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Amser i bwyso a mesur y ‘12 Disglair’ Time for the ‘Super 12’ to take stock Saesneg / English Derbyniodd y wefan e-bost wrth Dafydd Wyn Jones, cyn drysorydd clwb Porthmadog, a dyna gychwynnodd y trywydd hwn. Cyfeirio roedd at y dorf ddiweddar, o bron i 2,000, ar yr Oval, i weld y gêm ddarbi rhwng Tref Caernarfon a’r Caernarfon Wanderers. “Y naill ar lefel 3 yn y sustem byramid a'r llall ar lefel 4,” meddai Dafydd. Ychwanegodd, “Dros y penwythnos methodd Uwch Gynghrair Cymru ddenu cymaint a’r un dorf yma i'w holl gemau yn y 'Super 12' gan gynnwys gêm 'bwysicaf' y tymor, y 1af yn erbyn a'r ail yn y Gynghrair honno. Mae rhywbeth mawr o'i le yn rhywle!” Mae’n wir wrth gwrs i ddweud fod yna amgylchiadau arbennig ar waith yng Nghaernarfon i ddenu torf mor fawr. Gellir dadlau mai unwaith am byth oedd hyn ond eto mae’n dangos y gefnogaeth potensial sydd ar gael i bêl-droed mewn nifer o ardaloedd yng Nghymru os gellir eu denu i’r meysydd. Mae Dafydd yn sicr nad ydy’r awdurdodau yn mynd ati i wneud hyn ac yn dweud, “Mae rhywbeth mawr o'i le yn rhywle! Onid yw'n amser i ddinosoriaid fel John Deakin a Chymdeithas Pêl-droed Cymru dderbyn eu bod yn gwneud smonach llwyr o'r gêm yng Nghymru, ymddiswyddo en-bloc a gadael i bobl gall redeg y sioe!? Gyda thymor cyntaf y 12 disglair yn tynnu at ei therfyn dyma gyfle i ddechrau pwyso a mesur. Bydd cefnogwyr y drefn newydd yn pwyntio at y cynnydd mewn torfeydd. Mae pawb yn ymwybodol iawn fod y diffyg cefnogaeth wedi bod yn faen tramgwydd i ddatblygiad y gynghrair felly gellir cyfri hyn yn fonws mawr. Ond mae’r golwg mwyaf brysiog yn dangos mai ‘Ffactor Bangor’ sydd ar waith ac i gyfri am y rhan fwyaf o’r cynnydd mewn cefnogaeth. Mae’r clybiau ‘Pres newydd, ‘sy’n gymaint o ffefrynnau gyda John Deakin a henaduriaid yr FAW, wedi methu sefydlu eu hunain yn eu cymunedau ac yn eu chael hi’n anodd iawn i ddenu cefnogaeth, a hyn er waethaf llwyddiant mawr un o’r clybiau yma ar y cae. Dim ond pan fydd ‘Byddin Bangor’ yn y dref mae’r clybiau yma yn denu torf derbyniol a’r diolch i gyd yn ddyledus i glwb sydd a seiliau hanesyddol yn y gymuned. Ardal arall debyg ydy Caernarfon sydd yn dechrau elwa ar yr ewyllys da yn y dref wedi iddynt ddechrau rhoi trefn ar eu clwb. Clwb arall gyda cefnogwyr sy’n teithio mewn niferoedd ydy’r Rhyl ond ar hyn o bryd tu allan i’r elit. Mae Aberystwyth, Hwlffordd a Port yn glybiau â hanes hir ac yn sefydliadau yn eu cymuned ac o brofi ychydig o lwyddiant gallent sicrhau cefnogaeth gref a chynaliadwy. Mae Dafydd yn iawn does gan weinyddwyr y gêm yng Nghymru ddim profiad o’r gêm yn ei chymunedau, ac felly heb y cefndir iawn o’r gêm yng Nghymru ar gyfer arwain cynghrair genedlaethol yn l lwyddiannus. Maent wedi arwain y gynghrair ar hyd y llwybr 12 clwb gan ddilyn yr Alban ar adeg pan fod y gynghrair honno am rhoi’r gorau i’r cynllun. Bellach mae Deakin yn ystyried dilyn Iwerddon i bêl-droed haf ar gyfnod pan fod clybiau’r wlad honno wedi cael llond bol o’r arbrawf yna. Polisi o atebion slic sydd ddim yn gweithio. Un sylw wrth orffen. Mae adroddiad y South Wales Echo o’r gêm rhwng Castell Nedd a Port Talbot yn dweud: “Os ydy ysgrifennydd y gynghrair, John Deakin, o’r farn fod y fformat newydd yn mynd i drawsnewid lefel adloniant y gynghrair ddylai feddwl eto ar ôl y gêm ddifrifol hon. Dyma’r pumed tro i’r cymdogion yma gyfarfod yn ystod y tymor hwn ..... A dydy’r ffaith fod y chweched bennod i gymryd lle cyn ddiwedd y tymor ddim yn debygol o gael y torfeydd yn rhuthro i Stadiwm GenQuip.” Time for the ‘Super 12’ to take stock It was an e-mail to the website by, former Port treasurer, Dafydd Wyn Jones which kick started these comments. He pointed to the recent record crowd at the Oval, Caernarfon of almost 2,000 supporters to see the derby game between local rivals Caernarfon Town and Caernarfon Wanderers. “One at level 3 in the Welsh pyramid system and the other at level 4,” he says. Dafydd adds, “Over the weekend the total attendances throughout ALL matches in the 'elite Super 12', which included the 'match of the season' 1st v 2nd, was far less than this one match at the Oval!” It is of course true to say that there were special circumstances at work in Caernarfon to produce such a bumper crowd. It could be argued that it was a total one off, but it also shows the potential support for football, if properly tapped, within some areas in Wales. He is certain that this is not being done and says, “The time has come for those like John Deakin and the FAW to finally realise that they are doing Welsh football a great disservice and do the decent thing - resign en-bloc and let people who have Welsh football at heart run the show!” With the end of the inaugural Super 12 season approaching it is an opportunity to take stock. Fans of the new system will claim an increase in crowds. We all know that low attendances are the Achilles heel of the WPL since its inception so this has to be a plus. But even the most cursory review of attendances will reveal that it is the ‘Bangor factor’ which is at work and has brought about most of the increase shown. ‘New money’ clubs, much beloved by John Deakin and the FAW hierarchy, have failed to establish bases within their communities and struggle to attract support and that despite considerable on field success in the case of at least one such club. These clubs have really only attracted decent crowds when the ‘Bangor Army’ have come to town; supporters of a club with a strong historic base in the community. Caernarfon is another such area and now the club are getting their act together and beginning to tap the goodwill that exists in their town. Rhyl, currently outside the elite, are another club whose travelling army have given a boost to many away clubs. Other clubs like Aberystwyth. Haverfordwest and Porthmadog are long established community clubs who, given some success, could attract strong sustainable support. But Dafydd Wyn is right, those who administer the game in Wales do not have the grass roots experience or a background within the sport in Wales to chart a path to improving the viability of the national league. They have led the clubs along the 12 club league path, following Scotland at a time when that country is set to jettison that particular route. Now John Deakin is hell bent on following Ireland into summer football at a time when that country is set to pull the plug on that experiment. It is a policy of quick fixes and they won’t work, A final thought. A report in the South Wales Echo on a Neath v Port Talbot game says: “IF Welsh Premier secretary John Deakin thinks this new format will transform the league's entertainment value he should think again after this dire encounter. This was the fifth meeting of these local rivals this season........ And the thought that episode six will take place later in the season is hardly likely to send crowds streaming into the GenQuip Stadium.” |
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