Gloucester RFC

[BobCarolgees]

Heard a rumour that financially they aint looking great and will probably end up flogging a load of their players...

Anyone else heard this? (prior to me posting it of course)

[daveangel]

I have indeed :D

[Neil]

Elaborate? I thought they were multi-backed and not reliant on the Walkinshaw fortune?

[In Exile]

Who gives a toss bout them Barbour wearing, Land Rover driving idiots. Maybe there be less of them mongs out on a Saturday night after it goes belly up down there!

[Neil]

Who gives a toss bout them Barbour wearing, Land Rover driving idiots. Maybe there be less of them mongs out on a Saturday night after it goes belly up down there!
Thats the thing though, they're not. Rugby is the thing to do in Gloucester and Gloucester people will only follow a sure thing. I'd like to see the reaction from the public if they ever managed to get relegated.

[In Exile]

Imagine if they got relegated, the Regal would be flooded with all the tears and the Citizen would treat it as a worse moment than 9/11

[daveangel]

And we could all have a street party!

[BobCarolgees]

Interesting post on Shed Web


Christ Lewi, the answers easy. To be like Leicester we have to be like Leicester. A long and successful playing 'career', complete embedding in the fabric of the town and a totally professional attitude to everything to do with the sport.

With the best will in the world Gloucester have never been like that. Take away the flash in the pan 'success' of the Melville era - when we could have easily been accused on buying success by throwing out our 'traditions' and bringing in players from all over the place - and when have we ever, really achieved anything of note? A few things here and there, but nothing sustained.

Gloucester is/are a victim of Gloucester. Ever since way back when the club has had a short term approach to everything, a quick fix and splutter our way through the next year or so. Has there ever, ever been a concerted plan for the club? Have we ever said let's really build this club from the bottom up, have we ever marketed ourselves properly, have we ever, really, been a part of the community – well post 1990 anyway? There is an awful arrogance around some people associated with the place - 'we're Gloucester we do it our way'. Sorry, didn't work, doesn't work and won't work.

We might like to think we're the greatest supporters - more arrogance – we’re not. Just look how quiet the place is now, it has all the atmosphere of a what it is - a half empty stadium with the odd flash of enthusiasm during the warm up and at the end – but only if we’re winning. The Saracen’s ‘supporters’ were right – we only sing when we’re winning. Of course Leicester’s lean times don’t match ours, and their support stays loyal seemingly whatever comes their way. Let’s face it, we’re a second tier club and pretty much always have been. Those who came on board in the 2001/2/3 etc did so based on false expectations.

We don’t have the financial clout to match Tigers, Saints and any of the newly moneyed clubs so why even contemplate it? Unless you have the odd 50 million to lob into the funds stop expecting others to do it for you. TW did his best, of that I am sure. Whether it was good enough who knows, whether Son Of Tom will carry on and do better, who knows.

So for the time being we’ll hover around the bottom end of the second tier of the three tier league we operate in – Leicester, Sarries, Northampton and probably Bath will form the top four for a while to go, Wasps, Quins, Irish and ourselves will scrap for the lower places while the other four will try to avoid relegation – such is my prediction.

And – early 2000’s apart – wasn’t it always thus. I’ll renew my season tickets next year. Been going for too long now it’s in my blood, but I’ll go more in hope than expectation.

[tigermatty]

Interesting post on Shed Web

Interesting indeed. Very interesting that he notes that GRFC have no presence in the local communities, this is where City are hopefully going to capitalize on their idleness in this respect. There are tons of people in all sorts of different communities in Gloucester who are crying out for a team to get behind, & GRFC means nothing to them. Mercenaries from around the commonwealth playing for their wages.

[Neil]

But it's a rugby thing still though isn't it? I'm pretty sure that there is little or no love between GRFC and any of the local teams; Matson, Coney Hill, Gordon League etc.

[Jake]

Heard a rumour that financially they aint looking great and will probably end up flogging a load of their players...

Surely not, whatever would 'The Citizen' do to fill their back pages?

[Don Caster]

Only 1 comment to make....."**** 'em"

[Neil]

Are the Citizen running a competition to see how many nights they can run photos of James Simpson Daniel laying down on a rugby pitch?

[daveangel]

Do you mean "Sinbad", local hero, born in Stockton on Tees, and representing Gloucester for love not a huge salary?

[Neil]

Wasn't he the window cleaner in Brookside?

[Pablo]

Do you mean "Sinbad", local hero, born in Stockton on Tees, and representing Gloucester for love not a huge salary?

Neil, you need to set up some kind of 'like' feature.

[BobCarolgees]

Why is he called Sinbad anyway? Does he spend his spare time sailing near to the Somalian coast?

[penalty]

I'm from Stockton-on-Tees :P

[Neil]

And the Gloucester public love you too Penno, but not enough to give you a lift to Waterwells ;)

[BobCarolgees]

Get your Nicholas Lyndhurst loving partner in crime to take you