John Kelly will be leaving Albion to join championship side Doncaster Knights in the 2020/21 season. John very kindly spoke to us about moving and the impact that Albion has had on him:
“I was meant to move to the championship last year but things got in the way. So, I went to England counties last summer and it went really well, and I got recommended by someone else. Steve Boden their new head coach then contacted my agent to get involved. They are looking to refresh their squad for next year, looking to get some new younger guy to try and push toward top four, top two. They said I fit their morals, so I went and met Steve and passed the medical.
With Albion, it’s obviously a big fan base and professionalism comes out of it. Training three days a week for three hours which is good. It gives you the opportunity to learn how to build your lifestyle around rugby. One of the things at Albion is they can offer things that no other club in Nat 1 can, which is one of the things they lean on the best.
My favourite moment I think it was my first season when I got one of my first starts against Coventry just when they’d had a big injection of funding. I remember we were playing, they have got quite a nice pitch up there, they’ve got a good fan base, it was an experience. It was the highest level of rugby I’d ever played. It was probably one of the best Albion teams I’ve played in and Coventry had a championship level side.
I’m very thankful for Albion, all the fans made me feel very welcome, they made me the player I am today. I was always a good player, but Albion is very good at sharpening diamonds. Albion has a great future ahead of it”.
John has been a big part of the club’s recent history and he will be missed by many. We wish him all the best in his next chapter.
Good luck JK!
