In light of the announcement today and the vast array of interpretations which our supporters have of it I think the only way to clarify this once and for all is for an open meeting to be called at which all fans (including those threatening to exit) can discuss the arrangement with the club management (Chairman, CEO and Head Coach at least) and make their mind up with full knowledge of the situation.

I don't think the Board read this forum so if there is a consensus that this would be useful I will make the suggestion via other channels and will even offer to act as independent Chairperson of the meeting if it helps bring this about.

Like all on here I love this club and want the best for it, as I believe do the Board, and think an open, honest forum is the best way to either resolve any differences or cement the concerns of those sceptical of the deal.

If people think I would be wasting my time please let me know as I don't want to cause more problems than are already apparent!

Yours in Sport

Michael Norris
Co-founder of LISA, 30 year season ticket holder, persistent sponsor, totally independent of the Board

Mike , this is a very good idea , i think some members of the BOD do read this forum ,and it would give both the BOD and Fans a chance to air their views and give their opinions on what is being said , i do hope something is sorted out soon .

The board and coaching staff and players read this forum that I do know

I think is a good idea

I personally see this agreement as something entered into to develop younger players in the LEIGH and Wigan area.

Re the senior players I see that as no different than the DC system the RFL had last season.

The difference between Twinning and this agreement is that this does not provide that older experienced players from the Superleague Club could be considered for inclusion /selection in our first team. Now sarcastic comments from fans of clubs who have gone down the Twinning route do not take that into account because it is true.

My worry is we have a reserve side but Wigan do not and is that enough to accomodate all these younger players in the Leigh and Wigan area.I would like to ask questions about that.

Access to the Wigan club's medical facilities for all of our players wether first team or reserves seems very sensible to me.

Now one final thing. A lot of Leigh fans and indeed fans of other Championship clubs are very disturbed that because of the ridiculously short sighted innovation of Twinning they quite rightly see that as an attempt by Superleague clubs to use the Championship as a feeder league. Solution stop allowing Twinning immeadiately and the guys at the top of the RFL need to grow some B*lls and tell the Superleague Chairmen this is a big mistake which must now end.

Mention a partnership agreement with Wigan to Leigh fans and it is a red rag to a bull for some of our fans who need to calmly think a bit harder about this. This does NOT threaten our clubs independance in my view.

I don't think a forum will happen as the reaction must have been forseen before hand by those in charge so they must have calculated the risk and deemed it worth it.

IMHO Our club has lost a lot of credibility, a increasing amount of confusing statements and comments have been back tracked on - we look like a poorly organised business that has no direction or leader, if a drunk tells you he's sober do you believe him because he says so even though he stinks of alchohol ?

The main reason for thinking its not worth it is our club has recently gone out of its way to champion the 'policy of honesty, integrity and transparency' line yet have repeatedly denied any partnership was going to take place with Wigan or seen fit to mention that negotiations had even commenced.
You will have those who don't see the 'partnership' as a problem doing a emperors new clothes act and those of us dead set against it disbelieveing most words uttered by those in charge (who have already signed a document with Wigan - no doubt a legally binding one) !
In fairness if the club wanted to discuss this with the fans they would have done a long time ago, the fact they didn't tells its own tale.

Good post Frank.

Very good post Frank agree with all you have said

I've no problem attending a forum but I have to say I'm with Jenky on this.

This wasn't decided on this week, there'll have been upteen opportunities for them to judge the fans feelings, there was a thread on here a month or so ago, there's been fans forums, Lisa meetings, no doubt touchdown club meetings, we have a website, twitter account, and matchday programmes.

As a Fax fan can I just add to this thread with a view to how a genuine RL follower thinks please ?

Most Fax fans who post on our messageboard know myself and my family so I have nothing to hide behind, but i genuinely feel for your club at every level from B.O.D. to fan at the turnstiles & can understand whole-heartedly the varied emotions involved, but I really don't know if or what the solutions might be, I just wish the best for every club & it's years of identity/history.

Me:
I followed Fax since about the age of 6 or 7 ( I'm now 48 ) many highs, many lows. Got scouted at the age of 17 in my first season of amateur open age & invited to play in the blue & white of my hometown in their U19 colts side. I did that for almost 3 seasons, ending up playing a handful of "A" team games as a 19 year old hooker. A few years ago after a long time playing in the amateur game at various levels including conference at my only amateur club ( my village club ) Greetland All-Rounders until the age of 34 & coaching juniors at various levels including service area, I was approached by my beloved Halifax RLFC to co-ordinate ( and source local talent ) their reformed scholarship scheme, which I gladly & proudly did voluntarily for 2-3 years with much pride. I continue to watch my club' teams play RL to this day.

