Support for Pontypridd and Attitudes Towards Valleys Rugby

Now before we begin, I know as well as most of you know, that half of their fans and directors board are blinkered. But let's not take anything away from what the rugby team is doing out on the field. They're on for the Premiership, Swalec cup and the B&I Cup, the treble! I feel as if I admire them slightly, sticking two fingers up to our Union and playing rugby to a high standard. These guys are only part-time, so are at a disadvantage in the B&I Cup.

First up is the B&I quarter final where they face reigning champions Leinster A and are hoping home advantage will see them through. The winner of this game will face Bristol or Leeds (it's likely to be Bristol isn't it?) in the final. Good luck Ponty, you're gonna need it!

I'm torn between wanting them to lose so their fans can stop coming up with guff like they would beat the Dragons or the Blues and wanting them to win, so it's a success for Wales. I certainly hope they don't win the treble though. KeysKeysKeys

Keys have done well, they've gone backwards though from where they were when playing Munster A in the B&I Cup final. I always thought that was surprising as they had backing from the Dragons and were strong up front. I see where you're coming from, I sincerely doubt they've beat either Dragons or Blues. I can't generalise Ponty on a few in spite of it being easy to do so given how many of them seem to hate everyone. Their team is giving the club game in Wales a little bit of hope IMO.

COTP

15.Geraint Walsh. 14.Lewis I Williams. 13.Adam Thomas. 12.Dafydd Lockyer - cpt. 11.Owen Jenkins. 10.Simon Humberstone. 9.Joel Raikes.

1.James Howe. 2.Liam Belcher. 3.Keiron Jenkins. 4.Craig Locke. 5.Chris Dicomidis. 6.Wayne O'Connor. 7.Rhys Shellard. 8.Dan Godfrey.

Subs: 16.Lloyd Williams. 17.Dai Flanagan. 18.Aled Summerhill. 19.Aled Morris. 20.Jordan Sieniawski. 21.Owen Sheppeard. 22.Chris Phillips.

http://www.ponty.net/ponty-face-leinster-a-in-crunch-bic-quarter-tie

Ah, so they've got Humberstone and Dicomidis back for this one then, that'll be helpful to their cause.

Youth and fitness v Age and cunning.

15: Darren Hudson (Last year's academy, off to Bristol next season)
14: Brendan Macken (Promoted 2 years early from Academy part of senior Rabo squad at 13)
13: Collie O'Shea (Final year academy)
12: Noel Reid VICE-CAPTAIN (Last year's academy, part of senior Rabo squad)
11: Sam Coghlan-Murray (Final year academy)
10: Cathal Marsh (2nd year academy)
9: Luke McGrath (Final year academy, on development contract for next season)
1: Ed Byrne (2nd year academy)
2: James Tracey (Final year academy)
3: Tadhg Furlong (Final year academy)
4: Tom Denton (Decent IQ squad player imported from Leeds last season)
5: Quinn Roux (Project player rumoured to be leaving a year early to return to SA)
6: Ben Marshall (Last year's academy, good player with few opportunities under O'Connor)
7: Dominic Ryan CAPTAIN (Still very young, massive early promise followed by a few injury blighted seasons)
8: Jack Conan (2nd year academy. Powerful guy, scored a try away to Cardiff Blues in his only senior appearance)

Replacements:

16: Bryan Byrne (2nd year academy)
17: Jack O'Connell (Last year's academy, off to Bristol next season)
18: Ross Molony (2nd year academy)
19: Leo Auva'a (Wellington native of Tongan extraction, off to Newcastle next season)
20: John Cooney (Last year's academy, good player with few opportunities under O'Connor)
21: Steve Crosbie (2nd year academy)
22: Andrew Boyle (Final year academy, rumoured to be leaving)

Only starting player born before 1990 is Tom Denton.

Only bench player is Auva'a

I think Ponty are doing well in their sphere but it a big jump to lower Rabo level. When you look at the players Zebre have they would walk into any prem team.

Any more news on their funding etc.
How many of the Ponty players are Blues loanees

Jen seeing how that team is all born since 1990 it makes a youngster like me feel old

Hoping they win to hopefully show the standard of the premiership is improving

Leinster A won in what sounds like a thrilling game!


Quote:
"It looked to be enough to secure Ponty the victory until some incredible late drama. Home winger Owen Jenkins kicked the ball into touch, thinking the game was over, only for referee Craig Maxwell-Keys to allow play to continue.

