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.

.....and just when all the local small football clubs where rubbing their hands at the prospect of mass exudus of Utd fans supporting their local clubs.....bugger they start another club instead



Still think we can get support from SL fans as well as trying to get the town and surrounding areas supporting us.

I think you're all on to something important, here. For me, small clubs in the shaow of their big neigbours HAVE to become a focal point of the community, and have to work with the community to foster and be the flagship for civic pride. It's a challenge, perhaps greater than marketing a standard straight-up business brand. But I really do think there's an opportunity there.

I used to tinker around the fringes of the music industry, and that's very much gone that way... sure X-factor manufactured crap sell in the thousand, but there's a real demand for the authentic.. for real musicans, playing live shows in local venues of a couple of hundred.

To me, Leigh should be in every school with Leigh stuff. In every club, at every age group, with Leigh stuff. Should make a huge deal of the history of the club, and its growth along with the industry and culture of the town. We should have the town crest on the shirt, and in 50-foot graphics at LSV. Buy the Leigh Arms and turn it into a club sports bar, showing every SL and Championship and NRL game, and showing Fred Parky's entire back catalogue on other times, and selling Johnny Woods Ale and Dessie Special Brew made under branded licence by a local microbrewery. And, as Starbug has said, work with the Championship clubs to build a collaborative business brand with each non-SL club becoming an outlet.

I support Leigh because I grew up with it, because my mum supported Leigh, and her dad before her. That personal heritage is bound up with the club. In our godless, rootless world it is absolutely who I am and where I come from. I bet there's thousands of Leyth folk, of all ages, who are crying out for something to believe in.

An absolute joy to read wembley 71 !!!!







Marketing ideas for the ales ..."jonny woods ale , its got a kick that's guaranteed to hit the spot...every time!"

And how about a nice pint of "drummonds Yed" with a strap line of "you won't know what's hit you, or where you've been "

I love the town crest idea for lsv it needs some character and identity.

I think starbug should start going to Old Trafford again!

You would have to pay me to watch the rubbish served up in the premier league

I watched a sunday league match last week , now that was ' entertaining '