And the Classiest European Club of the Season Award goes to...

thomond2006

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/sport/unionclubs/londonrfu/10265280._/

I'm glad I'm not a supporter, between this and the unsavoury tannoy usage in the Munster game, Saracens aren't exactly an endearing club.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Poor form from them

.ak

rchendz92

Eurgh. Glad my beloved Watford FC don't groundshare with them anymore, they have a bad name over here. Hoping Ulster can give them a lesson or two on passionate but respectful support one month today.

awec

There'll be no fat lady singing in Twickenham. :cool:

thomond2006

https://twitter.com/SarriesFatLady

Jesus wept...

P_1

I can see where the marketing whizz kid came up with the idea.

Not a good one tbh, never count your chickens and all that...

molloyjh

Isn't one of the "core value" things on their stand humility?

awec

I can see it now.

Sarries winning by 4 points in the 79th minute. Nick Williams picks up the ball 10 metres out and just runs like he normally does, sending sarries bodies flying in every direction as he knocks them out of the way like a bowling ball does to skittles. He leaves a trail of devastation in his path as the Saracens players he hits try to remember where they are. Head bouncing like he's a guitarist in a heavy metal band. He dives over the line, try! The Ulster fans go nuts and Saracens can shove their fat lady up their bangles.

irishbucsfan

I can see some high pitched nordie yodelling coming when Ulster are thrashing them next month.

I fully hope to be a part of that yodelling.

molloyjh

Does anyone know if the fat lady sings a particular song and what it is if so? Would be great to get it ringing out around Twickenham if Ulster win!

.ak

Stand up and Fight?

molloyjh

.ak wrote: »

Stand up and Fight?

MolBee

I had read previously that some Exeter fans were bemused/irritated by this and had lodged complaints, thought the organisers would catch themselves on and ditch the idea.... There was also mention of the fact the Exeter fans were largely ignored, their replacements weren't announced etc.

P_1

thomond2006 wrote: »

https://twitter.com/SarriesFatLady

Jesus wept...

Anyone up for a mass tweet of the lyrics to 'Stand up for the Ulstermen'

.ak

P_1 wrote: »

Anyone up for a mass tweet of the lyrics to 'Stand up for the Ulstermen'

I don't know that one, how does it go?

P_1

.ak wrote: »

I don't know that one, how does it go?

I don't actually know, perhaps some helpful northerner could show us :pac:

Eponymous

Watched the London Welsh game on Sunday and the ESPN commentators seemed bemused at first then mildly irritated when they realised what it was that was going on.

Hugely disrespectful and completely contrary to the values we hope to instill in young players when they take up the game. What's next, no clapping your opponents off the pitch?

awec

.ak wrote: »

I don't know that one, how does it go?

Stand tall, beat your chest and wiggle your hips seductively whilst shouting the words.

Left arm aloft only, because your right hand should of course be holding a pint of Harp.

P_1

awec wrote: »

Stand tall, beat your chest and wiggle your hips seductively whilst shouting the words.

Left arm aloft only, because your right hand should of course be holding a pint of Harp.

Ah here, the mental image cannot be given back

justsomebloke

So if I'm reading this thread correctly our responce to this is to get awec in drag to sing SUFTUM?

irishbucsfan

Eponymous wrote: »

Watched the London Welsh game on Sunday and the ESPN commentators seemed bemused at first then mildly irritated when they realised what it was that was going on.

Hugely disrespectful and completely contrary to the values we hope to instill in young players when they take up the game. What's next, no clapping your opponents off the pitch?

Did you happen to catch what she was singing?

trouttrout

Horrible club, run by a horrible man

Here are his program notes before the Sarries Munster game this season:

Welcome one and all to certainly what will be the biggest game that Vicarage Road has seen for many a year.Welcome perhaps especially to our visitors from across the Irish Sea, Munster, who probably have a record second to none in the Heineken Cup.
Those of us present at a very closely fought game last weekend at Thomond Park will have witnessed one of the most passionate rugby grounds in the country. When a large banner unfolds to read "Irish by birth, Munster by the grace of god' (sic) you will begin to realise and comprehend the passion that there was in Limerick. We should have nearly a full house at Watford this afternoon, so we need to show that we've got a bit of passion too!

There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that a passionate crowd is the 16th man.Let's illustrate it like this: the ball is a fraction off straight in a lineout at Thomond Park, and of course it's the opposition's throw in, then 26000 people shout 'not straight'. When it's the home side throwing in and the throw is crooked...the silence is so audible you could hear a pin drop! This is bound to have a massive influence on the ref.

The match itself was hard fought and the passion of the crowd probably swayed it. That's what we need today!

