Author:
Relative of Captain Morgan & supporter of the Mighty B&A.
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Date Posted: 15:58:53 06/19/02 Wed
Author Host/IP: inktomi2-bir.server.ntl.com/62.255.32.5
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>PONTYPOOL last night signed Wales and British Lions
>international John Devereux - club benefactor Bob Jude
>describing it as a statement of intent.
>
>Devereux, capped by Wales and Great Britain at rugby
>league, claimed he was joining a club that had the
>potential to regain its place at the top of Welsh
>rugby.
>
>The 36-year-old centre was released by Bridgend at the
>end of last season - his commitments as a sales
>executive of a pharmaceutical company preventing his
>availability for some of their day-time training
>sessions.
>
>But he does not see his move as a backward step. "Far
>from it," said Devereux.
>
>"I had offers from a few Premier Division clubs but I
>am excited by what Bob is attempting to do at
>Pontypool Park.
>
>"They have the potential to be a big club. There are a
>sleeping giant but have been stirring and are ready to
>reawaken.
>
>"If you ask anybody in the rugby world to name famous
>Welsh clubs Pontypool would be one of the first you
>would hear.
>
>"It is like Widnes, for whom I played rugby league.
>They had a spell in the doldrums but people were still
>talking about them alongside the likes of Leeds and
>Wigan.
>
>"Pontypool are a First Division club but they have
>Premier ambitions that are second to none.
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>"I believe they are the one club who could get
>promoted and stay there. I want to be part of that
>promotion drive, playing alongside people like Mark
>Jones and Byron Hayward."
>
>Some of Bridgend's fans attempted to persuade the
>Brewery Field's coach Allan Lewis to keep Devereux by
>launching a petition but he would not relent.
>
>"I feel I could have still offered them something but
>Allan Lewis made a decision. I have not got a problem
>with that although I do think players should be
>encouraged to have part-time jobs outside rugby," said
>the powerful 21-times union capped centre.
>
>"I worked nearly all the time during my 10 years in
>rugby league. Jonathan Davies was the same when he was
>there. Being a full-time rugby player is not the
>answer - players need to do something else as well."
>
>Jude, who also revealed Pontypool have signed former
>Ebbw Vale fullback Jonathan Williams from Aber-avon,
>expressed delight at Devereux
>
>agreeing to join a revolution that saw them knock then
>reigning Welsh-Scottish League champions Swansea out
>of the Principality Cup last season and run eventual
>semi-finalists Ebbw Vale close.
>
>Pooler were denied a place in the promotion play-off
>after a gruelling campaign by Aberavon's superior try
>count.
>
>Aberavon lost the play-off to Welsh-Scottish League
>bottom finishers Caerphilly but, at last month's
>extraordinary general meeting of the Welsh Rugby
>Union, it was decided there would be automatic
>promotion from next season.
>
>"That is what we want and, hope-try-count.
>
>fully, signing John Devereux will help us achieve it,"
>said Jude.
>
>"I tried to sign him last season. He is a typical
>former rugby league player with the condition of a
>29-year-old, not a 36-year-old.
>
>"John is going to be a tremendous asset for Pontypool.
>We want the best possible squad. We may be in the
>First Division but we have got a Premier back-line now
>and a hard-core of players in the spine of the team.
>
>"We are determined to get this club into the Premier
>Division and stay there. We have the potential - our
>average crowd last season was the fifth best in Wales
>and there are a lot of businesses in the Cwmbran area
>who want to sponsor a top club in Torfaen.
>
>"We have got a friendly arranged against Newport at
>Pontypool Park on August 3. We are expecting a huge
>crowd for that and Bath are likely to come here on
>August 13. It shows the esteem in which those clubs
>hold Pontypool."
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