From the lineout Marsh found a gap but was held up over the Ponty line and the home side were able to kick to touch for a second time.

There was still enough time left for the lineout and Leinster 'A' struck right at the death as UCD clubman Boyle found a gap to score the province's third and most important try.

Marsh brilliantly held his nerve to land the levelling conversion under intense pressure and send the match into extra-time. The kick took him to 100 points in this season's British & Irish Cup".

Wasn't following this, but heard about the result. Got to feel for Pontypridd. Horrible way to lose a big game.

Hard luck for Ponty, so close and I doubt they'll get an easier group than that in future. Well done Leinster A, goes to show the quality between pro/semi-pro.

Leinster A scored their winning try in the 87th mintute... Wonder why the game went on for that long, ref must have had a different time on his watch, perhaps as a result of accounting for stoppages. Ponty actually drew, but rules are that Leinster go through having scored 3 tries to 1. Might Leinster A make changes for the final where they face a more difficult prospect?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/rugby-union/27171933

The final is the same weekend as the Pro12 playoffs. If anything, it'll be a slightly weaker Leinster A side or the same.

I've seen comments on twitter from Leinster fans saying winning a game which was level after extra time on try count is just not fair, and I agree. Ponty must be gutted. Massive effort from them.

Is that right Notch? I thought the final was the Friday of the HCup weekend which could mean a stronger team.

Oh you're right. I looked up one website and it had the Final as being down on the 17th May which is the week before the Heineken Cup final but on wikipedia there is a different date, the next weekend as you say.

Apologies for my mistake. Still think it's likely to be pretty much the same group of players.

Feel gutted for Ponty the more I read of this; they kicked the ball dead in their own half thinking it was time. But there was time for one last play, and wouldn't you know it...

8 minutes seems a lot of injury time to be honest.

As for the game it shows that there are players good enough to step up into their respective Regions and some are (through financial necessity) but the relationship between the Regions and clubs in their areas is strained to say the least.

In that case you have to give credit to Leinster and their never-say-die attitude. I think if a game ends this way they should perhaps go to penalty shoot-out like they do in the H-Cup and JWC.

The Saint wrote:In that case you have to give credit to Leinster and their never-say-die attitude. I think if a game ends this way they should perhaps go to penalty shoot-out like they do in the H-Cup and JWC.

No, that should never happen on a rugby pitch EVER AGAIN.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uuehi7VTZU

Martyn Williams (a man all to familiar with penalty shootouts) was on radio Wales commentary for this. (But not on this vid)

Things like this are why I have zero time for Pontypridd. I'd have thought the bloke could've written something else to try and get people salivating pre match. The guff some of their fans are coming out with post match is a bit silly too.

http://www.ponty.net/this-is-my-truth-tell-me-yours

Risca Rev wrote:Things like this are why I have zero time for Pontypridd. I'd have thought the bloke could've written something else to try and get people salivating pre match. The guff some of their fans are coming out with post match is a bit silly too.

http://www.ponty.net/this-is-my-truth-tell-me-yours

Rev,

Totally agree with you on this, the Regions were set up to benefit the National side which in that area they have. We have had more success since then than since the hey day of the 70s.

How many 6 Nations or Slams did we win through the 80s and 90s when we had the clubs, how many Heineken or Amlin Cups did the Clubs win.

Don't get me wrong we all know the Regions were set up wrong from the off but the Clubs were dyding and dying quickly and there are not many clubs out there now who if they had stayed in that guise would have survived financially today.

Cardiff need to MTFU and stop subsidising these monumental hypocrites. Their whinging sense of entitlement to pro rugby - and utter refusal to accept any of the blame for their own situation - has gone from tiresome to ridiculous.

I agree with this. It's funny how they willingly took Humberstone and Dicomidis back off the enemy to help them out too. The way they are acting is so small minded, that you would have to be a bit twp to have any sympathy for them. The way they act as the focal point for Valleys Rugby is irritating too. If I were Keys/Ebbw Vale etc I would be loving having the opportunity to knock them down a notch.

I know it's not going to happen, but I hope Keys beat them on Sunday. I am glad I can't go to the stadium though, as I couldn't abide sitting by that vile lot for too long.

