10 Cup Finals
09 Feb 2012

As Ton square up to the final round in their fight for Division 1 survival, Ton BGC Manager Ceri Jones feels that fortune might in the end favour the brave.  “We have potentially 10 cup finals to play and it is a huge challenge for us to win enough games to stay in this division, but I think I speak on behalf of the players when I say we’re going to give it a bloody good go.”

The club has had its season blighted by injuries from the pre-season stage, but the bad luck has been wider than just the loss of key players.  Jones points out, “The omens weren’t good when I lost the club captain to a rival amateur league side after the first pre-season training session – that set us back even before a ball was kicked, and I felt that on a personal level too.  Within days of that we played our first pre-season friendly and lost a couple of key players to injury and from that point onwards we lost boys consistently through the summer to long term injuries:  we started the season without 8 recognised first teamers.”

“At that point there is no option but to put your faith in the youth, and overall the young players have done a fantastic job for the club.  Its asking a lot for 17 and 18 year old kids to compete every week with established Senior League players.  But despite our league position, we have mostly competed.  We have only taken a few hidings, but overall we’ve pushed teams all the way.   I think of the games where we’ve been in command and ended up with little to show for it –  4-3 up down in Porthcawl in injury time, 2-0 up in Pandy, getting the better of Grange Albion, Butetown  and Pendarren – all good performances against strong sides but we came away from all those games with regrets”.

“Having said that; the league table doesn’t lie.  We’re there because we haven’t amassed the points, we haven’t been strong enough over the 20 games so far BUT we do have 10 games to try and put it right. 

So could have been done differently? The Gaffer is not looking for scapegoats:  “I’m the Manager, and I always say the buck stops with me.  I desperately want to keep us in Division 1 – there has been times this season where I’ve gambled, made what some would regard as controversial decisions, but for me it is always with the best intentions.  In the end as a Manager you have to work out who can deliver and who can’t – most of the time it’s about mentality at this level of football.  Ability is not enough on its own, there are wider requirements including working as part of the team, maintaining fitness, training regularly, discipline, being available for games every week; its in these areas where we’ve been found wanting.  

“The club now has excellent facilities and we have ambitions, there is a huge amount of hard work behind the scenes at clubs like ours. But like in life, in football, you have good times and bad times and whatever is said and done, I’m here to front it up and won’t run from the challenge.  Its particularly disappointing when people (some of whom ex-players) from within the village mock our position, but Tonyrefail is a small village, its where I was born and bred and I know it comes with the territory.”

And who knows, perhaps the last ten games might just see a dramatic turn of luck for the Club?