Supporting the Players
Perry Green, reflects on the support provided by the Supporters Club to Falcons players...
The Falcons Supporters Club has been not only in providing vocal support to the team, home and away, in facilitating travel to away matches, and enabling Falcons Supporters to meet and enjoy the company of like-minded people, but also in the development of the players who have worn the Falcons colours.
I would be surprised if any other Supporters Club actually sponsors a member of the first team. We do, and have done for the past nine seasons.
The first sponsored player was Jamie Noon, and he responded immediately to this honour: he scored a try in his first match as our sponsored player, against Stade Aurillacois in the European Shield. The try also gained him more recognition in that he received the Rush of Blood’ award (more of that later).
Jamie of course subsequently gained full international honours. Similar recognition has been achieved by other Supporters Club sponsored players. Two Scottish players followed Jamie, George Graham for two seasons and then Craig Hamilton. And for a number of seasons we have sponsored England Sevens player, and current Falcons Captain, Phil Dowson.
Sponsorship is not, however, the only way in which the Supporters Club has encouraged the development of players.
At the inaugural meeting of the Supporters Club Committee in May 1996 it was suggested that each season we would nominate a player ‘who would receive an engraved tankard from the Supporters Club’. Many players have since received tankards, and other items, to demonstrate the appreciation of supporters.
From the very beginning the Supporters Club has made a monthly award to the player considered to have made the most impact. Initially determined by Committee members, the award has for many years been voted for by Supporters Club members, whether by means of a ballot paper or in more recent years on-line. In recent years the award itself has become an important feature of post-match activities in the West Stand bar, with one of those supporters who voted for the winning player making the presentation.
Back in 1996/1997 recipients of the Player of the Month award included Steve O’Neil, Tim Stimpson, Nick Popplewell and Tony Underwood, whilst the Player of Season award went to someone who was to win the Player of the Month Award four times whilst a Falcons player, Gary Armstrong.
Other players who have won the Player of the Month award four times are Jonny Wilkinson, and Liam Botham. In recent seasons Matt Burke has won the award so many times that we are losing count!
The second season of the Falcons saw Pat Lam win the award in consecutive months, a feat also achieved in subsequent seasons by Gary Armstrong, and Liam Botham. To date, however, only Liam Botham and Matt Burke have won the award in three consecutive months.
The roll-call of players who have received the award is impressive and includes former Director of Rugby and now England Rugby supreme Rob Andrew, Peter Walton, Falcons Hall of Fame inductee Inga Tuigamala, former captain Hugh Vyvyan, sevens specialist Ben Gollings, overseas players such as Warren Britz, Mark Mayerhofler and Marius Hurter, and local-grown players such as Micky Ward, Geoff Parling, Garath Archer and Dave Walder.
The Supporters Club has also offered more unusual awards over the past decade. The ‘Rush of Blood’ and ‘Champagne Magic Moment’ awards were inaugurated to recognise those fleeting but special moments that occasionally enliven, and sometimes change the direction of, matches. Recipients have included Stuart Legg, Tony Underwood, Tom May, and as mentioned earlier Jamie Noon. And it may not even be a player – then Chief Executive Paul Mackings won the award in March 1999 for his performance as ‘water-boy’!
The Supporters Club has regularly shown its appreciation for the ‘behind-the scenes’ staff of the Club. The ‘Unsung Hero’ award has gone to, amongst others, former coach Steve Bates, to Martin Brewer and Paul MacKinnon, and to Sharon Talbot and Andrew Robson. And Peter Walton followed up a Player of the Month Award with an award for his role as Academy coach.
There have been other special awards made by the Supporters Club over the years. Sometimes these have marked retirements- such as that made to Dave Walder on his departure to Wasps. Sometimes they marked special achievements, as in 1997 when Tony Underwood, Alan Tait, Doddie Weir, Tim Stimpson and John Bentley were all picked for the Lions tour of South Africa.
The Supporters Club has been particularly keen to encourage new talent. The first recipient of the Young/Emerging Player award was Michael Stephenson whilst the latest was another player with an impressive turn of speed, Matthew Tait.
Young players have been supported in other ways too. Recipients of an Under-21 Team Player of the Month award have included a number of players who subsequently made their mark on the first team: Matt Thompson, Ed Williamson, and Jason Smithson, A number of players have benefited from sponsorship enabling them to train and play in New Zealand, including Andrew Springay and Mark Rennie. In 2005/06 the Supporters Club have joined forces with the 24percenters to sponsor the kit for the Under 16 squad. And in 2007 the Supporters Club sponsored two players on the Under 18 Tour to Ireland.
The Supporters Club has also contributed to more permanent features of Kingston Park, contributing to the players’ gym facilities. In 2000/2001 the Supporters Club was instrumental in the opening of a beer tent where supporters and players could mix (and freeze) post-match!
We have even recognised the links with other Supporters Clubs. Back in 1996/97 Moseley were the first recipients of our ‘Hospitality Award’. In the following seasons London Irish almost claimed the award as their own, winning it on a number of occasions.
However one of the more unusual moments in the history of the Supporters Club awards came in February 2000 when the Hospitality award was presented to Welsh club Dunvant following the hospitality extended by them to Falcons supporters in the occasion of the European Shield match in December 1999. So important was this award deemed to be to Dunvant that it was presented with much ceremony on the pitch after a match!