A DRAMATIC late intervention was made for Newport to stand alone in any future Welsh rugby structure at a packed meeting of shareholders and season ticket holders last night.

Over 500 people at a meeting lasting nearly two hours heard an emotional appeal from former club treasurer Jonathan Sheppard, a Cardiff-based accountant.

Newport have long since entered into a merger with Ebbw Vale for the Heineken Cup and Celtic League.

But Sheppard offered to contribute £5,000 himself if others would follow suit to stop Newport losing their identity at the highest level.

"I can't sit idly by and see this club stopped from playing at the highest level by the mistakes of the WRU," he said.

"The provincial plan is disastrous for the game and the community, it's a nonsense and would have no support.

"We want to see Newport playing at the top level. We will get nothing from Ebbw Vale, there are more people here than on the terraces there.

"I have got sympathy for the way Llanelli and Cardiff are making a stand. If this club loses its ambition it will die.

"We would be down to five clubs anyway if the WRU didn't step in. Ebbw Vale and possibly Neath and Swansea would go if we didn't go provincial.

"I wouldn't give a penny for a provincial Gwent side, but I'd write a cheque now for £5,000 which, with others,would be enough to keep us going one more season, then keep our prime position of one of the five clubs. Don't get rid of 125 years of history to sell the club down the river."

Alan Roderick appealed to Newport not to throw the brand name away and called the merger a leap in the dark.

A lot of hands were raised in support of the Sheppard plan, though there was little indication many would contribute the same amount of money, and later two-thirds showed they would watch a Gwent team at Newport.

Newport benefactor Tony Brown said he was not selling the club down the river and that every top game would be played at Rodney Parade whose assets would still be owned by shareholders.

"It's a very generous offer," Brown told Sheppard. "We'd be delighted to look at it and go to the WRU as a stand alone club. It's a big call to make and if there are 99 others prepared to do the same I'd be delighted to consider it.

"But I can't see any other way forward. I'm not asking people to give up their birthright, though I know it's going to grieve a lot of people.

"For the past four seasons, the club has lost in excess of £1m, and I've done enough."

Brown, who received a standing ovation, revealed Newport would insist stand alone clubs receive half the money of merged sides.

He attends a premier clubs meeting today when there might be moves towards five sides. They meet WRU chief David Moffett tomorrow, but Llanelli have issued a writ in the High Court to prevent the four-team plan going ahead.

Picture caption: Newport owner Tony Brown (left), chairman David Watkins (centre) and president Martin Hazell ( right) listen to the views about Newport's future from the club shareholders at Rodney Parade last night