The statistics don't lie for Bristol Rugby

Bristol Rugby's 2008 kicked off with an 18-3 victory over Saracens at the Memorial Stadium – but sadly that was not a sign of things to come.

And while it can be easy to become distracted by statistics, in 32 matches in 2008, Bristol won just six, drew one and lost 25.

Those 25 defeats included a 13-match losing streak either side of the summer, while the club won just two away matches in all competitions all year – on successive weekends against Leeds and Newcastle.

Injuries clearly undermined Bristol's progress in 2008, with Shaun Perry missing large chunks of the year across both seasons, but the overall return has not been good enough.

Head coach Richard Hill has at times appeared to be operating with both hands tied behind his back as the Guinness Premiership's more affluent clubs have embraced the introduction of a £4 million salary cap, which has rendered Bristol's excellent third-placed finish of 2006-07 a distant memory.

And financial concerns have undeniably become the headline of Bristol's 2008. Regardless of disappointing on-field performances (unfortunately, the outstanding 29-26 victory over Gloucester in February was something of a rarity), money – or a perceived lack of it – has been the buzz topic.

In November, the club appealed for new investment to compete at the top of the Premiership. A month later, it was revealed that new money had been found – but only to safeguard the club's immediate future.

Confusion still surrounds the exact state of Bristol's finances heading into 2009, even with the generosity of Chris Booy and John Laycock.

A successful 2009 would be measured in various ways. Priority number one is the club's survival into the 2009-10 campaign and beyond, ideally with Premiership status assured. Priority number two would be to keep players such as Perry, Dan Ward-Smith and David Lemi – and to recruit some equally talented players across the squad. Anything else, quite frankly, would be a major bonus for Bristol.