Leicester Football Club
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| Full name | Leicester Football Club |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Tigers |
| Founded | 1880 |
| Location | Leicester, England |
| Ground(s) | Welford Road (Capacity: 25,849) |
| Chairman | Peter Tom |
| Coach(es) | Matt O'Connor |
| Captain(s) | Tom Youngs |
| League(s) | English Premiership |
| 2016–17 | 4th |
| Official website | |
| www |
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Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club) is an English rugby union club based in Leicester, England that plays in the English Premiership.
Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 10 times English champions – 4 more than either Bath or Wasps, and last won the Premiership title in the 2012–13 season. Leicester have also appeared in a record nine successive Premiership finals, from 2005 to 2013. The Tigers have never finished a league season below 6th position, and are one of only four teams (along with Gloucester, Bath and Wasps) never to have been relegated from the top division. Leicester are also the only English side to have qualified to play in every European Rugby Champions Cup (and the Heineken Cup which it replaced) in which English teams have participated, and are also the most successful English side in Europe; back-to-back champions in 2001 and 2002 and losing finalists in 1997, 2007 and 2009.
Leicester hold the record for most Premiership titles (10), the most consecutive Premiership Final appearances (9) and the most Play off appearances (12). They were the first team to achieve an away semi-final victory in the Premiership play-offs (against Gloucester at Kingsholm on 18 May 2008).
1st XV
Leicester A
Leicester Football Club was formed in a meeting held in the city's George Hotel on 3 August 1880 by the merger of three smaller teams: Leicester Societies AFC, Leicester Amateur FC and Leicester Alert. The club's first game was a scoreless draw on 23 October against Moseley at the Belgrave Road Cycle and Cricket Ground. On 10 September 1892 Leicester played their first game at Welford Road against a Leicestershire XV.Tom Crumbie was appointed secretary on 2 August 1895, a position he held for the next 33 years. Crumbie has been credited with dragging the club to national prominence, he disbanded reserve and third teams making the First XV an invitation side and introducing players from all over the country. Tigers first piece of silverware was the Midlands Counties Cup won for the first time in 1898 against Moseley. Having won the Midlands Counties Cup every year from 1898 to 1905, they dropped out "to give other teams a chance". On their return to the competition in 1909 Tigers won the cup again. In 1903 Jack Miles became the first home produced England international. Leicester's status as a premier club was confirmed in 1905 when a crowd of 20,000 was on hand to see the club face The Original All Blacks, losing 28-0. December 1909 saw Tigers play the Barbarians for the first time, holding them to a 9-9 draw. The fixture became a vital feature in the club's calendar delivering large attendances until open professionalism and league rugby in the 1990s forced it to gradually be abandoned due to fixture congestion. Tigers won the Midlands Counties Cup 3 more times in 4 years to cement their place as the midland's premier side before the outbreak of war in 1914. The visit of the Invincible All Blacks on 4 October 1924 saw a record attendance at Welford Road of 35,000 that stands to this day. Tigers were beaten 27-0 by the tourists. Tom Crumbie died on 13 March 1928, he was described as the cog around which the club functioned and contemporary reports say he epitomised the club.
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