Pontypool RFC's U-turn on leaving ground

One of Wales' most famous rugby clubs is to stay at its historic ground, reversing plans to leave.

Pontypool RFC, which has played at Pontypool Park since 1945, said last year it had to leave because of anti-social behaviour.

The club announced the plans in July after "prolonged negotiations" with Torfaen council broke down.

Pontypool RFC said it was now committed to working with the council to ensure the club stayed at its "rightful" home.

The club claimed last summer that blades and broken glass had been hidden on the pitch, endangering players, referees and medical staff.

"We felt we had no alternative but to leave Pontypool Park," said chief executive Ben Jeffreys.

The park passed into public ownership at the beginning of the 20th Century for the benefit of the town.

Last year's decision to leave centred around an agreement, dating back to 1920, that said the ground must be open to the public, preventing a permanent fence being built around the ground.

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An amendment has now been made to the agreement to give the council flexibility on how the rugby ground is managed.

There will now be a consultation with the community, park users and stakeholders.

If approved, the local authority will lease the ground to Pontypool RFC so it can improve and invest in the ground's facilities.

The club will be submitting a planning application which includes fencing "in order to protect the facility from on-going impacts of vandalism and arson".

It said it will also plant trees and landscape the area to soften the look of the required fencing.

1 The Pontypool Front Row were famed in rugby in the club's golden era of the 1970s and '80s. They consisted of Charlie Faulkner, Graham Price and Bobby Windsor, who also played for Wales in their heyday. And how famous? As well as the bruises opponents took home with them, Max Boyce wrote one of his best known songs about them.

2: 'Pooler hosted visiting touring sides

The ground has hosted some big touring sides over the years. A combined Pontypool and Newbridge team beat South Africa at Pontypool Park in 1951. Australia were also beaten in front of a large crowd in 1966.

3: TV commentator and broadcaster Eddie Butler captained Pontypool between 1982 and 1985. Other well known names to play for the club include David Bishop, Terry Cobner and Mark Taylor.

4: The club was a week away from folding after losing a High Court case in 2012 against the WRU's decision to demote the club from the Welsh Premiership.

5: Pontypool created history in the WRU National Championship by becoming the first team to go through the whole season unbeaten in 2017/18. They are currently unbeaten again - winning the first 13 games in 2018/19.

Mr Jeffreys described the latest development as a "significant moment" in the club's history.

"We have absolute clarity on the steps that must be followed to get our plans over the line and for the first time since we embarked on this process, I am very confident that we will be able to turn Pontypool Park into a modern and vibrant sporting venue".

He added it "should offer hope and positivity to the thousands of supporters who have called Pontypool Park their sporting home for the last 73 years".

In the joint statement Torfaen County Borough Council leader Anthony Hunt said the two parties had worked closely on "complex legal issues".

"The public response only reaffirmed the pride and passion the people of Pontypool have for their club," he added.