THE organisers of a country music club in Cinderford have issued an impassioned plea for people to stop boycotting their events.

In a letter to the Review, organisers Len and Pat Tyler have asked people not to stay away from the Southern Raiders Country and Western Club held at the Miners Welfare Hall once a month.

Responding to rumours that a boycott of their club may have been caused by their opening in Cinderford, which already boasts a country music club at the Causeway Social Club, they wrote: "We wish to make it known that we did not set up in competition with the Causeway club or with any other club in the area. We just wanted to provide another country music venue and to help keep the Miners Hall open."

They added: "We chose a Friday as the other clubs in the area run on a Saturday and, when booking our dates, tried not to choose the same weekend as other clubs, which unfortunately did not always work out."

Distressed by the division in the music's fan base, they said: "We cannot understand this attitude as usually westerners and country music lovers go out of their way to help others. We go to many other country music clubs both in the area and further afield to support as many as we can, as we know that country music appears to be in decline.

"We just want to point out that we are no threat to the Causeway or any other club, and cannot understand why people feel they have to boycott us. Surely there's room for us all. After all we have a lot in common with our love of country music and our wish to keep it going."