and the trophy is the right to apply for a SL franchise, anyone thinking a bigger trophy is on offer is foolish.

Its a trophy tho - Captain lifts it over his yed and all that.
The way this SL thing is being built up we are heading for a big fall when the inevitable happens.

It doesn't matter as long as we are still ticking the boxes and putting pressure on the favourites, whats the alternative just to give up? Off the field we are much better organised than last time our youth structure is better our facilities certainly are all areas where we failed or were marked down on last time, as a City fan you more than most should be aware of the saying 'A cat can look at a King'.
For some and not I, I may add the holy grail is SLE and to stop an attempt for it may as well see us give up completely, Arthur Thomas is putting a lot of money into the club in an attempt to gain SL what do people want him to do, stop?

The way this SL thing is being built up we are heading for a big fall when the inevitable happens.'"

We should always have aspirations to get in SL, but not like this. Desperately signing journeymen on short term contracts to get a tick in a box. I genuinely couldn't care less about getting into SL at the moment, as I'm enjoying a competitive Leigh side for a change in a competition that is getting better by the season.
Arthur is putting a lot of money in to try to get us in SL, and when the decision is made there is 2 scenario's.
1) We somehow convince RFL we will be adding to a SL competition and they let us in - then what does he do? because investment will be even more year on year.
2) The most likely outcome, we don't get in. There has been a lot of devaluing the competition we are in by referring to trophies as ticks in boxes, and the club have banged on about getting in SL this time around to a point that the disappointment of fans will be increased with hopes dashed and having to wait another 3 years.
The points you make Fred are good things for the clubs future with or without SL - but will it all just be a waste in the end with the road the club are going down and SL is everything?
I believe we need to get to a point where the club is wanted by SL because we will benefit SL, not just the other way round where its just us that could benefit.

We could always sack Basil, get rid of all the best players and stew in our juices for the next 25 years and sulk, which 'journeymen have we signed? SMITH? he will hardly get us into SL, PAUL? four clubs in umpteen years of English RL? do you ever go and watch the u 15s u 16's and reserves? thats where the future is and thats where money is being invested, and others dont agree with that.

as for your points turn it around do we just sit still and await SLE to come a knocking or do we knock on their door?

it isnt the clubs fault its the systems, if its a waste then at least we tried, with your attitude we may as well pack it all in and go and watch East or Miners I know our Chairman and our Head coach want us in SL and why both are in position then they have my support and should have the support of all Leigh fans, personally my attitude has not changed it tore us apart last time and may do so again but im along for the ride

If you dont ask you dont get, thats the RFL philosophy and whilst it is, clubs with ambition must go along with it clubs without ambition will go to the wall and that is the RFL in a nut shell neither they or SLE give two hoots about life outside SL

I have no problem with Paul, as he is a benefit to the club all round - inspirational, Marketing, and playing wise. I was talking about the sponsored walk which is solely for a journeyman to help get us the tick to get in SL. Well done for those that organised it and those taking part but I do have to say where was the enthusiasm last season to keep us up?
As for sitting still comment I am not sure where you get that from. We should have the Sky as the limit of our ambitions, but when Leigh applies for SL I want us smashing the door down, not knocking on it - thats what I meant by Leigh actually being a contribution to the competition.
As for the system being flawed - so was the last one clearly, and a lot more so.

you are completely utterly wrong RE the signing of a journeyman and god knows where that point of view has come from.

Ian Millward has told me that he will not 'waste' the money and that he may not even use it this season unless the 'right' player becomes available and even then it would be hopefully on a longer contract than just the remainder of this year, and he realises LISA its members and organisers of this walk are undertaking a tremendous task and that for the money to be thrown away would be wrong. All of the above would of course be with LISA's permission and hopefully their blessing, something Im sure he will explain himself at a future LISA meeting, Im not his spokesman and dont like even being seen as but to be honest with his track record anyone thinking otherwise really need to look at their own values and aspirations not his.
I would hope that any signings made would be to make the club more successful and I know thats how Ian views it, give the guy some credit or should we put the following in the RL press

'NEW HEAD COACH AND CHAIRMAN WANTED AT LEIGH, MEN OF VISION AND AMBITION NEED NOT APPLY'

Supporters of franchising obviously believe it is better than promotion and relegation because that was not working as we had a yoyo team or clubs spending too much in a forlorn attempt to reach the pinnacle of the sport which we watch.

