Can take or leave the new name. Wouldn't have been calling for it but on reflection I have no really strong affinity to the Centurions moniker either. I'm 31 and although I've always loved the club, those years as Centurions have seen basically zero success outside of the Championship.

It feels as a club that we are turning a corner and if we were ever going to rebrand then now is the time.

Far more interested in the team on the pitch than anything else and I am more than happy with the announcements on that front. Ipape, Lam, Hardaker, Ferguson, Asiata and Leutele gives us some serious strike power for the season ahead. Aaron Smith seemingly on board too is an astute signing and shows we aren't just about the flair and fan fare type players. Mellor, Smith, Wardle and Amone are guys that will just get on with the job and deliver consistently good rugby

Not what I thought I'd be saying at the start of the day but... Up the Leopards!

Only issue I do have is I don't think we should give up the Cherry and White home kit. Those are the Leigh colours and I would struggle to come to terms with anything else.

S'pose it's better than Leigh Lemmings if the marketers/schmarketers are touching themselves over alliteration.

Leyth Lobbygobblers?

I think the growl from the Leopard was sampled from my bathroom sink...

The logo looks somewhat professional, but that kit looks like an absolute joke in all honesty. And part of me thinks that this is actually still a joke for marketing. Alliteration works for teams like Bradford, Wigan and Warrington. Leigh Leopards just doesn't sound right at all.

I think the current logo needed a slight revamp, but it looks quite good as all white on a red background. Rebranding is understandable, I get that, but you just know when something doesn't look or sound right, and I this is one of those times.

I'd suggest the Leigh Radfords, or the Leigh Briers as potentially better names.

Leigh van Donkombak?

pahahahahahahahaha





































The Moggies. Absolute laughing stock. That is a big scary looking cat. Meeeow.

Mixed feelings for Jack.

There was palpable excitement at the quality of the signings announced. Forget play-off places. First and foremost, is this a team that should comfortably stay up, something we have always failed to do in the SL era. For me, its a resounding yes, we flippin' well will. I cannot wait for the season to start.

Then the re-brand. Yes, its DB's club and yes, he has the final say because its his huge financial investment in the club that has got us to this point but, but, but, the club is nothing without the fans and the dropping of our historic colours has left this lifetime fan feeling very cold indeed.

The cherry and white hoops are my teams colours irrespective of what the team is called. Tradition counts for something, despite what marketing men (and women) will tell you. DB should have sounded out the fans (us) about ditching the team's colours and with it ditching one of the central aspects of the team's heritage.

Remember the huge opposition by Cardiff City FC fans to the re-branding of their club's colours and the ditching of their traditional nickname of the Bluebirds by new owners. The fans felt that they were losing something fundamental about the club they loved. Eventually they got their way after huge and sustained opposition and the error was corrected but it took them years to get the wrong righted.

Fans feel passionate about their club and that's what I feel about my town's rugby team. The identity of that team is the cherry and white hooped shirt. This particular fan feels very cold and unhappy by the loss of the traditional colours. Yesterday, we lost something from the very heart of this great club of ours.

Absolutely spot on Jack - couldn't agree more

Its a name lets get over it and give DB and all concerned our full support.

What should have been a great day announcing all the new signings has been totally overshadowed by the ridiculous new shirt which has a leopard’s backside on the back of the shirt. As a result despite the bonus of trending at one stage yesterday at number 10, over 90% of comments were those of ridicule.
Could nobody have warned him against this stupid idea (How about you Mike Latham?). Whom on earth is going to buy this shirt or is it just a gigantic wind up?

At the end of the day like the changes or not, he who pays the piper......
We are happy to accept Derek's financial contribution and the improvements that that has brought so perhaps pandering to his whims is not that unpalatable.

Agree on the red and white hoops… think we need red and white version think that would be the one fans would buy. In the end when you support a cup, what do you identify with, the players change, the coach changes, the owners change, the place you play changes, the only consistent are your traditional colours and town name. We are Leigh Rugby, Red and White hoops. Give us the red and white shirt DB. Great team DB looking forward to 2023 more than any season for years but give us that red and white shirt.

Is that your view or is that actually the official club colours? I am not being argumentative.

Is that your view or is that actually the official club colours? I am not being argumentative.

