Votes were very evenly split between two games but it was the Saracens public that voted the outstanding performance against Ospreys where everything seemed to click in one perfect 80minutes of rugby, just ahead over the 45 point dismantling of French super club Biarritz.  Special mention must also go to the losing SF performance where the "Euro champions were battered for most of the game yet some how managed to win"

Winner   Home Vs Ospreys

2^nd           Home Vs Biarritz  

3^rd           SF Vs Munster

2. WORST PERFORMANCE BY A SARACENS TEAM:

Like the previous category was dominated by European competition, so this one is dominated by GP performances...or lack of.  One pollster pointed out that there were "far too many to mention" then went on to list 5 different games.  But there were a clear three games that had you putting your heads into your hands and just crying

The capitulation that had the traveling hoards trying to hide their shirts in shame down at Bath, and those people watching on SKY "switching off after 10 minutes, just embarrassing" was only good enough for second place.  The EDF semi final was obviously eased 2 weeks later like some strange form of Rugby Karma.  But there can only be one winner... described in a blue collar fashion by one voter as "sh*t kick off time, sh*t weather, sh*t game" and another as "single handedly the worst performance I have ever seen by a Saracens side" it's the home game against Quins that takes the award...

Winner                   Home Vs Quins

2^nd                           Away Vs Bath

3^rd                           SF EDF Vs Ospreys

3. FAVOURITE CLUB TO VISIT FOR AN AWAY GAME:

Another real mixed bag, with lots of nominations spread around with Worcester, Gloucester, Irish and  Biarritz all picking up a couple of nominations.  Squeezing in at second just ahead of the pack was Leeds where you no doubt felt comfort amongst working class northern masses, with their flat caps, whippets and other clichés... which makes the winner all the more strange.

It's the upper class toffs in West London that you voted as your favorite ground to visit. Like the workers being allowed into the main house at Christmas time to collect their bonuses.  You all got excited about the annual Christmas party atmosphere at the Stoop where you got to look inside the posh stadium while Quins just hid the silver and got the cheap sherry out...

Winner                   Quins

2^nd                           Leeds

3^rd                           Irish, Worcester, Gloucester, Biarritz

4. LEAST FAVOURITE CLUB TO VISIT FOR AN AWAY GAME:

Again a close call on this.  Wasps received a few votes because Adams Park  "makes VR look like a hotbed of Rugby passion".  Gloucester also are contenders given they managed to spend millions on a new stand yet picked a design that has stanchions obstructing the view, apparently modern building design hasn't made it that far west.  One pollster gave the reason for disliking their trip to Kingsholm as  "The end of a long drive is met by a horrible stadium and warm lager and, inevitably, a Saracens loss."  

Bath squeezed into second place for the Rec; a ground that, if it were a house, an estate agent might describe as having ‘character' which to you and me would mean outdated, expensive, damp, small, uncomfortable and missing a roof.

Seeing as we were stuffed at both grounds this year any opposition fans can put any votes cast against their club to be down to sour grapes rather their own ground inadequacies.  Still; people, glass houses and all that...

But there can be only one...

... the delights of Friday night games, of scary Manchester suburbs, of  the cars being broken into, and that's all before actually getting into Edgeley Park - well done Sale.

Winner                   Sale

2^nd                           Bath

3^rd                           Wasps & Gloucester

5. BEST OPPOSITION FANS:

Ah the Craic, the bodrums, the Guinness, the small men in green with their crockets of gold, pubs that have saucepans nailed to the wall and bikes on the ceiling... you guys love all things Irish this year.  Both Munster and London Irish take the majority of votes.

In fact, if we ignore Worcester, which is often the best way to cope with them,  it's pretty much a Celtic love in this year with the Ospreys coming in joint third place over our two meetings with them.

Winner                   Irish

2^nd                           Munster

3^rd                           Ospreys & Worcester

6. WORST OPPOSITION FANS:

All the normal contenders are in here as you'd expect.  Leicester - "many of them are vile, now they are no longer winning." Bath - "Far too one-eyed, and turned quickly against Borths when he signed for us". Worcester "they love themselves a little too much, they make a noise, but the booing at the end of the Challenge Cup, after Bath's deserved victory, gets them my vote".  And the love in with the Celtic cousins ends with a vote for the Ospreys "wide spread bad language, lack of respect, sour grapes" and their fellow region the Scarlets.

Gobsmackingly, there was not one Quins vote... at all.  When did we start liking them?  Was it when we got our large stadium in the Home Counties, like a lottery winner buying a massive if a little un-tasteful house in the suburbs?  Is it that we're too busy putting stone lions at the end of the drive that we no longer care about their posh city ways?

