Newcastle Falcons are embarking on an exciting new era, having welcomed the vastly-experienced Steve Diamond as consultant director of rugby.
The no-nonsense Mancunian has more than two decades worth of Premiership experience following spells with Sale Sharks, Saracens and Worcester Warriors and joins the Falcons after a successful tenure at Edinburgh.
“It’s a great opportunity to try and put some consistency in the building,” said Diamond, whose first match in charge will be the Good Friday visit of Leicester Tigers on March 29th.
“We need to get some belief back in the squad and some consistency around what we’re doing. We need a hard edge back in the building, because from watching the games that’s certainly been lacking, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”
The timing of Diamond’s arrival at Kingston Park coincides with a break in the fixture list while the Six Nations takes centre stage, with England competing on the international stage.
As well as an opportunity to draw eyeballs towards the sport, the hiatus in club action will enable Diamond the opportunity to lay the groundwork for what he hopes will be a strong finish to the season.
“My early impressions of the set-up at the club are actually very positive, and I think there’s a great foundation here,” he said.
“The guys train every day on the pitch that they play on, they’ve had a new state-of-the-art gym built here at the stadium by a well-respected company, they’ve got everything they need from a video analysis point of view and it’s actually a good set-up.
“Fair enough, you can’t do anything about the weather up in the North East when it’s blowing a gale, but we’ve removed a lot of excuses from the players and staff by having the infrastructure as good as it is.
“In terms of the future, I’d expect a real positivity around the place from people who want to prove they’re committed to being part of a successful club up here. I wouldn’t have got involved unless I thought I could change that, but I’m really excited about what we can do for this club, which has a really proud history and very committed owners.
“The long-term plans are all well and good, and really important, but there’s also a short-term challenge here. We’ve got six league games between now and the end of the season and I want to see us being competitive in them all.”
Newcastle Falcons are determined to create a party atmosphere for their Good Friday home game against Leicester Tigers, with the 7.45pm kick-off being marketed as the ‘Big Night Oot’.
There will be a 1990s theme for the Gallagher Premiership clash with fancy dress, DJ and all manner of retro food and drink options.
Regular tickets start at just £15 for adults and £6 for under-18s, with further discounts available for group bookings.
To secure your ticket, visit www.newcastle-falcons.co.uk or email jordan.robinson@newcastle-falcons.co.uk to discuss group deals.
To upgrade your match day experience with Newcastle Falcons’ award-winning hospitality, email corporatesales@newcastle-falcons.co.uk or call 0191 214 2813. Prices start at £78 per adult and are available via the club website.
