Samuel Pulls The Plug

By Zippy
December 7 2004

As rumour has suggested over the past few months Bridgend benefactor and former Warriors Chief Leighton Samuel has confirmed he to pull the plug from Bridgend at the end of the season.

Bridgend rugby benefactor Leighton Samuel has revealed he is pulling out of the club at the end of the season.

His departure will mean the end of the “Gravy Train” he says.

 

The millionaire businessman will stop financing the Ravens on May 31^st, and has told the club it must find another backer.

 

But there is some good news for fans.

 

Samuel promised that the Ravens will continue playing at the Brewery Field, with his company, Décor Frame, financing the grounds running costs.

 

“The Brewery Field will remain as the Brewery Field,” he said.

 

“The Brewery Field is not up for sale, that is not going to happen, the club will need to put together a management team that will run the club on a day to day basis”

 

Samuel in his 6^th year with the club, said the growth of his company means he no longer has time to devote to the Ravens.

 

But he also said a lack of support for the team on match days influenced his decision.

 

And he warned the club could sink to division 1 if more supporters do not watch home games.

 

“I don’t know what it is about Bridgend” he said.

 

“The main source of income is people coming through the gates. It’s disheartening. There were 406 people in the last game, we haven’t got the crowd.”

 

Samuel said only 30 replica Bridgend RFC shirts had been sold this season – a meagre number compared to other Premiership clubs.

 

His vision for the Welsh Premiership is that it would be whittled down from 17 to 12 teams.

 

But he said that if that happened Bridgend would find themselves in a relegation battle on current form.

 

“Unless people come in to generate income, then obviously Bridgend will struggle in the middle of the table” he said.

 

“If we go down to 12 clubs, Bridgend will be in a relegation battle.”

 

He said the club costs “an awful lot of money to run. If you want to compete at the top, you have to put a substantial amount in to attract quality players” said Samuel.

 

“Its down to someone to come in with a couple of hundred thousand pounds a year.”

 

“They will have to work within a strict budget but will be fortunate that they have wonderful facilities.”

 

Samuel said the cost of running the club and Brewery Field amounts to £500,000 a year, which includes expenditure like rent, water rates, insurance public liability costs, players’ wages, medical insurance and administration.

 

But the club only generates £160,000, with £40,000 coming from the Welsh Rugby Union.

 

“The club needs to adjust to the Premier Division” he said. “ Someone just needs to run the business side of it.”

”The very object of the exercise is to get players who want to play for Bridgend. The gravy train has gone.”

 

Simon Green, secretary of Bridgend Supporters Club said he hoped they could find someone else to fund the team.

“Bridgend RFC has to continue. Not having a top rugby club would be disastrous.” He said. 

 

“We need to get people through the turnstiles. People won’t watch the matches because what has happened to the Celtic Warriors.”

 

“But by not turning up, people are only punishing Bridgend Rugby Club.”