World's most bizzare match report?
He certainly hopes this will happen,
His dream of seeing Leigh returning to Super League in 2016 is over for this season and that’s a crushing body blow for a club doing everything they can to land a golden ticket to rugby league’s Promised Land.
Unfortunately for Leigh, there will no fairy tale finale to what seemed to be a wonderful campaign.
Derek knows that his club, the fans and their refreshing style of rugby can bring so much to the Super League table yet the Middle 8’s have not gone according to plan.
For some reason, it’s been a bloody dogfight and Leigh are left licking their wounds.
Leigh can certainly vouch for the theory that professional sport can be cruel.
Not so long ago, they were flying high, winning admirers and looking a good bet to get over the line in competition with four Super League teams.
Sport’s plentiful peaks and troughs can be mirrored perfectly by Leigh stuttering final steps.
In Super League, Saints have bounced back and the seemingly invincible Leeds Rhinos have struggled following Wembley glory.
Leigh have won just once in the Middle 8s and needed to beat Bradford to stay in the promotion mix.
Teams have busted a gut to halt and ambush the Centurions’ march.
It has even been claimed some have ‘‘picked their games’’ just to keep their head above water.
Leigh have come up short.
Micky Higham ran his blood to water against Bradford.
Gareth Hock nursed a broken nose and broken hearts were in plentiful supply come full time.
Such legendary and respected club ambassadors as Tommy Sale and Brian Bowman were there to witness it and have seen many highs and lows over the years.
This was a dark day.
Bradford’s win was not in the home script but Derek Beaumont remains typically bullish with structures already in place to eventually secure Leigh's place in the sun sooner rather than later.
Beaumont had a two year plan to take Leigh back into Super League and will now fulfil this tenure with the addition of three top class internationals to an already strong and united squad.
In coach Paul Rowley, he has a first class operative, a hungry leader who like him is a proud local man with a fervent passion money cannot buy.
This helps the cause enormously.
It has been said that the promotion setback could make Rowley an even better coach.
He is very much a student of the game and the last few weeks have been a learning curve in his continued rise to the pinnacle of his profession.
Leigh showed gritty steel to square matters at the break against Bradford but it was not their day. Referee Richard Silverwood was diabolical and the fans were left to drown their sorrows.
Derek sipped his own beer and spoke with fire, aggression and purpose at the finish in front of sponsors and supporters.
He is a real rugby man proud of his roots and of the hard work that has turned him into one of the North West’s most successful self styled business chiefs.
He never shies away from tough decisions and will certainly not back down from his quest to give the Leigh public what he feels they deserve - a team to challenge the best.
Leigh’s attacking rugby has lit up many a dull afternoon during a long Championship season but Beaumont is adamant he and the boys get back on the horse and go again soon after Bonfire Night.
They will do just that but right now, there are few fireworks and no street parties but expect Leigh to learn and be up there this time next year.
In defeat, they have been dignified and determined.
They have much going for them - far more than some Super League clubs but still they wait.
Most importantly, they have a dynamic leader in Sir Derek who is driving the bus.
He won’t stop until he reaches the planned destination of Super League status.
In the meantime, Leigh must make sure they now finish sixth, pip Halifax and secure the spoils of a £300,000 pot needed next year to see dreams turn to reality.
For Derek and Leigh, it’s one last throw of the dice with next term being so very important for both owner and his club.[/code
