Not only do Fev lift the League Leaders Shield for the third consecutive year but also lead the way on how to run a championship club!

Their average attendance this season for the Co-Operative Championship is 2,283 which is a 38% increase on 2011. To achieve this average attendance and to have 1,000 season ticket holders shows how quickly the club is growing.

Commercially, they have had record bar sales as well as sold out hospitality at many of their home games, that’s what happens when unlike us they own their own stadia!

I think it’s about time the Leigh Centurions board stepped up to the mark off the field like our coach Paul Rowley has on the field, I might add a coach our board didn’t want until pressure at the fans forums made them re think.

In stark contrast to what the board at Fev are telling their fan’s at the last fans forum all we heard is Trevor Barton patting everybody on the back like he always does but we still have a massive overdraft of some £90K, the bank is reducing our overdraft facility, we can’t pay a £9k tax bill and all this is because our crowds are down, averaging 1,500 instead of the 1,800 -2,200 as in the budget.

To top it all we are told we lost 350 season ticket holders but because we increased the price we didn’t lose any revenue! I wonder why? Perhaps losing our Sunday afternoon games and choosing Friday nights instead, not rocket science is it!

I have heard so much this past year and its fantastic what Paul Rowley is doing on the field as well as off it securing a squad that has bags of potential to take the club forward.

However my message to the Leigh board is get your act together! Firstly by stopping the loss of fans and season ticket holders because once you lose a fan it’s 10 times harder to get them back.

I know the board are trying with their recent questionnaire but stick to what you know works and when a business is in trouble you never jeopardise a steady revenue stream as the board did by changing our games from Sunday afternoons, even after the fans were told we would be playing on Sunday!

It’s been said so many times but the club has to improve the match day experience because it’s still dire! As fans we have raised this so many times and people are not going to part with their hard earned cash to get what is being dished up at Leigh before and after the match, and to top it all be ripped off with exorbitant beer prices! £3.20p for a can that cost 80p less that 500mtrs outside the ground! (Morrison’s)

I know I hear the board saying it’s nothing to do with them beer and food prices its LSV. So at the last fans forum they told us how well it was working with LSV co so let’s see just how well it is working by asking them to do something about it to help the club and themselves attract more fans.

Unlike other clubs whose board members invest in their club our board members are not putting any money in the club. It’s down to the fans and their generosity, like supporting LISA and the lottery that is going to keep the club going with the ultimate goal of the club being self sufficient.

I think the plan will be with the money we get from the RFL next season it will clear the overdraft etc. But never count your chickens until they hatch if that is the plan.

Perhaps I have missed something this season but apart from cutting cost and a lot of patting each other on the back I am still trying to see what the board has really achieved.

Measure of a good board is hitting and exceeding budget, driving growth and maintaining financial stability none of which the Leigh board of directors have achieved.

I am sure if the team’s performance was the same on the field changes would be made!

I wonder what changes the board is going to make to address these problems for next season and beyond. Or like this season is it going to be the same old same old, excuse after excuse.

I think a good start would be to set a realistic budget, increase sponsorship whilst attracting new revenue streams and a better match day experience to bring back the fans and season ticket holders we have lost!

See its not only on the field we need to step up to the mark with Fev but off it too!

Bungo
Why do you need to leave spaces in between paragraphs?

I'd have thought turning the club from the brink of extinction with 4 contracted players to being second in the league, Challenge Cup Quarter Finalists and NRC semi finalists with 19 players contracted for the following season just 10 months later is pretty good going, personally.

Let's face it, the crowds were hardly pouring through the gates for Sunday's, and the games that have been on a Sunday this year have pretty much backed that up, so I think Friday's were a risk worth taking if it's been backed up by an increase in corporate income etc.

As for the catering etc, have a pint and summat to eat before the game, sorted.

I agree there is a lot of work to be done but given the situation last October I'd say the progress has been tremendous.

By the way, operating without any substantial investment from the board is something to be proud of in my eyes rather than something to knock! We've found out all too often ourselves what happens with an over reliance on funding from directors, so maintaining a good relationship with LISA and the lottery is surely preferable than directors throwing their money down a black hole?

Matt you should n`t ve responded leaving spaces in between paragraphs.....

I think this is a good post and if the board read this they should take note a lot of it makes good business sense. I think PR has done a fantstic job this season and hope ALL our supporters get behind him as he and the players deserve.
Sorry Matt cant agree with you about Sundays it was said at the last fans forum last season we averaged around 2300 per game and this season we are down to 1500 per game, dont see how you can say it was worth the risk losing so much revenue, fans and season ticket holders financial suicide in my humble opinion. Overdraft increased to £90K from £60K last season how is that an increase in corporate more like a £30k loss. Yep it is tremendous the progress from last season but what about the future?
How is the catering sorted? I know so many fans that dont even buy a pint let alone have something to eat unless you know something I don't? I get the point of the first poster on this one and agree with them about needing to get the budget right and attract new revenue streams. I would also add the club is so reliant on LISA that its so important to keep up the current membership and increase it year on year. A balance of revenue streams is so important, agree we don't want another senario like when AT pulled out but on current revenue streams its going to be difficult to move the club forward. Why do you say directors throwing money down a black hole?

