Pointon, Dave

Dave Pointon was an outside half who played 163 games for Gloucester between 1975 and 1988. He also played centre and occasionally full back, scoring 186 points and kicking 14 drop goals. After making his senior debut for Rugby and winning the CountyChampionship with Gloucestershire while still a teenager, he never quite fulfilled his early potential in a career blighted by serious injury. Dedicated and enthusiastic, he was a highly successful 2nd XV captain, late in his career.

David Pointon was born in Rugby in 1956 and educated at Dunsmore School. His first senior game was for Rugby at the age of 16, marking David Duckham. His elder brother Robin played for Rugby, Warwickshire, East Midlands and Midland Counties.

Pointon trained as a teacher at St Paul’s College, Cheltenham and made his debut for Gloucestershire in 1973-74 while still a student. That season he played for Gloucestershire in the County Championship ¼ final against Buckinghamshire and also against Devon, Glamorgan, and England Under-23.

In 1974-75 he played in Gloucestershire’s County Championship Final win over Eastern Counties at Kingsholm, as a late replacement for Chris Williams, who had appendicitis. He joined Gloucester RFC in 1975 and made his debut against Weston Super Mare in September in a match to celebrate the seaside club’s centenary. He was a Gloucester first team regular, either at outside half or centre for the next five seasons.

At the age of 26, a bad knee injury put him out of the game for two years and he was told that he would never play again – but he proved the doctors wrong, although not able to regain a regular first team slot.

Pointon spent his last two seasons with the club as Gloucester United captain and in 1986-87 they achieved the record of going through the season unbeaten.

As head of sport and master in charge of rugby at St Peters High School Gloucester, Dave Pointon has been responsible for the development of players such as Ryan Lamb, Marcel Garvey, Adam Eustace, Charlie Sharples and Jack Adams.

Formerly Gloucester A coach, he moved from coaching Old Patesians in 2010 to become senior coach under Andy Deacon at Cinderford RFC.