Looking at the other games in both the Championship leagues. Only ours and the fantastic gate at Fev really had good crowds. Apart from the Batley vs Fax game - which was about 1100 - all the other were below the thousand mark, with some well below. Is P&R really going to have an effect on the crowds or is it just slow getting going with the cold weather. It really is worrying reading those statistics how there won't be an even bigger gulf between those that have and those that have not.

Nearly 1,000 at Hunslet is a huge increase on their crowds at this level in the past. Think they got something similar in week one as well. Whitehaven is somewhat understandable given their situation at the minute but you'd have thought Workington would be getting more on.

The prospect of the "middle eight" might do a lot for our end of the table but for those towards the other end there's even less to play for and the prospect of some big defeats as well. It will also be interesting to see what happens to our crowds when we play some of the lesser lights. Realistically we should score a hat full of points or we play poorly and its a boring game, in a way a bit like the second half yesterday. How many of the new and returned supporters will keep coming back in either case?

I actually think Moimoi will be a godsend in that regard. It's always been hard to get the atmosphere going with few away fans if the game isn't the biggest or the best but Fuifui really gets the crowd going and the atmosphere seems to go up several notches every time he comes onto the pitch.

He had 2/3 rampaging runs and some monster hits yesterday that just got the crowd rocking. Especially in what was a comparatively dull 2nd half. Was exactly what I was hoping for when we signed him, some of his runs are straight out of a youtube highlights video.

Be interesting to see our next home gate, two away games and then with all due respect to Whitehaven arguably a less glamorous tie than the previous two.

The town is buzzing at the moment and the key will be to keep it there whilst no home fixture for a few weeks, but if we can get another 4500 in that game then I feel we will have truly turned a corner, and come the middle 8’s especially if we go into them on a roll, I'd be hoping we could be looking at adding at least another 2000 home fans.

I was what's known as a "lapsed Leyther" up until the start of this pre-season. And I was a proper "lapser" because I hadn't been for 22 years!!!

And it was only by chance that I am back supporting the club now because I have had no interest in rugby league whilst I've been away. I kept a tiny eyeball on Leigh and the odd match on tele' but generally my life steered me well away from the great game.

My uncle, who's been watching Leigh all his life, invited me to preseason; and having not seen him proplerly either for several years I decided to make an effort.

It was only when I started to read and catch-up with Leigh's recent history that I stared to appreciate what I had been missing. My first match back was against North Wales in preseason I had no idea about any of Leigh's players which left me feeling quite ignorant to be honest.

Anyway, I know now, that having first watched Leigh at the age of 8 in 1980 , then supporting them at Hilton Park until about 1992 - and then coming "home" to support them again all these year later at the LSV, that the club is in my heart and I should never have severed all ties.

It's more than good to be back and the future looks very bright indeed. Let's hope there are a few more like me out there that return home.

Great post ant7t2.

Cheers, Ian. Been dying to get that off my chest!! lol

Come on, yooooouuuu Leigh!!!!

Welcome back to the fold



It's always saddened me to see lapsed fans whose passion died for the game or the club. There's been a lot of fans in that situation in recent seasons because of a lack of meaningful fixtures due to no P&R to/from SL.

But this time it's a feelgood story with a happy ending. You've come back on board at a great time - this squad, this club - it's going places!

Thanks



I should have come back years ago.

I didn't even know about the league's new exciting structure or Leigh's recent success until about 6 weeks ago!

And whilst that's all fantastic, I have mainly missed cheering on Leigh. My heart's with this club. It is no wonder I have never truely had a football club in my heart because all the while I've been a Leyther.

I've watched Bolton Wanderers on and off over the years, but, I always felt something was missing deep down. Now I know why...

You sound a bit like me Ant but I gave up on football when the games were interfering with my Sunday's watching Leigh. Football would always be the poor relation to RL in my life. Welcome back to the familly.

Thanks. It's good to be back.

I still enjoy football, but it's not as good as it used to be, for me, and it's not as honest as rugby.

Just thought too, even the internet was only in it's infancy when I last watched Leigh. lol. And some of Leigh's current squad weren't even born!!

Now I feel old...