I agree with much of the above but still believe the blues dont do enough to embrace them

GavinDragon wrote:I agree with much of the above but still believe the blues dont do enough to embrace them

GD,

Lets be honest all the  Regions are or have been guilty of not embracing their 'Region' in the past.  I know it is certainly changing in the Gwent Region but it has taken its time.

As for a Valleys side based at Sardis being for the benefit of all the Valleys well thats a load of bollards as well as how would it be of benefit to Ebbw fans more so than the Dragons are?

Train travel to Newport is on a direct route or at worst into Cardiff then across where as the journey to Pontypridd takes an hour longer so no benefit there, there is a regular (ish) bus service as well to Newport.

Ebbw Vale is in Gwent not Rhondda Cynon Taff or where ever Ponty comes under so why would they feel the need to spread their net as wide as the Gwent Valleys.

You really have to laugh at people on here, Risca Rev, Bedfordwelsh,I wonder how you pair would look at things now if it were the dragons that got scrapped and not the Warriors, not only did I have to see my region disbanded, but I have since seen the WRU bail out the Dragons and the Scarlets yet you come on here and stand on your soap box and preach about the Pontypridd supporters, what I have read in that link is correct, the person who wrote that was not telling lies, I have now lost all my bitterness towards the WRU over the scrapping of my region, I have moved on, but do not be so ignorant to the plight of others when you are blessed with a pro region/superclub to support, if it were the other way around we could swap Ponty for Newport and we could swap the Dragons fans with the Warrior's fans, so please understand others before you go mouthing off about not having any time for the Pontypridd fans I bet you would be exactly the same if the roles were reversed.

LD,

Neither me nor Rev are from Newport and speaking for myself I wouldn't step foot inside Rodney Parade to watch Newport play unless they were playing Ebbw Vale and for the first few seasons of Regional rugby I didn't because I was so dis-enchanted with the the way the whole Regional thing was set up and the on-going bitter row between Newport and Ebbw Vale not to mention the constant dreaded New New Newport chants that us non Newport supporters had to put up with.

However over recent seasons the Dragons have done a lot of work (still needs more) within the Gwent Region and you very rarely if ever hear anything other than Dragons chants at a game now. Trust me as well when I say that I have rows (on here and in person) with Newport based Dragons fans who said they wouldn't follow the Dragons if they played away from RP, then again most would be willing to travel.

The Warriors fans didn't help themselves either though as they weren't brilliantly supported and Ponty fans didn't want to share them with the Bridgend area as they thought they warranted (not saying they didn't) their own Region.

I am writing this and I am seething with anger at the attitude towards the Pontypridd supporters on this site, and in and around Welsh rugby in particular, I was bitter towards the WRU for the disbandment of my region, but I have moved on, but I still understand the plight and the bad feeling that has gone with this whole debacle, what I cannot stomach is other supporters on here getting up on their soap boxes and preaching how they have no time for the Pontypridd supporters and how they should "embrace" the region they have. I wonder how these other fans would feel if it were their region that was scrapped, they would be exactly the same as the Pontypridd fans are now, I have had to witness the WRU bailing the Scarlets out, then buying half the Dragons all after they said that they could not afford to keep the Celtic Warriors, so can other fans of the Welsh regions please take five minutes and try and put themselves in the position of the Pontypridd fans before they start preaching about them, lets just remember, you are very lucky to have a pro rugby team to support, so show some empathy to those who do not.

Lets look at a region in the 'valleys' when they have a sustainable business model, transport links and paragraphs

bedfordwelsh wrote:LD,

Neither me nor Rev are from Newport and speaking for myself I wouldn't step foot inside Rodney Parade to watch Newport play unless they were playing Ebbw Vale and for the first few seasons of Regional rugby I didn't because I was so dis-enchanted with the the way the whole Regional thing was set up and the on-going bitter row between Newport and Ebbw Vale not to mention the constant dreaded New New Newport chants that us non Newport supporters had to put up with.

However over recent seasons the Dragons have done a lot of work (still needs more) within the Gwent Region and you very rarely if ever hear anything other than Dragons chants at a game now.  Trust me as well when I say that I have rows (on here and in person) with Newport based Dragons fans who said they wouldn't follow the Dragons if they played away from RP, then again most would be willing to travel.

The Warriors fans didn't help themselves either though as they weren't brilliantly supported and Ponty fans didn't want to share them with the Bridgend area as they thought they warranted (not saying they didn't) their own Region.

