Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Fans have been able to watch Leicester City Reserves games for as long as I can remember and that goes back into the 50's but no longer. According to the Leicester Mercury Blue Army column Leicester are to stage a series of unofficial frienly reserve matches against decent opposition and that they are to be played behind closed doors. Reserve matches have regularly attracted gates of 600-1200 at Hinckley and have provoked healthy and interesting debate about our up-and-coming players and about who might be knocking on the door of the first teasm. Suddenly, because we've been boted out of thePremier Reserve League and have declined the alternative of playing in the Pontins League, friendly matches are to be played in private. Many fans have enjoyed watching the Reserves because the matches are invariably open and entertaining but because it is also an opportunity of seeing which if any of our local or Academy players are closest to breaking through. Once, of course, Leicester City was a club virtually full of Midlands footballers. Now the first team has people from all over the world and, apart from Stearman, O'Grdy and Wesolowski when he's mended, precious little local flavour. Often the reserves are personally known to the fans, often from school, but now the chance to watch these people graduate through to top level will be lost and it is another example of "sanitising" of taking the club further and further into the corporate distance and further away from the local fans. It is hard enough for good Leicestershire-born or East Midlands footballers to get a chance to get a first team opportunity because of the financial investment that inevitably has to be made to bring in outsiders. What chance will such players have now if no-one knows about them? The sooner the club has a rethink the better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon the Hat Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 What's the logic? Is it cheaper to play at the training ground? Why can fans not go in for these games? Are they free? I don't see any benefit for the club to this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chimp Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 When are these matches taking place? I can't see any advantage to the club in doing this, except for possibly financial reasons. Maybe they were losing money on the reserve games? With only 600-1200 fans it's possible maybe the gate receipts didn't cover the costs of stewarding, catering, policing etc. I'd like to see the FT question the club over this and come back to us with some valid reasons as to why they've decided to make this decision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 The advantage of playing friendlies at the training ground is that it would allow us to play trialists, reduce travelling and help with player rehabilitation. We feel that it would be more appropriate to Championship clubs like ourselves who are likely to smaller squads in comparison to our Premiership counterparts. We can play when we want and we can play local teams. I think that's the answer you'll get from the club... Link Edit to say Thracian, Wesolowski isn't a local lad either. He moved here from Australia. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louise Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Discussed a bit here as well: http://www.foxestalk.co.uk/forums/index.php?showtopic=19185 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 I still don't see why that means the fans should be barred from attending the matches. Have Leicester City suddenly become an integral part of Freemasons? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Two things I would say is why behind closed doors and now as reserve games are even further away from the real thing what is their real useful purpose? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Two things I would say is why behind closed doors and now as reserve games are even further away from the real thing what is their real useful purpose? Playing trialists and help with player rehabilitation I'm guessing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 I think that's the answer you'll get from the club... Link Edit to say Thracian, Wesolowski isn't a local lad either. He moved here from Australia. I realise that but he does to school locally and his father works in Leicester so he's become part of the local community. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 I realise that but he does to school locally and his father works in Leicester so he's become part of the local community. Well you said the first team now has people from all over the world apart from O'Grady, Stearman and Wesolowski when really Wesolowski is as Australian as Tiatto, Kisnorbo and Henderson. I take your point that he's been here for a few years now but I still wouldn't class him as a local lad. Most of our current first team players are now a part of the local community because they have to live within a certain distance of Leicester or something along those lines. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 Well you said the first team now has people from all over the world apart from O'Grady, Stearman and Wesolowski when really Wesolowski is as Australian as Tiatto, Kisnorbo and Henderson. I take your point that he's been here for a few years now but I still wouldn't class him as a local lad. Most of our current first team players are now a part of the local community because they have to live within a certain distance of Leicester or something along those lines. To be living here just because you play for the club is not quite the same as going to school here and having your family here and working locally. I ws just trying to point out that many people watch the Reserves to see how people they know or have come into touch with (through school, youth club, local or schools football etc) are coming on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 To be living here just because you play for the club is not quite the same as going to school here and having your family here and working locally. I ws just trying to point out that many people watch the Reserves to see how people they know or have come into touch with (through school, youth club, local or schools football etc) are coming on. Yeah, I understand that. I haven't actually seen this article which says we are going to play games behind closed doors so I don't know whether by behind closed doors they just mean Belvoir Drive where people can wander in and watch if they like or strictly private games. