If you look at the Wards represented on Wigan Council you can identify about ten that must have Centurions fans living in them, namely:- Leigh East, Leigh South, Leigh West, Astley/Mosley Common, Atherleigh, Atherton, Hindley, Hindley Green, Tyldesley and Lowton East. This means that there are thirty councillors that can be approached, these councillors hold surgeries to discuss problems with their constituents. So get mithering.

Interestingly Councillor Cunliffe (Leigh East) is a member of the Cabinet and Councillor Whiteside (Leigh West) is Chairman, Children & Young Peoples Scrutiny Committee, not forgetting the big boss himself, Lord Smith allegedly represents Leigh West.

I have just read the twitter reply from WMBC in which they state that it is the Councils intention to put Leigh Sporting Village PLC in charge of operating the bar in the club.
This statement has clearly been made by persons who have no idea of how the Licensing regulations work.
Leigh East Social Club operates under a Club Premises certificate ( formally a Registration Certificate ). This is not a Licence and the premises are not Licenced Premises. It is therefore not possible for WMBC or anybody else for that matter to take over the bar as it stands. In order to do this the Council will have to apply for a Licence in order to sell alcohol from these premises. Leigh East do not sell alcohol they supply it to their members and guests under the provision of a Registration Certificate. You need a licence to sell alcohol and Leigh East do not have one.

In order to obtain a licence public notices have to be given, ie local press, and other legal proccedures followed. This is to allow the public to make objections if they wish. The club would then become a pub in effect if the Councils application was successful. There is a new pub less that 200 yards from the club, a hotel and several licensed bars in the stadium why do we need another licensed premises in this small area.
I can certainly foresee several hundred at the very least lodging objections to this application.

I also see that the Council, in their reply, making reference to the club making substantial annual profits. I also read somewhere amongst the numerous posts on this topic that the Council advised the club that it should be run on a commercial basis. A registered club cannot be run on a commercial basis as this is one of the qualifications needed for registration. All the club proceeds belong to the members of the club, to be used for the benefit of the members and it is for the membership to decide how this is done but it is not to be done for commercial purposes. The way the proceeds are used is of no concern to WMBC or anybody else.

Leigh Sporting Village Plc could not obtain a Registration certificate to run this bar and they could not use the certificate of Leigh Easts. As I said they would have to obtain a licence.

This decision has been taken by persons who have no idea idea of the licensing regulatuions in relation to registered clubs. It is not a sensible decision in my opinion and one that could prove costly for the ratepayers of Leigh and Wigan. I can see very few, if any, locals using the bar if the council succeed with his application

If they succeed I'm sure everyone will boycott it and we can make sure opposing ams visiting get the message too .

Don't the LSV run the bars now at the stadium? If so it is all classed as the same site so they will just add the Easts bar to the others.

They must be really thick or desperate or even worse, think that Easts don't know what they are doing and will just roll over, to have missed something like that. But like I put in that PM Keith, the underfloor heating thing is an absolute joke. Why are they so determined to get Easts out. It really is starting to grind at me now. How can they be so incompetant to carry on with these demands and threats thinking that people will not question their motives or the outcomes.

Swindon? LSV are desperate!

I signed last night, the kids did Leigh East and the town proud. Not sure if they had been told what to say or we're genuine with what they were saying but it was certainly hitting home.

'please don't let them close our club'
'will you sign our petition, Wigan council want to take my club away'