That is the same reason why the Scarlets and Newport threw their toys out of the pram at the start of this whole mess, after one season the Warriors were on par with everbody else as far as support was concerned, there was even talk about them going around their region, but they were killed off after just one season so the whole point is now moot, what I do not like seeing is people getting on their high horses about something, that if the roles were reversed, they would act exactly the same, you cannot say they wouldn't because these are the same fans who were throwing their toys out of the pram at the start.

munkian wrote:Lets look at a region in the 'valleys' when they have a sustainable business model, transport links and paragraphs

Firstly, grow up, are you an English teacher ?

Secondly, the valley's region will not happen, there will be a North Wales region first.

Thirdly, there are more than enough transport links around the Glamorgan valley's each major town has a train and bus station that can get you around each town and villiage, and the A470 runs straight from Cardiff through the valley's and up to the North of Wales, and we have the A465 or for easier reading, the Heads Of the Valley's road which links all the valleys, so the transport links are quite fine thank you very much.

You are not automatically entitled to have professional rugby team on your doorstep. I travel from Bristol to watch the Dragons. There are much bigger issues to sort out in the valleys than this.

Newport business's came up with cash for the Dragons, no one else in Gwent did. Despite this, I've not heard a 'Nooport' chant at Rodney parade in about 6 years yet there were Blues fans chanting 'Kerrrrdiffff' continually at the Millennium the other week

Nope, not an English teacher, just like to be able to read things easily

If the valleys region will not happen, why are you still banging on about it ?

Dude, c'mon, the transport system in Wales is an absolute shambles and isn't fir for purpose until they start the talked about improvement.

munkian wrote:You are not automatically entitled to have professional rugby team on your doorstep. I travel from Bristol to watch the Dragons. There are much bigger issues to sort out in the valleys than this.

Newport business's  came up with cash for the Dragons, no one else in Gwent did. Despite this, I've not heard a 'Nooport' chant at Rodney parade in about 6 years yet there were Blues fans chanting 'Kerrrrdiffff' continually at the Millennium the other week

I am not complaining about the regions, infact I go and watch all the regions whenever i can, now that I do not have a region I now have the privalage of being able to cherry pick my games, what I do not like is the fact that we get fans on here telling the Pontypridd supporters how they are to act when, if they were in the same postion, they would act exactly the same.

munkian wrote:Nope, not an English teacher, just like to be able to read things easily

If the valleys region will not happen, why are you still banging on about it ?

Dude, c'mon, the transport system in Wales is an absolute shambles and isn't fir for purpose until they start the talked about improvement.

I am not banging on about the regions, I am going on about the attitudes of the supporters of other regions who, if they were in the same postion as the Ponty fans would act exactly the same.

If its just a whinge and nothing constructive then was there the need for another thread ?

munkian wrote:If its just a whinge and nothing constructive then was there the need for another thread ?

Yes, because not everybody was looking at the other thread, I wanted to people to try and think about the plight of the Ponty fans before they started judging them.

Do Ponty play games at the same time as the Blues ? If not, don't see a huge problem ?

There's 2 sides to Pontypridd for me:

There's the strong club & community feel that we do not have at the regions (well, not the blues anyway) and that is something i miss. I go to Cardiff RFC games and while the crowd there are significantly smaller in size and sound, it does remind me of a time gone by with the old shirts etc, drinking in the club house etc. They have fantastic support and have kept that club mentality alive while other clubs have struggled and the regions haven't been able to create it. Their achievements are incredible considering their semi pro status and the teams they have beaten this year.

Then on the other side there's no sympathy at all. They're completely obsessed with the blues, go on their forum and there is always a reference to the blues in what seems to be every other thread. They just cannot get over it, they hate the blues and that's fine and when the blues lose they're all over it like a rash. But then they don't mention it when the Blues give them academy players to their team, give them players from cardiff RFC to supplement their squad (at times) for the BIC and also let two of their former players go back for crucial games when needed. The blues have been incredibly guilty in the past of not doing anything for pontypridd but they are at least now trying to change that, although slowly. The whole furore over signing their captain and chief is ridiculous, some were asking for compensation for us signing him! If CD did not have a contract with Ponty then they're not in the position for a transfer fee. And, i could be wrong here, but wasn't DM employed by the blues anyway as a regional youth coach? The other funny thing about the whole Dicomidis signing, for years they have a pop at us for ignorning their players who 'are good enough for that level' and instead opt for 'overseas journeymen'. We sign him, their captain and one of the players they constantly say has never got a chance and they kick off massively! What they also fail to realise is that he's been capped by Cyprus, so we've given one of their best players a chance at pro rugby but it's an overseas signing also...but they forget this, they just complain we stole him from them...

