It's gonna take some time, but I'll get there
Top to toe in tailbacks
Oh, I got red lights all around
But soon there'll be a freeway, yeah
Get my feet on holy ground
So I sing for you
Though you can't hear me
When I get through
And feel you near me
Driving in my car
I'm driving home for Christmas
Driving Home For Christmas - Chris Rea
Coventry Rugby has really been pushing the boat out these last few weeks to promote its final home game of the year, against Nottingham on the 26th December.
There used to be a time in years gone by when any Boxing Day fixture would have sold itself. The annual Moseley match-up was always well attended before the advent of national leagues and, as a child growing up in the 60s and 70s, it was the game we all looked forward to more than any other.
Local rivalries were intense back then and bragging rights for the following 12 months meant just as much as a five points win does today; more so perhaps. When the game was still viewed as an amateur sport, a decent attendance was important but didn't have quite the potential to have an impact as it does today where clubs are so reliant on gate receipts to supplement whatever monies can be earned through additional revenue streams. A home Boxing Day fixture doubly so.
But there's a bit of added spice to Monday's game, too, given a Cov bonus point could take us to third depending on what happens in the other games on Saturday. And a win against Bedford the following week could see us put a bit of distance between ourselves and both Notts and Bedford. And then it would all start to look very different...
Of course, Alex Rae, the coaches and all the players will be desperate not just to beat Nottingham but also put on a show for supporters over the festive period, whilst also making amends for what was one of the least convincing performances at home from a Cov side in recent months - against Notts in the Premiership Cup back in late September (along with the Ampthill and Hartpury games).
But elsewhere in the depths of the BPA, sitting in a dark and dingy office (at least that's how I like to imagine it) Cov's own Jacob Marley will be studying the accounts very carefully in the days after the game.
He, she or they will be endlessly totting up the income and expenditure columns to check whether monies generated via the takings from the turnstiles, hospitality, bar and food sales and other incidentals marries up with expectations as to what the forecasted expenditure will be over the next 11 weeks which see just 4 home games in that period.
Hard to see how any club in the professional era can survive on so little revenue in that kind of time frame - no wonder the club is anxious to ensure it has the capability to generate income streams outside of the game of rugby alone.
A big crowd certainly generates a great atmosphere, one that all the players stress makes such a difference out on the pitch, but it also generates its own financial rewards both in the short and longer terms.
By 'longer' I mean that some of those 4000 plus (hopefully) who aren't anything like regular attendees might be swayed to come a little more regularly having seen Cov put on a show and having enjoyed a positive matchday experience, too.
Sadly though, one scenario is far more likely than the other these days.
On Coventry's 'X' feed today, it's the turn of Will Chudley and Matt Kvesic to advertise the Boxing Day game and it's clear from their message that the club wants to mark the Nottingham fixture with a BPA attendance record and show that 'this match, this club and this league matters'.
If Coventry Rugby wants to use the increasing attendances at the BPA of late and in particular the Nottingham gate, should it be a BPA record (bucking the trend that's seen the Premiership's in decline so far this season), as some sort of leverage against the RFU in future negotiations about the viability of the Championship or otherwise, then the choice of Messrs. Chudley and Kvesic is an astute one.
These are two players who have performed with distinction in the Premiership and having dropped down a level, they are now currently experiencing the Championship and seeing for themselves just how important it is to the future development of the game in this country.
All of which makes a mockery of any future statements from the RFU about the Championship either not providing the standard of rugby needed at this level or failing to provide youngsters with the appropriate sorts of experience.
(And as an aside - what brilliant role models the two of them have been. Both have played their hearts out for the club and rather than dropping down a league to earn some easy money in their latter years in the game (and we've have had a couple of those in the past), the two of them appear to have bought into the Coventry ethos and their presence has been fundamental in the upturn in Coventry's results in recent months. As a Cov supporter, I feel really proud to see them not just wearing the Coventry Rugby shirt, but also appearing to really enjoy their time here. Love it.).
