Leigh Centurions v BRADFORD BULLS SUNDAY 16TH JUNE 2019 @ 3PM FROM# LEYTHERS THE TOP# OURTOWNOURCLUB This afternoon we welcome the late, great Trevor Foster MBE at his home with many of the current Leigh players. It players, officials and supporters of in Bradford and spent a captivating three struck me talking to Jordan Thompson, Bradford Bulls to Leigh Sports Village. hours in his company. Trevor was a great just how Leigh gets in your blood. Jordan After last Sunday’s great game against friend of Tommy Sale and the two was buzzing to come back to Leigh and Halifax there should be a bumper crowd gentlemen shared many games in their within five minutes said it felt like he’d and atmosphere for this game and the latter years as their respective clubs’ time- never been away. By the way, Ryan visit of the Bulls is always keenly keepers. My friend Stuart Duffy kindly Brierley’s on 199 career games and 992 anticipated. The two clubs have a long arranged this visit for me and it’s great to career points according to my records and history of playing one another but haven’t see Stuart still actively involved at the I messaged him to let him know how close met too often in the summer era so Bradford club and playing such an integral he was to two big career milestones which occasions like today are to be savoured. part in their revival with his wisdom, skills hopefully he’ll achieve soon. and work ethic. John Kear’s a good friend We’re delighted to welcome Our League to On a personal level my dad first took me of mine as well and we go back nearly 30 to Odsal in the early 1970s for a Great LSV this afternoon for their live streaming years. I couldn’t have imagined a better of the game. The app is a fantastic Britain-France test match and I marvelled duo than John and Stuart to help drag at the sheer size of the ground and addition for the Rugby League supporter Bradford back from the depths and after immediately became aware of just why it and I enjoyed watching the recent Barrow- last year’s promotion it was great to visit was steeped in Rugby League history. I Bulls game in the AB Sundecks 1895 Cup. Odsal again this year and see the green remember the two teams walking from the I thought the commentary by our own shoots of recovery everywhere and the re- pavilion down the steep terraces to the Dave Parkinson with Leon Pryce as awakening of one of the game’s great pitch below and staying on the pitch at summariser was superb. Dave knows the clubs. halftime for refreshments and a team talk, game and its players inside out and also then walking back up through the fans I remember the re-Christened Bradford works so well with an experienced after the game. Bulls coming to Hilton Park in 1996 for a summariser as he appreciates the two are My friend Robert Gate wrote a magnificent Challenge Cup tie under the charge of very different roles. Leon offered great book detailing the events of the 1954 Brian Smith. With Smith as coach and insight and knowledge from a coach’s Challenge Cup Final replay between Peter Deakin masterminding the perspective. Talking of commentators Warrington and Halifax when a world commercial side you could tell something thanks to Ryan Taylor for his sterling work record crowd, officially given as 102,575, big was brewing. Bull-mania was one particularly under trying circumstances in packed inside Odsal. There’s some enduring memory of the early years of the game at Toulouse and for the service amazing footage on You Tube of that Super League, wonderful summer he and Joe Wood provide on LCTV. If you occasion. Yet in December 1963 Leigh evenings at a packed Odsal where the don’t subscribe to LCTV then please visited Odsal for a league game and just fantastic off-field action with live bands, consider doing so and please also sign up 841 spectators were dotted about the men on stilts, fire-eaters, vintage car to Our League as it directly helps Leigh Odsal slopes. Bradford Northern folded displays, Elvis evenings, fireworks etc was Centurions. soon afterwards, happily revived the matched by the on-field action as the Bulls .............................................................. following year. became a dominant force in the game and ultimately world champions in 2002. Finally big thanks to one of the game’s all- Rugby League in Bradford’s certainly had time greats, Andy Gregory, who was our its ups and downs. After all the first Odsal returned the national television special guest last Sunday and who champions Manningham soon switched to attention recently when the