THE arrival of Tony Brown and Dylan Matthews on the board of Newport Gwent Dragons is fantastic news and will lift the profile of the rugby region at a stroke.

For the pair are two of the best known businessmen in the area, Brown owning the nationwide Bisley Office Equipment company with a factory in Newport employing several hundred people and Matthews chief executive of the Celtic Manor which staged a wonderful Ryder Cup tournament only a few months ago.

Their presence will bring the feelgood factor back to Rodney Parade and rugby in Gwent generally.

There is no doubt the bush telegraph will be working overtime once fans get to know about our exclusive story, for if there is one thing that will put them on cloud nine it is the very mention of the name Tony Brown.

For he is still held in high esteem for the way he took up the cudgels at Newport RFC a decade ago and brought in a number of world renowned players.

Peter Rogers was the first, followed in rapid succession by Gary Teichmann, the biggest of them all, Andy Marinos, Shane Howarth, Jason Jones Hughes, Simon Raiwalui, among others, and a while later Percy Montgomery, too.

Brown took the fans on a roller-coaster ride and they loved him for it. He is still a revered name in these parts.