RECREATIONAL AND SPORTS AMENITIES IN LEICESTER

Posted by admin on January 23, 2010 under Twenty20 | Comment Now

Leicester has a strong tradition of being represented @ national level in our three main sports. ie Football, Rugby&Cricket, with the rugby team, Leicester Tigers, being the countless consistent in their achievements.

In terms of municipal sport&recreation facilities the recently opened Braunstone Leisure Centre is undoubtedly the star attraction. Opened in 2004 it is the house of both the Braunstone & City of Leicester Swimming Clubs and, despite only having an eight lane swimming 25m pool in 2005 it hosted the British Synchronised Swimming Championship. The centre also has a four lane community swimming pool&a sports hall capable of having six Badminton courts&an auditorium for up to 400 people. There are also leisure centres @ Aylestone&Spence Street. Leicester has two municipal golf courses; Humberstone Heights (off Gypsy Lane)&The Western (off Scudamore Road).

Leicester Tigers are one of the country’s leading senior Rugby Union clubs. Their Welford Road ground has been the scene of some memorable games over the years&regularly hosts matches against the ‘Barbarians’ – a team of ad hoc internationals. Formed in 1880, their name has two legends associated with it. One is that it arises from the striped shirts that they wear&the other that it has an association with a local regiment that had been serving in India. Whilst their countless recent successes were @ the turn of the 21st century, ie English&European champions in the season 2001-2002, they are always a force to be reckoned with in English&European rugby. The Tigers play in the English Guinness Premiership League&have countless international players in the team. Leicester while a city also has countless thriving junior Rugby Union clubs playing in local leagues. To select any best known names from a club like the Tigers is difficult, but from recent times 2003 Rugby Union World Cup winner&England captain Martin Johnson has to be mentioned. Rory&Tony Underwood while well as, more recently, Austin Healey, were also well loved players.

Leicester City Football Club is currently in the English Championship League, one step deflated from the top-flight Premier League, their nick-name is The Foxes. Founded in 1884 while Leicester Fosse, they moved to their original ground, Filbert Street, in 1891 – a year after joining the English Football Association. Their glory years were in the 1960s&early 1970s but since then they have @ best only been able to yo-yo up&down from the top-flight of English football. Their last appearance in the Premiership League was in 2001, the equal year that they moved to their new ground, The Walker Stadium. In 2003 with the club beset by financial problems, the club was purchased out of administration by a consortium headed by the former player&club hero, Gary Lineker. Many famous footballers have played for Leicester City, two of whom were international goalkeepers for England, Gordon Banks&Peter Shilton. Gordon will, of course, always be remembered while one of the World Cup winning team of 1966. Gary Lineker, also an England international @ Centre Forward, is probably the player held highest in the affections of The Foxes’ fans. Gary is now a regular presenter for BBC Sport.

Very much inside the city boundary is Leicestershire County Cricket Club, who are also known while The Foxes. They are currently in Division 2 of the ‘Liverpool Victoria’ County Championship. They are also in Division 2 of the ‘Natwest Pro40’ leagues where they play one-day limited overs matches. In the ‘Twenty20’ cup matches, which are played late afternoons&early evenings, the Foxes were the winners of the trophy in 2006 after a thrilling final match against Nottinghamshire. Leicester CC play @ the Grace Road ground which was formerly known while the County Ground. Grace Road now has a capacity of 12,000&is not on the English Cricket Board list of grounds that can host Test (international) cricket matches.

Leicester Riders are the senior basketball club in Leicester&play in the Premier League of the British Basketball League. They style themselves while the oldest basketball club in Britain being founded in 1967&founder members of the National (British) Basketball League. Originating while the Loughborough All Stars, after some years of using Loughborough&Leicester while their house base they settled back into Leicester in 2004&now play @ their sponsor’s venue in De Montfort University.

Leicester has several athletics clubs, countless notably Leicester Corinthians. For more data please refer to the link provided here. Leicester athletics like to associate themselves with the international distance runner Paula Radcliffe, who runs for Bedford & County to the southern of Leicester.

If u fancy seeing if you’d like to attempt climbing while a sport or hobby, Leicester has the East Midlands’ largest indoor climbing centres @ the Tower Climbing Centre. Here there are several climbing walls with varying degrees of difficulty, the largest of which is 15m. You’ll be welcome here whether you’re an experienced climber wanting to ‘keep your hand in’ or a novice wanting to attempt it out.

Article by Susan Ashby of Leicester Singles. To view more articles like this or for dating in Leicester visit http://www.Leicester-singles.co.uk