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 Yeah, I understand that. I haven't actually seen this article which says we are going to play games behind closed doors so I don't know whether by behind closed doors they just mean Belvoir Drive where people can wander in and watch if they like or strictly private games. The article says they are going to upgrade the Belvoir Drive pitch and play home matches there. It also says the matches will be unannounced so "closed doors" would seem to mean just that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 The article says they are going to upgrade the Belvoir Drive pitch and play home matches there. It also says the matches will be unannounced so "closed doors" would seem to mean just that. That'll be floodlights brought in then I'm assuming. It might not be such a bad thing if they have to upgrade the training ground in other ways too. Levein always wanted more pitches there but there's not really any room. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Katy Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Thats a shame and I hope the club have a serious rethink. I thought it was a shame that they got rid of Family Night Football, it was a good way to attract very young children and get them into football. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 Thats a shame and I hope the club have a serious rethink. I thought it was a shame that they got rid of Family Night Football, it was a good way to attract very young children and get them into football. I've dropped a line to TD on this and will be interesting to read his response, if any. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Thats a shame and I hope the club have a serious rethink. I thought it was a shame that they got rid of Family Night Football, it was a good way to attract very young children and get them into football. The club are more intrested in handing out free season tickets out to under 8's rather than bring back FNF Does anyone think this is why the atmosphere is so piss-poor? Theres no FNF so kids are bought to first team matches, with hooters, e.t.c, I'm not saying FNF would stop young kids coming to first team matches but would it cut it down? I'm not saying young kids shouldn't come to football games either because we were all/most of us were young kids when we started going but the atmosphere never seemed so bad back then...Mind you Filbert Street had an atmosphere 10X better than WS anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 The club are more intrested in handing out free season tickets out to under 8's rather than bring back FNF Does anyone think this is why the atmosphere is so piss-poor? Theres no FNF so kids are bought to first team matches, with hooters, e.t.c, I'm not saying FNF would stop young kids coming to first team matches but would it cut it down? I'm not saying young kids shouldn't come to football games either because we were all/most of us were young kids when we started going but the atmosphere never seemed so bad back then...Mind you Filbert Street had an atmosphere 10X better than WS anyway. The atmosphere is always better when the Kop makes some noise, after all no-one can ever hear L1. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Fan Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Can you have imagined if there were no reserve games this season? Ashley Chambers would have come off the bench against Blackpool and we wouldn't have a first clue who he is. This is what will be happening from now on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Can you have imagined if there were no reserve games this season? Ashley Chambers would have come off the bench against Blackpool and we wouldn't have a first clue who he is. This is what will be happening from now on. This will mean that one avenue of criticism will be shut down and we will all have to toe the Club line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 April 2006 Author Share Posted 29 April 2006 This will mean that one avenue of criticism will be shut down and we will all have to toe the Club line. Did RK or the new chairman used to work for the Government? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steven Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Did RK or the new chairman used to work for the Government? I meant it in the spirit that as we cannot see the players for ourselves at matches we have to accept what the Club say about them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonbluefox9 Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 The atmosphere is always better when the Kop makes some noise, after all no-one can ever hear L1. Apart from the away fans of course. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Foxes_Trust Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 When are these matches taking place? I can't see any advantage to the club in doing this, except for possibly financial reasons. Maybe they were losing money on the reserve games? With only 600-1200 fans it's possible maybe the gate receipts didn't cover the costs of stewarding, catering, policing etc. I'd like to see the FT question the club over this and come back to us with some valid reasons as to why they've decided to make this decision. The main reason for this happening is the Premier Reserve League booting us out and we first became aware of this at the Fans Consultative Committee just over a week ago. We don't like the idea of closed door matches and will be talking to the club about it. Under CL's leadership selected days per week of training were 'fan free' as well and we raised that issue before. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Magictv Posted 29 April 2006 Share Posted 29 April 2006 Why have we been "booted out" of this premier reserve league then? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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