I know its a Wanderers forum, but know a good few lads who watch Non league. Its shit or bust tomorrow with a meeting at Leigh East Rugby Leagues club. We are meeting the directors to see if this club can continue with the main sponser pulling out. In reality the LSV have shafted both us and Leigh East. Its supposed to have been built for the sporting community of LEIGH, not fucking Roooovers reserves.

I know its a Wanderers forum, but know a good few lads who watch Non league. Its shit or bust tomorrow with a meeting at Leigh East Rugby Leagues club. We are meeting the directors to see if this club can continue with the main sponser pulling out. In reality the LSV have shafted both us and Leigh East. Its supposed to have been built for the sporting community of LEIGH, not fucking Roooovers reserves.

 

As a Colls man myself, I hope that your club pulls through. I always feared it would come to this, as Leigh is a rugby town. Football clubs have always struggled in the town, but I didn't expect Leigh East to be dealt with in a similar manner.

 

I think we all knew from very early on that Genesis would struggle with those in charge at the LSV. Priority of fixtures was a major problem for the club, and even league games have had to be played at other grounds, as the RL club take priority. One thing is for certain, I can't see the Unibond League standing for it for much longer.

 

What is the main purpose of the meeting? Is it about pooling resources to get you both through the current season? Is there anything those of us on WW can do?

As a Colls man myself, I hope that your club pulls through. I always feared it would come to this, as Leigh is a rugby town. Football clubs have always struggled in the town, but I didn't expect Leigh East to be dealt with in a similar manner.

 

I think we all knew from very early on that Genesis would struggle with those in charge at the LSV. Priority of fixtures was a major problem for the club, and even league games have had to be played at other grounds, as the RL club take priority. One thing is for certain, I can't see the Unibond League standing for it for much longer.

 

What is the main purpose of the meeting? Is it about pooling resources to get you both through the current season? Is there anything those of us on WW can do?

Thanks for your concern DW, but its just like last season with the ground not being ready, and then Dominic Speakman withdrawing all his funds. But the LSV are the main culprits in this, not allowing Leigh to play on the ground. Read this snippet from an Horwich fan about the situation.

 

http://www.nonleaguematters.co.uk/forum/gforum.cgi?post=220742;sb=post_latest_reply;so=ASC;forum_view=forum_view_collapsed;;page=unread#unread

No way back for them imo. You cant carry on losing the amount of money they must have been.

 

Shafted by the sports village

Shafted by the rugby team whilst at Hilton Park

 

No real income...only going one way

 

Horwich RMI/Leigh RMI/Leigh Genesis R.I.P

doesn't smiffs have a different view?

doesn't smiffs have a different view?

Horwich RMI saved Leigh RFC. FACT.

It's very sad this, no more loco men with all that history gone in a puff of smoke. RIP

 

1917 Joined Lancashire Combination in war-time arrangements

 

My link

 

Not really.

 

LSV cannot lose money but on the other hand it cost them nowt (a developer paid for most of the Village) and they're hammering the 'partners' - Leigh Centurions, Easts, Genesis, and Harriers. Its been run by amateurs but I know they are trying to build bridges. However, Centurions are struggling to make the deal work with 2500 on so theres fucks shance of Genesis doing it.

 

Regardless, if you want to play in a ?20m stadium, you need more than 200 fans. Harsh but true. To give you an idea of what its like, Leigh Easts and Leigh Miners, amateur rugby teams get double that.

 

I disagree with Centurions shafting RMI, it was they who surrendered their lease with Grundy Hill to allow the development to take place in the first place. If GH were so good, why didnt they let RMI stay there? They own(ed) the land after all.

 

Maybe it was because neither they nor RMI were prepared to pay the running costs or keep it in a condition safe enough to get a safety certificate, like the Centurions did for so long.

 

Maybe they saw ?4m of land value instead.

 

Either way, Genesis downfall has nowt to do with them. Simple fact is, its a rugby town and the football fans in this town are already spoken for.

 

 

 

I for one will never ever step into that stadium again, been about five times since it opened thinking the stewards would be more tolerant, god i thought the Reebok was bad, this is the worst. I have seen lads ripping season tickets up and walking out, just for stepping on a yellow line. Even away fans have give it the thumbs down. Anyway LSV, stuff your prison camp and your overpriced ale and food. I am out!

