Support for Pontypridd and Attitudes Towards Valleys Rugby

by The Saint Fri 25 Apr 2014, 12:48 pm

First topic message reminder :

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!

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:42 am

Risca Rev wrote: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.

What would you call it then ? Without the WRU stepping in to purchase half your region, the Dragons would cease to exist, thus you were bailed out by the WRU, I did not see the WRU offering to buy half of the Warriors until a night in shining armour came along to save the day.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:42 am

I don't see why we would watch home games outside of Rodney parade when we've just spent millions on the Bisley stand and other grounds really don't cut the mustard ?

If there were like for like alternatives then fair enough.

My other objection is that its hard enough to get to Newport on a Friday night to catch a game let alone Abberfaraway in time for kick off. If we had better match times i.e Saturday then fair enough

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:45 am

Who would have paid the other half to bail out The Warriors ?

by Cardiff Dave Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:51 am

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.

Pun intended Risca?

by bedfordwelsh Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:52 am

Munkian,

Again I agree but you could still move some of the smaller games around the Regions as could all the Regions, like you said certainly not Friday night games but tv scheduling leaves a lot to be desired as well but its a good source of income so you have to do as they say to a degree.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:54 am

I dunno, perhaps LS would have been happy to just own half and run things, we will never know now though will we, as I have said, the WRU have helped both the Dragons and the Scarlets out over tha last few years and that is a fact.

by Guest Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:54 am

Is there a perfect solution to the professional rugby game in Wales? Would having another Valleys region really make all the difference?

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:55 am

Would anyone go if we did though Bedford ?

Would it not just be the case of making all the Rodney Parade faithful who go week in week out and have season tickets have to travel further for an extra 100 fans who won't go to the big bad evil city ?

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:56 am

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.

I have PM our resident MOD Notch to merge the threads, he has not got back to me yet.

by XR Tue 29 Apr 2014, 10:59 am

LordDowlais wrote: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 ?

I guess i would, initially, but i suppose i would just do what they did and stick to my club (Cardiff). I wouldn't hold any hatred towards any of the regions, i just wouldn't be interested in it and that would be that.

Do i think Pontypridd deserve a chance at pro rugby? Absolutely but they need to drop the 'We represent the valleys' mantra they have adopted in recent years. They represent Ponty and should be proud of that.

In terms of the regions doing more, it will never happen but the blues could change their name. Yes, there is apparently a deed on the Arms Park that any team playing at CAP must have Cardiff in the name. If so, we could change to 'Cardiff and Valleys Blues' or something like that. As i said, probably never happen but it could go some way to helping them feel they're part of it.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:04 am

You could stop chanting KEEEEEEERDIFF at games for a start

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:08 am

gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:13 am

So Ponty fans should get an emotional blank cheque for 10+ years to have a massive chip on their shoulders against the regions and behave like sanctimonious idiots ?

by XR Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:14 am

munkian wrote:You could stop chanting KEEEEEEERDIFF at games for a start

*Cardiff

This is a long standing issue due to the superclub nature the region behaves as. On the other hand, people pay their money and can chant whatever they like.

If they took Cardiff off the name, stopped referring to pre 2003 Cardiff RFC as part of the region then it would slowly change. I also think the supporters club could play a part in this, they have already set up a 'blue section', if they lead the way the rest would follow.

And, as silly as it sounds, chant 'blues' and it sounds like you're booing your own team! (Although that'd be quite appropiate this season)

LordDowlais wrote:gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

Of course, and i like to think i do. But then at times there is 'stuff em' mentality which, i guess, is more retaliation to their opinions. It's just an endless cycle and would only stop, i reckon, if the region was more like a region and that they actually felt they had a part to play other than providing players

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:19 am

gcBlues wrote:
munkian wrote:You could stop chanting KEEEEEEERDIFF at games for a start

*Cardiff

This is a long standing issue due to the superclub nature the region behaves as. On the other hand, people pay their money and can chant whatever they like.

If they took Cardiff off the name, stopped referring to pre 2003 Cardiff RFC as part of the region then it would slowly change. I also think the supporters club could play a part in this, they have already set up a 'blue section', if they lead the way the rest would follow.

And, as silly as it sounds, chant 'blues' and it sounds like you're booing your own team! (Although that'd be quite appropiate this season)

LordDowlais wrote:gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

Of course, and i like to think i do. But then at times there is 'stuff em' mentality which, i guess, is more retaliation to their opinions. It's just an endless cycle and would only stop, i reckon, if the region was more like a region and that they actually felt they had a part to play other than providing players

Of course they can chant what they like, but then people will always just consider them a 'superclub' and Ponty will wail and gnash their teeth about it

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:23 am

munkian wrote:So Ponty fans should get an emotional blank cheque for 10+ years to have a massive chip on their shoulders against the regions and behave like sanctimonious idiots ?

