You keep telling your friends that I'm your man
What do I have to do to make you understand?
For I'm the type of guy who gives girl the eye
Everybody knows
Love 'em and leave 'em
Break their hearts and deceive them everywhere I go
Oh I'm the type of guys who is always on the roam Wherever I lay my hat that's my home That's my home, mm yeh That's my home And I like it that way
Paul Young - Wherever I Lay My Hat (That's My Home)
...temporarily at least, anyway.
And home for Wasps next season looks likely to be the ARMCO Arena, Damson Way, home to Solihull Moors FC a National League, the fifth tier of English football..
But that's ok with me. In fact, it's all fine and dandy as Sue (my wife) is want to say.
If the rumours are to be believed, and in this instance they do appear to have gained some traction in the national media, then a move to Damson Park is ideal given that it's at most a 50 minute walk from my home. Sorry, but there are always winners and losers.
I do recognise that there are some Coventry Rugby supporters, many even, whose hackles rise at the very mention of Wasps but, cards on the table, I'm not one of them.
Some of the comments and name calling I've seen on social media hasn't helped. The refusal to address Wasps by its name, referring to it as 'those cuckoos in the nest', 'the pests' or 'W!sps' hasn't exactly moved the discussions forward, belonging more to the school playground than to a mature debate.
In fairness to Cov though, it has behaved impeccably throughout and the statement it released on the news that Wasps had been placed into administration hit exactly the right tone:
Coventry Rugby is deeply saddened to hear the recent news regarding our neighbors, Wasps.
Above everything, we believe rugby to be a family – and having shared a city, our hearts go out to all of their players, staff, commercial partners, and supporters during this unimaginable time.
...spoiled only by the tweet it released a few days later (see opposite). This hardly supports the above statement and perhaps more accurately reflects the Board's (and Nick Johnston's) true thoughts.
Not a classy look though. Shame. Chris Sutton's, 'You're better than that', springs to mind.
I'm not sure why Wasps' move to Coventry has polarised so many in the rugby world. For Cov City supporters, well that's an entirely different situation. They've found themselves at the thinnest end of the wedge in recent years, although whether that has been entirely of Wasps' making I'm not sure - I really don't know enough of the events surrounding the relationship with Coventry City and Wasps over the past 8 years or so to pass properly pass judgment.
Maybe my relative ambivalence to Wasps' tenure at The RIcoh, as was, is down to the fact that I'm not a Coventrian. My mum most certainly was, being born in Armorial Road, and whilst she was fiercely proud of her roots, Coventry doesn't have the same pull for me so perhaps I see the Coventry v Wasps rather differently to those born and bred in the city.
When pressed, the main thrust of Cov supporters' angst against Wasps appears to be the impact the Premiership side has had on attendances at the BPA. The argument, and it's a spurious one at best, is that supporters previously loyal to Cov were attracted over to The Ricoh by the glitz and glamour of what was on offer, never to return.
However, a close examination of the attendances at the BPA doesn't support this at all; quite the reverse in fact. Attendances pre 2014 had been falling since Cov's relegation from the RFU Championship in 2009/10, well before Wasps' much heralded arrival in 2014. And since Rowland Winter began to change the club's fortunes around in 2016/17, attendances had been on the up until Covid took a grip in March 2020. I'll post the figures later in the week.
My feeling is that Wasps deserves to be punished, as do those in control of the club who took the risks which were to lead to the club's eventual administration. The RFU, too, have failed to show any backbone in their reluctance to punish Wasps in the same way as it did Richmond, London Welsh and Worcester and deserves to be severely admonished. Better still, heads should roll.
But Wasps' supporters shouldn't be made to suffer in the same way. Since 2014, Wasps has attracted a very loyal following that deserves better. Yes, in the first few seasons the club inflated its attendances spectacularly by offering free tickets to all and sundry but, even so, paying supporters watched the games in their 000's - not enough to provide the revenue the club needed to recoup its debts but the kind of numbers that Cov could only presently dream of. That core of support appears to have remained loyal to the club and I'm pleased they'll get to watch Wasps next season.
Just how much skulduggery within the corridors of rugby's HQ was needed to avoid Wasps' being relegated to the bottom tier of English club rugby is unclear and the lack of consistency is all too evident. Whether a 'Phoenix' club can legitimately move from its ground within 3 years in this way is for others to decide, but the RFU should a) explain its ruling regarding Wasps and b) be held accountable.
However, Cov will benefit from a local derby for the first time in a few seasons and I'm sure they'll be looking to secure the bragging rights over the erstwhile Premiership club. The thought of additional 'home' game, with a bumper and particularly partisan crowd, including Cov supporters in their hundreds, is already whetting the appetite.
I'm fairly fickle in this respect and I'm more than happy to put aside any moral dilemmas for the sake of a good derby.
On Boxing Day, perhaps? Now that would be something quite special.
That said, this offering of bonhomie towards Wasps only goes so far.
If the infamous 'P' share isn't removed from the table and Wasps benefit to the tune of £9.8m and rising every season, then I'd retract the above in the blink of an eye. Wasps' in the Championship on a playing field that is at best level with the rest of the clubs, if not slightly uphill, would be the only acceptable outcome. The 'P' shares of both Wasps and Worcester should be used over several seasons to pay off the creditors who have been so compromised by irresponsible financial mismanagement, even though it might be too late for some.
However, if Wasps attracts a consortium of businessmen/women with mega loads of cash to splash, well good luck to them. That is an entirely different scenario. We have been very fortunate to have a Chairman, backed by the Board, who has shown great financial prudence and whilst I can see why they may feel Wasps aren't 'fit for purpose', it is what it is.
The Wasps brand is still going to be attractive to many potential backers, so I think Cov supporters have to expect them to come in with significant monies available for the purchase of a competitive squad next season.
We are allegedly a community club, although how that quite fits into the 'One Club, One City' mantra currently emanating from the BPA I'm unclear, and I do think it's the appropriate time to recognise some of the benefits Wasps' 8 years in Coventry has brought us.
Having Premiership neighbours has definitely raised the profile of the game within the city and must have attracted youngsters in junior schools to take up the game - youngsters who could well join local junior clubs or even our own Academy somewhere down the line now Wasps' are no longer a Premiership side. Long term. that's very much a big tick in the plus column, surely? Unearthing a few players of the calibre of Martin, the Betteridge brothers, Mitchell or James might help heal a few of the wounds that are still festering right now.
And although I've argued the point that Wasps does have a loyal following, even if it is significantly lower than some of the published attendance figures we've seen in the past, it will also have a far larger number of 'fair-weather' fans who might go once or twice a season on a whim. They won't be die-hards or even particularly loyal and who might not want to travel down the A45/M40 to Solihull - these are the fans Cov ought to be targeting when promoting next season's games.
An extra 150-250 supporters (which isn't a great number, even when considering Wasps' sometimes ''inflated attendances) picked up at each home game as a result of Wasps relocation would provide some serious income through the turnstiles.
Wasps' decision to relocate to Solihull could yet benefit Cov...
...hats off to them.
Next season they'll be home from home.
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