A Family Affair - TigerR's Tale
By TigerR September 24 2002
My dad played rugby for South Leicester. It was natural therefore that after junior school he wanted to send me to a school that played rugby. I found I was much better at rugby than I had been at soccer. I played for my year at school at lock and then no 8. I loved rugby (and cricket).
By TigerR September 24 2002
My dad played rugby for South Leicester. It was natural therefore that after junior school he wanted to send me to a school that played rugby. I found I was much better at rugby than I had been at soccer. I played for my year at school at lock and then no 8. I loved rugby (and cricket).
I first stood on the Crumbie Terrace when at school. In those days the Tigers offered free passes to ruby playing schoolboys granting admission to the standing areas i.e. the Crumbie Terrace and the Welford Road end (now the Alliance and Leicester Stand).
It didn’t cost the club much because (1) we played rugby most Saturdays so couldn’t be at the Tigers as well and (2) being an amateur club, the admission prices were low and (3) there would only be a thousand or two of spectators for most games so there was plenty of room. The one match for which the pass did not work was the game on the day after boxing day v the Barbarians. But my dad would pay to take the whole family to those games. For those matches the ground would be nearly full.
The Baabaas game was the game of the year for most of the Leicester players. In this game it was usual for the Tigers would take the lead. They had the teamwork to outfox the string on internationals whilst they got used to playing with one another. The Tigers would play with the kind of spirit that Llanelli showed at Stradey Park last season.
As the game progressed the Baabaas would begin to find some cohesion to go with their undoubted individual flare and start scoring tries from all parts of the pitch. Leicester would try to hang on to their lead with fierce Tigerish tackles, roared on by the Tigerish crowd. It was great stuff to watch. At the end the players would form the traditional tunnel to clap the opposition from the pitch. This happened at the Aylestone Road end because in those days the changing rooms were in the Club House (now contains the Captains Bar).
The ground was also used for matches between the Midlands and touring sides and would be close to full to see if the Midlands team, that always included several Tigers, could put one over on the All Blacks, Australians, Fijians etc. Occasionally they did.
However, for the regular friendlies, and not so friendlies against the likes of Northampton, Coventry and any of several Welsh teams (Llanelli, Pontypool, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport), I was able to walk up and down the Crumbie Terrace. Most of the time I could watch a lineout on the north side of the pitch at 10 yards range. In those days the Tigers almost never won against Welsh opposition or Coventry. This was the Coventry of David Duckham.
In 1968, the Tigers made the best signing in their history. They obtained a coach called Chalkie White. Chalkie attracted quality players. He was a coach who encouraged his players to think and he was especially good at coaching the backs. We started to beat Welsh sides at home and, perhaps more significantly, Coventry. Towards the end of the 70s a string of players joined who went on to represent England; Les Cusworth, Dusty Hare, Clive Woodward and Paul Dodge. There was also Barry Evans, an excellent winger who scored lots of tries. It was a team in which the backs outshone the forwards, unusual in the history of the Tigers. The big games of the season were now in the cup. The Tigers won it three times.
The came the merit tables and then the league and with them the ascendancy of Bath. The Tigers often came second. However, the Bath forwards were very good and the backs were always superior. I went to Welford Road less often in this period partly because I and my parents had moved from Leicester.
I started a more regular attendance again when Deano took over and the Tigers began to look like a team that could beat Bath. I saw the last game we lost at Welford Road in the league. I and my brother (who lives in London) were in Paris and in Cardiff. It is great too see the ground so often full and the Tigers setting the standards in English and European rugby.
It didn’t cost the club much because (1) we played rugby most Saturdays so couldn’t be at the Tigers as well and (2) being an amateur club, the admission prices were low and (3) there would only be a thousand or two of spectators for most games so there was plenty of room. The one match for which the pass did not work was the game on the day after boxing day v the Barbarians. But my dad would pay to take the whole family to those games. For those matches the ground would be nearly full.
The Baabaas game was the game of the year for most of the Leicester players. In this game it was usual for the Tigers would take the lead. They had the teamwork to outfox the string on internationals whilst they got used to playing with one another. The Tigers would play with the kind of spirit that Llanelli showed at Stradey Park last season.
As the game progressed the Baabaas would begin to find some cohesion to go with their undoubted individual flare and start scoring tries from all parts of the pitch. Leicester would try to hang on to their lead with fierce Tigerish tackles, roared on by the Tigerish crowd. It was great stuff to watch. At the end the players would form the traditional tunnel to clap the opposition from the pitch. This happened at the Aylestone Road end because in those days the changing rooms were in the Club House (now contains the Captains Bar).
The ground was also used for matches between the Midlands and touring sides and would be close to full to see if the Midlands team, that always included several Tigers, could put one over on the All Blacks, Australians, Fijians etc. Occasionally they did.
However, for the regular friendlies, and not so friendlies against the likes of Northampton, Coventry and any of several Welsh teams (Llanelli, Pontypool, Cardiff, Swansea, Newport), I was able to walk up and down the Crumbie Terrace. Most of the time I could watch a lineout on the north side of the pitch at 10 yards range. In those days the Tigers almost never won against Welsh opposition or Coventry. This was the Coventry of David Duckham.
In 1968, the Tigers made the best signing in their history. They obtained a coach called Chalkie White. Chalkie attracted quality players. He was a coach who encouraged his players to think and he was especially good at coaching the backs. We started to beat Welsh sides at home and, perhaps more significantly, Coventry. Towards the end of the 70s a string of players joined who went on to represent England; Les Cusworth, Dusty Hare, Clive Woodward and Paul Dodge. There was also Barry Evans, an excellent winger who scored lots of tries. It was a team in which the backs outshone the forwards, unusual in the history of the Tigers. The big games of the season were now in the cup. The Tigers won it three times.
The came the merit tables and then the league and with them the ascendancy of Bath. The Tigers often came second. However, the Bath forwards were very good and the backs were always superior. I went to Welford Road less often in this period partly because I and my parents had moved from Leicester.
I started a more regular attendance again when Deano took over and the Tigers began to look like a team that could beat Bath. I saw the last game we lost at Welford Road in the league. I and my brother (who lives in London) were in Paris and in Cardiff. It is great too see the ground so often full and the Tigers setting the standards in English and European rugby.
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