Thats very big and clever, it's ignorant people like you I am trying to get across to, but you are so blinkered into thinking that it is all one way there really is no point, how quickly you forget, the Newport fans were all chucking their toys out of the pram at the start because they did not want to merge with Cardiff, if you can prove to me that we would not have any Newport fans acting like the Ponty fans if it was the Dragons that were disbanded then I am with you, but you cannot, as you know that it would not be the case, put yourself in thier position before you start calling people idiots.

Also I would put a wager on it that if it were the Warriors that were kept and not the Dragons, the Warriors would have acheived a lot more than the damp squib that we see every year at Rodney Parade. The Dragons have achieved nowt, they are forever propping up the league and have not played in the HC for years, christ even a second rate Italian side beat them at RP to knock them out of the competition a few years back, perhaps the wrong decision was made when the CW were scrapped.

by bedfordwelsh Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:25 am

munkian wrote:Would anyone go if we did though Bedford ?

Would it not just be the case of making all the Rodney Parade faithful who go week in week out and have season tickets have to travel further for an extra 100 fans who won't go to the big bad evil city ?

You never know until you try but people from around Gwent are still expected to go to Newport, a bit of give and take might go someway after the the team themselves take training sessions out to the Gwent area so surely the odd game wouldn't hurt.

If the Dragons board wanted to do this I am sure a travel deal could be done whereby if you show your season ticket you get free/reduced travel on the day of the game, there are always ways and means if people willing to give it a try.

by XR Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:25 am

munkian wrote:
gcBlues wrote:
munkian wrote:You could stop chanting KEEEEEEERDIFF at games for a start

*Cardiff

This is a long standing issue due to the superclub nature the region behaves as. On the other hand, people pay their money and can chant whatever they like.

If they took Cardiff off the name, stopped referring to pre 2003 Cardiff RFC as part of the region then it would slowly change. I also think the supporters club could play a part in this, they have already set up a 'blue section', if they lead the way the rest would follow.

And, as silly as it sounds, chant 'blues' and it sounds like you're booing your own team! (Although that'd be quite appropiate this season)

LordDowlais wrote:gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

Of course, and i like to think i do. But then at times there is 'stuff em' mentality which, i guess, is more retaliation to their opinions. It's just an endless cycle and would only stop, i reckon, if the region was more like a region and that they actually felt they had a part to play other than providing players

Of course they can chant what they like, but then people will always just consider them a 'superclub' and Ponty will wail and gnash their teeth about it

Which is why i believe that the supporters club can help change this, if they wished. They have a lot of members and are very active in social media. They tried it in the CCS when it was quiet and had a little success, if they did it at CAP then i reckon there would be more chants and 'Cardiff' probably wouldn't be one of them.

by bedfordwelsh Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:28 am

But wasn't it the benefactors at the Warriors that fell out first leaving them at the mercy of the WRU who then done the dirty - depending on which report you read.

Though as Dickering was involved I don't believe a word the slimy little toe rag has to say.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:29 am

Love it.

I've never been a Newport RFC fan.

So, according to you, if other regions were disbanded then their fans would still behave just as badly, if not worse as Ponty fans and if the Warriors kept going they would definitely have done better than the Dragons.

You've convinced me, where do I buy a Ponty season ticket ?

by Guest Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:33 am

LordDowlais wrote:gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

Oh aye, we must watch we don't upset the Ponty supporters. I'm not telling them how to behave, I'm saying I dislike them because of how they behave.

I've been in a position where I didn't feel represented by my region. I didn't moan about it, I supported another region. I find it a little better than suggesting my little club Cross Keys could step up to the elite on the basis of a few B and I Cup wins, conveniently choosing to ignore small matters like budgets and infrastructure (much like you have in your latest post)

I'd also not bite the hand that feeds them, as they are doing with their articles etc at Cardiff. Otherwise, Cardiff should now not release players like Dico and Humberstone to them

by **Notch** Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:35 am

As per a posters request I've merged the thread about attitudes towards Valleys rugby with the Support for Pontypridd thread to keep all the discussion about Ponty and Valleys rugby in one place

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:36 am

Cheers Notch.

by Guest Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:38 am

munkian wrote:Love it.

I've never been a Newport RFC fan.