What is the reality however after the end of this 3 year experiment ? Well two years in and crowds have dropped for practically all professional clubs. When the 3 years comes to an end we are promised a Championship club will be admitted and a current club in the top flight will drop down to the Championship.

Will that club coming down be Cats Harlequins or Crusaders ? Well we all know the answer to that so whoever it is that club will have a battle on not to go to the wall. The Championship clubs left in the championship will have then had 6 seasons with no opportunity to get to the pinnacle of the game so their crowds will dip again. It is a downward spiral for the professional game and an experiment doomed to failure.

Well we should return to promotion and relegation in my view and give the newly prmoted team an extra £100000 say on their salary cap compared to the others to make for a more level playing field. Our game needs competition and an opportunity for aspiration.

Another thing about Sky. Last Thursday Widnes played Barrow and no doubt payed Widnes £4000 (or someone did) for the privilige. The crowd was 1700 or so had it not been televised the gate would have no doubt been a lot higher and it does not seem to me an adequate fee to compensate these two clubs for the gate mone they lost as a result of the game being televised.

i know the clubs get money off the co-op for being on tv.
do they get money off sky/nr for being on tv in the cup?

Fred, I based my comments on what was broadcast during the game against Fax - "Help get Leigh into SL" etc, and also the Sponsored Walk thread about raising 10 grand to help Leigh get in SL - now that to me is bringing a journeyman or 2 in to get the famous tick.
I have no reason to doubt yourself in what Ian has told you and to be honest that is reassuring to know that he values monies raised by this walk. But there is this avalach of optimism of get the box ticked and we will be there, and get in SL and everything will be alright. Thats my concern and the big fall I mentioned originally, because I just can't see us getting in.

frank - I have nothing against your opinions, but please don't assume just because I (I can't speak for others) think franchising should be given a chance over a system that didn't work, doesn't mean we are supporters of this system over P&R in an ideal world. Before "the experiment" we had a system in place that involved having interest in just the odd games during the season - there is over 100 games in a season and crowds where poor for vast majority. Its not the Yo-yoing clubs, or clubs overspending, or changing rules so certain clubs could stay up or not etc that is the reasons for it not working - the interest just wasn't there through the gates and must have added to financial problems of clubs.

Just proves the point Know the full facts before forming an opinion

You can only form an opinion on what info is available - I don't get to chat to club officials like yourself (I don't want to TBH).

maybe it's because were away at batley next week and batley is a lot of Leyther's favourite grounds theres also the chance that if we win today we could be away again the week after I would suggest that there will be a lot more Leyther's at Batley than at Hunslet

We have a world class coach, we have a chairman who pumps absolutely £££££'s in per month. We have a great CEO, we have great infrastructure. We play in the most modern RL stadium in the country. Why on Gods earth wouldnt we want to play the best???

The sponsored walk was an idea of mine built from my own personal tradgedies over the last year. The tag of raise £10K to help us get back into SL is a promotional idea, one I hope will atract publicity for both the club and LISA and get LISA more members.

10% of the walkers signed up dont even support Leigh currently but who knows they might after walking 15 miles and watching a great game.

Personally I dont give a monkeys were Ian, Arthur and Allan choose to spend the money whether it be on a short term, long term or youth signing. In them I trust!!

As Fred says (well not in these exact words) :-

Option 1

Get behind the coach and chairman and join the ride to SL

Option 2

We might as well move out of the LSV and close down if we dont want to follow option 1

And as for ther sponsored walk :-

Option 1

Support it and raise 10K

Option 2

Scrap it and raise nothing.

Really the mind boggles, and thankfully 41 walkers and 27 groups and ultimately an almost guarantted £2700 raised in just over 10 days tell me other Leigh fans like options 1 on the two options above.

Im off to Hunslet now hopefully to see us edge closer to one of those nasty ticks in the franchise box!