So, for me, there's 2 sides to it. Respect what they've done but their obsession with the blues is too much, almost a bit sad.

gcBlues, I can sympathise with you over your second point, it must be very annoying, but, would it be any different if the roles were reversed ? Do you not think that you wouldn't get Cardiff fans doing exactly the same thing if it were the other way around ?

Let's put it this way then. Cross Keys made the final of the same competition, beating "fully pro" teams along the way. I don't recall them suggesting they're good enough to take over the Dragons as a pro team, would beat a region in a game and neither did they feel the need to start writing stupid programme notes (especially when they could've focused on a more positive message).

I'm not really sure how we've been bailed out by the WRU.

This needs merged. Pointless starting another thread.

I don't have an attitude to the Valleys, I have one towards Pontypridd RFC and a lot of their supporters. Believe it or not, Pontypridd do not represent every single Valleys' rugby team.

Risca Rev wrote:This needs merged. Pointless starting another thread.

I don't have an attitude to the Valleys, I have one towards Pontypridd RFC and a lot of their supporters. Believe it or not, Pontypridd do not represent every single Valleys' rugby team.

Risca, can you please tell me how you would feel if it was your region that was disbanded ?

There are calls to disband the Dragons all the time from jealous Ponty fans. Dragons seem to be building a sustainable business model and making in roads to all the feeder clubs in the region, it would be a travesty if we were disbanded when you have the Ospreys and Scarlets so close to each other

Risca Rev wrote:Let's put it this way then. Cross Keys made the final of the same competition, beating "fully pro" teams along the way. I don't recall them suggesting they're good enough to take over the Dragons as a pro team, would beat a region in a game and neither did they feel the need to start writing stupid programme notes (especially when they could've focused on a more positive message).

I'm not really sure how we've been bailed out by the WRU.

 
Who owns half of your region ?

Doesn't mean we were 'bailed out'. Who came up with the cash for the rest of it ? Newport.

Who came up with the cash for the Warriors ? No one because no one cared enough

Do they own it, as in are they ploughing more money into it? Or are they holding it in trust ready for this knight from anywhere in Gwent to come riding in to save the day? I'd hardly call that a bail out as you suggest.

munkian wrote:There are calls to disband the Dragons all the time from jealous Ponty fans. Dragons seem to be building a sustainable business model and making in roads to all the feeder clubs in the region, it would be a travesty if we were disbanded when you have the Ospreys and Scarlets so close to each other

I agree, but people need to understand the pain that is caused when you have something taken away from you that you feel was unjustified, it's all ok for people to go on about how the Ponty fans are behaving, but every other region would have fans behaving exactly the same way if what happened to the warriors had happened to their region.

The whole Regional thing was set up wrongly we know that, its in a right mess at the moment we all know that to.

Some fans will go to support their Regions others from the likes of Ebbw, Abertillery, Ponty etc will never be seen dead in RP or the Arms Park.

The attitude of a lot of fans from the former clubs leave a lot to be desired, the Warriors weren't brilliantly supported and neither were there other Regions, they still aren't no one is above blame or reproach.

As I have mentioned I have had arguments with Newport fans who said they wouldn't go anywhere else to watch the Dragons play but they expect the rest of Gwent to travel to them, hell some Blues fans even complained that they had to travel to the CCS least the ground was still in same City. On flip side other fans from both Regions have said they would travel around the Regions to watch the games.

There is no quick fix that we know and the way they are at loggerheads of late there may not be for sometime to come.

I think Ponty fans have been the most vocal because of the dis-bandment of the Warriors and I guess we would be no different though as an Ebbw fan I was basically told like it or lump it and the Dragons was now my Region and like mentioned I refused to at the start as have many others but I know they are trying within Gwent to build bridges. That maybe because they have a a Gwent man in K Jones involved now who knows, maybe with the Chief now down at the Blues he maybe able to help build bridges.