So, according to you, if other regions were disbanded then their fans would still behave just as badly, if not worse as Ponty fans and if the Warriors kept going they would definitely have done better than the Dragons.

You've convinced me, where do I buy a Ponty season ticket ?

You can't buy a season ticket as the 100,000 ticket holders Ponty have at every game means that us new supporters can't get involved.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:43 am

Risca Rev wrote:
munkian wrote:Love it.

I've never been a Newport RFC fan.

So, according to you, if other regions were disbanded then their fans would still behave just as badly, if not worse as Ponty fans and if the Warriors kept going they would definitely have done better than the Dragons.

You've convinced me, where do I buy a Ponty season ticket ?

You can't buy a season ticket as the 100,000 ticket holders Ponty have at every game means that us new supporters can't get involved.

Damn it. I'll just have to whine about it to anyone who'll listen instead of finding another Region to support

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:43 am

Actually, all jokes aside, Pontypridd average attendances are the highest in the league, and the average attendance is not to shabby either, sprinkle in an extra few fans from around the valley's and I bet they could emulate what the dragons get at RP.

http://www.rugbyroundup.com/stats.php?leagueID=34&statType=attendances

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 11:48 am

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Pontypridd 21,000 1,909 3,800 1,200

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Newport Gwent Dragons 83,115 8,311 30,411 3,916

Your highest attendance is below our lowest, pull the other one.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 12:13 pm

Dragons have signed up Dai Flanagan from Ponty. Playing in front of more than 3,000 people will me a lovely experience for him I'm sure

by bedfordwelsh Tue 29 Apr 2014, 12:25 pm

LordDowlais wrote:Actually, all jokes aside, Pontypridd average attendances are the highest in the league, and the average attendance is not to shabby either, sprinkle in an extra few fans from around the valley's and I bet they could emulate what the dragons get at RP.

http://www.rugbyroundup.com/stats.php?leagueID=34&statType=attendances

Thats it though LD when you say from around the Valleys, why would some from Ebbw go to Ponty and a Valleys Region more so than they would go to the Dragons and a Gwent Region.

What would a Valleys Region offer me as an Ebbw fan more than the Dragons do already least they are my natural Region.

In among all these Valley Region proposal did it ever get to the stage of someone coming up with an actual name and colours they would play in as I am guessing the venue was proposed as Sardis Road.

by Chunky Norwich Tue 29 Apr 2014, 12:30 pm

LordDowlais wrote:Actually, all jokes aside, Pontypridd average attendances are the highest in the league, and the average attendance is not to shabby either, sprinkle in an extra few fans from around the valley's and I bet they could emulate what the dragons get at RP.

That did make me chuckle. Leave Pontypridd where they are. They have no facilities, players, funds or enough fans to be anymore than a little backwater semi pro club.

by Stone Motif Tue 29 Apr 2014, 12:52 pm

LordDowlais wrote:gcBlues, I am all for solutions, but I do not care about the situation as much now as I did a few years ago, like I said earlier, I am over it now, what I am trying to get across is the fact we are having people banging on about how the Ponty fans should behave, when if they were in the same position, I very much doubt they would act differently, and if we keep having people climbing on their high horses it will only rub the Ponty fans up the wrong way even more, so all I am saying is, not directly at you of course, show a bit of empathy towards the Ponty fans before you start preaching about how to behave.

WTF has it got to do with Pnoty fans? This is a Director of the Club mouthing off (in print, no less) at the employer of many of his best players, whom he receives for free. Does that not come across a little bit rich to you?

by Stone Motif Tue 29 Apr 2014, 12:55 pm

LordDowlais wrote:
munkian wrote:So Ponty fans should get an emotional blank cheque for 10+ years to have a massive chip on their shoulders against the regions and behave like sanctimonious idiots ?

Thats very big and clever, it's ignorant people like you I am trying to get across to, but you are so blinkered into thinking that it is all one way there really is no point, how quickly you forget, the Newport fans were all chucking their toys out of the pram at the start because they did not want to merge with Cardiff, if you can prove to me that we would not have any Newport fans acting like the Ponty fans if it was the Dragons that were disbanded then I am with you, but you cannot, as you know that it would not be the case, put yourself in thier position before you start calling people idiots.

Also I would put a wager on it that if it were the Warriors that were kept and not the Dragons, the Warriors would have acheived a lot more than the damp squib that we see every year at Rodney Parade. The Dragons have achieved nowt, they are forever propping up the league and have not played in the HC for years, christ even a second rate Italian side beat them at RP to knock them out of the competition a few years back, perhaps the wrong decision was made when the CW were scrapped.