It is as I had feared:- Leigh Genesis were only ever brought on board to secure funding for the stadium under the guise of multi-purpose in the vain attempt at securing the Super League franchise. I had suspected as much from the very beginning. Leigh Centurions stood no chance of getting the franchise at Hilton Park. It seems that they never stood a chance anyway, as the purpose of the franchise system was to take RL to areas not already RL strongholds. This was clearly illustrated by Crusaders' move to Wrexham being given the green light, and earlier when Salford got the nod ahead of Leigh- even though Salford's stadium wasn't a certainty at the time.

 

I know there are many who will say that the club should never have left Horwich in the first place, but a town the size of Leigh should have a club that is a force in non-league football at least. Then again, a town the size of Leigh should also have a railway station!

 

As for the Dingles' Cousins Reserves, they can bugger off to Leyland and Wanderers should come to Alder House! Not likely, but it might just help all parties.

 

Horwich/Leigh RMI/Genesis need a ground of their own- or at least a share with another football club, so that priority of fixtures is determined by league status and not those in another sport. Also, anyone willing to step up to the plate and provide sponsorship to the club, I'm sure it will be most welcome.

 

What concerns me somewhat is the following from the article Leigh White linked to:

 

3. The Volume of games (league, FA Cups, League cups and county cups) is relatively high and in excess of the number of home fixtures expected by the stadium.

 

What on Earth did they expect? What should be a 22-club league means 21 home league games per season. The County FA Cup, FA Competitions and League Cups are priority fixtures, and even if drawn away, replays could be required in some of those competitions. They should expect up to 30 home matches per season- more if successful. I just don't know what world the people at the LSV inhabit.

Horwich RMI saved Leigh RFC. FACT.

 

Myth.

 

Grundy Hill Estates bought Hilton Park when we were in administration and we took out a 50 year lease. This allowed RMI to progress up the football league pyramid.

 

If Horwich RMI were so good, why didnt they stay there?

 

Leigh RLFC would have played on the Marshes if they had to. RMI moving to HP was convenient for all parties.

 

If you want to piss and moan, piss and moan at Grundy Hill. They're the one sat on ?4m worth of land.

 

 

 

It is as I had feared:- Leigh Genesis were only ever brought on board to secure funding for the stadium under the guise of multi-purpose in the vain attempt at securing the Super League franchise.

 

Absolute utter fucking bullshit so I stopped reading at this piont.

 

Fact... Greenbank - private developer - paid for LSV.

 

Fact... In return they get council land to develop.

 

Fact... When the planning and funding was in place Super League franchises had not even been thought of.

 

Fact... The grant from the Football League wouldn't cover the cost of the pitch and the undersoil heating.

 

Fact... Leigh Centurions gave up their lease on Hilton Park thus freeing up the title of it.

 

Fact... Grundy Hill own Hilton Park and can do what they want with it.

 

You're talking with your cock hanging out.

Not really.

 

LSV cannot lose money but on the other hand it cost them nowt (a developer paid for most of the Village) and they're hammering the 'partners' - Leigh Centurions, Easts, Genesis, and Harriers. Its been run by amateurs but I know they are trying to build bridges. However, Centurions are struggling to make the deal work with 2500 on so theres fucks shance of Genesis doing it.

 

Regardless, if you want to play in a ?20m stadium, you need more than 200 fans. Harsh but true. To give you an idea of what its like, Leigh Easts and Leigh Miners, amateur rugby teams get double that.

 

I disagree with Centurions shafting RMI, it was they who surrendered their lease with Grundy Hill to allow the development to take place in the first place. If GH were so good, why didnt they let RMI stay there? They own(ed) the land after all.

 

Maybe it was because neither they nor RMI were prepared to pay the running costs or keep it in a condition safe enough to get a safety certificate, like the Centurions did for so long.

 

Maybe they saw ?4m of land value instead.

 

Either way, Genesis downfall has nowt to do with them. Simple fact is, its a rugby town and the football fans in this town are already spoken for.

 

 

 

So what your saying is that Leigh is a rugby town, and yet in the Unibond North, we play the likes of Salford and Warrington?

So what your saying is that Leigh is a rugby town, and yet in the Unibond North, we play the likes of Salford and Warrington?

 

Eh? I dont see what Salford and Warrington have got to do with it.

