Celtic finally break from middle of pack
AFTER years of mid-table finishes, Maesteg Celtic have found the right time to strike with a perfect record seeing them top Two West Central and through to the third round of the National Plate.
Celtic have already chalked up home wins against Nantyffyllon, Penlan and Brynamman as well recording victories at Morriston, Cwmavon and Nantymoel.
And their run in the Plate has been even more impressive with their 18-16 success over Llanelli Wanderers following an equally remarkable triumph over Ammanford.
So what’s been behind the change at Maesteg Celtic?
“The start has been excellent,” beamed acting chairman John Edwards.
“We’re unbeaten in the league and having a good run in the Plate competition.
“We’ve beaten two first division sides and things are looking good for us.
“I think it’s just a more professional attitude from the boys, and good coaching. “They’ve got the boys playing well. “It’s basically the same players. We’ve signed Leon Evans from Maesteg Quins but he is a former player of ours and he has just come back to us.
“So basically it’s the same players from previous seasons.
“I put it down to coaching. Kieran Power has been with us for quite a few years now.
“And Alex Jones has previous experience with Premiership sides and has added something to us.”
Celtic’s best start in recent years came in 2013, where they won their first five games before an untimely 31-21 defeat to Penlan. But Edwards isn’t shocked by the start they’ve made this year.
“I can’t say it has come as a sur- prise,” he confessed.
“It has always been there, it was just getting that focus to help it come together. We are looking for promotion and I think we’ve got the players to be able to do it.”
But there is something that threatens to burst the club’s bubble.
“We need better funding and more understanding from the WRU about what is going on at the lower levels,” added Edwards, who is also the club’s fixture secretary.
“I don’t think they realise how things are at the lower levels. They think everything is rosy but its not.
“We get a small amount of money from the WRU and it’s very hard for a club like us.
“We don’t get finance from the club itself because it’s a social club not a rugby club.
“So everything that we raise is raised through hard work.
“Sponsorship is hard to come by these days, it’s not like it used to be where you were able to get sponsorship. You’re fighting for everything.
“We also run junior age groups for sevens to 14s and it’s a lot of money to run these teams and I think we get something in the region of £11,000 from the union to run all of these sides. “It’s just not sufficient. “Rugby is supposed to be a pyramid and the base is slowly crumbling and if you haven’t got that then you haven’t got the players coming through to the top.”