New season tickets for 08/09

Trout 63 · Post by **Trout 63** » Mon May 26, 2008 12:43 pm

Whilst I don't necessarily agree with Iain's slightly 'aggressive' style, I do agree with the point he's making.

Simon, if you're finding the expense and or time involved too much, then fair enough, but to blame the Board for a lack of management skills I believe is a poor attitude.

This season isn't even over yet!

Caterpillar look likely to be the new shirt and 'North' stand sponsors. Rumour has it (Dave A) you'll need to check this site on Tuesday!

I'll be surprised if there's any change at the top, so you just need to make a decision based on your personal circumstances.

I'd like to take a 3 yr option, but won't for 2 'personal' reasons. 1. Imight be moving too far away to get to Leicester. 2. Cash flow not good at this time>

simon redshaw · Post by **simon redshaw** » Mon May 26, 2008 6:57 pm

Iain, I am not a fool. I am quite justified I believe in my unease over this board, even if not many others on here will come out and back me up. Just because I disagree with you and others who take the rosyish line does not make a fool on that argument. You as an exmod should know as much as anyone that that is an unfortunate statement to make at the least.

You may disagree with my stance, but to make me to be a fool in that way is wrong.

Kusadi Tiger, thankyou for your backing me up and I agree with your statement. I am though far from renewing my season ticket at this stage.

Trout,its not a poor attitude. I believe I am right. But if someone can prove otherwise, maybe I might change my mind. I do believe that I am not the only one who feels this way. I have to balance the cost and travel and whether this club really has the potential and ambition to go further. Whether this board can really back up their claim to be best in world, to able to commit to further season tickets.

What's to stop me staying at home or doing something else? It almost seems that this board we have can do no wrong in certain people's eyes, that they may never be criticised. Sorry, but all boards should be open to judgement, and to be able to back up words with performance. I don't see this board making the strides to make this club best in the world.

Dave Angel · Post by **Dave Angel** » Mon May 26, 2008 7:17 pm

Simon, the salary cap may be bigger next season, but not much bigger. It's not a jump from £2.2m to £4m as we were spending (and allowed to spend) much more than the basic £2.2m in the first place. The cap is probably increasing in real terms by maybe 25% and not the near 100% you may think!

As for Hernandez, no matter how hard we try/tried, if he is not for sale (and he isn't!) then we can't sign him. Simple as that!

OK, Evans was one who slipped through the net but we can't sign everyone. If we'd been lucky enough to have signed Evans the likelihood is that another player would have had to have been released in order to cover his very high salary.

We can't sign everyone. That's the simple truth.

Ironically, you say that we haven't signed players of the same quality as "Bath and Gloucester and likes of Wasps". I'd be very interested to hear which players that Bath, Glaws & Wasps have signed recently that you would have wanted to see at Tigers. All suggestions welcome...

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Mon May 26, 2008 8:31 pm

I think the signings of Aaron Mauger for this season and Toby Flood, Ben Woods, Bonarino and Craig Newby for next season actually put us at the top of the "quality signings for next season" league. Disagree with me if you like, but I'm pretty convinced of that.

Evans would have been great but we didn't get him. Instead we got Flood. Swings, roundabouts and all that.

The only other player who became available that I'd have liked us to get was Olly Barkley. But even then, to have Aaron Mauger already in that position is pretty good!

I too have misgivings about certain aspects of what goes on in the upper echelons of the club. But I don't list some of the unsubstantiated speculation you have listed amongst them. And I certainly don't think it has any impact upon me to the point it should make me consider not renewing.

As I say, if the issue is the cost then I can't knock you. Its a fair old trek. But if the issue is the board then you need to have a bit of a think about what you're saying!

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon May 26, 2008 11:46 pm

Well, I think Simon may have a fair enough point in some areas. Of course there may well be imminent announcements that will put these concerns to bed, but the current reality is that:
1. We did mess up with Nick Evans.
2. We continue to be exposed at 7. Can anyone on here really say that Woods is the answer?
3. We are still thin at 9, with no obvious sign of quality backup for Ellis at this stage.
4. We are clearly stretched at prop, Bonarino notwithstanding.

That's not to say that Flood, Newby etc. aren't good looking signings. They are. But one can certainly make a case for some problems with player recruitment.

nottslad · Post by **nottslad** » Tue May 27, 2008 7:57 pm

Hi new to theboard but a tigers fan for 30+ years. i have read many posts in the past few months regarding the team, Loffreda, the new signings,releasing players,poor coaching etc, Simons comments have finally made me post a reply. Simon, please don't hide behind the club has no ambition, they tell us nothing,they are going nowhere reason as for not having a season ticket, I do not have a season ticket, why? because I have a job that means I would miss too many games & it would not be financially viable. if i had the time i would go. as for ambition?? 2 finals in a year, a new coach still finding his feet, at least 2 new signings (NEWBY & BONARINO) I fully expect more, but why should the club announce the new signings before the season is over? Hardly inspires the player who is likely to lose his place? yes plenty of players are leaving, but looking at who is leaving, who will we miss? who is 1st choice? people moan about the young players not being given a chance, but if we don't relaese the older players they never will. You claim other clubs have mnade big signings, who? Wasps have lost DALLAGLIO for BETSEN, WATERS is going not yet replaced. BATH have lost BARKLEY their best player & BORTHWICK the captain, gambled on a NZ Rugby league player. QUINS signed EVANS, yes good signing, but that was his choice, these things happen, SALE have signed TAIT & a couple of others, Northamton have signed a few Including players from Sale.
I agree that some things are not right at the club, COCKERIL in my opinion should go, LOFFREDA should stay, However bearing in mind WC year, new Coach, injuries, MOODY etc its not a bad year. please be honest & state that you may not get a season ticket because you can't justify the cost. I can't thts why |i don't get one. But please get real

