There are a lot of threads on this forum along the lines of 'New/expansion clubs are being favoured over existing clubs'.

To a large extent I agree, but I'm still waiting to see how anyone would attract lapsed fans back to the clubs that are losing them, a list that includes us. If anyone can come up with a single, practical solution that would get fans flooding back to the game in the north, then can they post it?

Bear in mind that every time free tickets are mentioned at clubs like Quins it gets ripped to pieces, so what would you all do differently to put bums on seats?

Simply put. Not enough promotion in the town itself to entice younger fans. The club needs to attract young fans that will then stick with the club. Something tangible and sustainable that means they keep coming back.

I'm an exception to the rule, the game that started me going as an every-week regular was against Whitehaven in 1998 which was the first win after an 11 game losing streak. For some reason that day I got hooked. But in the main, something needs to be done within the community to generate PR.

During the early 2000's there was a partnership with McDonald's that saw the kids get free or discounted food and a trading card scheme with Greater Manchester Police. There was even a framed Leigh shirt up in McDonald's for a few years. The continuing decline of Leigh as a shopping hub other than crappy pound shops over the last 5 years pretty much correlates with the decline in the attendances.

Now I'm not advocating their food as being good for the kids but think back to 2001/2002. There were a hell of a lot more youngsters at the games then, many of which I still see at games now that have stuck with the club in their late teens and early twenties. Take my brother-in-law, he's a Wigan fan but used to go to Leigh games the same weekend if he could because it was a good atmosphere, affordable and generally and exciting place to be. He still goes with me now when he isn't drooling over the pies.

Some people would call me a "lapsed or ex-fan" because I don't go to every game. But its not always because I don't want to, sometimes I can't. As a young(er) lad I didn't have the problems that adulthood bring; I could and did go every week home and away.

I went shopping in Warrington yesterday for the first time in years. I used to go a lot when I was younger as my then girlfriend(s) lived there and I went to school in the borough. Back then you wouldn't see ANYTHING to do with the rugby team apart from that funny 3 eyed fish poster that one time. Now they are successful there are posters everywhere and the kids that used to wear United/Liverpool/Everton shirts now have Wire tops on. Obviously success has a lot to do with it but its the reverse of the state of our town.

A lot of lapsed fans won't ever come back, they've moved on and probably only a sudden surge in success will bring them back ala Hull KR in 2006. There just isn't a buzz about the club anymore. I went to East vs Miners and Miners vs Thatto Heath last week and there was twice the buzz and excitement about the games among a much smaller crowd. We used to have that.

The club needs to get in amongst the folk of Leigh and make it worth their time to come and support the club. Start with a pre-season friendly that, if you attend, you get a discount off a ticket for the first NRC game of the season, something like that so we hit the ground running for next year. If Andy Burnham can prance around the town trying to garner some support, why can't the players or coaching staff? And £16 is too much by the way, as is £7 for a kid. 2001 saw an under-16 season ticket for a tenner. Now I'm not saying go to them extremes, but don't price people out.

God, once I started typing then I couldn't stop!

There are 2 types of ' lapsed ' fans , those that just have other things to do and have lost interest in the game , many of these will just admit as such , and one day when circumstances change may well support the club again

And those that cannot be bothered unless it's either free or a big game , many of these are the ones that blame the club for them not going , they find a reason , any reason as long it isn't their fault , you will never get these ones back , they will always find an ' excuse '

We need new young fans without preduces , without unrealistic expectation ( the second group of ' ex's ' have these , they will only come if we are in SL beating w1g4n and saints ) , young fans that will become Leigh fans forever and will attend when they feel like it , or not if they don't , not dependant on what comp we are in

I think rugby league is pricing itself out .
The average working family can ill afford current admission prices and why should people be expected to pay the same as super league.
Also the stadium management need to be realistic in what they charge the fans for catering etc.

The franchise system favoured by the RFL is kiling the game i,m an advocate of promotion and relegation all other major sports in this country have it why does the RFL think our game will prosper without it .

We are supposed to be a community game not much community spirt shown for clubs outside super league.

Quality of the entire 'product' outside of Super League. The format is dull, stale, inconsistant, sporadic, and weak. The only thing keeping me watching Leigh is a 30 year habit which if I were to give up for something else would be hard to get back into.

£2 at Easts, £14 at LSV, but there isnt 7 times more value for money. Add two more quid and you can watch top of the table Super League.

In contrast, I can sit in Weatherspoons or the Ale House all afternoon and get half p****d for £14.

RL outside of SL needs to work harder for their £14 but collectively it isn't. Its been dealt a raw card, no question, but it's also sitting back, whining, and pointing the finger of blame in every direction instead of doing something about it.

The whole game outside of SL needs reinventing.

You never see anything regarding LRL in Atherton ,the only place you see it is the Journal and Reporter and we all know not everyone gets these plus lapsed fans probably don't even bother reading about the club in those papers

At least the club, especially the community department have made a big effort this season to let us all know that amateur rugby league exists in Atherton by helping to promote the ever expanding and thriving Atherton Dragons

RE Starbug's comment about 2 kinds of lapsed fans, I kind of agree and kind of don't. Based on the views on here, I'm probably classed as a semi-lapsed fan of Leigh, but I'd say only in comparison to what I used to be. I've gone from attending every home game and more than half the away for 8 straight years to between 5 and 10 games a season since 2008, which I wouldn't say is bad going.

However, what I am not is a lapsed fan of the game of rugby league. I go to amateur games, international games, SL games and watch it on TV wherever possible. In the last 2 weeks I've been to Easts vs Miners, Miners vs Thatto Heath, Leigh vs Sheffield and Wigan vs Bradford. Granted, this isn't a typical week but still.

