LEIGH RMI NEWSLETTER -

LEIGH RMI NEWSLETTER - NO: 9 - APRIL 2001

Welcome to the latest edition, which is being produced after the worst week in Leigh RMI's short life in the Nationwide Conference. At the time of writing this we have suffered our worst home and away defeats of the season. I have received a complaint from a supporter concerning the 'late' issue of the Newsletters in the ground. The Newsletter is produced for internet subscribers and is produced on time. Last weeks was actually issued on Monday! I decided to make copies available in the bars in the ground but for obvious reasons these cannot always be produced for the same week of issue. Last weeks, for example, were only available at yesterday's match v Woking. Obviously, therefore, some news will be out of date. I am hoping that this weeks will be available for the Chester match on Wednesday. The one way to be certain of obtaining your copy on time, if you have internet access is to subscribe through the Official Leigh RMI website (www.leigh-rmi.co.uk). To anybody who can only receive these in the ground then I apologise but, as the saying goes, better late than never. NEWS. Tuesday last week saw Stevenage Borough pay us a visit and they were no doubt hoping to achieve a similar result to the earlier season game at Broadhall Way. From the opening period I thought that Leigh played some good football and when Ian Monk put us ahead after 19 minutes it looked as if we were going to exact revenge for that September defeat. Unfortunately that was not to be the case and Leigh gifted Neil Illman 2 goals which rocked us back on our heels. Worse was to follow as Tony Black missed an opportunity to level matters from the penalty spot just before half-time. The second half was then littered with Leigh mistakes and Neil Illman completed his hat-trick before a fourth from Adrian Clarke sealed a 4-1 win for the Boro. Take nothing away from them; once they got their noses in front, thanks to the disastrous gifts, Stevenage played some very good football. At least we will still be playing them next season! Congratulations are, of course due, to Neil Illman on his hat-trick. The result on Saturday has, in my opinion, been waiting to happen - a full-time team were going to take us to the cleaners at some stage of the season. It is to Leigh's credit that we have taken points off most of the full-times teams this season but, unfortunately we had to play Yeovil just as they were returning to the form which has seen them at or near the top of the table all season. Speaking personally, with memories of our recent visit to Rushden still in my mind, I would be more than happy for Yeovil to leave us for pastures new. Back to the game; the pre-match announcement that Yeovil's main strike force of Warren Patmore (22 goals this season) and Howard Forinton were both missing, must have given Leigh cause for optimism. However, how the media could include Howard Forinton in this statement is beyond me - he has only made one start for Yeovil. Leigh were probably happy with the half-time score of 1-1; unfortunately Yeovil were not and proceeded to add 5 goals to their tally. The match statistics produced in the Non-League Paper show, however, that Leigh were not overawed; we had 7 shots on target compared to Yeovil's 8. The only difference is that Yeovil obviously made their shots counts. Interestingly enough, that newspaper gave Craig Dootson 7 points for the game despite picking the ball out the net so often; the only other player to 'score' 7 was Tony Black. According to the Nationwide football website (www.nationwide.co.uk/football), "Oddly enough, it wasn't as one-sided as the score suggests. On three occasions in the closing stages Pennock was called on to make great saves, the best of them from Tony Black." The BBC website (www.news.bbc.co.uk/sport) advised that "...right on half-time their goalkeeper Tony Pennock had to make a great save from Ian Monk to keep them in front.." and followed with "...but it wasn't all one-way traffic and in the closing stages Pennock had to make three good saves as Leigh refused to lie down." It was nice to note that although we were on the wrong end of such a score the lads did not resort to kicking the opposition as many teams would have done. Throughout the game we only had 9 fouls given against us. Lets be honest, before the season started we expected a few results similar to the last 2 games. Its taken 33 games of an obviously tiring season before they happened. However, a note of caution, teams are now getting used to us and our style of play. We definitely need some new recruits to add to our squad before the start of next season otherwise the recent results could just become the norm. Saturdays' results when coupled with yesterdays have really thrown the promotion issue wide open. Leigh could have a big say in this as Yeovil's game in hand on Rushden is at Hilton Park NEXT TUESDAY 24th April K.O. 7:45pm. It is interesting to note that in an article in this weeks Non-League Paper, the 'experts' (Jake King of Telford, Steve Evans of Boston (the same Steve Evans who before the season started, predicted an early return to the Unibond for Leigh) and Tony Flood of the NLP) feel that Rushden will be promoted and will finish the season with 6 to 8 points more than Yeovil. In fairness to them, the predictions were made before Saturdays' games.They also feel that Leigh will finish in 5th position ahead of Southport. King predicts Leigh will finish on 67 points, Flood 68 points and Evans 65 points. That will do us - automatic entry to the LDV Trophy! I've just woken up and realised that the score at Yeovil must have been a bad dream. The programme from the match clearly shows in the match line-up that Yeovil were playing Hayes that day, although the team do seem to have the same names as our lads! Nice try but dream