But for the 48^th year in a row it was the cider drinking masses of Gloucester who win the award for worst opposition fans.  Not content with getting a hammering down there every year you have to make do with all the ‘sympathetic comments' for the whole game until you get back to civilization.  One commentator described them as "smug and love kicking us when we are down"... so it makes it all the more funny that the team continues to choke and you can see them all cry in the stands as they go out of another knockout game

Winners         Gloucester

2^nd                Bath, Worcester & Leicester

3^rd                Ospreys & Scarlets

7. FAVOURITE OTHER GP TEAM (NON-SARACENS):

Lots of you going all misty eyed about your university days and the how things used to be. Bristol and Bath are getting nostalgia votes.  However even more of you have voted for ‘None of the above' truly believing there is no one else but Saracens... and good on you Cyclops-like supporters.  But you're still loving all things Irish, with the plucky plastics out in Reading taking yet another of these rather cheap awards.

Winner                   London Irish

2^nd                           No one

3^rd                           Bath & Bristol

8. LEAST FAVOURITE TEAM:

There was only one vote for Quins and that was mine, what's wrong with you people?!  Bristol was another side that picked up a single vote because of "the way they play the game" while Newcastle also got a vote due to one pollster's ex wife being from the toon, which is perhaps more rational than my dislike of Quins.

At the top it's a three way tie with Gloucester, Leicester and Wasps all collecting exactly the same number of votes. Those interested in statistics & trends might like to note the above all share a common theme of regularly beating us...

Winners                 Gloucester, Wasps & Leicester

2^nd                           Quins, Bristol & Newcastle

9. BEST BAR:

One that's divided opinion, this is the first time that I've done one of these and no place has more than a single vote. The Supporters Club bar at Headingley, the pubs in Cardiff, Pub on Canal in Coventry, Viadana, Druids, Biarritz, Quins, Leeds, Macs bar or whatever it is called,  South Stand at VR all had votes as did a host of other places I can't be @rsed to write in here...  I guess the winner at the end of the day is beer & the supporters that there are so many great drinking holes surrounding the grounds up and down the country... or until next season when Northampton and the Malt Shovel will take the gold award

Winner                   Beer & the supporters

10. WORST BAR:

A bit clearer than the best bar... "The windswept concourses at Madstad are grim; those in the lower Rous are worse, but at least there is an alternative after the match."  While several others point out that everything about drinking at the Millennium was not much fun "long queues, no staff, slow service, 30 point thrashing, rain. Rubbish". Twickers also gets it's normal votes including their ridiculous "4 drinks per person, I was buying 5 so when they wouldn't serve me the 5^th, I suggested the man behind was with me they just past over the 5^th quite happily" while the Stade De France got a vote for not actually serving any alcohol!

Who'd have thought drinking in concrete bowl stadia would be rubbish?!

Winner                   Millennium Stadium

2^nd                           Vicarage Road

3^rd                           Twickers

11. BEST 'SOLIDS':

Once again several votes for Quins, who, even as this rabid ‘anti Quin' has to admit, do a decent spread at the Stoop.  It's clearly something they can do well over in West London as Twickers' range of grub is "fantastic, but really overpriced."

Showing its football roots, the VR pies also take a couple of votes with the Chicken Balti being a bit special.  Leeds also got several votes but with nobody actually saying what was good about it... But it's the famous Bristol pasty at the Mem that shares 2^nd place. Will they be able to maintain their standards next season with their move away from the Mem?

More and more of you are however forgoing food heated by a light bulb in most grounds and instead are getting their fill elsewhere entirely with Druids scoring highly again... or just sticking to a liquid diet.  

Winner                   Food on a match day?!

2^nd                           Bristol & Quins

3^rd                           Leeds

12. WORST 'SOLIDS':

As one respondent so delightfully put it "I've stopped buying the sh*t, so I don't know, anymore," Those that still have the misfortune of eating at the grounds picked out the Millennium stadium as being appalling in terms or service, queues and quality of food and our very own Vicarage Road as being possibly the "worst eating & drinking in the league or possibly even the northern hemisphere"

Winner                   Anyone not eating the food at the Millennium stadium or Vic Road

Bookmark or share this story with:

• Digg
• Delicious
• Facebook
• Reddit
• Stumbleupon

Related Articles:

• T's compilation of the end-of-season poll, part 1

SPORTNETWORK SPECIALS