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.

A lot of the people involved in Horwich RMI FC when the land was sold wouldn?t have been shareholders. They won?t have made anything from the sale.

Grundy hill was not sold to make money for people. If the Leigh sports village hadn?t been built, they would still be playing at Hilton Park and GHE would not have land to sell. When they moved from GH, no-one would have known that LSV would be built.

 

They moved to a new ground, with better facilities and wanted to progress. They did progress to the highest part of the pyramid that they had ever played at.

what happened to that team playing under the horwich rmi banner

 

weren't they playing in salford

 

are they still going?

found 'em

 

RMI is alive!

They are a bunch a cockheads

i know that

 

theyre from horwich

 

its a giveaway

They are a bunch a cockheads

 

Horwich RMI AFC

Serving the Community of Horwich

 

do they still play at Brookhouse in Eccles

Horwich - I know that the vast majority of Grundy Hill Estates shares are held by a small number of people (CH, AL). When Hilton Park is sold is the dividend just going to be pocketed by GHE shareholders? Has there been any discussion at GHE shareholders meetings of using a percentage of the sale to re-establish non-league football in Horwich - even at say Vodkat league level?

No talk about that. I wouldnt have minded seeing a small ground built at British Aerospace that could be used by a Horwich team and BWFC reserves.

Thats not going to happen though.

 

Personally, I dont give a shit about the money from the shares. They were bought in the 60s by my grandad who was a big RMI supporter. I'd be happy to put my share back into RMI football in Horwich, but its not going to happen.

I think a lot of the small shareholders in GHE I know would be prepared to do what you say and give up any money if it mean an RMI in Horwich. Unfortunately I don't think the big shareholders share that view.

Horwich - I know that the vast majority of Grundy Hill Estates shares are held by a small number of people (CH, AL) When Hilton Park is sold is the dividend just going to be pocketed by GHE shareholders? Has there been any discussion at GHE shareholders meetings of using a percentage of the sale to re-establish non-league football in Horwich - even at say Vodkat league level?

 

 

I would have guessed at those two. I used to play in the U18s and reserves with AL's son.

Edited February 4, 201016 yr by YATESY

I only ever went to Grundy Hill a couple of times, but was sorry when RMI moved to Leigh.

Still, RMI progressed to the Conference - so that seemed great. But the required new fans never really turned up.

This (likely) ending was always on the cards. I've known other clubs sell their grounds hoping for re-location and falling foul. Enfield and Wealdstone (giants of non-league football in the 80's) spring to mind. Other clubs in sizable towns such as Bedford and Leamington went out of business for some years and still haven't fully recovered. But who ever learns from history !

 

What puzzles me is this : Why was a ?20m stadium built in Leigh for a main rugby leage club which attracts around 2,500 (and was decided about in Superleague pre-franchise days), a football club which attracts around 300 on a great day, and minor rugby league clubs attracting around 500 ? Whose splendid arithmetic worked that one out as a viable proposition ? No wonder they're struggling to break even.

 

One other point. There's a big area of grass in the middle of the floodlit running track at Bolton Arena next to the Reebok. And Horwich is in Bolton Metro, like Lostock. When the facilities at Middlebrook were being planned, I hoped that a football pitch would be laid with suitable facilities for about 2,000 fans - serving both BW reserves and Horwich RMI. Is that idea too late now ?

Maybe the conspiracy theory regarding LSV is harsh. They did receive grants that were made on the basis of there being another sport- football specifically- played at the LSV. One thing is clear and has been since the stadium opened: Leigh Genesis are not welcome in the LSV stadium. No football club in the Unibond League- certainly with the gates LGFC attract- has to have such high levels of stewarding for games. Even FC United don't have such levels of stewarding- and that's at a Football League ground with attendances 10 times those of Leigh.

