GLOUCESTER were happy to finally get some good news yesterday after the GBH charges against Lesley Vainikolo were dropped and Gareth Delve's ban was reduced by a week.

Controversy has surrounded the club since the start of the season, the latest the incident involving Olivier Azam and Steve Borthwick in the Saracens game on Sunday.

Couple that with three consecutive defeats and things have been far from easy in the opening salvos of Bryan Redpath's career as head coach.

Redpath was speaking from the official launch of the Heineken Cup at the Madejski Stadium, the ground where the rot started for Gloucester with a 40-10 defeat to London Irish.

"I'm delighted for Les and the fact that the charges have been dropped," said Redpath.

"It has been a tough six months for him. He's stood up to what he's done wrong and accepted a lot of it, and the case has been dropped."

Redpath hopes the release of pressure will mean Vainikolo can now concentrate on his rugby.

"He's performing better every week. In the next month I expect him to be another 20 per cent better because he can focus on rugby.

"He's come back from a bad injury too. A ruptured Achilles for a man the size and power of Les is tough to come back from and he'll take time to come back to his best."

And Redpath had similar thoughts on the reduction of Delve's three week ban to two weeks, meaning he will be available for the Heineken Cup opener against Newport Gwent Dragons on October 9.

"Again I'm delighted," he said. "We always felt it was a case that was worth appealing.

"To get it reduced was great and apart from him being captain, with Luke Narraway injured as well in such a key position it was something we thought was definitely worthy of appeal.

"Now he has a chance to come back quicker than expected and perform better than he did in his last game. That's a challenge for Gareth."

Delve was also thrilled after the grounds on which Gloucester appealed – namely that his contribution to the fight with George Stowers was no greater than the London Irish players – were accepted by RFU disciplinary chief Judge Jeff Blackett.

"It was a massive blow to think I was going to miss the Heineken Cup opener," Delve said.

"It's going to be a great atmosphere under lights at Kingsholm.

"I'm just really happy I'm not going to miss out on that."

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