By Paul (25/11/02)
November 26 2002

After all the fuss about Ponty not allowing Neath Fan's to buy tickets for Friday night's clash, it turns out it's not the Sardis road club's fault after all.

It appears that Neath did have an allocation, but have refused to sell tickets to their own supporters.

Pontypridd chief executive Gareth Thomas has launched an attack on the Gnoll club.

"We wrote to Neath asking how many tickets they wanted. They initially said about 500 and the next thing they have changed their minds and said they could not cope with it administration-wise.

"We want to make it clear it's nothing to do with us that they are not selling tickets.

"We offered Neath as many as they wanted. They just said they could not cope with selling them.
"I think it's disgraceful.

"It's going to cause us major problems on the night and we are going to have to get in an army of people to sell tickets.

"The added complication is that it's an all-pay game."

But instead of accepting the blame, Neath chief executive Mike Cuddy who seems to be as paranoid to any "gang of 5" club as ever, Cuddy thought he'd have a go anyway;

"Pontypridd and Gareth Thomas should grow up.

"They told us last week there were 5,000-odd tickets left and they did not anticipate the match being a sell-out.

"On that basis we did not see the need to sell any from our club. Our supporters can go there and pay on the night. It's not a case that we can't handle it.

"We are only following the example of Europe's biggest and most successful club, Leicester, who did not handle tickets when we played them earlier in the season at Neath.

"I don't see where Gareth Thomas is coming from.

"Pontypridd are supposed to be such a huge club.

"If they are finding it difficult to organise a big game then I'll willingly send a few guys up there to help them out."

Who is to blame? Well it shouldn't really be blame, more who is going to take responsibility? Surely both clubs should pull together and act in their best interests, to make as much money as possible from ticket sales, and get as much support for the teams as possible in what should be a massive game between two in-form sides.

All Quotes Sporting Wales. com