The debate over the Heineken Cup itself continues and it was interesting to note that most people one spoke to over in Limerick considered their league, the Rabo Direct, as being of little consequence, with automatic qualification for the Heineken guaranteed and with no relegation. Hence, they often get a low 6000 of 7000 crowd! That's a view shared of course by the English and French clubs! In addition, whenever anyone says it's not about the money, what they mean is that it's about the money. So of course the English and the French clubs generating the substantial majority of the revenue want to see a fair reflection of that, whereas the Celtic nations and Italy, who under the current structure have the majority vote, obviously don't. Don't blame them.

Interesting enough, as I have remarked before, there is a useful parallel elsewhere where South Africa generates the substantial majority of the revenue of the Tri Nations, as it was, and has to play most of it's matches in a completely different time zone, at the worse time, breakfast time, for television revenue. That will of course not be the case if South Africa combined with the Northern hemisphere where we are on exactly the same time zone. There is and essential logic there it will happen, but of course no one knows when.

Enjoy the game, and let's all get behind the Men in Black and demonstrate that we too can generate that bit of passion for out guys.

Very Merry Christmas.

Nigel Wray

P.S. A capacity crowd here today, PROBABLY DOUBLE OUR AVERAGE CROWD at Vicarage Road, teaches us all another obvious truth. It doesn't matter what we think, it's all about what the customer wants. And he doesn't want a series of 'little' games, he's interested only in 'big' games! And that's true for entertainment across the board. Big entertainment acts, you can't get in. Average ones and there's room galore. And it's not about price. Look at the prices paid for top Premiership games, for the top entertainment acts. it's about big games and big events, that's what the customer wants. Even at a game at a decaying Vicarage Road. Happy Christmas!

irishbucsfan

trouttrout wrote: »

Horrible club, run by a horrible man

It's actually a pretty great club, the fans are good people.

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It's actually a pretty great club, the fans are good people.

They'd want to have words with their club then so because they aren't doing their fans any justice at all.

trouttrout

Sorry should say I met a few Sarries fans after the Thomond game and they were the finest. Wasn't saying the fans are horrible

Heroditas

irishbucsfan wrote: »

It's actually a pretty great club, the fans are good people.

Pity about Nigel though!

irishbucsfan

molloyjh wrote: »

They'd want to have words with their club then so because they aren't doing their fans any justice at all.

Yeah but the blazers aren't the whole club, is my point. The IRFU isn't wholly reflective of Irish rugby either!

OldRio

A club with lots of money and zero class.
Please please Ulster destroy them.

molloyjh

irishbucsfan wrote: »

Yeah but the blazers aren't the whole club, is my point. The IRFU isn't wholly reflective of Irish rugby either!

I wouldn't disagree at all. But if Leinster started carrying on like that I'd be up in arms over it. As I'm sure most of our fans would be. They are the only ones who can get the Sarries blazers to knock this on the head. It portrays the club as a whole in a bad light and if it isn't representative of the club and its fans (which I don't believe it is) then they need to put a stop to it.

P_1

I'm not too sure how to think of Sarries owners tbh.

They are aggressively marketing the club in a tabloidesque manner and most evidence points to the majority of the general public responding in a positive way to this type of marketing.

You do have to play the game by its rules to win it after all.

toomevara

When I look at the increasing 'professionalisation' of rugby I begin to worry that in Sarries what we are seeing is the future of the game in microcosm, at least where a club system prevails. Players behaviour has coarsened notably over the last few years and we now regularly see things happening on a rugby pitch which would have excited universal opprobrium only a very short time ago. Simulation, constant backchat to referees, actively attempting to get opposing players binned/carded to name but a few. And that's before we get to players who are exhibiting decidedly football-esque airs and graces on and off the field.(thankfully not something that occurs in Ireland yet, but I can name a dozen prima-donnas currently plying their trade over here who are desperately in need of a good kick in the hole).

This all flows from coaching teams and the ethos handed down to players from very early on. The culture of rugby is changing both on and off the field. We need only think of Quins and 'bloodgate' a few years ago to get a glimpse of where coaches' minds are. One gets the impression that Dean Richards' only problem was that he got caught and his rehabilitation is nearly complete over here. He'll be coaching a prem team again very soon and I wouldn't be surprised if he's made England coach in the next few years.

There are a number of unlovely outfits over here who like Saracens,are very, very difficult to like and for whom the pursuit of victory at all costs is the bottom line. Northampton under Mallinder and Leicester under Cockerill immediately spring to mind. To them, the history, ethos, culture and camaraderie of rugby which are so attractive to many who play and watch the game matter not a jot. If that's the future of rugby, to quote the great Sam Goldwyn "include me out"!