Programme Notes 2006/7

Leicester Tigers

I’m writing these notes with the knowledge that a large group of Quinssa members are unlikely to be able to read my ramblings on account of them just returning from the Quinssa organised Twickenham Brewery Tour. Having participated in other recent Quinssa events, such as the “Breakfast with Jonny Wilkinson” evening, and the Thames Boat Trip, I can honestly say that you will not meet a nicer group of people; of all genders, vintages and professions. And I’m sure they are an accurate representation of all Quins supporters.

However, if you were to log onto the ComeAllWithin unofficial supporters message board after a Quins loss, these ladies and gentlemen turn “Incredible Hulk” like, into a group of characters that any psychologist would immediately recognise.  They include everyone from the “Corporal Joneses” shouting “don’t panic don’t panic”, to the “hangers and floggers” who claim they foresaw this loss three seasons ago, but no one would listen. Indeed, most are adamant they would do a better job than whomever the present incumbent happened to be, whether a player, coach or even bar manager. There’s even one [you know who you are] who doesn’t care what anyone says as long as they make proper use of the apostrophe. However, what they all have in common is that they truly care about Quins, otherwise why would they be posting their thoughts on a web site at 2 a.m. on a Sunday morning?

This was all brought to mind by Binky, one of our esteemed Members, who posted a parody of the Bard’s “Seven ages of man”, but in relation to seven days on ComeAllWithin after a loss. It got me thinking about my own thoughts and emotions and how during the relatively short time of supporting Quins, I have moved quickly from being a father bringing his young family to an afternoon of entertainment and hot dogs, to a Quins “nutter”, working much of his life around fixtures, particularly those in Europe, and how those emotions have intensified with time.

During these years my wife, God bless her, has finally realised that it is best not to say “it doesn’t matter ….. it’s only a game” within 30 minutes of the final whistle. She now realises that I need time to go through my own  “Five Stages of Quins’ Loss”, i.e. blame [the ref]; anger [at the unfairness of it all]; despair [at the thought of relegation]; acceptance [that we will not win the League}; and finally optimism [that we will be alright next week]. I raise this to assure many of you who recognise these emotions that you are not alone. But don’t worry, optimism has stayed with me all week and I feel good about today. Trust me.

By the way, don’t forget to come and visit us in the East Stand Bar, where you can sign up for the Coaches to Llanelli and Bristol. Please talk to us about what you’d like Quinssa to be doing for you this season. If you’re not a Quinssa Member, why not join?

Cliff Funnell
Cliff@quinssa.org.uk

Programme Note Archive