The Club has initiated dialogue with LSV, to attract more fans into the ground. This includes meal/ticket deals, pre-match entertainment, a 'proper' bar where fans can meet and drink, before and after the game. (without bankrupting themselves in the process!) In other words, the Club is striving to provide (with LSV) an afternoon's entertainment package.

Not much the LSV can do about the 80 minutes of 'entertainment', called 'the game', though!!

The LSV committee only seem to be bothered about what's coming through the executive boxes.

Are we now second class citizens if we're not one of the "prawn sandwich" brigade? lol

Are you open before the LGFC game on Tuesday, Keith?

Well, I like the new ground.

I don't have to huddle under the TS stand when it rains.

I can pee without getting my feet wet.

I get a great view of the game.

I can hear the tannoy (most of the time)

There is a great club shop, with some very good merchandise and quite reasonably priced.

I bought a season ticket so it doesn't cost me a great deal more than it did last year. Probably even a bit less with the extra game and free challenge cup ticket.

East and miners look to have benefitted from there being no supporters bar, which is good IMO.

IIRC the only games at HP over the last few years with real atmosphere, have been against the big guns.

The club did it's bit in trying to get people into the stadium with the season ticket offer. Nobody bothered with it.

My opinion is at the moment that I'm gonna get behind the club, no matter what. Only one way the club is gonna get bigger and better is by getting more fans in. Instead of justifying reasons why I can't go to games. I just go, enjoy it for what it is, and I can go home feeling like I have in some way contributed to the club I love.

Trouble is for everyone like me there are three people who will stay at home because they heard a pie costs £2.70.

Which is why we will never be a superleague club!

Another point is the catering - it's TERRIBLE"!!

I don't know how this company managed to swing the contract but it couldn't have been for their culinary skills. When we was a HP, Warren from Cheshire Catering did a top job - the best meal in ANY rugby club, by far, and that was him preparing in a dingy kitchen, just imagine what he could have done in that beautiful new set up. The food on sunday for Mothers Day was a disgrace, no other word for it!

What did they expect the average speccie to do?

Seriously these people are blind to the facts and the sooner they come into the real world and start interacting with the fans and the club then the sooner they'll see more profit start rolling in.

I'm not slagging the ground as a facility because it's miles better than HP but you can't ask fans to pay to get into their own bar and then charge them £3.50 a pint or whatever it is.

The ground doesn't have anything in it that says "Leigh Centurions" about it either. At the moment it lacks a bit of character and our stamp (and Genesis) on it. Until that happens the average fan will always feel we were better off at HP.

Correct. You've got to strike a balance somewhere and they're way off the mark at the minute.

A vicious circle

You need fans to create atmosphere to bring in fans to make money to run the club to improve the quality of the players to improve the performance of the team to provide entertainment to help create atmosphere

You cannot create atmosphere without fans

Getting fans in costs money if you dont have enough paying fans to create the atmosphere needed

You cannot control the results of the matches within reason but you can attempt to control the entertainment that the team provide and also the atmosphere you create

It is not easy but it can be done

a very interesting thread, and it seems the vast majority of us hanker back to the old hp days, me too. i missed the last lisa meeting, but am i right in thinking this simon toone geezer was present, if so were these problems/concerns raised, and do we know if he or somebody from lsv will be coming to the next one. Because surely as a business it is beneficial for lsv have more peole use its facility. One of the real bug bears it seems and i agree is the lack of a supporters bar, until this is solved then it won't feel like ours, people are not going topay 2 quid for the privledge of walking into a bar, yes many problems but we and they will have to to solve them, because much as we look back to the good old days of hp its gone.

no he wasn't at the last meeting (the one before) and a LSV rep isn't on the list for the next one (see thread above)

He did agree to be in attendance at any meeting requested though Fred


So the MAY meeting

One thing LSV/caterers could easily do is let LISA members in the Legends bar before the match & at half time without charge.A simple act that rewards that section of supporters & may even encourage others to join LISA.That in turn would help the club to get better players & a better team would increase the attendance and so on and so on.

Totally agree with East promoting themselves and if LSV/Caterers have a problem maybe they could:

Let people in the bar for free
Lower the prices on food
Lower the prices on drinks

But we all know they are money grabbing at the min so good luck to East taking advantage

I like the new ground.

Great to have a [iclub[/i shop which is on site and offering reasonably priced, good value merchandise to buy.

Normally prefer to stand.

This season West Stand season ticket holders.

