Speaking at the club’s Annual General Meeting on Tuesday evening, Tom saluted Tigers’ “amazing” and “incredible” supporters and commercial partners.
“The strength of the support, from a commercial sense and also from the Tigers Family in the stands each week, plays a major role in the confidence we have looking to the future,” said Tom, as the club the club recorded an operating loss of £1.037 million in the accounts for 2011/12.
“Everywhere I go, the first thing that people talk about is the Tigers. We have an incredible number of people in the UK and all over the world who are great followers of the Tigers.
“Tigers continue to grow as an attractive prospect for investors, sponsors, commercial partners and supporters. I would like to thank all of our club sponsors and business partners, especially our main club sponsor Caterpillar. Their support enables us to continue to raise the profile of the Tigers around the world.
“We have 14,500 season ticket holders this year and average Aviva Premiership match attendances in excess of 20,000.
“Our Junior Tigers Club has 12,000 members and I see more and more young faces and families at our home games.
“On the pitch, the players did a remarkable job in lifting Tigers up the Aviva Premiership table and through the LV= Cup last season, to take us within 80 minutes of a domestic double.
“The team set records for the number of successive bonus-point victories in the Aviva Premiership and lost just once to English opposition between mid-October and the Premiership Final. Unfortunately, losing to Harlequins in the final was a real disappointment after such a great run.
“We were, of course, very proud of 12 Leicester Tigers players involved with their national squads at the 2011 Rugby World Cup, especially as four of our England representatives came through our Academy system.
“And thanks to our Academy vice-presidents, whose financial support helps us maintain a productive academy and youth development programme which continues to dividends as we continue to produce our own players.
“And you don’t need to look at the pitch to realise what a special group of players and coaches but we also have a hard-working and dedicated group of people throughout the club. We have got just the same qualities and determination in the admin staff as we have on the playing side.”
Executive director Peter Wheeler reported on the politics of the game at club, domestic, European and international level, including the Premiership Rugby TV deal and negotiations on the future of the Heineken Cup.
The formal business of the annual meeting included the re-election to the Board as Chairman of Peter Tom, and the re-election of Digby, Lord Jones of Birmingham.
