The Community Foundation run by John Duffy and Stuart Littler is in part designed to do this with the seven apprentices they employ.

Its focus is working with schools and our local amateur clubs (not just East and Miners) to deliver coaching and education to the whole community.

It is our job as a BOM to make sure we assist our community partner clubs in any way possible and build great relationships. I've met a few great people already from Leigh East and I've also been down as a guest to a Miners game recently and have agreed to personally sponsor a game and try to assist them in any way possible and it is the intention to do the same with Leigh East as they are our closest community clubs. As well as this we've had great talks with Leigh RU and some of the wider communities amateur teams.

As part of the imminent restructure of the leagues the RFL have outlined expectations of existing and future Super League clubs in relation to player pathway and community development and it is the aim of the BOM to lead and be a shining example in this department and build not just a successful professional club but an even more successful RL community and town. The guys I sit with at the Boardroom table haven't just invested in Leigh Centurions we've invested in LEIGH!

We need to assist and reward the communities clubs in the development of the youngsters and it has to be a relationship built on respect, truth and honesty and that is what I personally will guarantee they will get from this BOM.

Wow. Can you all please pick up your dummies. My original post in this thread was in response to Vancouver Leyther who said he didn't want a millionaire investing in the club as they were likely to pull out after several years and leave us in a worse position. My point was that we would not be left in a worse position if we had used the money in a better way than bringing in contract Aussies. You must all be very sensitive if you see this to be in any way critical of the current set up or the local amateur organisation.

your finding out the hard way that people see what they want to see in posts not what is written, welcome to the club

Even with the cash, without the profile of SL ( Wigan, Saints and Wire in particular ) you still wouldnt get the best

Get 11,500 fans in every week IN SL and 3/4 years of competing for SL silverware and then it would be a sensible option to invest heavily in youth, till then, dont bother, just buy the best off them as it seems Mr Koucash intends to

chicken and egg though Steve, you know my feelings re SL, but it still wont stop me trying whatever little I can do to try and make it a success, thats what Fans do

Not really Keith, its like life in general, I can plaster a small patch, I cannot plaster a house, I can fit a light fitting or add a socket to a ring circuit, I cannot rewire a house, I can fit a sink and even add a radiator to a heating system, I cannot fit a combi boiler and install central heating

In the same way that the club cannot at this moment provide the neccessary full time proffessional training and income to successfully run a full time junior development programme, so dont try

The ' Vision ' that pre ambled moving into the LSV was simple, I discussed this with Fred, it was

A full time U18/19 s training at the LSV in the morning for 4 days a week, all the players then attending the College in the afternoons taking proper courses ( not just the usual ' Sports Science ' so often attached to young males ) and then where applicable they would have had part time jobs at the various retail/entertainment businesses on the site to bolster their playing contract

This type of arrangement would IMO if ' sold ' properly could have given Leigh a much more attractive appeal to the Boroughs best junior players, unfortunatly things didnt work out both at the LSV and stadium, or at the club, it needed a huge leap of faith and new thought process in the run up to moving into the stadium

It just didnt happen, and now it is too late

Shame really it could have worked, but like so many things that could and should have happened 5 years ago, they didnt, we were sold a pup instead

All in the past now Steve and we pick up the tools we have available to work with and find a way to do the best possible job we can.

We have a strategic plan, built on a sustainable model and will move this forward with the same passion as you guys once did and learn from your experiences which you and Derek etc have been kind enough to share.

Nobody can ever promise success but we can promise commitment, honesty, sustainability, investment and a bloody right good go at making this club the best it can be for our fans, community and town as a whole.

Your right which ever way we look at it Its bums on seats and how we get them on their that matters more than anything else at this stage but we cant afford to turn a blind eye to youth development and that's why the Foundation is so crucial not just to our own strategic planning but to help us develop and embed the pathway in our community and link us to the college which is a crucial box we need to tick with the RFL for the new structures in 2015.

Your help and support is appreciated as always Steve.

For those who are interested our college team beat Runshaw college on away soil 4-36 with three of the apprentices featuring and many of the former jets players so well done to all concerned. Anyone who's not familiar with the Community Foundation check out leighccf.org We also have the Community Trust Girls back on-board and once again and employing a player and supporting us. The community arm of Leigh Centurions is really taking shape and will go from strength to strength. All great people coming together for the one common goal.

For those who are interested our college team beat Runshaw college on away soil 4-36 with three of the apprentices featuring and many of the former jets players so well done to all concerned. Anyone who's not familiar with the Community Foundation check out leighccf.org We also have the Community Trust Girls back on-board and once again and employing a player and supporting us. The community arm of Leigh Centurions is really taking shape and will go from strength to strength. All great people coming together for the one common goal.

Kids travel to Wigan for education and College courses , my Daughter goes to Wigan College every day , its a fact of life , not ideal but that's life , and I go to Wigan for my Hospital appointments , why not in Leigh ?

Keith , I know what you are saying , in fact I know many people from Wigan who attend Leigh Infirmary for Out-Patients appointments , or Day Surgery , it just a matter of certain Specialists being at either Wigan or Leigh .

As for the Colleges , Leigh College hasn't been closed down , I think its just a matter of Suitable courses and grades of Achievement , again my own Daughter attend Leigh for the first 2 years of her course and now has to attend Wigan for the Final year , its not ideal , but she was told it had to be done .

Get Leigh out of wigan

Blimey Keith , I know I keep saying Charlie knows but if I had the answers to these questions ,id be in the House of Commons with Andy Burnham , I was born in Wilkinson St , im not sure why this part of the College closed , I though the Railway Station was down to Dr Beachings cuts ,Leigh Infirmary now caters for more Specialised day treatment , I think , and Wigan has a few rough Council estates , try going to Beech Hill , Marsh Green , and Worsley Mesnes , although not in the Dark .

Some kind of dual contract system, perhaps?

Interesting subject on the BBC news programme at the moment about Currys/PC World, in response to increased buying via the internet ( essentially a TV screen ) they are looking to make the ' experience of buying ' more fun

A comparison can be seen in how sport ( especially RL ) is currently struggling with at stadium attendances, the clubs need to look at all aspects of the matchday experience if they are to survive as a live entertainment business ( and considering our level of the sport will never gain enough TV income to supplement lost gate income )