 

Attendances of 200-300 are perfectly adequate to sustain a club in Leigh's division, but not with the overheads Leigh face. Both the management of the stadium and the club are to blame for the current situation. As it stands, with stewarding levels higher than some Football League clubs, LGFC is unsustainable at the LSV. I repeat, football need not be detrimental to rugby in the town. Rugby need not be detrimental to football either. Surely having a semi-pro football club and a semi-pro rugby club would benefit the whole town. Rightly or wrongly, LGFC feels hard done by. Rightly or wrongly, the LSV feels they have been more than fair with LGFC. Either way, both sides need to work together, as the situation does neither side's reputation any good. I know there aren't many in Leigh who are trying to save the club, but some of those not doing so will be saddened when the club folds. In many ways, it is like when Woolworths went bust last year; many were saddened when it happened, but when asked if they shopped there, most replied, "No".

Horwich victoria (Horwichs no1 team) currently play on the arena. Not a big fan of grounds surrounded by running tracks.

 

I went to LSV a few months ago and there is more sucurity than the Reebok on a match day. Not in terms of numbers, just jobsworth blokes asking stupid fucking questions as to why you are in a certain areas of the ground (I was near the changing rooms at the time)

 

Nice stadium if it wasnt for the jobsworths. I understand that LGFC are willing to pay the money asked to play their league games there, but they keep getting told they cant (Seems the Rugby are the priority) I dont see why both cant play at the ground. AC and Inter manage it, So I dont see why LGFC and LRLFC can't.

Horwich victoria (Horwichs no1 team) currently play on the arena. Not a big fan of grounds surrounded by running tracks.

 

I went to LSV a few months ago and there is more sucurity than the Reebok on a match day. Not in terms of numbers, just jobsworth blokes asking stupid fucking questions as to why you are in a certain areas of the ground (I was near the changing rooms at the time)

 

Nice stadium if it wasnt for the jobsworths. I understand that LGFC are willing to pay the money asked to play their league games there, but they keep getting told they cant (Seems the Rugby are the priority) I dont see why both cant play at the ground. AC and Inter manage it, So I dont see why LGFC and LRLFC can't.

 

Totally with you on that. The two Wigan clubs manage it, although having had common ownership certainly helped. There are problems between the two St. Helens clubs, but generally only where there is a genuine clash for cup matches. It can be done.

It annoys me that after everything Leigh RMI/Genesis have done for the rugby, they dont seem to want to help back.

 

Football fixtures out in July, they rugby should have fitted their fixtures round these.

 

What puzzles me is this : Why was a ?20m stadium built in Leigh for a main rugby leage club which attracts around 2,500 (and was decided about in Superleague pre-franchise days), a football club which attracts around 300 on a great day, and minor rugby league clubs attracting around 500 ? Whose splendid arithmetic worked that one out as a viable proposition ? No wonder they're struggling to break even.

 

 

Good question. Its a long answer so bear with me.

 

Greenbank paid for the majority of the village to be built (the college, sports centre, Leigh Easts, and I think the Harriers - not just the stadium). Somethink like ?50m dished out and yes there were grants etc available but the majority was forked out by the developer. These facilities were then given to the Council (LSV) to run.

 

I understand there are many mechanics to the deal but the long and short was in return Greenbank got council land around the village and the old Leigh East land next to Hilton Park to redevelop for themselves. Everyone is happy so far. Then came the recession.

 

If the village had the planned cinema, bowling alley, supermarket, retail and commercial outlets then the village revenue would be greater than it currently is. Acres of land sits undeveloped.

 

Pre-recession the numbers would have stacked up. But once it came land values dropped and folk stopped building so the village only really is half built hence the income is much lower than anyone would have projected. T

 

The chances of the village being self financing are currently slim to bulemic, hence LSV playing a bit of hardball, rightly or wrongly.

 

The cost for the stadium was high because the spec was quite high. The capacity of 12000 (or 14000 depending on who you believe) could have been provided for a lot less money but things like undersoil heating, a grade 4 playing surface (I think thats what its called, its only 1 down from the highest Fifa standard anyway which is only found at places like Wembley - irony - Emirates etc) large electronic screens, and tousands of square feet of rentable commercial and office space may not have been provided. It could have been 4 tin sheds and a council pitch in fairness.

 

12000 capacity (or thereabouts - I forget now they move the goalposts that often) was the criteria to get into Super League (pre-franchise) so it was pointless building one for say 8000 given at the time this was all being knocked about, Leigh were actually a Super League club and had been the most consistantly succesful team outside SL for the previous 5 or 6 years. SL rugby at that time wasn't as far away as it is now.

