Hello everyone,
I would like to send a sincere thank you to Leigh Rugby, LSV, Matt Lawton (Leyther Matt) and Andy Parkinson, and anyone else who had a hand in the following story.
I arrived from Vancouver on Tuesday as I have said before on here, to fulfill my dream of going to Leigh's first home game in Super league with my Dad, who is 81, been watching Leigh religiously since he was 15, and is still a season ticket holder. I have tickets booked for Leeds and Saints right with them in the west stand. He is responsible for me being a Leyther as he took me since I was 3 and we were ever present behind the sticks home and away until I emigrated in 1995. He kept going until this day.
10 days ago he ended in A&E with pain around his side. He had felt rough for a few weeks. A bunch of checks pointed to kidney issues and he was eventually released. Well I got off the plane Tuesday and he had been taken back in, and yesterday he was diagnosed with bowel cancer. He is scheduled for surgery next week to remove a large tumour but a previous triple heart bypass means that is very risky.
The dream appeared gone and in the big scheme of things not important, but such a blow to me and my Dad.
Then a series of remarkble things happened.
The surgeon heard of the original reason why I was here and said it was exactly the tonic my Dad needed. She agreed to let him home for the weekend if he felt up to it,then at least we could watch the game on sky on a big screen. My Dad was going to be too frail to sit in the night air for 2 plus hours.
On a faint chance that my Dad would be up to going at all though I called Matt today, and emailed Andrew Parkinson. Matt told me that as expected everything indoors had been gone a long time ago. I spoke to my Dad at hospital and he said he just could not sit out in the cold.
I then went to the ground to pick up the tickets as at least we would have a momento of the game. Matt invited me into the office and I was stunned to be given tickets in a corporate box. Somehow, between him, Andy, the club AND the LSV, they are giving us access to seats that had been held in reserve. I tried to hold it together but I was reduced to tears (and that's saying something for a grumpy old copper). I left the ground in an absolute daze, and shot straight to the hospital to tell my Dad. His is very sick and quite frail, but he almost leapt out of the hospital bed and said let's get out of here. We walked out of Wigan Infirmary a couple of hours ago, with my Dad wearing his Leigh scarf, and huge smile on his face. He told anyone that would listen that he was going to watch Leigh beat Leeds !
The dream is alive, and we are going to have the night of our lives regardless of the result, though I'm sure the lads will turn it on.
Sorry for the long post but I wanted everyone to know just how much, what everyone has done for my Dad means to us both.
Our club and the LSV, Matt and Andy, from the bottom of my heart thank you.
And to anyone who has read this to the end, see you tonight

Fantastic, hope you and your dad have a great time

Well done to all involved

And I Hope his op goes well next week

Shoooooperrrbbbbbbb

Well done Andy and Matt

Brilliant gesture !

Can you let me know what the National Lottery numbers are next MC


Yes is was Miss McKenzie. Straight talker, gave my The straight goods that he deserves and wanted, and I have every confidence in her.

Thanks for the kind words guys. Like Matt said when I was teared up, lost for words.
"You don't need to say anything, You're one of us"
That's what a great people we have at our club.

Warms the heart VL. Well done to all at Leigh/LSV. Now, here's hoping for the perfect ending to the story ...................................a speedy and complete recovery to your Dad.

Great gesture well done all involved. All the best for your dad

We are heading out shortly. Yesterday he looked at deaths door after the news. Tonight he looks like a kid on his way to his first game


If he doesn't slow down the clubs going to think this was all a con

What a heart warming story. Hope you and your dad enjoyed the game together. Leigh certainly put up a good performance against Leeds.

Good to see that despite the promotion to SL we remain a caring fan friendly club, well done to all concerned.
Hope you & your Dad enjoyed it tonight.

Agreed.

Well done our lads in the ticket office am proud of you.

Good evening VL I agree Leyther Matt is a very good bloke, hope you and your Dad both enjoyed the game as much as I did, a d hope it's not long before your Dad is feeling better, give him Charlie's best wishes.

Awesome, well done everyone (apart from Leeds of course), best wishes to your dad for a speedy recovery.

All the best mate hope your dad enjoyed the rugby your boys deserved to win good luck.

Thanks to everyone for your wishes. I have read them all to my Dad and he is very touched. It was unbelievable how great he looked at the game.
When I heard that we had been given some reserved seats I was worried we had bumped someone else out. Turns out we were in corporate box 2, better known as the full time office for the LSV's Chief Executive. Simon (sorry but I didn't get his second name) had heard the story earlier and had volunteered his personal office up. If anyone ever says that the LSV are not part of the Leyther family then watch out, my Dad and I will hunt you down. What an amazing gesture from a man who has never met us.
Able to be warm right until kickoff my Dad even wanted to go out on the balcony for most of the game ! There was no way he could have sat in his usual seat for the whole game. Being able to be inside right until kickoff and then during half time was what made it all possible.
I promised my Dad that if Leigh ever got back into Super League, I would be with him at the first home game. Simon, Matt, Andy Parky and the Leigh Rugby family made my dream come true, and gave my Dad the night of his life.
Thanks everyone from a very emotional and happy Vancouver Leyther

Hope your Dad will be OK, my great Uncle lived in Vancouver....but he never blo00dy invited us out there, and 'paid for our flights' !!!

Cracking story VL..All my best to your Dad.Bring on the Saints.

FAMILEIGH. I hope you and your dad had some quality time and enjoyed the game ( apart from the result of course ). Hope your dad gets well soon vl.

Just read your post VC ....

Got to say that is a heartwarming story & without going into the gritty detail, I share your pain, my Dad was 59 & had BC.
All I can do is wish you & your Dad the very Best of British & hope you both had a night to treasure.

God Bless.

Great post VL and I also can only speak of good things about all of the staff that I have come into contact with at our club. Even though we didn't win I hope you both had a fantastic evening and I wish your dad all the very best and hope he makes a full and swift recovery.
Stories like this are the reasons we love our clubs, our communities and the great game of Rugby League.

What a remarkable story. It totally sums up our club, it's fantastic staff and the great supporters who follow it. I can certainly relate to the passion evident by the two Gentleman for Leigh RLFC.

Best wishes to your Dad, VL, both for a speedy recovery and many more splendid memories together watching our superb club.

Love the sentiment here, my story is slightly different my dad hasn't attended a Leigh game since 1977-he discovered golf!!! however i started going with my mate and his dad and grandad, and continued to go till i emigrated in 2008 to New Zealand.

I arrived back in this country last Week and we attended the Leeds game last night, this was the first time that both my dad who is 77 and myself 48 have gone to watch Leigh together(we have attended international matches and other sports but calenders never seemed to line up when Leigh were playing), we really enjoyed the game despite the result.

I will be back there on Friday for the saints game before flying back on the Monday, so it will be back to Sky Sports in NZ MixLR at some ungodly hour

Fantastic story. I'm not surprised Matt was involved, he's a top man (for a Leyther that is

)

Reading that brought a tear to my eyes..

All the very best to your Dad .
After suffering a serious illness myself in 2015 I have nothing but praise for the NHS Wigan & Leigh and Salford Royal ..
Well Done Centurions for bringing so much Happiness to a couple of Leythers ..Fantastic Club run by Brilliant People
Fab game has well Lads !!!