Fantastic sheltered and unhindered viewing along the sidelines.

However, has the rugby on display made me less animated/excited/vocal and supportive? Is it because I am sat down? Is it because of those spectators around me? Or am I just maturing a little?

I am unsure as to which it is but one thing for sure is certain, as many have said, it does not feel like home and at times is like moon base alpha -somewhat lacking atmoshere!

Also, even though I have never been a big 'pint before the game man' I like the option and prefer to be amongst fellow supporters in comfortable surroundings within the grounds. There desperately needs to be a free supporters bar which is accessible before and after the match. It is fine to get your refreshments 'under the stand' during the game (if you can afford to) but it is just not the same. I am a Leigh Miners man but the Easts is by far the best option at the moment.

Also, it is important that there is a little bit of something for kids entertainment pre match as this definately helps with THEIR match day experience.

I know there are a million and one other improvements that could be made, but until the free supporters bar and kids entertainment issues are addressed the place will remain souless and non-atmospheric.

Well said! Having started the thread I am amazed at the level of response and pleased at how many suggestions for improvements there have been.

Hit the nail on the head. We all show our frustrations with the club and they do make mistakes, but are they flogging a dead horse?

There seems to be some idealist memories of Hilton Park as well. Would anyone really have enjoyed Sunday's game any more if it was at Hilton Park???

I like the new stadium but I feel several things have to change.

Open up the west stand central area. It will stop the empty terrace view and create more noise. Also the west stand has a great disabled platform let some people use it free and then they will probably bring a helper.

Get some cover over the ticket office or open 1 cash turnstile per stand for the last minute supporters. Make it easy to get in rather than an effort.

Offer, not individuals, but groups of people a free ticket to visit a game. A complete class from a school (sorry if they do this already), fire service, nurses, British Legion etc. Maybe once they have been they will come back again.

Have a supporters bar selling reasonably priced food (like the MM bar). I use the hotel at the moment £5.50meal deal (food and a pint).

Get rid of the rest of the scaffolding around the stands. Put some shirts or posters up. Make the concourses friendlier where supporters can chat.

The new stadium is a great opportunity but if not careful it may turn into a bureaucratic white elephant.

Kids......

At HP, they could wander round a bit, facepaint and bouncy castle beforehand, our Alex (9yo) enjoyed the afternoon out with a couple of mates. A couple of drinks in the MM, meeting a few players, it was a safe enough haven for them to learn a bit of social independance.

At a younger (and controlable) age they just want to move about and explore a bit, follow Parky or whatever its called now, wander over to the tunnel when the players are going through, that kind of stuff.

Now and again they'd watch some of the rugby too. But every home game they looked forward to it.

Now they sit on a seat for 80 minutes watching rugby that can test the patience of many a man. Its free, yes, but its bloody boring for them too.

I have been told your caterers come from Huddersfield,no wonder it is a rip off, i understand the Park Inn is the best value for a pre-match meal thats where i will be heading on our visit.

We go Leigh East cheap food and beer and a stone throw from the ground. Also amatuer rugby being played there every Sunday, for prematch entertainment.

Not being funny but it is a rugby match not a fun day i can understand certain issues but it is all well and done shouting you dont like etc just stop moaning or just don't go its our new home and i for one like it, it is better than the old Hilton park by a country mile we have to move with the times when the ground does fill its a good atmosphere take the Wigan friendly that had the atmosphere but we are a long way from those days yet the club needs support not constant moaning of we don't like this and that its the first season at the venue for gods sake there are bound to be issues but as a club it needs support!

I know someone who's company has paid over £5000 for a box for the season. This company is a good sponsor for Leigh, and had been for quite a while.
They don't normally eat in the box because it's too expensive so they've been going to the hotel. However on Sunday they had some guests and asked if they could have the Mother's Day meal. 'Certainly Sir, that'll be £35 per guest' was the reply and my friend went on to explain that he already had a match day ticket and had already paid for a box and couldn't he just pay for the meal? 'Sorry Sir you'll have to pay £35 to have the meal!
My friend and his clients were appalled - is this the way to treat one of our biggest sponsors? I think not!!

BTW, £35 was the price for a ticket and meal in the Mothers Day package!


How can you run a business like this?

Problem is Mish that the club are suffering because of this and its not their fault. Their hands are tied on what they charge?

I know, and the management company are going to run the club down to the ground unless someone gets a grip of what's happening there.

I just can't believe what's happening TBH. The whole thing seems to be turning into a nightmare!