 

Leigh RMI came along as one of the partners, the others being the other sporting clubs in the town. How they have been treated has been done to death.

 

Leigh East rent their own facility (clubhouse) on the village and dont use the stadium. The training pithces are 3G and are available for anyone to hire via LSV which is what they do.

 

Leigh Harriers are in a similar situation adjacent to the stadium. If anyone has a right to be pissed off its them becuase they were the only ones who owned their own land previously.

 

Nice stadium if it wasnt for the jobsworths. I understand that LGFC are willing to pay the money asked to play their league games there, but they keep getting told they cant (Seems the Rugby are the priority) I dont see why both cant play at the ground. AC and Inter manage it, So I dont see why LGFC and LRLFC can't.

 

Simon Toone told a Centurions supporters meeting that the pitch could only be used 45 times a year. I shit ye not.

What i cant get my head round is why the football club was so easily conned, if you got the likes of Mr Speakman taking over and putting money in the club and then walking out when the LSV was not available. Then another wealthy backer comes in and does exactly the same. Is the LSV run by Nigerian scammers?

doesnt suprise me. Sounds like they would rather have Blackburn playing there, rather than a team from their own town.

Surely the number of times a year the pitch would be able to be played on was known even before the ground was built? If that was the case, then someone must have known that the two clubs could not happily share the ground. RMI/Genesis would have had to accept that fact quite early on otherwise seek alternative accommodation.

 

The sad fact is we are likely to lose yet another local grassroots club. Fewer outlets for local amateur and semi-pro players cannot be a good thing for the area. Darwen reformed as AFC Darwen last year and look set for a return to the North West Counties League. Colls and LR can only tread water at the moment. Other clubs below the North West Counties simply can't get planning permission for floodlights to allow them to take the step up to semi-pro leagues. Grassroots football is the cornerstone of our game in this country. The whole system needs looking at and investment is needed urgently. The way grassroots football is neglected will not help England's World Cup bid.

They will sell the space to the highest bidder. Watch out for Saints playing there next season when their new ground isnt finished, or Wigan when Dave Whelan wants to relay the pitchin summer.

I went to the meeting tonight, must admit Leigh East have got themselves a swish clubhouse on the LSV site, years ago from watching filthy strippers in the old gaff what they had. The turnout for the Leigh Gen was reasonable. We had four directors to aim our questions at. I questioned about the sale of Hilton Park. The answer was " It wanted a 100000 grand upgrade ". So i said well why was it not upgraded? "Because we got promised a new ground up the road". After that it was all about fund raising. Well the Unibond want answers, if we dont have a ground available for the 31st March, we are fucked.

Now this is the bit I don't understand.

 

If I said 'Leave your old car at work and pick up a brand new Merc at the end of the road' would you not be a bit suspicious?

 

Centurions and Easts were just as guilty, they were either very naive or had some strong assurances that all would be well because who on earth did they think would foot the bill for running the village?

 

Now this is the bit I don't understand.

 

If I said 'Leave your old car at work and pick up a brand new Merc at the end of the road' would you not be a bit suspicious?

 

Centurions and Easts were just as guilty, they were either very naive or had some strong assurances that all would be well because who on earth did they think would foot the bill for running the village?

 

So you are saying about the owners " We dont give a fuck who plays here, so long has it makes us money", and in reality in this day and age it will stop kids in Leigh watching a football match at the LSV.

So you are saying about the owners " We dont give a fuck who plays here, so long has it makes us money", and in reality in this day and age it will stop kids in Leigh watching a football match at the LSV.

 

Pretty much so. Sad isn't it?

 

They threatened to evict Leigh East because they could not afford the rent, which is/was about 5 times what they paid at their old place. Easts keep about 150 local kids off the streets and into sport, run girls teams, healthy lifestyle programmes, all sorts. Their community work has won awards and are Sport Englands local golden boys. Means nowt to LSV. Pay your rent or fuck off.

 

Look at it another way though, if you had no interest in sport whatsoever, why should your council tax subsidise Leigh Genesis, Centurions, or Easts?

 

I've said I dont care too much for LSV, though in fairness to them they are trying to rebuild bridges but at the same time have to balance the books like any other council department.