“LEIGH are threatening to pull out of Friday’s Super League semi-final in a row over tickets. The Leopards are meant to head nine miles up the road to Wigan for the Battle of the Borough with a Grand Final place on the line. 1 Leigh Leopards are threatening to pull out of Friday’s Super League”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
The Leopards are meant to head nine miles up the road to Wigan for the Battle of the Borough with a Grand Final place on the line.
1
Leigh Leopards are threatening to pull out of Friday’s Super League semi-final against Wigan WarriorsCredit: PABut their owner Derek Beaumont has told the Warriors he does not want to play the fixture, even though they have been offered a maximum of 5,400 places.
Leigh as a town has a population of 46,000 and more than 16,000 tickets have already been sold.
But unless a solution is found, there will be no game.
In a strongly-worded statement, Wigan, whose Brick Community Stadium holds just over 25,000 fans, said: “At 10.37pm on Tuesday, our club was informed in writing by Derek Beaumont of Leigh Leopards that they do not intend to fulfil Friday’s scheduled Semi-Final fixture.
“We can confirm that Leigh Leopards were offered the choice of 4,600 unreserved seats or 5,400 reserved seats in the North Stand.
“This allocation was determined by the independent Safety Advisory Group and our Ground Safety Officer, following consultation with the police.
“The Super League also sought separate safety advice, which fully endorsed this approach.
“It is important to note that the allocation offered was well above the 10 per cent minimum required for away supporters – indeed, it was almost double that threshold.
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
“While we regret that Leigh Leopards found this arrangement unacceptable, our club is legally, and professionally, bound to comply with the directions of our Ground Safety Officer and the conditions of our Ground Safety Certificate.
“The safety and welfare of all supporters must come first. This is not open to negotiation and underpins every decision we make.
“We continue to prepare for Friday’s Semi-Final and will release further information as the situation develops.”
SunSport has approached Derek Beaumont for his response.