simon redshaw · Post by **simon redshaw** » Wed May 28, 2008 8:53 am

Notts lad, you don't know my full reasons, don't make a personal attack like that on me. Don't make assumptions. Cost is not he only reason.I am not hiding behind anything. I am being open. So don't talk rubbish and make stupid assumptions. If anybody's hiding, its people like you who think with the players that we have signed, and the policies of those upstairs, all will be great. One day, somebody like you might see sense. Although, I very much doubt it.

I can't understand Iain's justification for some of the signings have made.

Dave, to answer your question, try Butch James, Claasens, Luke McAllister maybe. There are others.

simon redshaw · Post by **simon redshaw** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:01 am

Very few have, if any, have actually answered Daily's points abouts no obvious sign of quality backup for Ellis, exposed at 7 - is Woods the answer, and stretched at prop.

No, they would rather hide in their own cloud cuckoo land and think all is great.

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:07 am

Okay then Simon, of the three you name:

Michael Claassens: We've got Harry Ellis. What use would he have been? Would either of these great talents be happy sitting on the bench?

Butch James: Well perhaps... but when Bath signed him we were well stocked for fly halves. Not a priority. Now that we need a new fly half we have signed Flood. Universally accepted as a great talent. I wouldn't say we're suffering for not getting James.

Luke McAllister: McAllister's play might be strikingly obvious as being exciting but I would have chosen Mauger over him at the time, and still would now. Don't listen to those who clearly don't watch games properly, Mauger has been superb on the whole. The breaks he makes, the chaos he creates in the opposition defence, the intelligent way he draws defenders... he will get better next season as well!

Any others you want me to provide a simple explanation for?

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Wed May 28, 2008 9:49 am

Well, my family have renewed for 1 year. The 3 year deal may save some money but we can't afford that at present, and with daughter likely to go off to Uni in a year's time, we decided a year was right for us.

I daresay, if some folk decide not to renew, for whatever reason (and everyone is entitled to decide for their own reasons!) then - judging by some of the posts on here - there will be other people ready and eager on the waiting list for season tickets.

kevf · Post by **kevf** » Wed May 28, 2008 10:51 am

simon whilst i understand what your saying do you really believe that tigers either made no effort to sign said players and lost out or that we really should have all the top playeryou are tlaking about?

in one sentence you tlak about the up and coming players but then you also tlak about having all these established players in the squad as well.. and most of them are not english. How are we to grow english talent if at every oppurtunity we get kiwi's and saffers.... this would also mean we have young talent sitting on the bench or the likes of ellis or butch james sat on the bench ....

so we can't have it all ways... we need to find the balance and if this means not getting every kiwi going then so be it

as for glos and all their signings where did it get them.. the could end up with the sam silverware as us or we could end up with one more than them... so the missed signings didn't do us too bad at the end of the season.

and although i have reservations about the board and some of the decisions they make, i don't seriously think they don't have ambition for the club.. they may make the wrong decisons somethimes... but i don't think they make them without ambition

if we could buy all the talent we would liek we would end up like football and the english talent would be very slim pickings so as i said in my mind we need to balance who we sign who we bring on from the academy..

Chesterfield Chris · Post by **Chesterfield Chris** » Wed May 28, 2008 11:25 am

I have renewed my season ticket for 3 years cos it makes perfect economic sense - my son who is 17 only for one year as we are not sure where he will be going to university.

I am now an old codger of 48 and have been trooping down to the Tigers for over 30 years and will continue to do so whilst I am fit and able to do so. Why? because I love the crack and the buzz of the atmosphere and it is somewhere my lads and I have quality time together.

Do I care if we are not the best team in the world? No not really as the premiership is getting stronger and there 12 teams bidding for the "best" signings I just hope we are competitive and get our fair share of the good players and look to play entertaining rugby for years to come.

Unless cost is prohibitive or circumstances dictate then I would encourage all to renew for 3 years as there is no better place to be on a saturday afternoon than Welford Road

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Wed May 28, 2008 1:18 pm

Iain wrote:Michael Claassens: We've got Harry Ellis. What use would he have been? Would either of these great talents be happy sitting on the bench?

But there does seem to be a degree of Tigers inconsistency here, does there not? We previously offered a deal to Mike Phillips, and apparently offered one to Fourie du Preez. So the club, at least, do not appear to have a problem with the principle of two high profile players at 9. And that before we get on to Dupuy. Not that we have any further news on this point.

Still, and back OT, I have renewed (2 year option).

Luke · Post by **Luke** » Wed May 28, 2008 1:23 pm

Erm... so to go back to the original topic of this post about 10,000 words ago...

I have already registered my details with the ticket office for a new season ticket. Has anyone received anything in the post? Should I have had something by now?