"However, Findlay is confident the club is making progress both on and off the field.

"Our average crowd is probably about 700 this season, which is up almost 100%, and we're bringing in new commercial sponsors," he said.

"To do that in a recession is a pretty good sign.

"I have always thought there was potential here and I think Super League here would have been a success had the merger with Hull not gone ahead.

"We have quite a long way to go but we've seen some good progress. We're competitive on the pitch and off the field we're slowly but surely getting there."

Although Findlay was not involved in the original Super League club, there are links between the two.

Captain Neil Thorman, one of three brothers playing the game, and full-back Kevin Neighbour were both ball boys in 1999 while assistant coach Chris Hood performed the role of mascot Captain Thunder."

What a load of tosh this article contains. They are clearly not competitive on the field based on their current league position. Their average crowd proves that they are not competitive off it. An increase of 210 on 490 is nowhere near 100%. And worst of all what the heck does being the mascot of a SL team, or a ball boy for that matter, have to do with the price of cheese?!!

If this club was from the heartlands there is no way there would be such a positive slant..

Yet they are the only team from outside super league left in the challenge cup, they have posted an increase in crowds of 210 how many have Leighs improved with the new shiney stadium? infact just how many heartland teams have posted an increase in attendances this season?

I suppose not having a doom and gloom out look which is the norm on here is a 100% bonus for gateshead


We should get him down to leigh

he also got the club into most of todays national newspapers too, regarding the bbc comments about sundays cup draw

Gives a hint towards their junior development, whilst also showing any potential RL playing youngsters in the area that it's possible to tread the path from supporter to player. Very positive spin on things that we could do with at Leigh, as far as I'm concerned.

Their average this season is 705. Well there,s not much on TV.

Biggest 1226 lowest 405.

Hmmm. OK..lets look at this a bit more closely eh? Firstly, they have moved up a division so they will be getting a few more fans - lets say an average of just 21 extra - well thats 10% of their increase right there - when teams like Leigh, Widnes and Fax go, it will likely be much more than that. Leigh are still playing in the same division as they were last season..as are most other clubs.

Secondly, if you have a crowd of 1, and that person brings his mate along - you have achieved a 100% increase. In other words, if you are starting off from a very low base..as Gateshead are....then its relatively easy to post "impressive" results - although why he felt the need to exaggerate is unclear.

Thirdly, Gateshead enjoyed a favourable draw - they played Oldham and have not played a SL team yet - Leigh did and were found wanting.

I have nothing against the guy personally. I wish he was at the helm of Leigh and not A. Rowley...good luck to him if he can get people to believe the hype...

clever, I'll agree.. but tenuous at best.

excuse me, but i thought the job or one of the jobs of a chief exec is to talk up their club, make it seem attractive to potential sponsorsd, fans and players, to give a perception of success, now what has our chief exec done to do that at leigh?

no arguments from me on that one..at least Findlays stuff is good quality tosh, whereas AR's output is just tosh.

no doubt there figures will be bumped up by us on sundy , after barrow our closest away game(but easier to get to then barrow), i expect about 300 haven fans making the trip ,

so to me the increase is mainly due to bigger away followings rather than loads more locals going

Mr Findlay was previously employed by the RFL before he took the CEO job at Gatehead. I wonder if teh RFL are looking at Gatehead for Super League in 2012

You dont say..............



Theyre the 2nd behind Toulouse in the queue though

as usual the rugby league will put these in super league even know they won't pass anything and forget about the heartlands clubs who do pass the criteria.

What happened to the original merger with Hull? Surely if a team mergers with another, then can't be allowed back in SL as a separate entity a few years later?

In that case, why would the 'new' Hull club have been allowed in?

So you write Sheffield off as well? even though both mergers (Sheff/hudd and gatesh/Hull) were 'forced' on the two clubs who came out worse.

It was just a question... when did Hull-Gateshead cease to be Hull-Gateshead? Technically are the two clubs still merged?

Yeap. I'm sure someone at Sheffield and Gateshead did very nicely out of the deals.

To be quite honest, I don't think it could ever be called a merger in the true sense - Hull basically absorbed Gateshead, taking the RFL money for the 'merger' and the Gateshead players who, at the time, were a better side than Hull.

Let's be honest he doesn't talk any more tosh than our Chief Executive really does he

it's as funny as when Dave 'JR' Rowland became majority shareholder at Blackpool Panthers, his aim was Sooper League within 5 years

he got his club a full page in fridays..............WIGAN EVENING POST!!


good article too

crikey! the way we are playing i am more worried about the price of cheese.