Marching on...
By *baldric*
July 19 2005
The last few weeks of last season were astonishing. Something clicked. From the jaws of relegation, a turn-around of astronomical proportions occurred leaving we few but stalwart supporters in rapture. It also left the club with a mid-table finish, a shiny trophy, and a new sense of belief.
But where now? As BrianC, London Irish’ resident statistician, showed in his annual ‘whither…’ series, our crowds remain the lowest in the Premiership. Our team is still unfancied on the many prediction threads for next season scattered around these boards. And internally many have criticised the club’s handling of such diverse topics as the merchandise on offer, perceived lack of summer signings, and particularly, the London Double Header.
*baldric* on... Crowd Sizes
Is it as bad as they make out? I think not.
True, we do have the lowest crowds, but we are the youngest club. The attendance figures rose significantly last season, and there’s no reason to believe they won’t rise again this year. We should receive increased coverage thanks to the Powergen Cup. If the momentum from those last few games can be maintained, expect more coverage still. We’ll probably still have the lowest gate average at the end of the season, but it will be higher, and closer to the rest.
*baldric* on... Predictions
The predictions at present can only be based on last season’s final position. Every team is still recruiting, and who can tell yet who will gel quickly and well? There’s no harm in having a guess, but equally that’s all it is.
*baldric* on... Merchandising
As to the club, we all know that the shop stocks little Tykes merchandise and online is practically a joke. It was summed up at the weekend when someone at a local cricket match told me he’d bought his son’s shirt at the Rhino’s store and was amazed they sold Tyke stuff. With our low level of support though it’s probably understandable that the range is so small. With a wider fan base, more items can be offered with a better chance of someone actually buying them. It would still be nice to have the club explain their plans on this front though or at least reassure us that somebody is in charge of this area.
*baldric* on... Recruitment
Player recruitment has recently become a bit of a topic, but every board has a similar thread ‘Why aren’t we making more signings..’. I guess all clubs play it the same way. They keep their cards as close to their chest until the deal is done and dusted. Seems sensible to me. Besides, we’ve already signed a few top players remember. Sure, we need a player or two still but I’m prepared to wait for now.
*baldric* on... Double Headers
The London Double Header is probably the most contentious issue of the summer. And doubtless it will re-ignite closer to the day. I’ll leave it to somebody else to discuss in detail (I’ve rambled on long enough now) but suffice to say I was initially very hostile to this, but have mellowed – particularly with the free travel offer for ST holders – and am now actually looking forward to the game. I still think it wrong to have a ‘home’ game so far away, but I’ve accepted the situation, and will just make the most of it. After all, I enjoyed the result last time I went to Twickenham!
*baldric*'s given his views, what about YOURS? post below or, better still, submit an article of your own to independent_tykes@tykesrugby.co.uk