| Welshpool at an all-time low |
| Wednesday 28 October 2009 |
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by Gavin Grosvenor Powys County Times  THERE has been something foul in the state of Welshpool for a long time but pinning the blame on anyone in particular is akin to finding a needle in several acres worth of giant haystacks.I am sure I will be accused of picking the scabs of an already deep wound in criticising the club for its failure to push forward for a place in the new Super 12 but the whole set-up needs to look at itself. In plain black and white the question must be asked as to why did countless generations of committees fail to recognise the albatross that is the Maesydre ground strangling the club of ambition. The current regime are not blameless but in fairness their predecessors deserve just as much criticism for allowing the club’s facilities to fall light years behind their rivals and even surrounding village clubs. Let’s be perfectly frank about this. The facilities at most Spar Mid Wales League clubs are superior to Maesydre and there are even clubs in the Montgomeryshire League which boast superior facilities. The question has to be asked of how exactly it came to this when Montgomeryshire’s second largest town with a population of nearly 7,000 has ended up with one of the worst football grounds in the county. Finances are no excuse when you consider the council-owned Maesydre ensures the club’s only outgoings are amenity bills and personnel wages. A lack of a time to get a new ground built is also no excuse when you consider just how far Maesydre is behind in terms of a matchday experience compared to clubs like Newtown, Caersws and TNS. Go further down the pyramid and you will find better grounds at Guilsfield, Berriew, Llanidloes Town etc. The club knew long ago Maesydre was a dilapidated shack of a ground and would not be suitable for top flight football but left it to the last moment to make any noises about relocation. Welshpool Town Council are not blameless and while it profits from the investment of Tesco which will see the town centre undergo much-needed development I am sure they are all too aware of their failure to safeguard a town institution. Whether they care or not I am unsure. The club is the only entity in the town to represent the town at a national level yet the council seem fully prepared to allow their town to be associated with sub-par facilities. What is the point in revitalising the town when any potential tourists catching Welshpool’s name on Sgorio will be greeted by a 100 year old stand, uneven pitch and torn out bucket seats daubed with graffiti. I believe it is now only a matter of time before the club completely implodes and the council’s precious Maesydre will become a relic of days gone by. Just another reminder of the town’s glorious past. Attendances are down and the club has effectively been relegated three months into the season and will join Welshpool Cricket Club and Welshpool Rugby Club in going down in making 2009 a tragic year for sport in Welshpool. |