Positive Posts only for The Great Cockerill

[MurphysLaw]

I have no idea who will be appointed as his successor, but they will not find anyone with more passion for, or commitment to, the Tiger's cause - there is no one!

[Bristol Tiger]

Many great memories of Tigers teams with Cockerill at the heart and Cockerill as a coach. Tigers through and through, and a great gent (he kindly took a photo of us with YBY and Toby Flood as he didn't want to be in the picture!)

Truly hope he moves on to bigger and better things - or simply decides to enjoy life with his feet up! Thank you Cockers.

[Jeremy Anderson]

Very sad to hear the news this morning. I feel we have lost something today that we will find very hard to replace. Cockers was always approachable and a top bloke whenever I spoke with him. I suspect he will remind us how good he is when he lands his next coaching role.
I wish him all the best.

[CJ]

I never had the pleasure of meeting him but he seemed a jolly decent bloke and he was certainly Tigers to the core. I don't think he has been well served by the board, but we fans appreciate all he has done for the club. Hope his future is happy and fulfilled, whatever he may find himself doing.

[thebearisstilldeano]

A proper Tigers legend and a proper decent bloke.

This may be the last we see of his sort, not just at Tigers, but in Rugby as a whole.

[wellstiger]

I know I said last post ever But.......

RC legend.
Tiger to the core.
Set the tone for Coaches and DOR's to never fudge a question and tell it as it is. Doing it the Tigers Way.
Big boots to fill. Big heart to replace. Big respect to be earned.

Broadcasters will miss the Big man. Tigers Rugby Club will not see this style of coaching in a generation if ever.
IMO Sacked Boris Johnson - Kept Michael Gove and his knife

[ourla]

Only history will tell us how good a DoR he was. But one thing is for sure, he's been great to watch and listen to all these years. Hope to see him in the pundits chair soon before taking up his next coaching job.

[fleabane]

Committed to the club, but not so great.

"If nothing else a Cockerill team would always be feisty, tough to beat at home and on their best days, capable of seeing off anyone. The problem for Cockerill, in the end, was that Leicester have been hitting those high spots sporadically. It is 15 years since they won the European Cup and, assuming they draw another blank in this season’s Premiership, they will have won the domestic title once in their past seven attempts. For a side with Leicester’s trophy-laden heritage, that is simply not good enough."
Robert Kitson The Guardian

He may have been a great bloke, but not the great coach he is made out to be. A man promoted above his abilities, the board have to bear some responsibility for his failure to achieve enough silverware for a club for which reaching the playoffs or the European Quarters has never been enough.

I wish him well, he never lacked for loyalty or effort, but it was not enough in the end. A little more luck may have helped, but most of the time we make our own.

A top level club somewhere could soon have an excellent forwards coach arriving from the East Midlands.

[BarmyBamford]

A ll the
B est
C ockers

[Old Hob]

Owen Slot's headline in today's "Times": "Part of Leicester has died with sacking of Cockerill".

[Doghashadhisday]

Owen Slot's headline in today's "Times": "Part of Leicester has died with sacking of Cockerill".

Totally agree. The heart has been ripped out of the club. Even in defeat Cockers passion kept me coming back in hope.

[ginge]

I always had faith that Cockers would get the boys motivated to at least get us into the play offs, even in the years we hadnt been at our best and this year was no exception. It's getting harder to compete with the big money teams and I fear for the future of the game.
Thanks Cockers for everything, you went too soon.

[fleabane]

If you are going to quote the headline, quote what else the article says! That takes the gloss off things!

[Nic]

Very sad news he deserved at least until the end of the season.
Top coach and leader.
Thanks for everything you have achieved as a player and coach.
A great record and you will be missed, hope to see him back when the dust settles!

[Cliffeclimber]

We live in mad times! Brexit - Trump - Cockers! All strange decision, but losing Cockers has upset me the most.

At an end of season "Thank You" party for members who had volunteered at the club, in the bars or on the terraces, Cockers was a wine waiter. He came to our table and asked what we'd like to drink. Some wanted dry white, some wanted sweet white and some red, so instead of pouring the glasses for us he just plonked the bottles down and said, "Help yourselves!"

That's what he gave to the club - a generosity of spirit. Let's hope whoever follows him will remember, as he has done, that it's the members who make the club.