Stuttering Bedford to look at full-time option

Long-serving Bedford director of rugby Mike Rayer concedes he may have to review the club’s part-time status after enduring his worst campaign to date.
Last season’s Championship finalists have suffered a disastrous dip, dropping to ninth in the table on the back of only five wins in 17 games.
Barring a dramatic revival, the Blues are heading for their lowest finish since Rayer took over in 2005. And it will be the first time the club has finished outside the top half since season 2000-01.
“We’re extremely disappointed but we don’t want to feel sorry for ourselves, we put ourselves in this position and we’ve got to try to move on,” he told TRP.
“Our season will finish on April 26 and we’ll have more time to plan this year. Last year we went right through to the end of May and the two seasons probably rolled into one a little bit.
“We had a few significant changes in personnel and perhaps there was a hangover. It doesn’t get any easier, though, and there are only three sides in this division that are part-time now – ourselves, Moseley and Ealing.
“Our chairman, Geoff Irvine, is open to anything and we’ll probably have to try something a bit different next year in how we go about things. But we’ve had some pretty successful years here so hopefully this is just a blip.
“But we’ve got to do a whole club review and see where we’re at. Hopefully, out of this we can move forward because if you stand still you’ll go backwards.”
Former Wales full-back Rayer added: “Bedford’s my home town now and I’m looking forward to putting things right over the summer.”
Player contracts are at stake and Rayer challenged his squad to finish the season on a high. “They can either secure their futures here or elsewhere, but it boils down to personal pride and that’s where we’re at,” he said.
NEALE HARVEY