Leigh Centurions v WIDNES VIKINGS SUNDAY 28TH JULY 2019 @ 4PM AB SUNDECKS 1895 CUP SEMI FINAL # LEYTHERS # OURTOWNOURCLUB # LEYTHERS # OURTOWNOURCLUB AB SUNDECKS BECOME TITLE SPONSORS OF THE 1895 Cup FROM THE TOP Welcome to this afternoon’s AB Alex Murphy with cup 1971 It was great to see Adam Higson returning to Sundecks 1895 Cup semi-final the club and to see the way Junior Sa’u and Leigh Centurions club sponsor AB Mitch Clark have already settled in. Sundecks expanded its support of against Widnes Vikings. Rugby League by becoming title It’s a big game for both clubs and both sets of Meanwhile young Josh Simm made his Super players. I was speaking to Tony Barrow in the League debut at London last Sunday, one of sponsor of the inaugural 1895 Cup, nine Saints players in the team that day the final of which will be played at week ahead of him being our special guest this afternoon in Premier Club. that’ve played for Leigh this year. Wembley Stadium on Saturday, 24 Congratulations to Josh and thanks again for August: Tony was a key member of the 1971 all the Saints lads who have fully bought into Wembley team having played for Saints in playing for Leigh Centurions. AB Sundecks has established itself as one their 1966 success over Wigan. of the UK’s leading manufacturers and Tony was a top player in his day and was in Ryan Brierley installers of complete PVCu decking top form in the 1973-74 season and solutions to the leisure and domestic considered a shoe-in for a place on the GB markets. touring squad for Australia and New Zealand. The sponsorship announcement came as Sadly, he suffered a broken leg in the final “Alex was right. We didn’t get any ball and we the last 16 teams in the competition game of Leigh’s season, ironically at his did play our rugby at Wembley. home-town club St Helens. prepared to go head-to-head. “Those two games before Wembley were the Undaunted, he fought back, serving as Leigh worst two games from a spectator’s point of The RFL introduced the AB Sundecks A team and assistant coach and going on to 1895 Cup as part of new-look Wembley them to grow our relationship further, conjunction with the launch of our view I’ve ever seen. But we won both, without assist the Championship and League 1 sponsorship.” coach Warrington, Oldham and Swinton in a scoring a try on each occasion. It showed to line-up which also includes the Coral long career. level as a whole, and engage our leisure me that going into big games you have to It was sad to say farewell to Gareth Hock Challenge Cup Final and the traditional Details of AB Sundecks’ products and Tony’s love and enthusiasm for the game have mental toughness. You’ve got to get it Year 7 Boys Champion Schools curtain- industry partners. national services can be found by who’s called time on his career and we all shows no sign of waning. He was our guest right when it really matters. wish him all the best for the future. A tribute raiser. “We shall be looking to make our visiting www.absundecks.co.uk or by at the quarter-final win over Barrow Raiders, “I’ve already got my ticket for Wembley. I go to Gareth is included in this edition of the RFL Chief Executive, Ralph Rimmer, said: involvement fun for the fans with an calling 01204 709029. as tense a match as I’ve ever watched and every year. This year I’m looking forward to Centurion. exciting competition we will be running in shared our joy at the final hooter. “We’re delighted to announce this watching Saints and then Leigh. How good Finally, good luck to an old friend, Kieron partnership with AB Sundecks and look Tony was invited along by John Duffy to would that be?” Purtill, now Widnes coach. Kieron’s a great forward to working with our new partners AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Oldham 12-24 Doncaster speak to the players on Thursday ahead of Tony told me that he regards Alex Murphy bloke, someone I’ve known 20 years. I knew the game. in the coming weeks and months. First Round Widnes Vikings 22-16 Featherstone Rovers OBE as the greatest player he’s ever played his brother Dean before him, who’d have Doncaster 70-6 West Wales York City Knights 30-16 Newcastle Thunder “To win the semi-final will require a lot of with or seen. gone on to become a prolific point-scorer for “Rugby League