Challenge Cup captivated premier Club with his stories soccer, forming Bradford City FC and the quarter-final against Halifax was played and insight, all told with great humility. original Bradford club, playing at the out before a large audience on Andy loves coming to Leigh and hopefully famous Park Avenue ground, won the Cup mainstream BBC television and a we’ll see him and his wife Nicola again in 1906 only to also become a soccer captivating game showcased the best of soon. club, Bradford Park Avenue. This act Championship rugby league and signalled became known as the ‘Great Betrayal’ and that Odsal, and the Bulls are very much on Enjoy the game, Mike the way back. has been expertly chronicled in the Andy Gregory in Premier Club last Sunday superb, recently published books by John Congratulations to two of our former Dewhirst. Fortunately, a faction kept players who recently achieved career Northern Unionism alive, forming Bradford milestones. Former club captain Oliver Northern in 1907 and originally playing at Wilkes scored his 100th career try in Birch Lane. Inspired by reading John’s Workington Town’s game at South Wales books I visited the site last year, adjacent last Saturday and Sean Penkywicz also to where Bowling Old Lane CC play, and recorded his 150th career try in the same it’s still possible to imagine how the game. Oliver was gutted to miss the Leigh ground must have looked over a century game through a hamstring injury as he’d ago. dreamt of reaching his 100 with a try in When researching my history of rugby front of the North Stand. Penky was my league grounds I was honoured to visit the guest last Sunday and remains friends THE CENTURION • THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF LEIGH CENTURIONS RLFC 3 # LEYTHERS # OURTOWNOURCLUB # LEYTHERS # OURTOWNOURCLUB HONOURS WHO’S WHO Winter era AT LEIGH CENTURIONS (1895-96 to 1995-96) Championship Winners: COACH’S COLUMN Owner Statistician 1905-06, 1981-82 Mr Derek Beaumont Mr Cliff Sumner Division Two Champions: Operational Board Of Directors Social Media Manager 1977-78, 1985-86, 1988-89 HEAD COACH JOHN DUFFY Mr Michael Latham (Chairman) Mr Darren Lilly Challenge Cup Winners: 1921, 1971 Mr Jason Huyton Retail Outlet Manager Our middles were really good against he is. Jake’s another one who loves Leigh Mr Steve Hill Ms Gillian Jolley Lancashire Cup Winners: Chief Executive IT Manager 1952, 1955, 1970, 1981 Halifax. Their attention to detail was really and he’s so pleased to be back. Mr Matthew Chantler Mr Andrew Parkinson (runners-up 1909, 1920, 1922, 1949, important. Sam Brooks was a bit miffed. Andy Gregory was the club’s guest of Honorary Life President Club Ambassador 1951, 1963, 1969) His main sponsor was also the main honour last week and spoke so well in Mr Brian Bowman Mr Alex Murphy OBE BBC2 Floodlit Trophy Winners: match sponsor. When he ploughed over Premier Club. You look at what he’s Honorary Vice President Official Club Photographers 1969, 1972 (runners-up 1968, 1976) for that try in front of the North Stand he achieved in the game and it’s Mr Andy Burnham Mr Jerry Lyons South West Lancashire & Border thought he’d nailed the man of the match unbelievable. He loves coming to Leigh Towns Cup Winners: 1901 award. He said he was gutted when Mitch and loves the club. He was my hero as a Life Members SuperLeigh (Hilton Park Society) ITA TV Trophy runners-up 1955 got it, but to be fair he was only joking. Mr Tommy Coleman Manager kid growing up and it’s great to meet up Summer era (1996 to date) Sam’s a great team player and a great with him from time to time and learn from Dr Morris Doublet-Stewart Ms Christine Brown John Duffy and Martyn Ridyard bloke to have around the place. Mr Michael Latham Assistant Manager Promotion to Super League: some of his experience and knowledge. 2004,2016 Luke Douglas’s dad had just arrived from He’s very supportive. Chris Hill also came Mr John Massey Mr Jonathan Simpkin The games are coming thick and fast Mr Steve Openshaw Co-Ordinator League Leaders: Australia. He spent the afternoon in to the Halifax game, a lad who made his Premiership 2001, and as the season starts nearing its Derek’s box and just loved his time at name at Leigh and who’s gone on to Mr Fred Parkinson Mr Paul Robinson climax, the intensity rises. Mr Alan Platt National League One 2004, Leigh. He was bursting with pride great things at Warrington and at Mr Allan Rowley Leigh Community Trust Championship 2014,2015,2016 I always felt the league table would watching his son play and no wonder.