CHIPPENHAM TOWN: 'Griffin's going nowhere', says Rudge (From Wiltshire Times)

CHIPPENHAM TOWN: 'Griffin's going nowhere', says Rudge

5:05pm Friday 8th March 2013 in Sport By Dan Barnes

CHIPPENHAM Town manager Nathan Rudge says that striker Alan Griffin won't be joining Frome Town.

The Bluebirds received a seven-day approach from their local rivals for the 29-year-old frontman earlier today, just a day after Chippenham made a bid to re-sign Lewis Powell from the Robins.

Rudge says that Griffin, who has found the net 12 times so far this season, assured him that he has no interest in making a switch away from Hardenhuish Park and the Chippenham chief is keen to retain the striker's services.

“I think that there may have been a few ex-players trying to engineer a move for Griff and the seven days may have come off the back of us trying to entice Lewis back,” said Rudge.

“I spoke to Alan this morning and he's told me that he's not interested in going to Frome. He's a good player and I wouldn't want to lose him.

“I can assure the fans that Alan Griffin won't be going anywhere.”

Frome revealed Chippenham's seven-day approach for Powell, who is the Robins' top-scorer with eleven strikes so far this term, yesterday.

The 23-year-old, who hit 26 league goals for Chippenham in the 2009-2010 season and broke his leg at Hardenhuish Park in January 2012, left the Bluebirds last summer but Rudge says that rumours he and the Welsh striker had fallen out are wide of the mark.

“There have been rumours that it was Lewis' fault and that it was my fault but we're good friends off the pitch and we didn't fall out at all,” said the Bluebirds boss.

“Lewis was still coming back from a broken leg and we offered him a deal on reduced terms, which would get back up to where it needed to be when he proved his fitness.

“He decided that he wanted to move on and I shook his hand and wished him all the best. But we never wanted to lose Lewis from day one.”

Chippenham make the trip to Bedfordshire tomorrow to take on Arlesey Town in the Evo-Stik League Southern Premier Division.

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