12 November 2011
I am known for posting the odd message on Bob’s brilliant ‘Shedweb’ forum. Easily the best independent rugby forum in existence and all done through Bob’s valuable time and hard work. Forum’s are are a strange existence. We all have our forum names. Mine is Baz. I presume it’s not that difficult to work my real name out from that one. Then we have the likes of, Die Trying, Cherry Aid, Original Tetley and Pagan (Who may, or may not be a real witch). You now get the picture. They sound a bit like characters out of ‘Animal Farm’ or ‘Winnie the Poo’. What possessed them to select those names in particular, original Tetley.
Now it might surprise you but there is a London Irish Baz. I am sure I was the original, but it seems I have been cloned by Irish and even, Saracens supporters. A bit like ‘Dolly the sheep’. ‘Irish Baz ‘ is exactly the same as me (anatomically correct), but kind of, greener. Saracens Baz wears a ‘Fez’, has a camel as a pet and a holiday home in Cape Town. In these times of ‘identity’ thefts I have to be careful. I could have my bank account, family, house, and my barbour jacket stolen by the likes of “Bath Baz’. It doesn’t bare thinking about, but I’ll throw the ‘Mother in law’ in if ‘Bath Baz’ promises to leave the rest of me alone.
Well here we are. Three quarters into the season. Things have been going well lately for Bryan and the team. It didn’t start out that way. Here is what I posted on ‘Shedweb’ in the week after the first game of the season.
“I had to wear my red Gloucester jacket to Surrey this morning. It's cold at 5 am. I was ok until I got to Reading to change trains. I could hide the jacket in the corner and no one would see the Gloucester badge. I nearly lost it totally when I heard the Train Guard saying "Exeter". I went looking for him only to suddenly realise he was in fact saying "Exit here, for trains to the South East and Basingstoke".
I could hear the laughter all around platform 4 as I waited for a connection. I guess we are lucky there are only a half a dozen chiefs and a few less Indians. Reading's a big station but I would be unlucky to get a smirk, even from people waiting for the Train to Exeter St Davids, although there was a guy with a 'Mohican' hair style waiting on platform 2 for the 7.10 to Ascot, giving me a mocking stare.
It was raining first thing this morning then there was a rainbow. I thought that's nice, but no, this is Reading. It was then I noticed two little fella's with ginger beards, wearing London Irish shirts on platform 8, at the end of the rainbow. I told them I had to go and hurried onto my connecting train, despite the offer of some loose change for my coffee with 'double devon cream'. What nice guys.
Anyway my analyst has told me it's good to deal with defeat. When my analyst found out I was a Gloucester fan, his mood changed and insisted that "Nobody should have to go through, what you do".
Anyway I'm in Guildford now and I think the laughing has stopped, although I think the girl in 'Tesco Express' let out a little chuckle as I got my sandwich.
Onwards and upwards I say.
I could hear the laughter all around platform 4 as I waited for a connection. I guess we are lucky there are only a half a dozen chiefs and a few less Indians. Reading's a big station but I would be unlucky to get a smirk, even from people waiting for the Train to Exeter St Davids, although there was a guy with a 'Mohican' hair style waiting on platform 2 for the 7.10 to Ascot, giving me a mocking stare.
It was raining first thing this morning then there was a rainbow. I thought that's nice, but no, this is Reading. It was then I noticed two little fella's with ginger beards, wearing London Irish shirts on platform 8, at the end of the rainbow. I told them I had to go and hurried onto my connecting train, despite the offer of some loose change for my coffee with 'double devon cream'. What nice guys.
Anyway my analyst has told me it's good to deal with defeat. When my analyst found out I was a Gloucester fan, his mood changed and insisted that "Nobody should have to go through, what you do".
Anyway I'm in Guildford now and I think the laughing has stopped, although I think the girl in 'Tesco Express' let out a little chuckle as I got my sandwich.
Onwards and upwards I say.
So that was last season.
Losing to Exeter last season was hard to take, although newly promoted they had a terrific season in 2010-2011, and they have pushed on to make themselves a very gritty and determined side. It’s not been the case for newly promoted sides. Rotherham, leeds, Worcester and even Bristol have struggled to keep their status in the top league. Exeter seem to have bucked the trend and may even do enough to get Heineken Cup status for next season. They’ve done that well.
It’s been fairly comfortable for the established Premiership side but is that about to change. At the moment the likes of Newcastle are struggling and some names not usually associated with the bottom area are there too. Harlequins and Northampton have been down there and have come back stronger. These though are really big clubs, with superb grounds and a large support base. What if the Premiership lost London Irish, Wasps, Saracens, Newcastle or Sale?. Fairly Nomadic sides who have struggled to achieve an identity, unlike the likes of Gloucester and Leicester who have history and a firm attachment to the area they were formed. Could they come back or would a lack of interest and the loss of their bank rollers doom them to extinction?
Wasps play in High Wycombe via Shepherds Bush. London Irish are in Reading and it would appear that few have much interest in that area for the club. Sale look to be on the move again having been in Stockport for a while and although Newcastle Falcons are in Newcastle I still find it hard to accept that they took Gosforths name and position in the league and then dropped them like a stone when they were established in the Premiership.
I guess that brings up the argument of ring fencing. Personally I think it would be a bad thing to prevent clubs achieving a go at the top flight. It would also make many games in the Premiership pointless, dreary affairs.
So the question is, who could make it in the Premiership?. No doubt that there are some good clubs in the Championship with history and a decent fan base including Nottingham, Bristol, Bedford and London Welsh. Bristol would be the obvious choice. A sleeping giant but they have had plenty of chances, and despite their excellent history, I am not convinced that the Bristol public embrace rugby the way that the Gloucester and Bath public do.
My money is on Cornish pirates, who have a passion for the game and they have a huge potential supporter base. Some superb players have come out of Cornwall and I remember the Cornish filling the old tump end at Kingsholm many years ago, in the old County Championship. They have the interest and I firmly believe that if they were to gain promotion the investment would come. A day when Gloucester, Worcester, Bath, Exeter, Cornish pirates and possibly Bristol all playing in the Premiership would be something special. One things for certain. If that day ever came every one of those clubs would have identity. At the moment, I believe, that is not necessarily the case.
By Barry Hook (Twitter @BazzerMH)