Anecdotal evidence seems to suggest that Monday's crowd is indeed going to be a bumper one, with many supporters planning to bring along additional family or friends as part of the festive celebrations. Indeed, I'm bringing an extra 8 with me.
I've had a quick look at ticket sales and it would seem that much of the main stand is already sold out.
The screenshots clearly show that Blocks 3-7 are pretty much full to heaving already. I've done an approximation of the remaining seats available and its around 460 (including disabled seating) out of a possible 2700. I'd always assumed it was a larger number than that, but unless my maths is well out, I think that's correct. It doesn't include seating for officials, players, gaps for the tunnel etc but does include season ticket holders (seated) who might not all attend.
So, by my reckoning, 87% of the stand is already sold. That's some 2240 seats.
These days, there are a lot of folk who choose to stand on the far side of the ground, especially at the railway end and around what was the street food area (or the Food for Heroes corner as it's since become???). Add to that number those who either watch from the hospitality tent or from the boxes in the main stand and it's not beyond the realms of possibility that the attendance could exceed the 4000 mark which would certainly be a statement of intent as far as the club, and indirectly the Championship, is concerned.
Ampthill plays hosts to Bedford on Saturday and you'd certainly expect to see a crowd of approaching 4000 at least for that one and with Bedford then entertaining Cov on the 1st, there could be some bumper crowds over the holiday period.
Cov's media team has done a fantastic job in recent weeks promoting all aspects of the club's work, whether it be on-the-pitch activities, community links, promotion of events or just celebrating the club's 150th anniversary. Dan Lewis seems to have transformed the club's social media output in the past couple of years and the fact that he can produce material that keeps both my 16-year-old grandson and his 64-year-old grandfather entertained and informed speaks volumes. Other clubs in our league, and indeed the leagues below, used to be well ahead of us in this area but that just isn't the case anymore.
I appreciate Dan has many other commitments, not least playing for Leicester Lions these days, but I do hope Cov retain his services. His input has been invaluable in helping to raise the profile of the club off the pitch.
Presuming we are indeed going to be part of a bumper crowd on Boxing Day, it will be interesting to see whether the club can up its game as far as the match day experience for the ordinary spectator is concerned. No doubt those in hospitality are extremely well catered for, as they should be given they are paying a premium, but in recent weeks I do feel that many Cov supporters haven't really enjoyed the kind of atmosphere that they were used to experiencing in previous seasons.
The 'street food' area now just consists of one burger bar with no choice other than fried food and the coffee van only opens half an hour before the game which is plain crazy.
I've had my say on this in a previous post so other than to suggest that if the crowd approaches 4000 and there are no additional facilities in place, then there are going to be a lot of very disgruntled fans stuck in long queues for food and/or drink or simply frustrated by the paucity of choice.
Finally, just a quick shout out for the Supporters' Club for working with Cov to open up the Club Shop to supporters before Christmas in light of a dearth of opportunities to purchase club merchandise elsewhere - caused by a lack of home games in the build up to Christmas and an inability to buy online.
I do feel a bit guilty here as I did go on about it in a previous post yet I haven't taken up the invitation, despite the CRSC's best efforts.
However, there's been no updates from the club (nothing to do with CRSC here) to suggest that there's any new stock in or any additional little pocket money buys that could be used as stocking fillers etc. It's a long way to go for me if there's nothing new.
I've kind of given up on the new anniversary shirt now as the last email I received from the club, on the 20th November, stated 'the pre-order was sold out on your selected item size....We will be in touch via email once this shipment arrives'.
A month on and I've heard nothing.
I thought I'd got my expression of interest in quite quickly but even if I didn't, I would have expected to have heard something by now. I did pop into the shop at the Hartpury game and whilst there were a number of orders awaiting collection, mine wasn't one of them.
And when I say 'kind of given up', I actually mean definitely. As I stated before, I'm not a great fan of the shirt design and was only doing my bit to support the club. Seems that's no loss to Cov.
Nor me though, to be fair.
Not to worry, that money has now gone to charity.
I trust others have fared a little better.
Driving home for Christmas...
... not sure about the parking though if the crowd is as big as we're all hoping.
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