Lions first to hear Footes Lane roar
THE wait is nearly over.
After 581 days, Guernsey Raiders return to competitive league action at Footes Lane tomorrow when the Lions will enter the arena – the Leicester Lions to be exact.
They are due to be welcomed by strong winds and possibly heavy rain for the 3pm kick-off, but Raiders’ director of rugby Jordan Reynolds believes those conditions will only serve to emphasise how important the Garenne Stand support is to his team.
‘I have always thought that it is more exciting to play at home at Footes Lane than being any other home team in England at our level,’ he said.
WATCH: RAIDERS DoR JORDAN REYNOLDS ON THEIR FOOTES LANE HOMECOMING
‘If it’s raining and there are high winds, we probably only lose 30 or 40 people from our crowd whereas if you have the same conditions for games in England, their crowds can go from 600 to little more than 100.
‘The support we get at home is huge, and from a playing point of view I also think that when we go through a bit of a lull in a game when we lose focus, when we are at home we snap out of it much quicker because of the noise and support of our fans.’
Despite having come through their September on the road with an impressive haul of 14 points thanks to three successive wins from their four games, Reynolds admitted that the thought of not having to catch a flight this weekend is comforting for him and his players too.
‘I’m over all that travelling,’ he said with a sigh of relief.
‘Just having a little lie-in is good for the boys. Being able to get up at 8am rather than 4.30 to get to the airport might make a difference because everyone likes their sleep, don’t they?’
