Well I was sat on the back row just in front of these lads and I can honestly say that I did not hear anything out of order neither was there any aggressive behaviour. OK they had been drinking and they were singing and to some that may class them as drunken louts - well they weren't!

Hi Linda,

Yes you have been told correct.

The first two blocks of the West Stand (the north west corner of the ground) have been set aside for junior centurions and community clubs. It totals around 400 seats and we want to fill them.

We've met with Sharon (from the JC) and John Duffy - and particularly when the weather gets better we'd like to see the younger element of our support in that area of the stadium with Parky, the cheerleaders etc and create something vibrant and entertaining for them. We've already invested time and money in music, dancers, flags, JC membership packs and FREE UNDER 16'S SEASON TICKETS!

Anyone who has a ticket there already and doesn't like fun or kids, get in touch and we will look after you

Yesterday was the start and we're looking for 'community matchday' sponsorship from local businesses to assist because like anything in life there is a cost associated to doing anything correctly.

Once the two blocks of the West Stand are full week in week out, we've two other stands we can look at - until then lets take sensible steps to somewhere we want to be instead of massive strides and falling over. We cannot (and I don't like that word as its defeatist) sensibly open the East Stand for a few dozen kids at present. It's too far away, lacks any atmosphere, and would cost around £1500 per game. However if anyone wants to drag 2000 schoolkids and parents from their houses a week on Sunday then you're pushing an open door with us - feel free!

We're trying to create a matchday event, an environment, not just 80 minutes of rugby. There's 'colour and identity' growing around the stadium match by match - the Centurions brand being grown each week. We've set aside a 5 figure sum for these things and by working with LSV together, the place is starting to look like our home.

It's coming together bit by bit - the whole 2014 matchday experience has been turned upside down and started again from scratch. Both Legends Bar & Touchdown Club - 3 HOME GAMES - 3 FULL HOUSES. Each game has also had a community club invited as guard of honour - from March we play half time tag rugby with them, meaning each game will have 3 community clubs represented.

Cheers

Steve

It's great that the club are looking to accommodate younger fans and engage them in enjoying there experience on match days . However can I make a suggestion?
In the north stand stewards point out that you must not stand on the yellow steps for safety reasons, to which I agree. So what about children running up and down the north stand steps away from parents plus picking up empty beer bottles to throw at each other. I would like stewards to address this as surely a youngster falling down steps is far more dangerous than standing on a yellow step!!!

Myself and the others that run the Junior Centurions have wanted a family area for a few seasons now.
We got approval of the Junior Season tickets and added them to the kids packs pretty much at the last minute, no criticism of the board there, they have had bigger fish to fry but at least we are now starting to look at the JCs as the future fans.
The idea is to have the last 2 northern sections of the West Stand to be JC/Family areas, Parky Pig will stay mostly in that area & we will try and get a little shop in the concourse selling JCs merchendise etc.
As for people swearing in the stands that's a matter for LSV stewards, we had a 10 year old kid with his mum who pleasantly was shouting at the Batley fans/players/ref aggressive abuse and foul language that I couldn't believe.
His mother should have been ashamed but was more concerned with screaming her own obscenities.

Didn't think the lads in the box did any harm,think the only time they let themselves down was during the halftime presentations but that was just them having the crack with people they knew I presume.

Regarding the kids section opening the east stand is the answer,what would it cost? 4 stewards £10 per hour?

I think sticking them in a cornor of the ground would have the reverse effect as lets be honest them seats are tosh and they would be bored sat out of the action

The answer to your question is the cost in real terms to the club would be somewhere between 1500-2k per game to open the East Stand which is not affordable on the current budget unfortunately.

Cash turnstiles please.

seems a bit excessive,seeing as the camera crew and ground staff are in that side of the ground so I presume they are being marshalled for there own safety

Interesting examples from Peanut and Jonny, OK the stewards could maybe have had a word with the swearing mother, but surely the responsibility for the kids in both examples lies with the parents. I know we want to encourage young fans to attend at all costs, but if parents can't look after their own kids they shouldn't bring them. Can't expect stewards to do the parents jobs for them, never mind the fact that if they tried to say owt to the kids they'd probably end up with angry parents in their faces.

Yeah it was exactly that mate, one of the lads in our party of 12 was handing over a cheque for £10,000 from the LCTV crew, he's put a lot of time into it over the last 12 months, but we were never going to let his moment on the field go quietly haha.

leigh rufc

Well it's seems it's coming together nicely
Is there any chance of looking for a sponser possiibly to open Part of the east stand as family stand?
The sponser would get his name read out as the " blah di blah family stand , it's worth trying for I think !

No problem at all 24k pa approx over cost to club so if any sponsor is willing to meet these costs we can taylor a package to suit. Rob will be more than happy to facilitate this.

Until then as Steve Openshaw stated we have a family enclosure of 400no seats in the North/West corner of the West Stand which will be utilised by the community club scheme, schools, junior centurions etc etc.

Andy.

The Lsv told the community dept year before last they could have it for nothing !

I doubt it quite frankly because opening one block of the East stand for about 200 kids and parents does not make financial sense. I think they will enjoy the atmosphere' which will be generated by the way our lads now play' in a section of the West Stand much better too.