Coventry should remember money will not buy loyalty

I HAD to laugh while reading last week’s story that Coventry are “interested in bringing the right players to the club - not mercenaries”.

Down in deepest, darkest Dartmoor at Okehampton RFC we would love to have a raft of guys come to us only thinking in the right interests of the club – but that’s not going to happen. Why? Simple, we don’t pay!

At our level we do get guys who have gone on and played at a higher level come back to us and one or two are club legends. We got promoted to Level 6 last year and have benefitted from a couple of loyal local lads coming back but it’s certainly nothing to to with money.

We speak to guys every summer about joining us – mates of current players etc. but in 99 per cent of cases it boils down to ‘what’s the offer?’. In our case it’s pay a £65 player sub, a £4 match fee and if you get away with anything less than a £3 fine for anything from dirty boots to some daft comment, then you're lucky!

Needless to say we don't have a queue at the door! But we do have a great bunch of guys with strength in depth throughout two senior teams, a social third team and a good Colts set up.

Over 95 per cent of our players are home grown and having been promoted, are aquitting themselves at the higher level. Money doesn’t buy spirit.

I would imagine that bringing in the personel that Coventry have doesn’t come cheap. Money won’t buy loyalty, let alone success!

ROSS MEDLYN Okehampton RFC