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EUROPEAN CUP LANDMARK
TIGERS TALK
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With a very special anniversary approaching, we want to hear from supporters who cheered Tigers to victory in the stadium or back at home so we can all enjoy the memories of Paris 2001...
Even at this distance, we all have vivid memories of the victory over Stade Francais in the Heineken Cup Final almost 20 years ago.
Whether your recollections involve the tries from Leon Lloyd and Neil Back, the decisive late break by Austin Healey, Tim Stimpson’s winning kick or the friends and family who shared your support for the team either in the stadium or from further away, Tigers want to hear from you.
Healey describes the game as the most important he ever played in, recalling “a hot, sunny day in Paris in front of thousands and thousands of Leicester Tigers fans”.
John Griffiths, from the Tigers Away Supporters Club, was central to the travel plans of many of those supporters, though admitting that he had originally planned on booking just a couple of coaches for the trip.
“On the day tickets went on sale I arrived home from work to be told that my answerphone was full,” John recalls.
“The phone was ringing as I walked in the door, I picked it up and sat at the bottom of the stairs as I took name and phone number and gave payment details. As I replaced the phone, it immediately rang again. This was continuous for about three hours.
“I then had to find accommodation for about 500 people for a price that fitted with the trip I had already sold.”
Once the travelling fans arrived in Paris, the Eiffel Tower became a Tigers focalpoint on matchday morning with hundreds of fans gathering there in club colours before making their way to the Parc des Princes.
Bars and restaurants filled with green, white and red in the build-up to kick-off and then, of course, there was the match itself, with the travelling Tigers making themselves known in the bright sunshine at a stadium just yards away from Stade’s front door.
Mick Phipps was among the supporters unable to make the trip, due to work commitments, but remembers watching coverage of the tense last few minutes “on a small black-and-white TV sat in the car park”.
We have also heard from other fans based around the world who nevertheless were there in spirit as
TIGERS TALK
Tigers captain Martin Johnson lifted the trophy for the first time and the celebrations could begin.
Everyone has a special memory of an incredible day, which is why we would love to share them with the rest of the #TigersFamily.
We’d also like to see some of your photos from a weekend in Paris as we approach this anniversary of a remarkable day in the club’s history.
You can send your stories and photos by email to programme editor Gary Sherrard at gary.sherrard@tigers.co.uk or marked for his attention by emailing tigers@tigers.co.uk.
A 20th anniversary dinner to mark the 2001 European title win is being staged at Mattioli Woods Welford Road on Friday, June 25.
The date has been moved back from May to allow guests to attend in line with the government roadmap out of Covid-19 and tickets are available to book now.
Players past and present will be there to talk about it in an event hosted in partnership with Switch the Play Foundation, a charity founded by Heineken Cup hero Leon Lloyd, which is dedicated to supporting all sportspeople to successfully transition into life outside of sport.
See the Tigers website to book your place.
EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS 2000/01 20TH ANNIVERSARY EVENING
FRIDAY, JUNE 25 - 7PM
PREMIERSHIP SUITE MATTIOLI WOODS WELFORD ROAD £125 + VAT pp £1200 + VAT for a table of 10 TO BOOK:
