Plymouth Albion: Sacking Graham Dawe "uncomfortable" says new owner

Bruce Priday is the third owner of Plymouth Albion since the start of January 2015

Plymouth Albion's new owner Bruce Priday says sacking head coach Graham Dawe was "uncomfortable".

Dawe was dismissed earlier this month after the National One club were taken over by former players Priday and David Venables after entering administration.

"It was the most uncomfortable thing I've done in a long time," Priday told BBC South West.

"The changes we were going to have to make, Graham was going to find it increasingly difficult."

He added: "We are going to be doing things dramatically differently.

"Graham will say 'you didn't give me the chance to do that'. It's not personal to Graham Dawe, but we had to give undertakings that it was going to be a completely fresh start."

Plymouth Albion's players showed their support for Graham Dawe last week

The final home game of the season against Hartpury College last week saw tributes paid to Dawe by both fans and players, with the matchday squad wearing t-shirts supporting the former England hooker, while other players wore masks of Dawe's face.

"I understood it, in a way I was pleased to see that level of passion," added Priday, in his first interview since taking over on 11 April.

"If we can get that passion on our side then anything's achievable, so we took the brickbats, but we're enthused by the level of feeling."

Following Dawe's sacking his fellow coaches also stood down, leaving Exeter Chiefs academy coaches Rob Gibson and Sam Morton in sole charge for the final two games of the season.

But Priday said going to Albion's Premiership neighbours for help was just a short-term measure.

"At the moment Plymouth have assistance from Exeter in terms of players and so on, so we're going to continue that," he said.

"We want to get Exeter's help and they've said they will help, however we want their help in the short term, very quickly we want to get on our own two feet, get into the Premiership and be their direct competitor."