Well that's the point innit? Ponty don't have the money to take that wager. We do. There is no decision in it, just a ffec-witted sense of entitlement.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:05 pm

munkian wrote:Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Pontypridd 21,000 1,909 3,800 1,200

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Newport Gwent Dragons 83,115 8,311 30,411 3,916

Your highest attendance is below our lowest, pull the other one.

Yes, but if a valleys team had away supporters from the other Welsh regions and some of the Irish one's to bolster the figures they would not be far off, most of the dragons average is swolen by away fans.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:11 pm

Anyway I am not on here to argue about the regions, I am on here making a point that people who have not been affected by losing a region should not get on their high horses as regards to the people who have.

by bedfordwelsh Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:11 pm

Why would supporters from other Welsh Regions go to watch the Dragons?

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:12 pm

bedfordwelsh wrote:Why would supporters from other Welsh Regions go to watch the Dragons?

They wouldn't, they would be going to watch their own region play the Dragons at RP.

by Chunky Norwich Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:21 pm

LordDowlais wrote:
Yes, but if a valleys team had away supporters from the other Welsh regions and some of the Irish one's to bolster the figures they would not be far off, most of the dragons average is swolen by away fans.

Stop it. My sides are hurting.

Anything other than semi professional rugby is the valleys is a pipe dream.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:24 pm

Chunky Norwich wrote:
LordDowlais wrote:
Yes, but if a valleys team had away supporters from the other Welsh regions and some of the Irish one's to bolster the figures they would not be far off, most of the dragons average is swolen by away fans.

Stop it. My sides are hurting.

Anything other than semi professional rugby is the valleys is a pipe dream.

We know this, that is why there is a North Wales region in the making, you never know, they might dis-band another region to accomodate the NW region.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:26 pm

LordDowlais wrote:
munkian wrote:Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Pontypridd 21,000 1,909 3,800 1,200

Club Total Average Highest Lowest
Newport Gwent Dragons 83,115 8,311 30,411 3,916

Your highest attendance is below our lowest, pull the other one.

Yes, but if a valleys team had away supporters from the other Welsh regions and some of the Irish one's to bolster the figures they would not be far off, most of the dragons average is swolen by away fans.

Most of the Dragon's average is swollen by away fans ? You are just making things up now

Where are you getting this from ?

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:34 pm

I am not having this argument, we are shifting the debate here, my first and origonal point was, that fans from other regions should not tell fans from Ponty how to behave when it comes to regionalism when they have not been put through what they have.

by The Saint Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:35 pm

LordDowlais wrote: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.

You really are something special LD. Two people mention their disdain for fans' attitudes and you have a massive b*tch fit over welsh rugby. A bit rich you then going on to tell people to grow up isn't it? This topic has been done to death and you haven't added anything new since the last time it came about. If you're 'over it' like you claim then stop whinging ffs.

by Chunky Norwich Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:36 pm

LordDowlais wrote: that fans from other regions should not tell fans from Ponty how to behave when it comes to regionalism when they have not been put through what they have.

1) Ponty fans don't know how to behave in any context
2) Why the hell not? They could learn a thing or 2 about what it takes to struggle at this doomed level.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:37 pm

Dont tell me Saint, your a Dragon fan from Newport. Rolling Eyes

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:38 pm

FFS, there are some arrogant people on here, no wonder Welsh rugby does not get much support from other nations.

by munkian Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:46 pm

You keep making things up Dowlais then change the subject or strop when people point this out.

Where did you see that most of the Dragon's attendance is bolstered by away fans ?

by Chunky Norwich Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:50 pm

LordDowlais wrote: I have had to witness the WRU bailing the Scarlets out,.

The WRU have never "bailed out" the Scarlets or Llanelli.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:51 pm

i would suggest you compare how many people walk throught the turnstiles when yo play the Zebra's of this world, to when you play the Blues.

by LordDowlais Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:54 pm

Chunky Norwich wrote:
LordDowlais wrote: I have had to witness the WRU bailing the Scarlets out,.

The WRU have never "bailed out" the Scarlets or Llanelli.

Yes they have.

http://www.munsterfans.com/threads/821-Scarlets-considering-WRU-lifeline

by The Saint Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:55 pm

LD, are you just some massive attention seeker trying to wind people up? Headscratch

by Guest Tue 29 Apr 2014, 1:56 pm

Haha. That's home supporters not attending too. You said most of our home games are swollen, yet you don't see many away supporters at RP for many teams.

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