the club, Austin scored his fair share of excellent tries, and during last season’s National Two West campaign, Cinderford produced some equally impressive finishes. Bell believes the new pitch at Dockham Road could help create even more entertaining moments.
“I think the new pitch might see us scoring more expansive tries,” he says. “Historically, Cinderford – a bit like Gloucester – has been known for a big, physical pack. If we couldn’t score, we’d go to the catch-and-drive in the corner. Even when we had one of the best squads ever in National One, we went eight games unbeaten [in 2021] and we had guys like Harry Hone, Matt Lane, George Porter but there were times where we didn’t look like scoring through the backs.
“But last year, this young group were scoring tries I’d never seen Cinderford score before! Two games, I think against Macclesfield and Loughborough, we scored eight tries in each, and that was on a wet grass pitch. On the new 3G, I think we’ll still be able to out-scrummage a team, you can still catch-and-drive, but we’ll also have the chance to run it from our own 22 and score exciting tries.
“We are in the entertainment game. Last year we visited Redruth and Camborne. Great clubs, great people but from a spectator point of view, the games were slow, no real line breaks or offloads. That is not degrading those clubs because they are fantastic clubs, but I think if we are going to entertain in the future, I think the surface you play on is so important to trying to attract more people.
“I spoke to Alex Brown [Gloucester Rugby CEO] about this. I think Gloucester’s attendances were up by at least about 500 per game [since they installed their 3G pitch] because they were offering fans more exciting rugby. That’s telling.”
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Looking ahead, Cinderford are gearing up for the new campaign with pre-season fixtures against Narberth, Newent, and Pontypool all to be played at Dockham Road. The club will also host a ‘Grand Opening’ dinner for the new pitch on August 30th, before the real business gets underway on September 6th, when they welcome newly-promoted Syston for the opening day of the National Two West season.
“It will be a special day,” Bells says when asked about hosting the first league game on their new pitch. “Syston’s story is great as well. They’ve climbed the leagues and now get their shot in National Two West. My vision was to put Cinderford on the rugby map. Syston now has its chance to do the same, and I can’t wait to meet new friends.”
Reflecting on last season, where after coming down from National One, Cinderford finished in seventh place, Bell recalls the fierce competition and admits he expects the same again this term: “National Two West was one of the most competitive leagues in the National Leagues. After our first loss at Old Redcliffians first game of the season, I was a bit apoplectic, but we had at least 10 new faces, many just 18 or 19 years old.
“Up to Christmas, we were very good. After that, we dipped a bit but overall, I think other than Hornets (6th), we beat everyone above us in the table. We were the only team to beat Clifton [eventual champions] away. Clifton were outstanding though, ready for the next level. Camborne were nearly there but just missed out.
“Camborne and Taunton will be hungry this year, I think. For us, we’re still a work in progress, a young side, and probably a year or two away from challenging for promotion again but with everything that has happened, I’m excited about where we’re heading.”
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