Warriors spurn Sardis

"The valleys is a strong area and we would have liked to develop Sardis Road, but that option has been taken away from us," Samuel told BBC Sport Wales.

"All roads lead to Pontypridd, it's a stronghold where we would like to build a new stadium.

Supporters of the game in the valleys heartland deserve better than this Alun Jones, secretary of the Pontypridd Supporters Club

"We don't want to alienate anybody and want Pontypridd fans to come to the Brewery Field to support this great side."

Samuel said that the Warriors were looking at two or three sites for a new stadium, believed to be in the Llantrisant and Treforest area.

Pontypridd fans will need to see evidence of the Warriors intentions if their anger is to be abated, though.

"We feel that (the move to Bridgend) is a breach of faith with the people who have done the most to uphold the values of top-class rugby in this area," said Alun Jones, the secretary of the Pontypridd Supporters Club.

HAVE YOUR SAY There will be no more top-flight rugby in the south Wales valleys, with the abandonment of Sardis Road it ends From Paul Honey Join the Scrum V debate

"We fought hard last year to safeguard a regional identity north of the M4 corridor. Supporters of the game in the valleys heartland deserve better than this and we are bitterly disappointed."

Samuel says that playing games at the Brewery Field rather than Sardis Road made a �15,000 difference to the Warriors at every game, based on comparable gates of around 1,500 at this season's Celtic League matches.

"It was inevitable that the games would come back to Bridgend because we have commitments to sponsors and advertisers and we do not have the facilities at Pontypridd to accommodate them."

Loader won the Welsh Premiership with Bridgend last season

Loader returns

On the field, former Bridgend and Wales prop Chris Loader has returned home to play for the Warriors after just three starts in the Zurich Premiership with Rotherham.

Loader, 30, won 19 caps between 1995 and 1997 and has been recruited after Warriors prop Phil Booth suffered a neck injury which will rule him out of the early Heineken Cup games.

Rotherham team manager Jim Kilfoyle, who took Loader to Yorkshire from Bridgend in the summer, said that the deal benefited all parties.

"Celtic Warriors contacted us about their shortage of props and enquired about the availability of Chris," said Kilfoyle. "With his wife still living in Wales it seemed like an equitable decision for him to go.

"Chris has been a pleasure to have around the club and I would like to wish him the best of luck for the future."

The Warriors have not registered Booth for the Heineken Cup, and have also left out hooker Andrew Joy and number eight Richard Bryan because their injuries will rule them out of the group stages.

Dafydd James is likely to keep playing club rugby for the next few weeks as he battles back to fitness, but flanker Nick Kelly should return from injury in time for the Edinburgh game.