Pooler need time (From Free Press Series)

Pooler need time

PONTYPOOL's team manager Gordon Thomas has urged fans to be more patient after Saturday's numbing 34-9 defeat at the Arms Park, against Cardiff.

In an honest and open broadcast to fans through the club's number one sponsor the Free Press, Thomas said fans must stop their in-fighting with the club and be more tolerant.

Some fans are reported to be at loggerheads with the club's officials after a dire start to the campaign and the lack of big name signings.

But Thomas, a no-nonsense team manager who helped drag Caerphilly from the doldrums of district rugby to the celestial heights of the Premiership in just 11 seasons, said the club couldn't compete with the spending power of Welsh rugby's bigger club's.

Instead, he revealed how he is actively searching the game's lower divisions for new blood to combat the bigger clubs' spending power.

"Something that goes wrong over a period of years isn't fixed in a period of months," said Thomas.

"We're pushing through with what is an immature squad. Ninety-five percent of that is down to funding, and we've got a lot more rocky roads to go down yet before things get better, but they will.

"Our aim for the rest of the season has to be respectability and finishing somewhere in mid-table. If we can finish seven or eight places from the bottom, we will have done very well.

"The average age of this squad is 22 and eight of our players are under 20. That's a lot for a club like us to try and stabilise. A lot of the success two years ago was bought. The main revenue the club had was the clubhouse, but we don't have that anymore. That means we have to look at other more local avenues like businesses and gate receipts.

"While finances are secure, there is no cash to entice players to the club. What we need to do is look to clubs below us who have players who can fit in at our level. That is what I am actively doing."

Already Thomas has secured the signings of Caerphilly wing Lloyd Williams and talented Brynmawr forward Gavin Donaldson, while Aussie duo Dwayne Luki and Bradley Neho are certainties to join the club after the furore of their recent transfer.

"It's a case of being patient," said Thomas. "I have been in rugby for 30 years and seen other clubs struggle in similar situations. It is important that the in-fighting and criticism stops. That is not going to help the club push forward.

"We all need to be aboard the same ship. When I was at Caerphilly, we were bottom of a district league. Nine years on and a lot of hard work later we were in the Premiership. There are similarities between the two clubs. Success happened then and it can happen again."

Friday night's game at Llandovery kicks-off at 7.15pm, and Luki and Neho are available for selection.

l All season tickets will be checked at Pontypool's forthcoming home games, following the news that counterfeit season tickets are being sold.

Fans are warned that the club is taking the issue very seriously and that all tickets from now on will be vigorously checked to stop people breaking the law and getting into matches for free.

Tickets are available at the club for Wales' game against South Africa this weekend. Contact Colin Tuckwell on 01495 755553 for further details.