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What took you so long?
By Rich Walker July 9 2002
When I first arrived at Leicester University, in what must be almost pre-history (1983) as a Rugby follower and occasional player of negligible talent and even less application, I had no real appreciation of the significance that Tigers would assume in my life.
My first contact with them was when, contrary to my anti-apartheid inclinations, I found myself at odds with the Student Union’s opposition to the awarding of an honorary degree to South Africa Tourist Peter Wheeler.

I knew who he was of course - British Lion and England Hooker & Captain - but not much about his club. But politics and sport are separate I thought. So, I decided I ought to go and have a look at these Tigers.

You might think that having decided this it was only a matter of wandering down to WR on a Saturday pm to partake in the fare presented. Oh no. As a student there were much more important things to do: recovering from Friday night’s excesses, playing pool and pin-ball.

Occasionally I even had to turn out for the University 3rds (“Where do you want me to play this week? Flanker? You’ve got to be joking. You know I hate playing there! Centre? Yeah. OK. Wing? OK but try not to give me the ball. I’ve got a sore head.”) and there were even some weekends when, whisper it softly, I actually wrote an essay.

Consequently it was not until my third year that I finally managed to make a game. Don’t remember much about it actually. I think Leicester won and I think it was against Moseley. I’m pretty certain Cusworth & Hare played and possibly Dodge & Woodward. Beyond that it was pretty forgettable.

So having been once – bitten by the bug. Right?

Wrong.

I fully intended to go again. But finals came, graduation parties and the cricket season. Landing back in Leicester after a brief bout of travelling post graduation, without a job or even any idea of what I wanted to do (some things, at least, never change!) I took a job as assistant manager of the “New Rd Inn” on Welford Rd just up the way from the ground.

There, on Sat afternoons I found myself chatting regularly with Tigers fans on their way to the match, but I never seemed to get away in time to go to watch myself. It was fully another 2 years until I went again. This time it was Coventry and though I can’t remember the score I know we won.

This big lad played at number 8 and this really quick lad that I recognized as an England player was on the wing. The atmosphere was better too and I thought to myself. “Well since I’m not playing now. I might come and do this some weekends.” But what with one thing and another it was again, two years before I went to another game!

Fast forward to September 1993 and I’ve now seen about six Tigers games over 7 years! My then girlfriend, now wife, decides that “I want you to take me to see the Tigers play”. So down to Welford Rd we stroll and watch the ABC Club, a young Matt Poole, Jez Harris et al take on a Saints side including Tim Rodber.

For the first time I really experienced the atmosphere I now expect at Welford Rd. The crowd was probably close to 10,000 and the game though of moderate quality was exciting. At the end of it I was genuinely pleased that we’d won. For the first time I felt like Tigers were “we”.

For the next two seasons we went on and off even taking in a few away games and found ourselves drifting towards season tickets. Finally we took the plunge in 1997. Since then I’ve found myself ever more immersed in my now fully developed obsession with the Tigers.

So it only took me 14 years to find myself part of the family! As I said: “What took you so long?”

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