My old man:
Played amateur for Greetland long before I did but packed in when his young family came along after losing a couple of teeth in a RL accident, took up refereeing & got to the top of his tree officiating in many finals & test matches, he also reffed in France & Australia, including Wembley 1991 when he took charge of a boring Wigan v Saints challenge cup final. When he retired at the mandatory 50 year old he did some NW counties games for a few seasons just to give a little bit back to the game & stay in touch with many friends ( and enemies ) he'd made over your way way over the years. He then did the ultimate father & son thing and at 53 turned out for our beloved village side with his son ( me ) for one match. He put me over for a try, we got hammered, he twa££ed a few of the opposition & I got sent off sticking up for him, HAPPY DAYS. He worked until very, very recently for the RFL as a match commissioner but doesn't appear to have the same desire for the game no longer, he's just turned 69 years old.

Son No. 1
In his third and most productive season playing in the front row for Greetland All-Rounders at the age of 22 ( he previously played for King Cross Park ), this makes me ever so proud. We're the third family who have put three generations of players through the Greetland All-Rounders first team, that is some achievement at any club. He trialled with Oldham U21's a couple of seasons back after being scouted by them.

Son No.2
Just turned 18 this week, in his 2nd spell as a Fax player. Was a Fax scholar as U14 & U15, then a Bradford Bulls U16 scholar after the RFL made Halifax disband their scheme making all our lads free agents. When released after one season at Bradford, Fax invited him back, he played U18's last season & would have played again this season if the age restrictions hadn't been tampered with. He also played last season as an U23, made his conference debut in the open age as a 16 year old for Siddal, won the Yorkshire cup at U12's & U16's. Currently skippers his college side who are due to compete for the Yorkshire colleges cup final. Tomorrow he was representing Yorkshire colleges in Nottingham ( cancelled due to snow ) and continues to play U20's with Halifax RLFC. His achievements & what is possibly in front of him playing wise makes me extremely proud as does the rest of my family's achievements either at amateur or professional level.

But I really don't know what the future holds for him with the chopping & changing of rules that come down from the top of our sport. Lads will be on the scrapheap at 21 year old very soon. If the SL clubs were all viable, I could go with the no promotion/relegation thing as it appears to work in Australia but they're not. Some of the SL stadia are pits of hell & nowhere near what Leigh ( and Swinton if you must ) & Halifax perform in at their home grounds, the rules are persistently being bent to suit.
Clubs cannot support full time squads & support/admin on 2,000 attendances, yet the likes of Sheffield, Leigh, Featherstone & Halifax have desires to go into SL. That I find astonishing unless any of those clubs can magic another couple of thousand speccies every match & I really hope at least one of those clubs get the opportunity & prove the doubters wrong.

But I really don't think professional rugby league has a future unless the currnet rulers of the game are replaced, they're killing the sport as I know it. I'm all for walking away, if it wasn't for my love of Halifax RLFC & following my two lads all over the place, I'd be long gone because I feel so shabbily treat as a paying spectator over the last few years & it's a big world out there with more to life than rugby league.
Some of your fans/posters might have met me over the last couple of seasons as a mate of one of your own, Tony Pilkington. It's the friendships that i form in this game that partly keeps me interested & I sincerely wish Leigh RLFC all the best for the future, like us, you've known the good times & the very bad but reading the other thread today there is far too much discontent, this will be a deep wound that will take a while to heal for your club & it's cracking fans. Good luck & see you soon hopefully.

We had a fans forum do you remember when Raul Rowley Trevor Barton stood up and said no way would we go into a partnership with Wigan
Am convinced this partnership is all about Wigan Borough and not Leigh RLFC
Will this CEO and the board never realise what Leigh Rlfc means to the fans last year the ceo decided we will go to Friday nights no discussion what happened their failure
Now they have come up with this partnership and this has not happened over night their must have been hrs off discussion working it out or should I say Wigan talking Leigh Listening
If and when the fan base drops the club is struggling just hope the people who have implemented it hang their heads in shame and walk away and leave the running of the club to true Leigh people not outsiders must who don’t even live in this Town

Quite possibly a very empassioned post - but I think you need a few of these (....;;;;,,,,!!!!????)

