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Fans share their first Tigers memories

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Leicester Tigers fans have been sharing their first memories of supporting the team on the Official Leicester Tigers Facebook page.Supporters were asked to share their first memory of being a Tigers fan as part of a competition to win a signed shirt.   The competition, which is now closed, received more than 900 comments, which you can read by clicking here. Feel free to add your first Tigers memories too.   It was won by Perry Uzzell of Blaby in Leicestershire. Perry wrote: “I moved down to Leicester in 1990 to be a student at the then Leicester Polytechnic.   “Having played rugby at school I decided to go and watch a game. I sat in the corner in the old members stand, having paid just something like £1.70 entrance fee at the turnstiles.   “It was Tigers v Saracens. It was a game of great intensity and I was rewarded with a classic trademark Rory Underwood try right in front of me in the corner. I was hooked.   “I added my name to the waiting list for a season ticket and never looked back. So much so that when I graduated, most of my friends headed off for the bright lights of London. I got a job interview with a local company and when asked why I wanted to stay in Leicester I said ‘because I wanted to watch Tigers!’. Apparently that was the clincher that got me the job!”   Judith Penney said: “My daughter, a student at Leicester Uni at the time, bought me a ticket to the Tigers v South Africa game in November 2009. It was the first time I had been to a live rugby game and I loved every second of it. I am now a season ticket holder and travel up from Kent at least once a month to attend home games.”   Dean Summers wrote: “My first memory was being a child and seeing graham rowntree working in the bank and I cried as I thought he had stopped playing for tigers!!!!”   Sandra 'Sasan' Langdale’s memory was: “My first time at Welford road was a few years back when you played Bath. Our seats were near the pitch and Johnno was warming up, I was so excited to be near him that I shouted out the first thing that came to mind. 'I LOVE YOU JOHNNO' he caught the ball that was being thrown at him and then turned round to look, I of course looked all innocent. My poor husband and son were horrified that I could be so embarrassing. Made my day though, and Tigers won of course.”   Ben Monkeyboy Shannon added: “My earliest memory of the tigers was watching with my dad. I didn't know a single rule. It was just a pile of bodies. Then the next thing I know, a giant emerges from this pile, grabs an opponent by the throats with a giant black taped hand and punches the living daylights out of him. Dad calmly says "that's johnno, you don't mess with him!" From then on I was hooked on rugby and the Tigers.”   Chris Wright said: “My first memory was the day Ospreys visited the ground a few years back in the Heineken cup. I took my son too. We had bought tickets to the paddock and when the crowd arrived my 6 year old couldn't see.   “Leicester Tigers staff did everything in their power to move us to the seated area so we could see. The amount of effort has resulted in my family becoming Tiger fans. Any club that will go to such lengths deserves my support.”   Sam Hiner wrote: “Getting hit in the face by a ball kicked by Pat Howard. Legend. He apologised and signed my slightly tear stained autograph book!”   Luke Archbold said: “My girlfriend went to Uni in Leicester, I used to go up to see her - but it was ACTUALLY for the Rugby ;-)”   And Wendie Love added: “Feeling like we belong to a big family who all want the same thing!” Click here to read more first Tigers memories, to add yours, and to follow Tigers on Facebook.