I am an exiled Leigh fan of over 50 years. I remember as a child Bev Rismans's debut. I saw Alex Murphy's debut. I was at Wembley in 1971 and at Whitehaven in 82. I ran on the pitch when John Henderson scored a late try at Warrington to keep us in the 1st Division in 87. I could recall many other wonderful memories over the past 50 years but i won't be boring. The problem now is that last season i attended 3 games and this year i have not been at all.

I ask myself why. I would say that i am totally disenchanted with the way the game has been managed in recent years. Super League is great if you happen to be in it. However i do believe that in it's current form it is damaging greatly the grass routes of the game. Rugby League in towns with a rich history in the game is dying. Huddersfield finished bottom of the top division in successive seasons but were allowed to stay up because they played in a good stadium. Keighley were treated very badly and should have been included in the first super league, whilst London won promoton to nowhere and got included. The sham of the meregers between Huddersfield / Sheffield and Hull / Gateshead - this was just a joke. The wilingness to help out London when they were in a financial mess whilst great clubs like Oldham would have been allowed to go to the wall. I won't even start on the fiasco's in France or the injustice of overseas player allocations favouring certain clubs. My dislike of the 10 metre rule and the fact i feel rugby league wrongly sold it's sole to Sky are issues that can be put aside. I dislike the dual contract system. Clubs that leigh should be competing with on an equal basis can now call the tune at my club - this is wrong. The final nail in my particular coffin can be sumed up in 2 words (promotion and relegation). I look at other sports. Wigan, Burnley, Hull and even Blackpool have all made it to the premiership - it is all about keeping the dream alive. This has been taken away in Rugby League. Promotion or allocation of franchises as they call it is decided not on the field of play. I can hear Mr Lewis saying that this system works in Australia or the USA. This is correct but what must be remembered is that this is not Australia or the USA. Sorry to be negative in my views but i do feel that they are fairly typical. PS just read Tomy Sale's bok and it is excellent.

Three bellies, maybe, but at least I can quote properly

If you can not be bothered to support your club because of something they have no control over then you are an extremely poor fan & quite frankly on the club certainly does not need. Good riddance.