Championship rugby

[Cagey Tiger]

Still off topic, I'm sure that I read somewhere that back in the 70s? 80s? the club gave out free (season?) tickets to quite a large number of children at various schools and this started a snowball rolling to what we have today.

[GB72]

More recently (but not that recent) I am sure that my brother used to get a free season ticket for his kid when he bought his own one. That created another lifetime tigers fan.

[Rugbygramps]

Still off topic, I'm sure that I read somewhere that back in the 70s? 80s? the club gave out free (season?) tickets to quite a large number of children at various schools and this started a snowball rolling to what we have today.

Don’t know about season tickets but there was certainly free admission used to go on the old mound and help with the scoreboard

[Wayne Richardson Fan Club]

I started going to Tigers on a Free School"boys" ticket, continued going after that finished, it converted my Mother into a Tigers fan & attending games, if I hadn't played at School would I have been interested, doubtful.
Pretty sure we went through a period of bigger crowds than our "Cousins" over the road, even when we played the same day.
Without a solid base below the Premiership it could all sink, at present the pro game isn't financially stable (even pre covid) so something has to change.

[LE18]

Still off topic, I'm sure that I read somewhere that back in the 70s? 80s? the club gave out free (season?) tickets to quite a large number of children at various schools and this started a snowball rolling to what we have today.

When I started at Dixie Grammar School back in 1953, our school had a free ticket for 4 pupils, if I remember correctly, to be shared round, that's when I first started.

[Old Hob]

Still off topic, I'm sure that I read somewhere that back in the 70s? 80s? the club gave out free (season?) tickets to quite a large number of children at various schools and this started a snowball rolling to what we have today.

Chalkie White did his best when as Head of PE at Nottingham High School he brought parties of boys. Midweek games, I think.

[TigerFeetSteve]

IF (and it is a BIG if) anyone is going to make a success of getting promoted into the Premiership 100% it'll be who's promoted this year.

With the fact that the plan is for at least one season of ringfencing it properly allows them to get 2 year contracts for players signed and confirmed, meaning theh can sign those stardust players who can give them a chance of competing because they have the 2 year security.

This is why if they want a 14 team league then it is vital to get them promoted this year.

Personally I'd make it two top divisions of 10 sides. That would strengthen the Championship as you have some big clubs with draws for TV in the divisions, better balance of players between the divisions.

I'd also make the cup competition fully encompass the two divisions...

[Rugbygramps]

IF (and it is a BIG if) anyone is going to make a success of getting promoted into the Premiership 100% it'll be who's promoted this year.

With the fact that the plan is for at least one season of ringfencing it properly allows them to get 2 year contracts for players signed and confirmed, meaning theh can sign those stardust players who can give them a chance of competing because they have the 2 year security.

This is why if they want a 14 team league then it is vital to get them promoted this year.

Personally I'd make it two top divisions of 10 sides. That would strengthen the Championship as you have some big clubs with draws for TV in the divisions, better balance of players between the divisions.

I'd also make the cup competition fully encompass the two divisions...

Unfortunately you would still have at least 10 teams that struggle financially and at least 8 who wouldn’t be able to maintain a necessary standard week in week out.
A key point also is that do the clubs want to move up a standard. I would guess that other than the 3 mentioned you ask their managing committee and the answer would be a firm no thank you

[bendy]

More recently (but not that recent) I am sure that my brother used to get a free season ticket for his kid when he bought his own one. That created another lifetime tigers fan.

Next season is the first season u12s will have to pay for their season tickets (in certain parts of the ground), but even so it's only a nominal £1 per month for them, so as good as free really.

Whilst I don't really like the Wasps approach of giving away tickets to largely uninterested local people, there's no denying that getting kids interested early is a great way to grow your crowd 10-15 years down the line.

[johnthegriff]

Somebody raised the question why Tigers have the fan base far in excess of other teams. In my opinion this is because in the past before Comprehensive School state education many secondary schools whether Secondary Modern, Grammar or Intermediate like my school Moat Rd had rugby teams so at each year level we played competitive matches learning about the game and developing an enthusiasm for it. Not all those that played at school continued playing afterwards although many did but they maintained their interest and followed Tigers and international matches even if it was just via the media. Violence at soccer matches in the seventies and eighties coincided with a downturn in the performances of Leicester City and the John Player successes of Leicester Tigers and of course thank sto Baa Baas matches we had a ground that could accommodate th,e extra fans, our rivals were not that fortunate, I think only Saints, Gloucester, Bristol and Coventry had grounds worth speaking of that could host crowds of more than 7 or 8 thousand. Today many teams have invested heavily in improving ground capacity and providing more than very basic facilities, we must continue that process, it is no good generating local support if there is nowhere for the new fan to park his bum to watch a game. If Doncaster achieve promotion, they will more than fill their current ground and when Tigers visit they can expect 3 or 4 thousand of our fans for that first match, they may well have that 10K crowd the Premiership deems a minimum capacity for a promoted club.

[Rugbygramps]

Somebody raised the question why Tigers have the fan base far in excess of other teams. In my opinion this is because in the past before Comprehensive School state education many secondary schools whether Secondary Modern, Grammar or Intermediate like my school Moat Rd had rugby teams so at each year level we played competitive matches learning about the game and developing an enthusiasm for it. Not all those that played at school continued playing afterwards although many did but they maintained their interest and followed Tigers and international matches even if it was just via the media. Violence at soccer matches in the seventies and eighties coincided with a downturn in the performances of Leicester City and the John Player successes of Leicester Tigers and of course thank sto Baa Baas matches we had a ground that could accommodate th,e extra fans, our rivals were not that fortunate, I think only Saints, Gloucester, Bristol and Coventry had grounds worth speaking of that could host crowds of more than 7 or 8 thousand. Today many teams have invested heavily in improving ground capacity and providing more than very basic facilities, we must continue that process, it is no good generating local support if there is nowhere for the new fan to park his bum to watch a game. If Doncaster achieve promotion, they will more than fill their current ground and when Tigers visit they can expect 3 or 4 thousand of our fans for that first match, they may well have that 10K crowd the Premiership deems a minimum capacity for a promoted club.

I think the point about schools is a good one. I am an Old Newt from the 70s and of the 4 city grammar schools it was only the City of Leicester who didn’t play rugby. We also had yearly school teams and hours matches

[Truefollower]

I am also an Old Newt and vividly remember being coached by teachers who also played for the Tigers so gained some interest in going to see matches. This is no longer going to happen in the professional game but maybe the club could once a week have each player linked to a school and try and re-light the links, maybe running some coaching sessions which may promote pupils to perhaps join a local club.

[ay2oh]

I went to Lancaster boys and we had a Tigers player called Betts and Van Hopkins was our deputy head.

[Offside]

County comps also played rugby. I went to Andrey Martin. Do not recall as much as Birstall but we certainly had a few games. In 70s many schools had Welsh head masters and I understand that was related to having a welsh council head of education but that may be just rumour. There were youth club teams but not so many in my radar as there are now.

[fentiger]

Ealing will appeal if they win the Championship: http://ealingtrailfinders.com/news/club ... -standards