 

You can play Real Madrid in the Bedford Sunday League for me, nobody in the town is stopping them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Eh? I dont see what Salford and Warrington have got to do with it.

 

You can play Real Madrid in the Bedford Sunday League for me, nobody in the town is stopping them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just saying those teams keep ticking over in rugby based towns, so why cant Leigh do it, on similer crowds?

Smiffs, the amount of bile you are posting on this thread is unreal. Do you have some kind of chip on your shoulder about Leigh RMI/Genesis?

 

The fact remains, a stadium that was supposedly built with a Leigh football club in mind will not allow said football club to play its home games there. At the same time, the said stadium allows Blackburn Rovers- a club with no connection to the town whatsoever- to play its reserve games there. This allows the stadium to perpetuate the multi-purpose myth, without having to accommodate the local football club.

 

Leigh may well be a rugby town, but there is no reason why it cannot sustain both sports. As has been said, Warrington and Salford manage it. Even Wigan itself can sustain a team in both the Premier League and in Super League. The borough itself has many non-league clubs. Wigan Robin Park, Atherton LR, Ashton Athletic, Ashton Town and my own Atherton Collieries- all of which ply their trade in the North West Counties League.

 

There is no reason why the two sports have to be mutually exclusive. I know plenty of people who are season ticket holders at both Wigan clubs. In fact, there is a guarantee that the local audience isn't split because of the groundshare. And take a look down the road at St. Helens, where St. Helens Town (who get relatively high gates for the NWCL) and St. Helens RLFC share Knowsley Road. Over the hills, another NWCL side, Silsden, currently share with local Rugby League club, Keighley Cougars. The latter is a temporary arrangement, whilst Silsden's own facilities are updated, but the two towns are not unlike Leigh and Horwich in terms of distance from one another.

 

To suggest that Leigh cannot sustain a football club, or that football has to be detrimental to the rugby club is complete tosh.

Smiffs, the amount of bile you are posting on this thread is unreal.

 

You've already proved you know fuck all about how LSV was created and funded, so come on, show me where I am wrong.

 

You cant, because you know fuck all about it.

 

Leigh Genesis are on their arse because only 200 Leigh folk bother to watch them in a ?20m stadium. That makes them unsustainable. Its a great shame, but its also realism.

 

When you've all calmed down and stopped blaming everyone else, you will agree.

 

 

 

 

 

Just saying those teams keep ticking over in rugby based towns, so why cant Leigh do it, on similer crowds?

 

Maybe they own their grounds and social facilities so have a revenue stream. Nobody made Grundy Hill demolish the Hilton Park, they have nothing to do with LSV whatsoever.

You cant use Salford as an example or an equivalent though because Salford is more of a football town than rugby overall. Ok Salford rugby is the highest level of sport being played but most salfordians play football thats why there are so many teams from the city of salford from salford city to all the teams in the eccles and manchester leagues, whereas rugby you have got just langworthy,swinton (who are now based in prestwich) salford city reds and salford/eccles juniors. On the other hand as far as i know leigh has more high level rugby teams than football such as Leigh East, Leigh miners rangers, westleigh, leigh rugby club and ovbiously leigh centurions. Not including the local teams such as tyldsley, wigan st pats, wigan and so on so forth, two different towns, two diferent sporting religions. Just my opinion though.

I?m a Grundy Hill Estates shareholder.

 

I know that LeighRLFC owed the football a lot of money a few seasons ago. Was this repayed? I don?t know? I didn?t hear that it was.

 

In my opinion, the football has been shafted by the Leigh sports village. The football were paying the fee required to play on the ground, LSV kept changing the goal posts regarding the fixtures.

 

With the football clubs fixtures coming out first, I would have thought that the rugby would have arranged their fixtures around these.

LGFC play at home one week, Rugby play at home the week after. I am sure if everyone would have sat down, this could have been sorted.

Instead, the Rugby arrange games (The Friendly) that clashes with a LGFC fixture.

LGFC then have to arrange games at other venues.

 

I feel sorry for the people involved in LGFC. I know quite a few of them from their days at RMI. They are all fair people who get pleasure out of running a football club.

 

It?s interesting to see that now the backer has pulled out, the players are staying at the club and playing for nothing.

 

I?d be very surprised if they have a team next season.