I would like to point out that despite a very similar posting ' style ' , I am not the poster who started this thread, or the most recent one to reply

Haha I what a set up this thread is.

A new poster (read new username), decides to come on and slate the board, and lo and behold another new member posts in reply agreeing with everything the OP says.

Shame on you. If you want to have a go at the board and the way the club is run, at least be brave enough to do under your own identity.

Does seem rather strange , although one actually joined in march and had a dig re Andy Burnham!

Starbug - I think everyone on here knows that you would never hide behind a pseudonym.

I always ignore long, critical posts by members who are making their first contribution to the forum ( Bungo) or their second contribution (Tin Tin) especially when their prose styles are so similar that they are quite possibly the same person with an axe to grind...

Also, any one who says that we should only have Board members who will put a load of money into the club is so far off the mark that their opionion is, in my eyes, totally worthless.

I believe that our Board have done a very good job in circumstances which I don't think most people quite appreciate - we were days away from extinction.

Of course things can be better but the interaction with customers (fans) is better than it has ever been and the club are willing to try new things and, hopefully, learn from them.

Finally, the LSV cannot control the price of food and drink in the stadium any more than the Club can. The licence to operate the refreshment franchise is owned by a private company and until the franchise in rebid then they can do whatever they like! Harsh but true....

Some of the posters points are valid ones re getting more fans through the doors.
If we want that SL place in2015 we HAVE to Increase our fan base.
This years been all about trying to keep afloat on a small budget and we have managed that and finished second, so a massive amount of praise for all those who have made this possible.
Next season will be one were we can try and build.
We have Richie in place now and part of his job will be to market the club, it's a massive task but with the right backing from the board the club can make it work.
I'm looking forward to next season already.

I totally agree that there are areas which need working on and I don't think anyone, including the board, would dispute that. But I also agree with toadstool and anyone who posts in this manner should be treated with the contempt they deserve.

So there you have it folks, make a negative or critical post and be treated with contempt.

Reffy, its the same time every year. Whoever it is not new to the forum despite the 1 post status. It has nothing to do with what is posted. More how it is posted.

That's exactly it Demon, the poster raises a couple of valid points but given that they haven't got the bottle to post it under their usual username, I question both their motive and their reason for posting in this manner.

If they haven't got the cojones to front it out, then they deserve to be treated with contempt like you would any coward.

The difference is that you and I post under our usual names and so people know who we are and what we generally post about - on that basis I would never treat yours or any other regular posters' views with contempt.

This, to me, is someone trying (and succeeding) to make waves.

Some good and valid points but…

What is the main reason for losing almost a third of our fans in a season where we’ve done pretty well in comparison with the previous season and miraculously so if you consider the starting position of the club off the field?

Fev has clearly managed to buck the trend and probably because they’ve marketed the super league aspirations really well. This is something that’s only just got going at Leigh, and unlike at Fev, we’ve been there seen that so a ‘super league drive campaign’ is, unfortunately, unlikely to bring the fans back.

Speaking personally, I have access to free tickets and it shames and pains me to say this, I haven’t used one of them. I’ve been away for many games, but for those which I have been around, I have given in to the many other family pressures. Why? I guess I’m just not excited enough to sacrifice a family day out for a meaningless game v Batley.

No disrespect intended. Batley is a great side, one of our bogeys and this is clearly a more competitive league than SL. Every fixture holds interest from a playing perspective, BUT the fact that the games are largely meaningless tips the balance in terms of whether I choose to go to a game above some other option.

I have also asked friends and family if they’d like to go and the answer is pretty much the same for the same reasons.

This dramatic reduction in crowds during a time of relative success is really worrying, and I agree with the O/P that the board needs to continue to work its collective butts off to try and reverse it.

However, I really do fear that they may be fighting a lost battle until P&R and, preferably, a return to the value of finishing top of the league is restored.

I have to agree with Waterfields Finest and re his summation it is something I have been saying since the idea of licencsing was first muted.

It has not worked and never will and if you have mates who are footie fans ask them what they would think of footie without promotion and relegation.







































7

Re the fans or lack of WF you almost answered the question yourself. As for the use of free tickets...............