on. Today (Monday) saw us return to Hilton Park for our match v Woking. Leigh were somewhat pensive and were, obviously, determined not to let a goal in after the 10 they conceded last week. Once Steve Jones scored in the 63rd minute the tension began to lift from the players and they improved even more after Jones netted again in the 75th minute. A 2-0 result was just what the players needed and, hopefully, they can now put last week behind them. RECORDS. Last weeks results have sent me back to the record books. The last time we lost by a score of 4-1 at home in a league match was on 20th January 1996 in the game v Netherfield (now Kendal Town). This match was in the Northern Premier League First Division. I needed to go back further to find the last time we conceded as many as 6 goals in an away league match or in fact in any away match. This had not previously happened to the team since becoming Leigh RMI. In the season we came to Hilton Park and were still known as Horwich RMI we went to Morecambe at the end of season 1994/5 and lost 7-1 on the 17th April 1995. This was Horwich's 11th successive league defeat on the way to relegation from the NPL Premier Division. Funnily enough in the match previous to this, at home to Accrington Stanley on the 15th April, we lost 5-1. Shades of last week! Horwich ended this abysmal run in the next match, away to Guiseley, who had not lost at home for 2 years, when, against all the odds we won 2-1 with goals from Andrew Leach (son of the current treasurer Alan, Andrew now lives in the States and is a subscriber to the Newsletter) and Jon Senior. The result effectively ended Guiseley's bid for promotion from the NPL and handed a Conference place to Morecambe. FORTHCOMING FIXTURES AT HILTON PARK. Wednesday 18th April RMI v Chester City league K.O. 7:45pm Sunday 22nd April Leigh Centurions v Dewsbury Rams league K.O. 3:00pm Tuesday 24th April RMI v Yeovil Town league K.O. 7:45pm Thursday 26th April RMI v Morecambe league K.O. 7:45pm Saturday 28th April RMI v Kingstonian league K.O. 3:00pm PLAYER OF THE YEAR. Voting forms will shortly be available so that supporters can pick their 'Player of the Year'. In a change to the previous format it has now been decided that supporters will also be able to cast votes through the internet. Anybody wishing to avail themselves of this facility (1 vote per address please) should forward an email to me at a.blakeley@leigh-rmi.co.uk as soon as possible. The presentation evening for the above award together with the 'Players Player of the Year' and the 'Young Player of the Year' will be held this year at the ground at 7:30pm on Saturday 12th May. Tickets will shortly be available - watch this space. NON-LEAGUE PAPER. In last weeks Newsletter I had a'go' at this paper for their seeming intransigence when dealing with emails from their customers. Within hours I received a response from Dave Waters, the news editor, who stated that "Although we strive for accuracy I am sure that you will appreciate that in any job, let alone the hectic world of publishing, mistakes are made." I totally agree Dave, my point was that corrections from the paying public are ignored. Dave went on to say "Please keep us on our toes and let us know when mistakes, however small are made". That's good news Dave, however, in response to this I advised (for the fourth time) that the number of penalties scored by Leigh RMI this season is 9 not 8 has as been shown for some time. Imagine my surprise on Sunday morning when checking their statistics I found that the number shown was still 8! In fairness to the NLP, however, I still think that this is a good publication which deserves more support. If you've not read this paper then do yourself a favour and obtain a copy next Sunday. Just to show that mistakes can be made, in last weeks edition I pointed out that the picture of the team as shown in this paper only included Dave Felgate and Ian Monk of our promotion winning side. Dave Felgate took great delight in pointing out that Dave Ridings was also on that picture. Sorry to both Daves for that error. CONGRATULATIONS. To Fulham, our old friends from Craven Cottage, on winning the Nationwide First Division championship yesterday. It is only 2 seasons ago that we met in the first round of the FA Cup, when Fulham were in Division 2 and we were in the Unibond. Both clubs have made remarkable strides since that time. Incidentally, programmes from the replay at Hilton Park are still available at a cost of £1 which includes postage and packing. If you would like a copy then please forward a cheque, made payable to Leigh RMI FC, to me at 8 Winsford Grove, Ladybridge, Bolton BL3 4QD. CHESTERFIELD. A lot has been written about the Football League review of the above clubs' affairs and I do not wish to comment on that here. However, I think that the fact that the review did not instruct Chesterfield to pay the £150,000 fee due to Chester City for the transfer of striker Luke Beckett last year was diabolical and did not due any justice to Chester or non-league football in general. The amount owing was ordered to be paid by a tribunal at the time of the transfer. Once again the FA and the Football League have shown that there is one law for the 'rich' and another for the 'poor'. I sincerely hope that Chester will not take this lying down! MICK MARTYN BAR ENTERTAINMENT. Do yourself a favour and get down to the bar for the 'Cher Experience' on Friday 27th April (7:30pm). This event, which promises to be a good evening, will only cost you £15.95 which includes the entertainment, dinner and dance. For more details contact Stuart on 01942 205669. IN CONCLUSION. That's all folks! - see you next week. Until then enjoy your football. Any views expressed in this Newsletter are personal views and are not necessarily shared by the Directors and Management of Leigh RMI FC