RMI left Horwich to progress up the leagues even though they only attrated 150-300 spectators ,they sold Grundy Hill to property developers .One of their stalwart

 

followers even suggested to me it was the Wanderers fault for moving to Horwich because it robbed them of future sizeable support!!

 

Its a very sad & utterly predictable situation I used to watch them fairly regularly when the whites werent playing .

 

Two factors spring to mind unrealistic expectations & selling land for building on I think the latter was the driver & the former the line trotted out to

 

the small band of supporters.

The simple point being Wiggin Metro could not care a double shite about anything outside Wiggin itself, take a look at what they have done to the only high school in Atherton. All Wiggin sports clubs thrive by hand outs from the metro but yet Leigh Genesis seem to struggle. No fookin wonder we hate those pie eating wankers.

I used to play at RMI and loved the occassional apperance for the reserves on Grundy Hill.

 

They had some great non-league cup runs and that stoked the fires for wanting to progress up the leagues.

 

 

IMO the move to Leigh was more likely than not going to end like this and its such a shame that a wonderful club that Horwich RMI was, is now in danger of disappearing totally.

 

 

All the best to those still involved with the club and heres hoping that some future, somwhere, can be retained.

RMI left Horwich to progress up the leagues even though they only attrated 150-300 spectators ,they sold Grundy Hill to property developers .One of their stalwart

 

followers even suggested to me it was the Wanderers fault for moving to Horwich because it robbed them of future sizeable support!!

 

Its a very sad & utterly predictable situation I used to watch them fairly regularly when the whites werent playing .

 

Two factors spring to mind unrealistic expectations & selling land for building on I think the latter was the driver & the former the line trotted out to

 

the small band of supporters.

 

 

You are correct & when the wankers in the sheepskins turned up we all knew what was going on. I hate being lied to. Utter Tossers! I saw one of them at the Reebok the other week & had to laugh to myself, I wonder if he'll try & invest in there just for the sole purpose of selling the land to developers.

I?m a Grundy Hill Estates shareholder.

 

I know that LeighRLFC owed the football a lot of money a few seasons ago. Was this repayed? I don?t know? I didn?t hear that it was.

 

In my opinion, the football has been shafted by the Leigh sports village. The football were paying the fee required to play on the ground, LSV kept changing the goal posts regarding the fixtures.

 

With the football clubs fixtures coming out first, I would have thought that the rugby would have arranged their fixtures around these.

LGFC play at home one week, Rugby play at home the week after. I am sure if everyone would have sat down, this could have been sorted.

Instead, the Rugby arrange games (The Friendly) that clashes with a LGFC fixture.

LGFC then have to arrange games at other venues.

 

I feel sorry for the people involved in LGFC. I know quite a few of them from their days at RMI. They are all fair people who get pleasure out of running a football club.

 

It?s interesting to see that now the backer has pulled out, the players are staying at the club and playing for nothing.

 

I?d be very surprised if they have a team next season.

 

As far as I am aware, Horwich is the only one who posts regularly on here with any real knowledge about the whole Grundy Hill-LSV-Leigh RL issue.

 

We've spoken privately about this before and both know we both have loaded guns to fire across each others bow in a friendly way, but a public forum is not the place to do so because we'd then have to name names and numbers and it gets very messy.

 

I would love Genesis to play there every other Saturday, but they can't afford to and its costs a lot of money to open and run a ?20m stadium on a matchday. Gone are the days where half a dozen club stalwarts could act as turnstyle operator, programme seller, and match steward in return for a brew and a butty after the game. LSV wont allow it. It's a glorified Council House with Council rules.

 

Make no mistake, my opinion of LSV Co is pretty low, particulalry with the stunts they have pulled with Leigh East, and I do not doubt for one minute they have fucked Genesis about, however they have to balance the books and 200 people once a fortnight wont do it.

 

If you were a landlord, who would you prefer; a club with 200 every other Saturday barely covering running costs, or Blackburn Rovers paying huge amounts in rent and also attracting 3 times more people?

 

To those who care little about sport in the town and have to balance the LSV books, there will only ever be one winner. But its not their fault only a few hundred townsfolk have ever bothered with RMI. If they had 2000 every week then they'd still be there.

The 200 or so is similar to what RMI used to get at Grundy Hill.

 

Out of interest, how many of the current 200 come from Leigh and how many are still following the team because of the Horwich RMI history?