Midland Rugby grounds have scored highly in Drivers Jonas Deloitte's annual survey of fans, completed by almost 1,500 rugby fans from across the country.   

Franklin's Gardens (Northampton), Welford Road (Leicester), Kingsholm (Gloucester) and Sixways (Worcester) were all voted by fans into the top ten of grounds offering the best facilities for spectators. Franklin's Gardens was voted the most popular stadium in the Midlands coming third overall with 14.6per cent of votes.

Midlands' venues also topped the table for creating a daunting environment for the opposition with no ground coming close to Kingsholm. The 16,500-capacity stadium lived up to its reputation for vociferous and partisan support as it was nominated by just under 50 per cent of respondents as the ground with the most intimidating atmosphere. Welford Road scored an impressive 25 per cent with no other ground reaching double figures in the ranking. Franklin's Gardens reached fourth place with 4.6per cent of votes.

When asked about comfort, almost 30 per cent of fans stated they stood when attending games and, of those, over 75 per cent were either satisfied or very satisfied with the view on offer. The Madjeski Stadium in Reading was regularly cited as providing excellent comfort to fans, while Welford Road (recently upgraded to include a new state-of-the-art stand) received extremely strong and enthusiastic praise from the significant minority who considered it to have the best facilities of any rugby ground.

Satisfaction in terms of view and seating was highest among fans of London Irish with Franklin's Gardens, Welford Road, the Stoop and Kingsholm also rated as consistently satisfying supporters. Northampton's Franklin Garden's facilities were largely given approval, whilst Kingsholm's atmosphere was universally praised. Welford Road's seating was lauded by 87 per cent of home respondents, although frustration was significantly higher among Leicester fans who use terraces, with several indicating that they were unhappy with the views.

'Good transport links' were noticeably cited by respondents when voting for stadiums offering the best facilities, with 'ample parking' running a close second. Just over 68 per cent of fans cited a car as being their main mode of transport to and from grounds, with the train the second most popular option at 24 per cent.  

A high proportion of Leicester fans indicated that their sole mode of transport for getting to their home ground was walking. This fact, coupled with the ground's strong showing in terms of generating an intimidating atmosphere, suggests that there is a significant advantage in having a stadium readily accessible to its immediate fan base. Easy access brings healthy attendances from local communities with strong ties to the club (Welford Road holds the record for the biggest attendance for a premiership match at a club ground and consistently sells out its current 24,000 capacity), which in turn help create a daunting environment for the opposition.

Questioned about the modern game, it appears change is not always for the better. Some 77 per cent of respondents lamented the demise of the nationwide knockout cup competition and would like to see it re-introduced. A majority also condemned the new laws brought in at the start of this season- laws that have encouraged teams to kick away possession on a regular basis as opposed to running with the ball in hand - with 79 per cent of fans indicating that they felt they had been detrimental to the game, and only 12 per cent feeling they have had a positive effect. It would seem that the powers that be will need to reconsider these measures if they want to keep the paying public entertained.

Sports fans are generally resistant to suggestions of their club moving away from their traditional home, but when questioned about future ground developments it would seem rugby fans are not especially adverse to the idea of a move if it meant they would be able to enjoy better facilities. A split of 50 per cent against and 42 per cent for such a move (leaving eight per cent unmoved) is surprising when compared to other sports such as cricket, where supporters are generally averse to the idea of re-location.

However, it is apparent that rugby fans still place on-field performance over improved facilities, with more than 72 per cent of respondents indicating that they would prefer their club to divert any additional funds to recruiting better players, compared to 28 per cent who would prefer that any such resources should be spent on an improved stadium with better facilities.

Gary Cardin, head of the Birmingham office of Drivers Jonas Deloitte concluded: "It's great to see so many Midlands grounds ranking highly with fans in this survey. The region has clearly got the mix right in terms of providing top quality grounds which by delivering decent facilities, strong locations and good transport links have built loyal fan bases that in turn bring passion and an exciting atmosphere to every game." 

For more information about Driver Jonas Deloitte, please visit their website here: www.djdeloitte.co.uk