is a summer sport and Hunslet 28-31 Workington Town Quarter-Finals nerve, a lot of guts and every ounce of Leigh but for pursuing a career outside the ‘sundecks’ says ‘sunshine’ so this is a But second on the list is John Woods, who he Newcastle Thunder 38-12 Keighley Cougars Doncaster 28-32 Sheffield Eagles strength,” he told the players. “It will all boil coached at Warrington. game. Kieron shared our pain in the 2000 perfect match. Oldham 48-12 Whitehaven Leigh Centurions 19-18 Barrow Raiders down to which team wants it the most. grand final defeat at the hands of Dewsbury, Widnes Vikings 54-6 Dewsbury Rams “Playing at Wembley is an indescribable John Woods saw his playing career ended prematurely by “Wembley Stadium has been the setting Second Round injury, then developed a coaching career that York City Knights 16-17 Batley Bulldogs experience and I was fortunate enough to do for many of the game’s greatest matches Barrow Raiders 50-6 Bradford Bulls has seen him earn so much respect. and I’m hopeful that the 1895 Cup Final Batley Bulldogs 38-18 Rochdale Hornets it twice and win the Cup on both occasions. Semi-Finals (Sun 28 July) Kieron was great to work alongside last year will create even more magical memories Dewsbury Rams 44-26 Swinton Lions Leigh Centurions v Widnes Vikings “I remember Leigh’s quarter-final win over Hull and the semi-final win over Huddersfield and the way he coped through all the ups and for players and fans alike.” Halifax 8-52 Sheffield Eagles Sheffield Eagles v Batley Bulldogs downs of a traumatic year was fantastic. He Leigh Centurions 62-12 Workington Town at Wigan in 1971. Laura Beaumont, Marketing Director at AB Final (Wembley Stadium, Sat 24 Aug) will always have my respect. Sundecks, added: “We are delighted to be “We didn’t score a try on either occasion, but we got the wins that mattered. When you get And a big shout out to my old friend Mark sponsoring the 1895 Cup in its inaugural to Wembley no-one remembers how you got Naughton who’ll be with the Vikings fans in year. there. South Stand today. Mark’s a great bloke and as MC of the Widnes PA system plays the “AB Sundecks have been associated with “Alex Murphy was our player-coach. He was “John was a genius,” he told me. “A great best music at any rugby league ground bar Rugby League for more than a decade, special. The greatest I’ve ever seen. What a player and a totally different player to Alex. He none. We got well at truly beaten at Widnes and we are very passionate about the player. Before the semi-final Alex pulled me floated across a field and his defence was on Good Friday but Mark’s fabulous music sport sponsoring grassroots, amateur, and Mick Collins perfect. John was a wonderful player, yet he stayed long in the memory long after the pain women’s and professional teams. Tony Barrow to one side. never got the chance to play at Wembley. of defeat had been swept away. ‘Don’t worry That’s why these lads have got to take their “I personally feel it’s important for the about the ball What a great occasion that was, seeing the opportunity. They may never get it again.” Vikings fans enjoying a great performance by children’s and women’s sections of the today’’ he said. ‘You won’t be Congratulations to Ryan Brierley. One their team just weeks after seemingly being sport to be well supported to increase the thousand points is an incredible on the verge of extinction. The joy and spread of the game. getting any. I want you to achievement and one of which he can be happiness that day made it one to savour, “We are now looking forward to growing defend, defend mightily proud. even though as a Leigh fan we were on the our involvement by expanding our support and defend. We’ll Gregg McNally’s on the verge of that receiving end. That’s why Rugby League’s the Jordan Thompson bursts over to score against Barrow Final Score greatest game. of the game through the RFL, working with play our rugby at milestone too and today plays his 250th Wembley.’ career game, another fantastic effort. Enjoy the game, Mike 2 THE CENTURION • THE OFFICIAL MATCHDAY PROGRAMME OF LEIGH CENTURIONS RLFC 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: Mr Jason Huyton Retail Outlet Manager 1921, 1971 Welcome to today’s game against did and all credit to Batley.