can anyone tell me what year it was built?

thanks

Early sixties I think

no it was deffo 1940-something but it doesnt matter now.. thanks again

I meant as a seating stand. Prior to that it was all standing.

Well Leigh moved in in 1947 and the floodlights were erected in 1953.

My first match was in 1955 and the stand was there then but that is the best I can do. Maybe someone older than me might know.

PMSL! Someone older than you! Is there anybody older than you Frank?

Stand was built in 1950/51.

Wasn't the seating put in later though and paid for by the supporters club?

Seating did go in later you are right, possibly mid fifties, would have to go back to my notes.

I think the original wooden seats (first few rows of the upper tier) were put in in the late 50's early 60's. The original idea was to have seating all the way to the back, but this idea was scrapped as it was decided that the view was too bad.
I think the main stand on the other side of the ground was brought from Mather Lane.

At a guess I would say aprox 1963 when they put the seats in.
In answer to the second question I would guess about 20 fans older than frank

The view was too bad? It was spotted by the contractors putting the seats in that if they carried on with the job you would not be able to see most of the pitch.

seats were in when I first started going regularly in 64, i remember going in late 50's and they were not in then, the smaller stand was on Mather Lane.

As far as I'm aware the stand was built in 1946 in time for the opening of the ground in 1947. That's what it says on the back of this photo anyway.

And this one:

Well that photo is from when they put the seats in.

That was the time we introduced the £50 Leigh weekly draw and we signed those South African players-Moody Botha and Bonzear.

Remember my mam winning it once and I do not think she had ever had so much money in her hand at one time.

She bought a shed for the back yard.

Who would have thought I would have ended up in the posh part of Salford.

My dad has often told the story of the smaller stand being brought from Mather Lane by fans of the club, post by post. Oh, and about the cinders at the ends. And of how long it was since the scoreboard clock ever worked for more than 3 matches in a row, but I honestly doubt he's old enough to remember THAT one...

Here's one of it being built.

That was Botha, Boonzaier and Lansberg Frank! Piet Botha was a full back with great goalkicking qualities, Chris Lansberg was a great centre and Mick Boonzaier was a winger( He taught sports at St. Mary's school for a time)

You are correct but we signed a South African at the time name of Moody and his first game was in our A team 4000 turned up to see it.

If only we could get 4,000 to turn up for the first team now eh Frank.

By rights there is no way on Gods earth stand should have stayed upright for as long as it did



Its obvious there was no HSE in those days too

Great Pictures them Mish.

Have you got more? Maybe put them on a a 'sticky ?'

Whats it's constructed of is a concern today. Maybe thats why it was last thing to come down.

most of them are online somewhere Snowy