From my point of view the thing the club does control is the kick off day and time when not on TV.
Its affected mine and my families financial contribution to the club and thats 3 down each midweek game.
It also effects long term though as I've surprisingly found its very easy to get out of the habit of watching live RL.
On Saturday I opted to stay in Scotland after a football match , last season I would have drove home knowing we had a match but this time I actually thought it wasn't worth it and as I was out the habit I didn't really miss anything (having not seen a game of RL on a sunday for a while).

The other major factors are not directly attributed to Leigh but DO have a big factor.
All our big games go to a Thursday night (how many times have Leigh been on TV this season ?), the Fev game Thursday if (rightly) played on Sunday would have generated huge interest in both towns and we would have seen a Big gate (I'd have hoped for high end 3-4,000), instead its a Thursday so in effect Leighs support will be a quarter of what you'd expect and Fevs home support will also suffer the effect.
Now lets throw in the Play off set up following this game - what other sport allows clubs to be MASSIVELY disadvantaged by not having the same amount of rest days before a huge game, in effect TV dictate who gets to a final - and yet this TV Channel is a Minority one amongst other Minority pay for view ones !
Time for the clubs to start bargaining as it cannot be left to the governing body alone (talking of which anyone after seeing SL Trucks will be pleased to note they can be found between Carlisle and Perth - I saw 12 - including 2 Wakefield ones 10 mins behind each other !).
The Championship clubs need a guy from the RFL who is in charge purely of Championship RL and that particularly brand with a remit to drum up interest in each town - the clubs however must drive this and not just sit back and do nothing, the gates are sliding across the board in this league.

Finally one thing that does effect gates, the actual importance of fixtures.
There is no getting away from it - it does effect a lot of peoples perceptions.
Whilst P&R won't be a back immediately I actually think in the Championship we perhaps need to look at what we have, is the play offs a help when calculating week to week attendances - do fans view a certain fixture pointless as 'we'll make the play offs in anyhow' ?
Should we go for first past the post as true Champions and maybe have the 'play offs' as a seperate competition but have the Top 4 from each Championship division (4 Championship , 4 Championship 1) with the Top 2 guarenteed a home tie in a random draw - perhaps then make it a true Championships play off day out , you'd still win a cup in the main event so it wouldn't be any different than the play off finals day IMHO.

I think RL is at a crossroads, I'm not convinced the sport is really moving forward at all levels but to be honest my major concern is purely Leigh Centurions and the towns local clubs, whilst this season has seen massive strides by our club both on & off the pitch I personally feel there is a lot of work to be done to stop the slide - and lets not forget next year the word on the street will be 'Leigh are playing in a feeder league'.....a very hard sell to get in new supporters and new sponsorship.

lets not forget next year the word on the street will be 'Leigh are playing in a feeder league'.....a very hard sell to get in new supporters and new sponsorship.

If the RFL and SL teams get their way i bet all of us in this league will become feeder clubs at some point.But with this bulls scenario it just shows its a closed shop would'nt we be better breaking away? Getting our own sponsorship,Tv rights etc i know darts isnt a big sport realy but it seemed to work their.What have we got to lose? IMO nothing unless something changes quickly which i very much doubt will happen and the SL and RFL will only get stronger feeding off our clubs at us fans expense.Just my opinion but surely im not the only one that sees where our game is heading.

I think the original poster needs to get a good grip on reality. We were so close to going bust and look where we are now. Yes, things can be improved, but I think the management need our grateful thanks and further support for what has been achieved.

Rugby League as a spectator sport is going down the tubes and there is only so much a club like Leigh can do.

Nowt to do with me other than being compared with "Fev" but I always get suspicious of these types of rants especialy when Hiding behind a new user name....Looking back at some posts from your forum im amazed your still in business,and on the field you are next to nowt away from being league winners

In the mix for the GF and the inform team at this end of the season



Nowt so strange as folk eh ?

Especially those with multiple identities and just one agenda!

It's pretty tame on here these days!
anyone remember the old days of Flat Cap Man, Magic Man Moran and his multiple identities, also Phil Cafe Steve brainy Keith Freda etc too just to be. Quite funny at times when they all kicked off

Dont agree with the rest between play off games bit, surely that is part of the advantage of finishing as high up the table as possible.
As for Fev i would love to know what crowds clubs like Leigh and Halifax would have to generate to take in the same amount of cash as Rovers do. I know Sunday was record bar sales its almost impossible not to buy a pint there are bars in your face the min you go through the turnstiles. I spent a fiver within 5 mins Sunday, golden gambles, raffles, programmes, liquid refreshment, some of the lads i took were downing ale all game, we must of took 50 / 75% of the gate income on secondarys. I would guess clubs not owning there grounds would need in excess of 4k to rake in what we did from 2800, your also more inclined to spend when you know its going to your club, for me a club must own there own ground to stand a chance in this day and age or at least work some deal out with the owners whereby your earning from secondarys