Comedy gold from Degsy.

I honestly thought I was meant to be a joke or a comedic meme.

Until he loses interest.

It's an awful decision, we all know it but some try and gloss it over but you know you can't polish a turd.

Having slept on it, Bongser’s fine with “Leigh Leopards” and is happy to wear the new logo, never particularly enthused by the Centurions branding anyway.

Memory (possibly a false one) hit this noggin today. Recall that both Vanners & Jack also watched the first instalment of The Dockhouse interview with Derek - the one with the near death experience, Jack. Do you two also remember DB saying that, when in Africa, he and his team do a lot of conservation work with leopards and their territory? If so, it is an animal close to his heart as is Leigh RLFC. Why not combine his passions?

All good!

Fine also with the new branding on this site, though it looks more like a snow leopard's hide.

All this fine and dandy. LSV Den if need be, fine.

EX NE ON THE BL00DY SHIRT!!!

Bongser feels sure that the designer has a mother that loves him/her very much and will sympathise with her when the deadhead is lined up against the wall of Centurions (sorry) Leopards Pub and rightly shot.

The front of the shirt would be barely tolerable with Cherry trim, the reverse, er why? Will there be a new sponsor announced for the leopard’s backside? Will Anusol “pile” money into the club?

Bongser will continue his £5.99 pcm subscription to the non-streaming streaming service, he will also continue to pay to watch matches. But nothing will compel him to buy that shirt. Were one to be bought for him, he would not wear it!

On Twitter, the question was asked, “What do you think, Leythers?” Let’s hope this is at the consultancy stage and that thousands of this designer orgasm have not been ordered. It was mooted in The Egerton tonight however that oppo fans would snap them up just to take the pi$h!

Cherry & White hoop variant with both the Leopard badge AND THE TOWN CREST, pretty please. Bongser is not made of money and only buys a new shirt every 2-3 years; should the traditional scheme be reinstated, he will stump up for a second year on the trot.

After 54 years watching this team, I am emotionally attached to Leigh Rugby League Club and The Cherry (Red for some) and White colours. I have never liked the Centurions name or badge but embraced it regardless because this is my team.
Saying goodbye to the colours on our first team shirt will be hard BUT......
In less than 24 hours, the rebrand has brought in a brand new 6 figure sponsor, who wants their name on that new shirt, front and . An unheard of sum for Leigh Centurions or any other bear of a name. An almost unherad of sum in Rugby League full stop.
AND,
PPS still staying on as sponsor of the training gear. Fantatsic win-win news.
The club is not saying goodbye to it's past, it is securing it's future.
I will still wear my shirts (I have many of them with pride) and also know that we have a strong future now set for generations to come.
Well played Derek Beaumont.
Up The Leopards !!!
And yes, I will be buying the new first team shirt when it is released.

Bongser, your memory is right about DB's funding of animal conservation work in Africa and that it was highlighted by DB in his Dockhouse interview. I cannot remember if it was specifically about Leopards but your memory is probably better than mine on that point. As you have indicated, it would make a great deal of sense that he did given yesterday's developments.

It was clear from that remarkable interview that DB had a road to Damascus moment as he lay pegging out after his violent reaction to the bee stings.

It all seems to make sense. The second chance (of life), a determination to aid the conservation of an endangered species and an absolute commitment to ensure that our club would have the financial means to get promoted, then survive and then thrive in SL. He sounds now as though he was positively born again by the experience.

I'm with you, I don't give a damn about the change of name but as you have seen from my previous comments, the ditching of the team's colours has got my back up.

I agree with a lot of what VL has just posted but clearly have a different view about the new shirt, or more particularly, the ditching of our traditional colours. Whilst I respect VL's view or indeed anyone else who disagrees with me I am more than happy to accept the principle that change can, should happen and that the club has to adapt and move forwards. The principle of change or die, but why does this have be at the expense of a core club tradition. I simply don't accept the argument that everything traditional has to be ditched in order to move forward or that everything new means necessarily it represents something better than that, that it replaces.

We all have our views, all are equally valid. I just think that this particular development is a crass move.

