Hello from a converted football supporter!

[Burtonian]

Right, so this is where you introduce yourself, eh? Best get started then!

A bit about myself - as the ***le says, I'm a converted football supporter. If I'm being absolutely honest, I never gave rugby the time of day until I went to a few rugby league games and got well and truly hooked. As a result, I started taking more notice of union and am finding myself completely fixated on the stuff!

I went to my very first union game back in April and picked a pretty good one to start with - a weekend in Dublin to watch Leinster vs. Leicester at the Aviva. I was wowed by the atmosphere, the camaraderie of the fans and the sheer commitment the players put in. The only trouble is that I now find myself spending ridiculous amounts of money buying tickets for upcoming games...this Saturday at Twickenham and Scotland vs. England in the Six Nations being two I've already got to look forward to although I was surprised to get my grubby little mitts on those tickets, especially for the game at Murrayfield!

Hopefully while I'm here, I'll learn a lot more about the game...I have no allegiances to any club team as of yet as I'm still finding my feet but I hope I can contribute to the forum in a way that doesn't make me look like a complete amateur!

You'll be pleased to know that's the essay over with!

 

[Teh Mite]

Welcome to the board!

From a geographical location, I should say your nearest local clubs would likely be Nottingham, Tigers, Solihul, Coventry and Saints in that order (unless you'd prefer the real spit and sawdust sides below ND1)., so there's a starting point for you!

Stick around, post lots, don't feed the cyRil. He's generally harmless but a bit highly strung!

Enjoy!

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Welcome to the forum!

I was born in Burton, and grew up in a village between there and Lichfield - It's a small world!

 

[Burtonian]

Thank you both!

Bullitt - I reckon if I started following Tigers or Saints I may as well have had the username "gloryhunter" !!! Also with me going to the final on Saturday, if the Tigers lose I could end up having the same affect on them as I do my local football team...if I go, they lose!

Olyy - A small world indeed! I'd take a wild guess at Barton?

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Fradley, but near enough


Could always check out Worcester Warriors: similar distance away as Saints

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Fradley, but near enough


Could always check out Worcester Warriors: similar distance away as Saints, and just coming back up to the Aviva now

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I visited a friend in Nottingham this month and went to a Leicester match. I started following that club a bit but that does not make me a gloryhunter

 

[Burtonian]

Fradley eh? That's a proper hub of activity now!

I actually watched both of the Warriors play off games against the Pirates. Enjoyed them both immensely and I must admit to being bowled over seeing how much getting back into the Premiership meant to the fans. The atmosphere at Sixways came across really well too.

That's one of the biggest things that's struck me about union...the atmosphere. I'm used to a lot of hate flying about across a football pitch between sets of fans...admittedly it doesn't happen that much when my team (Burton Albion) are at home but that's probably because there's no atmosphere at all!

Does the "friendly" nature carry over to internationals as well? I only ask because I don't particularly want to be risking my neck at Murrayfield in February!

 

[Teh Mite]

Test games generally are alright. That said, the shear mass of people who turn up means there's bound to be some idiots.

If you don't like agro on the terraces, stay away from Welford road. Bunch of nasty arseholes on the Crumbly Terrace.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Well Chris, I was there and I can't say there were aggressive people.

 

[Teh Mite]

I've been there more times then you have. And to Leicester itself.

Yes they are.

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

I am just saying I did not see any aggression when I was there... Looks like it's contagious haha

 

[Teh Mite]

Trust me, it's a crappy little city with not much apart from the rugby team. The football Supporters get in during the big games (i.e. the derbys, playoffs, cup knock outs etc.) and ALWAYS spoil it.

I witnessed a masive fight kicked off after the semi when an old goat supporting tigers had a go at a woman (it was the guy in the jumper knitted as a tigers shirt in this pic who started it, noticed he happened to be in a pic I took before the game.

Then later after the match, a Saints/Neutral fan was standing on their own outside the stadium when a group of Tigers fans walked up, clocked him one and then went off again.

Not the first time I've witnessed it or heard about it up there. I have no intention of ever going back. Shitehawks with football fan mentalities.

Plus, all the local pubs nearby are crap!

 

[TRF_Ezequiel]

Okay. Never said I don't believe you

The only reason I went there is because it was close to Nottingham, where I was. I wanted to go to Saracens, but that was too far

 

[King_D'Arcy]

That's pretty horrible Bullit. have to say I saw none of this from Tigers fans in the HC quarter final in the Aviva. I guess it's harder to act like a hooligan when you're away from home...

 

[Burtonian]

I may just stay away from that particular part of Welford Road then Murrayfield sounds quite inviting compared to that!

King_D'Arcy - I have to say that my trip to the Aviva was possibly the best event I've been to full stop and in terms of sport, I've been to a lot.

The Leinster supporters we met both on the train to the ground and at the ground itself were fantastic considering me and my mate were completely fish out of water. To be fair, we never really came across any Tigers fans but considering it was a massive game, the general feeling around the place was brilliant.

 

[King_D'Arcy]

I may just stay away from that particular part of Welford Road then Murrayfield sounds quite inviting compared to that!

King_D'Arcy - I have to say that my trip to the Aviva was possibly the best event I've been to full stop and in terms of sport, I've been to a lot.

The Leinster supporters we met both on the train to the ground and at the ground itself were fantastic considering me and my mate were completely fish out of water. To be fair, we never really came across any Tigers fans but considering it was a massive game, the general feeling around the place was brilliant.

Yeah the atmosphere in the aviva has been really great in the last few matches I was at. Took a while to get like that though. Keep going to rugby matches. I find I'm rarely disappointed by the excitement and intensity of them