The players were not paid because we didnt have the money.
We didn't have the money because AT's business collapsed and he paid the wages.
How we got to the end of the season I don't know.
We must learn and build.

That isn't what I mean Keith , the only way Leigh would ever be able to get the best of the local talent , would first to actually be in SL , and in a position to stay there , and also to financially be in a position to support 1 local club , in the same way I have no doubt that Saints and W1g4n support Blackbook and Pats

It's like business , customers forget all the help and support given to them as soon as either one job goes wrong or they are let down once , the same applies to relationships between amateur and professional clubs in all sports it only takes one problem , and any good feeling disappears , that is why I feel that certain positions within a pro club should not be given to local coaches , in fact they should be filled with people from as far away as possible

It wouldn't matter if they did attend Easts and Miners , the coaches at those clubs would still push players to SL clubs , outside SL the turnover of coaches is higher including the ones at scholarship, academy levels , and the one job that should not be given to a local , the player performance manager , if I was in charge that job would go to an overseas player , or somebody from Yorkshire

It is only natural for any local amateur coach that gets a job at a local pro club to look towards his former club for players , that can and does create resentment among coaches of other clubs , IMO the PPM must be completely impartial , and that can only be achieved by him having no affiliation to any local club

Great Ideas them Keith an am sure most people would back that to bring the towns RL community together thing is the people involved with Leigh have no get up and go to put these things into place theres always a reason to say we can't do it!!!

A lot of those ideas revolve around the co operation of the LSV management , which might now be getting better ( because if it doesn't , they might not have a job ) , but it also affects corporate and sponsors

My conversations with Trevor suggest that after his success with Leigh Rangers and latterly the junior section at Leigh Miners Rangers, he is wanting a community club.

People should find ways to do these things. I respect both of the amateur clubs in our town, the way they have been and are managed would put the pro's to shame but everyone should be more receptive to getting round a table... yes you'll tell me its been done before and it didn't work, we have to find a way to make it work.

Through adversity we will prevail and the kind of things spoken about regarding players upset me too. I want to see all players find their level and be treated correctly, I also want staff to be treated correctly too.

I get the feeling that through the PSG Leigh are exploring things that have not been tried before. I know I have my ideas for example why should we just look at broadcasting Leigh Centurions games when Leigh Rugby Union, East and Miners are all worthy of pushing out there too?

People hold too many grudges, heck if I took my slight against a former management of Leigh, then I'd probably have never stepped through a gate again. For the good of the sport, everyone has to pull together. We either unite or die, or at the very best face similar problems again in a few years time.

A very balanced post Dave and one for which I agree with.


As I said earlier in the post, It has to be an new era for LRLFC. If Trevor is embracing diversity in a way of running our club, then I for one feel we have nothing to lose.

Leigh is a booming RL Town with great tradition.

Dummies need to be put into their boxes now and we then move onto a new era.

We have ticked a box, and now it is time to move on WITHOUT going bust. The ties with the local amateur clubs need to be stronger than ever. I Feel TB can do the business.

All well and good , but strong ties and a good working relationship with the local amateurs won't pay the bills , more fans are the only answer

More income is the answer, more fans is a bonus.

Long term people will only pay the normal going rate for a product

NEWSFLASH. People are skint, inflation is on the up. The first thing to suffer in a financial crisis is leisure. Can't help thinking that instead of banging on about delving into pockets the club should be marketting a good experience at an affordable price.

' Delving ' is the only short term answer we have , but you are completely correct , after that we have to provide a good worthwhile reasonably priced product , and then sell that to the people of the town

I would say its a combination of all of these.
There is certainly a PR job to do and hopefully better community relations, sense of ownership leads to more fans and more revenue. They are all related.

As a relative outsider living in Bristol what I notice is that there appears to be long standing and deep rooted grudges and negative perceptions about the club - whether real, self-inflicted or perceived.

The idea that the club will pay for winning team and then hope that will be enough to attract enough fans is not sustainable.
The club has to be 'more' than just a rugby team. We can't have a passive fan base that simply pays for a seat in the stands.

It seems like the club is doing all the right things now---its just unfortunate that short term cash is a bit of a problem.

Unless the RFL and BARLA change their rules then the 'loaning' of players between pro and am clubs can't take place, so the blame for that one is unfair to lay at Leigh Centurions door, I'm sure any pro club would love to take the opportunity to save money by having their squad players (and u 18's) play for local am clubs, even paying them for it.

I'm not sure I agree here.

The reason is that it depends what you think Leigh Centurions is for and what business it is in.

If you think it is in the professional rugby league business - then you are right. 14 quid for a ticket is about what you can charge. And if you can go down the road to watch SL for the same and ametuer clubs for nowt - how do you compete?

But if you think Leigh Centurions is in the "community and civic pride" business then what is the price for that?
Why do people give thier time for nothing for the club? Why do many of us chuck in a few quid to the corporate club and LISA?
Part of it is to pay for a better team, but I reckon a lot of it is because we care and love our communities and the club is a represtation of that.
Many of us see the club in difficulties as a personal reflection of our own lives which is why it generates so many emotions in people.

For many people, Leigh Centurions is about identity, belonging to something greater than ourselves, being NOT Wigan, having a sense of pride in who they are and what they stand for.

Luckily, through Trevor Barton the club finally understands that.