The club is nothing without its fans. Yes, DB funds the club's success and funds its future and there is no doubt that his heart is deep in the club but, as we all know, his ego is brittle, as evidenced by his often tiresome tirades whenever someone goads him on social media. He will nonetheless be expecting us all to file through the turnstiles next season in ever increasing numbers as we all part with our hard earned cash to part fund what we are watching. So despite the fact DB does not like criticism he should be big enough to give the fans some consideration when wanting to change something as fundamental as our traditional colours.

He should have consulted the fans. This decision should not have been a fait accompli. There should have been a fans vote and DB could have put forward his argument in favour for the change. He should also have been big enough to respect the fan's decision even if that vote result was not the decision that he wanted.

In short, DB should have shown us fans some consideration and some respect. Our views count even if he doesn't like those views.

Ramble over....and out!.

Well said

You make a lot of very valid points Jack and I respect your opinions as you are clearly cut from the dedicated Leyther cloth.
I am not so sure we won’t see a nod to our Cheery and White heritage in the future (this season or next) and I do personally wish our first team shirt was closer to the bash shirt, but rugby league’s future and our future, will be based on financial and commercial strength. The new sponsor (whoever they may be) seem to see that in our new iteration.
The consult of the fans is a very valid point and I honestly think that it would have been a significant percentage of us saying Cherry and White, me included. But that I believe, would maybe not have been the best for the future strength (financial and commercial) of the club.
If we are to be a Catagory A club in the future, this is the beginnings of a true push for that. I believe Derek knew what the reaction would be from many and was ready to take that on the chin, believing that the change was the right thing for the future strength of our club.
Another angle on our colours. My 20 year old son has had many Leigh shirts bought for him over the years. He has only known Cherry and White. I recently asked him which his favorite shirt of all his shirts is. This was before the rebrand. He didn’t pause when he said “the black and gold one”. He is the person that will be buying Leigh shirts in the future when I am no longer around. Does he like the new shirt, yes he does !
And yes Bongser I do remember as you do re the DB interview.

Well here is Charlie’s opinion, I hate the new shirt , I won’t get one , but that’s my choice , I haven’t bought a replica shirt for a couple of years now , I do like the polo shirt design , and will get one .
The Leopards name doesn’t bother me , we are still Leigh , Derek is a Saviour to the Club , we will have a very good squad next season , I can’t wait to see them , I feel maybe a big robust prop is needed, but without Dereks money we would be watching low quality players , playing for at best a mid championship team , in front of a crowd of a 1,000 fans .
Look at the squad we have , the Coaching Team we have, and apparently the new sponsors ready to invest , folk want to involved with Leigh , look at our lower division neighbours , no disrespect to them , but not really offering much in the line of quality Coaching , Playing Staff , or crowds , we have this strong squad , Lammy ,Chester ,and Clubb, and an Owner who has promised success , I’m happy to let these guys do the Business , let’s all back them , if you like the new shirt then Buy It , if you don’t don’t buy it , I’ve been a Leigh fan for over sixty years now , a change of name , or a shirt I don’t like won’t make me change .Over to you Bongser .

I have given myself a few days to digest the changes and Charlie has pretty much summed up my thoughts. To be fair, I don't mind the name change or the badge or the sentiment behind it. I can see the vision given IMGs proposals. This is Derek's take on getting us to a Cat A situation. Change is inevitable and always takes time to bed in. Remember the issues moving away from Hilton Park, taking on the centurions moniker. They took time to get used to but importantly they are all steps on the way to taking us to where we are today. I have issues with change in colours (this probably bothers me more than anything else) but the shirt is absolutely awful. Its issue is in its design Derek has gone to the line and then jumped 4 steps past it and as a result has foregone any nods to stylishness (fashion is transitory but style is permanent). The best shirts are those which pander to both. It could have been done with more subtlety (see the bash kit and the merch) and been much better received. However, who knows? We may reclaim it in 4 months time and it be a sense of pride (but i doubt it). Taking the end off the back would improve it immeasurably in one easy step.
We have the best squad we have had in a generation (if a little older than i would have liked) and the season ahead looks exciting. Lets get on it and support Leigh into the future.

White field for the back with squad number and player name in Cherry.

White socks with Cherry turnovers.

At least pay lip service to our trad colours.

Then perhaps a leopard on the front rather than a jaguar!

Oh no, you had to unpeel the Leopard vs Jaguar onion