This is what we are up against ,,,,,,,, this is reply from parliamentary group. Thank you for your email of 10 June to the Rt Hon Hugh Robertson MP, regarding the campaign to save East Leigh Rugby Club, and I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Minister. We do sympathise with the situation you describe with the East Leigh Clubhouse. This of course comes at a time when local authorities are having to tighten their belts considerably. However, this is not an issue which central Government can become involved in. Decisions about leisure facilities rest with the local council and Ministers cannot intervene directly or influence the decision-making processes of local authorities. The Government would like every community to have access to as wide a range of sports facilities as possible. However, it is critical that local authorities plan strategically for the future, to ensure that all community needs are catered for and the right facilities are in the right places. If you feel that your local council is not dealing with these issues correctly you could use the council’s own complaint procedures. You may also wish to seek advice from the Local Government Ombudsman. The website details are: www.lgo.org.uk/ and the LGO Advice Team numbers are 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983. You may also like to know that there are many funding agencies, both at a national and local level, which can help your club achieve its ambitions on the pitch and within the local community. Further details are available on the RFU website at this link: www.rfu.com/managingrugby/clubde ... ngagencies I suggest that you enlist the support of your constituency MP the RT Hon Andy Burnham to support your campaign. Kind Regards, Syed Ali Ministerial Support Team

This is what we are up against ,,,,,,,, this is reply from parliamentary group. Thank you for your email of 10 June to the Rt Hon Hugh Robertson MP, regarding the campaign to save East Leigh Rugby Club, and I have been asked to respond on behalf of the Minister. We do sympathise with the situation you describe with the East Leigh Clubhouse. This of course comes at a time when local authorities are having to tighten their belts considerably. However, this is not an issue which central Government can become involved in. Decisions about leisure facilities rest with the local council and Ministers cannot intervene directly or influence the decision-making processes of local authorities. The Government would like every community to have access to as wide a range of sports facilities as possible. However, it is critical that local authorities plan strategically for the future, to ensure that all community needs are catered for and the right facilities are in the right places. If you feel that your local council is not dealing with these issues correctly you could use the council’s own complaint procedures. You may also wish to seek advice from the Local Government Ombudsman. The website details are: www.lgo.org.uk/ and the LGO Advice Team numbers are 0300 061 0614 or 0845 602 1983. You may also like to know that there are many funding agencies, both at a national and local level, which can help your club achieve its ambitions on the pitch and within the local community. Further details are available on the RFU website at this link: www.rfu.com/managingrugby/clubde ... ngagencies I suggest that you enlist the support of your constituency MP the RT Hon Andy Burnham to support your campaign. Kind Regards, Syed Ali Ministerial Support Team

Yeah - I'm sure The RFU will back this campaign to the hilt!!

Some tory old boy will have seen the words 'amateur' and 'rugby', got all dewy eyed remembering the good old days, and thought the chinless wonders at 'Twickers' could help out!!

Isn't there an All Party Rugby League Paliamentary Group? (you'd hope Mr. Burnham was an active member!) - could they not be contacted to lend weight to the campaign?

Yes there is and AB is a member, their chairman is Greg Mulholland

I doubt anything will be forthcoming from the All Party Rugby League Parliamentary Group, I have just looked them up and find that Lord Smith of Wigan is their treasurer.

rony, that's a top post - you're obviously a man who knows his stuff and I'm sure East are glad to have you on their side.

From what you say, Wigan MBC taking over the bar would be disastrous for the ratepayers as the East sympathisers would see to it that it never got any custom. Looks to me like they're heading for a spectacular own goal.

This thread has become really frustrating. Everyone who reads this site is of one voice. We all want Leigh East to continue in charge of their bar and carry on as they are doing. Ok the playing side has hit problems with a double relegation last season, but that's sport and can happen, they will be back in due course. This unrest is the worst thing that could have happened to East. I have seen at first hand the professional way in which they run their Club. Jim Hoffman is their Chairman and he and his Committee work tirelessly to run a tight ship for the benefit of the Club. Sheila and Dave are perfect as Stewards, they do untold work for the Club, nothing is too much trouble.

I know not everyone knows the full story - how the Club left Grasmere Street and what the agreement was when they did so, neither does it matter, the Council need to keep their hands off and let the Club carry on with the good work. Wigan Council does not have a good name in anything it undertakes - this is the icing on the cake, I hope they finish up with eggs on the faces and heads roll down the street.

Sounds positive Keith, well done.

When I signed the petition today outside the ground the two U15s lads told me that they were on scholarships with Widnes now that the RFL has clossed our sceme. They were with us but have been scooped up by the smellies. It's not just the councill who are turning this town over.