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LEICESTER TIGERS v NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Andrea Pinchen
FROM THE BOARDROOM Tigers chief executive officer Andrea Pinchen reflects on this weekend’s derby behind closed doors and the prospect of fans returning soon. I say it every year, but there’s no game like Tigers versus Saints for me. The history of this match at Mattioli Woods Welford Road speaks volumes - just ask any fan and they’ll tell you what it means. Bragging rights are always important in a local derby and with just 30-odd miles between the two clubs, it’s the one game we all look for in the rugby calendar as soon as the fixtures are released. That is why it is even more gutting that fans are unable to attend today’s game as part of the government’s on-going restrictions on watching live sport. Our neighbours across the road at the King Power Stadium took part in a pilot event at Wembley last weekend with a crowd of 4,000, so hopefully the learnings can be taken and we can safely move to opening our doors again too. You’ll no doubt have seen Steve Borthwick talking about the return of fans during his weekly media sessions and what that would mean to the players. Tom Youngs also spoke about missing that feeling of running out to a packed stadium, saying: “One thing we’ve not taken for granted is that we get to play and do our job, that’s a very special thing
to be able to do. We would love crowds back and we haven’t had that at the moment - you do the warm-up and you run back out waiting for that big roar and it’s not there. It takes some adjustment.”
moment for them and all of us to have you back. There’s a lot going on behind the scenes to get ready for the government’s easing of restrictions, working with our local Safety Advisory Group,
Steve, Aled and a fair few of our players have never experienced (on the right side of it) the noise of our support - including the stamping of the feet in the Breedon Stand while the guys are in the changing room - and, as Tom says, the roar when the team runs out. No one can describe that. It needs to be experienced. I believe it will be a ‘wow’
cleaning the stadium, switching everything back on again as we gear up to open the turnstiles for the Bristol game. Keep an eye on the website and in your emails if you are a current season ticket holder for more details in the coming weeks. Good luck to the lads today and thank you, each and every one of you, for your support from home.
