ALTHOUGH the Abergavenny Thursdays have made the shock decision to not field a team in the Gwent County League this season and allow Govilon AFC the full use of Pen-y-Pound for all of their home games, Thursdays Trustee Ray Warren insists that the historic club is still very much alive.

"We are still affiliated and the Thursdays Trust which runs Pen-y-Pound is still in place," explained Warren, who added, "And despite rumours to the contrary, the Thursdays made the decision to not enter a side into the league for the 2013/14 season, and welcome Govilon to play their football at Pen-y-Pound because we saw an opportunity that we believe in the long run would be the best thing for local football and local footballers."

Former Welsh League champions Abergavenny Thursdays were due to host Pontypool Town in their opening Gwent County League Division Three fixture last week but league secretary Glyn Jones confirmed to the Chronicle that the Thursdays had withdrawn and he citied "lack of players in the area" as the explanation.

When contacted by the Chronicle former Thursdays manager Warren said, "The lack of players was a part of the reason why we chose not to play competitive football this season, but it was a lack of 'local' players that was was really hurting the club and has been for some time now.

"The turning point came when Govilon AFC approached us and asked if they could play their home games at Pen-y-Pound, which we saw as an ideal opportunity to strengthen local football in the area.

"For a number of years the Thursdays have been represented by a lot of players from outside the area, such as Cwmbran, and we had a situation where a lot of the talented local players coming up through our youth system would leave the club and play elsewhere.

"It was a situation which wasn't really working in favour of the club and against the ethos of what the Thursdays was built upon."

When both Govilon AFC and Llanfoist AFC, who for various reasons were both currently without a home pitch, asked to use the facilities at Pen-y-Pound, a situation arose to put what was once fondly regarded as the "Welsh Wembley" firmly back upon the map.

Warren told the Chronicle, "For years people in Abergavenny have always said the best players in town should play at Pen-y-Pound and these latest developments are our way of trying to make that a reality. Already a number of our local lads have been incorporated in the Govilon set-up and we were brutally blunt with Thursday players from outside the area and told them they should start looking for another club because we would not be playing competitive football this season.

"Govilon are a very strong club and it great that local youngsters can get a chance to not only represent them but play at Pen-y-Pound."

Warren added, "It now transpires that because the pitch at Govilon is free, Llanfoist will be playing their home games there, but Govilon are here at least for hopefully the remainder of the season and after that we'll have to wait and see.

"I want to stress that no-one in the Thursdays has put in place any terms or conditions on Govilon playing at Pen-y-Pound. What they decide to do in the future is entirely up to them but if there is a merger at some point between us and them, then we won't be known as the Abergavenny Thursdays or Govilon, but something along the lines of Abergavenny Town or Abergavenny United."

Founded in 1927 Thursdays were crowned Welsh League champions for the first time in 1959 and won successive titles in 1991 and 1992 before the formation of the new League of Wales (now known as the Welsh Premier League) for the 1992/93 season.

The Thursdays could have secured a place in the European Cup if they repeated their 1992 success in the League of Wales first season but circumstances dictated otherwise.

Regulation reared its ugly head and subsequent seasons were not kind to the Thursdays who slipped through all three divisions of the Welsh League before finally ending up in Division Three of the Gwent County League where they have languished for nearly a decade.

Alternately Govilon have enjoyed a surge of success and a hat-trick of promotions in recent years and judging on recent seasons, it's only a matter of time before they secure another promotion from Gwent County Division One and into the Welsh League.

Warren explained, "It might well be that at some point in the future the name Abergavenny Thursdays will be consigned to an honours board and from my own personal point of view that would be devastating because my family and I have an association going back 75 years with this club.

"Equally Govilon is a proud and iconic club with an illustrious history and it would be a very emotive decision for anyone involved with them to drop their name and merge with another club.

"But you have to be realistic and consider what is best for local football and this is exactly what we've done.

"If it doesn't work out, then there's nothing stopping Govilon from returning to their former home next season and the Thursdays once again entering a competitive team into the league, but if Govilon secure promotion and the two clubs decide to merge, it makes for a very exciting future for local football and all those involved with it."