Rugby club row (From Leigh Journal)

Leigh RL legends upset

9:00am Thursday 9th February 2012 in News

LEIGH'S old rugby league club players are adamant there is little chance of them healing the rift between themselves and Leigh Centurions.

"We feel alienated. It seems the Centurions want to erase all the previous history of Leigh RLFC," said Leigh legend Mick Martyn, sadly, after he and fellow Leigh RL Past Players Association committee members issued a statement highlighting their grievances and said they had severed contact with Centurions "and there is no going back for us".

But Centurions Chief Executive Trevor Barton has said that he was in the process of speaking with various people regarding the situation which he was hopeful could be resolved.

"We will extend the hand of peace but if they don't want to get around the table and speak to the club that is up to them, but we will not be standing still."

The PPA committee includes former Great Britain tourist Mick Martyn who spent his 15 season long professional career with his home town club. He has held the Leigh try-scoring record for 48 years, and scored more tries than any other Great Britain player on an Australian tour (23 in 16 games).

Leading up to the simmering row was the incident when he and fellow international, Wales captain and Leigh centre Gordon Lewis (between them they played over 700 games for Leigh), say they were left humiliated when they were refused half-time admission to the function room during a home game at LSV.

Past Players' committee men Mick, his younger brother Tommy an England international and GB tourist who was a prominent member of the Leigh side that were Rugby League champions in 1981-2, treasurer Maurice Bailey, Terry Gorman and secretary Bob Shuttleworth signed a statement which they presented to the Journal.

"Since moving from the old ground things have never been the same, we have never been made to feel welcome. We were quickly banned from going in the function room in the stand and told we had to use the public Legends bar outside.

"This wasn't ideal - quite often there were very few people in the function room and on occasion we were told we could go in to give a bit of atmosphere - we refused as we felt we were being used.

"In 2009 we donated £1,500 to the club, plus £500 from membership fees.

"In 2010 we were still banned but later in the season told if we paid another £40 each on top of our membership fee - which we donated to the club - we were told we could go in the function room.

"Maurice Bailey and his wife were humiliated when told they could not use the reception area lift to get to the disabled section. What a way to treat someone who has been a match sponsor!"

Members say they felt they were being made fools of when players from a later era were invited to games and the function room they were banned from.

They say they have unsuccessfully tried to get younger players to join the committee.

Since being founded in 1986 the Past Players have donated over £20,000 to the rugby club and in 23010 gave a £1,000 donation plus £800 from the Association's membership fees. The committee men say to see to some players being invited to the function room and given free tickets was the last straw.

"We didn't get free match tickets, our membership fee was handed to the club and we paid full price for cup games. We complained to the club hierarchy but got no answer or reply. We haven't attended a game since the end of last season," the statement read.

"Our secretary Bob Shuttleworth is not a past player but does a great job and for many years did all sorts of voluntary work for the club and helped set-up the Leigh Lifeline Society. He hasn't attended a game for two years.

"We asked several times to have the Hall of Fame photographs displayed at the new ground but to date they haven't gone up. It feels like they want to wipe out all the previous history of the club."

Now the ex-players enjoy invites to other clubs for matches and functions but say they don't have the facility to return the hospitality.

Recently they donated £760 each to Wigan and Leigh Hospice and the Stroke Association and say they will continue to support local amateur rugby but this year could be the last time they arrange the Association dinner.