At least the fans have won something

Gloucester's season might be coming to an untidy and unsatisfactory end as the team plays its last game battling to at least finish the season on a high note after far too many defeats recently. But the club HAS won something. 

Well, the fans have.

Trouble is, there’s no trophy and not a lot else to show for the Kingsholm faithful after they were named the most passionate fans in the Premiership.

Scientists at the University of Bath have spent the season testing fans from all 12 clubs, including checking on heart rates and anxiety levels during matches.

And Gloucester’s came out on top.

Our first reaction is to wonder why the scientists couldn’t have spent their time doing something more valuable to mankind and why the Prem sponsors, Aviva, who commissioned the study, really needed to know the result.

But they are there in black and white, with cherry and white fans beating London Irish quite comfortably on qualities like loyalty, evaluation, psychology and physiology.

There now, doesn’t that make you feel better after the season that ends on Saturday?

No, me neither.

In fact, it strikes us here at Shedloads Towers that the survey was a waste of time and those involved would have been better studying the price of a pint at grounds round the country or the quality of fish and chips available in surrounding streets.

Now that would be a proper survey.

It all makes us feel a bit relieved that the season closes for Glaws on Saturday in glamorous Reading with our final Prem game against, of all people, the gallant runners-up, London Irish.

Let’s see who can get the most anxious for a game that means next to nothing for either club.

Then we can get on with worrying about whether Bryan Redpath goes to Salk and who is going to succeed him at Kingsholm.