I think what quite a few people are missing is that the clubs finances are another reason why the club is having to move in this direction..
If the Leigh fans want a winning team capable of getting into SL then this partnership bringing the odd top class youngster into the club is a good move we have,nt got the money to bring in class established players youth is the way to go look at Wigans team plenty of young players in there first team squad that's the way Leigh are going over the next few years and this tie up with Wigans youth will profit Leigh that I'm sure

I hardly think Wigan woud want to help you develop a team capable of geting into Super League this is not what they want you couldn`t have their own feeder club in Super League alongside them it would defeat their object.

Feeder club Wigan is Leigh's feeder club ...

I suppose some questions unanswered would be...

1) Why did our CEO change his opinion of this partnersip with Wigan after stating it wouldn't happen.

2) What happens to any Leigh players further down the pecking order player wise that loses a spot (temporarily) to a Wigan player , if we bring 5 in (which I'd imagine will happen at some point) how does this sit with the clubs new stance on looking after borough developed players - especially if the Wigan players are originally from out of the borough.

3) Have we said we will have a maximum figure of DR's from Wigan : ie if the RFL raise it to 7 or 8 next year (mindful its risen every year since it started and so many SL and Championship clubs have seemingly embraced the idea) would Leigh run with that as we have been keen on using DR since it commenced.

4 ) With this news in the pipeline and with Paul quite keen on a arrangement with Wigan (mindful of his piece in the papers pre season in which he mentioned how Leigh fans would be 'excited' about the quality of players Wigan would lend us )did this influence the boards willingness to put Paul on a new contract before a ball was kicked this season (a unusual one for a RL club to do) and was this why Richie left the club suddenly.

5) With our new found interest in developing the Boroughs youth is there a plan to get the boroughs populace aware of Leigh Centurions existance and if so are Wigan helping us do this as to some it would be viewed as a clear conflict of interest to both parties.

6) What input would any Wigan Warriors employee have on the day to day operations of Leigh Centurions , on or off field.

7 ) Wigan (and Mr Wane) have a history of not linking with Leigh (inparticular during Ian Millwards tenure), is the agreement breakable at any point (as per Mr Wanes stance on G Hock at Widnes for certain fixtures) or is it a legally binding document that neither party can break without the others agreement.

8 ) Does the CEO / Board and head coach feel this will enhance the 'I beLEIGHve' campaign or do they now feel by having to go into a partnership with a SL that this has probably signalled the end of that campaign.

9) With rumours of SL going to 2 leagues of 10 and some SL owners publicly speaking about that as a preference has Leigh had word from the RFL that it was unlikely we would be in that group of 20 so is this a reason why we have entered a partnership with Wigan some way into the season when other twinned clubs linked up much earlier (including Wigan with South Wales).

10 ) Was Leigh / Wigan the first choice for a partnership for both clubs or did both have other preferences that fell through.

11 ) I presume the board are fully aware that Fridays actions will outrage and disgust a lot of current Leigh fans as much as it may please or unfaze others, has it taken steps to ensure the club doesn't hit more financial trouble and has another potential shortfall following its actions, is there plans to entice Wigan fans to the LSV to watch some of there players play for Leigh for example or other means should a crowd drop occur.

12 ) If this partnership collapses is there a Plan B for Leigh Centurions and if so what is it.

I refer you to a previous post on another (more lengthy!

) topic. If you were to ask Wigan whether they want Leigh in SL, you would probably be surprised by their answer.

Quite simply with 2 off field employees we have NO chance of SL

Having read the feedback on the forum since I posted I don't think I will bother approaching the BoD re a forum as it seems that people have taken firm positions and debate would not improve hints but may inflame them.

It has certainly reminded me why I've never got involved with the official side of things though!

Ps - as I have lived in Appley Bridge for 28 years I obviously would not be welcome by some posters on here as living within the wards of Leigh is a necessity for knowing the right thing to do for the club!

If you refer to your post re` Kris Ladrinsky ,well that surprises me as I didn`t know Kris was invited to the RFL away days where the Club Reps decide between themselves which way they are going to vote over issues such as Twinning etc .

People tell lies Alan , all the time

In fairness it was a fair idea put across by someone who obviously cares about the club but I suspect emotions would run exceptionally high.
I think this announcement has actually managed to divide our remaining support base (and I'm not just talking about views from the internet forums) which as you alluded to can be exceptionally damaging to the club and its future.
Maybe things will calm down over time but with everything else going on in the game which is annoying people I suspect the timing of this couldn't have been any worse if indeed there is ever a right time for Leigh to announce its partnering with Wigan.

The trouble is that many similar questions have been asked at recent fans forums and the answers appear to have changed significantly since then.

Something of a middle ground may be a clear, concise statement from the club (or both?), detailing in plain English EXACTLY the aims, benefits and long term plans of the partnership.