Martyrs are given player boost as 12 decide to stay
WITH Merthyr Town players turning down good offers to join other clubs, to the fans’ delight, it was unforunate that Saturday’s home game with struggling Dunstable Town was frozen off.
The financially troubled club’s 3G pitch could not beat overnight frost, and the game was postponed in good time to avoid the visitors setting out from Bedfordshire.
The players boost for the club and manager Gavin Williams might have been celebrated with a win. The Martyrs having been favourites over Dunstable who are second from bottom of the EvoStik South Premier with only nine points.
But it was a rare postponement on the artificial pitch although ironically, Merthyr’s was the only game called off in their division. Redditch went ahead on their 3G pitch and beat Farnborough 7-1 with Stuart Fleeetwood, who was one of the players to quit Merthyr when wages were drastically cut, hittiing four goals.
During winter, artificial pitches retain a large moisture content which freezes and causes the surface to become hard and unsafe to play on. A 3G surface is not allweather.
A veterans game and a ladies match were also called off at The LoadLok Community Stadium, Penydarren Park, on Sunday.
A new date for the Dunstable game should be known this week.
Twelve Merthyr players agreed to stay with the club until the end of the season despiite most of them being offered more money at other clubs, believed to be Barry Town and Carmarthen Town, after the Welsh Premiership transfer window opened in the New Year.
After Williams talked to the players, the following decided to stay, after several quit when the cash crisis emerged: Ashley Evans, Ian Traylor, Corey Jenkins, Kerry Morgan, Adam Davies Scott Tancock, Jarrad Wright, Miles John, Matthew Harris, Craig Reddy, Jaye Bowen and Ryan Prosser.
Boss Williams had worried that the club would be left just with youth team players. Some of those called into the side have done well but with a weakened side, there were concerns that results would suffer and the gates drop.
Williams said: “Players had offers to go elsewhere but have agreed to stay. Adam Davies had a couple of very good offers to leave but it’s great that he has stayed along with the others. I would like to thank the players for showing their loyalty by committing themselves to us.”
Williams added: “I knew this was going to be a difficult month with the transfer window opening for Welsh Prem teams. But I am delighted the players have agreed to stay with us. They could have all left and no-one could have blamed them, but they have shown great loyalty to the club.
“They all received good offers from one club, but I don’t think they wanted to get involved in a relegation battle in front of small crowds.”
And the former West Ham and Ispwich midfielder, Merthyr-born, told the Non-League Paper: “We played King’s Lynn and lost 1-0 in a game I felt we should have won, then the Hereford game at home we were the better team but drew, then we followed it up with a good result (a win) against Frome on New Year’s Day.
“Hopefully we have turned a corner. I’m not going to be naive and say it’s going to be like that for the rest of the season because we will have times when we won’t field a strong team, but that’s part of being non-League I’m afraid.
“What the lads are getting paid, if they’ve got work commitments, they’re going to need to do that because that’s what’s paying their bills and mortgages.”
Merthyr were battling to get a play-off spot before the money problems were revealed.
Said Williams, who has himself returned to playing in some recent games: “I’ve managed to keep all the local lads so that in itself creates a better team spirit.
“Hopefully, the club can turn it around and it’s just a case of picking up as many points as we can now and getting through the season. Then hopefully if the club sorts out its financial problems then next year we can be the force we should have been this season.
“We definitely would have made the play-offs. I’m convinced of that.”
On Saturday, Merthyr go to Farnborough, an inconsistent team now in 19th place, two spots behind Merthyr. They have won nine, drawn four and lost 15, with 51 goals for but 70 leaked.
Farnborough have had money problems and had to re-form in 2007. Their manager is Spencer Day, and in attack they have Perry Coles who joined Farnborough last September after scoring 44 goals in one season for Camberley.
Nick Ciardini, in midfield, rejoined Farnborough after a spell with Havant and Waterlooville.
Merthyr then face two tough matches – at home to Kettering, second in the table, on January 20, with a trip the following Saturday to sixth-placed side Slough Town.
Merthyr’s interim board are tackling the money plight by cutting expenditure and planning ahead. The fans are busy fundraising and on Saturday launched their “Red Flag Bar” at Romans at the ground. The game was off but fans gathered for a social afternoon.
The first goal scored by Merthyr at Frome was at first attributed to Traylor but later amended to Evans.