And for whats its worth, out of them 4 games, the 2 amateur ones were the most entertaining, the derby game by a long way. When you factor in that it was £4 combined for both, you can see the dilemma a lot of people might have.

What have Leigh Centurions done, as a club and a team, to earn my and other peoples £16 and ensure I don't give it to some other club or pastime? Since 2006, I'd say very little. I fully intended to renew my season ticket for 2007 and as the weeks went by I just, well, didn't. After that, other things seemed to be more worth my time and wage.

Which is why they NEED to start doing something. Maybe I won't ever come back full time, and thats just being honest. Its nothing to do with success either, I started supporting fully in a disastrous 1998 and stopped after a relatively successful 2006. Off field stupidity made me stick my money elsewhere. But I'd bet some other people are looking for a spark to suck them back in, probably subconsciously. The club need to provide it.

Its all about having a brand, something to market that people want to get behind.
We have been that bad since Nolan left its unbelievable. Our strategy into LSV seemed to be build it and they will come, our strategy in SL was how difficult can we make it and we have paid off that many coaches it would have eliminated third world debt.
Make season tickets affordable, family, individual, u16's and Mum n Kid - 6-8 months to pay, not cheap prices.
Set some goals ie building towards SL 2015 - get fans involved with what needs to be done, give them ownership make them part of it, give them some PRIDE back.

LRLFC at LSV should be the centre of the community, get someone with vision in before its too late.

I cannot quote your whole post at the moment , but I d put you in the 1st group , your life has moved on , it did for me between the mid, late 80 s till 99,2000 , I just had other things going on

It wasn't the clubs fault , it was just life

The other lot will be in the pub slagging the club off , like the bloke in the Avenue a couple of years back , we were sat there watching a SL match , he was sat at the table with us , we asked about Leigh , he replied that the directors were ' robbing the club blind ' , , I was understandably a little upset at this , , when questioned he replied, " that Mick Higgins "

Excellent post. Don't always agree with everything you post, but always respect the clarity of your argument. Spot on!

Again, spot on.

Unfortunatley maurices vision won't happen , the reason why ? The individual clubs are not strong enough to achieve what they want on their own

Collaberation is the only answer

Yes and no. Collaboration would be a massive boost, but there is a lot that can be achieved. Remember what Keighley managed in the early 1990's? And, yes, they WERE shafted by the RFL.

Twenty years ago Joe , as I said the world changes , adapt or die

Collaberation is THE only option any more

Collaberation of what tho? We as a club with other clubs and break away? Or we as a club along with another club and progress on one front? Or different?

How about:
- sitting down with the other semi pro clubs and coming up with some joint maketing ideas
- sitting down with the RFL and sharing ideas on the promotion of the Championship
- sitting down with Co-op and Irn Bru and looking at how to cross promote brands and products
- sitting down with Sky and seeking their advice on marketing and promotion through tv
- sitting down with the SL clubs to see how they've done things, and how we can work together to support one another
- sitting down with Miners and Easts (and the rest), and creating a mutual support network at all levels of the sport in town

Breakaway, on any level, means death within 5 years.

Rugby League will flourish when all the clubs realise that, if the pie gets bigger, then we all get more pie even if we're getting smaller slices.

Leigh's "natural" place in a genuine national sport is somewhere in the third or fourth division, where Bristol, Newcastle and Birmingham are in the top flight, and Saints may struggle to stay up with them. But that Leigh club would have far more money, and far bigger crowds, that we have at the moment.

There's been some interesting comments on this thread, thanks for not turning it into the usual 'RFL hates us/Franchising' thread.

That said, it largely focusses on LCRLC, when what I was hoping for was some suggestion as to how the game as a whole across the North can be regenerated. I've often said that the Oldhams of this world deserve to go bust as they're financially unviable - I don't want it to happen, but in the real world it has to happen.

How do we turn a club like that around, or do we abandon it to the market forces wolves?

If the people in the town do not support it then it will die, but it must he left to die a 'natural' death and not be financially supported by its parent organisation, and the same rules must count for all no exceptions.

Collaberation between all the Championship clubs , we have 2 sides to our sport

Sport itself , where we are in competition with the other Championship clubs

Business , where we are not in competition with any other Championship clubs

The red ones yes , although what Irn bru has to do with the Championships , I dont know

Also the ' sit down with the RFL and share idea's for the promotion of the Championships ' seems a little strange , I would have thought that was more the RFL s responsibility to lead and something that should be happening at council and APC meetings ,

The blue one , why would we want to be asking one of our main business rivals for their assistance ? personnaly I'd have nothing to do with any SL club , they would all happilly see the end of the Championships

All the clubs get financial support from the parent organisation.

For the same reason we should be working with the Championship clubs: because the bigger the game, the bigger the pie. There is a point at which we are business rivals in competition for players, speccies (and for places in SL).

But there's a greater common cause, to make sure kids in Abram, Golborne, Bongs, Culcheth, Newton, Wogdin, etc, are playing and watching League rather than football, or union... or the Sony PS3. We can scrap over which clubs the kids turn to, but we need them all in line over which leisure activity they choose.

But as i said , we are not in ' business ' competition with the Championship clubs , SL clubs are business rivals , it is in their interests to see us struggle

Far too often they speak with forked tongue when in discussions with Championship clubs , I wouldn't trust any of them

The RFL also have an agenda , they are massively SL biased ,

We are not in competition for SL places Joe ,the RFL would happily burn down the bridge right now , in fact I think they will

But NOT at the same rate or amount.